Ink- Septiplier/Tythan AU

Chapter Three - Tyler

Ever since Ethan joined the team, I've had a friend. I mean, the others liked me okay. But they never.... got me. Ethan, on the other hand, knew me. He knew that I was a mistake. He knew my backstory.

Eighteen years ago

"Ty?" his mom asked the six-year-old, her head in her hands. "Yeah, mommy?" he asked, scared to see the bravest woman he knew in tears. "Daddy's gone. Chloe was right..." she trailed off. "When is daddy coming back?" he asked, and the woman laughed a bit. "He's... not." The boy may have been only six, bit he was no idiot. He knew what divorce was. It was rare, since most people had their soulmates handed to them, but there was always the rebellious few.

"Without him here... Mommy can't afford to keep you. Do you understand, Ty?" she asked, her voice barely audible as she began to cry even harder. The toddler nodded, feeling his whole world break in half. "At least I know you'll be in good hands. Despite what Chloe said... I know she'll take care of you for me. She loves me too much to ignore the fact that I'm hurting, despite our fight." she said, which Tyler understood none of. Mostly because he wasn't paying attention.

The curly-haired boy simply nodded his head. "Good. I love you, Ty. Don't you ever forget that." she smiled, wiping a tear off of her little boy's cheek. Everything was going to be okay... Right?

Present day

I walked into the kitchen to grab a Pepsi from the fridge, and felt a tap on my back. I spin around defensively to see Ethan there smiling. "Hey, Ty!~" he sid cheerfully. He was the only one allowed to call me that. Well, besides my mother, but let's face it; I haven't seen her in eighteen years. She's probably dead, or an addict at the very best. "Hey, Ethan. What's up?" I asked, and he sighed. "We're all out of ranch. I'm making a grocery run, and I was wondering if you needed anything while I'm out?" He asked. I frowned. "Anything but ranch." I joked.

We both laughed, and I remember taking note of how adorable his laugh is. "Actually, I'm bored. Why don't I just come with you?" I suggested, shrugging. He smiled. "That would rock, actually! Let's go!" her cheered, grabbing my arm and dragging me to his car. I looked at the little smiley face on the back off his hand that I'd drawn on my own a few hours ago. In other words; I knew Ethan was my soulmate. But I was the only one that knew. So, why hadn't I told Ethan yet? Well...

"Do you think she'll be hot? Ooh, what about tits? Duo you think she'll have tits?!" he asked, making me sigh in frustration. "All girls do, buddy." "But, like, big boobs??" He thinks he's straight. Still, I know what you're thinking. "Tyler, just show him the smiley face, and maybe the he'll know he's supposed to be gay!" And to that I say; let me explain. I grew up with my earliest memory being my dad walking out on my mom, and having my whole family split into three.

I didn't want to take the chance of scaring Ethan away. If he did think it was stupid, and leave me... he'd end up with a girl he didn't love him that he didn't love. They might mave a kid. And then I'd have to sit through my childhood all over again, this time in third person. Maybe that's why Chloe took me in. Maybe she was me once. What if that was my destiny; I was going to end up with Ethan's kid, and the poor six-year-old was going to have his little heart torn to shreds, and he was going to grow up, just to find a friend that was his soulmate, but didn't love him. Then it hit me. The question I'd been asking myself for years since my dad left. Who was my mom meant to be with?

Chloe. Chloe was her soulmate. And if I drove Ethan away now, I'd be following in her footsteps.

***

We finally arrived at the grocery store, and I pulled out my phone, looking at the grocery list we'd decided on in the car. "Okay, we are not splitting up in this big-ass store. We stay together, one to push the cart and one to get the stuffs." Ethan said, staring at the store. "And you're doing all the talking o the cashier. Got it?" I raised an eyebrow at the demand. "You expect me to do the talking?" I asked, amused by the thought. Ethan nodded nervously, and I gave up. I couldn't argue with this adordable cinnamon roll! "Fine... but you have to push the cart, then." I compromised. "Deal." as we walked into the store, I started listing the things we needed.

"Yogurt. Milk too, while we're in the dairy aisle." I said, picking a few tubs of yogurt off the shelves. "Okay, next--Ethan?" I asked in confusion, looking at the abandoned cart by my side. Now where had he gone?? "Ethan?" I called again, waking over too the next aisle. I sighed in relief to see the boy grabbing two tubs off ice cream. He looked as me, smiling nervously. "Can we? It's buy one get one." he said, and I nodded in defeat. He was just... too adorable. I just wanted to confess to him right then and there. To tell him I lived him, to hug him tightly and kiss him all over. To draw hearts on my palm that would show up on his and make his day.

I fantasized so much about it, but... I just couldn't. I loved him too much to risk losing him. So I kept my mouth shut as we continued shopping and paid for the groceries. On the way out to the car, I felt Ethan grab the back of my sweatshirt. I turned around, setting my hand on his shoulder, which made him blush for some reason. "Ty... We should talk." Ethan said, as we started putting the groceries into the car. One we were done and sitting down, I looked over at him.

"Spill." I said, smiling warmly. He took a deep breath. "I know this brings up bad memories for you, but I just... don't believe in soulmates."