"Permission to enter?" Tandy calls from the top of the scaffolding.
Yes, they've done this like twenty times, but so much has changed for him in such a short time. His entire world got flipped upside down, so she wants to respect his boundaries. He turns casually, like he'd be expecting her, and gives a mirthful grin.
"Granted."
He crosses the church and catches the grocery bags as she tosses them down before shimmying down herself. Ty offers his hand and she takes it, only a millisecond of hesitation this time. This is a big change, too, them touching. She tries not to think about… well, how much she thinks about it. Touching Tyrone is like candy. Now that she's had a taste she wants it all the time. Brief brushes of the shoulder or finger tips ghosting over an elbow feel electrifying, whereas longer touches, like their hands right now, make her melt.
It's addictive, really. Her pulse quickens, her veins sing with energy. They've thankfully gotten the lightshow under control, but the sensation hasn't dimmed. She has to wonder, though. These feelings that arise every time they touch, is it their powers connecting or is it just her feelings for him?
Feelings is an ominous word that she doesn't like using, so she quickly says, "What's up?"
It's a stupid question, but he shrugs playfully. "Hey, you know. Lenny's working his way up in the world."
She laughs. "Good to hear." Then she notices something on his upper lip. "Tyrone, is that blood?"
His eyes widen before anger scrunches them up. "Shit." He wipes it off but in no way seems surprised.
She understand immediately. "You've been doing it again haven't you?"
"Tan," he places the groceries by the altar.
"You have! Damn it, Ty, last time you fricking passed out."
"I know, I know, I know." He holds up his hands passively, "I pushed it too far. I haven't tried a distance that great since, I promise. This is fine, though. I'm increasing it slowly."
Tandy shakes her head, still livid that he'd given himself a fricking nosebleed. Eventually she gives in, crossing her arms and mumbling, "How far?"
"Gramercy."
She nods. That isn't bad; can't be more than fifty miles, but still. "Can you take it easy for a few days, please? You can't overwork yourself. I need my partner in top shape."
Normally calling him her anything got the faintest blush or reluctant smile on his face. Not now.
"I'm losing my mind, here, Tandy! I'm being hunted like an animal and caged like one, so excuse me for wanting some fresh air."
He regrets it almost as soon as it's out of his mouth. Tandy doesn't deserve this, not when she's been one of the only steady things in his life as of late. He's just so done. He's done with his parents being scared for his life. He's done living in constant paranoia. Shit, he'd take just sleeping in an actual bed as a fricking upgrade. But no, Tandy doesn't deserve this.
He practically collapses onto the front pew, head in his hands. "I'm sorry, Tan."
She sits beside him, arm weaving around his back. His body is both sedated and brought alive; calmed and invigorated all at once. He supposes being with Tandy has always been like that, even before they could touch. Now those feelings he's been trying to explain away have physical validation and it's not helping.
Tandy speaks up. "I'm sorry, Ty. I'm sorry this happened to you, that you're stuck here. I'm sorry the world fucking sucks."
The last words are lost in her exhale, like they're too exhausting to speak. He realizes she's tired, too. She did this for much longer, forced onto the street when she was just a kid. Plus, Tyrone has Tandy and Evita helping him through this. Tandy was on her own. The idea tightens a vice around his heart. He leans his head against hers and she wraps her other arm around him, fully embracing him.
"You don't deserve this." She says seemingly to herself.
Tyrone sighs. They stay like that for a few minutes before Tandy pulls away, a surprising bit of mischief in her eyes.
He's instantly wary. "What?"
"I actually came here to ask you something." She says. "My mom has a job interview in Alexandria. It was unexpected and super last-minute, but it's a good position and one she really wants, so she got a friend to give her a ride and I've got the house to myself until tomorrow morning."
Tyrone's thoughts don't immediately go to all the things most teenagers do when their parents aren't home, but once they're there, he can't stop thinking about it.
He swallows. "Yeah?"
"Yeah, so you should sleep over." Holy shit, she's not even dancing around it. "The trailer isn't exactly fresh air but it's something."
Tyrone nods in agreement but his brain is short circuiting. She wants him to sleep over, a term that has two very different meanings. One is something fun and innocent that middle schoolers do on weekends. The other is more, much more, and Tyrone doesn't know what to do about it. Tandy doesn't feel that way about him, does she? They're best friends. That isn't going to change just because they can touch now.
Except that's a lie and Ty knows it. It's changed everything. He thought maybe if they ever figured out a way to touch, he'd be able to stop thinking about it, but that wasn't the case. Now he finds himself studying how every touch is different. Some are fleeting, others linger. They're still figuring out how to do this and as much as it's painfully awkward sometimes, it's also exciting.
But… sleeping over? That goes far beyond any kind of physical curiosity. That's Tyrone admitting that he's feelings for Tandy are deeper and more complicated than he lets on, and he isn't ready for that, especially if Tandy doesn't feel the same way.
Swallowing the lump of anxiety in his throat, Ty asks hesitantly, "When you say 'sleep over' do you mean…?"
He's flustered, and not in the usual way that Tandy gets a kick out of. There's something deeply troubled in his expression and it doesn't sit well with her.
"When you say 'sleep over' do you mean…?"
She blinks at him for a moment. Tyrone makes some sort of gesture with her hands and somehow that makes her understand. And then she's laughing, exploding with giggles because oh my God, he's fricking adorable.
"We have a couch, Ty, jeez."
She swats his arm playfully, but her heart is beating double-time. She hadn't thought about… that. Well, not for tonight. In truth, she just wants to get him out of the church somewhere he knows he'll be safe. But… she does think about it, more than she's proud to admit. She wonders what he likes, how he sounds, how he feels.
Shit, Tandy can feel her cheeks flushing. She stands abruptly, forcing an aloof cadence into her voice. "Flash in around seven, okay? I'll order pizza."
Ty nods once, holds her eyes for half a second before averting them. "Yeah, yeah sure. That sounds really nice."
"Cool." She says, and has to consciously remind herself not to run out of the church.
A soon as she's gone, Ty's hand is in his shorts, trying to relieve the tension that had been coiling in his stomach since that awkward conversation began. He feels guilty as he touches himself. He always feels guilty when it's Tandy he's thinking of. Yes, he understands that he's not really doing anything wrong, but she's his best friend. He's not supposed to imagine her… the way he's imagining her, right? He cums with a grunt of frustration and sinks back into the pew.
Tandy kisses her mother goodbye, promises to call her if anything goes wrong, assures her for the hundredth time that the interview is going to be great, but the entire time her thoughts are consumed by Ty. Isn't that sick? She's supposed to be helping her mom pick an outfit and all she can do is imagine Tyrone's hands on her breasts, his tongue in her mouth, his fingers inside her. Fuck, Tandy storms into the bedroom, practically ripping off her jeans and burying her hand bellow the waistband of her underwear.
Tyrone absolutely does not travel forty miles and spend $8 of his very limited cash supply to purchase condoms. He doesn't spend nearly half an hour staring at himself in the small hand mirror Tandy had given him obsessing over his appearance. He doesn't do any of these things because nothing is going to happen tonight. They're going to get pizza, probably watch a movie, and then sleep in separate rooms. And Ty's perfectly happy with that.
When Tyrone flashes into her living room at five after seven, Tandy is perfectly calm. She did not actually attempt to tidy up the house. She didn't spend extra time on her hair and she definitely hadn't changed into the nicest set of underwear that she owned. She smiles and jokes with him like she always does, because nothing between them is changing, and she's perfectly okay with that.