Fic: Behind Every Word (CSI: Miami, Speed/Tyler, PG)
One Two school projects down, three two more to go. I'm rewarding myself by writing fic in between projects, which is...kind of sad, now that I think about it.
Anyway. This is belated birthday fic for boggit. It's my first foray into the Speed/Tyler denialverse, so of course I started in the middle.
Title: Behind Every Word
Fandom: CSI: Miami
Pairing: Speed/Tyler
Rating: Flufftastic. I'm sorry.
Summary: Cake, guilt, and Kevin Bacon.
Author's note: Stir of Echoes was on last night. Again, I'm really sorry.
Dinner isn't anything extraordinary. It's a small town, after all, and the only two restaurants they have to choose from are a diner and what passes for a steakhouse. It's a far cry from Miami, that's for sure. Worlds away from their first date in that Cuban place at the center of South Beach, and definitely not the way he pictured doing this the first time.
That's why he offered to drive down to Minneapolis for the weekend, or at least over to Fargo, but in the end they both knew it was a lot safer to stay close to home. And it's still weird to think of this place as home even after almost a year, but it's a lot easier now that Tyler's here.
So they go out for a steaks and a couple beers, a little quiet conversation and only a few curious looks from the locals who've probably lived here their whole lives. He's getting used to that too, and considering the alternative, he doesn't really mind.
Because he could actually be dead right now. Or he could still be stuck up here by himself. And yeah, it was a risk to let Tyler know he was alive, let alone where he was, but most days he thinks it's worth it. Days like today, when Tyler's sitting next to him in the front seat, one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting on Speed's thigh as they drive out of town and back to their place.
There are still days when he feels guilty for being weak enough to need Tyler here. When he worries that the next car that drives by or the next noise from the woods is going to be a gunman, only Tyler will be the one caught in the crossfire. And he knows Tyler thinks it's worth the risk - as far as Speed knows he never questioned it for a second - but he still worries.
He worried about the same thing while Tyler was still in Miami, though, so at least here he can see that Tyler's okay. That's what he keeps telling himself, and most days it works.
Today's not really one of those days. Not because he spent the whole day worrying about someone finding them; today's one of those days he spends feeling guilty for taking Tyler away from everything and everyone he knows.
"Not much of a birthday," he says as they let themselves back into the cabin, keys landing on the kitchen counter and jackets draped over the back of a chair.
Tyler grins at him from across the kitchen, and yeah, it's definitely worth the risk. "The company was pretty good, and the steak was big enough to feed us both for a week." He holds up the Styrofoam container holding the remains of their dinner. "Besides, I know for a fact that there's cake."
Speed manages not to grin at his expression, and he doesn't know how Tyler does it, but he really does manage to look excited about something as simple as a chocolate cake. And baking's never really been Speed's forte when it comes to cooking, but he knew it would make Tyler happy, and that's pretty much what his life's about these days.
"I thought you were staying out of the fridge," he says, taking the container from Tyler's hand and gripping his arm to usher him out of the kitchen.
"I am," Tyler answers, still grinning as he lets Speed push him toward the living room. "All I'm saying is the night's not over yet."
He leans in to brush a quick kiss across Speed's lips before he turns and heads into the living room, sprawling on the couch with the remote and for a second Speed just watches him. It would be easy to point out everything Tyler's missing right now; his family, his friends back in Miami, the loud party they would have thrown in his honor if they were still back there. He wonders what Tyler did on his birthday last year, because Speed missed that one and he hates the thought that even last year's birthday was probably more exciting than this one.
But he doesn't say it, because they've been over this already and he's pretty sure Tyler's getting sick of telling him that he's right where he wants to be. And he knows it's true - it's true for both of them - but that doesn't make him feel any less guilty for taking away everything Tyler knew.
He lets out a sigh, grateful that the noise of the TV means Tyler can't hear him, and pulls open the fridge. The cake's sitting on the top shelf, right in the center, and he sets their leftovers on the bottom shelf before he pulls the cake out. It looks a little less lopsided than he remembered when he first frosted it; that's something, at least, but it doesn't make him feel any less stupid about this whole thing. Because he's never been any good at this stuff, never been good at making other people happy or showing them how important they are.
But Tyler's an expert at that sort of thing, and it makes Speed want to try. So he ignores him less than perfect job on the icing and reaches for a couple plates, stopping long enough to grab forks too before he heads for the living room. When he reaches the couch Tyler's sprawled even further across it, which should be impossible but then, Tyler's pretty good at impossible.
"Stir of Echoes is on," he says when Speed sets the plates and forks down on the coffee table.
Speed rolls his eyes at the image of Kevin Bacon on the TV, but he doesn't say anything. Instead he heads back to the kitchen, digging around in drawers until he finds the candles he bought the last time he went grocery shopping. Something else he never really got, but he knows Tyler will like it so he sticks a couple in the cake and lights them before he picks up the cake and heads back to the living room.
"Make a wish before the house catches on fire," he says as he sets the cake down, careful not to tip it over. Tyler sits up immediately, grinning at Speed over the coffee table and yeah, the candles were definitely a good call.
He takes his time before he leans in to blow out the candles, and Speed's starting to get restless before the time he finally makes up his mind on his wish and blows them out. When he gets them all in one go he smiles smugly, leaning back on the couch again and patting the cushion next to him. "Come watch the rest of the movie with me."
"I thought you wanted cake," Speed says, suddenly not so sure anymore that it was worth all the trouble.
Tyler grins and reaches for Speed's hand, dragging him down onto the couch next to him. "You know what I've always wanted for my birthday?"
"What?" Speed asks, although he's not really sure he wants to know.
"To have my birthday cake in bed."
Tyler's staring intently at the screen, but he's still smiling and Speed doesn't have to ask what he means. Because he's been to places like Hive, and while he's never really thought about cake that way before, he's not going to say no to Tyler. Even if Speed didn't owe him…everything, there's no way he's going to say no to anything on his birthday.
The more he thinks about it, the more he wants to suggest they skip the rest of the movie and turn in early. But Tyler actually likes this movie, and it's his birthday. Besides, if Speed's learned anything over the past year, it's how to wait. So he settles a little closer to Tyler on the couch, arm around his shoulders to bury one hand in Tyler's hair. And maybe it's not such a bad way to spend a birthday after all.
Anyway. This is belated birthday fic for boggit. It's my first foray into the Speed/Tyler denialverse, so of course I started in the middle.
Title: Behind Every Word
Fandom: CSI: Miami
Pairing: Speed/Tyler
Rating: Flufftastic. I'm sorry.
Summary: Cake, guilt, and Kevin Bacon.
Author's note: Stir of Echoes was on last night. Again, I'm really sorry.
Dinner isn't anything extraordinary. It's a small town, after all, and the only two restaurants they have to choose from are a diner and what passes for a steakhouse. It's a far cry from Miami, that's for sure. Worlds away from their first date in that Cuban place at the center of South Beach, and definitely not the way he pictured doing this the first time.
That's why he offered to drive down to Minneapolis for the weekend, or at least over to Fargo, but in the end they both knew it was a lot safer to stay close to home. And it's still weird to think of this place as home even after almost a year, but it's a lot easier now that Tyler's here.
So they go out for a steaks and a couple beers, a little quiet conversation and only a few curious looks from the locals who've probably lived here their whole lives. He's getting used to that too, and considering the alternative, he doesn't really mind.
Because he could actually be dead right now. Or he could still be stuck up here by himself. And yeah, it was a risk to let Tyler know he was alive, let alone where he was, but most days he thinks it's worth it. Days like today, when Tyler's sitting next to him in the front seat, one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting on Speed's thigh as they drive out of town and back to their place.
There are still days when he feels guilty for being weak enough to need Tyler here. When he worries that the next car that drives by or the next noise from the woods is going to be a gunman, only Tyler will be the one caught in the crossfire. And he knows Tyler thinks it's worth the risk - as far as Speed knows he never questioned it for a second - but he still worries.
He worried about the same thing while Tyler was still in Miami, though, so at least here he can see that Tyler's okay. That's what he keeps telling himself, and most days it works.
Today's not really one of those days. Not because he spent the whole day worrying about someone finding them; today's one of those days he spends feeling guilty for taking Tyler away from everything and everyone he knows.
"Not much of a birthday," he says as they let themselves back into the cabin, keys landing on the kitchen counter and jackets draped over the back of a chair.
Tyler grins at him from across the kitchen, and yeah, it's definitely worth the risk. "The company was pretty good, and the steak was big enough to feed us both for a week." He holds up the Styrofoam container holding the remains of their dinner. "Besides, I know for a fact that there's cake."
Speed manages not to grin at his expression, and he doesn't know how Tyler does it, but he really does manage to look excited about something as simple as a chocolate cake. And baking's never really been Speed's forte when it comes to cooking, but he knew it would make Tyler happy, and that's pretty much what his life's about these days.
"I thought you were staying out of the fridge," he says, taking the container from Tyler's hand and gripping his arm to usher him out of the kitchen.
"I am," Tyler answers, still grinning as he lets Speed push him toward the living room. "All I'm saying is the night's not over yet."
He leans in to brush a quick kiss across Speed's lips before he turns and heads into the living room, sprawling on the couch with the remote and for a second Speed just watches him. It would be easy to point out everything Tyler's missing right now; his family, his friends back in Miami, the loud party they would have thrown in his honor if they were still back there. He wonders what Tyler did on his birthday last year, because Speed missed that one and he hates the thought that even last year's birthday was probably more exciting than this one.
But he doesn't say it, because they've been over this already and he's pretty sure Tyler's getting sick of telling him that he's right where he wants to be. And he knows it's true - it's true for both of them - but that doesn't make him feel any less guilty for taking away everything Tyler knew.
He lets out a sigh, grateful that the noise of the TV means Tyler can't hear him, and pulls open the fridge. The cake's sitting on the top shelf, right in the center, and he sets their leftovers on the bottom shelf before he pulls the cake out. It looks a little less lopsided than he remembered when he first frosted it; that's something, at least, but it doesn't make him feel any less stupid about this whole thing. Because he's never been any good at this stuff, never been good at making other people happy or showing them how important they are.
But Tyler's an expert at that sort of thing, and it makes Speed want to try. So he ignores him less than perfect job on the icing and reaches for a couple plates, stopping long enough to grab forks too before he heads for the living room. When he reaches the couch Tyler's sprawled even further across it, which should be impossible but then, Tyler's pretty good at impossible.
"Stir of Echoes is on," he says when Speed sets the plates and forks down on the coffee table.
Speed rolls his eyes at the image of Kevin Bacon on the TV, but he doesn't say anything. Instead he heads back to the kitchen, digging around in drawers until he finds the candles he bought the last time he went grocery shopping. Something else he never really got, but he knows Tyler will like it so he sticks a couple in the cake and lights them before he picks up the cake and heads back to the living room.
"Make a wish before the house catches on fire," he says as he sets the cake down, careful not to tip it over. Tyler sits up immediately, grinning at Speed over the coffee table and yeah, the candles were definitely a good call.
He takes his time before he leans in to blow out the candles, and Speed's starting to get restless before the time he finally makes up his mind on his wish and blows them out. When he gets them all in one go he smiles smugly, leaning back on the couch again and patting the cushion next to him. "Come watch the rest of the movie with me."
"I thought you wanted cake," Speed says, suddenly not so sure anymore that it was worth all the trouble.
Tyler grins and reaches for Speed's hand, dragging him down onto the couch next to him. "You know what I've always wanted for my birthday?"
"What?" Speed asks, although he's not really sure he wants to know.
"To have my birthday cake in bed."
Tyler's staring intently at the screen, but he's still smiling and Speed doesn't have to ask what he means. Because he's been to places like Hive, and while he's never really thought about cake that way before, he's not going to say no to Tyler. Even if Speed didn't owe him…everything, there's no way he's going to say no to anything on his birthday.
The more he thinks about it, the more he wants to suggest they skip the rest of the movie and turn in early. But Tyler actually likes this movie, and it's his birthday. Besides, if Speed's learned anything over the past year, it's how to wait. So he settles a little closer to Tyler on the couch, arm around his shoulders to bury one hand in Tyler's hair. And maybe it's not such a bad way to spend a birthday after all.