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“He doesn’t care to tell people about that so please don’t be a tattletale. Don’t mention it to him. Okay?” Cy warns him gently, then returns his attention to the thick textbook onIntro to psychologyhe’s reading.
“Wouldn’t disclosing this information makeyouthe tattletale?” Rian teases him.
Cyril huffs a laugh. “Nice. Fine. Good luck getting any intel from me ever again.”
Rian rolls his eyes. “Oh no, whatever shall I do without all the juicy gossip about theonefriend you have.”
Cyril groans and lets the book flop on his face. “You’re so annoying.” He doesn’t mean it. Ri can see his wide grin just beneath the edge of the book cover.
Cy murmurs after a beat, “He’s a good egg. He’s been through a lot. Treat him kindly.”
Rian bobs his head and goes back to sketching on his tablet.
As it often happens, when something captivates his interest, the thought of Ty never leaves him.
Ty’s beautiful warm dark brown eyes are making Rian weak in the knees. This man is so gorgeous and so adorably shy. Rian has fallen for him harder than a stack of bricks rolling down one of the giant trucks that often pass under their windows.
Wet dreams? Oh, Rian is way past that! Being in love with Tayida is the real deal, and he knows it. Even if he has no experience with love and relationships. Yes, guys pursue him, and he has no problem confirming he’s gay, but truth be told, there is no one else he can imagine being with but Ty.
Don’t even get Ri started on Ty’s body.Fine, doesn’t do Tayida justice as far as Rian is concerned. They’re about the same height, but Ty is much bigger, just as strong as Cyril.
Rian has been doing all his anatomy sketches based on images of Ty shirtless. Thank God, he remembers to hide those sketchbooks away when Cy is back home. There are other, even more, realistic drawings, he really doesn’t want Cyril to see. All anatomically accurate. Every detail has been sketched to perfection.
Oh, but the real deal is so much better. Ty’s straight, black hair is always neatly cut. The short strands look silky when he’s on leave and lets them grow. Rian wants to run his fingers through Ty’s hair and tug him closer, kissing him slowly, taking full control of him.
Stop it. Jesus.
He doesn’t dare to look at Cyril. Rian is sure he looks guilty as sin. His face is hot, and his palms are sweaty.
He distractedly starts doodling variations of Ty’s name and looking up other words in Thai that mean “love” and “lover”. The rabbit hole of light internet stalking takes him down multiple sites dedicated to Thai cuisine, music, art, and books.
Rian knows Ty is sensitive about his mixed heritage and feels the need to learn more and be respectful. There is also the weird compulsive urge to accumulate things to talk about – he wants to be ready for the next time they see each other in a few weeks when Cyril is due to leave again, and Ty is meeting them at the airport. It’s silly to imagine they’ll have any time to get to know each other. It’s naïve to hope Ty even wants that, but Rian is just a hopeless romantic and that’s that.
Next, he reads about Ty’s hometown – Jacksonville – local attractions, rock music, and jazz clubs.
Has Ty ever been to the Catty Shack Ranch? It’s a tiger rescue mission.
Rian immediately starts planning their first date, thinking about how they could totally go there.
Idiot. A big, delusional idiot.
He chides himself, but he can’t fucking help it. Dreaming about what could be is something he has no control over. He is so into this gorgeous soldier, his mind overwrites any reason.
Where did Ty’s parents take him for fun on the weekend when he was a child? What was his home like? What were some of his favorite books? Would he be okay with talking about his adolescence?
Thinking about this makes Rian sad. He has gathered from what little Cyril has shared that Ty’s life has been pretty hard before joining the Army. He respects his brother for keeping Ty’s secrets. God knows, their own closet is stuffed with skeletons, neither of them is willing to talk about.
We’re all a bit messed up, aren’t we…
He glances at Cyril and his brother, without looking, reaches for him, giving his knee a soft reassuring squeeze. Rian grounds his foot in Cy’s hip in return.
Rian murmurs, “I love you.”
“I love you too, you nosy little baby.” Cy mirrors the warmth in Ri’s tone. He’s not looking up from his book, but Rian can see his soft smile.
It’s like he fucking knows every single thought that pops into Rian’s head.
Now would be a great time to tell Cyril the truth about his crush. Cyril won’t be mad. Well, not exactly. He’s never explicitly forbidden Rian to date, but he has been very honest about breaking noses and crushing fingers, should he happen to disapprove of Rian’s hypothetical dates. It’s not that he would disapprove of Ty, but what if Ty doesn’t care for Rian? It is all going to become one big complicated awkward mess.
