Tyed

chapter twelve

Tyler stands in the shower, staring at the condensation dripping down the shower wall. He has a smile that comes and goes as he thinks about what just happened, as his thoughts chase themselves in circles. On one hand, that wasn't anything like what he expected, but on the other hand, it was so strangely amazing, and on the other hand he doesn't like thinking about what exactly about it was so good, and on the other hand Colby never even touched him and that's still the best sex he's had in a while.

The problem with admitting that much, though, is that a huge amount of the enjoyment he got from it has a name, and that name is masochism. He doesn't want to admit to that.

He does think, though, of the way that Colby changed. How quickly he shifted into a persona that Tyler can only describe as dominant, which as he understands it, is part of what BDSM means. It sends a shiver down his spine to think about it. In theory, he's disinterested in BDSM for the most part. Tying people up, or hitting them with stuff, has never been of particular interest to Tyler; he's dabbled in it ever so slightly, and he could honestly take it or leave it.

But never had he considered that maybe he was the one who wanted to get tied up, or hit like that. Before he'd done it, it hadn't seemed of interest, but now just remembering how it felt makes his dick twitch in anticipation, and he almost wants to go back and ask for more. The embarrassment that would come from doing so overrides that need, though.

It goes hand in hand, he supposes, with the strangeness of his attraction to Colby in the first place. Tyler had previously always gone for people that were attractive in the young, pretty kind of way that, honestly, he himself was. He was cool, he was hot, and he always found people that were the same, and then he was gone the next day. The more lasting connections have always fallen outside of that bracket, though. Lachlen wasn't cool in the same way that Tyler was, but he was smart in a way unlike most people Tyler dated, and he was one of few that Tyler ever dated for more than a few weeks, lasting almost a year. 

Thinking of him, it occurs to Tyler that he'd be the best person to talk to about this. Maybe he'd have some advice as to how to deal with this new... thing of his.

The conclusion Tyler comes to is that Colby definitely isn't his normal type, and this definitely isn't his normal thing, but that might actually be a point in favour of it. His normal thing has never felt like this before.

When Tyler steps out of the shower and into the spare room, he finds Colby waiting for him, standing still and silent. He has a towel wrapped around his waist, and when he looks he finds his clothes are sitting neatly on the bed. For some reason, this twigs as weird to Tyler, and he gazes at Colby in confusion.

"Do you want me to take you home?" Colby asks quietly, and hearing that, Tyler's heart sinks a little.

"I can't stay here?" he asks, cursing himself silently when he realises how needy he sounds. "I mean-"

"Do you want to stay here?" Colby interrupts him, and when Tyler detects the well-masked uncertainty in his voice, he realises where he messed up. He honestly didn't even think once about how Colby would've interpretted his actions.

"I mean... yeah," he says, lifting his towel to rub at his wet hair. He's never had much care about being nude around others, and it helps make a point. He searches Colby's face, and he doesn't know what he's looking for, but he understands what he sees. Colby didn't want him to go, but he assumed that's what Tyler would want. 

Tyler takes a deep breath. "Look, I- I haven't done anything like this before."

"I know," Colby says, and it looks like he's searching for words, but Tyler's not done.

"I don't know what you thought," Tyler tells him, "but, uh. I think you're wrong?"

Colby's looking at him, intense yellow gaze catching Tyler's breath. He tilts his head slightly, and as soon as the edge of the smile catches his mouth, Tyler knows it's okay. "You don't know, but I'm wrong?"