forum •Favorite Liar• [one/one]

Started November 26, 2022 by @Dayzed forum

tune

She let out a small, happy sigh when he spoke about their life over in Europe. She knew that they had things to do before they could finally escape America, but she still dreamed about a new life for her and Tamryn. One without constant death threats and Tamryn’s job as a murderer.

“I love birds,” she said softly, gently placing her hand on his chest. “We can have a tiny little cottage in the woods. I know it’s far fetched, but I love the idea. We can have a cat, and like you said, a dog. A big one that can sleep in our bed at night.”

She began to play with his hair, thinking deeply. “Maybe, one day, we can have a family. Only if you want to, of course.” She laughed softly. “I feel like it’s stupid thinking so far ahead, but I dunno. It’s nice thinking a future like that is possible.”

She sent him a strained smile. She wanted, more than anything, to be with Tamryn. She wanted to give him the opportunity to finally live a normal, carefree life. But, even though she dreamed of a future with just the two of them, she knew that it would be hard— if not impossible— to achieve with the way everything was going. Her life felt like an endless pit. Every time she would try to make it out, she would fall, pulling her down further and further into the darkness. For now, she was trying her hardest to distract herself from the dark road ahead of them.

As she leaned in, she felt Tamryn pull her closer, causing a dark blush to break out across her cheeks. She studied his face for a moment before she finally kissed him, a noise escaping the back of her throat as she did so. She stayed with him like this for a while, deepening it as she absentmindedly played with his hair, before she broke the kiss and rested in the grass next to him.

She laid there in silence for a moment before she finally spoke up. “I think I could stay here with you forever. I want to just forget about everything else.”

Tamryn's eyes sparkled at the mention of a cottage in the woods.
"Big dog." He said in return, laughing softly. "I love big dogs, especially golden retrievers, I imagine they're so nice to have around. I wanted one as a kid, but we couldn't afford that" He said, still smiling at the thought of owning a dog.
"A family would be great." He said, reassuring Andy that he did indeed want a family. "I don't think it's stupid, it gives me something to look forward to, to keep going.." He said softly, now realizing he had much more to live for than he had initially thought. Andy had been a big motivator in keeping him going, but slowly the thought of giving her a better life without him had taken over. In a way, he felt like he was unfit to be with Andy for many reasons, but if Andy really wanted this….then he would fight tooth and nail to give her that. Deep down this was his wish too, to be with her, but it was clouded with many uncertainties and low self-worth.

Tamryn hummed lightly at the kiss, every time this happened it was like a new level of peace that formed inside him. It was a form of care he had never felt before, it made him feel wanted and the feeling couldn't compare to anything else, except for his deep love for Andy.
"Then let's stay for as long as we can" He stared at the sky, watching the clouds drift by, changing the patterns against the infinite blue.

As time passed, Tamryn spoke about their time in this place, the few memories that were clear in his mind. It was a nice trip down memory lane and it had been a while since he spoke about his childhood to anyone, even Andy. It brought about a sense of sadness in him, missing those days, but also glad that they had happened. It felt like he had grown up too fast and he hadn't gotten enough time to enjoy himself with everyone. He didn't hold a grudge against his parents for that though, there was nothing they could have done in that situation and now as Tamryn had grown up, he understood that more than anyone.

The couple laid in the field for almost the entire day, only getting up so that they could head back to Andy’s truck and eat lunch. At first, the idea of staying in the field for so long made Andy somewhat anxious; yes, she loved being with Tamryn more than anything, but they had so much that they needed to get done. But, as they continued to talk, Andy found that she was able to relax. She was finally at peace, a feeling she hadn’t felt in months. Not only that, but she could see that it was having an effect on Tamryn as well. There was a spark of hope in his eyes again. He was happy, and Andy would have done anything to keep him like that forever.

As they spoke, Andy learned things about Tamryn that she had never known before. When they were kids, Tamryn had always been the quieter of the two, but he has always been there for her. Even after her aunt had died, he had been the first one to show up at her home, and he was always there to talk with her through her issues. It was not until later that she’d realized how bad Tamryn had it at his own home. She had seen how drunk his parents would get, and she had been to his home and witnessed the poor conditions. She couldn’t imagine what it must’ve been like to grow up like that, but it only gave her more of a motivation to give Tamryn a life that he deserved. A life away from all this chaos.

Andy’s skin began to grow more and more irritated by the grass as the sun went down, but she didn’t want to leave quite yet. Instead, she took Tamryn back to the truck and fished out blankets from the back. She spread them out in the trunk bed, creating a sort of makeshift bed for them to lie in as they talked.

She propped herself up with her elbow as she spoke, looking out at the field. “You know, I had such a big crush on you in middle school. I mean, I definitely still do now, but middle school crushes are… interesting.” She laughed, leaning down to kiss his cheek. “Vixen had a big crush on you too. I know you never liked her, but I would get so jealous.”

She laid down on her back and stared up at the dark sky for a moment before turning to him. “I know we’re not supposed to be talking about all the stuff that’s been happening lately, but I can’t help but ask. Do you… do you think Vixen knows anything?” she asked softly. “I mean, Vixen and Josh seem pretty close, and she was there when Josh was acting weird. I can’t help but think that they’re connected somehow.”

As they settled into the back of the truck, Tamryn stared at the stars. With the talk about Vixen and the atmosphere, Tamryn's eyes softened when she was mentioned. She loved the stars. He looked over at Andy when she propped herself up. A small laugh escaped him at her confession.

"Yeah…she did. I didn't know you had a crush on me back then though- that's new" He mused. Thinking back on that time brought about some bad memories. The whole fiasco with Vixen, the rumors that had been spread, the people he had associated himself with- everything had turned into a huge mess. Tamryn wasn't transphobic, or at least he wasn't now. He had been accused of disliking those who identified as part of the LGBTQ+ and maybe part of that had been true at the time, being irritated with everyone pushing him around and throwing insults at him just because he wouldn't get with Vixen. Vixen wasn't all that innocent either, throwing him under the bus because she wanted him to be with her so badly. This was years ago though and they had both made some pretty bad decisions. Now that they were older he believed that they had both changed for the better.

At Andy's question, he paused. He hadn't thought about that at all. He blinked a couple of times, trying to process the question.
"Maybe. I'm not sure how close Vixen and Josh are…I know that when she moved on from me she became pretty attached to him, hanging around him. She's always been like that, clingy." Tamryn said with a sort of irritated look, not because he was mad that Vixen had moved on and wasn't paying attention to him anymore, but because the more he thought about his time in their friendship, he saw the same signs of what she had done with him, was also being applied to Josh. It wasn't his problem but a small part of him wished that Vixen wouldn't be so dependent on people and would finally learn her worth. That she's worth more than what people think or say of her. In a way, Tamryn still thinks of Vixen as a childhood friend and cares for her even if it's been years without contact, not counting the party.
"I guess it's not a bad thing per se. I think that if she's really close to Josh to the point where they're really good friends she might know something, but again, I'm not completely sure. I haven't talked to her in a while." He said, scanning the sky. Star watching had always been something he liked doing and when things had turned sour between him and Vixen, the person he did that with had been Kohen, sharing the same passion for watching the stars as she had.
"What do you think?" He asked, not really turning to look at her this time.

“I’m surprised you didn’t know. I felt like it was so obvious, but I dunno. Maybe I really was good at hiding it.” She sat up and leaned down over him, gently stroking his hair. “I’ve had multiple crushes over the years, but you were the longest. Every time I thought I got over you, the feelings would come straight back full force.”

She placed a gentle kiss on his neck before resting her head, looking back up at the stars. A few months ago, she would’ve never imagined that she would be here, going on a date with her best friend. She had always been too nervous to confess to him. Even when her confessed to her just a few days ago, she had pushed him away first. She was not only afraid that she would ruin the friendship they had, but she was also concerned that she would end up carrying her baggage into their relationships and eventually ruining it. But, as she discovered more about Tamryn, she learned that he also had plenty of baggage he was carrying around. Their past traumas wouldn’t ruin the relationship. Rather, they would get through their struggles together, and their relationship would go stronger because of it.

Andy hesitated before responding to Tamryn’s comment about Vixen. She had never hung around her much when they were in school together, but she knew that her and Tamryn were close friends. So close, in fact, that many people thought of them as a couple, even though it was obvious that Tamryn didn’t feel the same. She knew that they hadn’t had contact for years, but Andy hoped that Vixen wouldn’t start to go back to her old feelings for Tamryn. She knew that Tamryn would never cheat on her with anyone, but she wanted Vixen to respect that they were in a relationship now. She didn’t know much about Vixen, but she had seen how badly she wanted to be with Tamryn.

“I don’t know. I just find her behavior… suspicious. That’s all,” Andy mentioned. “I’m wondering if she knows anything about the two men, even if she’s not involved. Josh could’ve mentioned them to her.”

She rolled on her back and stared up at the stars, trying to clear her mind of the dark thoughts that had forced their way into it. She had loved the stars when she was younger, and every now and then, she would go stargazing with her uncle. No matter where she was or what situation she was in, she could always look up at the sky and see the face of the moon. She didn’t know why, but that had always given her some sort of comfort.

“When we leave this place, we can do this every night,” she whispered. “Go out on our porch and lay under the stars…”

"I might have picked up some vibes from you now and then, but I never really thought anything of it, you know? I mean, I was difficult for a while there and didn't think anyone would be interested, so I guess I just shrugged it off as you trying to be closer friends" He smiled, thinking back on it. Now that Andy had mentioned it, there were the small rare moments where Andy seemed a little more off than usual some days around him. He had been confused, not being able to pinpoint where that awkwardness was coming from. In a way, he had been kind of a dumbass for not seeing the signs sooner, then again, he still was a dumbass.

"I'm glad your feelings for me prevailed then" He snickered softly, trying to put some lightheartedness to his tone.
Tamryn wrapped his arm around Andy and squished her a little closer to him, keeping his hand on her shoulder, relaxing as he let her rest against him. He leaned his head more in her direction to get that closeness he was craving for. Tamryn had been with many girls before, but none of them had come close to this. He tended to date the bitchy ones, people with more dominance, and while Andy definitely fit the bill of being "dominant" in a way, she was also soft and kind, and gentle with him. Something his other relationships had lacked. For some reason, Tamryn always seemed to gravitate toward dating people who would boss him around constantly, having him do things for them, and while he didn't mind it, it did get exhausting at times depending on what kind of personality the other had.

"Suspicious…" Tamryn echoed. "Sometimes she does come off like that. She's a good liar, I would know" He mused. "But who knows, we can't really say for sure if she's involved in all of this" He looked at Andy from the corner of his eyes to see what kind of reaction she was having to this conversation.
Once Andy moved away from him to lay back down on the tuck, he stayed silent, letting his mind wander a little, not too far though, it always turned to unwanted places.
"Let me guess, you're not much of a fan of the grass" He let out a soft laugh. "The porch sounds fine, but you need to get the whole experience, ants crawling on you and all" He laughed a bit more genuinely this time.
"But yeah, that sounds wonderful, beats feeling like you're dying every day," He said casually not really putting much thought into his words, it came like something natural, something he would always say and he did, a lot. To himself.

“To be honest, I’m glad we didn’t get into a relationship sooner. We… both our challenges to work through when we were younger,” she said. “I mean, we still have plenty of difficulties to get through. Don’t get me wrong. But we’re older, more mature. I finally think I’m ready for a committed relationship.”

Andy closed her eyes as Tamryn pulled her closer, a genuine smile crossing her face. It had been a long time since she had been this happy. Even though she knew she struggled a lot when she was younger, part of her still wished she would’ve confessed to him sooner. It may have saved her a lot of heartbreak. But, it all worked out in the end, and she was finally able to be in a relationship with him.

Andy wrapped her free arm around him, gently pulling him closer and he snuggled into her. As the stars began to peek out for hiding, it began to grow slightly chilly outside. Andy wasn’t cold, however, as both the blankets and Tamryn were keeping her warm.

She nodded at his mention of Vixen, still thinking deeply about the topic. “I’m not necessarily saying that she’s involved. At the least, Josh probably has mentioned something about the whole situation. It doesn’t seem unlikely that Josh would talk about that kind of stuff around her.” She released a small sigh as she hid her face in his chest. “I dunno. Maybe she’s isn’t. But I don’t think it would hurt to talk with her.”

But was it really worth it to try and contact Vixen? Andy still hadn’t told Tamryn that Josh had supposedly gone missing, if it be by his own accord or someone else’s, and she wasn’t sure when she would be able to gather the courage to do so. She had no doubt that Vixen would likely be upset over the disappearance, and there was no telling what could happen if they tried to question her about it.

With a sigh, Andy tried her best to pull herself out of her thoughts and back into reality. She was here to be with her boyfriend, not to think about what may happen in the distant future.

“Ew, ants?” She laughed softly. “Do I look like I wanna get eaten alive by bugs?”

Andy’s eyebrows furrowed in concern when he mentioned wanting to die everyday, and she frowned faintly as she looked over at him. Without another word, she pulled him close once again, gently kissing his forehead.

“Tam, if there’s anything you need to talk to me about, I’m here, okay?” She smiled down at him. “Seriously. We’re a team now. We’ll rely on each other.”

Tamryn hummed at the sentiment. Andy was right, had they gotten into this much earlier things might have….not panned out how they had now.

At the mention of talking with Vixen Tamryn gave a small forced smile. While he didn't have any problems with her anymore, there was still this feeling inside of him that didn't want to get involved with her again. But if Andy was certain that maybe they would find something out by talking with her then….he supposed he'd give it a go.
"Yeah, sure," Tamryn said cooly. "I'll call her tomorrow if you're up for it then. Doesn't have to be tomorrow but you know, it's a day off of school, I'm sure she wouldn't be too busy then" He spoke, trying to remember if Vixen had a job or not. The last time he had spoken to her, she was still working odd jobs, trying to make ends meet.

At Andy's sudden 'ew' Tamryn found it hard to keep it together, letting out a surprised laugh. He wasn't sure why that had made him laugh, maybe it was the childish, innocent ew that got him.
"No, but you wouldn't get eaten per se…" He trailed off, unsure. He smiled at her with that big idiotic smile he always had on his face after saying something dumb.

With the sudden change of tone and mood, Tamryn's smile quickly fell, but tried hard to keep his smile up even if it drooped slightly.
"Yeah," He said shakily but didn't say anything else. For some reason he was determined to not say how he felt, whether that be because he felt like he shouldn't, or because that's how he had been raised, it didn't matter. It would be a while before he let everything spill out again and while that wasn't necessarily healthy, it was the only way he knew how.

She nodded as he continued on about Vixen, still unsure about meeting with her. While she had always felt bad for her, Andy was still worried about getting involved with her, as she might be caught up in some pretty shady stuff. Plus, to add to that, Tamryn had a history with her, and she didn’t want their visit with Vixen to bring up too many negative memories for him.

“Tam, you don’t have to come with me if you don’t want to, okay?” she whispered. “It’ll probably be harder to get anything out of her without you, but I don’t want you to feel pressured into doing this. There are other ways to get information.”

She glanced in surprise when she heard his laugh, and a bright smile crossed her face. Despite all that they had been through, it was nice to hear Tamryn’s and see his big idiotic smile. He was so warm, so welcoming, and it made her fall in love with him so much more. She took her hand in his, intertwining their fingers as she snuggled close.

“Mm, I doubt the bugs would agree,” she teased. “But you know what? If you protect me from all the insects, I might consider lying in the grass with you.”

Andy’s heart ached as the conversation began to change, and she watched as Tamryn’s smile began to fade. It hurt her to see what he had to deal with, and she wanted nothing more than to take him away and shield him from the world. But, despite her wishes, she knew that wasn’t possible. All she could was stay by his side and try to comfort him.

Without another word, Andy sat up, leaning back against her truck. She took Tamryn by the hands and drew him close, allowing to rest his head on her chest as she gently ran her hand up and down his back. Sometimes, she let like Tamryn was fragile, and that he would fall apart in her arms if given the chance. In those moments, all she could was hold him tighter, trying with all her might to keep his broken pieces together.

Tamryn immediately shook his head at her words.
"Absolutely not. I'm coming with" He said, flashing Andy a small grin. "I don't mind, really. We're all adults, we can handle ourselves" He said, though he wasn't quite sure how true that was. They were adults, yes, but emotions were still involved and sometimes they could get the better of someone, adult or not.
His eyes brightened when Andy leaned against him, also taking her hand in return.
"I'll buy bug repent!" He announced. "And we'll get all those little things that catch flies, you know, the ones that are like a strip, and the bugs that are flying around stick to it?" He sort of explained the best way he could. "Though, I guess we wouldn't have anywhere to hang them if we're out in the fields…" He trailed off, not really thinking it through. He was quiet for a second, trying to think of other ways.
"Or we could put a blanket down…" Though that answer didn't seem satisfactory to him.

Tamryn huffed as Andy once again brought him close and took care of him. It felt unnatural to him, for someone else to be doing this and not the other way around. It was going to get some getting used to.
"Thanks.." He murmured quietly. Not just for tonight or for the day of spending time with him, but for staying. Basically for being his friend the whole time and not giving up on him. He had nothing but gratitude for Andy and everything she did. He knew that she put a lot of effort into things, into him, and wasn't thanked enough for it.

Despite her concerns, Andy didn’t protest when Tamryn insisted that he come with her. Sure, she had worries about how it would affect him, but she didn’t know how to feel about going to see Vixen alone. She seemed like she was a decent person, but she didn’t know how someone who used to have a major crush on Tamryn would feel about having a chat with Tamryn’s current girlfriend about rather personal topics.

“I know, I know. I’m just… I’m worried about it,” she said softly. “I know how much losing your friendship with Vixen affected you, and I don’t want it to bring up any negative memories for you. That’s all.”

The whole talk of Vixen brought up a whole new person of interest: the man she had seen talking to Tamryn at the arcade. She had no proof that he knew anything, but him and Tamryn seemed to have some sort of connection. After all, Tamryn had traveled from the Walmart all the way to the arcade to change before going to the crime scene. While there were obvious connections between the man and the men who has kidnapped Andy, she figured that he was a lead that was still worth following up on.

Tamryn’s comment about bug repellent pulled her away from her thoughts, and she smiled as she listened to him speak. Sometimes, he seemed so innocent and playful with her. It was far from the tormented man she had been with just a few hours before. Even so, as she listened to him speak, she had hard time imagining that this man was the same person who had taken lives. This man, her boyfriend, had stolen innocent individuals from their families all because he worked for some deeply corrupt organization. Andy wanted nothing more than to take Tamryn and runaway from all this, but she knew she had to do something to stop whatever power Tamryn was working for. She couldn’t let it take any more innocent lives.

Despite the dark thoughts roaming through Andy’s mind, she kept a smile on her face as she spoke to Tamryn. She wanted to give him a break from all the chaos, even if it was only for a few hours. “Mm… but repellent should work,” she said. “Maybe we can go somewhere with trees and sleep on a hammock. We could still see the stars, but it would keep some of the bugs from crawling all over us.”

She pulled his arms around her as she held him, laughing softly when he grunted in response. She always knew that Tamryn and her were opposites regarding love languages; she loved physical touch while he didn’t. Because of this, she let him know that he could move away if he wanted to, but he didn’t. So, she pulled him closer, tucking the top of his head beneath her chin.

“Oh, there’s no reason to thank me,” she whispered. “I’m just being a good girlfriend. That’s all.”

She held him for a while before eventually, she moved closer to kiss him. While she was still somehow timid about kissing him, it went on for longer than usual until Andy’s phone went off, interrupting them. She broke their kiss as she looked over to check it.

She was hoping for a text from her uncle, but she saw instead made her heart drop. It was an alert from the local news stating that more information had been released about the recent college shooting and Josh’s disappearance. She wanted to read the article, but Tamryn was right beside her, and she didn’t want to tell him about what had happened to Josh. She would soon, of course, but she didn’t want to ruin their moment. So, instead, she shoved the phone in her purse, clearly shaken by what she had seen.

“It’s just a email from the school. I’ve missed a lot of classes, you know?” she said. “Of course, they’re completely clueless about everything that’s been going on…”

(( So so sorry it’s so long xD I was not intending to write this much but here we are ))

(>:0000 don't apologize!! i love long replies!! <3)

Tamryn gave her a soft smile.
"I'll be okay, it's all in the past right? I should be healed by now" He said, making it seem like he was done and over the heartbreak of Vixen, but what he really meant was I should have been healed by now, so why am I still nervous about it?
Tamryn hummed as Andy spoke, yet seemed in deep thought. When she spoke about a hammock his eyes widened and he turned to look at her abruptly.
"Yes!! That's perfect!" He paused. "Why did I think of that…?" He looked down at his lap, thinking.

When Andy brought him closer, his face darkened in color. He had a pouty look, trying not to feel too embarrassed about the human contact. Well, it wasn't embarrassment…just. New. Was all. It made him feel fuzzy on the inside and it was a feeling he felt he would come addicted to, so he was trying his best not to indulge in it too much. Anything could be taken away from him in the blink of an eye and while he wanted to live freely, loving Andy with his whole heart, he felt as if he could not.
"Not just a good girlfriend…a good human being," He said softly, his eyes falling back into the hands on his lap, the feeling of being loved and wanted gave Tamryn a dizzy feeling like he wasn't quite sure what to do with himself.
Tamryn let out a small sound at the sudden kiss, though seemed to relax into Andy as it went on. Tamryn felt like he should be initiating the kisses more- it felt like he wasn't putting much effort into their relationship in that sense, but it all came full circle. He wouldn't let himself get too close. He was already close enough that if Andy were taken from him, it would kill him, but any more and it quite literally would.

As Andy's phone rang, Tamryn's eyes skimmed the screen but Andy held it in a way where he couldn't see anything after a second. He hadn't caught onto anything and it made him a little suspicious. Again, his paranoid instinct taking over.
When Andy gave an explanation about the notification, Tamryn's mood fell a little. Staring at her with a sort of serious look, kind of like a glare, but a little more toned down. Why was she explaining her notifications to him? Was she nervous about something?
"Right…" He said, but then gave a small smile. "Hopefully this'll end quickly and we can go back to our normal lives," He said, shoving down the thought that Andy was hiding something. He needed to stop with that. She had said not more lies, not more hiding anything. She wouldn't break her word. Tamryn just needed to trust her.

(( <3 ))

“If you say so. Wounds like that can take a long time to heal.” She brushed his hair aside before kissing his forehead. “But I’ll be right beside you in case anything goes wrong.”

Despite his reassurances, Andy was still nervous about visiting Vixen. Depending on how involved she was with Josh and his secrets, she could very well be the next victim. They would have to tread lightly with the questions they asked Vixen, and Andy was prepared to act if she had any sneaking suspicion that Vixen was in any danger. She hated the thought of bringing the girl who used to be obsessed with her boyfriend with them, but she might not have much of a choice.

She laughed when Tamryn suddenly turned towards her. “Well, like I said before, I always have the best ideas,” she said, squeezing his hand gently. “If we make out of here, we can go sleep outside as many times as you want, my love.”

She liked to repeat that scenario over and over again in her mind. She would imagine that one day, they would away from society, with a baby and a dog and a small cottage in the woods. She knew that, if something like that were to happen, it would take years to accomplish, but it gave her hope. Sometimes, that was all she needed; something to cling in dark times.

She noticed Tamryn’s pouty look as she pulled him in, so she loosened her grip more, allowing him to move away from her if he wanted to. She loved holding him, but she understood that Tamryn didn’t like being touched as much as she did.

“You know you can always tell me to stop, right?” She began gently rubbed his back. “It’s okay if you don’t want to do this right now.”

She hesitated before kissing him, unsure if he would kiss her back, but she pulled him in and gently pressed her lips to his. Just as he was starting to relax into it, her phone began to buzz. After she had read the message, she noticed that Tamryn must’ve seen her expression because his face fell. She felt a sharp pang of guilt for not telling him about Josh’s disappearance sooner, but she would. Tomorrow. Tamryn needed a break from all this nonsense.

She nodded at his words and rested her head on his chest. “Hopefully it won’t take too long, but I’m sure we’ll get this sorted out,” she said softly. “Our next step will be to visit Vixen. See if she knows anything.”

When Andy told him that he could stop her from holding him and kissing him, he looked away, slightly embarrassed, his face darkening. Yeah, he knew that, but why would he want to do that? He didn't want to admit out loud that he was really enjoying this- not that there was anything wrong with that, he was sure Andy would appreciate hearing words like that, but his chest tightened everything he felt like speaking his mind. Something akin to guilt stirred inside of him, it was a recurring feeling that took him by the throat again and again. Just how unfair this dynamic seemed. They were mutually dating yes, and while in any other situation, he would have enjoyed being in Andy's arms and being cuddled, it was simply the fact everything was just wrong. Tamryn could try and try to fix his mistake, but he couldn't undo them. The same thought kept spinning in his head, driving him on the verge of insanity. A small twisted part of him, wanted to go back to the job, because even though the guilt consumed him after everything was done- he felt like he was doing something, and….

and it was fun. In a way. He couldn't admit that to Andy though. He'd rather die.
"I know that" He grumbled, pushing the thought away. "I'm not forcing myself…" His voice got even smaller. It felt like a confession and it was a confession in a way. An indirect one.

Tamryn had in fact kissed back, though, his were more gentle and hesitant like he didn't want to get sucked in too much. In reality, he wanted to hold her so tight and get lost in the feeling, but that was too dangerous at the moment, so he opted for something softer.
"Yeah, I'll drive us tomorrow. I'm not sure if she moved or is still at the apartment complex she had when she was in high school, but I'll text her and make sure" He said.

Today he had spent a whole day with Andy. A whole day. This was the happiest he had ever been, and his heart swelled at being in her presence. He knew they would have to head back soon to prepare for tomorrow and that slightly scared him, that life was moving on at a fast rate and it wasn't giving him a chance to enjoy this to the fullest. But there was nothing he could do about that. He might have been scared, but life wasn't known for taking it easy on people, even on the ones that were already down on their luck.

She felt at twinge of guilt at Tamryn word’s. I’m not forcing myself. Here she was, holding and kissing him constantly, with not a clue in the world of how he felt about all the physical contact. She always knew that she loved physical touch more than he did, even as children. To add to that, their relationship had been going at a pretty fast pace; they had their first kiss the same day she admitted that she loved him. While Andy liked it that way, she knew that Tamryn was likely getting overwhelmed by it all. She figured she should slow down, give him time to adjust to the idea of having a girlfriend.

“Don’t force yourself, alright?” she said softly. “Really. You’ve been letting me hold you all day, Tam. It’s alright if we take a break for a while.”

When she kissed him, Andy noticed that he seemed to be holding back more. It wasn’t like their kiss back at the college campus, but Andy enjoyed it. She was simply concerned for him, but she failed to mention that concern as she pulled away.

After she put her phone away, Andy rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes as she listened to his heartbeat. She was so, so happy lying under the stars with her new partner, but at the same time, she could feel a sense of guilt clouding her mind. She knew that she loved Tamryn, and she believed that he was a good person, but that didn’t change what he had done. He was a murderer. The right thing would’ve been to go to the police, to turn him in, but she was too selfish. She kept his secret hidden, taking away justice from the innocent families who had lost their loved ones. She would never turn Tamryn in— she knew that for a fact— but a hint of that feeling of remorse would always remain.

However, she tried her best to push back the feeling as she continued talking with Tamryn, and eventually, the two finally decided to get some well needed shut eye. Andy considered going back to the hotel as it would get somewhat chilly at night, but Andy was too tired to make the long drive back. Instead, she snuggled up close to Tamryn, trying to keep them both warm as the night went on.

Andy managed to get some sleep, and she eventually woke up with the sun shining down on her. Once Tamryn woke up, they packed up their things and got on the road, stopping at a nearby restaurant for breakfast. It wasn’t long before they arrived at the hotel, and they quickly packed up their belongings there before once again hopping back in Andy’s car.

During the whole trip, Andy laughed and talked with Tamryn, trying to keep the good mod up for as long as possible. But, even though Andy wanted them to have a good day, she knew that things would quickly take a dark turn. She still had yet to tell him about Josh’s disappearance, but she knew she would have to break the news to him before they reached Vixen’s house. Instead, she decided to stop by the arcade instead, wanting to question Amory for any information he might know. She didn’t want the visit to come as a shock to Tamryn, so she tried to bring it up on their way to the arcade.

“Tam, you remember that day that I followed you to that home? You know, where you… got rid of the evidence?” She stole a glance over at Tamryn. “Well, I had been following you around before that, and I’m curious. Who was the man you were speaking to at the arcade?”

"No-" He started, sitting upright again and turning to her. "I mean…I'm not forcing myself to let you hold me, it's not like that- if I didn't like it, I would tell you- I…" He stopped for a moment. "I like it…" His voice lowered slightly, feeling the embarrassment rise up to heat up his cheeks.
"Fuck- sorry, I'm not exactly good with words," He said, looking away, his heart pounding a little faster than it had before. He never really admitted things like that out loud before. This was a first and it made him squirm.

It wasn't long before Tamryn's eyes closed, his heavy eyelids barely staying up. He wanted to stay awake for as long as he could in case something happened- someone or something came, but after a few minutes, he slipped into darkness.
That morning had been a fast one. They left the place and Tamryn took a beat longer to get into the car. He wanted to stay, but he tore himself away from the scenery and got back into the car. Tamryn hadn't exactly slept that well, waking up now and again, paranoid, but he had gotten enough sleep. He hoped.
Tamryn ordered the classic pancakes, eggs, and bacon with a coffee as he usually did. Coffee was alright, he didn't mind it. As long as it had a shit ton of creamer in it and he couldn't taste the bitterness. He didn't exactly put sugar in it, just a packet or two which didn't alter it a lot. When no one was looking Tamryn pocketed the small creamer cups. He….liked to drink them sometimes. On their own.

During the ride after breakfast, Tamryn seemed to be in high spirits, trying hard not to think about anything else but last night and their time together. He would drag out this illusion as long as he could. He did not care if he was being delusional.
The smile Tamryn had on his face froze as Andy brought up that day. He looked at her, though not fully turning, trying to hide his face a little. Ah. The arcade.
Tamryn opened his mouth to say something, a broken sound came out like he was going to talk but stopped.
"I grew up with him…kind of." He said, trying to find a good way to put this. "He used to live behind the arcade with these other people. I would go to the arcade often and play with the other kids there, it's where we met. We're somewhat friends" He said, tilting his head a little as if trying to decide if the word "friends" was a good term for it.
"Also, I'm still appalled that you decided to follow me" He laughed nervously, trying for it to sound lighthearted. "I really never saw that one coming…" He muttered at the end, looking down at his hands now, a slightly sad smile on his face.

Andy stayed silent for a few moments before taking Tamryn’s in her hand and turning his head back to face her. She considered saying something as her eyes took in his red face, but she decided not to and pulled him for the kiss instead. Afterwards, she leaned back against the truck, pulling his head to her shoulder.

“I love holding you, Tamryn. I really do. But do you know what I love more?” She smiled and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “You, my love.”

She held him for a long while before eventually, she grew tired, and they both laid down to rest. She slipped an arm around his waist, pulling him close and burying her face in his chest. She knew how much pain, death, and destruction he had caused with his own two hands, and yet, she trusted him completely.

Andy allowed the next morning to be more slow, allowing Tamryn to wake up on his own. She knew just how tired he had been lately, and he needed every ounce of sleep that he could get. Once he was beginning to wake up, Andy sat there a while with him, brushing his hair away from his face as she talked softly to him.

Despite the slow morning, the day quickly took off once they got into the car, and Andy was already planning to make several stops before lunchtime: one to the arcade and one to Vixen’s home. She loved how happy and carefree Tamryn seemed to be, and she could feel her heart begin to break as she thought about what she would eventually have to tell him.

Andy nodded along as Tamryn spoke about his friendship with Amory. “Do you know if he knows anything about your… well, your job?”

Andy sighed when Tamryn mentioned her following him, and she reached over, sliding a hand down his arm until it reached one of his hands. “I was scared for you, Tamryn. I knew you were keeping something from me, and it was eating you alive,” she said softly. “I hated following you around, trust me. But… I had to figure out the truth.”

"Artemy's a smart guy, I wouldn't be surprised if he figured it out, but I haven't told him anything about it yet." He said, looking at the front of the vehicle. "Not that he could help me with this situation anyways" He muttered at the end, sounding sort of defeated.

When Andy reached for him, he stayed quiet for a second.
"Yeah, I know," He said lazily, sounding like it didn't really affect him. And it didn't, not really. Sure, he had been caught but maybe this was for the better. He didn't have to hide and tiptoe around everyone all the time- well, at least not around Andy anymore.

"I should have been honest, but I didn't exactly know how to bring up a top like that. The worst-case scenario was you packing your things and taking off, which I wouldn't have blamed you for. Or you would have thought that I finally lost it or laughed at me" He shrugged, he seemed unbothered now. It seemed like he had passed the denial phase of everything. The guilt that had been eating him up inside slowly started to ease its way out of him and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing. That, or he was just deliriously tired at this point, not being able to feel a thing, but a slight excitement that bubbled in his chest.

"Why?" Tamryn asked at least. "You want to meet him?" He questioned, slightly turning to Andy now and cocking his head a bit. "He's probably not gonna know anything and if he does, it's not gonna be useful" He huffed. Tamryn seemed to be very against the idea of talking to Artemy about it. Artemy didn't know and if he found out….well, he didn't exactly want anyone else to know about his situation. The less people knew, the better.

She let out a small sigh as she held his hand. That’s what a smart person would do; if not tell the police, leave and cut off all contact. But Andy had chosen to stay. Tamryn needed someone to be by his side, and she needed him too in more ways than one. Of course, it would come with its difficulties. Not only would she be absolutely crushed if Tamryn was ever arrested, but she knew she would be ridiculed— if not arrested as well— for her part in all this. She was supposed to be a police officer in training, upholding justice, but she would become someone in the news and media that allowed crime to flourish.

Pushing away the thoughts, Andy gave Tamryn’s hand a gentle squeeze. “I would never do that,” she told him. “I couldn’t even if I wanted to. I’m just… I’m glad I found out. I hated the way that it had to happen, but I didn’t want your secret to keep affecting you the way it did. I wanted to help you.”

Andy picked at a loose piece of rubber on her steering wheel. Was she really helping? She didn’t feel like she was. She had always been taught that it was better to face your problems head on and endure the consequences, but she was encouraging Tamryn to run. To hide from the punishment for what he had done. But what else was she to do? Send him away to rot in a jail cell for the rest of his life? It didn’t feel right.

“I would like to meet him. I don’t want to bring up anything about you or your job, but I do want to ask him a few questions,” she said. “We know that the whole incident at the college had something to do with my uncle, but it may be connected to you and your job too. I’m not saying that Amory knows anything about this, but… I just feel that it’s better to check off all our boxes and not regret doing something later.”

With that said, Andy turned into the parking lot of the arcade and parked next to the door. She then turned to Tamryn and gave him a quick kiss.

“It’ll be quick. I swear,” she whispered. “And I won’t say anything about your job.”

After one last squeeze, Andy pulled her hand away from Tamryn’s, slipped out of the car, and began walking towards the arcade.

The arcade wasn’t too busy as most kids were in school, but there were a few older teenagers hanging out around the games, acting rowdy. After a quick scan on the room, Andy located what she assumed to be an employee sitting across a table in the corner of the room. It wasn’t Amory, but instead, a young Caucasian woman that looked around their age. She looked oddly out of place in the arcade with her brightly-colored patchwork pants, green tank top, and white lace kimono. She dressed almost like a modern day hippy. The woman seemed to be busy with something under the desk, and she didn’t pay Tamryn or Andy much mind until they approached her.

“Hey.” The woman looked up, pushing her blonde hair back behind her ear. “Something I can help you with?”

Andy stole a glance at Tamryn. She still didn’t know what to say to Amory, but it was too late to back out now. She turned back to the woman.

“We’re looking for Amory. Is he working today?”

“Uh… yeah. He is.” The woman leaned forward against the table. “He might be on his lunch. Is there a reason you need to speak with him.”

“We just need to ask him about something,” Andy replied. “If he’s on his lunch, we can come back later.”

The woman raised an eyebrow at Andy’s explanation, but she stood up anyways and headed towards the employee only room behind her.

“Hey, Amory!” Andy could hear through the door. “We’ve got a couple of customers out here looking for you.”

(Em dear, you are killing me XD it's Artemy not Amory JHSGKVFGH)

"You keep talking about how all of this is affecting me, but what about you?" He looked at her, concern in his eyes. "I refuse to believe this isn't all hurting you as well," He said, though, he knew Andy would tell him that it was alright. But it wasn't, and honestly, it was all making him a bit angry.
Tamryn sunk back into the seat when she proposed talking to Artemy.
"Yeah, alright, fine," He said, pretending to be a little grouchy about it. He was fine with that, just, he didn't know. What exactly was Andy going to ask him? Artemy was very suspicious and picked up on things quickly. What if he caught on?

As Andy got out, Tamryn did the same and followed after her, rushing to her side as she was almost at the door already.
Entering, he scanned the area. Every time he entered the place it was like a wave of nostalgia. Nothing had changed in the place and people still frequented the arcade. In a way, it made him happy, but also very melancholy.
When Tamryn spotted the employee, he prepared to say something but Andy seemed to have that covered for him.

It wasn't long before Artemy appeared at the door, a semi-pissed look on his face.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to bother me while I'm having time off?" He nearly scolded, hissing. His golden-green eyes landed on Andy, an intense stare to the man. They quickly looked her over before turning to Tamryn. He crossed his arms, raising his eyebrows.
"You're back," He said, but his stare didn't linger on Tamryn, instead paying more attention to Andy. "Right, so you have me. What is so important that you need to talk to me on my off time?" He questioned. He looked very unamused by the whole situation, a bit of annoyance slipping onto his face.

(( OH OOPS xDDD I’m absolutely hORRID at names I swear. My friend and I are both reading the same comic rn and I refer to all of the character by their physical attributes cuz I can never remember their names T^T ))

Andy let out a sigh at Tamryn’s words. She didn’t want to lie to him; the recent events had affected her much more than Tamryn realized. She didn’t have enough fingers to count all the nightmares she had had during the last few nights, and she hadn’t told him about the nauseating feeling of guilt that constantly weighed down on her. But there was no way she could talk about that with him. He was dealing with too much at the moment, and she didn’t want to add an extra load with all her pain.

“It’s- it’s fine. Really,” she said softly. “It’s a lot to work through, yeah, but we’ll eventually get through it. There has to be an other side to all this, right?”

Andy forced a smile as she stole glance over at Tamryn. She kept telling both him and herself that everything would be find, but at the moment, it seemed like they were stuck in a circle. Everytime Andy thought they would finally escape the madness, something else would happen, and it would pull her back down with it.

As she parked the car and got out, Andy tried her best to forget her troubles. She had other things to do rather than worry about her life. That included talking to Artemy.

She talked to the girl at the counter for a few moments, and it wasn’t long before Artemy finally came out of the back. She found the man to be somewhat intimidating, especially with the annoyed expression on his face. The girl seemed irritated as well, shooting Artemy a look before going back on her phone.

“Look, they were insistent, alright?” the woman replied. She added with a smirk, “Besides, I thought we were always supposed to make customers a priority.”

Andy mouthed a quick thank you to the woman before turning to Artemy. To be honest, she had no clue what she was supposed to say to him, but she had to think of something.

“It’s… about the whole incident at the community college that happened a few days ago. I know Josh was involved with it, and we’re… well, we’re friends of his, I guess you could say. I know he came here a lot, and I wanted to ask you about it,” she said. “But, if you’re on a break, we can always come back later….”

(XDD you're all good! i get that a lot though, I do the same haha)

Artemy rolled his eyes at the woman, though he supposed she was right. His body relaxed in an act of defeat as she kept talking.
"Yeah, alright," He said, and although he sounded annoyed, there was a mutual understanding there that he didn't mean it with ill will. He was just very straightforward like that.
At Andy's explanation, Artemy seemed to go quiet at that, only speaking up after a few seconds passed.
"I heard about that…" He trailed off. "Curious to see you're involved in that Tamryn, associating yourself with those types of people again I see" Artemy's gaze flickered over the male briefly as if to chastise him.

Artemy huffed at Andy's last sentence, he looked back at the other woman and sort of deadpanned, a tired look on his face.
"I am on break, but if you really need to talk to me that badly, I'm willing to listen. It is quite unfortunate isn't it?" He asked, turning to leave and starting back to the door he had come from. He motioned the both of them to follow him into the room.
"I'm not exactly sure what you think I know about the whole situation, but I'll tell you right now, it's not a lot. Unless you're talking about this one here" Artemy said, gesturing to Tamryn, who seemed to freeze at that.
"I take it you guys are friends? He's been coming here a lot too, I would keep my eye on him if I were you" He said, though, by the looks of it, it seemed that Artemy only had suspicions, nothing solid to prove Tamryn was up to something.

The woman looked at at him and, after a moment or two, sent him a brief smile. Andy, on the other hand, was a bit confused about their relationship. At first, it seemed like they despised each other, but apparently, the woman didn’t hate Artemy as much as she originally thought.

“Look, if you help the customers, I’ll consider without an attitude, I’ll consider going down the street and getting you something from that bakery that just opened,” she said. “But that’s only if you help them. Not to mention I’ll never bother you while you’re on break again.”

By how annoyed Artemy seemed, Andy heavily doubted that the last part was true, but she went on with their explanation of why they were here. As she told this to Artermy, she watched his expression, trying to figure out exactly how he felt about the whole incident. She was expecting him to mention something more about the college shooting, but instead, his attention went directly to Tamryn.

Andy noticed how he looked at Tamryn, and she subconsciously moved closer to her boyfriend, taking his hand. Getting involved with those types of people? Again? Andy knew he was involved with a shady group considering his job, but she had no idea who they were. Did Artemy know more about this group?

She follow Artemy into the employee only room, hoping to possibly get answers on the group, but it became clear to her that Artermy likely knew less than she did. He only suspicions, and he was all in for accusing Tamryn.

“So what if he comes her a lot? I don’t see how that has anything to do with what we’re trying to discuss,” she replied.

Part of her wanted him to go on, tell her what he suspected about the individuals Tamryn was involved with. However, at the same time, she didn’t want him to start to piece together what was going on. She knew he would send Tamryn straight to jail, and she couldn’t have that.

Artemy made a soft grunting noise at the temptation of getting bought something sweet, something he had picked up from Jake while growing up. He seemed to comply after thinking it over, having more self-control than Jake, who would have immediately jumped at the offer of sweets, not thinking twice about it.

Artemy's eyes trained down to Andy's hand as she took Tamryn's. He hummed disapprovingly, shaking his head slightly, sighing.

Sitting down inside the room, at Andy's words, Artemy turned to Tamryn again.
"You want to tell her? Or will you drag this out till it kills you?" He said, his voice firm. Tamryn seemed to stiffen at that.
"What are you talking about..?" Tamryn said in a low whisper. Artemy let out a sigh. "I only have suspicions so to say, no hard evidence, but don't you think coming here to change clothes is a little obvious?" He said.
"But I haven't-!" Tamryn raised his voice a little, denying it, but the look in Artemy's eyes made him shut up.
"The apartment's been abandoned for a long time, Tamryn. You're not the only one who visits it" Artemy's eyes were sharp, angled into a glare. "You meet up with others there. What exactly are you doing?"
A lump had formed in Tamryn's throat. He should have known. Artemy was a lot smarter than he let on, acting like he didn't have a clue about anything, but keeping a heavy eye on him.
"Well, not like it's my business" He shrugged, leaning back into the chair.

The woman, Mercy, smiled as she watched him think it over. She knew that Artemy enjoyed desserts on occasion, and this hadn’t been the first time she had bribed him with treats. As Artemy led Andy and Tamryn into the employee only room, she stayed seated at the desk to help any customers in need of her assistance. However, by the look on her face, it was clear that she was curious about what was going on.

Once they sat down at the table in the center, Andy could feel her anxiety start to take hold. Her knee began to bounce underneath the table, and she felt her lungs begin to constrict so much that she almost fought to breathe. Despite her inward struggles, she tried not to let Artemy know how worried she was about having this conversation. She was hear to get information on Josh, so she needed to act confident. Like she knew what she was doing.

She tried to get their conversation on track by reminding Artemy who they were here to talk about, but it quickly became clear that Artemy had little interest on speaking to her about Josh. Tamryn was his new target of interest. The whole change in conversation was strange to her. Tamryn had told her that Artemy had suspicions, but it seemed like he was out right accusing Tamryn of doing something nefarious. When he mentioned the apartment, Andy couldn’t help but steal a look at her boyfriend. An abandoned apartment? Suspicious meetings? Andy knew that Tamryn was working with others, but he had yet to mention the group. They would have to talk about it later.

“Leave him alone, Artemy. Seriously. I already told you who I’m here to talk about, so let’s get to the point, okay?” Andy moved her hand to Tamryn’s knee, trying to help calm his nerves. “You’re accusing Tamryn of all this, but I’ve heard that Josh had been to this arcade a lot over the past few weeks. Any particular reason why?”