Rose Tinted (boyxboy)

Chapter 23: Push the button

" I find a knee in the crotch serves just as well." 

☆

Jerry's tiny Kia pulls up outside the familiar blue door. He switches off the engine and turns to face Tayce. "Are you sure you don't want me to come in with you?" 

Tayce stares as if mesmerized by the house. "No I'll be ok. I should do this alone." Tayce had half hoped that Frank would be out, but then again, Tayce kind of wanted this, to be able to face his fear head on and overcome it. Standing up to Frank.

"Ok, but before you go..." Tayce is distracted by Jerry making a rustling noise. He turns to see him rummaging for something in his glove compartment. "Ah here it is." Jerry pulls out a small device which looks a little like a lipstick on a tiny chain. "Here." He says, offering it to Tayce. 

"What's this?" Tayce questions, taking the device in his hands. 

"It's a panic button, you know for when you feel threatened." Jerry says smiling.

"Why do you have it?" Tayce furrows his brow, still looking at the small device, wondering how it worked. 

"My mother got it for me when I started going out. I've never had to use it. I find a knee in the crotch serves just as well." 
They both laugh at the remark, before Jerry clears his throat in order to get a little more serious. "Just take it in with you and press that small button on the top if you need to and I'll come running ok?" 

"Ok." Tayce nods, pushing the device into his right hand jeans pocket. He again looks out of the window at the blue door. "Here goes." He undoes the seatbelt and gets out of the car, closing the door behind him and walks up the path to the front door. 

When he gets a few inches from it, he hesitates, not knowing whether to knock or use his own key. "This is stupid." He mutters to himself as he pulls the house key from his other pocket and goes to insert it into the keyhole. 

The door suddenly opens before the key makes contact and Tayce pulls his hand back and lifts up his head to see Frank standing before him, wearing his evening attire, consisting of a tight white vest and sweatpants. "I guess you'd better come in." He says, stepping back, to make way for Tayce to enter. 

"I'm just getting a few things." Tayce says, trying to sound in control. "I'll be back another time for the rest of my stuff." 

"Sure." Frank replies lazily, letting the front door swing shut behind him, making a half hearted bang. 

"I'd prefer it if you'd wait down here." Tayce says as he heads straight up the stairs to the bedroom, leaving Frank standing in the hallway. He wanted to be in and out as soon as possible. 

He pulls down an overnight bag from the top of the closet and puts it on the unmade bed. Tayce begins to pack some essential clothes, pulling a bit of everything from hangers and drawers and stuffing them in the bag. He then leaves the bedroom and heads into the adjoining en suite. He opens the cabinet, taking out his cosmetics and toiletries, then spots his backpack from the night..that night when it all happened. 

Tayce scoops up one of the straps onto one arm and takes the items back into the bedroom. His heart jumps as he sees Frank sitting next to the bag on the bed, completely ignoring his request to stay downstairs. 

"You never did listen to me." Tayce mutters under his breath as he now hurries his bag packing, wanting to get out of this situation. 

"I have this for you." Tayce momentarily stops what he's doing to see Frank hand his phone over to him. The cracked screen is now fixed. "I mended it for you."