#(also background)

Kailer frowned at his phone before picking it up. He had a feeling Tyler was going to laugh at him during this conversation, but he needed to figure out why Cody smelled so good at the Top Prospects game - especially since he was going to be seeing Cody in a few days. Sucking in a deep breath, he hit call on Tyler’s number.

“Hey dude what’s up?” Tyler said, picking up after only a few rings.

“You can’t laugh at me.” Shit. Kailer hadn’t meant to say that, now Tyler was for sure going to laugh at him. He grimaced and barged on. “So you know I told you Cody Glass was a werewolf and we’ve been talking a lot? Well anyway we spent the full moon together at the Top Prospects game and now he smells really good and he didn’t before. Wha - hey I hear laughing!”

To be fair it wasn’t Tyler laughing - Kailer assumed it was Kucherov because he was the werewolf Tyler was dating and he’d listened in on phone conversations in the past. He’d actually been more helpful than Tyler a few times so if he had answers then maybe Kailer would forgive the laughing. Maybe.

“Dude. C’mon. Don’t laugh at the kid,” Tyler’s voice sounded like he was holding back laughter himself, but at least he was trying.

“Tell me! Clearly you know what’s happening.” Kailer really hoped his voice didn’t sound as whiny as he felt.

“Okay, so you said you’ve been talking a lot? And you spent a lot of time together in close quarters recently? And now he smells better than before?” Tyler wasn’t really asking, so Kailer didn’t bother answering. “Dude, you have a crush on him.”

“What,” said Kailer, voice flat. That was...not the answer he expected. “Is it because we’re both werewolves?”

“Oh my god. No, you idiot. It’s because you’re hormonal teenage boys with a better sense of smell than most. Just go ask him out for ice cream or something.”

“He lives like five hours away,” said Kailer, mind not really on the conversation.

A crush? That seemed...well actually pretty accurate. He did screenshot a lot of Cody’s snaps and never used them as blackmail like he always said he was going to. Cody made the goofiest faces and somehow still looked cute and he was a gorgeous wolf and really comfy to cuddle with and...yup. Definitely a crush.

“How can I ask him out for ice cream if I don’t know if he likes me back?” This was the most important thing to figure out. Kailer didn’t want to make things weird between him and Cody. Unrequited crushes seemed like they would make things weird.

“Dude, seriously? Don’t be such a baby, just ask him.” There was the sound of a scuffle, a muted scream, and the sound of the phone falling to the ground.

“Tyler?” Kailer asked, slightly alarmed.

A light chuckle answered him. “No, it’s Pally. Tyler has been otherwise detained by Kuch. Something about how Tyler was a bigger baby when it came to asking us out.”

“Oh.” Kailer didn’t really have anything to say to that. “I didn’t think I was being a baby about it though, just for the record.”

“Of course not.”

Kailer knew he was being humored, but he’d take his victories where he could get them.

“So uh, just out of curiousity, what do you think I should do?” Kailer flopped back onto his bed, arm covering his face. Feelings were hard.

“Honestly? Tyler probably gave you the best advice - a shock to all of us.” There was indignant shouting in the background that Kailer assumed was Tyler’s. “Talk to him. No shenanigans. Those never help.”

“I mean I think shenanigans help sometimes. But point taken.” Kailer grinned suddenly. “Does this mean I’m more emotionally mature than Tyler?”

Another scramble could be heard on the other end of the line before Tyler’s voice came through the phone. “Listen, you little shit - !”