Falling to Pieces(Kit and Ty)

Chapter 22

Ty listened to the sound of waves crashing against the shore. Kit sat on the sand next to him, watching the waves. Ty still found the whole dating Kit thing new; he had never thought that this would happen, but he was glad it did. Ty loved Kit, and he hoped Kit knew that. They would often go to the beach together and watch the ocean. If he could, Ty would stay like this forever. He would just sit and watch the waves with Kit. But unfortunately, he couldn't do that.
    Telling his family about Kit had gone better than he thought it would. Ty knew that his family would accept him for who he was, but he had still doubted it. Now, he knew that his family still loved him. He knew that they were okay with him dating Kit. Telling his family was like a weight being lifted from his shoulders. He no longer had to hide the truth from the people he loved; he could hold Kit's hand in front of them if he wanted to. Their love was no longer a secret, and that was relieving.
    Ty never liked lying to his family about Kit. He just hadn't felt safe telling them. Whenever he thought about telling them, something told him not to. Something told him to wait a little while longer, that he would do it when he was ready. Ty realized that he would never be completely ready. There was always that chance that his family would hate him, but he had to take that risk. He was glad that he did.
    Keeping that secret had been awful, but now everything was okay. Things were better than okay. He had Kit, and his family was supportive of their relationship. Once Livvy found out, she claimed to have known all along. She probably had known, since she was his twin. Sometimes, Ty felt as if she knew him better than he knew himself.
    Ty looked at Kit, who was watching the ocean, and couldn't stop himself from smiling. Kit's hair was a bit of a mess, but Ty loved it. He loved how Kit seemed so happy to be watching the waves. He loved everything about this moment, and he never wanted it to end.
    Kit looked up from the ocean, meeting Ty's gaze. Ty quickly looked down at his feet, realizing that he had been staring.
    "Can I hold your hand?" Kit asked.
    Ty nodded, and Kit reached for his hand. He felt the warmth of Kit's hand in his, and never wanted to let go. It was comforting to have Kit so close to him.
    "Should we have told them sooner?" Ty asked, thinking about his family. He remembered how he had hurt them by not telling them about Kit right away. But he couldn't have told them. He couldn't think of what to say, and couldn't find it in himself to do it.
Kit thought for a moment, then shook his head. "You weren't ready until you told them," he said. "They might not understand that, but you were afraid. You told them when you were ready, Ty, and they have to respect that."
Ty nodded. "I feel as though I hurt them, and I wish I had just trusted them." He squeezed Kit's hand, allowing his presence to comfort him.
"You did nothing wrong. I need you to trust me on this," Kit said.
Ty looked into his eyes for a moment, fascinated by how beautiful they were. There was something in Kit's eyes that told Ty he meant what he said. He wasn't lying to make him feel better; he was telling the truth. Ty was beginning to believe him.
"I trust you, Kit."
Kit smiled, making Ty's heart flutter. "I love you, Ty," he said. "You don't have to say it back if you don't want to. I just thought now was a good time for me to say it."
"I love you too," Ty said.
Kit looked almost surprised to hear those words, and then smiled. They had both said that they loved each other before, but it was still new to both of them. Just hearing Kit say those words made Ty's heart stop. He had never thought that someone would have that effect on him, but he hadn't thought about love much until Kit.
Holding Kit's hand was comforting, but Ty felt the need to be closer. He wanted Kit to hold him and never let go. He wanted to feel Kit's warmth against him. Ty had never felt this way before, and it was terrifying, but also magical. He didn't know much about love, but he knew that it was truly amazing.
Ty gently pulled Kit toward him. "Will you hold me?" he asked.
"Of course."
He felt Kit's arms wrap around him, and leaned his head against his chest. He could hear Kit's heartbeat, a calming rhythm that Ty loved listening to. It reminded him that Kit was alive, that he was real. Sometimes, Ty felt as if dating Kit was a dream, some fantasy that he would eventually wake up from. Hearing his heartbeat reminded him that everything was real.
Ty looked up at Kit, and saw that he was smiling. He loved that Kit was happy. He loved everything about this moment. It was perfect. It would eventually have to end, but Ty didn't think it had to be over just yet.
Kit noticed his staring, and his smile brightened. Ty remembered the feeling of his lips pressed against his, the feeling of running his hands through Kit's hair. He wanted to feel that again, wanted to feel the warmth of his lips, and get his hands tangled in his blond hair.
"Can I kiss you?" Ty asked uncertainly.
Kit nodded. "You don't have to ask."
Ty couldn't hold back a smile as he leaned forward. He stopped, inches away from Kit's lips. "Are you sure?"
Kit closed the distance between them, his lips against Ty's.
It was what Ty had expected and more. Kit's lips were warm against his. Ty closed his eyes, and kissed him back. Kit's hands were in his hair, tangling themselves in it. He heard Kit laugh, and wanted more than anything to hear his laughter again. It was beautiful and perfect.
Ty ran a hand through Kit's hair, and then reluctantly pulled away. "I love you," he said. He would say the words over and over again, and they would never get old. He knew that for sure.
A smile spread across his lips, and Ty's heart fluttered. "I love you, Tiberius Nero Blackthorn."
Ty looked into Kit's eyes for a moment, surprised to hear his full name. No one ever called him by his real name, but he loved the sound of it coming from Kit. The way he said it made Ty want to hear it every second of every day.
    Before Ty could respond, he heard a squeal of excitement coming from behind them. He turned to see Livvy's ghost, grinning at them.
    "You guys are so cute!" she exclaims.
    Kit turned to look at her, his face red with embarrassment. "H-hey Livvy," he said.
    "How long were you watching us?" Ty asked.
    "I saw everything," she said, giggling. "I can't really leave your side. You know that."
    Ty laughed. "Yes, but you can be far enough to give us some privacy."
    Livvy shrugged. "I kind of wanted to see this."
    Kit rolled his eyes, laughing a bit. "Of course you did."
    "Ty is my brother," she said, holding her hands up in surrender. "It's my job to protect him."
    "What were you defending him from by watching us?"
    She shrugged again. "That was more for my own enjoyment."
    Ty laughed, still unable to believe that his sister was watching them kiss. Of course she would. She's Livvy.
    Ty loved this. He loved that Kit and Livvy were happy. He loved that he was happy, as well. Seeing Kit and Livvy laugh made him laugh, too. Three years ago, they were great friends. They would spend time together and make fun of the people at Clave meetings that were held at the LA Institute. Kit fit in with the family right away, and it was nice to have him around.
But then he left. And Ty went to the Scholomance. Ty had almost forgotten that he was still going to the Scholomance. He was on a two week break, but that break would eventually end, and Tessa and Jem would come back for Kit. Would they be able to see each other? Ty wished things were like they had been, with Kit staying at the Institute and he wouldn't be at the Scholomance. Going to the Scholomance was his dream, but now, it was keeping him from being with Kit.
    "Kit?" Ty waited, making sure that he had his attention. "What are we going to do when you go back to England, and I go to the Scholomance?"
    Kit froze, a look of uncertainty passing over his face. Ty guessed that he had forgotten about leaving, as well. "I don't know, Ty," he said. "The one thing I do know is that I won't let the distance split us apart."
    "Do you promise?"
    Kit nodded. "I don't plan on leaving you unless you no longer want me."
    Ty smiled a bit, but he still hated the thought of Kit leaving, and going back to the Scholomance. No one could predict what would happen, and Ty hated not knowing. He wanted to be certain that he and Kit would make time for each other. He wished that they didn't have to do this; he wished that Kit could stay at the LA Institute, and that he didn't have to go back to the Scholomance. But, going there was his dream, and Ty wasn't going to give up on it. Not yet.
"We'll find a way to make this work," Ty said, for both of them. They both needed to know that they would be alright, even if they were far away from each other. Ty could visit Kit in Devon, and Kit could visit the Scholomance and LA when Ty had a break. They would make it work. But, they weren't going to let distance ruin their relationship.
Kit smiled, and Ty felt his heart stop. He was definitely in love with Kit, and found that to be one of the things that would remain constant in his life. Ty didn't think he'd ever stop loving Kit, and he hoped Kit felt the same way.
"Ty!" Helen yelled. "Kit!"
Ty scrambled to his feet, hearing the urgency in his sister's voice. Something was wrong.
"There's a guy at the Institute and he claims to know Dru," she said.
"I don't see what this has to do with us," Kit said, clearly annoyed by the interruption.
"Julian wants everyone back at the Institute."
Kit sighed. "Fine."
Ty walked back to the Institute, Kit beside him, and wondered what was going on. Helen hadn't told them much information, just enough to get them back to the Institute. He hoped that Dru was safe. He wasn't ready—he never would be—to lose another family member. He loved Dru, and he hoped she knew that.
Ty felt Kit's hand gently wrap around his, and immediately started feeling a bit calmer.
"Everything will be alright," Kit said, reassuringly.
"I hope so."