Where was that damn pen? Tyler hung over the bedside, trying to find the writing implement underneath. Nothing. Well, there were three socks, a button, a couple of coins, and heaps of dust. He didn't bother trying to retrieve the items. Those were a problem for another day, or rather for another person. Donna could deal with them when she vacuumed his room, which she did weekly since that was a difficult task for Tyler to master on one leg. Although, it wasn't like he had been fiend of vacuuming even before his accident. It had been more of a bi-yearly occasion when the dust bunnies threaten to rebel and make his room their kingdom.
Sitting up and brushing curls out of his face, Tyler looked toward the desk. There was probably a pen over there, underneath the mountain of papers and books. But getting there seemed like a steep task since his crutches stood on the other side of the bed.
Always so much logistics. Being disabled often seemed like one endless administrative task, where he had to calculate exactly how to best spend his energy and plan every step for optimal efficiency. Unfortunately, calculations and planning had never been Tyler's strong suit. He was more of a try-and-hope-for-the-best kind of guy.
With a sigh, he rose from the bed, opting to forego the crutches and instead jump on one leg toward the desk. His physiotherapist had warned him that such moves could put unnecessary strain on his right knee and ankle, especially since the latter had been busted up in the crash, but Tyler was young and spry! His right leg could take it, hopefully. At least this once.
Hop. Hop. Hop.
His ankle only hurt a little from the exercise.
Leaning against the desk for balance, he rummaged through piles of papers on the desk. Perhaps he should clean the surface at some point. He had after all wondered where his Geology notes for the upcoming test had gone. Those could be useful at some point.
Underneath a towel--which probably shouldn't be on the desk at all--Tyler finally found the treasure he was in search of. A blue pen with the logo of Vale U on the side. To make sure the pen actually worked before he made his way back to the bed, Tyler scribbled a circle on what looked to be a receipt. Or was it his missing Geology notes? He made a mental note to check later. Right now, it was crucial for him to study Psychology.
If he hadn't read the assigned chapters before tomorrow, Robby would be disappointed in him. Of course, his tutor would never voice such judgment but Tyler would see it in his adorable eyes. There would be a resigned mattness nestled into the azure blue irises. Tyler couldn't stand the thought of being subjected to such scorn. He wanted a proud glint of sunshine and a hint of things to come.
Hop. Hop. Hop.
To save his ankle from more impact, Tyler threw himself forward, landing spread eagle across the bed. He should grab his Psychology books from the nightstand and start studying but instead, he found himself dreaming of those blue eyes.
Closing his eyes, Tyler relived the moment of closeness they'd experienced the evening before when he and Robin were supposed to be pet-sitting Des' rabbit--well, initially they were supposed to be studying but that was soon forgotten in favor of bunny duties--and had bonded over Tyler's pet taming capabilities. He'd shown Robin how to stroke the fur of the frightened lagomorph to calm it, and it seemed the method had a soothed Robin's nerves as well because before Tyler even knew what had happened, their hands had been interlaced and their lips on a trajectory toward one another.
It had been real. He hadn't imagined it. Tyler was almost sure of that. Shaking fingers enveloping his own. A gentle hand whisking away a stray curl from his face. A pair of quivering lips coming closer. Then, the door had opened, bursting the bubble right before it captured them both. If only Des had come home a few seconds later.
What would have happened then? In theory, Tyler of course knew what would have gone down--lips against lips, moving together in sync--but he didn't know how he would feel. He didn't know how his body would react to such an earth-shattering event. He didn't know how the rest of his life would look after that monumental moment. He didn't know who he would even be afterward. And that's what made it so thrilling. He wanted to plunge into depths unknown, and he wanted to do it with Robin.
This excitement was what he'd desperately hoped to feel on that dance floor, two years ago, when he united his lips with Sarah's. But back then, he hadn't even been able to fathom how such infatuation would actually affect him. The jittery nervousness and anticipation that was taking over his whole body was so palpable, real, and addictive. He wanted to bottle this emotion and drink it every day. It was like fizzing soda with flavors of hope and hormones.
He'd gotten a taste of the addictive before--when he kissed his teammate Sebastian Lopes at a pool party last year--but that moment was so wrapped up in darkness and confusion it was hard to separate what had been real or not.
But this was different. This was so real it hurt. This time Tyler wouldn't run. He would finally embrace himself and his urges.
Blue eyes. Dark bangs. Fiddling fingers stroking the back of his hand. A nervous smile when their gazes met and didn't sway. A shade of darkness behind a put-together exterior.
Ty wanted to explore that darkness. He wanted to hold skinny shoulders in his arms and tell Robby that regardless of what he was hiding, it would be alright. He wanted to kiss stuttering lips into silence. He wanted to undress tense limbs and release whatever was holding them back.
A moan escaped his lips. Tingling sensations close to his groin told him that blood from the rest of his body was starting to congregate there.
He should study, but his brain was all out of power. Damn it, Robby, why did he have to be so cute? It was impossible to focus on anything when all thoughts constantly went toward his tutor, whose superpower must be extreme cuteness.
Moving his hand in circles across the zipper of his pants, which were getting increasingly snug around the crotch, Tyler tried in vain to redirect his attention toward studying. But it was difficult when every vein in his body seemed to ache for a certain touch.
If Tyler had still harbored any doubts about his sexuality, he was certainly sure now. He was so gay and so infatuated with Robin Erie.
But this wasn't the time for thinking of naughty matters. Reluctantly, Tyler moved the hand from his crotch and picked up his Psychology textbook from the bedside table, trying to focus his remaining brain power on the information in front of him. It took him an embarrassingly long time to realize he was holding the book upside down.
Having turned the textbook over, he felt just as confused. All knowledge of the subject seemed to be wiped out by the fog of lust inhabiting his brain. Which chapters were they supposed to read again?
Robby would know. Robby always knew. Perhaps he should call Robby.
Before the common sense part of his brain could take over, which probably was a part he didn't utilize often anyway, Tyler had picked up his phone, scrolled to "Robby (Cute tutor)" in his phonebook, and pressed the dial button.
He was just going to ask about the homework, there was nothing odd about that. Since Robin had told Tyler he was going back home to his mother's place over the weekend, he was perhaps busy anyway. But it didn't hurt to try.
A couple of signals rang to no reply. Tyler was just about to give up hope--resigning himself to guessing with chapters he was supposed to study--when a crack on the line signaled that someone had picked up. A few seconds of silence followed, making him wonder if Robin was about to hang up on him.
Maybe he didn't want to talk? Maybe Tyler had just imagined their connection? Maybe Robin regretted what had happened the last time they saw each other and never wanted to see him again? So many drastic conclusions while the silence echoed on the line.
Then, a familiar voice filled the space. "This is Robin Erie. Hello?" There was an odd cadence to the melody, hoarser and more stilted than usual. Robin sounded upset, which immediately made Tyler worried he'd done something wrong by calling.
"Hi, this is Tyler Caster," he replied, unable to back out now. Maybe Robin didn't have his number saved and didn't even know who was calling? It was silly of course, but Tyler had imagined his own name being saved in Robin's phonebook under "Tyler (hot stud)".
"I know," Robin replied, still not sounding quite like himself. "I mean, I saw it on the screen. Sorry, I'm just a bit unfocused right now."
Tyler breathed a sigh of relief that Robin had actually had his number saved. Now, if he only knew what the post for his name was called, he may be even calmer.
"I can call back later," Tyler offered quickly."I was just going to ask about the assignment in the Psych course."
"It's fine. We can talk now." Robin assured him, now sounding a bit more upbeat.
"I might have forgotten which chapters we're supposed to read," Tyler admitted, trying to use his own incompetence as an icebreaker.
"I-I," Robin stuttered "I... don't remember either. Let me..." Shuffling sounds were heard as Robin moved around. A click that sounded like a seatbelt unlocking made Tyler wonder if Robin was in his car. "Let me find my notepad."
"Don't bother with it," Tyler insisted, worried that Robin was doing all this while also driving. "It's not that important. I just wondered." He paused for a moment, unsure if he should ask about Robin's current state of mind. He really didn't seem like his usual adorable self. And if something was bothering Robin, Tyler really wanted to help. "Is something wrong, Robby?" he finally asked, deciding that if this was actually the case, he would kick himself forever for not asking.
"No..." Robin replied, unconvincingly. Tyler had answered similarly to that question so many times to know the denial usually didn't reflect true emotions.
"You just sound different and you usually know exactly what chapters and pages are assigned without even looking at your notes. You're so damn smart."
Robin really was so smart. And so hot. And so sweet. He was probably way above Tyler's league, who usually didn't even know where his notes were. If he had remembered to take any that was, instead of using his notepad to draw lurid illustrations of hot men.
But Robin didn't do so such things. So for him to lose his focus on his studies, something had to be seriously wrong.
"I just... " A sniffle revealed that Robin must be crying. Tyler instantly wanted to hug and comfort him. He needed to in fact. "I just... fought with my mom." If there was one thing Tyler knew about, it was complications around mothers. Their tangles may come in different forms but they were equally upsetting.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Tyler asked, hoping that he could somehow help. Or just give Robin a hug. "Or not talk about it... but like together. I mean, we could... get some milkshakes and burgers and not talk. Or talk. Whatever you want. Unless you want to be alone."
"That sounds good," Robin replied, voice still thick with tears. "To talk... or not talk. Together."
When Tyler hung up a moment later, his Psych homework was long forgotten. What did such trivial things matter when he was about to meet up with Robin, in the flesh and outside school hours, for what could almost be described as a date.
Although that wasn't exactly how he would pitch the meet-up when asking his aunt to drive him there.
Author's Note: I decided to skip past the bunny scene in chapter 7 of SLB for this story, as I don't think Tyler's POV of it would add much more to the story. So this scene connected to the phone call in chapter 9 of that story after Robin has just rushed out of his mother's house after realizing what she did to him as a child.
Which means... it's soon time for marshmallow kisses...