A/N: So, as you'll soon see this story is getting pretty steamy. And now I need your feedback. I'm working on chapter 11 right now so I need to know…keep the rating at T and skirt around the really hot stuff or knock it up to M and just go for it? Let me know the sooner I know the sooner I keep writing and the sooner I keep writing the sooner I post. That's how it works! Thanks and enjoy!
: : :
Tyler sat on the bed before lying down. After a moment, Jeremy did the same. Tyler tilted his head to look at him after a moment.
"Whoever these people are my father was involved with them somehow. The way that it was explained to me, you have to pay for at least three years at once. Last year was my father's second year. He was dead and Mason is still missing so they contacted me." Tyler laughed hollowly. "I thought it was just a cruise." Jeremy felt a pang of pity go through him and tried not to focus on the fact that Mason was dead and Tyler still didn't know. "I really should have known," Tyler continued, "that this was something bad, but I had wanted to get out of town so badly anyways."
Jeremy's head pounded in time to his heartbeat, every impact making him regret each shot of vodka. "When they led me onto the boat to pick out my companion I felt sick," he lifted a hand to rub his forehead as Jeremy watched. "I was going to tell them I'd changed my mind, but then I saw you."
"Really?" Jeremy cut in, shocked. Tyler had stayed to protect him? What dimension were they currently in?
"You don't have to sound so surprised," Tyler muttered, turning back to the ceiling. "It's not my fault you were all naked and beat up and vulnerable. What was I supposed to do? Leave you for some trucker named Jed?" Meanwhile Jeremy blanched.
"I was naked?" He literally felt his chest contract with panic.
"No. You had those gross little shorts on. I still saw more than I wanted to." Relaxing Jeremy took a deep breath.
"Yeah, you were totally the traumatized one here."
Tyler laughed suddenly.
"I think we both fall into that category Jeremy."
"How have you been traumatized exactly?"
"What if you found out Elena was into this sort of stuff?" Jeremy turned to him suddenly, his jaw dropping open.
"Dude, that is sick."
"Exactly," Tyler said smugly.
"Okay," Jeremy slammed his eyes shut, trying to make his mind go blank before he imagined something he could not un-imagine. "Let's just change the subject."
"I mean there's got to be something to it, right?" Tyler continued as if Jeremy hadn't spoken and he scowled. "There's got to be a reason people do this."
"I'm surprised you've never done it." Tyler turned towards Jeremy again,
"And how often do you think about my sex life exactly?"
"What?" Jeremy blushed, looking away, "No, I don't. Don't be stupid." It suddenly occurred to him that they should not be having this conversation while lying in bed together. "The words just came out wrong."
"Yeah alright," Tyler said. Jeremy could picture the smirk that was so precisely Tyler on his face.
Jeremy decided this conversation drastically needed redirected.
"Maybe some hot girl would have picked me up. Maybe you ruined this cruise for me," he said lightly, lacing his fingers behind his head.
"You think you would enjoy being tied up Gilbert?"
"Depends who's doing it Lockwood. I'll try anything once." Tyler's face took on a thoughtful expression as Jeremy looked over at him. He panicked for a moment before Tyler spoke again,
"Nah, not you Gilbert. Some hairy old man would have taken you and put you in a dress." He smirked again and looked back at the ceiling. Jeremy looked there as well. For the moment, it seemed safer.
"It's hard to believe all this has happened," Jeremy admitted, "even with all the strange things that happen at home, it's still hard to believe that all of this has happened."
"You mean you can't believe that you were kidnapped out of your car and sold into slavery while I was drawn into some sort of sex slave cult by the ghost of my father?"
"Yeah," Jeremy chuckled, "what's not to believe?"
"Miss home yet?"
"No." Jeremy's answer was immediate and they both laughed.
"God, we live strange lives."
"Yup," Jeremy said, his lips popping on the 'p'.
"So, you wanna do something normal?" Tyler sat up and went back to the boxes.
"What'd you have in mind?" Tyler lifted the swim trunks from the bottom box.
"Swimming?" Jeremy laughed, loudly.
"What time is it?" Tyler shrugged.
"Does it matter?"
"Well, I would rather not run into fifty people and have to pretend to be your slave the whole time." Tyler half shrugged again.
"That's fair." Dropping the trunks on the bed he crossed to the TV and pressed the power button. As with a hotel, it turned on to a general information channel. "2:13 AM. So what do you think?" Jeremy didn't answer, smiling before grabbing the blue checkered trunks and diving into the bathroom. He didn't see Tyler's face as he took in the trunks left on the bed but he had a good time picturing it.
He quickly traded the boxers for the trunks, leaving his borrowed shirt on. When he emerged from the bathroom, Tyler was tying the drawstring on his trunks. He shed his shirt and turned to Jeremy, hands on his hips.
"You're lucky these are the ones I wanted Gilbert." Jeremy tried not to laugh, but he couldn't stop himself. It was too much. Not only was the string neon pink, but the hibiscus flowers faded from pink at the hips eventually down to orange where they stopped just above Tyler's knees.
"They uh- they look good on you Ty." Tyler smirked and threw a pair of sandals at Jeremy's head.
"I know." Jeremy just continued to laugh as he put the sandals on. Tyler walked past him and grabbed two towels, wrapping one around his shoulders before snapping Jeremy with the other. When Jeremy lunged for him he dodged neatly and opened the door. "Let's go." Jeremy scowled. They both knew in the hallway he had to behave. Maybe the pool would be abandoned though. With a smile, he began to plot.
His head was finally beginning to clear a bit and the fresh air would help hopefully. Mixing the patch with alcohol hadn't been a good idea. Jeremy knew better and he really could have just not drunk the vodka but at the time it had seemed like a good idea.
"You know it's too early to have a hangover, right?" Tyler asked, strangely echoing Jeremy's thoughts.
"You just realized that, didn't you?" Tyler was quiet for a moment as they walked along the hallway.
"Maybe." Jeremy smiled slightly before shrugging.
"I'm not supposed to mix the patch with alcohol."
"What? Why didn't you tell me?" Tyler demanded, pulling him to a stop.
"I didn't really get a chance."
"Oh," Tyler allowed, walking forward again. "Well, I'm sorry." Once again, Jeremy was surprised by how nice Tyler was being. He was starting to feel bad about it.
"It's not your fault."
"Yeah it is."
"Tyler, it's not like you could have asked me without raising suspicion." Tyler grunted but let it go as they reached the elevator.
Jeremy didn't know why he expected to run into people, but he was relieved when they didn't run into anyone on the way to the pool. The pool was empty as well and he breathed a silent sigh of relief. He actually got to relax. Dropping his towel on a lounger and yanking his shirt off he let it fall to the deck. He took off his sandals as well then he let out a 'whoop' before canon balling into the water. When he came back up for air Tyler was watching him with an amused smile.
"What?" he questioned, sending a splash of water towards him.
"You're such a kid." In response Jeremy stuck out his tongue. Shaking his head Tyler kicked off his sandals and tossed his towel on the lounger next to the one Jeremy had chosen. He dove in cleanly as Jeremy watched. "So," Tyler said, coming up and wiping his face with a hand, "this isn't so bad, right?"
Jeremy pushed the hair off his face and nodded.
"I guess you're right." Tyler smiled broadly.
"Good," he said. Jeremy smiled too and felt a fluttering in his chest. Tyler swam over and when he dunked Jeremy's head under the water his mouth was still open. Coming up he was caught between sputtering and laughing. Eventually he settled for swimming after Tyler. They chased each other around the pool, dunking each other and trying to dodge the other's efforts. Tyler clearly had the advantage and he showed it off when he lifted Jeremy's body completely out of the water and threw him several feet. Jeremy was so surprised he didn't move when Tyler came at him again. He ducked just in time, still trying to shake the feeling of Tyler's hands on him.
Splashing Tyler in the face he focused on the cool, thin feeling of it. He couldn't get all flustered by Tyler. No matter how amazing the water looked when it was dripping off his skin. Jeremy told himself sternly it didn't matter. He was not allowed to feel like this. Tyler and he could be friends, sure. That was as far as it could go. He'd never been attracted to men anyways. This didn't make sense. So why was he noticing how sculpted Tyler's chest was? Or how appealingly tan his skin was? He sliced his hands through the water and huffed out a breath. He shouldn't be letting himself think about this. Tyler attacked from behind and dunked him again. Jeremy came up and splashed more water his way. They both shared a smile before the door slamming open caught their attention. A man emerged, dragging a mostly naked woman behind him. He led her to the above deck wall and shoved her against it. Immediately uneasy, Jeremy swam to the side of the pool. "Jer," Tyler hissed, following him. He framed Jeremy's body with his arms, trapping him against the wall. "Don't move. We can't draw attention to ourselves."
"But Tyler-" Jeremy's words cut off when Tyler pressed even closer behind him. Tyler used the new position to whisper into his ear,
"I won't take the risk. We'll just have to stay here until they leave."
"Doing what exactly?" For some reason, Jeremy pictured Tyler smirking.
"Watch."
