para log | surprises
TAGGED: Dylan RoseĀ ( @dylanxrose ) & Elliott Gilbert ( @akaelliottgilbert )
TIME FRAME: May 23, 2021, evening
LOCATION: Dylanās house
RATING: Pretty PG
WARNINGS: None
SUMMARY:Ā Dylan and Elliott have A Talk.
Dylan:
Heās nervous. Beyond nervous. This is a talk heās wanted to have with Elliott for awhile now. They brushed on it on Elliottās birthday and it was a good talk except Dylan held back because of Ava and Elliottās celebrity status. His daughter wasnāt blind to the growing feelings Dylan had for Elliott and she called attention to it a couple times recently. It wasnāt as if he tried to mask it considering how long the two men have known each other. Dylan paced in the living room and nearly forgot to take out the pizza rolls he threw in the oven to eat while he watched a movie. Thank God he set a timer or that would have stunk up the house.
Elliott:
One of these days, Elliott thought to himself, Dylan Rose wasn't going to surprise him.Ā
He considered himself a fairly unflappable person, in the grand scheme of things, considering his career and the great many different kinds of people he'd met over the years. He was fairly laid back to begin with, and it took a lot to catch him off guard. Dylan just seemed to have a knack for it, and that wasn't a complaint at all. He hadn't exactly expected the spur-of-the-moment invitation over to talk, but he just had to trust that this would be a good talk, and not a bad one. It hadn't sounded like a bad one, at least...Ā
Either way, Dylan always managed to make him laugh (his impromptu foray into fanfiction earlier had made Elliott's week), and he was a genuinely good person. That was a rare thing, in his experience, especially when it came to the sort of men he'd been involved with in the past. He'd gotten wary of anyone who showed much interest in him, since most of them were more interested in Starchild than in Elliott, but there was absolutely no ulterior motive Elliott could see when it came to Dylan. They genuinely enjoyed each others' company, and it was so refreshingly normal that Elliott would go to great lengths to make sure nothing jeopardized that -- not the press, or his PR team, or complications from his own high-profile career.Ā
He'd set aside what he was working on immediately and barely paused to pull on shoes when Dylan invited him over. Elliott's schedule would be much crazier in a couple of months, but for the time being at least, he didn't have to worry about working around school and a twelve-year-old for them to have a chance to talk, so it was the least he could do. They might have to figure out July when it got here... but for now, Elliott knocked softly on the front door.
Dylan:
Dylan looked at the pizza rolls and thought about eating a couple to busy himself. If he did that then he'd have pizza roll breath and he didn't want to kiss Elliott and the man to taste that on him. Dylan went to get a bowl and was about to pour them into it when a knock came. Elliott's arrival wasn't a surprise, it's the reason his nerves were all over the place, but his reaction to the knock would make you think it startled him. The still empty bowl lowered next to the hot baking sheet and he went to open the door.
As soon as he saw Elliott that crazy what-the-hell-am-I-doing sensation subsided and Dylan went over to him and gave the man a soft kiss to his lips. There was a time when he would have been careful about showing his affections in such an open way, especially at his front door, but the longer they spent time together the more he relaxed. "Thanks for coming by. I know it was last minute." he said with an apologetic tone. Dylan took Elliott's hand and brought him him. "I forgot I had pizza rolls in the oven while we texted. Do you want some? They're still hot."
Elliott:
Elliott's eyes fluttered closed at the gentle kiss, and he smiled against Dylan's mouth. Surprises. He'd have to be blind and an idiot not to appreciate how insanely attractive this man was, but the sweet little greeting went miles further toward making Elliott's stomach swoop. "I don't mind last minute, if it means getting you all to myself for a bit," he teased, letting Dylan pull him through toward the kitchen. He lifted one eyebrow at the pizza rolls, his grin widening. "Living large with the diva child out for the night, I see. Sure, why not -- need me to grab anything?
Dylan:
Things between them fell into a comfortable routine, quite domestic actually. Dylan never thought of Elliottās Starchild when they were together. Truth be told he sometimes forgot about it until Ava played his music. āA couple drinks. Thereās water, sweet tea and juice in the fridge. Forgot to put the soda in. Thatās in the pantry. Iāll take a water bottle.ā He piled the rolls into the bowl and lifted a few napkins to take to the couch. āWhen Avaās gone this is when I can turn my mind off from trying to dad.ā He chuckled at this, sitting down on the couch. The nerves were still there but not as prominent. Hard to feel that way around him.
Elliott:
Elliott chuckled softly as he crossed over to the fridge and pulled it open. "Turning it off apparently means going full post-college bachelor, imagine that," he laughed. He grabbed two water bottles for them and then followed Dylan through to the couch. He passed one bottle off easily as he settled on the couch as well, curling one leg beneath him so he was angled toward Dylan, close but not invasive. "That's not a criticism, by the way -- I approve whole-heartedly," he added with a wink.
Dylan:
āIf it wasnāt for her this house will look a bachelor pad and nothing like the family home weāve built together. Is it self there are times I wonder how life would have been if I hadnāt gotten married? Iād be a different person I think. Definitely in a different place.ā This wasnāt the talk he planned to have with him but itās also important. āItās been a long time since Iāve felt safe with someone. Where I can be myself and happy.ā He started, not looking at him at first. āAfter all these years I thought Iād throw all my focus on Ava until she left for college before I consider seriously dating someone.ā His gaze went to Elliottās and Dylan continued. āThen you came into my life and itās been hard to not want to grow with you. What I said earlier is true. My feelings for you are real. Real real. And maybe this is a backwards way of doing things but I donāt care because I love you. Iāve loved you for awhile and itās been hard to sit on that for as long as I have without saying those words to you.ā And just like that it was out.
Elliott:
The corner of Elliott's mouth curled up affectionately at Dylan's dedication to his daughter, and he draped an elbow on the back of the couch to lean his head against one arm. Dear god he was cute, and Elliott's eyes softened a little at the thought of Dylan being so focused on Ava that he'd never considered anything else for himself. Neither one of them had expected to end up here, obviously, but then Dylan looked up at him--
Elliott's mouth went dry and his eyes widened in shock. "...You. Oh." That had not been what he was expecting, with vague mentions of 'a more official capacity' while they were texting earlier. Maybe a discussion about dating exclusively, since they'd apparently been doing just that for months without acknowledging it? But this was so much more than Elliott had even allowed himself to imagine -- it didn't make anything less complicated, but a small, burning flash of something that was suspiciously like hope flared in Elliott's chest for a moment.
One of these days Dylan Rose wasn't going surprise him -- but today was clearly not that day.
He had enough presence of mind to realize that shocked silence was not necessarily an encouraging response to the words 'I love you', but that still didn't make his brain fully engage for a few seconds. Elliott lifted one hand as if to reach out toward Dylan, but aborted the movement halfway. "I have... not been allowed to love you," he said haltingly. "I might not be any good for you. And if you decide it's not worth it. I have to be able to let you go," Elliott admitted softly, hoping he was making any sense at all right now. "Which is really inconvenient, because I'm pretty sure it would be really fucking easy to love you, tiger."
Dylan:
Throwing those words out like scared Dylan because now Elliott knows where his heart lies. He wants more with him and all of that came with a cost. A cost which could ultimately affect Ava and he knew exactly where Elliott came from.
Dylan moved closer to the man, ridding the gap between them. A hand went for the one Elliott nearly touched him with and took hold of it. Needing that touch. That anchor. āI understand. I know saying that instead of asking if youāll be exclusive with me are different and a big leap but I donāt know what Iām trying to say here.ā His thoughts were scattered now. āWeāve been in each otherās lives for a long time now. Itās most likely too soon for me to declare such strong feelings but Iām not taking them back. And I know itās worth it with you. Weāll have to navigate things like we have been already but Elliott. Itās fucking worth it with you.ā
Elliott:
Elliott tangled his fingers with Dylan's, holding on possibly a little tighter than he should have. "Don't take them back," he murmured, a sliver of a plea in there, despite his best efforts. He drew the hand he'd been leaning his head against down over his hair and scrubbed at his eyes as if to clear them. "Jesus, Dylan, sometimes I think I've made you up in my head, I swear," Elliott breathed. "The things I want -- things I didn't even know I wanted -- and never honestly thought I could have..." The hand over his eyes dragged down over the rest of his face. "There is -- very little I wouldn't do for you and that kid of yours, D. Whatever you want from me -- you have it."
Dylan:
āI wonāt. Iām sure of what I feel. I have been for months. I love you, Elliott. I love you for you and not for the persona people think of when they see you.ā He felt it important to point that out to him. Dylan didnāt mean to find his words amusing but a light chuckle escaped his lips. āIf you made me up in your head you probably would have made me more up to date with technology and sex fiction.ā He pulled Elliottās hand up and turned it to press a kiss to his inner wrist. āI want you.ā He kissed his palm next. āWe want you. Ava and I both want you in our lives.ā
Elliott:
"I know," Elliott said simply. "I have never once felt like you saw anything but me, and that has been -- the very best part of all of this." He huffed a small laugh of his own, shaking his head. "You are severely underestimating just how stupidly charmed I am by those quirks," he said dryly. His fingers curled around Dylan's cheek, and he leaned in to kiss him softly. "You have me. Both of you do, as long as you want me. I want both of you in my life too."
