Caught in Your Wake

by Darien Cox

“Excuse me,” Brett said from across the room, where he was pulling a sweatshirt down over a bullet-proof vest. “First of all, shut up Nolan, I’m older than you are. And Tim, does this vest make me look invisible? Because I’m standing right here.”

  Tim frowned. “Huh?”

  “I realize I’m not as cute as Tyler, but you’re exhibiting remarkable indifference at the idea of me going out there to get eaten by gator-worms.”

  “You said you used to be a Navy Seal and you’ve been to space and shit. I’m sure you can handle yourself.”

  “So can Tyler. He’s taken out oogedy-boogedies a lot bigger and scarier than those alien dogs who stole your jacket.”

  The door opened and the man himself stepped into the cabin. Tyler wore jeans with a black sweatshirt and hiking boots. Tyler’s appearance rarely changed much, yet each time he stepped into a room, Tim’s heart fluttered like he was something brand new.

  “I love how casually you and Tyler talk now about all the other aliens he’s encountered,” Nolan said to Brett. “While our team spent years here in the village searching for the Whites’ base, Ogden and you fuck-heads at headquarters had all this information about other species and their technology. We could have used that, it might have been helpful to us.”

  Tyler shook his head. “The only species your team needed to be focused on was the Whites, and you had all the pertinent information gathered about them already. Ogden felt you’d be better off uncontaminated by info about other species. You’d have been distracted looking for shit that wasn’t there and it would have taken you twice as long.”

  “Yeah, whatever, Tyler. For all your know-it-all attitudes, we’re the ones that found the first Earth base. You were back with Ogden getting sent out in the field with a small army and told exactly where to point and shoot. We had to start from nothing, we were on our own, and were forced to figure everything out for ourselves.”

  “Congratulations,” Tyler said. “It must have been terrible for you, throwing parties and drinking all that beer while I was out risking my life to protect the planet from hostile off-worlders. I hope your hangovers weren’t too bad.”

  “I was out risking my life in warzones while you were still learning your ABCs, you little shit.”

  “Jesus, really, guys?” Tim said. “You’re gonna get into a macho pissing contest now when all this shit is going on? Try to remember I’m the new guy and I’m kind of freaking out here.”

  Tyler’s eyes darted to Tim. “Why are you freaking out? We told you, you’re staying here at the station. Nolan will be with you. You’ll be safe.”

  “Tim here doesn’t want you to go out on the scouting mission,” Brett said. “He’s afraid you’re gonna get killed and then he won’t get to make out with you anymore.”

  Tim flushed with embarrassment. “Fuck off, Brett!”

  Nolan cackled. “Aw, Patterson, is this true? Now that hurts my feelings. I remember a time you would have killed to be left alone in a remote mountain cabin with me. Now you’re trying to send me off to battle so Tyler can stay here safe and sound.”

  “You fuck off too,” Tim said. “You and your bad knees, Grampa.”

  Tyler kept his head down as he crossed the room, but a smirk dimpled his cheeks. “You got your vest on?” he asked Brett.

  “Yes. You can’t see it? That’s good. We need to look casual as we leave here.”

  “We will,” Tyler said. “The gator-worms won’t question anything, they’ll just think we left.”

  “Still convinced they’re free-thinkers, huh?” Nolan said.

  Tyler glanced over. “Until proven otherwise, yes. Worst thing you can do when confronting an ET is to underestimate it.”

  “Why do you need vests?” Tim asked. “I doubt those slithery things can even hold a gun with their short arms.”

  “We don’t know what kind of defenses they have that they might use if directly attacked,” Tyler said. “Protecting vital organs is always a good idea.”

  “So if you run into them in the woods you’re gonna confront them?” Tim said. “How is that a good idea?”

  Brett picked up the weird green gun Tyler brought and tossed it over to him. Then he lifted his sweatshirt, where he had a similar, smaller gun holstered at his hip. “We’re not going to confront them. We’re going to incapacitate them.”

  “That’s the plan,” Tyler said.

  “What if they fight back?”

  Tyler gave Tim a soft smile. “They’ll lose.”

  “That’s what I like to hear!” Brett said. “Confidence. It’s getting dark. Ty, you ready to head out?”

  “Ready.” He held Tim’s gaze. “We’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

  “You’ve got your walkies, right?” Nolan said.

  “Got em.” Brett patted his pocket. “We’ll check in if anything happens but keep radio silence unless it’s an emergency. We don’t want anything to know we’re out there.”

  “Got it. Good luck.”

  Without further adieu, Brett and Tyler left the station. Tim let them go and managed not to throw himself at Tyler or cling to his leg. But his gut was cold with fear as he stared at the door after they’d gone.

  “They’ll be fine,” Nolan said.

  “You keep saying that. But you don’t know for sure. They could get hurt.”

  “Well, if the way Tyler looked at you before he left is any indication, he’s got good reason to want to come back in one piece. Must have been quite a date last night.” Nolan waggled his eyebrows, but then his grin slid away. “Hey, I’m just messing with you. Are you all right?”

  Tim sighed, deflating into a chair. “No, I’m not all right. I’m an idiot.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I’ve got a crush on a guy who does this sort of shit for a living. I’m not accustomed to worrying about someone like this. I miss being an oblivious asshole who only thought about myself.”

  “Yeah.” Nolan nodded. “I remember that guy.”

  “Fuck off.” Leaning over, Tim checked the monitor screen. “Looks quiet out there in the woods at least. Nothing moving. Maybe the things won’t come back tonight.”

  “Don’t you want to catch them? Figure this out so we can put an end to it?”

  “Well yeah, of course, but I was hoping Baz would have done so already, so we wouldn’t have to go to these lengths.”

  Nolan stretched back in a chair and put his feet up on the table. “He still might. He couldn’t find any records of those things listed as live cargo on any of the ships. But he’s still investigating.”

  Tim popped open a can of cola and took a drink. “Hey. Do you really think Tyler was looking at me a certain way before he left?”

  “Looking like he wants to get you in bed as soon as possible, yeah.” Nolan’s brows shot up. “Just how into Tyler are you?”

  Tim shrugged. “I don’t want him to get killed if that’s what you mean.”

  “You were perfectly willing to sacrifice me to the deep dark woods a few minutes ago.”

  “Okay, I’m into him. And I know we’re opposites and I know I could never fit into his world and I don’t need to hear it again.”

  “Elliot was the one harping on about that, not me. I just agreed you should be careful. But to be honest, I was more worried about you hurting Tyler, messing with his head.”

  “Really?” Tim snorted. “Tyler is by far the tougher of the two of us.”

  “Yeah, but only in some ways. You want someone to have your back in a dangerous situation? Tyler’s the best. On the flipside, I know you can handle a fling, but I’ve never seen Tyler date anyone.”

  “Doesn’t mean he hasn’t.”

  “I wouldn’t know because he shares nothing. Beyond Brett, I don’t even know if he has real friends. Only person I’ve even seen him interested in romantically was Elliot. And when El told him it would never happen, Tyler moped around for about ten minutes, then just shrugged, ate a sandwich, and got on with things.”

  “Okay, n
ow you do sound like Elliot, because what you just said actually contradicts your concerns. It makes Tyler sound unemotional. So why the hell would you worry about him getting hurt by me if he’s such a robot?”

  “Tyler is a contradiction. But with this visit I’m learning more about him. He’s got a lot more emotional baggage than I realized. How’s he been with you? On a personal level I mean.” He chuckled. “Because there’s obviously something going on with you two, but I honestly can’t picture Tyler in a romantic scenario.”

  “He’s different, sure, but he’s not like abnormal or anything. We laugh and talk and...kiss and do all the other things people do. Nolan, I’d never want to hurt him. You don’t have to worry about that. In fact, I’m into him enough to think he’ll probably end up hurting me, but I’m willing to risk it.”

  Nolan’s brow lowered. “Are you serious?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I didn’t realize you had actual feelings for him. When Elliot was teasing you at the house yesterday, I thought it was just because you were hot for Tyler.”

  “I’m hot for him, believe me. But he’s also got my head all fucked up and I...”

  “You what?”

  Tim drummed his fingers on the table. “How did you know you were falling in love with Elliot?”

  “You’re that kind of fucked up?”

  “Oh, I’m all kinds of fucked up, Nolan. And highly inexperienced and unqualified for the job. So tell me. How did you know? With Elliot. You guys were friends for years. Did you always love him?”

  “No. I mean, yes, but I wasn’t always in love with him.”

  “So how did you know when you were falling in love?”

  Nolan got up and grabbed a soda from the mini-fridge. “I’m not sure I can describe it. I’m not exactly a poet, Tim.”

  “Try.”

  Taking his seat again, Nolan gave Tim a pointed look as he popped open his soda. “You actually think you’re headed down that road? Like you said, I’d known Elliot for years. You haven’t known Tyler that long.”

  “I don’t know if I am or not. I only know I’ve never felt this way before.”

  “Never?”

  “Not like this. No.”

  “Wow, okay. Let me see then. With Elliot. Um...it was just different being around him all of a sudden. When it first started and I wasn’t sure he felt the same way, everything hurt because I couldn’t touch him the way I wanted to.”

  Tim nodded. “Check.”

  Nolan chuckled. “Really?”

  “It’s a bitch when I can’t touch Tyler and I want to touch him all the time. But I’m not sure where his boundaries are yet. What else?”

  “Couldn’t get Elliot out of my head. No matter what else I was doing.”

  “Check.”

  Nolan laughed. “That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re falling in love. Could be just a hardcore crush. Maybe it just feels different because Tyler’s unlike any guy you’ve ever dated.”

  Tim snorted. “Let’s be honest. Tyler’s unlike any guy, period.”

  “That’s true.” Nolan laughed. “Plus he’s cute as fuck and he’s got that mysterious vibe and all, so of course you’re into him.”

  “How can I tell if it’s just a crush then?”

  “Experience! Come on, Tim, you’re not exactly a novice at this. You’ve dated a lot of guys in the village over the years.”

  “I know.”

  “I mean, a lot of guys.”

  “I know, Nolan! I was a big, big, whore, okay? I got it.”

  “I didn’t say that. I’m just curious why you’re so convinced this is different. And I’m not trying to make this about me, but you chased me around for months, flirting like a frat boy every time you saw me. So you tell me. How was that different than this?”

  Tim could hardly believe they were discussing this. But Nolan was taking it seriously, and it felt fantastic to be able to vent to someone, so he put his discomfort aside, and answered as honestly as he could. “With you I wanted to sleep with you. Badly. But it wasn’t about your personality in the least, because I didn’t know you on that level.”

  “You don’t know Tyler that well either.”

  “But that’s the difference. I feel like I do. And I want to know more. I’m fascinated by everything about him. With you? I just wanted to fuck you, no offense.”

  “None taken.” Nolan chuckled. “Okay so you say you like Tyler for more than his body. But do you even know him well enough to like him as a person? Because I want to bang Elliot into next week all the time, but I also just like being around him. You’ve got to actually know the person and like them first, otherwise it’s just a fantasy of who you think they are.”

  “I’ve thought of that. But I feel like the parts I don’t know don’t matter. Because I just can’t imagine finding anything out that would change the way I feel. Can’t imagine anything deterring me from him.”

  “That’s because you’re in that new, exciting sex-zone where your brain is fried and you think even the most disgusting things they do are cute.”

  “Maybe. But I’ve been thinking about him for months.”

  Nolan’s head jerked back. “Months? Why? When was the first time you even fooled around with him, like yesterday?”

  Tim hesitated, then said, “No. Something happened between me and Tyler the night of your wedding.”

  Nolan shifted in his seat. “Oh, really. Something naked?”

  “It was after I saw Baz and Joff at JT’s loft party. I had a bad meltdown and left. I wasn’t prepared for it and I had an awful anxiety attack. My body just...betrayed me.”

  “Oh, shit, Tim. I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

  “Tyler took care of me. There was sex, but it was more than that, you know?”

  “More than that how?”

  “Well, he took me home, made sure I was okay, that’s how it started. But holy shit, the sex. There was this...” Tim shook his head. “Boom! This moment. This connection. I thought it was because I was an emotional basket-case at the time, but it’s still there. Ever since he’s come back, it’s getting stronger.”

  “Okay.”

  “But sexual attraction aside, I do like him as a person. I love talking to him. About anything, even if it’s just bullshit. When I can make him laugh, I feel like I won the lottery.”

  “All right, whoa. Now I am more worried about you than him. Let me guess. You have no idea how he’s feeling about all this.”

  “Well...”

  Nolan leaned forward. “What?”

  “He indicated he felt something for me too. In fact, he’s the one that broached the subject. I was way too worried about scaring him away to bring it up myself, but then he just...blurted it out. Asked if I was feeling it too.”

  “He did?” Nolan’s mouth fell open.

  Tim laughed. “You look so stunned.”

  “Sorry, yeah. That does surprise me. No offense.”

  “I know he doesn’t exactly wear his feelings on his sleeve. But unless I’m completely fooling myself, I feel like he’s different with me. Do I want to know more about him? Of course. But do I need to know more about him? I don’t think so. I feel like I already know who he is.”

  Nolan shook his head. “I don’t know about that, Tim. I realize it feels good, falling for someone. It’s the best thing in the world. But in your situation, when it comes to Tyler? I agree with Elliot. You need to be cautious.”

  “I don’t want to be cautious, though. I want to fall. I want to dive over the cliff.”

  Nolan looked troubled as he watched the monitor.

  “You see something out there?”

  “No. Looks all clear still.”

  “Then why are you frowning like that? I actually do know you better now, and that’s your concerned scowl.”

  After a long silence, Nolan turned to Tim. “I wish you hadn’t told me all this tonight. About the way you feel about Tyler. Because now I feel obligated to tell you something that’s not really my p
lace.”

  “Like what? Ah, shit. Does he have a boyfriend? He has a boyfriend, doesn’t he? Probably some hotshot alien-hunter back at base camp.”

  “I don’t think he has a boyfriend.”

  “Then what?”

  “Do you really think you’re falling for Tyler?”

  “Nolan! What is it?”

  “Just answer the—”

  “Yes, okay? Yes! I’d go live in a cave with the guy if he asked me to. Now tell me what’s on your mind Nolan before I choke you.”

  Nolan got up and looked out all the windows. He came back and leaned over, checking the monitor, then he sat back down. “Okay. Here’s the thing. Tyler didn’t come home last night. Well, home as in to my place. He stayed with Brett.”

  Tim’s stomach roiled. “Are you about to tell me he hooked up with Brett?”

  Nolan grimaced. “What? No! Nothing like that. He’s not fucking anyone else that I know of, so stop.”

  “Okay. So he stayed at Brett’s. And?”

  “I got this obscure text from Brett that Tyler was spending the night there, and he wasn’t sure if he’d be there for the remainder of his stay. So I thought...what the fuck? Is he mad at us or something?”

  “Oh.” Tim winced. “That might be my fault. I told him you guys were asking about the basement thing.”

  “I know. I talked to Christian. He said you told him and Myles about that.”

  “Yeah, I was a little gloomy when they drove me home after Tyler split last night. I’m sorry I tattled to Tyler, it was a heat of the moment thing. I was trying to get him to go home and spend the night with me. I’d forgotten about the whole ‘why does Tyler sleep in the basement’ conversation at first, probably because I was swooning over him after we fooled around. I hope I didn’t cause too much trouble between you guys.”

  “You didn’t, Tyler and I are fine today. I rode over here with him and Brett. He said he’s staying back at my house tonight.”

  “Fine? You guys were totally bitching at each other just now!”

  “That’s nothing, that’s just normal banter for us. But that’s not what this is about. I hung out with Christian today. How well do you know Christian?”

  “Not as well as you obviously, but pretty well since he’s been with Myles. Why?”