Soft: Kal x Tyler

Soft

Drifting through space, Tyler opened his eyes.
The ship creaked slowly. Between consciousness and sleep it was like he could feel the ship moving, almost see it trudge forward. His day-to-day operations required he consider this a bother, something to set him off like a sensory overload. Tonight... he glanced at his clock to check the time.
22:43. 10pm.
Yes, tonight, he found that sound somewhat distant, like the soft ambience of voices, soft enough to soothe. Being the leader of humanities rising war-crime-runaways, he was struggling to keep it together. They never covered this at the academy. With a sigh he started to wake and slid to the side of his bed.
     Tyler lay there, forgetting to sit up. He saw remnants of what awoke him. His father, his voice, Scarlett, the news channel, the clouds softly drifting while the whole world screamed- while he screamed. Tyler's clearest memory had become slurred and corrupted. It washed over him for so little time, but it was enough. He forced himself to stand and leave the room. This was one of the few times he did not glance around his room before leaving. He liked to leave without any further anxiety clouding him, but not tonight. It's almost a habit. Just not tonight.
His doorway was on the end of the hall. This allowed him for a quieter exit to the kitchen. He had to pass through the commons area first. There was no screen covering the front window. The last one to sleep - probably Finnian messing with the controls- left it open.  The stars provided no light, but they did give off the illusion of glow-in-the-dark stars. Didn't everyone have some? Most kids used holographic starts. They came in unique shapes and colours. Tyler, however, had vintage plastic stars.
A thin line in front of the window was highlighted. In the curve of the lip covering the window, there is a beam of light shining on the floor. Tyler wanted to rest his head against the window, desperate for a sense of peace, and pretend the light was from the stars. He ushered himself around the couch. Tyler was always graceful, even when tired. His charming face aided the grace in a setting like this. Normally. His tears from the dream dried into eye crust and his skin got quite oily at night. This is not important, not like the stars. His graceful walk was interrupted when he felt a leg hit his ankle.
"Oomph-!" he managed to get out before he fell. The leg was strong and didn't budge. He could guess who it belonged to without getting up.
"Kal?" He gasped.
Shuffling sounds were made between Kal and Tyler. Kal- who had been asleep- realized Tyler fell and went to help him up. No rush of course. After they were both standing, they stopped.
"What were you doing?" Tyler asked.
Kal's expression was unidentifiable. Due to him being Syldrathi or the poor lighting- Tyler didn't know.
"I was resting," Kal said "as I will continue to do".
Kal went back to the couch. Instead of sitting upright, he laid along the cushions.
"Why are you out of your room?" Tyler questioned.
"..."
"I want an answer", Tyler enforced "tank".
The tone of Tyler's voice commanded Kal. Tyler thought he saw some emotion appear across Kal's face but he stood too quickly to tell.
"My business is my own. I was resting my eyes and you interrupted me, then you demand to become more of an annoyance?" Kal hissed.
It was not new behavior for his tank to lose control and lash out. Tyler's face flushed with embarrassment. He did interrupt Kal's sleep. But Tyler was his leader, his Alpha, and he often worried. Even for Kal this behavior was odd.
Kal laid back down. Tyler stood still for a minute, straightened his posture, and sat in the limited space on the couch. Kal made no effort to make more space, he only turned on his side. Although the couch was double the normal size, Kal was very tall. Tyler was comfortable with everything about himself. But compared to Kal he felt ashamed. Ashamed for being smaller, weaker..
And ashamed of his feelings for Kal.
Time passed. Tyler could tell Kal wasn't asleep yet. Maybe that's why he was here. Like Tyler.
"What was yours about?" Tyler questioned softly.
"My what?"
"Your dream", Tyler feared his assumptions were wrong. "Isn't that why you're out here?"
Hesitation. Then,
"My father...my people.." Kal's voice was soft, his accent heavy "Myself. How did we get here?"
Tyler turned to him. Kal hadn't moved. He didn't know what to say or how to react. This whole time the stars that raddled him here never changed.
"You did not come out here just for me." Kal said.
"Maybe I did." Tyler was an idiot. Kal loved Aurora.
"No," Kal drawed out "and you sound like Scarlett."
A miracle. Tyler thought.
"I had some... vivid dreams, as well." Tyler was back to being soft.
"About?"
"Just about what could happen next."
"You lie," Kal sat up "Was it Cat?"
Kal got closer.
"Or was it your Father?"
'Damn.' Tyler hissed in thought. 'He got me.'
"I guess it was." He said finally, refusing to meet Kal's eyes.
"Tell me."
At this point all Tyler had to do was pass time.
"I relived his death. Over and over and over." Tyler began "I could see... the sky, how it was so calm, when behind me a reporter told everyone on Earth that he was killed.
"I felt the wind blow, turning a warm day cold. I saw the faces of the Syldrathi. Dead, alive, didn't matter. They all looked the same. They all looked like dad."
At this point, Tyler wanted to throw up. Leave the room, go to bed and never speak again. This soft side of him was disgusting. He was the leader, he was Tyler Jones. Yet here he was being vulnerable to the least empathetic member of his team. Tyler was pathetic.
Kal was sitting up based on the ruffle of his clothes. He was close. Tyler turned to him. Eye to eye. He was getting rid of what Kal just saw. Kal didn't back down. Time sped up. Who knows how long they just starred. It wasn't blank either. They couldn't see their reflections in each other's eyes. They were too focused.
"I lied." Kal eventually said.
"Your dream?"
He was silent but Tyler knew the answer.
"Then tell me."
Kal didn't move. Didn't blink. Didn't breathe. For the first time, Tyler saw his eyes fill with an emotion other than anger. But which one?
"It was you." Kal said.
"About me?" Tyler was scared. Was this moment another dream? Was he misunderstanding Kal?
"During the infiltration. In the storage closet," Kal started "You were my first friend I touched like that."
Tyler remembered the moment. He had to keep the technician (?) out or they would be discovered. He had remembered a piece of advice Scarlett favored: Public affection always made people uncomfortable. So Tyler grabbed Kal and kissed him. It worked. And he loved every second of it.
Tyler knew the Syldrathi were very conservative when it came to affection. Kals first...was reserved for Aurora. But Tyler came in and Kal should have hated him for it
"Then... i'm sorry," Started Tyler "but they would have caught us if-"
This time Kal leaned in first.
Kal had his eyes shut, but Tyler kept his wide open. Kissing Kal on the couch was beautiful. His snowy hair was illuminated by stars and galactic blues, lavenders, and purples. Kal slowly reached up to lay a gentle hand on his cheek. Tyler's chest collapsed in itself and his face burned.
Tyler went wanted desperately to relive that moment during the infiltration; this was his chance.
Tyler let his eyes drift closed as he turned his head to side a bit and pressed his lips against Kals with force. Maybe Kal was a bit surprised. He started to let Tyler take the lead, then fought back to gain control over him.
Illuminated by the gorgeous lights of space, the two sat tangled in each other limbs breathing heavily and each making sounds that pleased the other.
Kal backed away from tyler's lips and let his eyes open delicately to look into Tyler's. Tyler and Kal simply gazed at each other for so long.
"Tyler.." Kal breathed out.
Tyler leaned closer to Kal. "Stay with me tonight." He mumbled, never breaking eye contact.
It seemed forever that Tyler's words were left in the air. Tyler couldn't stop now; he had to keep going- he had to have Kal. Tyler stood quickly and held onto one of Kals hands.
"Please, Kal?" He whispered. "Let me savour this for just a night."
Kal stood and pulled Tyler closer.
"I would be with you for more than a night." He whispered into Tyler's ear. "I want minutes, hours, days, nights, everything."
Tyler smiled.
     "Now please, let us rest?" Kal sighed. There was a faint smile that haunted his lips.
     Tyler did not have any nightmares for a while after that night.