Help Me

Car Journey

Rye

Friday rolled around all too quick, and before they knew it both Rye and Mikey were saying their goodbyes to the boys.

Now, on any other occasion, the goodbyes would be banterous, brief, and not at all serious. Full of jokes as it were.
But today though, there was some unspoken intimacy and tenderness between all five of them as they hugged goodbye.
Andy and Brook were both trying so hard to not cry, something that Rye outwardly found funny; inwardly he felt his heart grow warm. All five of them exchanged words with each other, but it was Andy's words that made him think.

"Look after him... And please don't do anything stupid." He said, loudly, so that Mikey, Jack, Brooklyn, and Blair could all hear. They all laughed, and so did Rye, but it wasn't those words that made him think. It was the words that Andy whispered into his ear when he pulled him in for a brief hug.

"Be careful mate... Please don't do anything you'll regret."

And then Andy pulled away to stand in between Jack and Brook, slinging his arms around both of their shoulders, pulling them close.
A strong trio.

Rye stood there for a good few seconds, just looking at Andy in confusion. It had been a warning, he knew that much, but for what? Did Andy think that he was going to do something to mess up again?
He hadn't messed up before, that much was clear to him now, but what Andy had said... What would he regret?

And then he understood Andy's warning.
It was obvious really.
He waved over his shoulder and got into the car, shutting the door behind him.

He would regret messing things up with Mikey... So, he couldn't let his feelings dictate anything now. Andy was the only one to know of his true feelings for Mikey... And Andy wasn't going to be there for the next few days. The others wouldn't be there to help pick Mikey up if Rye accidently messed up again, so he had to be careful. He had to pretend that he didn't care as much as he did, at least not until they properly had a conversation about what was happening.
And that 'Be careful'... That had many different connotations. Was it just a generic 'Be careful', or did the meaning run deeper? Either way, both were warnings, and Rye understood. He just had to watch his step.

"Rye?" Mikey's voice brought him out of his thoughts, and he turned to face his friend.
"Yeah?"
"Can you sit in the middle?" His words lacked any volume, but Rye smiled at his request. Still the same old, sweet, gentle Mikey.

Stop thinking about him like that... He doesn't think the same of you... It's unfair on Mikey...

His smile slipped from his face for a second before he salvaged it. Rye slid across to the middle, buckling himself in, freezing momentarily when Mikey rested his head on his shoulder. The warmth in his heart rose in temperature, and Rye snapped out of it, wrapping his arm around Mikey's shoulders.
So this was why Mikey wanted him to sit in the middle...
Rye's smile stayed firmly put this time, and his fondness for the boy beside him engulfed him whole.

"Thanks." Was his friend's quiet response. Rye looked down, sighing when he saw Mikeys eyes already closed.
Damn.
He must've been really tired...

Rye started abruptly, snapping out of his daze (If that's what you would've called it?) when Blair honked the horn three times before driving off. Mikey flinched weakly, but Rye murmured softly, gently stroking his index finger over Mikey's shoulder.

Rye then looked out of the window, and in the fading sunlight he saw Brooklyn, Andy, and Jack still stood with their back to the setting sun, casting one, big shadow. They waved their hands in farewell, so Rye leant across Mikey and placed his hand onto the window, before curling it into his lap.