#reply:tyler

@normallyxstranger

Tyler tilted his head inquisitively to his right. Was he daring her to react? Had he been caught? Maybe. Tabitha seemed to think it wasn't intentional and, maybe, it wasn't entirely. But there was definitely at least a little bit of purposeful intent to what he was doing. He wasn't daring her to react, exactly... but he was testing if she would.

There was not a single doubt in Tyler's mind, after all, that he was into Tabitha. The first time they'd met she'd been crying and she hadn't bothered trying to be pretty about it. Not that she wasn't pretty literally all the time, anyway- but it had been real tears. Honest. No space reserved for intentional beauty to it. Tyler was popular back home, like super popular. The youngest of the four most important teenaged boys in all of Ipswich. He was used to girls playing pretty, trying not to look ill put together in front of him. Worse, he was used to girls lying to try to sway his attention.

Tabitha, though maybe not always a fully open book, hadn't lied (as far as he was aware) at any point just to try to win his favor. Not even from that first moment. She was just her. As silly as that may have sounded, it was a nice change of pace for Tyler. Here he didn't have expectations to live up to. And here, a girl like Tabitha didn't feel the need to try to be something she wasn't just for his sake.

It certainly helped matters that she was absolutely gorgeous. And, more importantly, a ton of fun to talk to (and tease).

@normallyxstranger

"You mean Sarah and Kate?" He asked, motioning back towards the girls with a tilt of his head. Was Tabitha nervous about them being here? Or just a little annoyed that he hadn't told her they'd be coming?

"I didn't know they'd be tagging along," He admitted honestly. He'd thought this was just gonna be him introducing Tabitha to the boys, maybe grabbing lunch or something. Nothing big. "Sarah is Caleb's girlfriend. And Kate and Pogue have been off and on for, like, forever," He explained. "I guess I should've considered they might bring them along. I just didn't think they'd do it without running it by me first." Then again, he was kind of the black sheep of the group, so to speak- the youngest and most easily overlooked. Caleb and Pogue were best friends and Reid was always up to something shitty that earned their attention. Despite how he seemed, Tyler was kind of the quiet one (and not in the cool, mature, way that Caleb was- just in the "out of the way" kinda way).

@normallyxstranger

Tyler propped himself up on his elbow as he looked at her, watched her. Was she okay? She'd seemed to enjoy it. He certainly had. But now she seemed a little... different. Was it apprehension? Or worry? Or was he just overthinking it?

Did this change everything? Maybe. But he supposed that was up to her to decide.

@southern-belle-outcasts

"If it's driving you crazy, then maybe you should just wash your sheets."

It was a joke, of course, in that nearly deadpan way he had of delivering humor sometimes. Though he followed it up with a wry smile. Then, finally, a small laugh. Maybe he was totally missing the point of what she was trying to tell him, but in his head he was equating her saying it was "driving her crazy" to "this is annoying".

@normallyxstranger

Tyler had been waiting for this. Hoping for it. He had been fine with the softer kisses, the feel of her fingers laced with his. Small intimacies. But could you blame him for wanting more?

He'd pulled Tabitha down onto his lap playfully, and for a time she'd sat there on the couch with him with her legs draped over his thighs, the pair of them talking, stealing kisses. But Tyler had tentatively started prolonging those small kisses. Deepening them. Eventually getting her to part her lips against his so that his tongue could meet hers... And soon, she had finally moved to straddle him, Tyler's hands on her hips, guiding her onto his lap.

He was trying not to move too fast, didn't want to spook her or pressure her into something she didn't want to do. So this had been a slow progression. The kisses. The feel of her in his lap. His hands wandering to grip at her ass, to stroke her sides, to slip beneath the bottom hem of her top, tracing against soft skin (but not yet slipping up to her bra, no matter how badly he wanted his hands against her breasts).

As with most things, he was the one to initiate the grinding. A small press up of his hips, knowing she could undoubtedly feel his growing arousal beneath her. And she had responded by moving against him, too. Soft, more subtle, motions at first.

@normallyxstranger

Oh. Oh!

When she said they shouldn't, Tyler had backed off. He'd been worried that he was making her uncomfortable, that he was moving too fast or seeming too eager. He'd been intimate with plenty of people, but he always tried to be respectful. It was kind of, like, the number one rule. Well, that and consent, of course. But they went hand in hand, really.

@southern-belle-outcasts

Oops. He hadn't meant to wake her up. It was his bad, though, telling her to take his bed while he slept on the couch... then having to get up at 5 because he'd forgotten he promised Caleb he'd start going on morning jogs with him.

He tried to be quiet, using his phone's flashlight to dig through his dresser to find clothes to change into. When Kaylee had stirred, he was careful not to point the light in her direction, even though that had been his initial instinct in his still semi-groggy state. He only had about half an hour before Caleb showed up and he wanted to get dressed and eat something for breakfast before going out. Maybe he'd shotgun an energy drink, too. Ugh... he was not used to being awake this early.

"Mh? What's up?" Kaylee's voice was still heavy with sleep and Tyler felt bad about rousing her.

@normallyxstranger

The words hit Tyler harder than they probably should. Maybe it was because he shared the sentiment. He'd spent most of his life pretending in some way or another, trying to fit in better with his friends, trying to be likable to girls (and guys) that caught his interest. Trying to come across cooler than he was because he knew he had a name and a reputation to live up to back home in Ipswich.

But with Tabitha... he was just Tyler. Just some guy. And, honestly, it was nice.