#tyler rust fanfiction

[inastrangerskiss]

stitches

Tyler Rust x Reader

content warning: simply just fluff literally nothing else besides maybe 2% angst

summary: tyler comes home with a wound from a match

a/n: i wrote this before he was released no I will not be changing his name

Tyler laid with his head across your lap. His eyes were focused on the television but you could tell he was barely clinging to consciousness. His golden hair was sprawled out behind him, creating delicate waves against your body. As you ran your fingers through the tawny locks he leaned into your touch like a contented cat.

There was a deep, burgundy and violet wound just below his eye, running down the length of his cheekbone. Black stitches were roughly sewn along the injury. You hadn’t expected him to come home like that.

You understood his job and the career path he had chosen. You understood it meant sometimes he got injured and sometimes he would bleed. He had come home with broken legs and ankles. Not very often but often enough that it wasn’t really anything more than a nuisance for you. But occasionally it would take you by surprise. He always tried to call you after the matches, to let you know how it went, to let you know if something had happened but sometimes he forgot. Sometimes he’d come home with a black eye or a laceration or a brace attached to a joint and it would catch you off guard.

That’s what happened yesterday.

The evening had crept along as you waited for him to return home. You tried to forget the nightmare of a day you had endured by losing yourself in the pasta sauce bubbling on the stove. You knew Tyler would be home soon and the tension would truly melt away the moment he had his arms wrapped around you.

The door opened and closed. A bag hit the floor.

“Hey, darling. I’m home.” He called out into the house.

“I’m in the kitchen.”

You could hear his footfalls approaching, his arms wrapping around your waist. He buried his head in the crook of your neck and took a deep breath before pressing a kiss to your shoulder. You smiled. He was home. Home and safe. Sharing the same space, breathing the same air as you.

“I’m gonna need you to sew my trunks. They got a little torn on the side last night.”

You nodded. You hadn’t gotten to see the match but mending his gear was commonplace for you. You could feel him relax against you and it gave you a sense of peace. Gently, you brought a hand behind you and ruffled his hair. You ran that hand down his cheek and felt him wince. The rough texture was strange and not at all what you had expected to encounter.

This caused you to turn. And there it was. The stitches. The bruising.

“What happened?” You had asked, a hand falling to your hip.

“Nothing. Just took a kick wrong.”

It wasn’t nothing. It was a massive wound that had clearly required the help of doctors to ensure its proper healing. A massive wound that had probably bled a lot. A massive wound that you weren’t there to worry about in the moment. And there was something about that that hurt you.

“Why didn’t you call me?”

“It was late. I didn’t want to wake you up when I figured I could tell you about it now.” His voice was gentle but it still upset you. He took your hand in his and he held it with the utmost care. “It’s fine though. Just a little cut, that’s all.”

It sat with you though. It was difficult to spend so much time apart and it was even more difficult to know there might be times where he got hurt and you wouldn’t know.

You weren’t able to enjoy dinner with the stitches staring back at you and you felt horrible that you couldn’t look past them to enjoy the night. You became withdrawn and decided against laying on the couch with him, opting to go to bed early instead. He found you curled up on your side, your eyes open and scrolling through social media. He leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed. You were acting like a child but he still had a patient smile curling the corners of his mouth.

“Not gonna talk to me?” He asked.

“I’m just tired.” It was a lie and you knew it was and he knew it was but he tolerated it.

“I guess I’m tired too, then.” He shrugged, crawling in beside you.

You didn’t make a move, disinterested in breaking down the frustrated and begrudging wall you had built. But it meant nothing to him, his arms reaching around your side, pulling you closer. He peppered your shoulder with kisses, running them up your neck, to your cheek and back down again. You had to force yourself not to smile.

“Why’re you upset with me?” His voice was calm and kind.

“Why didn’t you tell me you got hit like that?”

“I told you. I figured I’d tell you when I got back here. No reason to make you worry when it was just a silly bump.”

“The guy could’ve taken your eye out.” You muttered into the pillow, your phone now down by your side.

Tyler brought the arm that originally lay against your waist, up and across your chest, as if it were a seatbelt holding you safely for the ride.

“But he didn’t.”

You didn’t say anything. He was also silent, the only sound between the two of you being rhythmic breathing. Finally, he let out a small sigh and relented in a way that was almost unnoticeable. You couldn’t feel it in his body or his arms but in his presence itself.

“Listen.” He turned you towards him and you unhappily felt your body roll accordingly to face the man you loved. “Sometimes this stuff happens. But it's okay. I’m safe. Nothing bad will happen to me.”

“It might one day.” You blurted out, your true feelings suddenly on display.

“It won’t.” His voice was firm and resolute. “As long as I’ve got you waiting for me at home I’ll always be coming back to you in one piece.”

He found your hands mixed in with the sheets and the duvet and laced his fingers through yours. He didn’t look you in the eyes right away, more focused on this moment of touch than anything else. When he did bring his gaze to meet yours it was clear, in spite of the darkness. His eyes were a gentle plea with you, asking you to understand he meant everything he said.

“I won’t let anything hurt me.” He murmured. “Only I can control that and I will for you.”

You waited a moment before allowing a small nod. A small acceptance of him, stitches and all.

So, there you sat. An evening removed from his return to the home you shared, his head on your lap, your hand in his hair. Occasionally, you took breaks from combing your hand through his locks to focus on finishing sewing the tear in his trunks.

With each movement of your needle, you brought them back together, into one whole piece. Back into one contiguous cloth, one unbroken garment.

Tyler looked up at you and sleepily smiled. You smiled back.

Back into one whole piece.

#tyler rust #russ taylor #ryan taylor #tyler rust x reader #tyler rust fanfiction #tyler rust imagine #nxt imagine #taylor rust fanfiction #taylor rust fanfic #taylor rust

[sweetdreamhellofanight]

Return

Tyler Rust x Reader Warnings: None Word Count: 1,600 Summary: It’s like he never left

“You didn’t pick up,” you said, walking into his apartment. 

He only stepped aside to let you in, staring at you. His arm was out of the sling but still wrapped up. His apartment was still pristine, somehow, and you had to take a moment to admire that. 

“I was asleep,” he mumbled. 

“Been sleeping a lot more lately,” you said. He made a noise, but said nothing else. You set the bags down on his counter, careful to keep the food from spilling out, turning to face him. 

He didn’t look at you, instead walking back to the couch where the TV was still on, sitting down slowly, wincing in pain. 

“How’s the arm?” you asked. 

“Fine,” he said, shrugging, but even that seemed to be painful from the way his face scrunched. 

“I brought dinner. I figured you probably hadn’t eaten yet. I haven’t, either.” 

He nodded, 

“Thanks,” he mumbled. 

“And some other stuff. Those cookies you like, the ones from that weird health store all the way across town. Some juice since I know you’re out, and these plums that I got from the farmer’s market this morning.” 

He said nothing, and only nodded. 

You sighed loudly, hoping to get some sort of reaction out of him, but you were pretty sure he was half asleep at this point. 

So you put the stuff away, following the organized pattern he had throughout his cupboards. 

You took the food out into plates, hoping that maybe this would force him into some interaction. All you were looking for was him sitting at the table with you. 

You weren’t asking for much.

Not even a conversation. 

Just…

Proximity. 

The kitchen was neat, hardly touched, you realized. The trash was piling up, but everything else was clean. 

You looked around at the rest of the apartment, everything else just as untouched. His bedroom door was ajar, and you could see the corner of his bed, covers thrown to the floor, sheets wrinkled. 

In the corner of his living room sat his guitar, and in the last rays of afternoon sun, you could see the dust gathering over it, untouched for longer than you would’ve thought. 

“You’re not playing anymore?” you asked, nodding to it. 

He turned his head slowly to look at it, eyes lingering on it for longer than he should have, before turning back to you and raising the bandaged arm. 

“Can’t really do that right now,” he mumbled. 

You sighed, 

“It’s been longer than that,” you said, making your way to him. Still, you waited at the edge of the couch, watching him, his head dropped back against the seat, eyes closed, arms loosely crossed over his chest. 

He hadn’t been sleeping, not regularly, and you knew he was dozing off during the day to make up for it. 

“Lemme see your hand,” you said, softly, holding out your hands to him. 

He lifted the bandaged arm, without looking, 

“No,” you said, sitting down beside, pushing that hand away. “This one.” 

You picked up his right hand, and turned it over in yours. Rough and calloused palms, skin peeling at his knuckles, old cuts long since healed lighter in color over his hands, slightly raised. 

You’d finally gotten his attention, lifting his head slightly just to look at you, watching as you examined his hand. 

“I know what you’re thinking,” you said, softly, “that everything’s blocked right now. That you’re not getting anywhere.” 

“It’s been three months,” he mumbled. He sat back, but left his hand in yours, 

“And I know these things take time,” you continued, a new edge to your voice, “but how much longer are you going to hide?” 

“I’m not hiding,” he mumbled. 

You pulled his face towards you, but still his eyes averted, choosing to stare at the ground instead. 

“You will have your moment,” you said, softly, “but not like this. Not when you’ve neglected everything around you.” 

You felt his jaw clench. 

Finally, he looked at you, eyes glossy, the bags under them deeper and darker, 

“I’m so tired of this,” he whispered. 

You smiled, as best you could, and nodded, 

“You have done so much in so little time,” you said, “let yourself breathe.” 

“Diamonds are made under pressure, right?” he mumbled. 

“And dough rises when it rests! And flowers grow in the spot you leave them in!” you said. “It’s not going to be the same every time.” 

“If I’m not there? If they’re not seeing me every week, then I may as well not do this at all. It’s already like I don’t exist to them!” 

His voice cracked over the words, 

“No one’s forgotten you,” you whispered. 

“That’s exactly what’s happening,” he said. 

You gripped his chin tighter, holding him in place and forcing him to look at you, 

“So leave,” you said. 

He looked at you, confused, opening his mouth to respond but shutting it almost immediately. 

“What?”

You shrugged,

“Leave. Like you said, you don’t exist to them anymore, so why stay on?” 

His brows furrowed, confusion turning into insult, into unreadable anger, 

“Why would I do that?” he asked. 

“You just gave some pretty good reasons,” you said. 

“You think I should leave? My-my dream job? The one thing I’ve done all my life, the one thing I’m good at? I should just leave that because, why? I’m sad?” 

You sat back, watching him as he spoke, bandaged hand flailing around as he spoke, a smile growing on your face the longer he went on. 

“If you think I’m just gonna quit then you’re wrong and you don’t know me at all,” he finished, standing up in front of you. 

“But I didn’t say all that,” you finally said, “you did.” 

He stopped, his back turned to you. You could see his shoulders tense, one hand curled into a ball, just before he relaxed and turned back to you, an exhausted smile on his face, 

“I hate it when you do that,” he mumbled. 

You took him by the hands and pulled him down beside you, lacing your fingers together, and pressing a kiss to his bandaged hand, 

“See how ridiculous all of that sounds?” you asked. 

He nodded, pulling your hands up to his chest, keeping them there. 

“It’s not going to last forever. Not this break, not this feeling, none of it. You have worked so hard to get here, why would you ruin it for yourself like this?” 

He sighed, leaning in to kiss you, 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, pulling back, 

“Don’t,” you said, shaking your head. “You’re tired and I understand, but you can’t do that to yourself. You deserve better.” 

“I just…” he started before sighing and falling back into the couch, “I feel blocked. Like, there’s nothing in front of me and the harder I try to be positive about it the more it feels like I’m just...stuck.” 

You nodded, 

“It will pass,” you said, resting your head on his chest, his arm coming to wrap around your shoulders, “sooner than you think, too.” 

He looked down at you, 

“You know something I don’t, sunshine?” he asked. 

You smiled up at him, 

“Only that the dinner I spent all day making is getting cold, and I’m trying to cheer you up as quickly as possible so we can eat.” 

He smiled wide, eyes crinkling with it as he kissed you again, 

“Thank you,” he said, this time, still not moving, “for putting up with me.” 

You watched him for a moment, rubbing your thumb over his chin, the prickle of his stubble more satisfying than you’d remembered, 

“We make it work, don’t we? No matter what.”

He sighed. 

“Your time will come,” you said again, “and when you get back out there, I promise you it’ll be like you never left at all.” 

He shook his head, but smiled, still, 

“When you say it I believe it,” he said. 

“You should. And not because I’m saying it, but because it’s how the world works. From now on, you let the world work its magic and let yourself be moved with it.” 

He nodded, 

“I promise,” he said. 

“That’s my guy,” you said, softly, “let’s have dinner.” 

His appetite came back, the two of you eating on the balcony instead of the dining table, as the muggy air slowly tapered off,  watching the sunset together. Occasionally, you glanced up at him, pressed up against his chest, your legs stretched out in front of you, resting on the ledge. He hadn’t dozed off, yet, but looking at him you knew that for the first time in months, his mind wasn’t off wandering on paths of Maybe’s and What-If’s. 

It wasn’t going to be forever, you’d told him. He would find his way out of the slump, back to his real self. 

And this was the start. 

It wasn’t long after that his smile returned. 

Slowly, at first, but it returned all the same. 

The bandages came off his hand, the movement returned, and before long he was moving as though he’d never missed a beat. 

And from the comfort of the backstage monitor, you watched as he entered the ring once more, with a smile that shone brighter than all the lights in the building. 

You watched as he made his way back, hugging friends, old and new, with a new kick in his step, a new energy flowing through him, as he ran to you and picked you up, hugging you tight. 

“Sounds like they remember you,” you whispered against his lips, 

“Like I never left,” he replied. 

#nxt fanfiction #tyler rust #tyler rust x reader #my writing #**** #SO UH GUESS WHO CAME BACK LAST NIGHT AND FILLED MY HEART WITH SUCH JOY THAT I HAD TO WRITE SOMETHING FOR HIM #this is for me and like two other people so don't mind this

[galvanizedfriend]

Klaroline Fic Rec Month

The event I made up for myself.

So this month, since I have no more fanfictions of my own to write, I decided I would take a little time to appreciate the amazing works of KC writers. I realize it’s going to be a challenge and I really hope I have the time to complete this, but I promise all the fics I rec here are awesome and worth your time! @itsnotacrimetoloveyou is also doing this and it would be great if more people felt like joining in. Just rec your fave fic writers, your fave stories, whatever you feel like! But either way, if any of my recs helps you find a good story that you love, I highly recommend that you guys go ahead and drop the author a note. I’m sure they’ll love it! Whenever I know the writer is here, I’ll also link to their @. If you do know someone’s @ and I haven’t mentioned it, please let me know!

___________________

KLAROLINE FANFIC REC MONTH - DAY THREE: It takes a while to settle down by theviolinist

Summary: "Iron," he says in a whisper. "Your bones are made of iron, like mine, like Tyler's for all it matters. They don't erode. They don't bend. They rust, sometimes, when it rains, when you put them to rest, but if iron goes through fire it's still iron, it never disappears. That's what immortality really means, love, not some hokey promise about loving as long as you both shall live."

—

Why you should read it: This story is a punch to your stomach, but it is PERFECTION in 8k words. It's hot, it's bittersweet, it's SO in character and, in my head, I kinda like to pretend that this is what happened before Caroline married Stefan. lol 

The way Caroline is in denial about her own feelings the whole time, stopping her own mind from going places that would make it impossible for her to keep the façade, or stopping Klaus from saying things that will coax reactions out of her that she doesn't want to give, is so true to what their relationship was like in TVD. She even tells herself that Klaus is there to see her on her wedding day because he's still mad at Tyler and wants to get his ultimate revenge, only for Klaus to make it obvious, as it always was to anyone watching that freaking show: it's all about her. It's frustrating and makes me want to SCREAM at Caroline, but it feels so very real. Everything about this story feels very possible, like it could've been a thing in canon.

My heart ACHES for Klaus here, because even though he's an arrogant prick (as he should), you just get all these little glimpses of him trying to say things, and ask her to leave with him, and tell her how he truly feels about her getting married to someone else and UGH!!! It's so well written and so well constructed, even though the story is told through Caroline's denial-fueled POV the entire time, which just makes it all the more painful. I was all LET THE MAN SPEAK, CAROLINE, JESUS. 

And then at the end... THE END. It's just three tiny paragraphs, but my heart HURTS because it's so meaningful, but I don't wanna say too much because of spoilers.

There's no happy ending here, but this is what Klaroline was like in TVD and I feel the author here did a fantastic job. The story was written in 2014, so Caroline's marrying Tyler, not Stefan (because who would've thought back then that the showrunners would be that dumb?), and it is particularly true to what Caroline's character was like at that moment in the show's story. The Caroline who would tell Klaus that he's not a part of her plans because she still wants to accomplish so much in her life - human dreams, college, marriage, a career - but who also cannot resist or avoid how Klaus makes her feel, and therefore decides to give in to these feelings she's been hiding for a long time if he promises that he won't come back (because if he does, then she can't guarantee she won't be changing her mind either, can she?).

If you still need more reason to read it, there's SMUT, and it is GREAT. 

#klaroline #klaroline fanfiction #klaroline fic #klaroline fic rec #kc fanfiction

[inastrangerskiss]

boots

Tyler Rust x OFC

content warning: none just a good old fashioned hiking shop

summary: mel just wanted her day to end. then tyler showed up.

a/n: i wrote this before he was released and became taylor and i am too lazy to change all of the names

It was a normal Tuesday in the shop. The space was quiet, a few customers milling around, browsing the selection of hiking boots and carabiners. Locals hustled down the sidewalk outside, rushing through their lunch breaks, oblivious to the way the sun broke through the clouds, the way the light cast itself over the sides of the mountain in the distance.

Mel leaned over the checkout counter staring longingly towards those mountains, wishing the day would end and afford her the time to go for just one hike. Just one stroll through the trees, past the lake and into the hills.

By all accounts, it was a normal Tuesday.

And then he walked in.

He was unassuming, dressed just the same as any other customer. But there was something different about him, something intriguing. His hair was a shade of glittering blonde, half pulled back into a tiny bun. His shoulders were broad, his entire body sculpted by muscles. His glowing aura sucked Mel in, but she quickly shook herself free from its hold. She didn't have time to fall in love with every handsome nature bro that walked through the front doors.

He walked slowly towards her, a sense of confidence in his gait. Despite her better intuition, her heart began to beat wildly against her chest.

“Where might I find hiking boots?” He asked, leaning one arm against the countertop.

Without so much as a word, she pointed towards the racks of shoes against the far wall. The man stared at her for just a second too long and she felt sparks of electricity travelling down her spine. He looked to the shoes and then back at her before letting a gentle smile unwind across his face.

As he walked away and the distance between them grew she finally felt capable of taking a deep breath. She made a dedicated effort to keep her eyes focused on the computer in front of her as she checked on upcoming shipments and e-mail inquiries.

If she couldn’t see the man she couldn’t fall madly in love with him.

But the man had other ideas.

“Can I ask you a question?” He called over to her.

With a small sigh, Mel turned towards him. He was holding a shoe box in his hands but his face looked utterly confused.

“I hate to be that guy but I was wondering if you had the Salomon Xs in a size 11?”

His voice was soft and fully aware that his question was the bane of every retail worker’s existence. The gentleness in his tone was, in a word, disarming. Mel found herself forgetting the mental wall she had built so hastily upon first glance and warming up to him as she walked towards where he stood.

With her thumb pressed to her lower lip she studied the display of identical boots, quickly scanning over the boxes but not finding what he was looking for. She then browsed the surrounding displays, still coming up empty handed.

“It doesn’t look like it. What we have is what’s out here so we must’ve sold out.” She offered an apologetic frown.

“I get it. This is the third store I’ve tried today with no luck.”

They stood together silently for a moment before Mel pointed to a different stack of boxes. “You could try the new La Sportiva’s. They’re similarly priced and have a lot of the same features as the Salomons.”

The man walked towards the boots, picking one up in his hand and examining it from its different angles. Then he sat on a nearby bench, removed his current shoe, and tried the new one on. He stood and walked a few paces all while Mel watched on, blissfully unaware of any other customer in the store.

“How do I look?” The man asked, a goofy grin taking him over. “Think I could outrun a bear in these?”

Mel unleashed a sharp laugh before quickly covering her mouth with her hand. The man looked at her, amusement sparkling in his eyes.

“I don’t know if you’d outrun a bear but I’m sure you’d be a very handsome dinner.”

Blush crawled over the man’s cheeks but Mel couldn’t see as she looked down at her feet, embarrassed by the words that had spilled free of her. A comfortable tension built itself up around them - the kind that appears when there’s an inkling within the back of the mind’s of two strangers that something special has just begun.

“Eh, I don’t know. I think I’ll keep looking for the Salomon’s.” The man finally spoke as he sat down to unlace the shoes.

Mel wandered back to her computer, reluctant to separate from his intoxicating presence.

“Y’know,” She called over to him as she scrolled through her invoices. “I could order them for you. If you don’t mind waiting a week or so, that is.”

The man looked up to her. “Yeah?”

“Yeah, it’s no problem.”

He stood from the bench and approached her. The tension returned and an unfailing smile permanently etched itself over his face. He studied her face for a moment before giving a playful shrug.

“That’d be awesome actually.”

Mel nodded, tearing a piece of receipt tape from its machine. “If you don’t mind, write your number here and I can call you when they come in. I’ll order them now and I imagine they’ll arrive this time next week, give or take.”

The man did as told, writing out a series of numbers, in what could only be described as chicken scratch, and then writing the name Tyler at the top.

“Tyler?” Mel read it out slowly, trying to make sense of the impossibly bad penmanship.

Tyler nodded.

Mel then ripped off another piece of receipt tape and scribbled the shop’s number down under her name before sliding it towards him.

“Mel?” He read just as slowly as she had, mocking her inability to read his scribbles.

Mel laughed quietly. “Yes. You can use that number to check in on the order if I forget to call you or something.”

Tyler paused for a moment, staring at the paper. “And what if I wanted to call to ask you to get a cup of coffee with me? Is there a number for that or am I allowed to use this one?”

The pounding of Mel’s heart returned at a rate that threatened to crack a rib. Once more, sentence structure was at war with the signal overload in her brain. She tried to form something coherent but her bashful smile was working against her.

“Uh, I- I think it’d be the same number.” She finally murmured.

“Great.” He tucked his head down in an attempt to hide his own shy elation. Carefully, he folded the piece of paper and slid it into the pocket of his shorts. “It was nice meeting you, Mel.”

As he walked towards the front door, Mel found her voice. “It was nice to meet you too, Tyler.” He threw a smile over his shoulder before exiting, back into the open outdoors.

Mel watched as he walked up the sidewalk, stopping at the windows that resided beside the cash register, stopping so he was nearly right next to her once more. His back faced her though and she assumed he hadn’t realized how he had positioned himself. He pulled the paper free of his pocket and stared at it for a moment before pulling his phone out.

Before she knew it, the shop phone was ringing.

She picked it up, giving the standard greeting, unaware as to the person on the other line.

“Hey, uh, this really cute girl that works at this shop gave me this number to call in case I needed to get in touch.” The voice coming through the receiver spoke with a tiny shake, nervous excitement betraying its stability.

Mel turned towards the windows to see Tyler now turned around, looking at her, beaming like a golden retriever.

“Did she now?” She teased.

“Yeah and she said if I wanted to ask her out for a cup of coffee I could use this number as well.”

“Mhm.”

“I kind of want to ask her out for a cup of coffee.” He spoke with finality, sighing quietly as though he were finally free of a mounting burden.

Mel gained her composure, never breaking eye contact with Tyler through the windows. “She’d be happy to accept.”

“Cool, cool. Let her know that I’m really excited and I’ll come in tomorrow to figure out the logistics of this date.”

“I absolutely will.”

There was a significant pause as the two gazed out to one another, enraptured by the others' existence.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Mel.”

Tyler’s voice was a warm comfort, a new reality that she was more than happy to sink into. She no longer wanted to quell the way she felt about him. Today was meant to be different.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Tyler.”

#tyler rust #tyler rust fanfic #tyler rust fanfiction #tyler rust imagine #tyler rust imagines #taylor rust #taylor rust fanfic #taylor rust fanfiction

[inastrangerskiss]

match tapes

Taylor Rust x Reader

content warning: a lil bit of angst but not much else

summary: you try to cheer taylor up after an injury sidelines him

“You can’t sit there all day.” You mumbled under your breath.

It had been days since you had seen Tyler anywhere but in front of the computer. With an injury keeping him from the ring he had devolved into a man possessed, his one singular purpose being the need to inundate himself with old match tapes. The light from the screen bounced off his face in the dimly lit room, his expression blank as he focused, rewound the video, fast forwarded.

“Tyler?” You waved your hand in front of his face.

He blinked slowly for a moment before looking at you, suddenly registering your presence.

“What’s up?” He asked quietly.

“C’mon, lets go do something.” You pleaded.

“I’d rather just stay home.”

With a heavy sigh you crossed your arms. He returned to his videos, his eyes flickering across the screen rapidly. Finally, you couldn’t stand it anymore.

You reached down and pressed the button on the back of the monitor, instantly causing it to turn black.

Tyler sat back. He wasn’t angry or frustrated, just defeated.

“Get up.” You commanded. “We’re going grocery shopping.”

He gestured to his crutches. “Do you know how tiring it is getting around on those?”

“You practically live at the gym and you’re telling me you’re too weak to go on a lil errand run with a pair of crutches?”

His eyes dropped into his lap, his fingers wringing one another.

“I’m not weak.”

A smile crossed over your face. You didn’t exactly feel good, needling in on his current insecurities, but if you knew one thing about the man you loved it was that he loved to prove people wrong.

“Thats what I thought. Let’s go. Get your jacket on.”

He hesitated. And then, slowly but surely, he grabbed the crutches, and began to make his way to the front door. You followed closely behind, a slight spring in your step. Carefully, you helped him get his jacket on, one arm after the other. For a moment, you could’ve sworn you saw him smile but, before you could be sure, he pulled your head close to him, kissing your temple.

You both walked to Tyler’s decrepit Subaru, this time Tyler getting in on the passenger side while you sat behind the wheel. He hadn’t exactly been wild about you driving his car when he first got injured and you knew that well enough but it was the only mode of transportation either of you had. You tried to be as cautious and confident as possible but it didn’t escape you when he winced every time you braked just a little too hard.

“Sorry.” You murmured.

“No worries.” He responded, unconvincingly, his hand gripped around the grab handle above his window.

The drive was short, the heat barely kicking in before the key was taken out of the ignition. You continued to follow Tyler as he slowly worked his way towards the cart corral. He wasn’t struggling as much as he implied he would be.

“What are we here for?” He asked over his shoulder.

“I’m going to make you something that I know you’ll love.”

He stared at you for a second but decided against questioning you further.

He followed your directions, grabbing the almond flour and the confectioners sugar. When you asked him what flavors he wanted he simply answered chocolate so you placed cocoa powder in the cart. He grabbed snacks as you walked down the aisle. It was never anything exciting - just seeded crackers and dried fruit - but the subdued smile on his face was a treat in and of itself.

“What next?” He asked,

“We need eggs. Just six of them.”

He reached for a clear case of organic, large brown eggs but you stopped him.

“Just get the regular ones. They’re cheaper.”

He paused for a moment to look at you. “Do you know what they put into the ‘regular’ ones? They’re full of chemicals and antibiotics and they’re not nearly as healthy as-”

You held up your hand, realizing the lecture you were about to receive. “Just put them in the cart, babe.”

He grinned, pleased with his success. You allowed him to pick out organic butter and heavy cream as well, just satisfied that he was enjoying his time out of the house. He had seemingly forgotten about the discomfort of his crutches altogether and that alone was a victory on your part.

You went to the checkout and he paid, balancing on one foot as he handed over a couple of bills and stowing the change away in his pocket. He hardly even complained when you nearly merged his car into a sedan that had crept up into your blind spot on the ride back home.

You carried the grocery bag into the house as he hobbled from the driveway back into the front hall. You helped him out of his jacket and waited until he had his shoes free of his feet. You walked to the kitchen as Tyler attempted to walk back to the computer, snacks in hand.

“Where do you think you’re going?” You asked, a hand on your hip.

He paused like a deer in the headlights.

“I was gonna go back -”

“Nope.” You stated. “You’re gonna sit here and help me.”

You expected Tyler to protest or grumble out a sigh but instead he shrugged and sat at the kitchen table, his open box of crackers placed beside him.

“What am I doing?” He asked, a certain tone of curiosity tingeing his voice.

You placed the almond flour, cocoa powder and the confectioners sugar in front of him, dropping a measuring cup next to the bags.

“Two cups of the flour and one cup of the sugar. A tablespoon of cocoa powder. And then whisk it together.”

He studied the components before seemingly deciding that his task seemed easy enough. He immediately dug the measuring cup into the bag of flour with a little more confidence than was appropriate.

“Use a spoon.”

Your words caused him to stop and raise an eyebrow. You understood. How hard could measuring dry ingredients possibly be?

You handed him a spoon and a butter knife.

“Spoon it into the cup and then level it with the back of the knife.” You explained.

He nodded slowly before following your instructions. While you whipped egg whites and sugar together, you could see him, meticulously filling and leveling the measuring cups, his brows furrowed together. He finished whisking and gave you a bright smile.

“All set!” He chimed, pushing the bowl forward.

You handed him another bowl and a sieve and his face fell ever so slightly. You explained the need for all the ingredients to be sifted together in order for the recipe to turn out correctly. He rolled his sleeves up, certain that he was no match for the fine mesh obstacle that stood before him.

You splashed vanilla into the meringue mixture and finished whipping it together while he created a thin, dusty layer in the bottom of his bowl. Occasionally, he would lean down and check to see if the sieve was actually doing it’s job only to find (much to his chagrin) that it was indeed functioning properly if not a little slowly.

You powered off and abandoned your mixer to stand behind him, running your fingers through his golden blonde hair while he worked. Carefully so as to not to disturb him, you pulled strand by strand back until you had gathered it all in your hands, a silky ponytail captured in your palm. You wrapped one of your scrunchies around the hair, tying it back behind his ears so it could no longer fall into his face. He stopped sifting for just a moment to turn back to you, a smile replacing the determined look on his face.

“Thank you, darling.” He spoke softly, genuine emotion crossing through his words.

It was the first time you had heard any sort of warmth in his voice since his injury.

He finally finished combining the ingredients together into a fine powder and you mixed it all together and before too long you were sitting on the couch together, waiting for the small circles on the baking sheets to re-emerge from the depths of the oven. His arm wrapped around your waist, his legs kicked up on the coffee table, one socked foot exposed, one covered in a boot. He was breathing slowly, calmly, a small grin laced up on his cheeks as he scrolled through his phone.

You wanted to stay like that forever. The way he smelled, bringing peace to your senses. The way his touch felt, holding you close as if he didn’t want to ever let go.

But the oven timer beeped and you separated from him to retrieve your baked goods. You were surprised when he stood quicker than you, grabbing his crutches and holding his hand in your direction.

“C’mon, before all my handiwork gets burnt up.” He laughed.

You took it upon yourself to remove the baking sheets from the oven, checking the little circles to see if they had risen in the heat and slid off the parchment paper with ease. You were pleased when everything seemed to have turned out properly.

You started making the filling, combining butter, more cocoa powder, more confectioners sugar, and heavy cream together. As you once again returned to your post standing in front of your mixer, Tyler’s arms wrapped around your waist, his head resting on your shoulder. He peppered tiny kisses up your neck and to your cheek. The kisses were without words but you knew they were meant with a dozen silent ‘thank you’s’.

You turned your head slightly and offered a kiss of your own, pressed to the side of his face. He looked at you and, for a moment, it was as if he was studying you. His eyes traveled over you as though he were reading a book. And then finally, after what felt like an hour in his gaze, he sighed a contented sigh and squeezed you tighter.

He insisted he help with piping the filling in so you filled two bags for you and for him. He wasn’t exactly neat about it. He would squeeze the bag too hard and overfill the little circular shells or he’d accidentally pipe over the sides but he seemed to be enjoying himself. That was all that mattered.

Time passed, the baking excursion was completed, and the sun began to set as the final dish was loaded into the dishwasher. You made your way to the couch, collapsing into the pillows with a heavy exhale. Baking was hard work and you were more than ready to check out for the rest of the evening. Tyler disappeared once more and a sinking feeling cropped up in your chest.

You had tried so hard and he finally was starting to look so happy. But you were back to square one, it seemed.

You flipped the television on, frustrated and disappointed. You lit your favorite candle and curled up, hoping to sink into the couch cushions before the night was through.

“You’re not about to fall asleep on me, are you?” Tyler asked, startling you.

There he was behind the couch, a blanket around his neck, the tray of completed macarons in one hand, and a crutch under his arm. He had a cheesy grin on his face and you couldn’t help but find it infectious.

“I thought you were gonna go back to your computer.”

You helped unburden him as he came to sit beside you. He spread the blanket over your body and beckoned you closer until your head was resting against his chest.

“I thought about it.” He admitted.

His eyes stayed trained on the television, as though he wasn’t yet ready to look you in the eye, to admit that he was wrong.

“But?” You prompted.

“But it gets pretty lonely sitting in there on my own. I didn’t realize how much I missed you and, y’know, doing things.”

You smiled a self satisfied smile. Your plan had worked. You cuddled closer to him and he pulled his arms around you, kissing the crown of your head.

“Thank you for this.” He first gestured to the baked goods but then to the rest of the room and, for just a minute, you were confused. “For all of this.”

“All of what?”

“For… for bringing me home when I always need it most. If that makes sense.”

You understood. You brought yourself up so you were face to face with him, placing a small kiss on his cheek before pulling him into a tight hug. You felt him laugh quietly, amused by your happiness.

“No matter what,” you murmured, resting your head in the crook of his neck. “I’ll always be here to bring you home. However you want. However you need.”

And so, you laid there for the rest of the night, eating most (if not all) of the macarons, wrapped in blankets while the cold fall winds blew all around the house. You were warm and you were together. You were happy.

And, in spite of Tyler’s continuing injury, the old match tapes remained unwatched and untouched, until long after he had healed.

#hes referred to as tyler because i wrote this before he changed to taylor #taylor rust #taylor rust fanfiction #tyler rust fanfic #tyler rust #tyler rust fanfiction #taylor rust fanfic #taylor rust imagine

[inastrangerskiss]

four paws

Taylor Rust x Reader

content warning: tyler rust said he worked in an animal shelter once and i lost my mind

summary: you find a lost dog and you need to get it home

You walked down the street, four furry paws beside you. These four furry paws did not belong to you. In fact you had no clue who they belonged to.

But, for now, this pup was your responsibility and you were going to do everything in your power to ensure he found his way home.

You had gone up one street and had received only shrugs and “I don’t know”’s from the people you spoke to. You went down another street only to receive the exact same treatment. You began to worry that maybe this dog had somehow managed to cross city lines and you were going to be the saving grace in his Homeward Bound-esque journey.

And then you saw a sign stapled to a telephone pole.

It read “Lost Dog - Reward if found”, a big picture of the dog by your side in the center, and a phone number printed at the bottom in big, bold print. You called the owner immediately. The line only rang once before a man picked up.

“Hello?” Asked a voice, filled with frantic energy.

“Hi. I was walking in town and I think I found your dog.”

“Really? Where was he? Is he okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. He looks perfectly fine. He was just kind of trotting down the sidewalk.”

The man on the other end of the line let out a deep sigh. “Okay, great. Thank you so much. Do you think we could meet up so I could bring him home?”

“Absolutely! I’m near the post office if you’d like to meet there.”

The man eagerly agreed and before you knew it, you were waiting on the corner, the mystery dog’s collar held gently in your hand, your eyes peeled for an approaching Subaru. When it arrived, you made your way to the driver’s side door and the owner stepped out.

He was handsome, broad shoulders and an impeccably built body, dressed in gym shorts and a tank top. His golden blonde hair was half pulled back into a top knot. You found yourself taken away by the smile that spread across his face the moment his dog jumped into his arms.

He peppered the dog with kisses and the dog dropped both paws on either side of the man’s head. The man laughed to himself, embracing his animal tightly before clipping a leash to his collar.

“Oh what are you doing out here!” He cooed. “I have been worried out of my mind over you!”

You stood awkwardly, unsure as to whether or not you were invited to participate in the conversation.

“Did you just find him?” He finally looked up towards you.

His eyes were bright, twinkling as he moved his gaze up to you. You felt your heart flutter as you looked back at him.

“Yeah, he was just sniffing around the street. I thought it was weird that he didn’t have a leash on or a person near him.”

Every attempt the man made to stand was thwarted by the front paws of the dog. Eventually, you reached a hand out and helped pull him to his feet. His fingers delicately found their temporary home against your wrist as he pulled himself to a vertical position and you worried he’d feel the blood pulsing through your veins.

“Thanks.” He spoke through a small grin.

“No problem.”

“I mean for finding him.”

“Whats the little guy’s name?” You asked.

“Tucker.”

“Tucker?”

Upon hearing his name, Tucker’s head tilted and he quickly padded over to you, intent on receiving some degree of affection. You didn’t mind, leaning forward and scratching him behind the ears.

“Yeah. He’s a good boy. His leash broke when we were at the dog park. I didn’t think it’d be a problem until he slipped the gate and started running up the street.”

The man was standing perilously close to you now. His arms were folded against his chest, his muscles ruthlessly on display. The golden sun was beginning to draw shapes against his face, illuminating the stray hairs, pulling away from his head. As he inhaled, you exhaled, both standing in silence entertaining Tucker as he excitedly bounded between both of you.

“Do you have a name?” You asked.

“I’m Tyler.”

You turned to find him looking at you, a warm smile still wrapped over his face. He took a hand and rubbed it behind his neck before stretching both arms over head. His shirt rose up on his torso, exposing his abdomen for just a moment.

“Um, anyways, I can Venmo you the reward for finding Tuck. I definitely don’t have enough cash on hand.”

You quickly shook your head.

“No, it's no problem. I couldn’t take a reward. I’m just happy you got him back.”

“I can’t not thank you.” He looked from you to his feet before continuing.

Without thinking, you held a hand out to Tyler’s arm, a reassuring nod following the gesture. “It’s okay. Trust me.”

He looked at your hand, a small twitch stirring his fingers, and for a moment you wondered if maybe he would reach out to you to meet your touch. But he didn’t and as you went to remove your arm from his space he began to speak again.

“I mean, if you’re not busy I could take you to dinner?”

You felt a raging blush spread across your cheeks, the heat of a million wildfires blazing through your skin. Your brain failed to create coherent strings of words, leaving you to just stand and foolishly grin. You wanted to form the word “yes” but you knew you wouldn’t be able to.

“I can’t tonight.” You sighed, your motor skills reluctantly beginning to cooperate.

“That’s okay. I just-”

“Wait.” You spoke quickly, not wanting to lose the offer. “I’m free tomorrow.”

“Oh. Really?” He asked, his eyes lighting up once again.

“Yeah. And if you are maybe we could-”

“I’m free.” Tyler spoke in a voice that was just as eager as the moment he had picked up the phone.

“Then it’s a date.” You chirped.

Tyler’s eyes met yours and a nervous laugh slipped from his lips. As his gaze washed over you, you felt a warmth tear through your body in spite of the setting sun.

“So, do you do this often?” He asked, gesturing to Tucker. “Finding dogs and returning them to their owners as like a side hustle?”

You couldn’t help but laugh.

“This is my first time.”

“You hear that Tucker? You’ve gotta be on your best behavior, you’re making a first impression for lost dogs here.”

As if on cue, Tucker sidled up to you, nuzzling your leg and forcing your hand to pet the top of his head.

“You know, he’s really shy. I’m kind of surprised he let you wrangle him.” Tyler spoke slowly, as though he were confused. “When he got loose I was worried he’d panic and not let anyone get close to him. I was devastated.”

“Aw, he’s a good boy, though. Isn’t he?” You ruffled the dog’s fur as he leaned in to your loving touch.

“Yeah he is.” A fond expression melted Tyler’s face as he coaxed Tucker back to his side, a white knuckle grip on his leash.

A comfortable silence fell over both of you.

“Well I should get this guy home.” Tyler sighed, starting towards his car. “Maybe you could text me? And we could figure out a place to go tomorrow night?”

“I think I can do that.” You nodded, a coy smirk resting on your face.

Tyler helped Tucker into the car before opening his own door. Before he sat down, he placed an arm on the roof of the vehicle and turned to you.

“Hey.” He called. “I’m glad that if anyone was going to find him, it was you.”

The words trailed off, becoming almost too quiet to hear. But you heard them. And when you looked him in the eyes, you felt something. You didn’t know what it was exactly but it made you feel whole. It made you feel safe.

“I think I’m glad I was the one who found him too.” You shrugged.

And of course you were. Because in finding the dog, you just may have found something even better.

#shes a lil rough i'll be honest with y'all #but i just like couldn't not write about this in some respect #tyler rust fanfiction #tyler rust fanfic #tyler rust #taylor rust #taylor rust fanfic #taylor rust fanfiction #also hi im back from the dead because work has been a lil nicer to me

[inastrangerskiss]

under the covers

Tyler Rust x Reader

content warning: today i have prepared for you a fun tooth-rotting take on the "theres only one bed" trope

summary: tyler drives you back after a long day out together

The car rolled slowly down the road, your eyes feeling heavier with each passing street lamp. The hum of the wheels below you and the almost inaudible radio had turned into your personal lullaby.

Tyler was beside you, his eyes focused on the white and yellow lines, squinting at every sign, gently decelerating with each twist and bend you encountered. You always teased him for driving like an old woman and he always scolded you for driving like a teenage boy. Occasionally, his eyes would cross over to you as if he were checking to make sure you were still there.

It had been a long day. He picked you up in the early hours of the morning, convinced that the best way for you to start your day was with a hike through the hills. You begrudgingly followed but only because you were willing to do anything if it meant spending time alone with him. This is how it always was. He went grocery shopping with you because it usually ended in hours of sitting on your couch discussing your lives. You would ask him to come over to perform inane handyman tasks like hanging picture frames for you and end up catching the late showing of whatever movie was in the theatre down the street from your apartment.

Once he called you at four in the morning asking for you to pick him up from a bar and you happily hopped into your car, pajama clad and bleary eyed, to haul his ass home to your couch.

You were always looking for reasons to see him and he was always creating opportunities.

But you were just friends.

And, anyways, the hike was worth it. Early morning exercise, fresh air in your lungs, Tyler’s hand guiding you as you carefully navigated rocky terrain. Upon reaching the summit of your hike, he sat down in front of you, centering his mind in the moment. His legs dangled over the edge of your resting spot and, although it wasn’t a far distance to fall, it made you nervous. You quelled your anxiety by slowly running your fingers through his golden blonde hair. Lock by lock slipped through your grasp, the warmth from the sun reflecting off of each strand. Carefully, you pulled it back into a ponytail holder that you had kept on your wrist for yourself. Snapping the elastic into place seemed to break Tyler of his trance as he turned back to you with a timid smile.

He held your hand to stabilize himself as he stood up. You could still feel his touch - even now, hours later.

You didn’t question him as he turned his blinker on and took the long way back to town. Instead, you curled up into a ball in the passenger seat, leaning your body towards his, while pretending to be engrossed in whatever was on the lock screen of your phone. His hand drifted from the steering wheel to the cup holder and began toying with a dime that had been sitting there for years.

It had appeared first back when you would’ve considered Tyler a simply platonic acquaintance. It was change from the day he bought you a drink on the way home from a beach party. You had told him how you had piles of paperwork to filter through before morning came so he pulled into a Starbucks and recited your standard order to the woman working the drive thru window. You had only given it to him once before that day. When he didn’t act like this sudden display of recollection was worthy of acknowledgement you also chose to ignore it. But the memory always lingered in the back of your head.

You lazily let your hand fall down beside his and he ran a finger against the back of your palm. Butterflies rocketed through your chest. He cautiously wove his fingers between yours. This wasn’t the first time this had happened. It wasn’t even the tenth.

But you were just friends.

“I’m dropping you off at yours, right?” He asked, not sparing a glance down to you.

Your brain shouted a million different versions of ‘no’ but you couldn’t formulate the word with your own mouth. You quickly tried to filter through your mental filing cabinet of excuses as to why you would be better suited to spend the night at his. You didn’t necessarily need an excuse but you certainly weren’t about to admit openly that the last thing you wanted to do was spend a minute without his body beside yours. Finally, you grabbed your bag with your unheld hand and rifled through it. You knew your keys were in the side pocket but you acted as if you were slowly growing more concerned.

“Hm.” You finally murmured. “I can’t find my key. Would you mind if I crashed at yours?”

“No problem.” He nodded. “I just washed your pajamas.”

How was he able to act so nonchalant? You wondered. Was it normal in his head for two friends to keep clothes at the other’s apartment? Was it normal in his head that they spent so much time together that designated drawers in the other’s dresser was deemed necessary? Maybe this would be acceptable behavior if it were the first time it had ever happened. It would all be a breakthrough in emotions, a beginning to a new chapter in your relationship. But nights regularly ended like this for the two of you. Quiet drives home, hands tangled together, the occasional kiss on the cheek that lasted just a second too long.

As if he could hear your thoughts whipping through your head at warp speed, he turned to you and smiled before returning his gaze to the road.

Your brain stayed quiet for the rest of the drive, your fingers stayed woven between his.

You were just friends.

He pulled into a parking spot outside of his apartment and helped you from the car before walking you inside. He waited in the kitchen while you changed into your sweats and you sat on the couch as he rummaged around in his linen closet.

Finally, he stood in front of you, arms crossed and eyes cast to the floor.

“What’s up?” You asked.

“Can’t find any blankets for you.”

This seemed unlikely but he had just spent a considerable amount of time seemingly searching for something to keep you warm so you crossed your arms and exhaled a sigh.

“I know how much you love being cold.” He spoke in a soft sarcastic tone, a sort of laugh crossing his face as he remembered every time you had turned into a petulant child in temperatures below 60 degrees. “You can stay in my bed if you want.”

Your heart beat fluttered against your chest. “No, it’s okay. I’ll survive.” Mentally, you gave yourself a pat on the back for resisting temptation.

Tyler nodded, his face emotionless. “You sure? It’s supposed to be a chilly night and the bed is big enough for both of us.”

You rolled the idea over in your head a million times in a million directions. Saying yes seemed preposterous but saying no felt like a rejection of the one thing you craved like an addict. You studied him for a moment as he gently toyed with a stray thread that had begun peeking out from his rug.

“If you’re okay with it-”

He quickly looked up to you, your acceptance of his offer already more than he needed to hear. “Yeah it’s fine. If I can’t share my bed with my best friend, who can I share it with?”

You winced at the phrase “best friend”.

Ignoring the wound his words had left in you, you pulled yourself from the sofa and marched to his bed. You just needed to fall asleep, forget the day, move on tomorrow. His side dipped as he rolled in beside you, maintaining a respectable amount of distance to uphold the platonic narrative you both found yourselves inside of. It didn’t matter, though, he could have been sleeping clear on the other side of the room and you still would feel a warm sort of tension resting in your chest. The air between your bodies seemed dense and heavy, like you could stick your arm out to touch him and need to muscle through the unoccupied space. As if you were floating in a pool, fighting the force of the water just to reach him.

You pulled the duvet to your chin, willing your brain to turn off, willing your eyes to finally close. He moved slowly beneath the covers, finding a comfortable position to lay in. His foot brushed your leg and you felt your heart pounding heavily against your chest. His arm was close to yours, his hand only a few inches from your hand.

You imagined closing the distance, wrapping his arm around your body, falling asleep in his clutches. You imagined him kissing the spot where your neck and your shoulders met, waking up to your head against his chest. The bed smelled of his cologne and your mind began running wild with images of lazy Sundays waiting for the sun to reach the highest point in the sky before letting your feet find the floor and early weekday mornings, kissing his head before leaving for work.

And suddenly all those thoughts stopped because Tyler’s hand closed the distance for you.

First, pinky hooked onto yours and slowly but surely the other four fingers found their way between yours. His thumb gently rubbed circles against the side of your hand, his grip only just tight enough that you felt held.

“Tyler?” You asked, not looking in his direction, afraid that maybe he was somehow asleep, reaching out for comfort while not conscious.

“Mhm?” He murmured, staring up at the ceiling.

You wanted to ask him a million questions. You wanted to ask him if he really thought of you as just a friend. You wanted to ask him if he wanted something more from you in the same way you wanted something more from him. You couldn’t go your whole life wondering if those long car rides meant something, or if the way he laid your towel out at the beach meant something, or if the way he made you tea and soup when you were sick, tucking you in under a blanket meant something. You couldn’t go your whole life wondering if you meant something to him.

But the words didn’t come in time.

“Never mind.” You squeezed his hand but didn’t let go.

Neither of you moved for what felt like the longest time. Maybe you were hoping the other would fall asleep so the moment could pass. Finally, Tyler shifted slightly, pulling himself closer to where you laid. You silently crept close enough to rest your head on his arm. He released your hand and wrapped his arm around your back. You could hear his heart pounding out a frenetic pace. It matched yours.

This was a first.

This you had no frame of reference for.

“I had a nice day today.” You whispered.

Tyler continued to watch the ceiling intently, as if it were the thing orchestrating his movements. “Yeah. I’m glad we got out.”

A beat passed before his eyes finally began their descent down to you, down to the truth of what he had initiated. You could feel him looking at you, studying how you clung to his chest. His other hand found your arm and began tracing lines up and down it. It tickled but you didn’t dare react, for fear he would stop.

“I was hoping we’d get a chance to do that hike together.” He added after what felt like an hour. “I wanted you to see it.”

You quickly looked up to him. His eyes were bright even in the darkness, their blue shining in spite of the absence of light. You could see, however, behind his balanced facade that there was a slight furrow to his brow, a panic licking at his brain as he bit his lip.

“I was happy to go with you.” Was all you could manage.

“No. I mean, like - I don’t know how to explain it. I needed you to be there this morning.” He grew frustrated as he found himself at a loss for words.

You knew what had to happen. You didn’t know how to do it, though. You ran a hand down his cheek, gently scratching his stubble. He lifted his head from the pillow. Before you could figure out who initiated it, your lips were on his, his fingers were woven into your hair. He cradled your head with the utmost care. He held you against him with delicate force, offering you just enough leeway to escape if that was what you needed to do.

But you didn’t need to. You didn’t want to.

When you parted, nervous laughter filled the darkened room. It subsided to a tender lull. The tension between you was gone, like humidity after a storm. You could breathe again. You laid beside him, his face only inches from yours, begging to be kissed a second time. But you sensed a hint of fear in his demeanor, an anxiety that only you had the power to quell.

Your fingers intertwined once more, a wordless gesture to let him know it was okay. Everything was okay.

“Are we still friends?” He asked, his voice shy and distant.

You sighed heavily before leaning in and pressing another kiss to his lips. This was a shorter one than the first but it carried a heavier message.

“Can we please be anything but that?” You murmured as you parted, your breath still close enough to ghost over his lips.

He smiled. He smiled because he knew.

You were just friends. But, finally, you had the chance to be so much more.

#tyler rust #tyler rust fanfic #tyler rust fanfiction #tyler rust imagine #tyler rust x reader #this is my second magnum opus if that makes sense

[inastrangerskiss]

diamond eyes

Tyler Rust x Reader

content warning: a lot of fluff, a little angst and some references to alcohol

summary: you hadn't seen him in a year but there he was standing in front of you with more on his mind than you could ever know

vaguely based on the song diamond eyes by the deftones

It had been one year.

One whole year. Maybe a month or a few weeks or days more than that but, at the end of the day, it had been one entire year that you had been separated from Tyler. He had moved to a different state to pursue different dreams and you weren’t entirely certain that your paths would cross again.

But there he stood in the middle of the cafe.

You were grabbing your coat and ending your shift when you felt his presence. Something told you that when you walked back out, when you walked towards the exit, there would be something that shook you to your core.

And there he was. Hair pulled back. Arms crossed as he stared at the menu boards hanging over the cashier’s till.

You weren’t sure you even wanted to talk to him. You couldn’t remember how you had left things with him but you knew there was a reason you hadn’t texted him since the week before he initially left.

With that knowledge in mind you kept your head down and tried to beeline to freedom. Freedom from work. Freedom from customers. Freedom from whatever dreadful history you had with the man with golden hair.

But a hand caught you as you walked.

And there he was, smiling down at you, as if time hadn’t passed.

“Hey you.” He chimed in a quiet voice.

You didn’t know if you were meant to smile or shake your head but the way his cheeks lifted into a warm grin gave you enough information.

“Long time no see, kid.” He continued.

“You’re the one who left.” Your tone came off more accusatory than teasing and you quickly regretted it.

He backed down slightly, releasing your arm with a vaguely hurt expression across his face.

“Fair.” He offered. “Where are you off to?”

“Home.”

“Mind if I walk with you?”

You had two options. A part of you deeply wanted to shake your head and avoid whatever confrontation might ensue but a more persuasive part of you couldn’t deny the way he made butterflies rattle to life in your chest.

You looked to your coworker who seemed to be part way through taking his order and looked back to Tyler. Finally, you conceded, waving a hand ahead of you, encouraging him to lead the way. He turned on his heel and walked towards the door, holding it open for you as you passed him.

Outside it was calm, just the slightest bit of chill nipping at the breeze. The sun was beginning to set for the day, casting an orange light over everything in its path. The walk was slower than normal. You couldn’t tell if you were dragging your feet or if he was prolonging the inevitable.

“How long are you in town for?”

“I moved back last week.”

His voice was a sigh of resignation, heavy with unspoken displeasure. You decided you didn’t have enough time to unpack what he was thinking.

“So you’re living in town again?”

Tyler nodded, this time with a pleasant smile.

“Miss me?” He asked.

He knew the answer even if you hadn’t figured it out. You were quiet as you thought about how to respond but, as time and the squares of poured concrete passed, you realized that there was no need for a response. Your silence was probably already telling enough.

“Listen, I know we left things on sort of a sour note but I missed you.”

He sounded like the Tyler you remembered. Soft, comforting. Affectionate.

He sounded like the Tyler you had known right before he left.

Puzzle pieces started falling together in your head as that last night spent with each other appeared in your mind.

You had been at a party. He had texted you an hour before coming to pick you up, asking for advice on an outfit. You made a joke about him expecting to pick up a hot date. He had just replied with a winking emoji that made you laugh.

When he picked you up he was playing your favorite song on the car radio. He drove slowly to the party and you knew he was doing it because you were there sitting beside him.

It was a loud event and you found yourself immediately gravitating towards the outside area. There was a sense of calm and peace when you stood near the large oak tree in the backyard. It made you think of Tyler. And as you compared their similarities in the back of your mind, sipping your drink slowly, the man on your mind appeared by your side.

“I was wondering where you were.” He smiled as he spoke. It was the same smile as the one you feel when you walk through the front door of your childhood home after being away for so long.

“I was wondering the same thing about you.”

“It’s not like I’m ever that far from you.”

You didn’t understand what he meant at that moment. You weren’t sure if you even understood now.

“You looking forward to packing up and moving out?” You asked, trying to steer the conversation back to familiarity.

He shrugged. “Gonna miss you.”

“You can always call me.”

“That’s not the same though, is it?”

You were going to miss him too. You were going to miss the long hikes on weekends and crashing on his couch after being in the sun all day. You were going to miss how it felt when he put his arm around your shoulder.

You were going to miss standing next to him.

You weren’t really sure how everything happened after that. He carefully took your hand in his as if he were learning the motion for the first time. You tightened your fingers around his, suddenly viscerally aware of how fleeting this moment was.

And then he kissed you. Or you kissed him. You couldn’t possibly know now, a year removed. But it felt right. It felt tender and gentle and like you could have stayed in that space for the rest of your life and never grown weary.

But your lips parted and you quickly stepped back, nearly tripping over the oak tree's roots. He apologized and you apologized and you shook your head and asked if it were alright if he drove you home. He hadn’t had anything to drink and, in turn, complied with your request.

And the night passed and the morning came and a text was never exchanged between your phones again.

And now he was standing outside of your house, leaning against the column that held your porch roof safely overhead, clearly biding his time.

“I never should’ve-” He started but you couldn’t hear him apologize again.

“It’s okay. It’s my fault for jumping back the way I did.”

“No. I get why you did.”

“You just took me by surprise.”

“There were better ways for me to tell you how I felt.”

You paused.

“How did you feel?”

A blush spread over his face as he looked to his feet. He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, tousling his hair in a way that threatened to make your head spin.

“I don’t think it’s a secret that I like you.”

You hadn’t missed the sudden shift from past to present tense.

“Well, we’re friends. I would hope you like me.”

You knew you were trying to corner him into a confession but it seemed like the only way to get him to step past his shame and open up.

“You know what I mean.”

You did.

“When you like someone do you just not text them for a year and hope that when you come back things will have resolved themselves?” You asked, crossing your arms over your chest.

“I was worried you hated me.”

“I couldn’t hate you.” You felt a burning in your chest as you looked out to the street, cars racing by this awkward situation. “Anyways, I could’ve messaged you too.”

“I just feel really bad. I didn’t mean for everything to fall apart.”

You were quiet, unsure as to what to say but the gnawing sensation in the center of your mind wouldn’t quit. Your mouth wanted to form words, form an admission, but you couldn’t bring yourself to manage a syllable.

Slowly, Tyler bid a soft goodbye, moving to hop off the porch. Suddenly, a sentence came to your tongue and you spit it out as quickly as you could.

“I like you too, you know.”

Tyler had made it a few steps away when you finally found your voice but stopped walking the moment the words arrived at his ears.

“I was glad you kissed me. I wanted you to. I just didn’t react right.”

He tried to hide his smile as he turned back to face you but you could see the evidence of it in the tiny wrinkles beside his eyes. After so many years of knowing him you were pleased you could still recognize the parts of him you loved the most.

“Are you just saying that to make me feel better?” He asked hesitantly.

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes. “No, Tyler. I mean it.”

He walked back towards you, his face still a mess of confusion.

“Why didn’t you just say something?”

You let out a heavy sigh. “I guess I just thought that leaving it alone would be better for our friendship. I was clearly wrong but it felt like the right idea in the moment.”

“I guess I wasn’t much better.” He shrugged.

Your hands shook slightly from the adrenaline and for a second you thought to shove them into your pockets. Instead, you left them free of confines, deciding it was too exhausting to hide how you felt for a moment longer.

It was quiet on the porch again but this time there was a sense of relief to the silence. You could hear birds chirping and a dog barking in the distance, the grinding gears of your brain no longer taking center stage. The tension that you had noticed in Tyler’s shoulders had softened.

“I’m sorry.”

You held a hand out and he took it, tightening his fingers around yours. He pulled you in and wrapped you up in a hug the exact shape and size of the hole he had left in your heart when he moved away. You reciprocated with the exact amount of force required to fill that empty space.

Slowly, you looked up to him and he looked down to you. And then he kissed you. Or you kissed him. It didn’t really matter at that point.

This time you didn’t jump away.

“I really thought I wouldn’t get to see you ever again.” He murmured when your lips parted, his arms still holding you to his body.

“It’s not like I’m ever that far from you.” You whispered into his chest.

#tyler rust #tyler rust imagine #tyler rust x reader #tyler rust fanfiction #tyler rust fanfic #nxt imagine #LMAO POSTED THIS ONE TO THE MAIN BLOG LIKE AN IDIOT #anyways tyler is back and thats all that matters and i will be celebrating it today

[inastrangerskiss]

sleeping / waking

Tyler Rust x Reader

content warning: it is fluff and that is all literally just a ton of mindless fluff

summary: you wake up slowly, tyler by your side

Sunlight crept across the room, its bright light crossing over your eyelids, warming your senses out of their previously dormant state. You blinked a few times, your hands meeting your face to wipe the sleep from your vision. You became aware of the arm that was wound around your back, the chest beneath your head, moving up and down in a slow, rhythmic pattern. Tyler was still asleep.

You ran your finger over his bare chest, the physical contact raising goosebumps over his skin. A smile gently spread over his cheeks and you wondered if he was awake or asleep.

He seemed blissfully unaware of the mounting to-do list in your head.

It was quiet. You could hear the ocean waves lapping at the shore in the distance. The sound was still new to you. The smell of the salt in the air was still new to you. You didn’t mind it - in fact, you had quickly grown to love it - but it was still new to you.

Where you had come from there was no ocean and a rising breeze meant it was time to put on a jacket. Tyler had seemed to enjoy it for the most part but after about a year of him enduring the place you called home you had noticed he had become detached and tired. You couldn’t understand what had caused the change in demeanor until you woke in the middle of the night and found him scrolling through real estate websites, staring at houses on the coast. He tried to tell you it was just something he did to lull himself back to sleep but you knew better.

So you packed everything up and moved.

Tyler stirred beside you as you took in the space that was your bedroom. The wall across from the bed sat half painted, a plastic tarp covering the floor, furniture pulled towards the middle of the room, leaving just enough space for the two of you to walk behind. You taped the baseboards with blue painters while he taped the ceiling. You made fun of him for having a horrible painting technique and he made fun of you for being too short to reach the top of the wall. When you pouted just enough he lifted you up so you were a few inches taller than him, providing you with the ability to paint over the haphazard patterns he had created. He kissed your head as he placed you back on the floor.

Sunlight cut geometric shapes across the floor and the bed. He kissed your head as he rolled over in his waking sleep. His other arm reached around to embrace you.

Boxes sat against the unpainted walls, labeled in permanent marker with tags such as Tyler’s Clothes and Books and Hiking Gear. You had been patient waiting for him to unpack, knowing his job kept him on the road and made it difficult to keep up with the tedious chores that the average person might have accomplished weeks earlier. He had helped unpack the rest of the house anyways. The serverware was in cabinets because of him. The television was mounted on the wall because of him. And when you broke down in tears because the lamp your mother gave you had shattered in transit he held you to his chest and quietly hushed your sobs. He spent the rest of the day doing what he could to glue it back together.

You could feel his eyelashes fluttering against your collarbone.

“Are you ready to get up?” You whispered. He mumbled something akin to a rejection of the suggestion.

You remembered the first day after your arrival and how he had responded the same way as you laid on the beach. You sat on the edge of the towel, your feet shifting back and forth in the sand, allowing the tiny granules to massage your soles. The sun had started to set and the tide was beginning to roll in after hours of being far from its home at the top of the shore. You nudged Tyler’s arm, letting out a small laugh at your t-shirt that he had chosen to drape over his face to protect from the brightness and heat. You asked him if he was ready to go back up to the house. He uncovered his face for a second, looked around with a smile and shook his head, patting the space beside him, inviting you to join in the cat nap he was about to embark on. It was the first time in months that you had seen that smile and it made your heart sing.

Sunlight had fully arrived now, splashing a fresh layer of gold over your bedroom. You felt his hands drift under your shirt, his fingertips gently pressing into your skin. He traced shapes and lines over your skin. He traced wordless thank you’s for bringing his body back to where his heart had never left and silent declarations of love for everything you were to him.

He seemed blissfully unaware of the mounting to-do list in your head but it was okay. You were happy to lay there for another hour longer.

#tyler rust #tyler rust imagine #tyler rust x reader #tyler rust fanfic #tyler rust fanfiction #this is just a brief lil tyler fic before i forget about it #its not the one i have been shamelessly flaunting

[inastrangerskiss]

coffee

Tyler Rust x Reader

content warning: i'm mass posting these in my drafts and i'm out of quirky ways to say it's just a load of fluff

summary: the stranger ahead of you in line at the coffeeshop has the most ridiculous drink order

The rain beat down on the top of your umbrella as you hurried into the coffeeshop, your bag pressed against your chest. You pushed the door open, immediately greeted by the cozy glow of incandescent lighting and a wave of warm air. The space was only sparsely populated, a handful of people scattered about, some reading newspapers or books, some studiously typing away on laptops.

As you undid your windbreaker, a body brushed past you, raindrops from their coat splashing onto your face, the cold liquid dripping down your cheek. You muttered a few frustrated words but the person was already too far to hear you.

You hung your jacket on a free hook and grabbed a plastic bag for your umbrella before stepping into line behind the person who had dampened you upon arrival. He stood a good few inches above you, his hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. It was a light golden blonde, a color nearly brilliant enough to be mistaken for the sun on such a miserably dreary day. He stared up at the menu board as a young girl waited to take his order. As he tilted his head to the side you could see the way his cheeks lifted into a curious little smile.

“What’s in the yellow and blue tea?” He asked.

“Chamomile, lavender, and cornflowers.”

He didn’t say anything more, still pondering the offerings of the coffee shop.

Suddenly, his attention turned backwards towards you, as if he had only just noticed a person was waiting behind him. As his gaze met yours you noticed how handsome he truly was. His hazel eyes lit up and a look of embarrassment crossed his face.

“Sorry, I’ll probably be a second. Do you want to go ahead of me?” He gestured towards the register as he spoke.

You declined with a patient smile. “That’s alright. I can wait.”

He shrugged and turned back to the menu. You didn’t exactly mind standing behind him, especially not if it meant getting some more time to stare at his broad shoulders.

After several long minutes he finally stepped closer to the cashier, leaning a rain drenched arm on the counter. “Okay, so I’ll have a green tea latte, oat milk instead of dairy, a shot of blueberry syrup, a shot of vanilla syrup and a dash of cinnamon. I’d like it iced but not too much ice.”

You rolled your eyes, laughing quietly to yourself. The order itself took longer to say than to make.

“What size would you like? Small, medium, or large?”

“A medium but if you could put it in a large cup.”

The girl took a ten dollar bill from his hand, returning several dollars and a few coins to him after completing the transaction. The only redeeming quality you could find in the man after his ridiculous display of ordering was that he placed the entirety of the change in the tip jar.

You shook your head and took his place in front of the cashier, offering her a small smile to let her know you also heard what he had asked for. You ordered your coffee and paid. With the warm drink in hand, you made your way to your favorite table by the windows.

You opened a notebook, placed your headphones in your ears and began staring out to the street, willing a good idea to come to you in the form of raindrops pouring down the glass outside. The man and his absurd drink sat a few tables away from you. You watched him notice the coat rack by the door, abandoning his personal effects to place the wet pile of fabric in its rightful place. He returned to his seat and began flipping through a book. It was a guidebook to the local trails and hiking paths. Before you could avert your eyes, he looked up to you. You quickly looked away but you could’ve sworn you saw him smile.

You sat and looked out to the rainy world a while longer before inspiration struck and you began doodling ideas onto a piece of lined paper. From the corner of your vision you thought you saw him occasionally look up in your direction. You grinned to yourself but tried to shake the thoughts from your head in favor of focusing on the task at hand.

As your mind ran empty once again you sat back and stared at the ink laden page of your notebook. You couldn’t help but feel as though you were being watched and butterflies began fluttering through your stomach. The distraction was clear in your work and you ripped the page out, crumpling it with a frustrated sigh.

Time to start again, you thought.

More doodles were created, more ideas didn’t make the cut. The man continued to flip through page after page. When you were sure he couldn’t see you, you’d steal glances in his direction. He was built exactly how you’d expect a man reading a hiking guidebook in a coffee shop to be built. His arms were toned and muscular. His chest, although obscured by his shirt, was impressive to say the least.

And his face. His face was breathtaking. The way he furrowed his brow as he looked for a pencil in his backpack, the way his lips pursed as he meticulously underlined sentences. His fingers nervously folded the corners of the pages back and forth as he read.

A sudden snap came from his direction, garnering your attention once again. He stared at the tip of his pencil, now broken. Then he looked up at you.

The same embarrassed smile wound across his face as he gathered his book in hand and made his way towards where you sat. The butterflies you had initially felt had turned into a flock of crows, beating their wings against your ribcage as you searched your lungs for a single, steady breath.

“Hey.” He murmured. “I don’t mean to bother you but I saw you were writing and I was wondering if you had a pen or a pencil that I could borrow.”

You nodded, incapable of words as you searched through your bag for a writing implement. Quicker than you had hoped, a mechanical pencil found its way to your fingers and you produced it for him to take back to his table. As the instrument exchanged hands he stared at it for a moment, as if hesitant to accept such an abrupt ending to your meeting.

“The lighting over here is really good. I can see why you chose the table.” His voice was searching for a reason not to walk away but your brain suddenly found creating complete sentences to be a real challenge.

“Its my favorite.” You managed.

He looked from the window to your notebook to you and then back to the window. “You come here often.”

You nodded, desperate for an intelligent quip or interesting response but finding nothing.

“Cool. Well, if you leave before I do you can steal this back from me.” He wiggled the pencil in his hand and turned to go back to his seat.

As he got farther and farther, his steps got slower and slower. Finally, words appeared in your head.

“You can sit here too.” You called out to him, quiet enough to not disturb the other patrons. “If you’d like.”

He turned back toward you, his face lit up with a grin. He laughed to himself as he gathered his belongings and his drink and made his way back to your table, taking the open seat across from you. He was quiet at first, seemingly also distracted by the world outside.

You looked along with him, your two sets of eyes sharing the sights of the cars passing on the road, people hurrying to and from buildings.

“I heard you laughing up there.” He spoke with a mischievous glimmer in his eyes.

His tone invited you to come out of your shell a bit, to play along with him.

“I’ve never heard a more ridiculous order in my life.”

“It’s good. It’s my treat to myself after a long week.”

You could tell he knew he had sounded silly up at the cash register and a part of you almost felt bad for making fun of him. His face was timid but kind, a gentle warmth radiating from his demeanor. He had a certain way about him that made you want to wrap yourself up in his likeness, as though doing so might protect you from the world at large.

“I bet you’d like it, you know.” He didn’t look at you as the words came free of his mouth.

Your face twisted slightly. “Sounds way too sweet for me.”

“What do you drink?” He pointed to your cup.

“Black coffee.”

He chuckled as he sat back in his seat, his arms folded over his chest, seeming slightly more confident speaking to you now.

“Maybe it would be too sweet for you.”

You sat in silence a while longer and you noticed the flock of crows in your chest had dissipated, allowing for the tiny gentle hum of butterflies to stir pleasantly within you. He looked at your doodles, analyzing them way more than you had ever intended for a stranger to analyze your work process. You didn’t mind it, though. The part of you that normally would have closed the notebook didn’t seem to be present at the moment.

“I like that one.” He pointed to some abstract interpretation of what flowers looked like in your head. He ran his finger over the lines as he studied it and suddenly the sketch felt holy.

“Do you hike?” You asked, trying to mitigate the overwhelming fondness you had begun to feel.

The man nodded. “I’m new here. I was hoping to get an idea of what to do this weekend.”

“There’s a place down the road that has a really nice trail to the top of the mountain. It’s a great view of the city.”

“Do you hike?”

You pulled back slightly. “No, I’ve done that hike a few times but I don’t make a habit of it.”

“Maybe you could show me, someday.”

Words suddenly escaped your mind once again. You didn’t know this man. You had never met him. But as you sat there it felt as if you had known him for years, as if you had sat in this exact same spot a million times in a million past lives. And you felt comfort.

“Not sure I could go on a hike with a guy who orders a drink as complicated as yours.” You were impressed with your linguistic ability in spite of having forgotten any grasp of the English language you had once had.

“I promise you it’s really good.” He jokingly pleaded with you. “Don’t knock it till you try it.”

“Even if I wanted to try it I could never bring myself to order that.”

He looked down before carefully raising his eyes to you. “What if I order it for you?”

“I have a drink.” You laughed.

“Not today. Maybe, let’s say, Wednesday?”

The pieces clicked into your brain. He was asking you on a date. The man you didn’t know but knew all too well was asking you on a date. And you weren’t about to say no.

“If I hate it you have to finish it.”

His pensive face exploded into a beaming expression. “I’ll order one for you and one for me. That’s how confident I am.”

You wanted to tell him he was crazy but you couldn’t. He was too sweet, too irresistible. The frustration you had felt towards him earlier had altogether become a foreign emotion. All you felt now was affection.

“Can I have your name before I agree to this taste test?” You asked.

Slowly, as to not jostle the table, he leaned forward, pencil in hand, and wrote out the name Tyler on your notebook. The letters carefully wound up the length of the flower sketch he had complimented earlier. It was as if that were the missing piece to the image all along. He sat back and looked out the window.

With a smile, he sat back.

“I promise you,” he spoke with a gentleness in his voice. “You’ll love it.”

You were sure you were going to.

#tyler rust #russ taylor #ryan taylor #tyler rust imagine #tyler rust fanfiction #tyler rust x reader #nxt imagine #taylor rust #i just want to like telepathically send him love so here is a fic about loving him

[inastrangerskiss]

the last time

Tyler Rust x OFC

content warning: a little bit of angst, a little bit of fluff

His arms wrapped around her torso. His lips on her neck. His hands pulling hers across her body. She didn’t think this was where they would end up.

She could remember the day he left her. He had to find himself. He had to find some peace within himself. She was too busy. She was too regimented. She wasn’t free enough with her time or her plans. But a few years had passed. She had tried to be more open with her schedules, cutting back on hours at the shop, moving to a new place by the beach. She learned to take deep breaths. He became more tied up, working everyday, filling every free moment with workouts and matches, missing friends and lovers more and more often.

“Don’t go.” She whispered against his shoulder. It sounded the same as the first time she had dared to plead out loud to him.

The first time he responded: “It’s not forever.”

But he had packed his bags all the same and drove away.

The days after were difficult.

Not waking up in the same bed. She would roll over to his side hoping to find his bare chest, exposed in the morning light, his hair a mess under his head. Sleep would mark his cheeks, drawing lines across his skin. The coffee pot was empty and the living room was empty, no yoga mat on the floor, no books strewn across the coffee table.

He found himself hoping he’d open his eyes to see her aimlessly staring at the ceiling beside him, still wrapped up in the duvet regardless of the heat that had or hadn’t soaked the space overnight. He would take two mugs down from the cabinet, fill the coffee maker with two cups of water only to find a realization more bitter than the black water. No one reminding him to tidy up after his morning meditations, no one to put the books back on the shelf.

They saw each other a couple times over the years. She came to his match with a new man. He went to a bar with a new girl. But every time felt like the last time. Like the last goodbye and the last kiss before walking out the door. As if no time had passed at all. There was a tender sort of pain that echoed through the air. It would enter when the other did. Tyler could be on the other side of whatever space they were in and he’d feel it in the back of his throat. She would know when her chest began to ache.

Let it go she would repeat to herself. He was never really there.

The words would play over and over until she had finally made it back to the safety of the sidewalk outside.

The moment he saw her leave he was filled with a bittersweet relief, the sort that you find when something ends that you secretly wished hadn’t.

But two years passed and they made changes. Changes that affected themselves. Changes that affected others.

She walked to the store that morning, still in sweats, sleep encircling her eyes like rings on a well loved coffee table. He had realized he needed oat milk for his tea. He lingered in the dairy aisle for a moment longer than he had planned to. Maybe it was fate drawing their lines back together, maybe it was coincidence. But for the first time in a long time, when they happened upon each other that morning, bashful smiles crossed both of their faces. She made a comment about how she would’ve gotten more dressed up if she had known she was going to see him. He told her that she looked fine. What he couldn’t manage to get out was that seeing her, looking just as she had always, all those years ago, was more of a comfort to him than anyone could ever possibly provide.

They got to talking. It was casual but it was comfortable. She mentioned picking up baking as a hobby in her spare time. She explained how she had found it therapeutic, how it had helped her “center herself” - something Tyler was always saying she needed to learn how to do. They walked to the checkout islands together. He discussed how he needed to take some time off. He had been working nonstop and it was beginning to burn him out. He told her about the road trip he was planning to take in a few weeks.

A road trip he would never end up going on.

After they paid for their items, he walked with her back to her apartment. She invited him upstairs to have coffee. She had made too much and it was just going to go to waste. Tyler couldn’t argue with that sort of logic.

Coffee became lunch and when they finally parted ways, it felt less like it had every other time. It felt less like the end and more like a beginning. Less like a “goodbye” and more like a “see you soon”.

A few months passed. And there they were, his arms around her torso, his lips on her neck, his hands pulling hers across her body. They sat like this for what felt like hours. Nowhere to be. No one to go to. Just their bed, their pillows, and their bodies. And she turned, her head meeting his shoulder.

“Don’t go.” She whispered, hoping she didn’t sound the same as the first time she had dared to utter this sentence.

But this time was different. This time her words were met with a kiss to the crown of the head, and a tightening of the gentle grasp he had on her.

“I won’t.” He murmured into the dark. “Not this time. Not again.”

#tyler rust #russ taylor #ryan taylor #tyler rust fanfiction #tyler rust fanfic #tyler rust x ofc #tyler rust imagine #nxt imagine #yeah i chose not to make a summary and that is because i could not think of one

[sweetdreamhellofanight]

New Kid (part 1)

Timothy Thatcher x Reader x Tyler Rust Warnings: Smut (18+) Word Count: 1,557 Summary: You take a liking to the new kid in class; Timothy Thatcher notices

He had no favorite students. 

Except you knew that it was definitely you. 

The smallest, the only woman, and the only one who could go toe to toe with him in the ring. 

“That’s 3, you’re done,” you said, proudly, pinning him down. You saw a flicker of a smile on his face before he pushed you off, standing up. 

“Then it’s someone else’s turn,” he said, clearing his throat, facing the other poor souls in this training class. “New kid!” he boomed, pointing at Tyler, who was not all that new anymore, but you had a feeling Tim didn’t actually know his name. 

He nodded, getting into the ring quickly. 

Tim circled the two of you as you sparred, interjecting from time to time, but mostly letting the two of you go at it. You felt his eyes on you for most of it, pleased with yourself as he watched. 

It took you two minutes to pin Tyler to get the win, a little longer than normal, but there was something about the way his hands felt on you that made your mind stop working for a second. Something about the way he held you that sent a shock through you. 

But you had to stay focused and make up for those few seconds he’d taken from you. 

So you did. 

“That’s 3, you’re done,” Tim said, nudging Tyler back up. 

You jumped up and helped him up, too, your eyes meeting as he smiled at you. 

“Good match,” he said, holding his hand out for you. 

You watched him for a moment, but shook it anyways, 

“You too,” you replied. Your breath hitched in your throat as he looked at you, his smile a little softer than normal, his hand lingering in yours. 

Tim cleared his throat, moving past you, and dismissed the class. Tyler nodded at you, and left with the others. 

You stayed back, though, you always did, and waited for Tim. 

“How was I today, Mr. Thatcher?” you asked, making your voice as sweet as possible, once you were sure everyone was gone. 

He shook his head, but you could see a smile on his lips, 

“Good,” he said, gathering his belongings. 

You arched an eyebrow and stared at him, 

“Just good?” you asked. 

He shrugged, 

“You took too long with Rust,” he said, nonchalantly, but there was something else in his voice that caught your attention. 

You took a step closer, 

“Wasn’t that long,” you replied. 

“You got me down in 75 seconds. It took you two full minutes with Rust,” he said. 

“75 seconds? You counted?” you asked, incredulously, walking up to him. 

He smirked, tapping his forehead in response. 

“Okay well, that’s not fair cause you and I work like that all the time. We know each other too well. Tyler’s still new,” you defended. 

“You could’ve been faster,” he said. 

“You know me, I like taking my time,” you said, quietly, a hand trailing down his chest.

“You can do better,” he said, his voice dropping low. 

“You jealous, Thatch?” you asked. He smiled, 

“Nothing to be jealous about,” he said. “Coming over tonight?” he asked, playing with the ends of your hair, falling out of your bun. 

“You know it,” you said, softly, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll see you then.” 

*** 

“Hey!” you heard from behind you. You were halfway into your car when you turned to see Tyler waving at you. 

You waved back, watching him make his way towards you. 

“New kid! How’s it going?” you greeted him. He smiled, looking away for a second, 

“I just wanted to say, good session,” he said, still not making eye contact with you. 

He looked slightly nervous, but sweet, still. His hair pulled back in a bun, his gym bag draped across him, fiddling with the strap as he spoke, 

“You too,” you replied. You waited for him to say something, and when he didn’t you spoke again. “Well, I’ll see you around,” you said. 

“I wanted to ask,” he said, quickly, making you stop. “A bunch of us are going out tomorrow night for drinks and I don’t know if you were planning on going but...do you wanna come?” 

You smiled, 

“I wasn’t planning on it,” you said. 

His smile dropped, 

“Oh, well-”

“But since you asked,” you said, cutting him off, making him look up at you, “I think I will.” 

“Sweet,” he said, nodding his head. “I’ll see you then!” 

You couldn’t help but smile as he walked away. 

He was quiet cute, and maybe you took a little longer with him because he intrigued you. 

But Tim didn’t need to know that. 

***

He’d ordered dinner by the time you arrived, the two of you on his couch as you tried to undress him, 

“You don’t wanna eat first?” 

“I wanna eat you,” you teased, hands going for his sweatpants. 

“Later, doll, come on,” he said, moving your food in front of you. 

“Oh I wanted to ask,” you said, finishing your food and setting it aside, turning to look at him. “Some of us are getting drinks tomorrow after the show, you should come with me.” 

He did what Tim always did. 

He gave a half smile, a shrug, and then said, 

“I’m okay.” 

“Come on, you don’t even have a match tomorrow it’s not like you’re gonna be rushing home to go to bed or anything.” 

“It’s not really my thing, you know that,” he said. 

“I’m sure Marcel and them will be there if you get bored of me,” you teased. 

“Bored of you? I could never,” he said, punctuated with a kiss on your cheek. 

“Tyler told me about it anyways, thought you might enjoy a drink with your students,” you said, raising your eyebrows at him. 

He was quiet after that, taking a slow sip of his drink

“What?” you asked. 

He shook his head, 

You smirked, 

“Is this about Tyler? Because I took too long with him?” you asked. He shook his head again, 

“Just didn’t realize he was asking you out,” he said. 

“He didn’t ask me out, he told me that a group of people were going out after work and extended the invitation to me. Just like I am extending the invitation to you,” you said, moving closer to him, running your nails through his beard. 

 He turned to look at you now with heavy eyes, looking you up and down as he moved his body towards you, 

“I’ve got an invitation for you,” he murmured, leaning in closer. 

He kissed you softly, but it was the way Tim’s hands combed through your hair that got you every time. The way his fingers gently moved over your head as he kissed you that made you moan. 

He took a handful of hair and tugged on it, pulling your head back, breaking the kiss so he could look at you, 

“Bedroom?” he asked, breathless. 

You nodded, smiling as he picked you up, leading you to the bed with your legs wrapped around his waist. He dropped both you and himself onto the bed, pressing himself against you and kissed your neck, his hand returning to your hair. 

He bit down and made you gasp, 

“For being so good in class today,” he whispered against you. 

“I thought I took too long,” you argued, smiling to yourself as he took his shirt off. He stood at the edge of the bed, shirtless now, breathing heavy. His smile faltered for a moment, but smirked instead, 

“I’m the one that gets to take their time,” he said. 

“So you are a little jealous,” you replied, sitting up. 

He shook his head, taking hold of your hips and pulling you down, sliding your skirt and underwear off in the process, 

“Why would I be jealous of someone who can’t do this?” he asked, lowering his head. 

Tim wasn’t messing around tonight, his tongue diving straight in between your folds, his hands pressing your hips down against the bed. 

He knew how to make you lose your mind, he knew the exact way to draw his tongue over your cunt that made you moan his name. 

But he didn’t stop there. 

“Turn over,” he commanded, his voice husky and commanding. You moved quickly, excitement coursing through you, as he positioned you in front of him, the tip of his cock pressing into you. 

With one hand on the back of your head, he pushed your face into the bed, the other hand pinning your arms behind your back as he thrusted into you. 

Your moans were muffled against the bed, eyes shut tight as he slammed against you, cursing as he came inside you. 

“Fuck,” he grunted, pulling out. He let go of your arms, but you still laid there face down, your legs quivering beneath you. He rubbed your back gingerly, “you good?” he asked, quietly. 

You chuckled, lifting yourself up and turning over, 

“Never better, you?” you replied, smiling lazily as he pulled you into his arms, settling down into the bed. 

“Only when I’m with you,” he whispered, kissing you softly. 

“So you’ll come out tomorrow?” you asked. 

“I’ll think about it,” he replied. 

You kissed the tip of his nose, earning a goofy little smile from him that made you smile just as wide. 

#nxt fanfiction #timothy thatcher #tyler rust #timothy thatcher x reader #tyler rust x reader #my writing #****

[sweetdreamhellofanight]

New Kid (part 2)

Timothy Thatcher x Reader x Tyler Rust Warnings: Smut (18+) Word Count: 2,353 Summary: Part 2 because I got too excited and couldn’t wait to post it later

“You made it!” Tyler greeted you as you entered. You smiled, but looked around him at the others. Most everyone from the locker rooms were there, but you still hadn’t found Tim. 

He had agreed to meet you there separately. No one knew about you two, and neither of you were sure you wanted anyone to just yet. 

“Course I did,” you finally said, “thanks for the invite.” 

He nodded, handing you a drink. You followed him back to where the others were, mostly from your training sessions. 

Marcel stopped by, if only to flirt with you for a few minutes while you ignored him, watching as he floundered after getting no response from you. It was only then that you smiled at him, his cue to leave. 

But as the night went on, Tyler moved closer to you, his voice softening as the conversation moved from the group to just you two, until it was just the two of you at the big table, talking quietly with one another. 

“Did Thatcher give you a lot of shit for class yesterday?” he asked, finally. 

It was the first time you two had spoken about work since you’d arrived, and it caught you off guard. 

“No, why? Did he say something to you?” you asked. 

He rolled his eyes, but smiled, 

“Just that I was slowing you down,” he said. 

You frowned, but tried to play it off. You opened your mouth to speak when you felt a hand on your shoulder, and the chair beside you screeching as it was pulled out, 

“Been looking for you, doll,” Tim’s voice came, his arm settling around you. “Rust,” he greeted. 

“Thatcher,” he replied. 

“I was looking for you, I thought you weren’t going to come,” you said, turning to him. He smiled wide, 

“Saw Marcel sulking and followed the direction of his tears,” he said. You rolled your eyes, 

“You’d think ten times without a response and he’d get the hint,” you said. Tim kissed you on the cheek and made you blush. You two hadn’t had very many public dates, and even fewer public moments of affection, and part of you knew it was because Tyler was already sitting close to you, but you secretly loved it. 

Tyler moved back in his seat, focusing on his drink in hand, 

“You two were good yesterday,” Tim said, finally, looking at Tyler. 

“Too slow, apparently,” he mumbled. 

“No, she was still getting used to you,” he said. 

Color rose in Tyler’s cheeks, but you watched Tim, confused at his tactic here. 

“A few more sessions and I’ll be as good with her as you are,” he said, pointedly. 

Tim laughed, louder than he needed to, 

“Yeah I bet you will,” he said. 

“I should go,” Tyler mumbled, getting ready to stand up, 

“No!” you said, reaching out for him. 

He looked between you and Tim, just as confused now, 

“You should stay,” you said. 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he said, eyes on Tim, now. 

“Why not?” Tim asked. 

Now he really didn’t know what to say, 

“Stay, Tyler,” you said, softly, resting a hand on his arm. He sat down, watching you through narrowed eyes, and you didn’t blame him. Even you weren’t sure what Tim was trying to do here. 

“I didn’t realize you two were...you know…” he started, pointing at you both. Tim’s arm around you tightened a little bit and you almost hated how turned on you were. 

“Only a little while now,” Tim said. 

“Sorry,” he mumbled. 

“Don’t be. You’ve obviously got her attention,” Tim said, taking another swig of his drink before setting it down, loudly. 

You eyed him and Tim only winked at you. Next to you, Tyler’s cheeks turned bright red. 

“Let’s see you try and keep it,” Tim added, pulling you by your chin to kiss you. 

The shock of how public it was, and how deeply he kissed you wore off as you felt his hand slide into your hair. 

He tugged on it and you had to stop yourself from moaning right there in the middle of the bar, but Tim pulled back before you could go any further. 

“I’ll be in the car,” he said quietly, his hand still gripping your chin, turning it towards Tyler who sat there, his face hard to read. 

You swallowed hard, staring at Tyler now. Behind him, you could see Marcel watching you from the other side of the bar, shock coloring his face, and you smiled at him. At least he’d noticed how Tim had kissed you. 

And now you knew exactly what to do. 

You leaned forward and kissed him softly, relieved when he kissed you back, and surprised at how enthusiastic he was, at that. 

“Come with me,” you whispered against his lips, taking him by the hand. 

***

Tim made you drive back. 

Which was a mistake he realized only when you practically sped through the streets. But it wasn’t your fault because all you could think about was getting home, and getting them both inside with you. 

Your head was spinning, even in the elevator ride up as Tim held you tight by the waist, standing between you and Tyler, the tension seemingly only rising in you given the way Tim was whistling. 

He was enjoying this too much and it was driving you mad. 

Finally, inside your apartment, only after Tim took the keys from you since your hands were shaking too much, you slammed the door shut and stared at the two of them. 

Tim was calm, hands in his pockets, making himself comfortable on your couch, like most evenings. 

Tyler was trying to stay cool in front of you two, hands folded behind his back, 

You took a deep breath and got ready to speak but Tim spoke first, 

“I’ve got all night, doll,” he said, “start with him.” 

It seemed, for a moment, Tyler stopped breathing, but he straightened his posture even more, somehow, and nodded.

You smiled at Tim first. There was something new about him tonight, the way he was so ready to share you with someone else, to just watch you. He was being cockier than usual, more commanding, and all of it washed away the worry you’d been holding onto since the bar. 

You took a step towards Tyler and extended a hand to him, 

“Come here,” you said, quietly, leading him to the couch. 

You sat with your back to Tim, and with Tyler in front of you, you had to get on your knees to reach him. 

You were gentle with him. The last thing you wanted to do was scare him, so you were soft with a hand on his cheek, with your lips ghosting over his, 

“Ready?” you whispered. 

His eyes closed and he nodded, sighing into you.

You kissed him first, again, but this time he was rougher. 

Back at the bar he had been hesitant, almost scared to kiss you back but now, he cupped your cheeks and kissed you harder. It caught you by surprise how rough he was that you nearly fell on top of him. His hands moved down your sides, hands on your hips, pulling you closer to him. You brought a hand in his hair, pulling it out of the loose bun, running a hand through his soft, silky hair. 

Behind you, you could feel Tim’s hands on your waist, pulling you back, 

“My turn,” he whispered, pulling you towards him. Tyler gasped at the sudden movement, while your moans were muffled by Tim’s mouth, his hand snaking its way up your shirt. 

Tim bit your bottom lip and sucked on it, but you pulled back just long enough to say,

“Shirts off, both of you.” 

It was as though they were both competing with each other now, taking their shirts off quickly and tossing them aside. 

You stood and led both of them to the bedroom, Tim in front of you, while Tyler tried to get your shirt off. 

Tim pulled you in first, kissing you just as hard as before, with Tyler brushing your hair to the side and kissing your neck, unhooking your bra in the process. 

You made quick work of your clothes, tossing them aside as you got their jeans off. 

“Here,” Tim said, tossing a condom at you, “don’t want him thinking this is gonna be a regular thing.” 

You pouted at him, but Tim only kissed you before pushing you down onto the bed. 

“Rules are rules, darling,” he whispered. 

You nodded and handed it wordlessly to Tyler. 

Tim positioned you in front of him on the bed, on your knees as he palmed himself over his boxers, 

“Is this what you wanted?” he asked, grabbing you by the chin again, “You wanted to make me jealous with him?” 

You shook your head but his grip only tightened, 

“You’re lucky I love you,” he whispered, leaning down to you. Behind you, you felt Tyler press himself against you, kissing down your back as he rubbed his length against you. 

You didn’t even have time to process the fact that this was the first time Tim had ever told you he loved you, because all you could focus on was his cock in your mouth and Tyler’s mouth on your cunt. 

Tim gripped your hair tight as he thrusted in you, Tyler’s tongue dragging over you slowly. 

The mixing sensations made you lose all coherent thought. You shut your eyes and all you could focus on was the two men on either side of you, already pushing you to your limits. 

Tim pushed himself deeper inside you, until your nose was pressed up against him, making you choke, tears running down your cheek. 

Behind you, Tyler finally pushed inside you, slowly filling you up more than you’d imagined. He stayed like that for a moment, letting you adjust to him before pulling out. Before he was completely out, he pushed back inside you, hard, making you moan against Tim’s cock. 

“Fuck,” Tim groaned, his hand tightening in your hair. “That’s it, sweetheart, just like that,” he said, dropping his head back. 

It wasn’t long before they’d both built up a rhythm over you, moving almost in sync. You found part of it funny, as mad as he made Tim, there was no denying how similar they were. 

But you didn’t think about it for long because that was a door you didn’t need to open right now. Instead, you let them both fill you up. 

You pulled back just long enough to moan Tyler’s name, but looking up at Tim you knew he didn’t like that. He leaned down to kiss you again, but this time, he pulled you towards him. 

“Does he make you feel good?” Tim asked. 

You nodded, one hand reaching out for Tyler. He pressed himself against you, again, kissing the base of your neck. 

“Did he make you cum?” he asked. 

You nodded again, having lost track of your orgasms at this point. 

Tim looked at Tyler over your shoulders, and smiled at you, 

“Then it’s time to remind him that you’re mine,” he said. He motioned for Tyler to move back, and he did so. 

Tim laid you on your back, climbing on top of you, lining the tip of his cock at your entrance, teasing you for a moment. 

You closed your eyes, a small whine escaping you as Tim moved over you, pinning your hands above your head, 

“God you’re beautiful,” he whispered, pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses down your chest. Finally, he pushed inside you, but moved slower than you expected. 

You and Tim knew each other too well. 

He knew where to kiss you to make you moan, he knew where to hold you so you stayed down, and he knew how to fuck you just right. 

All it took was a few full, deep strokes from him until you came for him, but even then he wasn’t done. With another push, you felt him come inside you, hot and thick, making you cry out for him, arching your back up into him, your toes curling as he kissed you hard. 

He pulled back as you dropped back against the bed, breathing heavy. 

Tim untangled himself from you and slipped into the bathroom, slamming the door shut. 

Next to you, you took Tyler’s hand in yours, tugging at it until he looked at you, 

“That was…” Tyler started, his voice barely above a whisper. 

You smiled and pulled him down for a kiss, , 

“You were very good,” you said into his lips. 

He smiled against you, 

“Thanks for the invite,” he replied. 

“My pleasure.” 

“I should…” he started, eyes flickering between you and the bathroom door, “I should get going.” 

Your smile fell, but you nodded, 

“Yeah,” you said. “Do you need a ride?” you asked. He shook his head, 

“I’m not far,” he replied, kissing you again as he got off the bed.  

“Another time, then?” you asked. 

He laughed, and you were still struck by how sweet he was. 

“Maybe,” he said, pulling his clothes back on. “Thanks again, sunshine, you were wonderful.” 

You felt your cheeks grow warm as he winked at you, watching him until he was out of the apartment. 

When the front door shut, the bathroom door opened, and Tim leaned against the doorframe, watching you, the two of you bared in front of each other. 

He smiled softly at you, 

“New kid gone?” he asked. 

You rolled your eyes, 

“His name is Tyler,” you corrected, “and yes. He just left.” 

“Good, now I’ve got you all to myself again,” he said, coming to lay beside you. He wrapped his arms around you and kissed your shoulder.

You curled into him, and closed your eyes. 

“Tim?” you asked, after a moment. 

“Hm?” he replied. 

“I love you, too,” you whispered. 

He lifted your head up to look at him, gently this time, and kissed you. 

“You’re mine, doll,” he whispered. 

“And you’re mine,” you replied, wrapping your arms tighter around him. 

#nxt fanfiction #timothy thatcher #tyler rust #timothy thatcher x reader #tyler rust x reader #my writing #i don't know what to say other than: please #****

[sweetdreamhellofanight]

Diamonds and Rust

Tyler Rust x Reader Warnings: None Word Count: 1,364 Summary: We both know what memories can bring, they bring diamonds and rust

The bed dips beside you, creaking and groaning, and you wait. 

You tell him he needs a new mattress, and he promises you he’ll pick one out as soon as he has a day off, but he has yet to make good on that promise. 

First was the brush of his hair over your arms, damp, ice cold drops of water leaving goosebumps over your skin. 

Then came his arm, snaking its way under yours, around your waist, pulling you close. Warmer than his hair, holding you tight. 

Then came the tip of his nose, pressing into your neck with the softest press of his lips, tickling you until you couldn’t hide it anymore, and sigh into it.

“You’re home,” you say, bringing one arm up around him. 

“Later than I thought, but I’m here,” he whispers. 

You turn over, lying on your back and looking up at him. 

He had shaved, and as you ran a gentle hand over his cheeks, you realize you miss the beard, despite making so much fun of it. 

He’s soft and warm after his shower, fresher than you’d seen him in days, but the bags under his eyes seem deeper than before. 

“How long?” you ask. 

He smiles and shakes his head, 

“Just enough,” he replies, pressing a soft kiss to your lips.

“Hungry?” you ask. He shakes his head, burying it in your chest and sighing into you, 

“Not right now.” 

You comb your fingers through his hair, undoing the knots as gently as you can as he falls asleep. 

Two weeks apart. 

Back for another two days at most. 

Gone again for a month. 

Rinse. 

Repeat. 

You love him, and that is enough. 

At least that’s what you tell yourself. 

***

The mattress is new, it’s comfortable, and you sink into it as you fall asleep. Your back doesn’t ache in the mornings anymore, and it doesn’t take you an hour to find the right position on it. 

But still, you stay up later and later, fighting off sleep as though waiting for something. 

Something you know won’t come. 

There’s no more creaking of bed springs as he slides in beside you. 

There’s no more damp hair on your bare skin, or knots to untangle. 

There’s no more one word answers and soft breathing to lull you to sleep. 

There’s no more Tyler and no more you beside him to anchor him. 

The bed is comfortable, but you can’t relax into it anymore. 

Perhaps time will fix that.

***

You don’t hear from him. You don’t expect to. 

You see his name from time to time, only when someone else shows you. Your heart twists and turns and you’re not sure what to say except

“I’m happy for him.” 

It’s not a lie. 

You tell yourself it’s not a lie. 

But the ache inside you grows and grows each time you see his name. 

You lay awake running his name over your tongue, like a spell to bring him back. 

But it doesn’t. 

It never does. 

Still, your hand goes to the other side of a bed he never shared with you, wondering what it would feel like to have him beside you. 

Some nights you can feel him, just for a moment, pulling the covers back, feeling the tickle of his breath against your neck, the ghost of his lips on your skin. 

But you open your eyes to a dark and empty room, and you remember.

Remember how he tried to hug you as he left and how you didn’t move.

You remember how he looked at you, the finality of it all washing over him for the first time as he handed you the spare key. 

You remember how he paused, just over the threshold, hand sliding off the doorknob, taking a deep breath and stepping outside. 

You remember how he left like he always did, quietly and quickly, as painless as possible.

But it weighs on you, still, and grows heavier as the years pass by. 

Your mattress is worn out and creaks again, but it does not bring him back. 

It’s a silly reason to keep a worn out mattress, but you wonder if it just might work. 

***

You move around, it comes with work. 

You’ve moved on, you’ve made peace with your past, and are happy once more. 

But traces of him still exist around you, memories you can’t bear to part with just yet. 

A picture of you two at the mountain’s top, dizzy and cold and flushed, smiling bright and satisfied. 

The earrings he’d gotten you for your birthday, still in their box, collecting dust left untouched. 

The blanket he’d forgotten when he left, thrown down on the floor in the middle of the night, kicked under the bed in his shuffle to leave, now wrapped around you on a cold night as you watched the snow fall outside your window. 

He’s gone.

You’ve made peace with it. 

You’ve rid yourself of rusted memories that don’t mean anything anymore. 

But still, you wash that blanket, patch up the holes, fold it neatly and leave it at the edge of your bed every morning. 

It’s your blanket now. If he wanted it he would have asked for it then, you tell yourself. 

Your mattress is wearing out, but the blanket makes it easier to fall asleep. 

Your back hurts in the morning, but you wake up warm and you tell yourself that’s what matters. 

***

His hair is long again, healthier, too. 

His eyes don’t catch yours, but you know they’re just as green as they were the first time you met him. 

His smile is forced, his laugh is short and polite, he stands rigid and tall above everyone else, uncomfortable around them and you know all he wants is to leave. 

You stay in the corner for most of the event, watching the others greet him, introduce themselves, and receive the same rehearsed spiel as the last person. 

Your back hurts, still. A new mattress is on its way, but you’re not sure it matters. The blanket is fading and fraying, you’re not sure it’ll last the end of the month, but it doesn’t matter anymore. 

Slowly, you walk into his line of sight, watching him for some sign of...acknowledgement. Watching for something you’re not sure will come. 

But you see his shoulders relax, you see his plastered on smile fade and his eyes soften. 

You see him shed the persona he’s put on for the others. 

You see Tyler, once again. 

You don’t say anything to each other, not openly, not in front of the others. 

But you know what he means when he drops his hands to his sides. 

You know what he means when runs his hands through his hair and looks down at the ground. 

And he knows what you mean when you push your hair back and let the light reflect off the earrings you hadn’t worn until today. 

***

The mattress is new, it takes time for you to settle into it. 

It creaks underneath you and dips as you settle in. 

But the ends of his hair brush against your bare skin, his arms pull you close against his chest, and the new mattress learns the shapes of your bodies together, once more. 

You keep your eyes open and learn that this isn’t a memory come to life, not like before. You don’t have to concentrate hard to feel the warmth of his body pressed against yours. 

You don’t have to fight off sleep to imagine his hands running through your hair. 

The bed is soft and warm, even without the blanket. 

He kicks it off the bed without a second thought, and you watch the frayed edges and fading color fall to the floor, but it doesn’t matter anymore. 

Because now, you watch him over you, wrapped in his warmth, and you think you’ll never need a blanket again.

He keeps his eyes locked with yours, and you know this is a new start for both of you. 

You two fall back into step with one another, but this time is different. 

This time, it’s a promise. 

This time, it’s forever. 

#nxt fanfiction #tyler rust #tyler rust x reader #my writing #me? writing and posting another story at 3 am that no one asked for? it's more likely than you think #****

[sweetdreamhellofanight]

Imperfection

Tyler Rust x Reader Warnings: None Word Count: 1,092 Summary: No one’s perfect at everything. 

There were two distinct beeps coming, and you knew exactly what they were. 

Underscored by the beeping were his groans and reactions to something hot, from what you could tell. It sounded as though he’d burned his hand. 

Still, you waited in the doorway, gathering yourself before going in to see just what mess he’d made. 

There was no smoke, you noted, so that was a good sign. 

But the high-pitched noises gave you a headache, just hours after you’d proudly realized that you’d gone an entire day without one. 

You’d spoken too soon, it seemed. 

There was clanging and crashing and frustrated cursing coming from the kitchen, all drowning out the noise of your entrance. 

You dropped your keys in the bowl by the entrance, hung your coat up, and put your purse down. You pulled your hair back into a loose bun, rolled your sleeves up, and finally entered the kitchen. 

“Hi honey, I’m home,” you said, loudly over his phone’s timer and the oven’s beeping, making him jump. 

Tyler turned to you, his expression somewhere between frustration and embarrassment as soon as he saw you. 

“You’re home,” he said, eyes going wide, as though he weren’t expecting you home at your normal time. 

“So are you,” you said, smiling as you leaned in the entrance. This was normally his gym time, arriving home at least an hour after you. But today, he stood in the kitchen with an apron on, hair tied up in a messy knot, covered in flour and batter.

“I, uh,” he started, looking from you to the oven, to the pan on the stove with small wisps of smoke coming off whatever was inside it. 

A cake, it seemed. 

“Experiment gone wrong?” you asked. 

He sighed, and nodded in defeat. 

Tyler wasn’t usually the type to get frustrated, not the kind of person to let little hiccups get the best of him. But today, as you saw him staring at the burning pan, you smiled wide. 

You didn’t enjoy his irritation, but you enjoyed seeing him out of his element. 

Just a tiny bit. 

Especially after that hike he’d made you go on at the crack of dawn earlier that week. 

But you weren’t smiling because you were happy he’d messed up. 

You were smiling because, despite the mess in the kitchen, and the smell of something burning, and the incessant beeping that had greeted you, your heart swelled when you looked at him. In all his disheartened and messy glory. He even looked cuter in this moment, you thought. 

“I wanted to try something,” he said, deflatedly. You nodded. “And...I did something wrong.” 

You walked up beside him, your hands folded behind your back, peering into the baking pan where the smoke began to subside. 

“Cake?” you asked. 

“Coffee cake,” he said. “The one you really like,” he added, quietly.

You nodded. 

The top crumb layer had burned first, something in it had cooked too long and you weren’t sure what he could’ve put in there that would make that happen. 

You picked up the fork laying beside it and poked around it, pushing charred bits of crumb off to the side, poking through to the cake itself. 

“Well the cake is done,” you said, pulling the fork out to show a clean pull. He sighed beside you, defeated by dessert. 

Carefully, you carved a small piece out, bringing it up into the light to take a look at it. 

And, for the most part, it looked perfect. 

You blew on it on instinct, and took a small bite, immediately crunching on something that shouldn’t have been crunchy. 

You stopped and looked up at him. 

He looked even more nervous now, and you tried to smile through it. 

“Here,” he deadpanned, handing you a napkin. You hoped your eyes conveyed enough of an apology before you spit the bite into the napkin, throwing it out. 

“I don’t think everything got mixed together,” you said, wiping your mouth. 

He slumped against the counter, dropping his head, 

“But it was almost perfect,” you assured him. 

“Almost isn’t perfect,” he mumbled. 

You moved in front of him, hands on either side of his face, bringing him up to look at you, 

“Oh, come on, it’s the thought that counts, right?” 

He frowned, 

“It’s that bad?” he asked, quietly. 

You shook your head, 

“You’ve got abs and never eat cake! I don’t expect you to be a perfect baker!” you teased, leaning in close. It got the smallest smile out of him. You kissed his forehead, the heat of the kitchen catching up with both of you, now. 

“I tried to follow your recipe, he said, wrapping his arms around you, pulling you closer, “but I can’t read your handwriting.”

“Ahh,” you said, laughing, “so that’s where you went wrong.” 

He buried his face in your neck, laughing for the first time since you got home, and you hugged him tight, 

“I’ve got good news and bad news,” you finally said. 

“Bad news first,” he mumbled. 

“Cake can’t be saved,” you said, running your hand through his hair. He sighed, so you pressed another kiss to his head. “We’re gonna have to throw it out. I’m sorry.” 

He was quiet for a moment. 

“Good news?” he asked, quietly. 

“The kitchen is such a disaster that...I think we’re just gonna have to go out to eat,” you said, pulling his head up to look at you. 

He smiled, but still didn’t look at you. 

You curled a finger under his chin and lifted gently, waiting until his eyes met yours, 

“I love that you can’t bake a cake,” you said. 

His face twisted in confusion, 

“I was beginning to think you were the perfect man. It’s nice to know you can’t do it all.” 

He rolled his eyes, 

“The perfectionist doesn’t want perfection? How’s that possible?” he teased. 

“A little failure here and there keeps things interesting,” you said, pressing a soft kiss to his lips, making him smile wide. 

He kissed you deeper, hands squeezing your waist, but kept you there, pressed close against him, 

“Happy birthday, sunshine,” he whispered against your lips, making you laugh. “Sorry about the cake.” 

“Don’t be,” you said, “My birthday is still perfect because I’ve got you.” 

And that got a genuine, full smile out of him, and there really wasn’t anything better than that, you thought.

“Now go get ready cause I can’t keep looking at this mess,” you said finally, pinching his cheek, sending him on his way. 

#nxt fanfiction #tyler rust #tyler rust x reader #my writing #*** #no one with abs like his can bake a cake and that is my theory and i'm sticking to it #anyways i'm in love with him but what else is new

[sweetdreamhellofanight]

Something New

Tyler Rust x Reader Warnings: None Word Count: 2,272 Summary: you wondered if that was how he always looked, or if something really had changed inside you. 

It wasn’t the first time you two had shared a room, or even faced with the dilemma of one bed left, but every time you did, you both found a way to make it work. 

But now it was below freezing outside and you both still had a show the next day, so there was nothing left for either of you to do except get to the room and try and get some sleep. 

“You can take the bed,” he’d announced as you took the bathroom to change. You’d only nodded, desperate to wash your face and change your clothes. But when you reentered the room, presented with Tyler taking his shirt off, nothing on but sweatpants, your mind stopped working for a moment. 

“There’s only one bed,” you said, trying to say something that wasn’t about how good his back looked right now. 

“Yeah,” he said, smiling at you as he turned around. “You can have it, I’m good on the floor.” 

You sighed, already feeling guilty. But you spoke before you could think, 

“Don’t do that, we can share.” 

Silence. 

Silence as you regretted your words. 

Silence as he looked at you, confused, his face slightly red. 

Silence as you both realized that you wanted it more than you cared to admit. 

“It’s really not a big deal,” he said, trying to laugh it off, “I’ve slept in worse places.” 

“So take the bed. It’s a really big bed anyways, we’ll be fine on it. And we’ve got some extra blankets with us anyways so...you know…” 

He nodded and you were grateful you didn’t have to say anything else. 

He looked like he was considering it, and your heart was racing as you waited for his answer. 

If he said yes, did it mean he felt the same? Or was he just tired enough to accept it? 

If he said no, did it mean he had none of those feelings for you? Or was he just too polite to act on them? 

And you weren’t sure what answer you wanted more. You weren’t sure what you were hoping to hear from him. 

“I’ll be fine on the floor, your back’s probably in bad enough shape already,” he said, smiling. 

You felt your shoulders drop, watching him lay his blanket on the ground beside the bed, 

“I’ll be fine, I promise,” he assured you. Yet you still went to bed unsure, pulling the covers over yourself, it didn’t feel right to leave him on the floor beside you. 

He turned off the lights and the two of you settled into your spots, but you couldn’t. 

So you shifted yourself, hanging your head over the edge of the bed, letting your hair fall beside you, looking at him, 

“Psst,” you whispered. 

He smiled, slightly, and opened his eyes to look up at you, 

“Get up here,” you said. 

His eyes widened, and he began to protest, 

“Just share the damn bed, Tyler, it’s okay!” you said, cutting him off. 

“You don’t-”

“Shut up,” you said, holding out a hand for him, watching the smile spread across his face, 

“You’re not gonna let me sleep, are you?” he teased, sitting up and climbing onto the bed. 

“I’m actually doing this to help you sleep, but you can thank me later,” you said, as he settled in beside you. 

The bed was big enough and he made sure he didn’t get too close, 

“You good?” you asked, turning to look over your shoulder. He laid there, flat on his back, one arm draped over his face, and nodded, 

“Better,” he said. You smiled, 

“Told you,” you said. He smiled, but said nothing else. You turned your head back, but could feel your body tense beside him. 

And maybe it was the fact that it was below freezing, and maybe it was the fact that the room was taking so long to warm up, and maybe it was the fact that something felt different between you and Tyler and had for sometime now. 

And you couldn’t quite put your finger on it, couldn’t quite pinpoint the exact moment when things changed, but it was something in the way you looked at him and saw something more. 

It was a quiet change, it was the way you looked a little longer as he walked away. It was the way his hand brushed against yours as you two walked, side by side, it was the way he sat closer, hugged you tighter, smiled wider. 

It was the way you knew you both were trying to keep yourselves together sleeping next to each other. 

“Hey Tyler?” you asked, quietly, heart beating faster than it should’ve. 

It was possible he was already asleep, and part of you hoped he was. You weren’t even sure what you were going to say. 

“Yeah,” he finally said, quietly. 

You paused, wracking your brain for something to say. 

“Are you still cold?” you settled on. 

“Not as much,” he said, yawning. “You?” 

You took a deep breath and finally turned over to look at him, 

“Yeah,” you replied. 

He looked at you through hooded eyelids, a small, soft smile at his lips, 

“Want me to call the front desk? Tell them it’s not warming up?” he offered. 

You shook your head. 

He wasn’t going to. 

He only said it to avoid saying what you both were thinking, and you weren’t sure how to ask for it without looking like a fool. 

But you took the chance anyways, hoping you were right about your instincts. 

“Can I share your blanket?” you asked, nodding to the thick blue and grey blanket he was wrapped up in. 

He pulled one arm out from underneath it and reached for you, 

“Come on,” he said, smiling at you. 

You scooted closer to him as he draped the blanket around you, resting your head closer to him, the two of you facing each other. 

“Better?” he asked. 

You nodded, 

“Thank you,” you mumbled. 

He smiled, and closed his eyes again. 

He was asleep within seconds, the faint sound of his snoring lulling you to sleep. 

He wasn’t a stone-faced man. No, quite the opposite, in fact. You’d never seen Tyler without a smile on his face, you’d never seen him as anything but easy going and happy with everything around him. The only time he was ever anything else was in the ring, but that didn’t count. 

But now, in the darkened room, a streetlight outside still shining through, his face looked softer with his eyes closed, trying to sleep, and you wondered if that was how he always looked, or if something really had changed inside you. 

You weren’t sure when you fell asleep, or when either of you had moved around, but all you knew was the warmth of his body pressed against you, one leg hooked over yours, and the way his arm wrapped tight around your waist. 

Your face was pressed against his chest, bare and solid, rising and falling with his breathing, the fading scent of his cologne making you smile against him. 

You stirred, just now aware that it was Tyler you were pressed up against, whose arms around you felt strong and safe, whose body felt perfectly contoured to yours in this moment. 

You buried your face deeper into him, as if on instinct, and sighed into him. 

You knew you both would wake up soon and pull away, and you knew whatever Tyler’s reaction would be wouldn’t be what you were hoping for. 

So you tried to fall back asleep, trying to hold on to this tiniest of moments before the real world came calling. 

And it didn’t take long, either. Adjusting yourself ever so slightly, just to let yourself breathe a little easier, made him stir beside you. 

It wasn’t immediately clear to him, either, you noticed. At first, his arms tightened around you, and his face nestled into your hair, breathing you in. 

You held your breath, waiting for him to pull away. 

“Hey,” he said, quietly, pulling his head back just enough to look at you. 

You swallowed hard, and looked up at him. 

His eyes were barely open, heavy with sleep, still, but smiled softly at you, his hand gently running over your hair. 

“Hey,” you replied. 

He stretched out, pulling his arms off you and yawning loudly as he sat up 

“We should probably head out soon,” he said, turning to grab his phone from his bag. 

You laid there, confused, wondering...waiting…. 

You weren’t sure for what. 

Tyler swung his legs off the side of the bed and stood up slowly, 

“You wanna shower first?” he offered. 

Finally, you sat up, and nodded. 

“Yeah,” you mumbled. 

And still, you waited for something from him. 

But all he did was grab his things, getting ready for the day. 

So you sighed, deeply and loudly, hoping he would hear you, and went to shower. 

***

The rest of the day passed quietly, the two of you going your separate ways at the venue, trying to push it out of your head. 

But in the few moments you had to yourself, where you stopped for a second just to think, all you could do was think about the weight of his body pressed against you. 

The smell of his chest against your face. 

The way his eyes gleamed as they looked down on you in the morning light, his hand smoothing down your hair, the safest you’ve ever felt in anyone’s presence…

And the way he got up as though nothing had happened. 

And each time you thought of that, it pulled you out of your thoughts faster than anything else. 

You had shared a bed before, but had never woken up in each other’s arms like that, had never seen him look at you like that. 

Tyler made everything feel easy, though. He took everything in stride, never dwelling on anything for too long. 

You admired it. 

But for once you just wanted him to look surprised or confused or act like this was something new. 

Because it was something new. 

So when he ran up to you after the show, bag already in hand, reaching for yours, you couldn’t help but pull back. 

“What’s up?” he asked. 

You shook your head, 

“I think I’ll get a ride from someone else, tonight,” you said. 

“We got the room tonight, too,” he said. 

You nodded, 

“You can take it. Indi’s letting me crash with her, she’s got a spare bed.” 

He looked confused, frowning as you walked past him. 

“Hey, wait wait a second,” he said, catching up to you again, falling in step with you as you both made your way into the parking lot. “What’s going on?” 

“Nothing,” you lied. 

He stepped in front of you, stopping you in your tracks, 

“Hey, look at me,” he said, softly, one finger curled under your chin. 

You took a slight step back, trying not to look at him, your heart beating fast. 

“Did I do something wrong?” he asked. 

You looked up at him, and you knew he was sincere in his question, you knew he really was just that clueless. 

You took a deep, shaky breath, 

“This morning, we woke up together…” you started. He’d dropped his hand to his side, now, and watched you carefully. “You...I mean we woke up and you were holding me and it was...like that hasn’t happened before, we’ve never done that before and you just...got up, like it was nothing?” 

He looked down, nervously shuffling his feet as you spoke. 

You sighed. 

“Did it?” you asked, finally. 

He looked up, confused, 

“Did it mean nothing to you? Am I just standing here making a fool of myself or…?” 

“No!” he said, quickly. “No, you’re not.” 

“So?” 

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, 

“It meant everything to me,” he said. 

He looked as though he were going to continue, but paused. 

You waited. 

“I have...loved you for so long, sunshine,” he said, looking back at you, “and I don’t know how to tell you. So...when we woke up like that this morning? It’s all I ever wanted, all I ever dreamed about and I didn’t wanna ruin it.”

“So you acted like nothing happened?” you asked. 

“Because I thought it would be easier to just act like...like it was normal for us, that maybe...it would, I don’t know. I don’t know what I thought,” he finished, cutting himself off. 

“You could’ve said something,” you said. 

He laughed, 

“I know, I didn’t want you to think that I was trying to come onto you like that. You’re too important to me. I don’t know what I’d do if...if any of this went away.” 

And for the first time since you woke up this morning, for the first time since your day began, you finally felt calm. 

And you threw your arms around him and hugged him tight, and Tyler wasted no time, either. 

His arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you close, and you had never felt more loved, or stupid, in one singular moment. 

“I’ve always wanted it to be us,” you said into his shoulder.

“Me too,” he said. 

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry.” 

“I love you.” 

“I love you, too, sunshine.” 

“We still got that room for tonight?” you asked, pulling your head back, slightly. 

He arched an eyebrow at you, as he nodded. 

“And the whole night ahead of us,” he added. 

“Then what’re we still doing here?” you asked, taking him by the hand, pulling him towards the car.

#nxt fanfiction #tyler rust #tyler rust x reader #my writing #you guys will never believe how long it took me to write this i was trying to get this out while there was still snow on the ground #but instead i'm getting it out in the warmest weather we've had in months #so........take that as you will #****