For Thisiswhereilivenow:

Awkward boys being awkward. Mark/Tyler. Myler? I don't know help.

"Josh bailed," Tyler sighed, glancing up at me from his phone. "I guess it's just you and me."
Let the awkwardness begin. We were seeing a movie at least; that was two hours of talking I didn't have to do.

It wasn't that I didn't like Tyler. In fact, it was quite the opposite; I really, really liked Tyler. So much that I was tongue tied whenever we were left alone together and my heart raced whenever he looked at me. But he didn't have that problem, of course. Because my Tyler was perfect.

"It's almost like a date," he announced, causing the blood to rush to my face as he grabbed my hand and started to pull me inside. "Our first date."
I swallowed thickly, wishing that I didn't want it to actually be a date so badly. "Are you sure Josh isn't coming?"
"Yes." He turned to face me, already starting to smile. "Don't you want to spend time with me, Markie? Just the two of us?" he teased, almost singing the words.
"Shut up, don't call me that," I laughed, rolling my eyes at him. "Or I'm going to start calling you Ty-Ty or something dumb-"
"I take it back. No Markie," he interrupted, pulling a face so cute my brain melted.
"Let's just go already." As I walked into the theatre ahead of him, I could feel his eyes on my back and it took the entirety of my self-control not to turn around again. "Coming?" I asked instead.
"I like those jeans on you," he offered, almost smiling. If shy Tyler wasn't my favourite thing on earth right now.
"T-thanks, I guess…" I stammered, trying in vain not to blush. I failed, of course, and he smirked. As we walked in the doors he placed his hand in the small of my back, leading me inside, and I tried not to shudder when he touched me.

Everything was fine until about halfway through the movie. And then Tyler's hand landed on my thigh. Very, very high on my thigh.
I couldn't breathe. Or move. Or think. So I just looked at him, silently begging him to explain why he was doing this to me. Was it that obvious that I liked him?
"I lied," he said simply, his lips very close to ear to be hear over the sound effects. It would be so easy to kiss him – Mark, stop it.
"About what?" I asked, sitting on my hands to avoid touching him.
"About Josh…"
"He's coming?" Oh no. No. Tyler was mine now. No Josh please.
"…No…not exactly…" he mumbled carefully. "Um…I never…I never invited him…I just…I just wanted it to be me and you…"
"Oh…" DO NOT kiss him.
"Is that…is that weird?" He glanced up at me through thick eyelashes.
"N-no…I think it's nice…" Nice didn't even begin to cover it. "I like just me and you…We should do it more often…" Was I asking him on a date? I didn't know. Was that even what he meant?
"W-what about…if we…Do you, ah, want to come over for dinner next Friday?" The words tumbled out of him, almost like he wasn't ready to say them, and his cheeks flushed pink.
"…That would be fun…" I'm an idiot. An actual, full-blown idiot. An idiot who just used the word 'fun' to describe an activity with their long-term crush and was now overthinking it because Tyler was adorable and his hair looked really soft…
He smiled a little, still nervous but a little more relaxed, sliding closer to me in his seat. His hand left my leg and I watched as he reached for my fingers, pulling away seconds before we touched and dropping it onto his knee instead. "Mark…"
"Hmm?" My voice had evaporated; the only thing I wanted right now was to hold Tyler's hand but...
"I…never mind…" he glanced away, biting his lip.
"Tyler…" I nudged him with my shoulder, finding confidence somewhere deep inside me. I waited until he met my eye, unable to resist smiling at his unsure expression. "I love you."
His eyes were wide and a little bewildered, but he was unmistakably happy. "I-I love you too." He slowly reached over, knotting his fingers in mine. "Is this okay?"
"Yes." I leant over, giving him plenty time to push me away, before gently pressing my lips against his. "Okay?"
"Better than okay," he smiled, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me closer.

I spent the rest of the movie with a huge grin plastered on my face and my head resting on Tyler's shoulder, his arms around my middle.
"Do we have to move?" he grumbled once it was over, squeezing me.
"…You could stay the night…if you wanted?" I suggested quietly, turning my head so my face was slightly muffled by his clothing in hope of saving myself if he took it the wrong way. How did he smell so good? This wasn't fair; humans weren't supposed to smell this nice.
"Can I? Like really?" He seemed a little excited and when I looked up his smile was almost as big as mine.
"Ahh..yeah, if you want to?"
He nodded, kissing my cheek as we stood up.

Once we were home I made him dinner; two minute noodles – the best of my cooking although he assured me he could cook much better. And we watched another movie. And another. And another. And then it was two am and I still didn't know how to broach the subject of bedtime. When Tyler yawned and leant into me further I realised I was going to have to figure something out rather soon. "Tired?" I asked carefully.
He nodded, practically asleep already.
"You want to go to bed then?" I wondered if he heard me, I spoke so quietly.
"Yeah…"
"Do you want to come to bed…with…me?" I studied his face as I spoke, hoping against hope I wouldn't freak him out.
"Let's go now…" He stood up, taking my hand and pulling me up and down the hallway.
I followed him only too willingly, trying not to stare too much. Still though, my stomach squirmed as he unbuttoned his jeans, pulling his shirt over his head; as much as I liked the idea of seeing Tyler in his underwear, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. And I was terrified I would hurt him. "Tyler…just cuddling, okay..?"
He laughed, rolling his eyes at me and taking a fistful of my shirt, jerking me forward and kissing me again. "I'm as clueless as you, idiot. But I hate sleeping in jeans."
Relief washed over me and I chuckled as I climbed into bed, waiting until he lay down beside me and then moulding my body to the shape of his.
"I love you, Markie," he mumbled softly.
Maybe I could get used to being called 'Markie' after all. "I love you too, Tyler."

That night was the first night I slept with company, and the night before the last night I slept alone.