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It was past one in the morning when Tyler got back to his trailer. Normally, he would have went back to his place after filming, but it had been a long day in particular and he was just too tired to dredge up the energy to drive. He was exhausted and it wasn't the kind of exhaustion he felt after putting in too many hours at the gym or coming back from a run. He felt heavy in his skin, weighed down deep inside his bones. It was one of those days that he just wanted to drop into bed and shut the world out. How did it get like this? Tyler thought bitterly.
And Tyler wasn't the kind of person to be bitter over anything. Not really. Not when he knew he had a good life. A great life, actually. He had a solid role in a television show that's going into its third season. It may not be the best show airing but it was a good one. What's more, and probably more important, is that he got along great with the cast and crew. They are more than friends at this point. Tyler considers them family.
Tyler sighed as he stared blankly at the door in front of him. He shook his head as he wondered why, even with all those around him, why he felt so alone. He couldn't pinpoint exactly when these heavy thoughts and even heavier feelings started to weigh him down. And every passing day it only got worse. Tyler frowned and tried to push back his thoughts as he attempted to unlock his trailer, but he was so distracted that he entered his code wrong. He shook his head. "Come on, now. Tyler, shake it off," he whispered. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled before he punched in his code. He entered it properly on his third attempt. The code was Dylan's birthday. How could he forget? Tyler blamed it on his exhaustion and the frustration that was born from it, or did he have that backwards? Anyhow, Tyler shoved past the door and closed it behind him.
Once inside, he took a moment to lean back and close his eyes. He replayed his password once more in his mind, "082691". How could he forget. It's simple. It's Dylan's. Dylan. The thought of Dylan somehow calmed him. Tension faded as he recalled when he first set up his password. Dylan had followed him out to scope out their new personal arrangements that day.
[The day they got new trailers]
"Looks like you got the one across from mine." Dylan slapped him on the shoulder.
"Hey, yeah," Tyler replied as he got to his trailer's door. "Gotta think of a new password."
"Dude, you cannot put your own birthday again. That's just pathetic." Dylan rolled his eyes as he looked over Tyler's shoulder.
"Don't worry. Lesson learned after all the times you and Posey took it upon yourselves to remind me and everyone else that I had no privacy whatsoever even in my own trailer thanks to my password."
Dylan shrugged. "You could have changed it. Anyway, at least I didn't try and scare you by hiding under your table or anything as stupid as that."
Tyler snorted as he laughed to himself. "To you it's stupid because you never succeeded in your own attempts."
"There will come a day, Hoechlin. There will come a day." Dylan smiled.
Tyler turned to face him and there was a moment between them when their eyes locked onto each other that felt all too revealing. Like everything was laid bare between them. Tyler felt an urge to close the distance separating them, but took a step back instead.
"Looking forward to it, O'Brien. Now turn your ass around while I set my fool proof password up."
Dylan straightened up and did as he was asked. "Oh, right. Not that looking away will make a difference. I bet that I could figure it out before the season is over."
"What's the bet then?" Tyler asked as he went through the door and held it open for Dylan. He wasn't sure why Dylan had decided to tag along and follow him to his trailer. Maybe because Posey was hanging out with his girlfriend. Whatever the case, Tyler didn't mind his company.
Dylan shuffled through and made straight for the trailer's couch, which was really just a bench seat with a cushion on it. He laid down atop it, pulling up his legs and crossing his still shoe clad feet, intent on resting it on the side.
Tyler caught his legs around his ankles before it settled onto the seat. "Don't even think about putting your shoes on my furniture."
Dylan laughed. "Okay, okay. Sheesh." Dylan bounced up to toe off his shoes. And then with a voice that sounded almost foreign: "So, did ummm... Did someone speak to you about... about the show?" He sounded disappointed and Tyler felt his heart sink.
The question was general enough that it could mean a thousand of things. And the answer should have been just yes because of course someone spoke to him about the show about a million other things. But because the question was coming out of Dylan in this almost broken voice, the question could only be about one thing. About getting the news that because of the direction the show will be heading in and the kind of publicity they were getting, they were advised to lay off the promotion of the ship that is "Sterek." And that meant keeping their distance in the public eye. Tyler didn't really understand it but then he also understood it. Tyler nodded his reply and went to sit next to Dylan.
Dylan was one of those people who normally kept to himself. A one-eighty from his character Stiles in that respect. With Dylan, you never knew quite what he was thinking. Dylan was shy despite being a natural in front of the camera. He tended to prefer being in small groups over large crowds. He didn't like to start conversations but once engaged, he could talk your ear off. He never was one to complain or say anything negative about anyone. He always had a smile on and a joke at the ready. Dylan was the kind of person who was happy most when he could put a smile on someone else.
"It's stupid. We weren't going out of our way to promote the ship. Fuck the ship. We were only being you and me." Dylan sighed and ran his hands through his hair, causing it to stick up in all directions.
Tyler felt the same way. But what could they do about it? Avoid being seen together, they said. As if that would take the spotlight away. Tyler wanted to say something, something that would cheer Dylan up. But he ended up not saying anything at all. He bumped Dylan's shoulder with his own.
Their eyes met and held.
A smile found its way on Dylan's face anyway.
[Present]
Tyler smiled at the memory. It was a sad moment between them, but anything Dylan always seemed to make him feel better.
Tyler made his way to the kitchenette. He ate before his last few takes so he wasn't really hungry and decided that all his body really needed was sleep, and that's when he felt it. That feeling of not being alone in a room that you thought was vacant. Tyler wished that he had turned the lights on before he made his way to the other side of the trailer but what could he do now? He spotted his baseball bat lying atop the seat next to him and picked it up as he made his way to his bunk area.
He was definitely not alone. The smart thing to do was probably just leave and call security and report a suspected break-in or whatever this was. But adrenaline spurred him on, and he was probably not thinking straight from lack of sleep. So he quietly made his way to find out who the intruder was. He held his breath as he saw that the person was hiding under the sheets. You would think if an intruder was dangerous he wouldn't pick the bed as a place to hide.
Tyler moved closer. He could see now by the way the lump on his bed moved slightly and rhythmically indicating that the person was asleep. He rolled his eyes. The person must be one of his cast mates. It wouldn't be the first time that a cast mate slept over for whatever reason. But then it hasn't happened since they got new trailers, which meant new passwords and, so far, nobody figured his out yet. Tyler tightened his grip on his bat, maybe it was a stranger after all.
Tyler took a step back. "Who's there?"
His voice was loud and sharp, but it didn't seem to get a reaction out of the person on his bed.
Tyler held his breath, he was anxious now to figure out who the intruder was so he poked the person with the bat. "Hey, who's there?"
"Whaaa? Tyler?" The voice was muffled by the blanket and it was laced with sleep, but there was no mistaking Dylan's voice.
"Yeah, it's me." Tyler said as he took a step back to lean on the wall behind him. He waited for Dylan to respond, maybe even sit up to tell him why he decided to sleep in his trailer. Not that he minded finding Dylan in his trailer.
When no response came, Tyler figured that Dylan probably drifted back to sleep.
He looked around his trailer and wondered what to do now. Go back home to sleep? Sleep on the bench?
Tyler sighed. He wouldn't be able to sleep on a bench that was way to narrow for him to be comfortable. "Dyl, fuck, I'm tired. Are you--" Tyler forgot what he was going to say when he pulled back the covers to reveal Dylan. He couldn't really make out his features but he could see the outline of him, sprawled out on his bed like a starfish. Tyler gulped at the sight. He felt a familiar stirring in his gut. He welcomed it as it replaced the weariness. His exhaustion seemed to fade, almost forgotten. And he was surprised that he wasn't really surprised that just by having Dylan near made him feel this way. He realized then just how much he missed Dylan. Their scenes didn't really coincide so they weren't around each other as much as they once were. When they were on set together, they sort of just kept their distance. Tyler bit his lip. He wondered why it played out the way it did. Backpedaling on the "Sterek" scenes effected not only them on screen but off as well. Which is stupid when he thought about it, but it happened. Why did he let it happen? Tyler swallowed.
Why was he just acknowledging this now? How long has it been like this?
Dylan used to come by all the time. Even slept on his bench once in awhile, which was probably not a problem for him because he could actually fit and he was Dylan. He was able to sleep anywhere.
Why couldn't he remember the last time Dylan came by his trailer. Why didn't he visit Dylan's?
Tyler's mind was racing, and he wanted to wake Dylan. But thought better of it as he took in Dylan's sleeping form, he must be just as exhausted as he was. He may not have to do as many scenes that required a lot of physical energy but after all the hours that he put in the show, he must be tired in a different way. Tyler moved to put the covers back over him. He could always just put a bunch of blankets or something on the floor and sleep there instead, he thought. He moved to grab some cushions when he heard Dylan call out his name.
"Tyler, you there?" Dylan's voice was raspy and cut through the quiet of the night, startling Tyler.
"Yeah. You know, I almost hit you with my bat earlier. I thought you were some burglar or something."
Dylan chuckled. Even his laugh was still laden with sleep, sounding soft and inviting. "Did I scare you then? If so, I win."
Tyler grinned. "Whatever the case, you have no proof."
Dylan laughed again. "What time is it?"
"Like two in the morning."
"Fuck, I was waiting for you. Fell asleep."
"No, really?" Tyler said and instantly felt like backtracking his words, which packed too much bite and sounded a little too much like Derek, and right now he really didn't want to sound like Derek. He feared that he was becoming more and more like his character and why that was, Tyler didn't know.
"Hey, you okay?" Dylan said as he sat up in the bed.
There was little to no light but Tyler could make out Dylan's form easily enough. But he wasn't sure whether he could actually see the frown on Dylan's face or if that was just his mind filling in the blanks. Tyler sighed. "Yeah, sorry. Just tired."
"No need to apologize. This is your bed. Come on, get in."
"What, with you?" Tyler laughed. He felt his stomach tighten at Dylan's words. He also felt his cheeks heat up because of the words that Dylan didn't say but could have implied.
"Yeah, why not? You need sleep. I... I was already sleeping. Too late, or early, I should say now, for me to make my way to my own trailer. And you are too much of a gentleman to force me to take my first walk of shame."
Tyler could hear the teasing tone from Dylan's words. But he knew that Dylan was completely serious about sharing a bed. "Would we even fit?" Tyler heard himself asking. The bed, or bunk really, was smaller than a twin but wide enough to rest comfortably.
"One way to find out," Dylan replied.
Tyler watched Dylan shift to the far side of the bed and laid back down, seemingly on his side to allow more room for Tyler.
"Come on, can't be shy now. Strip to what you normally sleep in and get comfortable because I came here for a reason and I'm not about to bail out on my plan of epic awesome before I have to leave in the morning."
Tyler nodded, he didn't think whether Dylan saw his response or not. His sleep craving body seemed to be moving on its own accord as he took off his shirt and unbuckled his pants. His movements were slow and listless like he had all the time in the world, but deliberate as he just wanted to get the task over and done with so his body and hopefully his mind could get some rest.
"I never really paid attention to another person undressing before. I can't really see you, but the sounds you are making... Who knew the sound of a belt buckle could sound so sexy."
Tyler shut his eyes and gave himself a moment to breathe because the sound of Dylan's voice just now was sex to him. He didn't think he could be turned on with the level of exhaustion he was in, but there it was, the slight pressure and the heaviness and what could only be described as a tingle ran through him, stirring at his groin. He never really thought that it would be Dylan to stir those feelings in him. If he were honest with himself, he could recall that Dylan invoked those feelings in him before. "Is your plan of epic awesome about seducing the costar that you should be staying away from?" Again, Tyler mentally kicked himself because he didn't want to address the subject that he and Dylan never talked about since they first talked about it. And even then it was fucked up and they didn't even say as much to each other.
"Tyler--"
"Fuck, I--can we just leave it for the night? I kinda... I just--sleep. I want sleep." And you, and the way it used to be, Tyler wanted to add but held his tongue. He sat at the edge of the bed as he took off his shoes and his socks before pulling down his pants. The bed felt surprisingly cool to the touch and that was a relief to him. He felt like he was burning up. Like his insides were on fire.
"What time you have to be in tomorrow?"
Tyler was grateful for the subject change and that Dylan didn't press him. He liked that about him. "Not till noon." Tyler said as he laid down on his back. Their bodies didn't touch but he was very aware of where Dylan was. It was a tight fit and he could feel Dylan everywhere, surrounding him. It felt warm. It felt familiar and refreshing at the same time. It felt good.
"Ah, okay. I'm at ten."
Tyler closed his eyes. He found that he wasn't as tired as he thought. Was it because of Dylan? Did he mistake loneliness for fatigue? Dylan took him away from his thoughts when he felt him shift.
"Can I just..." Dylan didn't finish what he was saying but Tyler got the idea when he felt Dylan draw closer to him. His hand gripped his bicep and Tyler moved to spread his arm out. And it was like a wave crashing and kissing the shore before drifting lazily back as Dylan scooted and fit his body to Tyler's side and propped his head atop his chest. Tyler wrapped his arm around Dylan. "I felt a chill."
Tyler didn't mention the blanket that he was under earlier was somewhere on the bed.
"I like this. This feels... new."
"You've slept on my shoulder before, many times actually."
"Not like this."
Tyler swallowed. "What does it feel like then?" He tried to keep the eagerness out of his voice.
He felt Dylan's hand come up and rest on the other side of his chest, atop his beating heart. "This feels like... home."
Tyler let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Yeah, that sounds about right. That feels right."
Sleep soon claimed them both. And when Tyler woke to find Dylan still curled around him, his leg draped over his own, he thought he should feel weighed down, but he felt just the opposite. He felt lighter, like the weight he had shouldered has been lifted.
"So, I figured out your password." Dylan's sleep laden voice pulled Tyler from his thoughts. "What do I win?"
Tyler laughed, right then he thought he would grant Dylan anything but he'd rather Dylan not know that. Not yet anyway. "How about I give you my word that I won't try to scare you for a week."
"Ugh, you haven't even tried for months. You've gotten lazy without my company," Dylan poked his side and laughed.
"True. Let's not do that anymore. The not being in each other's company thing."
"Done deal." Dylan grinned. "As for my win..."
Tyler smiled as he met Dylan's gaze and waited him to continue.
"Can I win you?"
Tyler was about to respond when Dylan interrupted him by his laughter.
"Shit, that was the most corniest thing I've ever said in my life. Shut up."
Tyler couldn't help but join in Dylan's infectious laughter. "You shut up. I didn't even say anything yet."
"Don't you--
This time Tyler was the one to interrupt, not with words but with a kiss. Yeah, Tyler thought, as corny as it sounds, I would grant Dylan anything, myself included.
The end(?)