Isolated Interview

Sixth Sense: Teagan Landry

The sheets beneath him were damp, the bedding above him crumpled into disarray. Tan legs kicked around, free from any rhyme, reason, or restraint. His face contorted in distress and delirium. Several screams later he was swinging wildly in the air. Finally his eyes snapped open as he sat upright. There it was. Nothing in particular. The emptiness. He grabbed the bedding on either side of him in a panic. No one. Byron wasn't there. It was a dream. It was always a dream. So where was he? A secondary concern that had yet to register was where am I?

Teagan's bloodshot eyes scanned the room for the third time before he remembered to even catch his breath. The dreams were too vivid. Waking up having hurt Byron. Each time, each incident was entirely accidental. Byron would understand. Teagan would hate himself, but Byron would understand. He understood everything, but not in the nightmares. There was a mix of proper irrational terror and actual plain nightmares. His back glistened with cold sweat and his hands shook. The room was unfamiliar, and most importantly it did not contain Teagan's fiancé. There was some furniture in the room, but most importantly there was a door.

Beside the door was a nicely folded outfit and an envelope with Teagan's name neatly scrawled across the front. All of this was lost on him. He was aware that in his flannel pajamas bottoms, which might or might not be something he recalled owning, he was shirtless. Being shirtless was a minor inconvenience, but since the opening of the door revealed nature, and not a hallway as he expected, Teagan reached back and grabbed the shirt. A high quality heather green tshirt with buttons holding the sleeves up to short instead of mid length. Teagan yanked it down over his head unceremoniously and walked outside with renewed urgency.

What the heck is this?

He groaned, fingers already finding their way up to his dark mane. He tugged some at the end, frustrated. He liked camping, but why was he at some campsite? Had he been in a cabin? Why, to what end? He couldn't remember the night before but he would worry about that later. Maybe figuring all of this out would be most helpful, but panic did not want to slow down and hear reason.

The ambiance was lost on Teagan. Technically it was serene and even a bit weirdly quiet, but that was all in the background of Teagan's mind. He just needed to solve this mystery. He'd messed things up so badly in his dream and he needed confirmation that reality was still okay.

There was grass around, but directly under Teagan's bare feet was a path. A path of pebbles that probably would have crunched nicely under a pair of sneakers. Unfortunately Teagan's feet were not as flat as sneakers and he stumbled forward after a few misplaced steps.

The mental barrage of personal insults spilled out from his mouth in a few choice curses. Teagan started muttering in Spanish before he got back to his feet. His knees hurt, but he didn't think they were actually skinned. No tear in the pajamas. "How did I get here?" He took a deep breath, straightening up to his full height. Not terribly tall. Not very much shorter than his love though. He looked around as if he would catch a glimpse of a familiar black manbun bobbing in the distance. No such luck.

There was a pretty clear option ahead of Teagan. Literally straight in his line of sight was the next building. The path clearly went right there. It looked like it might have be someone's office. Or maybe a storage building. Whatever was inside, Teagan hoped there was some answers as well. He dusted himself off and walked straight ahead.

Inside was not really what Teagan expected. There was no one, but it looked well maintained. The bell chimed and Teagan heard something from the next room. Movement of some kind. Someone standing, walking, but not toward the door. "Byron?" It was unlikely, but not impossible. He hurried in that direction and stepped inside without hesitation.

"Who are you?" he asked, frowning, but still somewhat relieved that he'd found any other human. He didn't bother to be glad he was wearing a shirt. This man was wholly unfamiliar. A slight tan, clean shaved face, well kept short black hair, and a gray suit. Byron would call me stuffy if I wore that... and maybe help me out of it... Hopefully. "Where is my fiancé?"

The man, who was currently standing to the side of a desk that said "Management" instead of a proper name, raised his hands in a gesture of innocence. They went up only ever so slightly, but his palms were visible and he looked a bit surprised.

"I... I do not have your fiancé. I assume he is at home-"

"How do you know? Why am I not at home?" Teagan almost felt like coming over to close the gap, but that would not help. That would be aggressive, or seem aggressive. It would be absolutely confrontational. He didn't want that, he wanted an answer. Maybe he should calm down. His chest hurt. He was starting to feel light headed. Actually really light headed. Was the air thinner? He stumbled to the side and grabbed the edge of the couch there. He finally took in the room. The man stayed still, even as the room was nearly spinning.

It was a therapist's office. The tumblers and alcohol bottles said otherwise, but Teagan felt his alarm bells going off. Management was not fooling him. The boring, unassuming suit might be a bit stiff for a therapist, but his body language was on point. Calming, except it didn't calm Teagan. Unassuming, but he was definitely assuming some things. The couch was even long enough for Teagan to lay down and get comfortable if he needed that to pour out his soul.

"I want to go home right now," he insisted, despite still gripping the edge of the couch for support.

"You should-"

"Don't tell me to calm down. I'm dizzy, I'm not crazy. Who are you?"

"You may call me Titus. I work here..." his voice was very measured, soft. Nothing to worry about, of course.

"Titus what?"

He sighed, "I will give you the information that you really want, if you will accept that my personal information is not important."

Teagan furrowed his brow as he considered those words. "... What is the information I really want?"

"You want to go home, right?"

He had just said as much. "Yes."

"Good. In order to get home, all you have to do is sit down and allow me to conduct an interview. You answer my questions sincerely and with genuine consideration, don't speed through them with the least amount of thought and the requirements will be met. Once the interview is over, you are immediately free to return home, where your loved ones surely are."

"Surely are?" he asked, suspicious immediately.

Titus sighed, hands still up, "I mean to say, I cannot see your home. If they were there when you left... they are there now."

"... I didn't leave. I don't..." he frowned, no longer feeling dizzy but suddenly feeling increasing despair. "I don't remember leaving. I just..." Did I really hurt him? I couldn't... I... I could have but... I didn't mean to if I did...

"Whatever you are so worried about, I am sure it was just a bad dream... You should relax. Take a seat and we can begin if you like."

Without further prompting, Teagan pulled himself along until he was sitting on the couch. He seemed to sink in, as if it was welcoming him, trying to give him a hug. Trying to hold onto him. His shoulder sunk as if he was exhausted. So weary from holding so many concerns. He was not dizzy at all anymore but he was tired.

"I answer questions, and I can go find Byron?"

The small hesitation made Teagan wonder if this Titus knew Byron's name. How much did he know or not know? Was he just the messenger? The hesitation passed, and there was a nod. It was settled then. He would take whatever path led to Byron. The end would always be worth the effort to get there.

Titus came forward now with a clipboard in hand. He took a seat in an armchair across from Teagan. He gestured over to the drinks. "Would you like anything to drink?" Teagan shook his head without bothering to look over. "Very well. First question. What is your name?"

Although Teagan got the distinct impression that Titus knew his name, he did not resist the process. "Teagan Landry."

Titus nodded, "What is your current age?"

"Twenty-nine."

"What is your sexuality?"

"Bisexual." He knew that Titus said not to rush through the questions, but he was not sure exactly how he could take his time on such straightforward factual questions.

"What is your relationship status?"

That much he knew that Titus already knew. "I am engaged. Byron is my fiancé... he is lovely."

"Why do you like him?"

The question flowed so well that Teagan wondered if it was part of the interview, or simply a reaction to his own comment. His impulse was to clam up. Therapists. The whole process. Opening himself up to poking and prodding. He had gone through enough trouble to get away from this setup before, but he was better motivated now. To get to Byron he would happily endure any questions. Maybe not happily yet, but he was working on it. He ran his fingers through his hair, self-soothing.

"Because he is the most perfect man I've ever met. The most perfect man you would ever meet, if you got to meet him. He would charm the pants right off of you," Teagan actually smiled, "And he would probably say something to that effect too." He could see it now, and he liked it. "And that accent... Wow... just let him talk for a minute... Or an hour, if you're lucky... He's brilliant. So clever, and so loving. Have you ever met anyone who took your home with them wherever they went?"

If Titus was taken aback at having a question directed back to him, he did not show it. He softly shook his head.

"Well Byron is like that... He's a big kid and... sometimes I can be so serious... things just hurt and I... I don't mean to be... but he's perfect. I'm ruining-... no. I'm making him too serious, but I love him. Serious or not. He's the happiest part of my life. So... yeah, that is why."

"He sounds very nice."

Teagan snorted good naturedly. "Very nice..." in bed, he added, for his own amusement, for Byron's sake. He deserved it. It was true, and Teagan needed to remember levity. He wasn't trying just now, but speaking of Byron had a soothing quality to it. It was safe. Safe in his mind, safe coming out of his mouth. Nothing bad was going to happen if he admitted how much he adored Byron. Why would anything happen? Their love was pure. It got torn up along the way but it could be patched up and made all the better. Teagan let so many things go, but he was not going to keep regretting things with Byron. Dragging his feet and worrying about the future when he had everything he wanted available in right beside him if he just remembered to hold on tight.

He would have been happy to stop there, but Titus continued. "What does he not know that you don't want him to find out?"

"Nothing." Okay, that probably did qualify as jumping the gun and answering too quickly. "Its... not that he does not know things... There are things he does not know. I do not like to talk about a lot of things. I mean, a lot of things. Normally I wouldn't even like talking this much but... I guess I want him to know it all. In good time, at our pace, whatever he wants. I want him to be the best part of every inch of my life so he can have it all... I'm going to work on that... just... I cannot think of anything I currently don't want him to know, right now."

"What is your greatest fear regarding your significant other?"

"That he will leave me... or... that he will fade off. Disappear." He ran his fingers through his hair again. A soft tug, no longer frustrated. "That my own fears and hesitation has left the best love in my life in disrepair... I'm afraid that things are too late... they aren't though. They aren't." It was said for himself, not for Titus. He needed to know this. "I will... fix everything. Give him everything. I will put everything in this relationship again and stop being so worried about getting hurt later if I do."

"What is your greatest fear unrelated to your significant other?"

The shift away from Byron was unexpected. They had passed the initial facts, but apparently it wasn't entirely about Byron. Self-reflection... It felt familiar but not in a nice way. Like worms over his skin. At least it had felt like that in the past, but now it felt different. He could remember the feeling, and he was still unsettled, but the couch still held him tight. He was settled. He could answer. If he could think of something.

"Unrelated... That my father will find me." How strange that it took him a moment to remember that. The fear, the debilitating paranoia, had crippled Teagan's life for weeks at a time. How could he forget? Maybe forgetting was something he should try more often.

"What is a negative memory that you think impacts you to this day?"

That he thought impacted him to this day? "Everything about living with my father as a child..." that was an understatement. "Also... therapy. I hated being probed with questions about things I did not want to face... and it has probably enabled me in not dealing with things..." It was easy enough to ignore things when it only affected him but it was affecting a lot more than him by now. Maybe it always had.

"What is a vice or bad habit that you have?"

The Cajun let out a long, resolute sigh. He had more than one. He had a few that came to mind quickly, but considering how this day had started, he knew which to pick. "I avoid sleeping. I don't... like my night terrors, or my nightmares. I stay up until I physically cannot, so that my crash is hard enough I can avoid some of the repercussions of sleeping... its not healthy, which I know."

Titus was giving him a look that felt torn between sympathetic and concerned. This was something that Teagan saw even without actually admitting things to people. Oh, your fiancé is oversees? Oh, you broke up? Oh, you haven't been sleeping? The problems were not, on their face, his fault, but the aggravation that he put himself through over them was his fault. He made everything worse. Normally he would stew over it, but he wanted to actually correct that now.

"Do you consider yourself open with your fiancé?"

"That's... complicated. No but... I mean, it varies. I should be more open. I used to be more open... There's a lot he doesn't know... a lot that I do not know. A lot that I want to know, I just... I didn't want to ask everything at once, and I think I messed everything up... I know I did. Still. Its okay. I am... open in some ways, but not others."

"This is a less straight forward question... If you received $10,000 in a contest with the condition of spending it in the next month, and time off, what would you do with the money? Bills do not count as spending it in the next month, for reference."

"Bills... I don't have bills. I mean... the bills are paid. I guess it doesn't matter... My first inclination would be to give the money or Robin. He doesn't need it very much... it would go into savings anyway, knowing him. He is a very responsible boy... man... yeah." He wrung his hands for a moment. What then? "That is a lot of money... I guess I would try to take a trip with Byron. New York maybe? If he wanted... Let him pick, and all the expenses would be paid... and then some. Buy some things for the boys, and for our classrooms. I would make sure Byron gets that piano he wants... yeah... those sound about right."

"What are three things on your bucket list?"

"I definitely don't have a bucket list... I try not to spend too much time thinking about goals either..." Fingers through his hair yet again. Think... think... He wanted to do things that broke him out of his rut. For some reason dirty pictures came to mind. He tugged at that thought string and suddenly laughed. "Boudoir photographs."

Titus looked confused, maybe even baffled.

"I know it's a girl thing, but I can definitely find a way to pull it off. Sensual intimate pictures. I can do it," he said, still laughing. "Yes. I want to get those taken for Byron... um... and... wow, that's going to be fun..." Step one, get back in shape... step two, take awesome pictures. He was inspired by Byron's tattoo for sure. He would apparently be buying a garter belt. He was struggling to think of things besides the photos though. "Bucket list... bucket list..." he said to himself, "things that are hard for me... go to... yes. Go to Byron's hometown." Teagan supposed that you were not supposed to tie your bucket list to a specific person, but he didn't care. The things he wanted to do before he kicked the bucket was life the best life with Byron. He wanted to do this for Byron, but he wanted it for himself too. "I need to go to England to meet his parents... see where he grew up... not just... a picture..." He was temporarily somber. "I need to do that. So... I need a third..."

Titus nodded lightly. He did not say much, but he prompted Teagan's thoughts.

"Get a tattoo for Byron... in some way. Shit..." He pinched three fingers together and poked the bridge of his nose hard, several times. He had even messed up Byron's tattoo reveal. "What the hell don't I ruin lately?" It all looked so clear and foolish in retrospect. It had all been so confusing and muddy at the time. It was a wonder Byron even spoke to him anymore. He put his heart and soul into everything and all Teagan could do was stand at arm's length and give vague approval. I don't deserve him... but I will. No... we don't deserve each other... we're just lucky... but I'll make it up to him. "I don't know what it is, but I want it. Next."

A very faint chuckle came from Titus, or maybe Teagan imagined it.

"What do you think that you are worst at in your relationship and how would you like to improve that?"

"Everything," Teagan said suddenly. That wasn't right though, not really. He could not practically be worst at everything. Worst was a very specific qualifier. "Its... Hm... worst... accepting. Accepting the good things. Trusting. I'm just going to let things happen. Let him in. Overwhelm him with how ridiculously terrifyingly in love with him I am, have been, always will be... I need... him, and I need him to feel safe with me." He took a deep breath. He was not stressed. He felt abnormally calm, frankly.

"What is a kink or sexual preference in your relationship that is new or unexpected?"

Teagan chuckled at the question. "Well isn't that... something. Uh... preference... I... uh... am very fond of topping, apparently?" he blushed, blinking. He was completely a switch, but in previous relationships he was more likely to be submissive. He had more experience than Byron though, so he took the dominant role in that aspect. He would not mind letting Byron take control though. "I've never wanted to do a co-worker in a closet before... so that's new, I guess. And unexpected."

It was Titus' turn to blink. Well you asked...

"What do you think of your significant other's family? What does your family think of your significant other? Do you think that is fair?"

Teagan waited as the questions rolled in. Three parts. "His family... well, his brother is... him but hyped." A soft chuckle. "My son likes him. Kai is good people. I do not know their parents but I have to imagine they are saints for putting up with their sons," he said, a grin fully on his face. "I asked for their permission to propose and they agreed so I appreciate that. Uh... I only have my son, and Byron loves him. Which he should, because Robin-" there was the faintest reaction on Titus face, for some reason, "is adorable. I want to get to know his family better. I think... my mother would have loved Byron..." His expression changed several times. Happy, conflicted, sad but pleased, and eventually he looked away. Chandra would have loved Byron.

"This is the last question..."

Why did Teagan feel disappointed?

"It is more involved. Describe a hypothetical road trip with only you and your significant other from West to East coast USA, preparations and three designated stops along the way."

Roadtrip. From coast to coast. There went that warm happy feeling. Coast to coast. "... I don't... " I can't... He shook his head. Hypothetical. He could. He would. If Byron wanted. If Byron needed. Teagan would take care of himself because the people who loved him deserved to have a cared for man... and eventually he would do it for himself just because he deserved it. Baby steps. Or grand gestures.

"I guess I would tell Robin he's stuck at home with the boys... Maybe Kai can help. Take off work. No, just don't sign up for summer school. We would need to go over the summer. Make sure Byron isn't being a super cute waiter. Like, c'mon, you can stop being hot for five seconds to road trip, right?" He chuckled. He was nervous. He was nervous planning. He honestly didn't even know why this was such a big issue for him.

"Uh... buy snacks? I really don't know how one plans for a roadtrip... tell your wife to shut up and put your kid in the car still half asleep?" That was too much information. He could go on. He was pulling at his hair now. What was wrong? Why was he wrong? Did driving make him his father? Did him getting behind the wheel and driving more than fifty miles in one direction suddenly turn him into an abusive cheating piece of shit? Obviously not so why was he so bothered by this? He just... the world was danger, and he finally found his safe space...

"Byron is my safe space..." He let out a soft, slow breath. "I can go anywhere so long as he is with me..." He would make it so. "Just hold his hand and I'll be fine..." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't care where we start... or where we go... I will let him pick... One, two, three places? But... I guess... Niagara falls, I like that place..." he wasn't even sure why he knew a few locations. Maybe he was imagining them. Would Titus call him on it? "Austin, Texas... to Full English... for... well... obvious reasons," at least he was chuckling again. "Then Chicago to Revealed Studios for those boudoir photos... Byron can take some too if he wants. Or he can wait in the hotel and anticipate all my super awesome tastefully done sexy shots." He was grinning by now. "Is that it? Three?"

"Three, that is it. How do you feel?"

Feel....

"... I don't... know. Happy. Scared. Jittery. I want Byron. Can I go?"

"Immediately and absolutely. Out the door." He gestured, and Teagan did not bother to question it.

"... Thanks." He got up and walked out the door.

He found himself in his bathroom. Had he wandered in by accident? He turned around and saw his room. Lit partially from the light of the bathroom. He was wearing well worn pajamas pants, and no shirt. He didn't question it. He couldn't. He could not think of anything but the perfect sight in bed. Laying there, pillow under his shoulders as he sat partially upright with a book in his hands. Looking perfectly relaxed, hair down and behind him. Studios and calm. Such a lie.

Teagan barely contained himself. He wanted to run to the bed, tackle Byron into the covers and pin him down under a barrage of kisses. To cancel work for the next week until he had memorized each new frown line and freckle on Byron's skin. He could stay until he was able to write a passing thesis paper on the perfection that was Byron A. Tierney. God, just thinking his name flustered Teagan.

His steps were slow, and he hadn't closed the door or turned off the light. Byron still had light to read by. Teagan knealt on the floor by the bed, arms reached around Byron's torso, head in his lap. He was questioned. What was up, Boss? Teagan could have cried. He was. He was crying.

"Nothing. I just... you're... the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I just want to show you how good things will be... I promise..." Byron was trying to say something, but Teagan couldn't hear. He just stood up, kissed Byron on the mouth. Silenced the confusion in them both. It was peace while their lips locked, as it should be. His soul could rest soon. "You..." he had never been so serious, even as the tears continued to fall, "are where I am safe... where I am whole... I will go anywhere with you, so long as you hold my hand... I am sorry I am such a fool... at least I have impeccable taste." He allowed his lover to brush the streams from his cheeks without complaint.