this boy is a tramp

***

“You don’t have to apologize. Not your fault that my personal life sucks. And, hey, at least you made me a drink to drown my shit in. That’s more than can be said for most of the people around here.” Though, truthfully, it would have been better if he hadn’t picked up the drink, but whatever. After everything that had happened, he deserved to throw one or two back. Chad had missed that comforting feeling of being numb anyways. It was high time that he returned to that feeling as far as he was concerned.

“Yeah? I’m…not really sure what I’m looking for right now. The guy I was…fucking, I guess, I thought about it. Thought maybe, this time, I could be happy. He was simple and probably dealt with shit that I had no business being around, sure, but he was good. He was nice and caring and shit, too caring really. It was ridiculously unfair how easily he could guilt me into behaving simply because he was being too kind for me to blow off his gestures, but whatever. He found someone that he wanted more and now I’m back on that ‘love is bullshit’ train.”

--

Ty had the distinct and uncomfortable realization that Chad wouldn’t be telling him any of this if he knew that the person who’d stolen all of it away was him. He was the reason J’d dropped things with Chad. If anyone deserved to have Chad fight them it was probably Tyler.

But shit he got it, he got the way Chad felt pulled to Jesus and the way Jesus was easily the best person that stumbled into their lives. The way he just sort of cared in that natural way you couldn’t shrug off, Ty got that. It was hard to resist even if you tried. Fuck him sideways he got it.

“You’re talking about Jesus, aren’t you?” He asked quietly as he pushed a gin and tonic across to Chad. “I’m sorry. He really is just... just one of kind, isn’t he?”

He had to tell Chad. He had to, or he’d just walk around with this sick feeling all evening. “The person he found is um, it’s me, I’m sorry I really didn’t know when we started talking I swear I didn’t, I just figured it out as you were talking just now and I couldn’t let you confide in me like this like I’m not part of the reason you’re miserable. Shit I’m sorry. You don’t deserve any more misery.”

***

“Of course. Everyone’s got partners. It’s a lovely time.” He didn’t want to sound so bitter, yet he couldn’t help himself, not when that now familiar painful feeling rose in his chest. He needed to find someone who didn’t have someone they answered to and wouldn’t care getting under him, but it also wasn’t as if he could just go around asking people if they were single. Also, a few more rejections and Chad was pretty sure he really would lose his mind. So, instead, he just took another sip of his drink and groaned at the offer to be set up. It seemed a bit pathetic, really, but what did he know? Doing it himself wasn’t really getting himself anywhere and so far, this guy couldn’t be worse at picking someone out for him than he was at choosing for himself.

“Sure, why not. Just make sure they aren’t some hot fighter who likes to fuck you every way to Sunday and lets you hug his dog while giving you baked goods then decides he doesn’t want you anymore because apparently he found someone. Cause, already been down that road and not really interested in traveling down it again.”

--

Oh. 

Well. Shit.

That umm, that sounded far too much like his new boyfriend to be anyone other than his new boyfriend. J had mentioned needing to cut things off with a few fuck buddies but Ty hadn’t known one of them was Chad. Also, J baked? Interesting. Tucking that tidbit away.

“Shit, I’m sorry.” He said sincerely. Tyler hadn’t ever thought his own happiness would have to come at the hand of someone else’s misery. Chad fucking Redding had enough misery without Ty sticking his nose in. “Know that doesn’t really mean shit, but I am sorry. You deserve better than that.”

Chad did deserve better than that.

He ran his tongue over his teeth, going down his list of past swings. Someone who wouldn’t do Chad dirtier than they already had, shit. The best ones lived just out of town so that was a no-go. Which left...

“I can promise they’ve no dog, and they can’t bake. Well, actually I’m not sure if he bakes. But he’s really good-looking.”

Jesus’ grin was so wide his cheeks hurt. He could have stayed here forever, wrapped up in Tyler, in the everything of him. When Ty spoke like this, about wanting Jesus so casually for so long, he was torn between the desire to kick himself and just kiss the words off Ty’s lips. Yeah, they were idiots and they could have had this way sooner. But also, they got there eventually, and that was what mattered. 

“You’re making me curious, babe,” Jesus purred, ducking down to nose his way beneath Ty’s chin and nip softly at the skin below his ear, before he pressed a kiss there. “Am I gonna have to check our security cameras, now? I bet you look pretty when you’re pining after me up there.”

He pressed another swift kiss to Ty’s lips before he reluctantly backed up. He’d showered at the Cage before coming home, but he was still in his workout clothes and he honestly wanted to get into something more comfortable. 

“Lemme change,” he said, heading from the kitchen. “I, ah… I kinda have something I wanna tell you. About tonight’s fight.”

--

“Oh god, please do not.” Tyler said, mortified. He hadn’t done anything like, explicitly embarrassing where any of the cameras could catch it but he was fairly certain he’d made some real dumb faces. After all Si and the others had noticed. Somehow J hadn’t which... was probably more on his desperate attempts to never make them where J could see than anything on his boyfriend’s behalf. Still, it was embarrassing.

“Need any help changing?” Watching Jesus leave was almost as nice a sight as watching him fight. Maybe he just liked watching J too much. Not his fault Jesus was a goddamn work of art.

When J mentioned the fight Tyler raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, I was wondering about that. Never seen you hold yourself back like that before. Chad didn’t look pleased.” Would now be a good time to mention he’d had to turn Chad down? He still felt bad about that. The man had looked like he needed some release. 

***

“Honestly, I’ll take anything.” He’d never been picky, not when it came to alcohol. Everything went down the same and if he had enough of it, it managed to serve its purpose – making him forget. That’s really all he wanted in the moment. He wanted to forget about the pain and he wanted to forget about the way his heart had always managed to start racing during every minute he had spent with Jesus. Most of all, he wanted to forget about how that was all gone now that the man had this new mystery boyfriend. “So, do you hang around here often? Seems like a fun place.”

Fun if people liked getting their teeth knocked out, but hey, with his violent nature it seemed like the perfect place. It wasn’t the best for his mental health – not by a long shot – but it would serve other purposes and who gave a fuck about getting better anyways? “Ya know, I’ve been told that guys are into the whole fighting look. Who knows, maybe my night will turn around and I’ll get lucky here. Present company preferred.”

--

“When I’m not working, yeah.” He was here often enough that it hardly felt like a secret. “Usually I’m over at Fairy Tales.” He twirled a glass in hands as he looked over the booze. It felt like he oughta give Chad something a bit better than the standard well drink given he’d just had his ass handed to him. Plus, he was cute. Kinda a shame, really.

Ty went pink, chuckling. Despite being a bartender he still wasn’t used to people besides Johnny actively hitting on him. “Haaa, yeah it’s a good look on you not gonna lie. I’d take you up on the offer if I wasn’t-- I’m taken. Sorry, it’s a shame. You’re really cute. Definitely woulda said yes a few week back. I know a few people though, if you’re looking.”

Life right now was just one disaster after another, and yet somehow Jesus had wound up making some of his happiest memories in the middle of the constant-trainwreck. Like getting to kiss Ty. Like getting to kiss Ty in his apartment. Like getting to kiss Ty everywhere in his apartment. In every sense of the word. 

It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows just because his pining had paid off and somehow he had a boyfriend, but it was still a damn sight better than he’d thought he’d be doing right now, so he’d take it. Not that he’d ever not be pleasantly shocked by the sight of Ty looking comfortable in his home, when he walked through the door at the end of the day. 

“If I’d known why you like watching me fight so much, I would’ve made a move way sooner, you know,” he said easily, dropping his bag by the door and not bothering to take off his shoes as he approached Ty in the kitchen. He let his hands rest on Ty’s hips and leaned forward, peppering soft kisses to his throat and jaw and finally giving a lingering one to his lips. Those magical lips. “I’m glad you think me getting the shit kicked into me’s hot, though.”

Tyler’s smile grew lazy and fond as he tilted his head this way and that to give his boyfriend better access to whatever part of Tyler he wanted. His boyfriend, Jesus. Sometimes it still felt like such a damn miracle, religion pun intended, that he had to pinch himself. There hadn’t been anything like this in his life for so long than he’d almost forgotten it was something he could have. 

He rested one hand on Jesus’s hip while the other stayed on the counter to balance himself. If he put both hands on J he’d lose focus and the nachos would definitely burn. Then he’d have to start all over and also the damn fire alarm would go off. Not the best way to befriend the neighbors. 

The post-mist world still had Tyler jumpy. Walking around Underland again didn’t feel the same. He couldn’t convince himself to relax. After all, it had come on suddenly and vanished just as fast. It could come back any day for all they knew. He didn’t feel safe any more. 

But he still needed to work. 

So when someone had actually answered his call for a model, he’d set up a place to meet. Gotta get to know them first, see what they were and weren’t comfortable with in a sitting. Finding an actual model-looking motherfucker waiting for him just fucking figured honestly. 

“You must be Theo? I’m Ty, nice to meet you.”

***

“Why, is it working?” At first he had felt guilty about it, taking Tyler home once he was no longer a patient at the hospital, but Johnny had quickly gotten over it once he realized how much he enjoyed having the other male in his bed. Not only was he stunning, but he was also comforting in a way that worked well for him. Johnny found himself needing that comforting presence beside him more often than not and Tyler never failed to deliver.

“Oh yeah? I don’t remember you complaining about how goddamn attractive I am before.” Though that wasn’t true. He had gotten used to the mock offended compliments about how he was too hot for his own good. It wasn’t really something he saw in himself, but he supposed everyone had their tastes. He just happened to fit Tyler’s and honestly, that was perfectly fine by him. “Really, babe, I’m fine. A little tired because of all the shifts, but other than that I’m in tip-top shape. In fact, if you would like to see just how in shape I’m in, I get off shift in about another hour. Maybe we could go back to my place?”

--

“Yeah it is, a little bit.” He said with a laugh. If he and Jesus were talking right now he’d feel kinda bad about this. But he was single, and as far as he could tell J didn’t want anything to do with him. Johnny was hilarious and gorgeous and into him. Neither of them expected anything serious, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t have fun. 

“Pretty sure I’ve mentioned it at least a time or twenty,” He teased without any heat. Ty liked the easy flirting they always fell into, he liked making Johnny smile. Any man that saved his life oughta smile loads more, in his opinion. He dragged his eyes over Johnny’s body as if it reconfirm everything the man said.

“Think I better. Gotta make sure you’re really up to all that life saving, y’know? Can’t have our front line goin’ unappreciated.”

It felt so fucking natural to wander around Jesus’s kitchen after a fight and know he’d spend the night here. He’d quasi-moved in to help with Flower during the mist, and it even if it had his heart beating a mile a minute when he considered how fast they’d moved, it didn’t scare him. This was Jesus. They knew each other. He could move around here comfortably. 

Tyler cracked a beer for his boyfriend and grabbed himself some juice, sneaking Flower a small piece of cheese. His very refined and elevated meal of nachos with some chicken on top was in the oven. It felt domestic in a settling sort of way. 

“I know you’re not gonna be surprised that I thought you looked fantastic out there,” he said as he leaned against the counter to watch Jesus come in, “But you really looked fantastic out there. I always like watching you fight. Food’s in the oven if you just wanna crash on the couch. I’m watching it.”

“I might just do it,” she nudged Ty with an elbow and put on a smirk. His special brownies sometimes helped her fall asleep, other times helped her forget all about a bad day. It was nice. And he hadn’t poisoned her once, so far. “I honestly don’t see why it’d stay, y’know?” Edith told him. Maybe there wasn’t much space for hope but Tyler never failed to make her smile, this time with his Stephen King comment. “I imagine all tortured artists of Grimmbrook are thriving now at least,”

Edith didn’t know it but a love story was all she needed. She listened to him speak, smiling at his silly enamored grin. “I don’t. Haven’t had the pleasure of meeting him yet. His cousin, on the other hand,” a sigh. “I might have run into. Aren’t they… A dangerous crowd?” Edith asked, she figured Ty could take care of himself but still. “A religious experience, huh? I do hope you say him name often enough,” she winked.

--

God he really hoped she did. Telling Rocco about it would make like, his whole entire life. Not as much as J did obviously but on a different level. “It does seem to like messing with us, so who knows.” Stephen King’s revenge didn’t mess. Which was frustrating  because he couldn’t exactly fight back.

“As a tortured artiste, I can confirm that thriving is occurring. I’ve even got a meeting with a muse that’s not even my boyfriend. So take that, state of Maine.”

They were a dangerous crowd, Edith wasn’t wrong. But they’d not hurt him unless he hurt Jesus and he’d never do that. Never ever. “Oh, you know Javi? Things can get a bit rowdy but it’s nothing I can’t handle.” 

Ty went pink and his smile get even dopier. “He’s the best experience. Best thing that’s happened to me in year, Jesus is. Didn’t even havta show up at my door with a Bible.”