Welcome To The Media (Dylmas AU)

39. Speaking from the Heart

A/N

Hello friends. Attached is Troye Sivan's "The Good Side" and fuck that song gets me going. I thought it was fitting for this story so I figured I'd share

enjoy!!

Thomas's pov

Tyler's fist came seemingly out of nowhere. I had just enough time to register his rage filled eyes, to brace myself just slightly before he connected with a hard punch to my jaw, and I fell backwards. My foot caught on the very edge of the stairs and I teetered precariously on the corner of the steps for a breathtaking second, before I found myself sprawling out onto the grass beneath. I landed with a broken cry, all air vanishing from my lungs. Face pulsing angrily, vision blurred, I blinked dumbly up at him in shock.

Tyler followed me down the steps, his face still contorted in an angry sneer. It wasn't malicious but protective, caring so much for his hurting best friend that he had lost all rational thought. His footsteps fell heavily on the wooden stairs, and his fingers clenched at his sides again. I watched as he approached me, raising a fist again.

"How fucking dare you come here?" he spat, voice full and strong and angry. His hands moved in a blur and he grabbed me by the collar of my shirt, hoisting me into a sitting position. Grabbing at his wrists, I looked up in remorse.

His fist rose again and although my hands were completely free and my mind was racing, all I could do was watch as he punched me again, and again, and again--and my lip was bleeding and my face was numb, but still I didn't fight back. I knew, deep down, that I deserved this. I knew, deep down, that this hurt far less than everything else I had done.

Suddenly Tyler was pulled away from me, and when I managed to open my already swelling eyes--there he was.

"Dylan," I choked, and it was almost a sob, barely even a whisper. He ignored me, or perhaps didn't even hear me; he was distractedly pushing Tyler away, his hands grasping at his shoulders, his arms, his torso. He was pleading and it broke my heart--the soft, "Ty, Ty, Ty!" as he fought against Tyler's rage, acting as my protector even when I had given him every reason to throw me to the wolves.

I pushed myself to my feet, ignoring the slight dizziness that came with the sudden motion, as Dylan pushed Tyler back into his house. Tyler's arms rose and he was hugging Dylan protectively, and I was aching at the glare aimed deliberately at me.

"Don't give that asshole a single second of your time," Tyler started, eyes unwaveringly drilling into me though speaking directly to Dylan.

Dylan shook his head, already disentangling himself from Tyler's hold. "Ty--"

"Dylan! Let me fucking kill him, I swear to god--how can you even--"

"Go--" Dylan said, already grasping at the door handle. "Go inside. Please. I'll only be a minute--"

His pleading struck even me, and Tyler allowed himself to pause for just long enough to be pushed back out of the doorway without fight. His eyes flickered from mine to Dylan's and his face was flushed red. Eyes wild, fists still bared to fight. A bear protecting his cub.

At the last second before Dylan closed the door, Tyler stepped forward again. Ignoring Dylan as he reached to push him away again, Tyler looked me straight in the eye and said, "You fucking touch him, and I'll fucking kill you."

Voice low and promising. He continued to glare at me for another long second before he stepped back again and Dylan closed the door.

Dylan had his back to me, but I still saw the exact moment his heart gave out. A few deep breaths, an uncanny silence. A thousand unanswered questions, a million unspoken words.