#tr; tye dandridge

[thedevilsbckbone]

Continued from here

It had been a long time since he'd had a beautiful woman on his lap like this and Tye had to admit that he'd been in desperate need of it. In need of a woman wrapped around him in his arms, their soft skin beneath his fingertips. He'd missed the feeling, much more than he had realized. He had told himself that he was doing this as a favor to a friend, but deep down there was a part of him had that needed it too. The sex part had never been what had held him back though, it was everything leading up to it and the emotions that sometimes followed. He could do sex, but he couldn't open his heart up to anyone like that. Not yet at least. So knowing that he didn't have to worry about that in this instance, it felt good.

At least that's what he tried to convince himself of.

As Wanda pressed herself closer to him, Tye's grip on her waist tightened, his fingers digging into her hips a bit to keep her close. He let himself get caught up in the taste of her lips , the wine they were drinking mixed with something sweet that made him want more. Especially as she nipped at his bottom lip which sent shivers down his body and causing blood to rush directly to his crotch. A small sound of protest left his lips as she pulled away but soon her lips were back on his skin, leaving heated kisses long his neck and jaw, and Tye lost himself for a moment in the feeling, craning his head back to give her more access as his breath quickened slightly.

closed starter for @amomentxofhappiness

[thedevilsbckbone]

Tye had been so caught by surprise by her sudden confrontation that he didn't know what to do at first. He'd felt awkward but the more he stood there listening to her talk the more he found her plucky personality somewhat endearing. He'd been tie-toeing through the dating pull, staying close to the shallows where it was comfortable and easy but then there seemed to be Davina who came in like a tidal wave and he had to admit that he was thankful for it - else he might not have ever even gotten the courage to go in further. So all Tye could do was smile when she stopped herself from heading out and letting him say what he wanted to say. Not only that, but she seemed to believe him to, or at least giving him a chance to prove it.

He watched her, as she hugged herself, and saw the way she seemed to be less tense after considering his words. He let out a small chuckle at her response, knowing exactly how she felt. "Yeah, I get it... I mean, it's been a long time for me too." He admitted with another small chuckle, scratching at the back of his neck. "If it makes you feel any better though, I still don't regret that it happened."

He watched as she tried to excuse herself and Tye stood from where he'd been leaning against his desk, his brows pinching together softly in dismay at the thought of letting things end on this note. He was hoping he could still redeem himself, finding that he didn't really want their time to end just yet. "Wait, why don't we just try this over again?" He asked, glancing down for a moment as he tried before meeting her gaze again. "If it's alright by you of course -- but if you're not busy make we can grab some lunch together." He knew if he wanted another chance to see Davina again after this, he was gonna have to just shoot his shot. So he continued, "I was actually getting ready to take one here soon where I was hoping to finally have some time to message you back to tell you how much I enjoyed getting to know you and to maybe see about getting to know one another more sometime - you know without having to shout over hoards of drunk people - but since you're here now..." his words trailed off as he smiled, the insulation clear. | @missautumn

Davina had done a considerable amount of crazy things, that much was true, it lady on her lack of impulse control and it was something she had been working on for a while. However, this moment took the gold to the craziest and dumbest thing she could have done; hat has she been thinking by charging on here and lash on this man that she has known less than a day? Sure, Tye's sudden leaving hurt slightly on personal level but now she was in front of him Davina realized exactly that... she took it personal and now was making a fool out of herself as if she was a teenager rather than a woman in her late thirties.

Closing her eyes, she held her hands up before Tye had a chance to reply. "Never mind, it was stupid stupid of me to come in here, I don't know what I was thinking to do this. I mean, I barely know you-" She chuckled nervously. "You don't owe me any answer for what I said. Forget I said anything, I'm going now." Davina said in a rush and turned around to leave the hell out of that place.

Tye's voice made her stop, though and even thought was mortified, the brunette turned to around to face him, her arms wrapped around her stomach, her lips were pressed in a fine line and her eyes did her best to stay fixed on Tye instead of avoiding him, the harm and embarrassment was done so now Davina had to face him. His explanation made sense, emergencies happened all the time so why doubt it? Besides, him bothering to give her an explanation had to mean something, otherwise he might have laughed her off... Davina finally relaxed a little and allowed herself to chuckle again. "Well, you didn't have to say all that, but thank you. Uhm... you're not the only rusty one." She said unfolding her arms. "One night stands and the aftermath of it... it's kinda a whole thing I haven't done in a while. Still, I know it was an overreaction of me." The brunette stated. "Anyway, now I've embarrassed myself to incredible levels, I will let you get back to your job. Bye, Tye." Davina said with a smile and a wave before starting to leave.

[thedevilsbckbone]

Once she'd returned with the first aid kit and began to lay it out on the table, Tye sat further back against the chair, his back straight and legs spreading slightly so she could stand in front of him with more ease. His eyes took in her profile, seeing the tell-tale signs of exhaustion setting into her features and another wave of guilt washed over him. He hadn't meant to worry her, he knew what he had done was rash and dangerous but it hadn't really hit him just how much until then. "I know." He muttered softly again with a sigh. He would have to make it up to her. She already dealt with so much stress due to her work and now he's stressed her out even more - he made a mental note to book her a spa day or something similar so that she'd have some time to relax and rest up.

His gaze followed her as she moved to the sink to fill up a bowl of water. "If it makes you feel better I didn't swing first and other people saw too so they could corroborate that I was acting in self-defense." He hoped the words would assure her that they wouldn't be having any cops knocking at her door ready to take Tye away in cuffs. Once she returned, moving to stand between his legs, Tye lifted his chin up to meet her gaze. His brows knit together softly, a sharp sting with the movement reminding him of the gash above his brow. He listened to her apologize for not mentioning her ex coming around sooner. There was a small part of him that was upset that she hadn't, mostly because had he known sooner he would have done more to help her. He didn't like knowing she was going through things on her own when she'd already done so much for him and Milo. They were a team after all.

He made sure not to move as she began dabbing the wet washcloth across his face, his eyes still set on hers as she spoke even if she seemed to intentionally avoid his gaze. "Hey—" he said in a soft, soothing rasp as she reached out to rest his hands against her waste, being careful not to get any blood on her. "You don't have to apologize for his behavior but I do wish you had told me about it sooner." His voice had a slight hint of hurt to it. "I love you and just like you've been here for Milo and I, we're here for you too. I'm here for you." He said, giving her hips a comforting squeeze as he looked up at her sincerely. "So don't leave me in the dark, okay? Whatever you have going on, I'm here for you."

He noticed the glint in her eye and knew she was holding back tears and he could feel his heart breaking into a million pieces. She was such a wonderful woman, so kind and full of love, that it pained him to see her so upset. "It's gonna be fine. Everything is going to be okay now—I promise." He said as he moved one of his hands to reach for her face, pushing some of her hair back and letting his thumb brush gently over her cheek. He let out a sigh a moment later as she changed the subject, dropping is hand and nodding softly when she mentioned he was going to need a couple stitches. "Yeah, I had a feeling as much. Well, let's just get it over with so we can get to bed." He'd had stitches plenty of times before. It wasn't pleasant but he knew she'd be quick and then they could put this all behind them. "I already know Milo is gonna ask about it in the mornin—gonna have to tell him I ran into a wall or something silly like that." He said with a small chuckle. His son was luckily still at an innocent enough age where the excuse would stick without further questioning. | @sarawritesx

Zaria didn't say anything about the comment of her ex husband not coming around anymore, she just let out a breath she has held in for a second too long and nodded. At least he didn't kill him, even though the thought of Tye doing that was frightening to think of, she also didn't know what he was capable to do when provoked. If he was able to get a punch to the face, the brunette could only assume how the asshole ended up looking. But now all she could do was hope it sent the right message - he was a big coward, anyway, and this time around Zaria had someone to actually stand up for her, she wasn't all alone.

Standing in the bathroom for a moment as she grabbed the first aid kit, Zaria glanced at her expression in the mirror. She looked like a mess and seemed so pale, it was a long day and even longer night. The bruise on her arm bothered her and she pulled the sleeve down to cover it. Sighing and grabbing the kit, she was quick to return to the kitchen, finding him sat down. When he apologized for keeping her up and worried, Zaria just shook her head sideways, already in front of him and placing the kit on the table. "As if I'd be able to sleep knowing you've went after him."she mused and quickly rushed to the sink, grabbing a bowl and a clean wash cloth in order to clean his face from blood first before she attends to his cuts.

"I am the one who's sorry. I should have said something, that he tried reaching to me in the hospital."she began speaking while dipping the wash cloth in the water and standing in between his legs to be able to access him. Carefully she started cleaning up his face, but she still felt so tense and anxious from the night. "It never crossed my mind he'd try coming here, and when he did, I was so afraid - for Milo, I didn't want him to see any of it. Lucky for me, he's such a good boy and he went upstairs after I sent him to look for the story he wants read before sleep."Zaria let out a shaky sigh, avoiding his gaze, hazel hues instead focusing on every other part of his face that she went over with the wash cloth. She wasn't afraid for herself, only for the little boy but in a way, she assumed, with her ex seeing the kid being present, is what stopped him from being even more vile and toxic or hurting her more. "I'm so sorry, Tye."she blurted out, eyes swelling with the tears she kept on swallowing back. Dropping the cloth stained red into the water, Zaria cleared her throat and looked at the cut on his brow. "I'll have to stitch you up. Two-three stitches max, it's going deep and it'll keep on bleeding if I don't close it." @thedevilsbckbone

[thedevilsbckbone]

Tye would never call himself a violent person - he'd played in a violent sport for years and he could cause violence, but he was not inherently violent. Especially after Milo had been born. He'd even retired from boxing just to keep the violence out of his son's life. He was protective though. Ever since Daisy's death, Tye had done his absolute best to shelter his son to the pain and cruelty of the world after dealing with such a big loss at such a young age. It had even taken him quite a bit of time to feel comfortable enough to even introduce Milo to Zaria when they had first started dating; not wanting the little boy to get attached to someone too soon in case things didn't work out. To his relief though, she' had overcome his walls and had stepped up to help him with Milo when and where she could. She was every bit the partner Tye knew they had both needed after Daisy's passing and Milo loved Zaria.

As he drove home though, Tye could feel the adrenaline still pumping through his veins, his tunnel vision slowly fading away as he reflected on the events that had led him to this moment; knuckles split and starting to bruise as he gripped the wheel tightly and his face smeared with blood that he knew was not all just his own. In fact, he was sure the majority of it wasn't. The moment he'd received the call from Zaria, everything had become a blur after that. He could hear it in her voice, before she had even explained what had happened, that something was wrong. He'd known of her abusive ex and the thought of him showing his face at her place enraged Tye in a way that he'd never felt before. Not only because he had the audacity to put his hands on her and try to intimidate her, but then to do it all in front of Milo no less. That was what had really pushed Tye over the edge as his paternal instincts to protect his son from witnessing even more trauma had kicked into high gear. He had to make sure that it would never happen again.

He really had only meant to talk to the guy, hoping just to scare him into staying the fuck away but the bastard had already been sloshed by the time Tye found him and the fucker became as bold as he was stupid. Once he swung at Tye, he'd seen red and all bets were off. It wasn't until some of the other patrons of the bar had pulled Tye off the man that he'd finally relented. He was glad that they had too, realizing he may have very well beaten the guy to death had they not. Instead the guy got off easy with just a few fractures and cuts - self defense in Tye's case since the other had swung first but he hadn't even had to stay for the cops as the man had ran off like the coward that he was. Good, Tye had thought, let him stay gone.

Parking, he gave himself a moment to decompress, flexing his arching knuckles a couple time before wiping at his brow with his hand, seeing the blood smear on his fingers as he pulled his hand back. Fucker had been wearing a ring and Tye knew he might need a couple stitches. Still, it didn't really hurt all that bad and he was just happy to be back home as his anger began to be replaced by his worry for the two people inside; the ones whose well-being meant far more than his own. He didn't want Milo to see him all bloodied up, so he had cautiously made his way inside, finding Zaria waiting for him.

He gave her a questioning glance as he peeked around her and she answered the question directly on his mind. He gave a relieved sigh, his shoulders slumping as he finally allowed himself to drop his guard. "Good, that's good." He muttered softly with a nod before her hand was on his face, letting her guide him to get a better look at the cut above his brow. Good thing she was a nurse so that he would have to possibly go to the ER, not wanting to be away from either of them any more for the night. "I don't think so. I mean, I didn't kill him if that's what you're asking." he said. "But I can assure you he won't be coming around anymore." Tye added before Zaria was telling him to sit while she grabbed the first-aid kit. He followed her order without argument, moving towards the kitchen and pulling out one of the seats at the table, plopping down on it as he once again looked down at his battered hands. They hadn't looked like that in ages but there was an odd comfort in it. "Sorry if I kept you up worrying." He muttered apologetically once she returned, his gaze softening. | @sarawritesx

closed starter for @thedevilsbckbone ; based on this

For Zaria, every opportunity to be around Milo was a blessing. He's the sweetest kid out there, and she felt like they really created a bond which made her feel relieved - he was so young, and after losing his mom a couple of years ago would leave it's effect onto him, even if he was too little still to comprehend some things, but he was also very bright. She found herself enjoying time spent with both Tye and his son after long shifts at work. A nurses job was anything but easy, but she did it still, it was something Zaria worked hard to achieve and she didn't regret it. What she did regret is getting married young to a man that had severe alcohol abuse issues and didn't go through much needed anger management.

Tye knew about him, of course, but she didn't tell him for the last two weeks he's stopped by her work place twice. Luckily, the staff there were well aware of her troubled ex, and made it so that she didn't cross paths with him. But that seemed to only anger him and tonight he made his way to her place. Zaria's heart sunk, not because of him, but because she was looking after Milo was Tye was out. Reacting quickly, she sent the little boy upstairs to find a book he wants read before sleep, just so he didn't have to hear all the foul words thrown at her. Whore, slut, a nobody, all the usual and not so creative anymore. When she tried kicking him out, he grabbed her by the wrist and slammed her against the wall, keeping her trapped there. She threatened to call the police, scream for help, and when Milo showed up again at the top of the stairs, something in him snapped and he left.

Immediately she phoned Tye and when he came back, she began to really fall apart. There was a bruise already forming on her wrist, and she tried real hard not to cry while talking. saying how her ex has been coming to her work, and apologizing that she put Milo in danger with this asshole coming here. But all he said was he'll be back soon. Zaria could assume what that meant, and tried to beg him to stay, but he promised to just go and talk to him. And of course, she didn't believe him.

Pulling herself together, she got Milo washed and ready for bed. She just finished putting him to sleep after reading a story, and was back downstairs, pacing in front of the windows like a mad woman, waiting for him to return. And once he did, she waited right at the main door, her eyes catching the cut on his brow and blood that already started getting dry on the side of his face. She looked at his knuckles next and sighed before approaching him. "Milo is alright, he's sleeping upstairs."she mused, hand reaching to his other side of the face, and trying to see how deep the cut went. "Please tell me I won't be hearing about this on the news, or have cops come around to ask questions."Zaria mused quietly. "I'll grab my first aid kit, you should go sit. And don't argue about it."

[thedevilsbckbone]

Though the walk to his office was about twenty feet away from where they'd been standing, it had felt like an eternity to get there as a barrage of anxious thoughts passed through the retired boxers mind. He didn't know what the fuck to say that didn't make him sound like a complete ass. He had closed the door behind him, motioning with his arm towards the seat on the other side of his desk. "Would you like to sit?" Tye on the other hand sat on the edge of his desk, in front of the framed photo of his smiling wife holding Milo in her arms after having just given birth. Despite the fact that it faced his chair and not hers, Tye still took precautions to shield it away from view, not wanting Davina to get the wrong idea.

The air felt a bit stifling and the tension between them was awkward, almost a complete 180 from when they were smiling and laughing carefree in bed together the night before. Still, despite his nerves, he was happy to see her again as those memories of their time together returned to him. As she began to speak, he could see the blush rising in her cheeks and knew this had to be hard for her too. He listened as she spoke, not wanting to interrupt, shifting slightly against the desk, his lips quirking downward slightly as he dropped his gaze in guilt

That was until she was asking if he'd left the way he had because of her or something she'd done. He quickly shook his head as he met her gaze. "No - not at all. I honestly had a blast getting to know you last night...." A small sincere smile was present as he spoke and he sighed as he knew he had to say something more than just that. "Look, I understand if you don't believe me - I'd probably think I'm bullshitting too if I'm being honest - but I do feel really bad about the way I left things last night. I was having such a good time. I just... I hadn't planned to be out so late and then a family emergency came up with my pops and I had to go make sure everything was okay." He wasn't lying to her, though he did leave out a lot of the details. Even still, Tye couldn't help but inwardly groan at how ridiculously made up it sounded. "I guess I was even rustier than I thought I was if I made you think I didn't enjoy our time together." He added, hoping the little joke would help lighten things up a little. | @missautumn

"Yeah, I can imagine." Was it another way to say he hadn't planned to see her again at all? Damn, she wished she was better at flings communication but when you had so little of them you did what you could and in Davina’s case, it meant overthinking things and winging them. "Sure." The brunette agreed with a nod and started strolling in the direction Tye was motioning, nerves had started to kick in and the brunette worried she was being too crazy about this whole thing. So much for her promise of meditating things before acting... Well, this showed she was an action person through and through.

"Nice place you've got." She complimented, and it was true, she'd probably come here to train if it wasn't so out of her way from work, however, the prise was a desperate way of buying some time to rethink how to address her earlier concern. "Thanks." She gave him a quick smile and looked over her shoulder to the gym before going into the office. Cracking her fingers, Davina swayed on her feet, hoping she had enough control over her nervous system so that her cheeks didn't betray her by blushing. "Uh... I'm not... I generally don't do this." She tried to excuse herself. "It's just... it was kinda weird the way you left last night." She finally said the words, her words sagging an little in contrast to the confident and almost angry way she walked in at first. "Dunno. I thought..." She chuckled nervously and shook her head. "I don't mean to be that crazy hook up showing up at your work and demanding answers when we literally met yesterday, for real but something felt off when you left and I wasn't sure if it was me or... what."

[thedevilsbckbone]

Tye had been so hesitant about putting himself back out there in the dating pool and yet the moment he'd met Davina, he found himself enjoying their time together tremendously, especially once they took things back to her place. He'd missed not only that physical connection, but just having companionship in general - even if it was for a short while. He hadn't expected anything to come out of it, but there he was reveling in it. That was until he got a text from his father about Milo not being able to sleep because he wasn't there that he'd realized he'd let time get away from him. Feeling a sudden rush of guilt for staying out later than he'd planned and knowing his son was missing him, he had quickly started getting dressed and making up a flimsy excuse for needing to leave. He bolted quickly from her place with only a quick promise to text her. as any real goodbye

Unfortunately, due to his late return home, it made putting Milo to be difficult and made waking him up in the morning even more so. The hectic life of being a single parent had quickly caught back up to him and he couldn't find a single free moment to be able to message Davina until he was at work. Truth be told, he was worried with how he'd left things between them, there was a chance she didn't even want to speak with him again. That didn't stop him from thinking about her, and the previous night, throughout his morning. He told himself once he took lunch, he'd reach out and apologize for the way he left. Before he could do that however, the woman in question was suddenly there at his gym.

"Oh, hey! I didn't expect to see you so soon." He said, brows knitting together softly and a small smile gracing his lips in a mix of pleasant surprise and question to what she was doing there. He hadn't expected her to pay the gym a visit quite so soon. At her question, he found himself starting to grow a little concerned but he nodded all the same and glanced towards one of his workers to motion to him to take over what he'd been doing. "Yeah, we can talk in my office. if you'd like." He said, leading her off to where it was. "Is uh, everything okay?" He asked slowly, glancing over at her once they reached the door and he held it open in invitation for her to step inside. | @missautumn

for @thedevilsbckbone ;

After the good chemistry they had at the bar, Davina caved in to asking Tye if he wanted to go home with her, which was an euphemism for hooking up. She didn't do much of it, one night stands, she wasn't the kind of person who found it easy and it wasn't even because she needed emotional connection but rather because she was just too closed off. The woman didn't want to think she was screwed up but she had a hard time with certain things. Flirting, going home with people, was one of them. But striking a conversation with Tye hadn't felt hard, or even as if she was flirting; it had felt like talking to a friend, or someone she would be friends with. Tye's response had comr a bit as a surprise, actually, Davina had been almost sure he'd turn her down but she had smiled at the agreement. 

And although they indeed  have a good time at her place, what Davina hadn't expected was for Tye to leave too soon. For once, she wasn't dreading the post-sex laying in bed but it seemed the man didn't feel the same way and she was left alone, confused about the way he took off and... quite angry, some of that anger was aimed at Tye but it mostly directed to herself for letting her guard down. Whatever, the brunette thought, it had been a hook up and nothing more so why bother? True to her stubborn self though, Davina couldn't leave it just like that; it had nothing to do with getting attached to Tye but rather a matter of ego and the fact that him leaving like he had had been quite weird.

Now being the next day, the brunette headed to the gym he told her he worked at, thinking this was probably a mistake but hey, it was just a face off and then she'd take off, too. Walking inside, dressed with sportswear since she had finished her own work day, Davina looked around the gym until she spotted Tye. She didn't go straight to him, instead she observed him working, the thought he looked hot crossed her mind almost making her forget the reason she was here in the first place and then moved closer to him. "Hey." She greeted him, no smile but no frown either. "Can we talk? It won't take long."