Who: Jared and Ty When: Monday, Sept 25, late evening Where: Ty’s place Status: Complete Warnings: Turns NSFW
It had been a long day, as predicted. The fog was causing all kinds of shitty issues, Ty couldn’t believe that people were still trying to drive in it. He knew life couldn’t grind to a complete halt, but the town had shut down for weather before. It was usually just from unreal amounts of snow instead of this bizarre thick fog. At least the power had come back on, that was a small blessing, but one that made a lot of difference as far as traffic control went. Still, accidents and the like kept them running all day long, but at least the time went by quickly. He even felt like he was getting kind of good at driving around in the shit by quitting time.
Jared hadn’t had a chance to fix or replace his car, so that was still a nice excuse for them to ride together. They opted just to go straight to Ty’s place, both of them worn out and ready to get their boots off. Ty let them into his apartment and locked up behind them with a sigh. “You hungry? Got a couple ribeyes I can throw in a pan,” he offered as he started shrugging out of his jacket, giving Jared a little lopsided smile. He would’ve rather ordered in, but damned if he wanted to be the reason some stupid delivery kid got into an accident. Ty hoped most of the restaurants in Point Pleasant had the sense not to deliver while this was going on, but you never knew.
This was so much better than going home after the day he'd had and Jared smiled back at him as he pulled off his coat. "Sounds good," he murmured but he still had his priorities straight and they had barely seen each other - let alone touched - all day. He didn't let Ty slip away before he'd wrapped his arms around him and pulled him in close for a kiss, finally away from prying eyes and the demands of their uniform. "Crazy day," he murmured against his lips, relieved that at least power had been restored for the most part so they actually could cook. Sunday had been abject misery so any little thing helped.
There were no complaints from Ty at being pulled in close, and he slipped his own arms around Jared, twitching a smile into the kiss at first. It was kind of amazing how a simple embrace like that drained some of that tense feeling out of his back. Ty was learning that unwinding at home was a much quicker process whenever they spent the night together. “So fuckin’ crazy,” he agreed before kissing Jared again. He gave him a tighter squeeze. It had been good to spend the shift with Madison, they’d needed the time to catch up and get the feel of being occasional partners again, but Ty had still missed Jared’s presence.
The difference between hugging Sadie and Ty hit Jared again though it was less painful this time and more amusing. He felt like squeezing Ty just because he could without the fear of breaking him and it gave him a little rush. Seeing Sadie had been hard and he'd felt pretty shitty and guilty about not telling her about Danny but that all seemed to melt away, at least for now. "Almost got into a crash with a little old lady who needed to buy sugar... Like that couldn't wait."
Ty let out a soft laugh, shaking his head a little at that. “Priorities, right?” he murmured. He patted Jared’s ass and then pulled away to brace one hand against the wall and pull his boots off with the other. Maybe he could sweet talk Jared into exchanging some massages tonight. He headed toward the kitchen to pull the meat out. “This shit better clear off in the next day or two,” he said over his shoulder, though he knew there wasn’t jack shit he could do about it if it didn’t.
"Day or two?" Jared scoffed. "You're being lenient, it better clear up tonight." That damn fog had put a damper on his up-until-then perfect Saturday night and the next two days after that had been a pain in the ass. "It's getting clearer and clearer that if there was an actual apocalypse, most of us would not cut it," he murmured as he followed Ty into the kitchen. He wasn't even sure who would really want to survive such a thing but if he had to he thought he'd do okay. At first anyway.
Clear air that night would be ideal, but Ty wasn’t going to hold his breath for it. Fog tended to roll in overnight, after all, not the other way around. He didn’t know what the fuck was going on with the sun, but maybe it would finally do its job the next day. “This is a surprise to you?” he asked Jared with a little smirk. Not that he was eager to talk about the apocalypse. Normal life was dark enough. Ty started pulling stuff out to cook dinner, along with a couple of beers for them. He handed one off to Jared. “So I rode with Mads -- Pierce, y’know? -- today ... we haven’t had a chance to really catch up ‘til now. So I told her about me and you,” he said, glancing over.
That change of subject was both welcome and very surprising and Jared's eyes went a little wide as he took the beer and stared at his boyfriend. "Oh?" he said with obvious approval. "That's... what did she say?" That was big, was what he had wanted to say. Ty telling anyone about them at all. Granted he knew Madison from way before all this but she was still someone who lived in Point Pleasant now and also worked with them. Point being that someone in town knew about them and it wasn't just their little secret anymore.
Ty hadn’t exactly been nervous to tell Jared about his conversation with Madison, but it was still a relief that he didn’t sound like he thought it was a bad thing. He gave a lopsided smile as he opened his own beer and shrugged a shoulder. “She’s happy for us,” he said. “Said you seemed like a good guy. A keeper.” Ty chuckled faintly and took a swig from the bottle. “I just thought it might be ... prudent, you know? We used to be pretty good friends back in Bangor, she’s seen me in a relationship before, she would piece it together anyway.” That of course hadn’t been his only motivation, he’d wanted to gush too, but Ty felt stupid admitting that out loud. “But I told her it’s still on the down low, so she’ll ... be discreet.” He sounded a little apologetic about that, even though he hated to.
Jared did a dumb little upper-body dance move at being told he was a keeper, because how could he not, then grinned at Ty and nodded. He understood the need for secrecy, in some ways he appreciated it because he knew that as soon as they were out at work they wouldn't be partnered up together. It would happen eventually but that didn't mean he wanted to rush it. "She seems like good people," he murmured and opened his own beer, trying not to fixate on how Madison would be able to tell Ty was seeing someone. He wasn't blind to the way Ty tended to look at him and smile at him in the exact same way Jared did to him but it was nice to hear it anyway, like it reaffirmed it somehow. "You never told me about your ex," he added, more out of curiosity than anything.
A scoff had come out of Ty before he thought better of it and he took another swig of beer. “‘Cause none of them are worth talking about,” he said. It was true that he’d openly dated a few guys in Bangor, but the longest had only been a stretch of six months, and it had ended ... not so great. He didn’t think it wasn’t ground worth treading over, especially since it had been almost a million years ago. But he’d been through this honeymoon phase before, and Mads had been right there rolling her eyes at him. Ty turned to wash his hands so he could start cooking.
"I think you can learn stuff even from the bad ones," Jared murmured, but he wasn't going to push. "I found out I really can't date a vegan for example, it just wouldn't work, too much hassle and you know, I can't believe you killed this bird and plucked it, you monster." He smiled at Ty's back and sipped his beer, trying not to think about what had been so bad about those relationships and if this one was much better and destined to last or not. It wasn't jealousy, he'd been with far too many women in the past to judge, but there was definite curiosity there.
It seemed equally possible that Jared was just joking and that he’d really tried to date a vegan chick and been called a monster. That part made him laugh a bit. Ty wanted to think he’d learned from his past relationships, but honestly he didn’t fucking know. He hadn’t been in one for so long, and this one was so new, how could he tell if he’d taken in any wisdom or not? He would just have to see if he started fucking this one up in the same ways he’d fucked the others up, and try to handle it differently. It just wasn’t stuff he wanted to talk out loud about, much like Jared probably didn’t want to give him a breakdown of the end of his marriage. Best to let it lie. “That is not a problem here, we’re carnivores in this house,” he said lightly as he began seasoning the steaks.
"Oh I know," Jared said contently, unable to resist stepping closer to lean against Ty's back. "I think our taste is pretty compatible." He ducked down to press a little kiss on the back of Ty's neck, then patted his ass before moving away again, leaning against the counter next to him. "You need any help with anything?" He had a feeling Ty didn't really want to talk about exes or relationships and that was more than okay with him. He'd met his own ex today and it had been a little painful but good but that was something he wasn't sure he wanted to talk about either.
Since his hands were occupied, Ty leaned back into him a little, smiling faintly at the ass pat. “Depends on what else you want, I guess,” he said thoughtfully, squinting one eye as he mentally ran over what he had in the kitchen. “Uh ... think there’s some salad stuff in the fridge? And some frozen veggies in the freezer, if you wanna dig around.” He wasn’t ashamed to admit that he’d had some meals that were nothing but steak before, but they probably ought to eat a bit more balanced than that.
"What, you think I'm some kind of a bunny?" Jared teased as he pushed away from the counter to go rummage around in the fridge. "That's how it starts, Ty. Eat a little more green, just a little more green, a little less red..." He found what he was looking for and set to work to get it chopped up and in a bowl.
Soon enough they were eating a pretty decent meal for something last-minute -- which included both red and green -- in front of the late evening news. Ty noted with a vague feeling of unease that there was no mention of the weird weather in Point Pleasant. Granted, it wasn’t the local-local news, but still. He didn’t say anything about it though, just ate his steak and let the reminder sink in that there was a bigger world than this little town. At least there weren’t any major disasters going on out there.
When they were both done, he slipped an arm across the front of Jared’s torso and pushed him back against the couch cushions. Ty settled his head against Jared’s chest, settling in comfortably. Some dumb late night talk show was coming on, but he didn’t have enough motivation to start flipping through channels just yet. There were vague goals in his mind like grabbing a shower and taking his man to bed, but there was still food to settle. Cuddling was better for the moment.
This was exactly what Jared needed, some time to settle down, eat good food and be left alone except for cuddles. He didn't quite feel calm though. While he wasn't as anxious as he had been the day before there was still this heavy weight in his chest because of everything that was going on. He idly stroked Ty's head and back, still mindlessly watching the TV even if there was nothing interesting on. It had been a hell of a start to the winter and he worried it would only get worse for some reason but as long as he had Ty there to soothe his nerves he felt like he could get through it.
The annoying music and chatter finally got to Ty enough for him to reach for the remote and change the channel. He settled on one of the nature channels, because who didn’t like to get a little weirded out by all the crazy shit in the deep ocean? It felt better than finding some cop procedural drama to pick apart, like a bit more escapism. Jared’s hand felt wonderful against his skin, and he was starting to feel more and more like he could just doze off right there, the steady rhythm of another breathing body against his ear. “You ever gone scuba diving?” he asked idly after a while.
"Nope," Jared murmured, content with the choice but of course Ty was well aware of that by now. "I always wanted to go," he added in a speculative tone before glancing down at Ty, lightly scratching at his shoulder. "You wanna come with me?" Maybe it was too soon to be making vacation plans but it was more of a daydream at this point and he kind of loved the idea of going somewhere tropical and magical with Ty.
“Fuck yeah,” Ty murmured back without hesitation. He liked the water and he was already a good swimmer, and he’d always been interested in the ocean in a passing sense. There wouldn’t be much to see around here, but if they went somewhere nice ... “I talk to the diver guys that come out sometimes, doesn’t seem like it’s too hard to get certified.” Of course those guys were always looking for dead bodies and not coral reefs, but still.
"That is not the kinda scuba diving I was thinking," Jared teased though he knew very well what Ty meant. "But yeah I think it's just a quick class, people do it for fun all the time." He really appreciated Ty's answer, almost like it was a sort of promise that they were in it for the long haul. He knew he probably was but there was no telling with other people, no matter how close they were.
“What, you don’t go poking around in the frigid water off the marina? See the sunken boats and the crabs and shit?” Ty teased back with a little grin. Whenever he thought of diving for fun, he thought of the tropics, of course. Pretty fish and clear blue water. Dolphins, that sort of thing. God, was he already planning out a vacation in his head? He’d been right, telling Mads that things were getting kind of serious. “Maybe we should just ... fuck off for a while and be ocean treasure hunters,” he murmured.
That put a smile on Jared's face because it sounded amazing and he really could use something good in his life right now. It sure beat thinking about looking for Danny's body out there. "Ocean treasure hunters," he echoed, amused. "Could train some of those to help us," he then added and pointed at the TV where some sort of weird underwater critter was flopping about in the deep.
Ty hummed his agreement, like that would be easy as pie. “We’ll put Aquaman to shame. Get great tans. Hang out in wetsuits all day. Surf on our days off. Live in a shack on the beach.” It was sounding better and better, even though he knew it was just talk. Ty wouldn’t leave Point Pleasant until after his mother died. He didn’t even know how to surf, he’d never lived anywhere that wasn’t plagued by snow every winter. But it was nice to dream a bit after a long day.
"Yeah, you really need a tan," Jared said, his grin growing bigger. It was good to dream and he could almost feel the warm sunshine on his skin if he thought about it hard enough. Just him and Ty on a beach somewhere with the warm water lapping at their feet. "Have you been surfing? That's one other thing I never tried." He'd probably fall down some but that was okay, he did have good balance for the most part and it always looked like a fun thing to do.
“Nope,” Ty answered. He moved then, shifting around until he was flopping onto his back with his head in Jared’s lap so he could look at him. He crossed his ankles, propped up on the arm of the couch, and smirked a bit at his boyfriend. “You’re from Texas, so I guess you can be forgiven for not knowing how to surf. Hard to surf in the desert. Please tell me you knew black people can tan though.” Ty grinned teasingly, reaching to pinch lightly at Jared’s nipple through his shirt.
Jared caught his hand and brought it up to kiss the knuckles lightly. "There's a difference between ability and necessity," he murmured before settling his hand on Ty's stomach, smiling down at him. "And you don't need a tan to look good, you already got that perfect fucking thing going on." He flexed his own fingers and looked at them. "I could use a tan though, got some lines going after the summer."
He laughed a bit. “What perfect fucking thing?” Ty knew he was pretty damn good looking, he put real work into it, but perfect? Nah. He moved his hand to link fingers with Jared’s on his stomach, gazing up at him warmly. “You just need to wander around shirtless more often. For sun and like, the good of humanity.”
"Doesn't help with the lily white ass," Jared chuckled and brushed his thumb against Ty's skin. "Think running around shirtless this time a year might turn some heads but not for any good reason." The weather didn't exactly allow for it right now, even if he did enjoy not wearing a shirt if it was warm enough.
“I like the lily white ass,” Ty said with a grin. “Gives it character.” There were tanning beds at the gym that Ty sometimes used to get ready for the summer season, but he couldn’t imagine Jared in one. It just didn’t seem like his style. In any case, Ty didn’t care; he liked everything about Jared’s body, tan lines and all. As if to prove his point, he slipped his free hand between Jared’s ass and the couch cushion, rather enjoying the warmth of it.
"I'll rest easy then," Jared replied. "Knowing someone likes my lily white ass." He was still grinning, feeling warm inside and content to just lounge there with Ty's head on his thigh. It made him wish they had the next few days off and could just go already, somewhere warm, somewhere on vacation where nobody knew them and they could hold hands and sit like this wherever the hell they wanted.
It was funny, how people seemed to change along with your feelings about them. Ty wasn’t positive that he would’ve hit on a guy like Jared out in the wild, so to speak, if he’d seen him at a bar or something. But now he couldn’t stop staring at him, even when he wasn’t supposed to be. He did just that for another couple of moments, not feeling obligated to say anything and appreciating the comfort of that. Then Ty turned his head again to watch the TV again.
It was nice for a while, just to sit there and watch TV while clinging to that easy intimacy but eventually the power flickered again like it had been doing on and off day and the TV turned off. Jared sighed, glad they were at least not watching something terribly exciting. "Is that our cue to go get ready for bed?" he murmured and at least Ty had electricity which was more than he could say about his home in Seaview.
Ty let out a little groan when everything flickered off, then chuckled at Jared’s phrasing. “I guess,” he sighed, flexing his hand to squeeze at Jared’s ass a bit. Not that he was really reluctant to take Jared to bed, there was just all that pesky moving around that he didn’t really want to do. “Shower?” he inquired as he pulled his hands free and sat up. He knew he needed one before crawling into bed, especially since they had another early morning coming.
Jared almost said something about how the water better not get gross again but he didn't want to get all negative about shit tonight. He had a feeling there would be enough of that this coming week and right now he just wanted to be happy. Which meant the damn water better be okay. "Shower," he agreed, briefly resting his hand on Ty's back before he pushed himself to sit up and eventually stand up. "If this keeps up I might invest in a backup generator," he muttered and it wasn't like he hadn't thought about doing that every single time the power cut out.
“Or you can just keep staying with me,” Ty suggested with a lopsided grin as he got to his feet too. “Seems to stay on better here than there.” He didn’t want to say it was because Jared lived in a crap little house even if it was somewhat true. It was cozy enough, but Ty did have a bit of a snobby side sometimes. He turned off a couple of lights before padding toward the bedroom, pausing by the laundry basket near the closet to start stripping his clothes off. “Might not be a bad idea though,” he added with more seriousness. “Since winter’s right around the corner.”
"How about-" Jared drawled, strolling after him. "I get a place closer to yours, that way I can spend more time here and it'll be easier to kick me out if you want to." He couldn't pretend his heart hadn't done a little leap when Ty said he should stay with him but even being Mr. Relationship that Jared was he knew that was way too soon, however damn tempting it would be to just move in here and never wake up alone again. Last winter had kind of been hellish in Seaview, compared to the house he'd lived in with Sadie, and he was definitely ready to move on.
Ty had meant just during power outages, but it didn’t even occur to him to watch his phrasing. Moving in together was still far down the road, but the idea of Jared living closer -- maybe within walking distance -- was pretty damn appealing. “Yeah?” he asked as he pulled his shirt off. Ty smiled at him a bit, hands moving to undo his belt. “I do live in an apartment complex, y’know. Unless you were thinking about buying a house next.” That made more sense to him, somehow. Jared seemed like a man who needed his own yard, no matter how small.
He was right. Jared liked spending time at Ty's place but ultimately he wanted his own yard. Realistically that could happen further down the line and he'd probably save some money if he waited but that had been the appeal of Seaview; cheap place with a small backyard. "Depends on what I can find," he settled for. "Might not find anything until spring so you might just be stuck with a lot of overnight visits from me."
“Oh no, I can’t think of anything worse,” Ty deadpanned, grinning. He got his boxers off and then closed the gap between them, reaching for the hem of Jared’s shirt to peel it up and off. He wasn’t nearly naked enough, especially if they were going to shower. “However will I survive,” he murmured, still amused.
"Guess you just gotta man up," Jared teased, furrowing his brows and making his voice a little gruffier. "Man up and take it. Like a man." He happily helped with his clothes, eyes crinkling a bit with amusement as he watched Ty.
Ty huffed a little laugh, stroking his hands down Jared’s broad chest, his eyes lifting to look up at him. He slipped his fingers into the front of Jared’s pants and gave him a sharp little tug forward. “Oh I take it like a man,” he said, smirking. It was mostly a tease back, but well, it was true. While his hands were down there, he started undoing Jared’s belt and fly, still smirking at him. “Thought you knew.”
"Oh I know," Jared all but growled at him, his grin becoming a little more wolfish. He couldn't help it, the way Ty tugged on his pants had been hot and he really was a whore for being touched. It wasn't a question of fucking though, it was a question of intimacy and he honestly didn't know for sure how well Ty did with long term relationships since he wasn't used to them at all and had openly admitted that. That was something they could only know with time and Jared hoped Ty took him staying over a lot as well as he took his dick.
Lately Ty lived for putting that bit of gravel into Jared’s voice. His previous relationships were pretty far gone in the past, but he couldn’t remember wanting a boyfriend quite so much, so often, so intensely. Of course he hadn’t had to keep those relationships a secret, so maybe that had something to do with it. He did really want this one to last, but he was doing his best not to overthink it. That was usually how things started to fuck up. Ty hooked his thumbs into Jared’s waistbands and pushed them down, then left him to do the rest, just wordlessly smirking at him before he turned to head into the master bathroom.
Jared didn't follow him right away but only because he did enjoy watching him walk away so he took his time with his pants and then headed to the bathroom when Ty was almost out of sight. He hadn't really been thinking about sex just minutes ago but now his brain and body were honed in on it, his cock already half hard and he blamed the look in Ty's eyes as much as he did the banter. He had a feeling that if Ty ever gave him 'that' look out in public he was done for and it wouldn't take a dick pic to get him in that state anymore.
He was aware of Jared’s eyes on him as he walked away, and it made Ty tingle a bit. Admittedly, it was a good feeling to be ogled and lusted after by someone he’d already fucked, quite a few times now. Like he was worth more than a string of one-nighters. Not that he needed to put that burden on Jared’s shoulders, but whatever. Ty was still enjoying it. He got the hot water started, then slipped into the shower, shooting Jared another little smirk. It was hard to miss that his cock was at half-mast already, so Jared wasn’t the only one ogling.
Jared let him ogle, ogling right back before he stepped into the shower after him. Wrapping his arms around Ty from behind was one of his favorite things to do these days, it just fit so perfectly and so that was what he did, ducking his head to kiss his jaw. "You ever want to be alone you just tell me," he murmured and while he knew he would sulk that was his problem and not Ty's so he wasn't going to make a big deal out of it. Smothering someone was a sure fire way to lose them and that was the last thing he wanted.
They did fit perfectly together, and Ty gave a contented little hum as he leaned back into that big firm body. A small smile crossed his face, and he reached one hand back to rub it over Jared’s short hair. “I will,” he murmured back, sounding sincere about it. It was obviously something Jared fretted about, otherwise he wouldn’t keep making reassurances about it. “You too, okay?” Ty clunked his head gently against Jared’s.
"When I want to be alone I fuck off and go hunting," Jared said with a little smile but he wasn't really joking. He hardly ever wanted to be alone when he was at home and sometimes he didn't even want to be alone when he went hunting, fishing or hiking. Things were just nicer with other people around, especially when it was someone he liked this much. "But if the odd urge strikes then I'll tell you."
Ty nuzzled their temples together, still stroking Jared’s head. “Okay, good,” he said softly. “Meantime, quit worrying about it, okay? You’re not smothering me, you’re not cramping my style, I haven’t been sick of you for like a second.” He turned to kiss Jared’s cheek. “I’m capable of communication, I promise,” he murmured, sounding faintly amused. It was true though, and this wasn’t a thing he just wanted to casually fuck up, he was going to put effort into it.
"Shit," Jared drawled, smirking a little self consciously. "Do I really say that too often? I'll shut up about it." It was an easy thing to worry about when he knew that if it was up to him he'd be at Ty's place all the time and that probably wasn't healthy. Sitting home alone didn't feel all that healthy either but there had to be a line there somewhere and he was having a hard time finding it.
He chuckled faintly, covering one of Jared’s arms with his own to squeeze it against his body. “Not too often. I just know it’s a thing, and I get why.” Maybe not from personal experience, but it didn’t take a genius to figure it out. What unwillingly divorced person didn’t have some abandonment issues? It was possible that Ty wasn’t the best person to rebound with in that respect, but he was going to do his best to be understanding.
"You're too smart," Jared mock-complained and hummed as he pressed his nose against Ty's neck. "Why can't you just be cute and stupid." That was the last thing he wanted of course but Ty was right and it wasn't really something Jared liked having pointed out to him. He appreciated it, sure, but at the same time he wished it wasn't an issue. He'd have to try to not let his insecurities slip through again but Ty was right about that too; it was hard when he'd been rejected in a relationship he'd thought was going perfectly.
Ty had witnessed enough moping around in the past year and listened to the few times Jared vented to him about Sadie to get a sense of how heartbroken he had been. Nobody came out of a divorce unscathed, it seemed like. So both of them understandably had some issues to work through, Ty guessed. His had been easy to ignore for all of these years, but he had no doubt Jared would be pointing shit out to him soon too. “Because like, ohmygawd,” he said valley-girl style, tsking and giving a little head-wiggle. Ty snickered and gave Jared’s arm another squeeze. “C’mon, let’s get clean before the hot water runs out.”
Jared laughed, helpless not to. "Shit, you turned into a white girl there for a second," he said in an alarmed voice as he let go of Ty. "Please don't do that again." He didn't mind if he did, of course, it was funny, but so was a dramatic reaction as if Ty might sprout long blond hair if he overdid it or something.
Glad he’d gotten him laughing, Ty half-turned to grin at Jared as he reached for the body wash and loofah. “Aw, I thought that was what you liked, little white girls,” he teased. Maybe not stupid ditzy ones -- Sadie seemed to have her shit together -- but still. If he couldn’t joke about his boyfriend having only been with women his entire life, what could he joke about?
"Obviously not exclusively," Jared said and quirked a brow at him. "Pretty sure I've made that much obvious and if not... Damn, what do I need to do?" Of course it had only been two weeks but it felt like a lot longer and the things they had done were not something Jared would have been into if he was only curious. Just the way Ty looked at him wouldn't be enough to make him feel all fluttery and warm inside if that was the case so he had no doubts there which only made this funnier. "Is there some kind of a test I gotta take?"
“Duh,” Ty said, giving Jared a nudge with his elbow. “Did I not mention that? I’m just waiting for the test booklet to come in from the Council of the Gays. I think there’s a couple essay questions on it, so be ready for that.” His tone made it clear he was just teasing, and he hoped Jared knew he wasn’t really doubting him. Ty might have been getting vaguely insecure now and then about whether or not Jared’s bi-interest would last long-term, but it wasn’t quite a concern yet. He soaped up his loofah and moved out of the water spray to start scrubbing himself down.
Jared groaned as he grabbed the soap from Ty. "You haven't educated me at all in gay culture," he said with a little pout. "If I fail the test it's all on you." He couldn't maintain the sulky look for long before he grinned again. He had no reason to think Ty was at the least bit insecure about his interest in him so the whole thing was funny and he didn't imagine there was any truth to it but that was his blind spot since he was well aware of his own feelings.
“Hey man, not my responsibility. You gotta get woke on your own.” Ty flashed him a grin. Maybe he had internalized some of the unfair stereotypes surrounding bisexual guys -- they might be fun for a while but they would always eventually go back to women. It was the allure of the opposite or some bullshit like that. Body parts and sensations he couldn’t provide. But it was a stupid thing to worry about at this point, so Ty generally tried not to. He wasn’t dwelling now, just having fun with stupid banter and eyeing up his boyfriend’s soapy body.
There was of course a level of truth to that. It wasn't Ty's responsibility to help Jared understand gayness or blackness or whatever else he needed to be "woke" about but at the moment it was funnier to banter about it so Jared put up a sulky face again. "I could probably use help," he pointed out before grinning again. "Even if I'm pretty fly for a white guy." God he couldn't keep a straight face saying that and his grin just grew as he tried.
Ty had to laugh, but it was jokingly pained, because Christ. “See that? You’ve already failed, it’s too late,” he groaned. “You might need more help than I can give you. I’ll have to hire a tutor or something. Some flaming little twink named Brent to cure you of dad jokes forever.” Honestly, they were stupidly endearing, Ty kind of loved that Jared was a giant dork. It was cute on him, and he did have good delivery. Plus there was something about the dichotomy between being a giant dork and when he got all forceful and passionate ... it was hot. What was that phrase? Get you a man who can do both? Ty finished soaping up and moved to rinse off.
Jared barked out a laugh at that because he could picture it all too vividly, some disapproving flaming gay boy that somehow ended up looking a lot like his old classmate in his head. "How much time do we have? It may seem impossible but I bet we can get through it with a montage." He let Ty finish washing up before doing the same. It was moments like this that really gave him hope that this thing might last, that there was more than just sex going on between them but something deeper built on an already strong foundation of friendship.
Snickering, Ty started humming what sounded in his head like a montage song, but was probably close to the Rocky theme. Whatever, it worked. “Mmhmm, we’ll get you your bisexual certification if it kills us,” he said, grinning crookedly. Dad jokes aside, it was really nice to spend so much time with someone with a similar sense of humor. He’d thought more than once that being with Jared probably felt easier because they’d been friends first, and he sincerely hoped that would continue to help them along. He climbed out of the shower and started to dry off, ready to get horizontal even if they didn’t go to sleep right away. Maybe especially if they didn’t go to sleep right away.
"Yeah, I'll be certified," Jared said with a little fist-pump before laughing again and ducking his head under the water. He turned the water off and grabbed a towel, grinning lazily at Ty. "If I don't get my bisexual certificate, will you still fuck me?" he murmured, a reasonable enough question to ask in the context of this ongoing joke. "I know you're a law abiding man but surely we could break a few rules, yeah?"
Ty laughed as he bent over to rub the water off of his legs. “I dunno, the Council gets pretty strict about unregistered bi guys,” he said musingly. He straightened up again and flashed Jared another bright smile. “I could probably be convinced though.” At this point, Ty was pretty sure Jared could convince him to do almost anything. He was already considering turning his life upside down and coming out because of him, everything else seemed to pale in comparison. He hung his towel up and went to the sink to swish some mouthwash.
"I'll do my best to pass," Jared murmured and dried himself off briskly, more than a little ready to crawl into bed with Ty. "Or else do my best to convince you." He gave Ty a cheeky little smile in the mirror and praised his luck that there wasn't an actual council he had to appease to preserve his right to keep seeing this man.
It was a joke with a lot of background context for Ty -- the public paranoia about the Gay Agenda and all that, treating all LGBTQ people like some sort of monolithic force or some shit -- so it was probably funnier to him than Jared, but that was okay. The longer he lived as ‘one of them,’ the more bullshit he would notice. Especially if they ended up going public with their relationship. “Oh I don’t doubt your powers of persuasion,” Ty told him with a wicked little grin once he’d rinsed his mouth out. He snagged Jared’s hand to tug him out of the bathroom toward the waiting bed.
Jared hit the lightswitch on the way out as he let Ty tug him along, grinning at his statement. No he was pretty sure he did a good job of persuading him when he needed to so that wasn't another thing he needed to prove though he was willing to put it to a test over and over again if needed. He waited for Ty to get in and comfortable before crawling in after him, moving to drape himself over him and kissing him lazily. It felt good, all that naked skin to skin contact, Ty's soft lips against his. Jared grinned at him when he pulled back up. There were a lot of things he could say - wanted to say, even - but sometimes shutting up was better so he hummed contently instead.
It was kind of incredible, how nice it felt to settle into bed with someone he gave a shit about, warmed from head to toe in more than just the physical way. Ty was more than happy to kiss him for a little while and let the rest of the day and the world slip away. He’d already noticed that he was sleeping better than he used to, whenever Jared stayed over or vice versa. There was something comforting about having another beating heart in the house. Ty’s eyes cracked open again when Jared pulled back, a faint grin crossing his face to answer Jared’s. “What?” he murmured warmly, scratching lightly against skin where his fingers were resting.
"Nothing," Jared murmured back in a tone that indicated the exact opposite. "I just like looking at you." The light scratching felt good and he moved a little to manipulate where Ty's fingers touched him. If men could purr, that was what he'd be doing right about now, he was sure, as warm and satisfied as he felt. "I've known you for years and I didn't know you at all," he added with a sense of wonder as he leaned down again to nuzzle Ty's neck.
It was Ty’s turn to hum, his smile broadening as he tilted his head to give Jared all the access he wanted. The beard kind of tickled in a way that pushed a bit more blood into his cock. “Yeah you did,” he mused softly. “Just not all of me. Like I didn’t know all of you.” Everybody had different public versions of themselves, Ty had always thought. You couldn’t go around in life completely uncensored to everyone. He understood where Jared was coming from though -- the change their relationship was going through was kind of awe-inspiring. Ty kept petting his back and side, letting his eyes slip closed again.
It didn't escape Jared's attention, the effects he was having on Ty's body, how could it when Ty's cock was pressed against him, getting harder. It made him smile against Ty's skin and press down a little harder with a soft exhale. "You want me to take care of that?" he murmured, lightly gracing his teeth against the rim of his ear. "Or are you too sleepy?" He highly doubted Ty was about to roll over and go to sleep so the question was more of a tease with a touch of formality.
Even if he had been sleepy, the purposeful press of Jared’s body against him would have perked him right up. Ty let out a throaty little chuckle. “Is that even a real question?” he murmured, grinning. He ran his hands up and down Jared’s back once or twice, then further down to get a grip on his ass for a moment. “Blasphemy, I’m never too sleepy for you to pamper the shit outta me.” He tittered and gave one of Jared’s asscheeks a little slap.
Jared tittered right back at him before pressing a quick kiss to his lips as a sort of 'bye for now' before he moved down to sneak kisses on his chest instead. The funny thing was that he wouldn't mind if Ty was too tired, or even if he was so tired he fell asleep during the middle of the blowjob. Jared knew it could feel damn good to fall asleep while jerking off, funny how something so stimulating could also be so soothing at times. "I do like pampering the shit out of you," he murmured as he pressed his face in against Ty's stomach, then moved lower to nuzzle his cock, encouraging it to get harder.
“Mmm, you’re so good at it too,” Ty practically purred, watching Jared make his way down his body. The soft drag of his lips against Ty’s skin made him want to squirm, but he managed not to. It was a weird mixture of feeling sexy as fuck and cared for at the same time, making his heart and stomach both clench pleasantly. His cock didn’t need much encouragement at all, filling out and standing up further in response to Jared’s hot breath and soft skin. Ty reached one hand down to stroke it over his short hair, his thighs parting more to make room.
"The trick is enjoying it," Jared said softly, glancing up at him before taking him in his mouth. It was true, in his experience at least. It always felt a lot better being with someone who really seemed to enjoy sucking his cock than someone who dutifully went about it to please him and so he always made damn sure Ty knew he was having fun. It helped that he genuinely liked Ty's cock. It fit so nicely against his tongue, it tasted good and the skin of it was so silky smooth, it was definitely not a chore to blow him though Jared could imagine it wasn't that nice with just anyone. He could think of plenty of guys whose dicks he wouldn't even poke with a broomstick, but Ty was nothing like them. He was clean and beautiful and his cock felt like it was made for sucking.
That was indeed the trick, and Ty was stupidly glad that Jared knew that already. He was also stupidly glad that Jared hadn’t acted like some fumbling virgin with him, like he had to start from the very beginning because sex with another man was so different. It wasn’t. It was sex, the same basics still applied -- passion and desire mingled with respect and consent and communication. Jared had never seemed shy about going for what he wanted and Ty hadn’t felt like he had to hold his hand, and that had been a big relief. He let the banter fall away as he relaxed into the sensations from Jared’s mouth, a deeper breath escaping him. Ty gazed down at him, thoroughly appreciating watching his cock slowly disappear between Jared’s lips as his lower belly got warmer.
Sex was different with men than it was with women, of course it was, but sex was also no less different with different women with different bodies and different desires. It was all about learning about the person you were with each time and while Jared did prefer knowing what he was doing, he was okay with learning it too. Ty had been easier to learn than a lot of his exes, he was vocal about what he liked and didn't seem like he needed to hold back or be shy about any of it. Jared appreciated that, especially since despite his confidence, he was doing a lot of these things for the first time with him. He glanced up at him again and met his gaze with a warm one of his own before he closed his eyes and took his cock deeper, humming contently around it.
Having to get off with strangers had rid Ty of any lingering shyness pretty quickly. When most of your sex came from single-serving partners, why waste time being unsatisfied? That defeated the whole point. It helped that Jared seemed eager to learn, and definitely not afraid to try things. Ty had heard so many horror stories about bi guys being so squeamish in bed ... he felt extremely lucky to be right where he was just then. Ty wet his lips, still staring down at Jared, and slid his hand over his head again, liking how the short hair felt against his palm. He let out a soft sound of his own, his hips flexing upward just a tiny bit.
The trick is enjoying it Jared had said and he really hoped that was true because it meant this felt really fucking good for Ty because he was really enjoying doing it. Every little thing, from the way Ty's cock easily slipped into his mouth slick with saliva to the way Ty's body reacted on reflex alone and that soft little sound that seemed to go straight to Jared's cock every time he heard it. He hummed again, swiping his tongue around the head of Ty's cock before taking it in deeper as he found his balance on one arm and moved to get his free hand involved too, gently rubbing his balls and the base of his cock.
It did feel really fucking good, and Ty felt himself slipping into the mindless pleasure of it. He hadn’t been exaggerating when he called it pampering, Ty already felt thoroughly spoiled. He gave a low groan as Jared started caressing him with fingers too, moving his free hand up to tuck it behind his head. Watching Jared’s mouth work its way up and down his cock just made the pleasure more intense, and he knew he would be squirming before too long. “You look so damn good doin’ that,” he murmured, gently rubbing his fingers over Jared’s jaw and down to the side of his neck.
Jared thought about how taking a picture of himself doing this and sending it to Ty would be a whole other level of hot, possibly outdoing any dick pic if Ty liked looking at it so much. Of course it was the epitome of bad ideas and he wasn't about to do that but bad ideas often felt stupendously arousing in the heat of the moment. He pushed his own cock down against the mattress for a little friction and the way Ty was touching him only added to the mix of arousal and warmth.
Having pictures of Jared sucking him off would have meant Ty never needed porn again, but he was also painfully aware of how risky it was to take those and keep them anywhere. So he was left relying on his good memory and the fact that he got to personally witness it pretty often. Enough to make him feel like Jared was rapidly spoiling him. Not that Ty was going to protest. He shut up completely for a while in fact, but for the moaning, just sinking into that lovely mix of relaxation and pleasure-tension in his core. He kept touching Jared as much as he could, brushing fingertips over the freckles on his shoulders and clinging to the back of his neck a bit as his balls got tighter and full-feeling. “This all you want, baby?” Ty breathed eventually. “Gettin’ close.”
Jared hummed an affirmative on that because he was more than content to just do oral tonight. An all out fuck felt like too much effort because he was tired, but not too tired to have a little fun, damn it. He slowly pulled up to meet Ty's gaze again, narrowing his eyes playfully before sinking back down on him. He didn't need to be told Ty was close, his balls felt tight in his hand and his cock felt rock hard against his tongue.
It was always easier to get fucked when he was horny as sin, so Ty had just wanted to check. He was on the same page -- too tired for full-on sex. He would’ve rallied if Jared wanted him to though, he knew that much. He was kind of impossible to say no to, at least thus far in their relationship. So if Jared wanted Ty to come in his mouth, he was more than happy to oblige. That look made him quirk a smile, but it was quickly lost to an expression of concentrated pleasure as Ty stopped holding back. He let Jared’s mouth push him to the edge, his breathing getting more desperate and his sounds more needy, then took a big breath and arched his back off the bed a little as he peaked. He shuddered, groaning low and deep as his muscles clenched and his cock throbbed sweetly.
Jared took his time, nuzzling Ty's cock for a bit before he slowly crawled up over him to come face to face with him again, pressing his own hard cock against his thigh. "I think if you suck me off now I might just fall asleep," he murmured playfully but it was pretty much true. Not that he would mind - it was a really nice way to fall asleep - but it wasn't exactly fun for Ty, even if it had nothing to with his performance. "You look pretty wiped too," he added, rubbing his nose against Ty's shoulder.
Ty felt boneless and lazy and pretty damn sleepy himself. He gave a dopey grin as Jared settled in against him, his hand moving down to cover the warm cock against his leg. He stroked his thumb against the tip of it slowly, caught between not wanting to move a muscle and not wanting to leave Jared hanging. “You tryin’ to say I give boring head?” he murmured back, still grinning. Ty curled his fingers around Jared’s cock to give it more of a real stroke or two.
"That's...what you took from that," Jared said with a shake of his head. "Oh okay, yeah, that's what I meant." His face said otherwise as he quirked a brow at Ty in a look that said 'really?' though he knew Ty was just being a cocky little shit. In the best of ways, of course. "C'mon then," he said as he rolled off Ty and flopped down on his back next to him, grinning at him. "See if you can keep me awake."
Ty snickered and rolled up onto his side. He reached across Jared first to snag the bottle of lube that now permanently lived out in the open and within easy reach on the nightstand. “Oh I’ll keep you awake,” he murmured as he settled back into place again. Ty got some lube on his right hand and wrapped it around Jared’s cock, leaning in to brush their lips together. “And I won’t even need my mouth.” Tightening his grip, he stroked his fist slowly down Jared’s length, then back up. This was something he’d wanted to do for a while, and now seemed the perfect low key opportunity.
Jared hummed contently against his lips as he stole another kiss and this was actually kind of perfect. Ty knew what he was doing and his hand already felt real good on Jared's cock. There was an intimacy to this that felt a little different from a blowjob or a fuck, knowing he would be losing it while Ty was calm and composed right there, watching him... It was a little nerve wracking and pretty fucking hot. "Feels good," he whispered, resting one arm under his head while stroking Ty's arm lightly with his free hand.
“Always nice when somebody does it for you,” Ty murmured, tilting his head to nuzzle at Jared’s cheek. He kissed his way down his jaw to his neck, breathing warmly against the skin right under the line of his beard. This was different than the occasional rushed handjob he’d given and gotten over the years of being single -- it had been a favorite of his with his last boyfriend. There was something so intimate about giving unselfish pleasure, temporarily free of the desire to get off yourself. It was erotic and hot to drink in all the little details and not feel at all distracted. Ty kept his movements slow for now, just enjoying the way Jared’s cock felt sliding through his hand.
Jared kept lightly caressing Ty's arm, loving the way he could feel the muscles working in slow rhythm as Ty kept stroking him and Ty was right, it felt very intimate in ways that made him feel a little melty inside. The air felt thicker as his breath got more stilted and Ty's hot breath against his neck only made it all the better. It didn't take long for him to slip into that space where he wasn't overthinking anything anymore, all his focus on the pleasure building up in his crotch and the way Ty was touching him.
Ty didn’t need to be staring at him to know what his face looked like, relaxed and tense at the same time, his eyes a little hazy around the edges. It was an expression Ty was really coming to love. Along with that deeper pull to his breathing. He lazily nuzzled and kissed at Jared’s neck, under his ear, right behind it. Gradually, he built up a bit more speed with his hand, pausing here and there to adjust his grip and give Jared’s cock a different stroke or two. Ty wanted him riding that edge for a little while at least.
Jared couldn't stay quiet for too long, not when pleasure washed over him in waves with the way Ty moved and his body was getting wound up tighter. "Fuck," he whispered before sucking in air through his teeth. "Yeah I'm awake." He made a needy little sound when Ty stopped, bucking up into his grip and giving his arm a little squeeze. His mind was in full sex mode by now, giving him various ideas and images of things to do with Ty and he knew his orgasm would have rolled in by now if not for Ty knowing exactly what he was doing.
That strained inhale was ridiculously sexy, and Ty knew that if he hadn’t just come ten minutes ago, he would be hard as a rock right then. Without thinking much about it, he shifted one leg to drape it over Jared’s thigh, pulling his legs apart a bit further. All that twitchy tension in those big muscles felt damn good. Ty finally lifted his head to look at him, and God he was beautiful like that, full of need and with a deep furrow right under his brow. Ty wanted to lick him from head to toe and make him come for like fifteen hours straight. He settled for kissing Jared instead, deep and hungry but brief so he could still breathe. He flashed a quick grin as he stopped stroking to slip his fingers downward and caress Jared’s tight balls. “You sound awake,” he whispered teasingly. “And like you wanna come.”
"God yeah," Jared breathed, opening his eyes and giving Ty an unfocused, urgent look before reaching up to pull him down for another kiss. "Stop stopping," he whispered against his lips and it wouldn't take much at all to bring him to that edge, not with the way his cock was already throbbing needily, pushing up like it was looking for Ty's hand, precum dripping from the tip. Yeah, Ty knew what he was doing and how to keep him awake and desperate for more, that much was clear.
Ty couldn’t help but be a little amused at the demand, and he huffed a soft sound into the kiss, still just lightly teasing Jared’s hot skin with his fingers. It was becoming more and more clear that Jared Gaines wasn’t a fan of being edged. Or nobody had ever made him suffer through it enough to gain an appreciation for it. “Where’s the fun in that?” he murmured before kissing Jared again. There was plenty of fun for him, turning his boyfriend into a twitchy panting needy mess, but he supposed it was mean to keep doing it if it didn’t make anything better for Jared. Ty wrapped his hand around Jared’s cock again, only giving one light stroke before he tightened his grip and quickly ramped up into a speed that would do the job.
Jared couldn't say he was a fan of edging, but he also couldn't say he didn't like it. It was irritating in a weirdly pleasant way which definitely sounded more masochistic than he usually preferred. It certainly paid off too because when Ty kept stopping and then continuing it was like the pleasure ramped up doublefold and Jared fucking lost it when his hand started moving again. He hissed soft curses against Ty's lips between moans, clasping his head a little more tightly than he was aware of doing, his body doing its own thing without regard to what Jared might want it to do. Coming was such sweet release and Ty was right, he was definitely awake at the moment, thrusting his hips up to meet Ty's strokes, the hand that had been contently curled up underneath his head now clasping at the sheets.
All of Jared’s reactions drove any lingering amusement out of Ty, replacing it with a warm weight in his belly. His own cock started to slowly fill out again as he stroked Jared’s, loving the way his body moved like he was trying to fuck Ty’s hand. He didn’t mind the tighter grip at all, and while it was difficult to kiss with all the heavy breathing, Ty kept his mouth close to Jared’s. Feeling him come was hot as fuck, and Ty let out a groan of his own as he kept working his hand through Jared’s orgasm, easing up on his grip and speed. Overstimulation could suck, and he’d learned where Jared’s limit was pretty quickly. Ty rocked his own hips a bit, just to feel the pressure of Jared’s thigh against his cock.
Jared was panting against his lips but he still stole a few kisses where he could, keeping them brief for now. This had been perfect and he could feel the tension melt out of his muscles, leaving him relaxed and light-headed. "Fuck," he whispered against Ty's lips, his eyes still closed as he enjoyed the afterglow. "You're really... fucking good at that." He quirked a small smile, rubbing the back of Ty's head with his thumb before letting his arm slip down to relax fully.
Ty grinned a bit as he let his hand come to a stop. He held onto Jared’s dick though, just because it felt nice in his hand. “Hey thanks,” he murmured, as if he didn’t already know that. “You’re really fucking sexy taking it.” Which was probably obvious, seeing as how he’d gotten half-hard again just watching it. He nuzzled their noses together, then smooched Jared’s cheek before he settled in a bit more himself. He would get a damp rag or something in a minute to wipe his sticky boyfriend off, but he just wanted to enjoy the afterglow himself for a moment.
His reaction got a little chuckle out of Jared because 'hey thanks' wasn't really a response he'd been expecting. He gave him a sidelong glance, eyes still half-shut, then sighed contently as he let himself melt into the bed a little more. "Thanks," he murmured, amused. "I try to look as sexy as I can when I come." That was a lie, he had no idea what he looked like when was in the throes of an orgasm, so it was a relief to know he didn't look like an idiot at least. "You're hard again," he pointed out needlessly, lazily trailing his fingers over Ty's back before letting his hand drop to the mattress again.
“Mmhmm,” Ty confirmed, also unnecessarily. He grinned lazily, his temple resting against Jared’s shoulder, and pushed his semi-erection against Jared a little more. Since he so kindly pointed it out and all. “It’s your fault,” Ty murmured. “Told you it was hot.” He wasn’t in any rush to do anything about it, it would go away once he was up and walking around, but he hoped Jared saw it as the compliment that it was. His sex drive felt like it had new life breathed into it, and that was all because of Jared. After a moment Ty stirred again, letting go of Jared’s cock and kissing his cheek once more before he moved to get up. “Stay put,” he said.
"With pleasure," Jared drawled contently though he reached after Ty as if on reflex when he moved away. Ty had done a damn good job of keeping him awake but now he was double wiped after that intense orgasm so being pampered was a great idea. "You just single-handedly saved my day," he said as Ty walked away and yes, he meant that quite literally and it put a little grin on his face. "You're amazing," he tacked on though it was quiet enough that Ty might not hear him too well and that was okay. Jared was pretty sure he was making it abundantly clear even without telling him. Fuck, that flutter in his stomach and that constant need to be touching the other man, he was falling too damn fast and so far there hadn't been anything to break his fall.
Ty caught the pun in there on his way to the bathroom and laughed, tossing a glance over his shoulder as he disappeared for a moment. He didn’t catch the last part, but the feeling was most definitely mutual. Somehow this vague crush had morphed into curiosity and then into something much bigger and deeper all in such a short time. Ty hadn’t fallen for anyone this fast and hard since ... well, maybe ever. At least not in this same way that made him want to throw such a huge amount of caution to the wind. He got a washcloth out and soaked it with warm water, then headed back to the bed. Ty joined Jared again and started cleaning up the mess with gentle swipes, gazing at what he was doing with a faint smile on his face.
Jared watched him with sleepy affection, brushing his knuckles against Ty's arm. "You spoil me," he murmured happily because this definitely beat having to get up again and clean up. No, he could just lounge here and then fall asleep in the very comfortable position he'd found himself in and it was pretty damn perfect. The washcloth was soft and warm too and Ty was very gentle with it so Jared closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation of it. "You tired?" he said quietly, hoping it wasn't just him being a spoilsport.
Ty liked spoiling him, which was a feeling he hadn’t had about anyone in a long time. But there was something really nice about little acts of service like that. Jared’s divorce had been really rough on him, and Ty was sure the marriage itself wasn’t great for a while before that, and in Ty’s humble opinion, he deserved some pampering. After gazing at Jared’s face while his eyes were shut for a moment, Ty leaned in to kiss his upper chest. “Yeah,” he answered, giving Jared’s skin a nuzzle. He finished wiping him off and tossed the rag toward his hamper. “You ready to sleep? You look halfway there.”
"Oh I'm awake," Jared mumbled and forced his eyes open as if he had something to prove. He stretched a little and slipped his arm under Ty's side to hook him in and pull him in closer. "Ready not to be though." He did push up to kiss him despite it because a kiss was definitely worth the effort, then let his head fall back on the pillow again. That feeling was back where he wanted to say stupid shit that he'd regret the next day, words that felt like they were piling up in his chest and he might not be able to breathe if he didn't actually say them. Right now it felt like it showed in his eyes too, like Ty could read it all in his face if he wasn't careful so he gave him a little smile before closing his eyes again.
He gave a soft laugh at the way Jared insisted he was awake, again, like a massively oversized kid. It was fucking adorable and it gave Ty all kinds of stupid fluttery feelings. He reached over to turn the lamp off and then went about getting them under covers and comfortable. Cuddled in close, Ty settled his head against Jared’s shoulder for the moment, one arm draped over his ribs. He loved that spot, with Jared’s arm against his back, the way it made him feel cradled and small and looked after. He lightly brushed his fingers against Jared’s side, feeling that same sort of tug toward stupid words. Ty had more aversion to them than he could overcome just yet though -- whenever he’d said them in the past, disaster followed. He wasn’t ready to lose this. “‘Night, Jared,” he murmured softly.