Color

Hundred Eleven

Mitch walked back into the house, to sit at the table with the others. 

Alex was sitting up tall in his seat, as usual, while Avi spoke to him quietly. 

Scott was still flipping through the bills at the table, not looking up. 

Mitch took the seat beside him with a loud sigh, looking to Alex and Avi to listen to their conversation. 

Avi's hand was resting on Alex's knee under the table. "Babe, it's okay. She's clearly upset about something, it's not personal."

Scott finally glanced at Mitch, giving him a small smile. "How'd it go, Cutie?"

Mitch just shook his head, staring at the table. "She doesn't wanna talk to me. She's doesn't want me to parent her, I guess."

Alex frowned at him. "She said the same to me."

Avi shook his head a little. "Yeah well, she's finally dating a boy that makes almost as many shit decisions as Scott and I, but she thinks you're being a hypocrite for telling her not to."

Scott nodded slowly at that. "Oh." But he still continued to flip through his envelopes. 

Mitch frowned, keeping his eyes down. "That's not fair. Nobody said she couldn't date him. I just wish she wouldn't... Y'know, turn into him."

Alex spoke up softly. "He seems nice, at least."

"Yeah, I didn't say his personality was trash. I just don't respect some of his decisions. Such as, allowing Kirstie to smoke his cigarettes."

Alex spoke up again, in the same quiet voice. "But ultimately... It's not really our choice. I mean, Avi drinks beer like it's water, but I can choose to participate in that behavior or not. And that's my choice."

Mitch was quick to respond. "Well yeah, but that doesn't mean I can't be a good friend and tell you that it's probably not a good idea. Especially with cigarettes, considering how much Scott struggled with them."

Scott didn't look up, still making his neat piles of letters for everyone. 

Avi hummed. "It's strange that she was on board with helping Scott move on from his addiction, and yet here she is, falling for the same thing, as if she didn't learn anything the first time."

The backdoor opened, Kirstie walking back into the kitchen with her phone in hand. 

Conversation immediately died, but Avi was quick to try to cover it in a somewhat natural way. "How's stuff with your team going, Lex?"

As Alex began answering the question, Mitch reached across the table to hold one of Scott's hands. 

Scott glanced up at him, giving Mitch's hand a squeeze to be reassuring. 

Alex didn't notice, now focused on Avi. "I mean, long story short... I think I need to get more sleep. Or drink less coffee or something."

Kirstie walked past them without saying anything, head buried in her phone. 

Mitch glanced at her and then put his head back down. 

She only disappeared for a few moments, and then walked past them again with her purse in hand. 

Avi spoke up loudly. "Going to Kyle's?"

"Yes." Kirstie tried to speak in a nice way, without coming across as upset with Mitch. "I'll be back later tonight, after dinner probably."

"Got it. Be safe." He responded shortly.

She just smiled, and headed out the door. 

Mitch looked back to Scott once the door had closed. "I'm just so upset... I just want to be worried about her, but she won't let me."

"You can be worried, babe." Scott reminded him. "Just... Maybe we should keep it to ourselves. We're only going to push her away. Maybe... We just have to let her come to us. She knows we're here for her."

*

Mitch did homework for the majority of the day, while multitasking and helping Alex study for a neuroscience test he had coming up.

Avi and Scott left to go to work, telling the others that they'd be home late. 

Alex had been doing sit ups on the floor beside Mitch's seat on the couch, answering questions as Mitch quizzed him. 

Mitch flipped a page in the textbook. "Okay, uh... What does P.E.T. scan stand for?"

"Positron Emission Tomography." Alex responded easily, doing another sit up. 

On their way out, Avi walked into the living room and grinned at Alex. He walked over and knelt down beside him, as Alex continued to answer questions.

Avi smiled, and then placed a hand on Alex's stomach to lean down and kiss him once. "Don't work too hard, sunshine."

Alex relaxed enough to kiss him back briefly, and then lay down fully. "I won't."

Avi stood, and walked toward the door to choose a set of keys to take with him. 

Scott walked out behind him, holding his work uniform in hand. He saw Mitch on the couch and walked toward him. 

Mitch glanced up at him, and spoke before he got closer. "Babe, what did I tell you about that shirt?"

"What am I supposed to do, Mitchie? I don't wanna bother my boss about something like that."

"Okay well. I don't like it."

Avi turned around quickly. "Why the Hell not? He looks hot."

Mitch was shocked for a moment, and then quickly answered. "I know that. I just... Want to keep him to myself. You can't argue with me about that, you throw a fit every time Alex is shirtless around us."

"That's because-- Oh. I see your point. Carry on." He turned quickly to walk to the kitchen. 

Scott rolled his eyes. "I don't understand the issue."

Mitch crossed his arms over his chest. "I tried to go to class in a crop top, and you made me change. Do you remember that?"

"Of course I remember. I felt terrible after you left, I felt like a controlling asshole."

Mitch blinked at him. "Are you calling me a controlling asshole?"

Scott's eyes widened a little. "What? Of course not, I just.. I don't know what I'm trying to say. I'll get another shirt. Promise."

Mitch just shrugged, and reached out to grab the shirt and pull Scott forward so he could kiss him once. 

Scott frowned when he pulled away. 

Mitch just smiled, and pat Scott's chest a few times. "Have fun at work, sweetheart."

**