Chapter Sixteen
“Ugh. That was so bad.”
“You okay, Baz?” Tim asked.
“I knew Hoggin to be angry but did not expect to be that angry.”
“Yeah, you caught the brunt of it,” JT said. “But you handled yourself well.”
They’d just come upstairs after a meeting in JT’s basement, in which Ogden tuned in on the big screen. Now the entire group sat around in JTs living room. Even Christian, though he was positioned on the opposite side of the room from Baz.
But if Baz was attracted to Christian, it didn’t seem to be a factor right now. Baz sat on the sofa, rocking back and forth rhythmically like he was trying to soothe himself. Ogden had really laid into him.
It had been three weeks since the incident. Three weeks since Tyler had been gone. Tim had spoken to him on the phone twice. Tyler was recovering and told Tim he would try to get back to the village soon. But Tim was not feeling good about things.
Tyler’s voice gave little away, but he supposed it had always been that way. But not being able to look in his eyes and see his expressions? It left Tim at a disadvantage. He couldn’t discern Tyler’s mood over the phone, and he wasn’t sure where his head was at. If he still felt the same way about him.
At the end of the meeting, Nolan asked Ogden what was going on with Tyler. “He’s recovered,” Ogden had said, then cut the feed. That was all they got. Tim wasn’t sure how he felt about Ogden. Especially after the way he’d torn into Baz. But then he supposed Ogden’s anger was justified, if misdirected. The shit-show with George had almost lost them Tyler.
But Baz held his own in the very tense exchange. Tim wasn’t as familiar with the protocols as everyone else, the delicate dynamic between the Whites and Ogden’s crew. But from what the guys had been saying the past week, things were as bad as they’d ever been. That was pretty obvious during the meeting. Baz had to represent the Whites, and Ogden was on the warpath against them. Too many times, the Whites had been careless, Ogden said. Too many times they’d lost control of hybrids at their base. And this was the second time one of his team members ended up bleeding because of it.
It would not happen again, Ogden warned, or he’d be forced to retaliate. This made everyone nervous, as they knew even with the most advanced weapons, the humans were no match for the Whites. But Ogden promised to make things very unpleasant for them if they didn’t get their shit together. Baz, per instruction by the Whites, presented options to placate Ogden. First the hybrid tried to play hardball for the Whites, mentioning the spying equipment in the lake. It turned out George was wrong—Baz was not dumber than him. Baz claimed to have known about the lake monitoring sensors since they’d installed them, but decided not to mention it, since they’d be ineffective regardless, and he didn’t want to make things awkward with the team.
But the Whites made him bring it up as a bargaining point, to highlight that Ogden had been dishonest with them. The tactic went nowhere, as Ogden refused to apologize for doing all he could to keep the village and his team safe from ‘more potential mistakes due to the Whites’ unforgivable carelessness’, and then proceeded to list each infraction that had occurred already.
Baz backed down on the topic, and they moved on.
Ogden had the gator-worm but had not been able to figure out the technology that allowed it to pass through solid matter, like the Whites’ ships. Ogden asked that the Whites provide him with this.
The Whites, through Baz, refused the request, saying humans were not ready to possess such technology. This did not go over well. Ogden went off like Yosemite Sam, flapping about and shouting. There was more arguing, more threats. But Baz hadn’t come to the table empty-handed. Instead of the technology Ogden requested, the Whites offered a plan to eliminate much of the plastic polluting Earth’s oceans. Ogden seemed almost angry that the Whites had presented such an irresistible option, likely because it was going to lose him his leverage. But ultimately, he could not refuse the Whites’ offer, and a deal was made.
As for Tim, he’d been back at work the past few weeks, and his life had strangely gone back to the way it was before. But it all felt weird now. Too normal. False. Boring. He went about his daily tasks, spent time with his friends in the village. Ate. Slept. But he felt husked out inside. Incomplete. Empty.
He missed turbulence. He missed Tyler.
“You all right, Tim?” Myles asked.
“Yeah.” Tim stood. “If this is all over for now, I’m gonna get out of here.”
“No, Tim, stay!” JT said. “Rudy’s gonna fire up the grill, I figured we’d all have a cookout on the beach. We deserve it after that fucking meeting.”
“Thanks, but I’ve got a poker date at the pub.”
He said his goodbyes and left JT’s house. It was getting close to dinner time but he wasn’t hungry. And he wasn’t feeling particularly social either, but he forced himself to drive to the pub. Inside, he found a group of his friends gathered round a table near the bar. “Timothy!” Tammy said. “We were starting to give up on you.”
“I’m here.” He sat down next to Darwyn. “Deal me in.”
As they played cards, he tried to pay attention to the banter and conversation around the table, but he felt like he was on autopilot. It took Darwyn nudging his shoulder before he realized he hadn’t been listening to him. “What?”
Darwyn chuckled. “I asked what you think of that guy Brett. The teacher. You know. With the dreadlocks? Do you know him?”
Ah, shit. No, Darwyn. You do not want any of that.
Tim scowled. “Yeah. I know him.”
“He’s hot, right?”
Staring into Darwyn’s big brown eyes, looking at his good friend, Tim faced down the conflict that had been plaguing him. How to maintain his old life, with his old friends, when none of them knew he was living another, secret life. Hidden, but right before their eyes. Darwyn was still innocent to the truth about this town. The last fucking thing Darwyn needed was to get involved with Brett. Tim could spare him that. Spare Darwyn the pain and shock of being drawn into this secret world. Let him have his peaceful illusions about Singing Bear Village.
But then he thought of Tyler. Would Tim spare himself that experience if he could? Would he go back and erase it from his memories?
“Brett’s all right,” Tim said. “Not sure if he’s your type, though. He’s a little old for you.”
“I like older men.” Darwyn grinned. “I think I’m gonna ask him out.”
Sighing, Tim took a sip of beer. “Well, good luck with that, Darwyn. He’d be lucky to have you.”
“Oh no!” Tammy shouted as she slapped her cards down on the table. “No way.” She pointed at something over Tim’s shoulder. “I’m not dealing him in. With that poker-face, he’ll rob us all blind.”
Tim turned around and saw Tyler walking toward the table. He stood. “Ty.”
“Hey.” Tyler looked fantastic. Healthy. He’d gotten his hair trimmed. Dressed in jeans and a thin yellow tee shirt, he gave Tim a tight smile. He nodded, then looked around the table. “Hello. Village people.”
“Hi Tyler,” Tammy said. “I was just teasing. You can play if you want! Should I deal you in?”
“I can’t,” he said. “But thanks.”
“You’re back,” Tim said softly. “When did you get back?”
“Just now. Can we...um...can you break away from this?”
“Yes.” Tim pushed his chair in. “I’m out guys.”
“Oh, man,” Darwyn said. “You have to go already? You’ve barely come around lately.”
“I know, I’m sorry. Next time I’m down for the whole night, I promise.”
“Let him go.” Tammy smiled up at him. “Tim just needs to get a little sun on his face. We’ll catch him next time. Nice to see you, Tyler.”
Tyler nodded, then turned and headed for the door. Tim followed him outside into the parking lot, watching as Tyler approached a shiny black SUV with tinted windows. “Go for a ride?” He glanced at Tim. “Got some things I need to tell you.”
“Yeah. Sure. Is this yours?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s very...shadow government chic.”
Tyler chuckled. “I suppose it is. Get in.”
The inside of the vehicle was meticulously clean with comfortable leather chairs. Tim frowned at the cartoony robot air freshener hanging from the rearview mirror. He flicked it with his fingers. “This yours too?”
“Yeah.” Tyler smiled as he put the car in gear. “Saw it at a gas station. Made me think of someone who calls me his robot.”
Tim smiled, hope rising a little. As they pulled out onto the road, Tim said, “Why didn’t you call me?”
“I did. I talked to you two days ago.”
“I mean why didn’t you call and tell me you were coming to the village?”
“You not happy to see me?”
Tim stared at Tyler’s profile as he drove. “You know damn well I’m happy to see you. I just wasn’t expecting you to show up tonight. We had a briefing with Ogden and all he said about you was ‘He’s recovered’ then he fucked off.”
“I told Ogden not to say anything about me. I wanted to talk to you face-to-face.”
“Well, shit. That doesn’t sound good.”
“I thought I was supposed to be the cynical one.”
Chuckling, Tim said, “Sorry. I just...it’s been hard. You being away. Going so suddenly.”
“I know.”
“I’ve only been able to talk to you a couple times. I didn’t know if you still...” He looked out the window, then frowned as Tyler pulled into the driveway of a little brown lake house. A familiar house. “Why are we at Nolan’s old house?”
Tyler killed the engine. “Because it’s still empty. We can talk inside.” He got out of the car.
Taking a deep breath, Tim got out and followed Tyler to the door, then watched him use a key to get inside. They stepped into the kitchen, and Tim closed the door behind him. The house smelled a bit stale, cabinet doors open and empty. “No one’s bought this place yet, huh?”
“Come on,” Tyler said and left the kitchen.
Tim followed. “Where are you going?”
“We need to sit down and talk.”
“There’s no furniture, Tyler.”
Tyler opened the basement door, and Tim followed him down the stairs. It was strange being here. Nolan used to use the basement as his workout room. But there was no weight bench, no pullup bar, no more threadbare sofa in the corner. But there was a bed with a quilt and pillows. On top of it, a green duffle bag.
Tim stopped short. “That’s your bag.”
“Yeah.”
“You staying here?”
Tyler sat down on the bed and patted the space beside him.
Tim walked over and sat, looking into Tyler’s eyes. “Tell me what’s happening, Tyler.”
“This house is shadow government property. Ogden owns it.”
“He bought it from Nolan?”
“No, he always owned it. That’s why Nolan was living here before.”
“Oh. Okay. That’s why you have a key.”
“No. I have a key because I’m gonna be living here now.”
Tim’s pulse swished in his ears. He swallowed. “You’re gonna be living in the village?”
“After all the shit that went on with George and the base and the Whites, Ogden’s decided the village needs a permanent head of security.”
Blinking, Tim let his hand creep over and rest on Tyler’s thigh. Tyler grabbed his hand and squeezed, a smile dimpling his cheeks. Tim laughed. “And that’s you? You’re gonna be head of security in the village?”
“I am.”
“You’re staying. You’re gonna be living in the village.”
“You’re a little slow, aren’t you? I just said that.”
Tim tackled Tyler and dragged him down onto the bed, making him laugh. “Tell me something. Was this all Ogden’s idea?”
“I may have put the suggestion in his head. But he ultimately agreed.”
Tim shifted onto his side and traced Tyler’s face with his finger. “Ogden didn’t have any objections? He seems a bit...possessive of you.”
“He had a few. And I still might be called out of town on missions now and again. But this is my home now. Ogden didn’t want to lose me, so he agreed.”
“You threaten to quit?”
Tyler shrugged. “I just told him this was the best option. He could retain me as part of the team or not. But that I was going back to the village either way. That I needed to be close to you.”
“Really? You did this for me?”
Tyler stared at Tim, a half-smile curving his lips. Tim saw more expression there in Tyler’s eyes than he’d ever seen before: humor, contentment, a flicker of excitement, and something deeper. “Being with you makes me...happy,” he said. “And I’ve decided I like being happy. I don’t want to go back to whatever I was before. Tim I...I don’t want to live my life without you. Ever again. Is that...are you okay with that?”
Tim closed his eyes as emotion welled. “I’m in love with you, Tyler.”
“Open your eyes.”
Tim did.
Tyler’s eyes were wide, lips parted. “You mean it?”
“Yes,” Tim said. “With all my heart.”
“Does...” Tyler’s lashes dipped as he frowned, then he met Tim’s eyes again. “Does this mean I can love you, too?”
“Um...yeah.” Tim laughed. “But only if you want to.”
“I want to.” Tyler chuckled and snuggled closer to Tim. “Want to know a secret?”
“I don’t know. Do I have clearance for this?”
Tyler leaned in and gave Tim a quick, soft kiss. “I was in love with you first.”
“I doubt that.”
“You wanna fight about it?”
“No. I’m scared of you.”
“You should be. I’m scary.”
“I missed you, Ty. Fuck, I missed you like crazy.”
“Don’t have to miss me anymore.” Tyler kissed him again. “You’re stuck with me.”
“Just what I always wanted.” Tim pulled Tyler’s face in, kissing him deeply, and the familiar taste and sensation was the best thing in the world. “I love you, you weirdo.”
“I love you too. So much I stopped at the sex shop and bought some Gummi Glide. It’s in my bag.”
Tim laughed and shook his head. “Wow. You really are a village boy now.”
“I’m your village boy now.”
“Do the other guys know? That you’re staying?”
“Not yet,” Tyler said, holding Tim’s face in his hands. “Tonight, I wanted it to be just about us.”
Tim rolled them over so he was on top, then he kissed Tyler for a long time, not wanting to let him go. “This isn’t a dream, right?”
Tyler peeled his shirt off. “Never could get you out of my dreams. But...” His hand slid down and he cupped Tim’s groin. “This feels pretty damn real.”
“I want you,” Tim said. “Now.”
“How do you want me?”
Tim smiled. After that they spoke only with their bodies, undressing, kissing, licking, biting, warm flesh and hot breath. The first time didn’t last long. But there was nowhere to be, no looming threats, and Tyler had a whole box of condoms, so Tim finally got to have him the way he really wanted him.
Slow and hard, taking his time, worshipping Tyler’s body, over and over until the room heated up and the bed nearly broke and they grew dehydrated from fucking and coming so much.
Once they’d exhausted themselves, Tyler dozed, and Tim studied his face in the shadows. My life is about to change. Again. He’d spent the last year cursing change, hating the shocking discoveries that ripped his contented routine away from him and forced a new, frightening reality upon him. He’d been tested. Nearly lost his mind. Fell in love. Then nearly lost his love too. And yet here he was, more contented and blissful than he’d ever been. So maybe change wasn’t the enemy. Change had brought him here, to this moment.
He’d finally peeled away Tyler’s layers, and though there was more pain and revelation there than expected, he’d finally gotten to taste what was inside. And it wasn’t bitter. It was sweet and soft and nourishing.
He knew he and Tyler still came from very different worlds and would continue to make discoveries about each other. Tyler’s job was still weird and dangerous compared to Tim’s. Tim’s work was on the mountains, and Tyler’s work was underneath them. And as with the Whites and the humans, there would be conflicts and there would be compromise.
But he was ready for the good and the bad. The comfort and the chaos. He wouldn’t run from the strangeness, because Tyler was part of it, and Tim loved him. All of him. Just as he was. He’d stay the course, because falling in love with Tyler had taught him something about himself as well.
Turbulent waters weren’t always a bad thing. And sometimes a bumpy ride was a lot more fun than smooth sailing.
THE END