Explosions in the Sky (Schuyler/Kyle/Oliver) *WIP*
Story Title: Explosions in the Sky - Chapter Six (*WIP*)
Author's Name: rhombus_
Pairing: Schuyler/Kyle/Oliver
Rating: R
Warnings: non-canon pairing
Summary: Summer/Fall 2009. Subtract Nick, add Schuyler.
Disclaimer: Characters ≠ mine.
Previous Parts:
Chapter One - Sauna Me
Chapter Two - Space/Time
Chapter Three - Experience: Part 1
Chapter Four - Experience: Part 2
Chapter Five - Bad Habits
Chapter Six: Butterfly Seven
Stacy
"Who knew getting pregnant could be so... complicated?"
"It can't be that tough," Kim said, popping a french fry into her mouth. "Teenage sluts do it all the time."
"Like my dumbass sister." Stacy glared over at the Rodi's bar. Even though her sister wasn't working right now, it still felt necessary to glare at something. It didn't really make her feel any better, or solve any of her problems, but it was a start. She picked up a fry, then set it back down. Her stomach was churning. She still felt a little sick every once in a while, but she supposed that was to be expected after a miscarriage.
And the sadness, too. She considered herself a pretty hardened person, but it still sneaked up on her sometimes. This overwhelming feeling of loss.
It was stupid. She shook her head as if trying to shake away the unwanted feelings. She had barely been pregnant. The baby she lost wasn't so much a baby as a bunch of goo. But still...
No one had really given her a chance to mourn it.
***
Schuyler
"Ooh, don't you look fancy."
Schuyler turned around to see Rachel standing in the doorway of his office. He smiled at her. It was a natural response to her presence. He didn't know if it was just him, or if everyone felt that way, but there was just an aura about her, so calming and sweet, that made him happy.
"Hey," he said as he finished buttoning up his shirt.
"Hot date?"
Schuyler smiled. "Something like that."
"So," Rachel said, sidling up to him. "Who is she?" She poked him in the belly a few times in a friendly manner. Schuyler laughed and flinched away from her.
"Who says she's a she?" he teased.
Rachel stopped poking him and stood straight up. She looked a little like a dog who just caught a scent.
"You're not joking," she said. It wasn't a question.
Schuyler adjusted his collar then checked out his reflection in the black computer monitor. He didn't know why he cared so much about his appearance tonight. It was only Rodi's.
"No. I'm not."
"You never said."
"What? That I, how does that dumb phrase go? 'Swing both ways'?"
"Something like that," Rachel repeated back at him.
"Does it bother you?"
"No." She paused. "Not at all. I guess I just thought you would have told me... before now."
Schuyler smiled. "Didn't realize my sex life was so important to you."
Rachel laughed. It was such a pleasant sound. Like everything else about her. "Okay, okay," she said, coming up behind him and fixing his collar in the back. "Have fun tonight."
"We'll see."
"Have you been out with this guy before? Is this your first date?"
"We've... hung out," Schuyler said. "At the gym. At our places. We've gone out a few times."
Mostly they stayed in, though. They had fallen into a strange sort of pattern. Whichever apartment they had sex in, that's who topped. It was sort of like the other was giving in a little bit. If he or Kyle came a-knocking on the other one's door, it was basically a statement of: "I can't hold out any longer. I need you to fuck me." It was a pretty good deal, and they'd taken full advantage of it over the past few weeks. (He hadn't been keeping count, but he was almost sure Kyle came to him more than the other way around.) And then they'd get hungry and order food in, or sometimes even get dressed and go down to Rodi's or the Buenos Dias for a little bit of replenishment.
He still hadn't been able to go down on Kyle, though. And Kyle hadn't said a word about it.
"Sounds serious," Rachel said, breaking him from his thoughts.
Schuyler paused. He didn't really know if they were serious or not. Or if that was something he even wanted. Tonight was the first night they had decided to go out before sex...
"I dunno," he said. He could feel a blush coming over his cheeks, and that only embarrassed him more. "We just hang out. That's all."
Rachel plucked at his dress shirt. "Nice duds for 'hanging out'." She had lowered her voice on the last two words, trying to sound as much like a dude as possible. It made Schuyler laugh. "I'm just happy you've moved on from that girl who was giving you so much heartache." She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "Have fun with your boyfriend," she sing-songed.
"Quiet, you." He laughed. "We're friends," he added, and felt that it was true. Which kind of shocked him a little bit. When had he and Kyle become friends?
And could they ever be more than that?
***
Kyle
"Hey, Rox," Kyle called out from his bathroom. "Can you hand me a towel?"
"Sure thing, sugar." She came into the bathroom then let out a loud whistle. "Wow. You look good enough to eat."
"Thanks," he said. He grabbed the towel and wiped the last bits of soap off his face. "Let's hope the night ends up that way," he joked, much to Roxy's delight. She let out a raspy laugh and slapped him playfully on the ass.
"Sooooo," she said, "You and that hunky cop work things out finally?"
Kyle's smile faded. He looked at her reflection and shook his head. "That's not gonna happen, Rox. I've told you. He doesn't want me."
"Sure he does. You said yourself, he kissed you back."
"Okay, well maybe he does want me. He just doesn't want to want me. And that's kind of our biggest problem. No," he said, fussing with his hair in the mirror, "I'm seeing someone else tonight. Moving on, you know? Testing the waters again."
"Well, I hope this new guy's good enough for you." She leaned in and squeezed his shoulders. Kyle felt her warmth coast through him. He realized then... he loved Roxy. Really loved her. He didn't know when it happened, but this strange, sometimes mean, always confused, complete mess of a woman had found a way into his heart. "I've only got half a bottle left," she added, "and I don't feel like sharing this time."
Kyle laughed. She leaned in and rested her cheek against his shoulder, squeezing his arms again. "I like seeing you happy for once."
Kyle paused at that and looked himself over in the mirror. What was it that Roxy was seeing in him? Was he really so happy that even she, in her all her charming lack of wisdom, could see it? Maybe it was just the booze talking. He could smell it on her breath, just the faintest hint of it.
"Hey," he said. "You doing okay, Rox?"
"Yeah." She smiled, but it wasn't her wide, open smile. "Yeah, I'm okay, babe. Surviving, like always."
Kyle turned and brought her into a tight hug. She grabbed on just as tight, then pulled back.
"Go. Get out of here. You've got some studly stud biscuit waiting for you, I bet."
"I don't know what I'd do without you, Rox."
She cupped his cheek. "I'm sure you'd be fine, doll. You're a survivor. Like me."
***
Stacy
"Oh my goodness," Kim gasped.
"What?"
"Sky King's here."
"Well, whoop-de-doo," Stacy said, laying her chin on a grumpy fist. She wasn't in the mood for Kim's enthusiasm tonight.
"Baby Daddy Number Two!"
"Would you keep your voice down?" she whispered, frantically looking around the room to make sure no one was listening in.
"And who's that little slice of hot buttered toast with him?"
Stacy turned toward Sky and his dining partner, then let out another grumpy sigh. "Ugh. He's hanging out with Lab Boy? I thought they hated each other."
"Lab Boy?" Kim reached over and slapped Stacy across her arm. "Baby Daddy Number Three! This is great!"
"Yeah," Stacy said, unenthused. "Great."
***
Kyle
"I'm surprised you can sit down today," Kyle said offhandedly.
Schuyler barked out a surprised laugh. "Me too."
Things had gotten pretty wild the night before at Kyle's place. They both grinned at each other, remembering. Kyle felt a sudden warmth come into his chest. Maybe it was just ambient heat from the basket of french fries the waitress had plonked down a few minutes earlier. Kyle snatched a few and popped them into his mouth.
Schuyler looked really good tonight. His funny little beard had been trimmed up nicely, and his shirt was emphasizing the muscles in his arms in all the right ways. Schuyler was a little smaller than his usual type, but he was still stronger than Kyle. Maybe Kyle would take advantage of that tonight at Schuyler's place. Give up all the control and let Schuyler do whatever the hell he wanted to him. Sometimes he needed that.
"We should talk," Schuyler said, kind of out of nowhere.
Kyle glanced around the semi-crowded bar. Rodi's had some fairly heavy business tonight, compared to usual at least.
"In public?" Kyle grinned. He brought his water glass up to his lips and winked at Schuyler. "Who knew you were so kinky?"
Schuyler smiled. "No. I mean, we really should talk. With words and sentences and grammar and everything."
Kyle put down his glass. They'd been using "talk" as a code word for sex ever since Schuyler barged into his apartment for a little talk that had turned into anything but. But now he guessed Schuyler was serious. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Was Schuyler finally gonna give him his walking papers?
"Okay," he said slowly. "Let's... talk."
Silence overtook them for a moment. Kyle cleared his throat. "Schuyler?"
"What is it that we're doing?" Schuyler finally said. "Together, I mean."
"Do you need me to draw a diagram?" Kyle joked, a little nervously. Schuyler smiled, but it faded pretty quickly.
"I mean, we have sex all the time, pretty exclusively I think, we go out for food..." Schuyler gestured at the table. "Are we... dating?"
Kyle turned his glass of water in a circle on the table. He hadn't really done the whole dating thing since college, and even then he couldn't actually call what he and Oliver did 'dating', since they weren't actually allowed to do anything like that. And high school hadn't been much better. He'd told the first girl who asked him out sophomore year that he was gay, and it had gotten around the school pretty quickly, and then he was just... out, to everyone. A few boys had sought him out then, for secret hook-ups, but no one else his age had been out, and that meant that actually doing the whole dating thing was kinda new to him. For someone his age, he thought that was maybe a little bit pathetic. But it had been his own choice after college to keep all of his relationships-if he could even call his string of one night stands that-casual.
Now here was Schuyler, someone who hated him a few months ago, wondering if they should take things to the next level. He wished he was better at this kind of thing, but he didn't have any past experience to rely on.
"Is that what you want?" he finally said, staring at his glass.
"Is that what you want?" Schuyler shot back at him.
"I..." Now that the question was finally put to him, Kyle didn't know what to say. He didn't know what he wanted. He liked Schuyler. More than he ever thought he would. He enjoyed spending time with him. He was kind of a great guy, once they got past all their former issues. He really enjoyed having sex with him, and he didn't want that to end any time soon. But dating? He wasn't sure if he was ready for that. If he'd ever be ready for that. Not after what happened in college. He couldn't deal with that again. Hiding his feelings from the world. If he was gonna be with a guy, the guy needed to nut up and be with him. The whole shebang.
"I see," Schuyler said. He sighed and actually looked... disappointed.
"I just... wasn't expecting that question. I haven't, you know, done the 'dating' thing-" Ever, but Schuyler didn't need to know that. "-in a really, really long time."
"It's not that hard, you know." Schuyler smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"I know." Kyle did something then that he hadn't expected to do. He leaned forward and rested his hand on top of Schuyler's. "We could... give it a try?"
"Don't sound too excited about it."
Kyle opened his mouth to protest, but Schuyler laughed at him and he realized that he was joking.
"So," Kyle said, giving Schuyler's hand a squeeze. "You and me, huh?"
"You and me."
"Who woulda thunk it?"
"Neither one of us, a few months ago."
"I dunno," Kyle said. A smirk formed on his lips. He was starting to feel a bit flirty. "It was kinda hot when you threw me over that desk."
***
Schuyler
"You liked that?" Sky said, feeling a bit of weight fall off his shoulders. Now that it was finally out there, this whole relationship-type-thingy that they were skipping ever closer to, he felt... relieved.
Kyle looked at him with a devilish grin. "Maybe we could try it again later. I'm sure Roxy wouldn't mind."
"I don't know. I get the feeling Roxy doesn't like me very much," Sky joked. Well, not really, since it was true.
"Don't worry about that," Kyle said. "I'll get her loving you yet."
"My heart's dream!" Sky clutched at his chest dramatically and batted his eyelashes. Kyle threw a french fry at his face.
They both laughed and there was something extremely comfortable about it all. Schuyler hadn't really come here expecting to ask Kyle if they were more than just fuck-buddies, but now that it had jumped out of him all unexpected-like, he was kind of glad about it. He liked knowing exactly where he stood, unlike with Gigi, where all their feelings just hung there, confused and reckless. His life was too much of a mess already to have one more unresolved question.
Kyle's hand was still on his, and it was incredibly warm and soft. Maybe, just maybe, they could make something of this.
He felt a sudden stiffness in Kyle, then heard a familiar voice turn the corner into the bar.
The cop. And his girlfriend. Kyle looked down at the table, but Schuyler caught him throwing surreptitious glances their way. His whole expression changed, and everything in his body language. The light in his eyes dimmed. And Schuyler liked absolutely nothing about it. Nor the fact that the glances were becoming more and more prevalent.
He felt a simmer start in his chest. Kyle's issues with his ex were still a mystery to him, but he could tell that they were just bubbling at Kyle's surface, and it was starting to spoil what was otherwise a pretty great time between them.
"You okay?" He asked. Kyle started, then finally tore his gaze away.
"Yeah. Absolutely." He smiled and squeezed Sky's hand again. "I'm great."
The waitress came over and set their burgers on the table, distracting them for a moment. He caught her smiling at their clasped hands.
"You just seem a little distracted," Schuyler said, trying for nonchalance. He let go for a second to take a bite of his burger. Kyle followed suit, chomping down on his veggie burger with gusto. He shrugged and brought his hand back to Schuyler's when he put his burger down.
"I'm just thinking about... I dunno," Kyle said. "Stuff."
Stuff, who was sitting at the bar with his girlfriend. Who was shooting Kyle just as many heated glances.
Just then, Gigi walked in and tied a black apron around her waist, preparing for her shift. Rex was right behind her, and he took a seat at the bar, helping himself to a bottle of beer from behind the counter. Gigi noticed Sky and gave him a small smile. Then he caught her rolling her eyes at Stacy and Kim, secluded away in a corner, whispering to each other in low voices like a coven of witches.
Schuyler pulled his hand out from under Kyle's and tucked it into his lap. He hadn't even realized he'd done it, or what it might mean, until Kyle looked at him a little strangely. Perhaps even a little sadly.
Kyle stood abruptly. "I'm gonna put a song on the jukebox. Any requests?"
Schuyler could tell that he was slipping into this falsely-chipper attitude uncomfortably. Chipper and Kyle didn't really go hand-in-hand. He seemed to be twitching a bit nervously, too. He kept tapping his thumb against the side of his jeans, almost manically. All the comfort that had existed between them, just a few moments earlier, had dried up like the top of their overcooked sesame buns.
He followed Kyle to the jukebox and shoved his hands into his pockets.
"Maybe we're moving too fast again," Schuyler said.
Kyle leaned against the jukebox and crossed his arms. "What? You really think that?"
"I don't know. Maybe. Maybe we were just caught up in all the... good feelings and forgot about the real world."
Kyle only nodded at him, then slipped a few quarters into the machine. "Maybe..." He turned around and looked toward the bar again. Toward Oliver and his girlfriend. Sky felt his blood heating up. If Kyle looked over there one more time...
"I thought I was ready for this," Kyle said, still covering his chest with his arms, almost like a shield. He straightened. "I am ready for this."
"You sure?"
"Yeah... it's just..." He looked down at his shoes, then back up at Schuyler. "When I took your hand earlier..." Kyle began, then drifted off. He bit his lip and looked toward the bar with tired eyes. "I can't be with someone who won't, you know, be with me. Publicly." He sighed. "I don't want to hide anymore."
Schuyler didn't need to follow his line of sight to know what he was looking at. He was staring at Oliver again. And now it was really starting to piss him off. If Kyle wanted to be with Oliver so damn badly, then what the hell was he doing with him? Just biding his time?
He noticed Gigi, too, out of the corner of his eye. Rex was leaning over the bar, giving her a soft kiss. He was over Gigi, well and truly over her, but it still stung a little bit to see her with Rex. Rex, who willingly slept with her sister. Rex, who called her a whore-slut-tramp, even in front of their son. Rex, who seemed to have crawled out of a cave and clubbed her over the head, then dragged her back home by the hair.
He really, really hated that guy.
And Oliver. He hated him, too.
Kyle was kind of on his shit-list, too, right now.
"You know what, Kyle?" He said, turning back to his... whatever-the-hell-they-were-to-each-other.
"Hmm?" Kyle finally shifted his gaze away from Oliver and back to Sky.
That's when Sky leaned in, grabbed Kyle by cheeks, and pulled him into a hard kiss. Distantly, he heard the sound of a platter falling to the ground and glasses breaking, followed by a very Gigi-ish "Oh my God!" He peeked an eye open. Gigi and Rex were staring at them with equally stunned (and on Rex's part, stupid) expressions on their faces. He noticed that Oliver was watching them too. He looked positively livid.
Finders keepers, he thought to himself, a bit childishly.
Kyle was kissing him back hungrily, fingers digging into his waist, as if he'd been waiting for Schuyler to do that all night. He tasted like french fries and Dr. Pepper. He tasted good.
But it was a bit too little, too late. If Kyle hadn't been staring at his ex all night with big, sad, kitteny eyes, maybe Schuyler would have kissed him sooner.
He pulled back. Kyle tried to capture his lips again-and Jesus he looked hot with his eyes all dark and hooded and his lips kissed to perfect pinkness-but Schuyler gently pushed him off. He took one last look at Gigi and Rex, another one at Oliver, and remembered again why he was pissed off.
"And I can't be with someone who's in love with someone else," he said, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice. It wasn't working so well. "The ball's in your court now, Kyle." He turned for the door, exited the building, and let the cold night air sting his face.
***
Stacy
"Woah!" Kim practically hooted. "Didn't see that coming."
Stacy frowned. "We are so boned. What am I supposed to do now?"
"No worries," Kim said, in that chirpy, optimistic voice of hers that was like fingernails on a chalkboard at the moment.
"No worries? Are you nuts?"
"There's still plenty of time for boning." Kim lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "That, my dear, was most definitely a goodbye kiss."
"For reals?"
"For. Reals. I've given my share of plenty. Sky King's none too happy right now, either. It's the perfect time."
"It is?"
"Do I have to think of everything around here? Yes. It is. Get that perky little ass of yours out of your chair and track that boy down. Oh, and don't forget this." She pulled a small vial out of her purse and handed it over. "Always bring backup."
***
Schuyler
There was a light knock on his door. He swore to God if it was Kyle fucking Lewis coming around trying to weasel-talk his way out of being a... a... well, someone he didn't feel like talking to right now, he'd probably... well, he'd probably sleep with him, but he wouldn't be very nice about it.
He tore open the door and was surprised to see a tiny blond head instead.
"Stacy?"
"Hey, you," she said. Her hands were clasped in front of her and she looked almost demure. "Can I come in?"
Schuyler squinted at her. "...Why?"
"To talk?" she said. Her voice sounded very tired and a little sad. "I know I've been the world's biggest bitch, but, well, I kinda need a friend tonight, and so I thought..." she trailed off. She kept her eyes away from Schuyler, looking to the side instead. He thought he could see the slightest glimmer of a tear in the corner of her eye. Or his mind was playing tricks on him. He knew he told Gigi to shoot him in the head if he ever gave Stacy the time of day again, after everything she'd pulled to make everyone's lives miserable, but there was something different about her tonight. Maybe something had happened to knock some sense into her finally. Maybe this was the Stacy he used to know.
"Yeah. Sure. Okay. Come on in, Stacy."
"Thanks." She looked around his apartment, as if she'd never been in there before. Or was making sure they were alone. Which was strange. "Do you have any milk?" she asked.
"Milk?"
Stacy rubbed her belly softly. "For the baby."
"Right. The baby."
"Oh Sky!" she suddenly blurted out. "I'm so scared and alone!" She rushed forward and clutched him in her arms. "I don't know what to do!"
He wasn't sure if she meant it, or if she was layering it on a little thick, but her arms did tremble against his, and he didn't think she was that great an actress to pull something like that off without really meaning it it.
He held her a little closer, this woman who used to be his whole world. "It's okay, Stace. I'm here."
***
Stacy
Stacy closed her eyes and breathed a little easier. She always knew she could count on Sky. Even when he was a drugged-out loser, she could still rely on him to be nice to her. She felt the weight of the tiny vial in her front pocket. Maybe she wouldn't need the Butterfly 7 after all...
But, no. She had to be sure this would work. And that meant playing dirty, just like Gigi did.
"How about that milk?" she said quietly, hoping Sky was falling for her wounded bird act. It wasn't so hard to act sad and alone. Not when it was true.
"Coming right up," he replied.
Stacy pulled the vial out of her pocket and palmed it-a neat trick she'd learned from a street performer in Vegas.
"Pour yourself a glass, too," she said. "I hate drinking alone."
(...TBC...)
Author's Name: rhombus_
Pairing: Schuyler/Kyle/Oliver
Rating: R
Warnings: non-canon pairing
Summary: Summer/Fall 2009. Subtract Nick, add Schuyler.
Disclaimer: Characters ≠ mine.
Previous Parts:
Chapter One - Sauna Me
Chapter Two - Space/Time
Chapter Three - Experience: Part 1
Chapter Four - Experience: Part 2
Chapter Five - Bad Habits
Chapter Six: Butterfly Seven
Stacy
"Who knew getting pregnant could be so... complicated?"
"It can't be that tough," Kim said, popping a french fry into her mouth. "Teenage sluts do it all the time."
"Like my dumbass sister." Stacy glared over at the Rodi's bar. Even though her sister wasn't working right now, it still felt necessary to glare at something. It didn't really make her feel any better, or solve any of her problems, but it was a start. She picked up a fry, then set it back down. Her stomach was churning. She still felt a little sick every once in a while, but she supposed that was to be expected after a miscarriage.
And the sadness, too. She considered herself a pretty hardened person, but it still sneaked up on her sometimes. This overwhelming feeling of loss.
It was stupid. She shook her head as if trying to shake away the unwanted feelings. She had barely been pregnant. The baby she lost wasn't so much a baby as a bunch of goo. But still...
No one had really given her a chance to mourn it.
***
Schuyler
"Ooh, don't you look fancy."
Schuyler turned around to see Rachel standing in the doorway of his office. He smiled at her. It was a natural response to her presence. He didn't know if it was just him, or if everyone felt that way, but there was just an aura about her, so calming and sweet, that made him happy.
"Hey," he said as he finished buttoning up his shirt.
"Hot date?"
Schuyler smiled. "Something like that."
"So," Rachel said, sidling up to him. "Who is she?" She poked him in the belly a few times in a friendly manner. Schuyler laughed and flinched away from her.
"Who says she's a she?" he teased.
Rachel stopped poking him and stood straight up. She looked a little like a dog who just caught a scent.
"You're not joking," she said. It wasn't a question.
Schuyler adjusted his collar then checked out his reflection in the black computer monitor. He didn't know why he cared so much about his appearance tonight. It was only Rodi's.
"No. I'm not."
"You never said."
"What? That I, how does that dumb phrase go? 'Swing both ways'?"
"Something like that," Rachel repeated back at him.
"Does it bother you?"
"No." She paused. "Not at all. I guess I just thought you would have told me... before now."
Schuyler smiled. "Didn't realize my sex life was so important to you."
Rachel laughed. It was such a pleasant sound. Like everything else about her. "Okay, okay," she said, coming up behind him and fixing his collar in the back. "Have fun tonight."
"We'll see."
"Have you been out with this guy before? Is this your first date?"
"We've... hung out," Schuyler said. "At the gym. At our places. We've gone out a few times."
Mostly they stayed in, though. They had fallen into a strange sort of pattern. Whichever apartment they had sex in, that's who topped. It was sort of like the other was giving in a little bit. If he or Kyle came a-knocking on the other one's door, it was basically a statement of: "I can't hold out any longer. I need you to fuck me." It was a pretty good deal, and they'd taken full advantage of it over the past few weeks. (He hadn't been keeping count, but he was almost sure Kyle came to him more than the other way around.) And then they'd get hungry and order food in, or sometimes even get dressed and go down to Rodi's or the Buenos Dias for a little bit of replenishment.
He still hadn't been able to go down on Kyle, though. And Kyle hadn't said a word about it.
"Sounds serious," Rachel said, breaking him from his thoughts.
Schuyler paused. He didn't really know if they were serious or not. Or if that was something he even wanted. Tonight was the first night they had decided to go out before sex...
"I dunno," he said. He could feel a blush coming over his cheeks, and that only embarrassed him more. "We just hang out. That's all."
Rachel plucked at his dress shirt. "Nice duds for 'hanging out'." She had lowered her voice on the last two words, trying to sound as much like a dude as possible. It made Schuyler laugh. "I'm just happy you've moved on from that girl who was giving you so much heartache." She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "Have fun with your boyfriend," she sing-songed.
"Quiet, you." He laughed. "We're friends," he added, and felt that it was true. Which kind of shocked him a little bit. When had he and Kyle become friends?
And could they ever be more than that?
***
Kyle
"Hey, Rox," Kyle called out from his bathroom. "Can you hand me a towel?"
"Sure thing, sugar." She came into the bathroom then let out a loud whistle. "Wow. You look good enough to eat."
"Thanks," he said. He grabbed the towel and wiped the last bits of soap off his face. "Let's hope the night ends up that way," he joked, much to Roxy's delight. She let out a raspy laugh and slapped him playfully on the ass.
"Sooooo," she said, "You and that hunky cop work things out finally?"
Kyle's smile faded. He looked at her reflection and shook his head. "That's not gonna happen, Rox. I've told you. He doesn't want me."
"Sure he does. You said yourself, he kissed you back."
"Okay, well maybe he does want me. He just doesn't want to want me. And that's kind of our biggest problem. No," he said, fussing with his hair in the mirror, "I'm seeing someone else tonight. Moving on, you know? Testing the waters again."
"Well, I hope this new guy's good enough for you." She leaned in and squeezed his shoulders. Kyle felt her warmth coast through him. He realized then... he loved Roxy. Really loved her. He didn't know when it happened, but this strange, sometimes mean, always confused, complete mess of a woman had found a way into his heart. "I've only got half a bottle left," she added, "and I don't feel like sharing this time."
Kyle laughed. She leaned in and rested her cheek against his shoulder, squeezing his arms again. "I like seeing you happy for once."
Kyle paused at that and looked himself over in the mirror. What was it that Roxy was seeing in him? Was he really so happy that even she, in her all her charming lack of wisdom, could see it? Maybe it was just the booze talking. He could smell it on her breath, just the faintest hint of it.
"Hey," he said. "You doing okay, Rox?"
"Yeah." She smiled, but it wasn't her wide, open smile. "Yeah, I'm okay, babe. Surviving, like always."
Kyle turned and brought her into a tight hug. She grabbed on just as tight, then pulled back.
"Go. Get out of here. You've got some studly stud biscuit waiting for you, I bet."
"I don't know what I'd do without you, Rox."
She cupped his cheek. "I'm sure you'd be fine, doll. You're a survivor. Like me."
***
Stacy
"Oh my goodness," Kim gasped.
"What?"
"Sky King's here."
"Well, whoop-de-doo," Stacy said, laying her chin on a grumpy fist. She wasn't in the mood for Kim's enthusiasm tonight.
"Baby Daddy Number Two!"
"Would you keep your voice down?" she whispered, frantically looking around the room to make sure no one was listening in.
"And who's that little slice of hot buttered toast with him?"
Stacy turned toward Sky and his dining partner, then let out another grumpy sigh. "Ugh. He's hanging out with Lab Boy? I thought they hated each other."
"Lab Boy?" Kim reached over and slapped Stacy across her arm. "Baby Daddy Number Three! This is great!"
"Yeah," Stacy said, unenthused. "Great."
***
Kyle
"I'm surprised you can sit down today," Kyle said offhandedly.
Schuyler barked out a surprised laugh. "Me too."
Things had gotten pretty wild the night before at Kyle's place. They both grinned at each other, remembering. Kyle felt a sudden warmth come into his chest. Maybe it was just ambient heat from the basket of french fries the waitress had plonked down a few minutes earlier. Kyle snatched a few and popped them into his mouth.
Schuyler looked really good tonight. His funny little beard had been trimmed up nicely, and his shirt was emphasizing the muscles in his arms in all the right ways. Schuyler was a little smaller than his usual type, but he was still stronger than Kyle. Maybe Kyle would take advantage of that tonight at Schuyler's place. Give up all the control and let Schuyler do whatever the hell he wanted to him. Sometimes he needed that.
"We should talk," Schuyler said, kind of out of nowhere.
Kyle glanced around the semi-crowded bar. Rodi's had some fairly heavy business tonight, compared to usual at least.
"In public?" Kyle grinned. He brought his water glass up to his lips and winked at Schuyler. "Who knew you were so kinky?"
Schuyler smiled. "No. I mean, we really should talk. With words and sentences and grammar and everything."
Kyle put down his glass. They'd been using "talk" as a code word for sex ever since Schuyler barged into his apartment for a little talk that had turned into anything but. But now he guessed Schuyler was serious. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Was Schuyler finally gonna give him his walking papers?
"Okay," he said slowly. "Let's... talk."
Silence overtook them for a moment. Kyle cleared his throat. "Schuyler?"
"What is it that we're doing?" Schuyler finally said. "Together, I mean."
"Do you need me to draw a diagram?" Kyle joked, a little nervously. Schuyler smiled, but it faded pretty quickly.
"I mean, we have sex all the time, pretty exclusively I think, we go out for food..." Schuyler gestured at the table. "Are we... dating?"
Kyle turned his glass of water in a circle on the table. He hadn't really done the whole dating thing since college, and even then he couldn't actually call what he and Oliver did 'dating', since they weren't actually allowed to do anything like that. And high school hadn't been much better. He'd told the first girl who asked him out sophomore year that he was gay, and it had gotten around the school pretty quickly, and then he was just... out, to everyone. A few boys had sought him out then, for secret hook-ups, but no one else his age had been out, and that meant that actually doing the whole dating thing was kinda new to him. For someone his age, he thought that was maybe a little bit pathetic. But it had been his own choice after college to keep all of his relationships-if he could even call his string of one night stands that-casual.
Now here was Schuyler, someone who hated him a few months ago, wondering if they should take things to the next level. He wished he was better at this kind of thing, but he didn't have any past experience to rely on.
"Is that what you want?" he finally said, staring at his glass.
"Is that what you want?" Schuyler shot back at him.
"I..." Now that the question was finally put to him, Kyle didn't know what to say. He didn't know what he wanted. He liked Schuyler. More than he ever thought he would. He enjoyed spending time with him. He was kind of a great guy, once they got past all their former issues. He really enjoyed having sex with him, and he didn't want that to end any time soon. But dating? He wasn't sure if he was ready for that. If he'd ever be ready for that. Not after what happened in college. He couldn't deal with that again. Hiding his feelings from the world. If he was gonna be with a guy, the guy needed to nut up and be with him. The whole shebang.
"I see," Schuyler said. He sighed and actually looked... disappointed.
"I just... wasn't expecting that question. I haven't, you know, done the 'dating' thing-" Ever, but Schuyler didn't need to know that. "-in a really, really long time."
"It's not that hard, you know." Schuyler smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"I know." Kyle did something then that he hadn't expected to do. He leaned forward and rested his hand on top of Schuyler's. "We could... give it a try?"
"Don't sound too excited about it."
Kyle opened his mouth to protest, but Schuyler laughed at him and he realized that he was joking.
"So," Kyle said, giving Schuyler's hand a squeeze. "You and me, huh?"
"You and me."
"Who woulda thunk it?"
"Neither one of us, a few months ago."
"I dunno," Kyle said. A smirk formed on his lips. He was starting to feel a bit flirty. "It was kinda hot when you threw me over that desk."
***
Schuyler
"You liked that?" Sky said, feeling a bit of weight fall off his shoulders. Now that it was finally out there, this whole relationship-type-thingy that they were skipping ever closer to, he felt... relieved.
Kyle looked at him with a devilish grin. "Maybe we could try it again later. I'm sure Roxy wouldn't mind."
"I don't know. I get the feeling Roxy doesn't like me very much," Sky joked. Well, not really, since it was true.
"Don't worry about that," Kyle said. "I'll get her loving you yet."
"My heart's dream!" Sky clutched at his chest dramatically and batted his eyelashes. Kyle threw a french fry at his face.
They both laughed and there was something extremely comfortable about it all. Schuyler hadn't really come here expecting to ask Kyle if they were more than just fuck-buddies, but now that it had jumped out of him all unexpected-like, he was kind of glad about it. He liked knowing exactly where he stood, unlike with Gigi, where all their feelings just hung there, confused and reckless. His life was too much of a mess already to have one more unresolved question.
Kyle's hand was still on his, and it was incredibly warm and soft. Maybe, just maybe, they could make something of this.
He felt a sudden stiffness in Kyle, then heard a familiar voice turn the corner into the bar.
The cop. And his girlfriend. Kyle looked down at the table, but Schuyler caught him throwing surreptitious glances their way. His whole expression changed, and everything in his body language. The light in his eyes dimmed. And Schuyler liked absolutely nothing about it. Nor the fact that the glances were becoming more and more prevalent.
He felt a simmer start in his chest. Kyle's issues with his ex were still a mystery to him, but he could tell that they were just bubbling at Kyle's surface, and it was starting to spoil what was otherwise a pretty great time between them.
"You okay?" He asked. Kyle started, then finally tore his gaze away.
"Yeah. Absolutely." He smiled and squeezed Sky's hand again. "I'm great."
The waitress came over and set their burgers on the table, distracting them for a moment. He caught her smiling at their clasped hands.
"You just seem a little distracted," Schuyler said, trying for nonchalance. He let go for a second to take a bite of his burger. Kyle followed suit, chomping down on his veggie burger with gusto. He shrugged and brought his hand back to Schuyler's when he put his burger down.
"I'm just thinking about... I dunno," Kyle said. "Stuff."
Stuff, who was sitting at the bar with his girlfriend. Who was shooting Kyle just as many heated glances.
Just then, Gigi walked in and tied a black apron around her waist, preparing for her shift. Rex was right behind her, and he took a seat at the bar, helping himself to a bottle of beer from behind the counter. Gigi noticed Sky and gave him a small smile. Then he caught her rolling her eyes at Stacy and Kim, secluded away in a corner, whispering to each other in low voices like a coven of witches.
Schuyler pulled his hand out from under Kyle's and tucked it into his lap. He hadn't even realized he'd done it, or what it might mean, until Kyle looked at him a little strangely. Perhaps even a little sadly.
Kyle stood abruptly. "I'm gonna put a song on the jukebox. Any requests?"
Schuyler could tell that he was slipping into this falsely-chipper attitude uncomfortably. Chipper and Kyle didn't really go hand-in-hand. He seemed to be twitching a bit nervously, too. He kept tapping his thumb against the side of his jeans, almost manically. All the comfort that had existed between them, just a few moments earlier, had dried up like the top of their overcooked sesame buns.
He followed Kyle to the jukebox and shoved his hands into his pockets.
"Maybe we're moving too fast again," Schuyler said.
Kyle leaned against the jukebox and crossed his arms. "What? You really think that?"
"I don't know. Maybe. Maybe we were just caught up in all the... good feelings and forgot about the real world."
Kyle only nodded at him, then slipped a few quarters into the machine. "Maybe..." He turned around and looked toward the bar again. Toward Oliver and his girlfriend. Sky felt his blood heating up. If Kyle looked over there one more time...
"I thought I was ready for this," Kyle said, still covering his chest with his arms, almost like a shield. He straightened. "I am ready for this."
"You sure?"
"Yeah... it's just..." He looked down at his shoes, then back up at Schuyler. "When I took your hand earlier..." Kyle began, then drifted off. He bit his lip and looked toward the bar with tired eyes. "I can't be with someone who won't, you know, be with me. Publicly." He sighed. "I don't want to hide anymore."
Schuyler didn't need to follow his line of sight to know what he was looking at. He was staring at Oliver again. And now it was really starting to piss him off. If Kyle wanted to be with Oliver so damn badly, then what the hell was he doing with him? Just biding his time?
He noticed Gigi, too, out of the corner of his eye. Rex was leaning over the bar, giving her a soft kiss. He was over Gigi, well and truly over her, but it still stung a little bit to see her with Rex. Rex, who willingly slept with her sister. Rex, who called her a whore-slut-tramp, even in front of their son. Rex, who seemed to have crawled out of a cave and clubbed her over the head, then dragged her back home by the hair.
He really, really hated that guy.
And Oliver. He hated him, too.
Kyle was kind of on his shit-list, too, right now.
"You know what, Kyle?" He said, turning back to his... whatever-the-hell-they-were-to-each-other.
"Hmm?" Kyle finally shifted his gaze away from Oliver and back to Sky.
That's when Sky leaned in, grabbed Kyle by cheeks, and pulled him into a hard kiss. Distantly, he heard the sound of a platter falling to the ground and glasses breaking, followed by a very Gigi-ish "Oh my God!" He peeked an eye open. Gigi and Rex were staring at them with equally stunned (and on Rex's part, stupid) expressions on their faces. He noticed that Oliver was watching them too. He looked positively livid.
Finders keepers, he thought to himself, a bit childishly.
Kyle was kissing him back hungrily, fingers digging into his waist, as if he'd been waiting for Schuyler to do that all night. He tasted like french fries and Dr. Pepper. He tasted good.
But it was a bit too little, too late. If Kyle hadn't been staring at his ex all night with big, sad, kitteny eyes, maybe Schuyler would have kissed him sooner.
He pulled back. Kyle tried to capture his lips again-and Jesus he looked hot with his eyes all dark and hooded and his lips kissed to perfect pinkness-but Schuyler gently pushed him off. He took one last look at Gigi and Rex, another one at Oliver, and remembered again why he was pissed off.
"And I can't be with someone who's in love with someone else," he said, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice. It wasn't working so well. "The ball's in your court now, Kyle." He turned for the door, exited the building, and let the cold night air sting his face.
***
Stacy
"Woah!" Kim practically hooted. "Didn't see that coming."
Stacy frowned. "We are so boned. What am I supposed to do now?"
"No worries," Kim said, in that chirpy, optimistic voice of hers that was like fingernails on a chalkboard at the moment.
"No worries? Are you nuts?"
"There's still plenty of time for boning." Kim lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "That, my dear, was most definitely a goodbye kiss."
"For reals?"
"For. Reals. I've given my share of plenty. Sky King's none too happy right now, either. It's the perfect time."
"It is?"
"Do I have to think of everything around here? Yes. It is. Get that perky little ass of yours out of your chair and track that boy down. Oh, and don't forget this." She pulled a small vial out of her purse and handed it over. "Always bring backup."
***
Schuyler
There was a light knock on his door. He swore to God if it was Kyle fucking Lewis coming around trying to weasel-talk his way out of being a... a... well, someone he didn't feel like talking to right now, he'd probably... well, he'd probably sleep with him, but he wouldn't be very nice about it.
He tore open the door and was surprised to see a tiny blond head instead.
"Stacy?"
"Hey, you," she said. Her hands were clasped in front of her and she looked almost demure. "Can I come in?"
Schuyler squinted at her. "...Why?"
"To talk?" she said. Her voice sounded very tired and a little sad. "I know I've been the world's biggest bitch, but, well, I kinda need a friend tonight, and so I thought..." she trailed off. She kept her eyes away from Schuyler, looking to the side instead. He thought he could see the slightest glimmer of a tear in the corner of her eye. Or his mind was playing tricks on him. He knew he told Gigi to shoot him in the head if he ever gave Stacy the time of day again, after everything she'd pulled to make everyone's lives miserable, but there was something different about her tonight. Maybe something had happened to knock some sense into her finally. Maybe this was the Stacy he used to know.
"Yeah. Sure. Okay. Come on in, Stacy."
"Thanks." She looked around his apartment, as if she'd never been in there before. Or was making sure they were alone. Which was strange. "Do you have any milk?" she asked.
"Milk?"
Stacy rubbed her belly softly. "For the baby."
"Right. The baby."
"Oh Sky!" she suddenly blurted out. "I'm so scared and alone!" She rushed forward and clutched him in her arms. "I don't know what to do!"
He wasn't sure if she meant it, or if she was layering it on a little thick, but her arms did tremble against his, and he didn't think she was that great an actress to pull something like that off without really meaning it it.
He held her a little closer, this woman who used to be his whole world. "It's okay, Stace. I'm here."
***
Stacy
Stacy closed her eyes and breathed a little easier. She always knew she could count on Sky. Even when he was a drugged-out loser, she could still rely on him to be nice to her. She felt the weight of the tiny vial in her front pocket. Maybe she wouldn't need the Butterfly 7 after all...
But, no. She had to be sure this would work. And that meant playing dirty, just like Gigi did.
"How about that milk?" she said quietly, hoping Sky was falling for her wounded bird act. It wasn't so hard to act sad and alone. Not when it was true.
"Coming right up," he replied.
Stacy pulled the vial out of her pocket and palmed it-a neat trick she'd learned from a street performer in Vegas.
"Pour yourself a glass, too," she said. "I hate drinking alone."
(...TBC...)