The Men In Blue (TTM#2, boyxboy)

Chapter 12 - Into You

[Photo: Dylan James Callaghan. Video: Hold My Heart - Lindsey Stirling Ft. ZZ Ward)

As I come back from Fetcher's office, I find Dylan sitting on the couch, with his elbows on his knees as he looks at something on his phone. The expression on his face seems stern, with the light casting shadows on the edges of his face, his features become prominent. I see his jaw clench as he swallows the lump in his throat. I set my stuff on the counter, only finding out that he had packed his things already as I walked near him. 

"Hey, going somewhere?" 

I catch his attention, his head turning immediately to my direction as he quickly locks his phone, the screen turning black. "Oh-uh. Hey." He stands up, slipping his hands into his pockets. "I figured I'd go home before dark, it would be rude of me to keep Harrison waiting." 

I give a puzzled look. "I thought you were staying for another day?" 

He shakes his head, his eyes refusing to look at mine for more than a couple of seconds. "I couldn't be gone from the office for long, I'm not CEO for nothing, after all." 

I notice that the bedroom door was open, Leo's bed was made and his backpack wasn't anywhere to be found. I figured he wasn't home yet. "Want me to walk you out to your car? Is it back from the shop?" 

He nods reluctantly. "Yeah, it's around the block, though." 

I shrug. "It's fine." Flashing a half-smile. 

The both of us walk silently down the flight of stairs that lead out of the apartment complex. The sun had begun to set, casting an orange light in the sky and flickers of bright yellow. It seemed odd, how suddenly his mood has changed. Whenever I'd walk him to his car, we would be side by side, chattering about whatever it was that happened that day. We would talk about things that might not even make sense, debate on the smallest of topics and discuss controversies or theories that fascinated me. Now, he walks a couple steps ahead of me, with his backpack strapped to his shoulders and his head down. 

I wondered if it was anything that had to do with work, which was something that made him leave so early. I wondered if the economy had affected the stocks that they had, or if they had to push prices up or down, if he had to make major revisions to paychecks this quarter. Something, I tried to find one logical reason that would push him to be this way, to act like this. 

Once we got to his car, he placed the backpack on the passenger seat, taking a deep breath after he shuts the door, looking at me. 

"I think it's a bad idea." He says.

 I beg his pardon.

"I think it's a bad idea for you to continue living with Leo." 

I sigh, coming to a temporary conclusion that the change in his demeanor was a result of jealousy, which is something that could have been remedied quickly if only he had told me sooner. We could have been laughing as we walked to the car if he told me earlier. 

Instead of getting frustrated and telling him not to worry about it, I ask him to tell me why. I wanted to hear his side of the story, his opinion. 

"He has a thing for you." He tells me. "If you can't see it, I can. It might be overused and cliché, but I see it in the way he looks at you, Braydon. His eyes sparkle and his pupils dilate. He looks at you as if you're everything he's ever wanted. He looks at you the same way I looked at you when we were still in the early stages of our relationship. He looks at you the same way I looked at you when I thought I couldn't have you. He expresses longing so many times in such simple, small ways that I would understand if you didn't notice, but I absolutely did."