Try Me (boyxboy)

Chapter 8

Rachel shrugged, "School."

 "Don't ever," Tyler stressed the 'ever,' "talk to your brother about things like that again. Got it?"

Rachel pouted, "Got it."

"Good, now get out of here."

She nodded and ran out the room, followed by Venus and Troy, who was now dying to know what she was talking about.

Richie turned to Tyler with an amused smirk, "Another millennia?"

Tyler just shook his head, "We can't allow that kid to reproduce."

Richie laughed, “Why not? We allowed you to.”

"Exactly, and now you see the result." He pulled the laughing Richie into his lap, "I'm not kidding. Every year, his teachers call me in more and more. I'm starting to think the kid was just destined for trouble."

"He's misunderstood," Richie argued, "He may like causing a bit of trouble but I haven’t seen you give him any other outlets for his energy. Maybe we should have him write poetry or something."

"Move in with me."

They froze, both surprised by Tyler's outburst, but Tyler didn't withdraw the words. His arms tightened around Richie's waist. "I'm serious. Move in with me. With the kids. We all love you too much to let you go. They can't stand it when you leave for the night. I can't stand it."

"Tyler," Richie choked. He knew how much it hurt them when he left. He could see it on their faces. "It's too soon. All of this, it's been happening too quickly."

"But would you want it any other way?" Richie glanced up at Tyler questioningly, "This whole thing between us has only moved so quickly because moving any slower would be wasting time. I'm the father of four kids, manager of a branch office, and currently going through a divorce. I don't have time to court you, I won't send flowers to your house, I won't woo you with a fancy dinner, and I certainly won't surprise you with a new puppy on your birthday and you know that, yet you're still here. If you wanted a proper courting dance then you wouldn't be taking care of my kids. You'd have rejected me the moment you learned that I have kids. I think you're underestimating your feelings for me."

"But what do you expect me to do?" Richie practically whined, he covered his face to hide his embarrassment, "You're the second guy I've ever dated. Actually, second person I've ever dated and the first person cheated on me. He even broke up with me saying that he got a girl pregnant and his parents are making him marry her. The bastard was completely nonchalant about it, saying, 'Sorry, babe, I had fun though.' Now my boyfriend of two, three weeks is asking me to move in with him. I’m not sure how relationships are supposed to work but this just isn’t it."

 Tyler nodded thoughtfully, a specific part of Richie’s rant weighing on his mind. He asked curiously, “You’re really only dated two people?”

Richie’s head snapped up in shock, “That’s only part you heard?”

“No, but, wow, how old are you? There are middle schoolers with more exes than you.”

Instead of retorting, Richie shook his head and sighed, “I definitely have bad taste in men.”

“No, I’m kidding. Mostly.”

Richie ignored the ‘mostly’ and leaned into Tyler’s warm chest. “I’m thinking too much, aren’t I? That must be why you’re not taking me seriously.”

“No, I’m taking you seriously,” Tyler kissed Richie’s neck tenderly to express all the affection that he couldn’t express verbally, “It just made me realize that you really want to so I don’t have to feel guilty for forcing you.”

“Forcing me?” Richie’s voice was skeptical, “How would you do that?”

Tyler hummed thoughtfully before asking, “How about I tell you that you move in with me or we’re done?”

Richie broke out of Tyler’s arms and swung around to glare at Tyler. With his arms over his chest, he could feel his rapid heartbeat, his panic turning into anger. “What the actual fuck, Tyler? You know that isn’t fair.”

“All’s fair in love and war, Richie,” Tyler grinned, “Just be honest with the both of us. Would you rather walk out that door or sit back down on my lap?”

Nothing but half-eaten words came out Richie’s mouth as his anger stumbled into confusion and disbelief, disbelief that Tyler would really make him choose. He was just being level-headed and not jumping into a very large commitment. It was the responsible thing to do. He was being cautious like any grown man should be. “What if it doesn’t work out?” Richie voiced his worries,

“It will,” Tyler replied with complete confidence.

“How do you know?” Richie asked with fear in his eyes.

“You like a pain in the ass,” Tyler pulled a submissive Richie into his lap and pressed gentle, loving kisses up and down his neck. Richie closed his eyes and bit his lips to stifle a moan then swallowed a groan when Tyler pulled away. “And I’m the biggest pain you’re ever going to find.”