Tyler yawned as he stood next to Stephanie McMahon, who was bragging about how great Tyler had been working lately to people from New York. They looked impressed.
Looking around the room of all business people, some Tyler knew some he didn't know, he found Brie and Phil standing together as they talked with an older man. Brie was laughing, Phil looked over towards Tyler, giving a small nod, turning his attention back to the older man.
Excusing himself from the conversation he barely was listening to and involved in, Tyler walked over to the table that had drinks and snacks on it. This was an all day convention and people had been hoping snacks and bottles of soda and water would be okay until they got out of the convention later.
Hoping to keep himself awake, Tyler grabbed a bottle of soda, yawning again. He looked at the snacks, debating on whether or not he should get a cookie. The thing he actually wanted to do was go back to his bedroom and sleep, but he knew he'd get in trouble if he did that.
"You okay?" Someone asked.
Tyler looked to his right to see Phil standing next to him, a small smile on his face. His hands were in his pockets.
"Yeah," Tyler said, going back to looking at the snacks on the table, "just a little tired, I was up late thinking about some stuff."
Phil slowly took in the full view of the room of all the people that had come together to talk about their work, he cleared his throat, lowering his head. "Yep, going to one these business conventions always freaked me out, too. Probably because all these people understand the kind of work you do."
Tyler shook his head, chuckling, "Nah, I was thinking about..." Tyler trailed off, leaning in closer to Phil, whispering, "the kiss."
Phil lifted his head, turning around and took his hands out of his pockets. He grabbed a chocolate chip cookie and took a bite of it. He knew this was going to happen the next day - Tyler kiss him and then regret it. That's why he didn't go any further with him. Swallowing, Phil nodded his head slowly, running his one hand over his head, then rubbing the back of his neck. Phil coughed, finishing his cookie and grabbed a plastic cup filled with water. "Do you..." Phil started, looking for the right words to say. Tyler now looked at him and Phil looked him in the eyes. "... Have a problem with the way it happened? I mean, we've kissed before, what's so wrong, Ty? You kissed me." He continued, gulping half the water down. He swallowed the water, holding the cup in one hand, the other hand going into his pocket.
Tyler looked straight at the cream colored wall, trying to figure out what the problem was - He enjoyed all the kisses they shared, Brie had broken up with him so he could get together with Phil and she didn't seem so angry towards him. If she was, Brie sure did hide it well. - What could it be?
"I guess I'm scared." Tyler whispers so low that he'd be surprised if Phil even heard him. If he did, Tyler knew Phil would probably be confused - Heck, he was even confused! "Of us, I guess."
"Hello boys." Someone says.
Phil looked up and Tyler turned around to see an owner of one of the buildings stationed in California, Dwayne Johnson, grabbing an apple. He flashed his famous smile, showing off his shiny teeth and dimples.
"Hi Mr. Johnson," Phil says, "How are you today?"
Dwayne shrugs his shoulders, biting off some of the apple, chewing it as he noticed the awkward tension between Tyler and Phil. "I'm good, forgot how long these conventions can run for. I was up late last night for some reasons that shouldn't be discussed here..." He says winking and Tyler muttered an "Ew" as Dwayne laughed, "Anyway, I'm on the next train to Delaware after this ends, actually. You guys are from Delaware, right? Due to some family issues, I will be there for a little while; A cousin of mine has been assaulted." Dwayne informed, now frowning.
"I'm sorry." Tyler says. "I wish them the best."
"Thank you Mr. Black, it means a lot. Roman will pull through with all the support he's gotten." Dwayne replies.
"Isn't one of your other cousins getting married soon or did that already happen?" Phil asked.
Tyler looks at Phil, shocked - How did he know this about Dwayne's personal life? Dwayne Johnson was sort of a secret business enemy of Stephanie and Paul's business.
"They just did, yes; I was there, that's where Roman was hurt sadly." Dwayne replied.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Phil says.
"It's okay, we got the son of a bitch who did it."
Phil looked at Tyler and both of them could tell they weren't finished talking. Looking back to Dwayne, Phil said, "I'm sorry Mr. Johnson, but Tyler here isn't feeling so good so I'm going to take him back to his room."
Dwayne nodded, Phil grabbing Tyler's left arm and started dragging him along. Phil smiled at Dwayne as he left. Tyler was starting to say something when Dwayne opened his mouth.
"Just Mr. Brooks, please let me know soon what you'll decide on my offer, okay? I need to know by next week." Dwayne adds.
Tyler heard Phil cuss under his breath. They weren't that far from Dwayne so he didn't have to yell that across the room, but Phil had still been upset Tyler had to hear that.
"Yes, sir. I will." Phil responds.
He let go of Tyler's arm, he was right next to him and following him out of the room. Tyler wanted to know what offer Phil had been given and why he didn't mention it to him.
"What offer, Phil?" Tyler asks as they leave the room. Confused, Tyler knew he should've just went back into the room and barely listen to the rest of the conversation's that his business partners were having. The convention was going to end in an hour, anyway. But instead, Tyler was following Phil and looking for an answer he already, deep down, knew. "What's going on?" He asks as they get on the elevator, Phil pressing the third floor button.
Phil was ignoring him Tyler all the way up until the both of them got into the room they on trip. Tyler was getting pissed off; He hated when Phil did this to him. Leaving the hotel door open behind him, Tyler slammed the door, sighing.
"Come on Phil - Tell me." Tyler begs, walking to Phil's bed where he was sitting and ran his hand over Phil's head shaking his head. "Please."
"Dwayne Johnson offered me a three years job offer in California starting in January." Phil confesses.
Tyler's eyes widened. He scoffed, moving his hand and placing it behind his back, "You're not going to take it, are you?"
"I was considering it, yes." Phil says. He looked up to Tyler, "It's California, Tyler - "
"But he's Mrs. McMahon's rival!" Tyler cut him off by yelling.
He sat on the other bed, facing Phil. Had he been really this upset? Ever since Tyler had come to Georgia, Phil had noticed how different Tyler had been acting.
"Exactly! Ever since Stephanie found something out about me, she's been messing with me." Phil says. He stood up and went over to the window, opening the curtain and staring out to the night skyline. "I'm just lucky she let me back." Phil thought of Jarrod, when he told him he was leaving for Georgia. He seemed fine with it, happy he just got to talk to Phil face-to-face.
Tyler knew all about what he was talking about. He just wanted to hear Phil say it, so he could talk to him about it freely.
"Then don't leave again, Phil." Tyler says.
"I don't have any ties to anybody in Delaware - All I've got is bad relationships and bridges that have been broken." Turning around, Phil shrugged his shoulders.
"You have me!" Tyler exclaimed, standing up.
Phil scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked annoyed by how Tyler was acting. Now they were both fed up with how each other were being tonight.
"Yeah, that's it." Phil agrees, "You aren't my boyfriend or anything, why do you care so much whether or not I go to California?"
Tyler stood tall. He felt butterflies in his stomach now. This is what he really wanted to say to Phil and he was going to say it right now. He put his hands behind his back, taking a deep breath.
"Because I want to be!" Tyler confessed, "I want to be your boyfriend, okay? I finally figured it out that I want to be with you more than just a friend and we can go out to games or something and do things that couples do. I want you to be in my bed next to me every night, know your darkest secrets, your fears, things that make you happy other than comic books and the Chicago Blackhawks winning the Stanley Cup. I want to take trips with you and be the reason that you smile that ridiculous cute smile all the damn time."
Phil looked down to the ground, biting his lip. He was quite surprised that Tyler shared the same feelings as him. Huh, that sounded exactly like a dream of his, but it wasn't because it wouldn't have taken this long.
Tyler rubbed one of his eyes. He was tired and he was hoping that Phil could say something. He stared at Phil, never looking away.
"Why don't you come with me?" Phil suggests.
"Are you crazy?" Tyler asks with a grin, giving a low chuckle. He had family and friends in Delaware. Going to California with Phil seemed like a good idea, but maybe he wouldn't be able to do it and stay there for long - Tyler would have to come back to Delaware.
"I like to think I am, it adds to conversations." Phil replies. He starts laughing. Now it felt like old times before all of this drama even started.
Turning around, Phil closed the curtains. He looked over his shoulder to see Tyler still standing there, biting his lip as if he wanted to say something. He turned around and walked over to Tyler, putting his hands in his pockets. They stood together in the middle of both beds, looking into each others eyes. Once they were standing closer to each other, Phil could smell his cologne - It smelled like Hugo Boss - and God, he smelled so damn good.
"So you want to be my boyfriend?" Phil asks.
"Badly." Tyler says.
Both of them look happy. They laugh, Phil's hands touched Tyler's face, feeling stubble. Tyler could feel the nerves in his stomach as their lips met even though he'd kissed Phil before. He was the one to bite Phil's bottom lip, putting more into the kiss. Phil's tongue entered Tyler's mouth, Tyler letting out a moan.
Phil removed his hands from his face, taking off Tyler's jacket, letting it fall on the bed. He untucked Tyler's shirt, who let out a laugh and then a groan as one of Phil's hands went around Tyler's waist, the other hand going into Tyler's pants.
Tyler let go of the kiss, opening his mouth and breathing heavily. He couldn't believe that Phil - His best friend for four years - Had been giving him a hand job right now in the middle of the hotel room they shared in Georgia. On a business trip, when they were supposed to be at a conference downstairs but damn this made Tyler feel great.
Phil moved faster, Tyler coming in Phil's hand. Tyler rested his head on Phil's shoulder, panting. He closed his eyes, "Phil..." He moaned in a croaky voice.
No one moved as Tyler caught his breath and Phil was trying to convince himself that all of this was still real. He removed his hand from Tyler's pants, not mentioning that he didn't think Tyler as a person who would go commando. Tyler opened his eyes and lifted his head.
Everything was now awkward again. Without saying anything, Phil went into the bathroom and Tyler heard the sink being turned on.
Following him into the bathroom, Tyler wiped some sweat off of his forehead with the back of his hand. Tyler saw Phil washing his hand.
"I'm going to take a shower," Tyler says, unbuttoning his shirt, "you want to join me?"
Phil thought about it. He was still a little bit unsure about this whole thing between him and Tyler. Turning the faucet off, "I don't think so," He says, grabbing a wash cloth to dry his hands on. He looks at Tyler in the mirror, "I think I'll just go in and see what's on TV. It's pretty late so maybe I'll catch a marathon of that show Catfish on or maybe a movie. I'm pretty sure the conference is over now anyway."
"Okay," Tyler mutters. As Phil left the bathroom and went to get comfortable, Tyler yelled, "Hey, you got to see what I look like when I orgasm." He said, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"If you find that a problem, you can suck it." Phil yells back, laughing.
Tyler heard the TV turn on as he took off his pants. Tyler smiled. He yelled back, "I might take you up on that offer!" as he turned the water on.
It was almost one in the morning, Phil and Tyler were both still up. All of the lights were on and Tyler and Phil were on the two beds as if nothing had happened between the two of them earlier. They hadn't exactly talked about it all that much and when they did, one of them changed the subject.
Phil was watching TV when he got up, got a water bottle from the mini fridge next to the drawers with the TV on top of it. He threw it to Tyler, hitting his leg and made him look up from his laptop.
"Thanks, but I asked for this an hour ago." Tyler said.
"Dude, Iron Man was still on, chill and just be glad that I got up to get it for you after." Phil joked, laughing to himself. "What are you even doing that you couldn't watch a great movie with me?"
Tyler looked at his computer screen; He had been reading up on twins. Shrugging his shoulders, he said, "Just reading an article."
"What's it about?" Phil wonders.
"How nosy Phil Brooks is." Tyler jokes.
Phil stuck out his tongue like he was still a child and Tyler laughed. He smiled, "Want to come over here and use that tongue?"
Phil coughs, shaking his head. He wanted to, but something was stopping him - What was it? - and he couldn't figure out what it was.
Phil doesn't say anything as he walks to the bathroom and goes to close the door when his phone started to ring loudly. Maybe it was so loud because it was almost one in the morning. Sighing, Phil came out of the bathroom and ran over to his bed, sitting down. Grabbing the phone off of the nightstand, he didn't recognize either the area code or phone number calling him. Curious as to who was calling him, Phil pressed a button and put the phone up to his ear.
"Hello?" Phil answered.
Tyler was looking at Phil, trying to read his facial expression to see how Phil reacted to the person who was talking. At first, Phil looked annoyed but softened up when he heard who was talking.
"Phil, where are you?" Corey Graves asks. He seemed curious and his voice was soft - This wasn't like Corey at all, something must have happened.
"At the hotel in Georgia, why?" Phil informed.
He heard Corey take a deep breath and Phil started to play with one of the ties on his sweatpants while waiting for Corey to answer him. Tyler could see Phil was becoming impatient with the caller. Tyler wanted to ask who it was and why they were calling this early in the morning.
"You're the only one I can trust, Phil." Corey says off topic. He was leaning against the wall, freezing cold. One hand was in his pocket, the other was holding the payphone up to his ear.
Nodding his head, Phil was wondering if this was the only reason why Corey called him and made Phil wait to use the bathroom. And Corey trusted people? Maybe he was just drunk and drunk calling Phil. "That's nice, Corey." Phil says, Tyler's eyes widening when he realizes it's Corey who he was talking to. "Is that the only reason why you're calling me at..." Phil looks at the clock, "... twelve fifty three in the morning?" He wonders.
He heard Corey start to laugh and then stop all of a sudden. "Yeah, I only called you because I wanted to tell you I trusted you." Corey sarcastically says. Turning serious, "I could tell you that everyday of my life... But, Phil... I need your help."
"Why should I help you, Corey? All you've done is be an asshole to me ever since I stepped foot into our work place." Phil said.
Biting his lip and resting his head against the wall, Corey closed his eyes. He was regretting being an asshole to the only person he'd admit he trusted. "Fine, I'll promise this to you now - If you help me, I'll stop being an asshole and... I heard about you being broken up with Dean Ambrose before you're 'sudden vacation'. So, maybe we could go to a sports or music event of your choice. It would be on me." Corey opened his eyes.
But wasn't Corey in a relationship? Maybe they had broken up while he was on this suspension. Him not being an asshole to him anymore sounded tempting. The date? Phil would have to think about it. Looking Tyler in the eyes, Phil could see how Tyler wanted to know everything Corey was saying to him.
"I'll take you up on that asshole part, but I'll think that other part over." Phil says. "What do you need my help with?"
Here came the moment of truth. Phil agreed to help him and now Corey had to tell him. "You need to come to Florida."
"Why?"
"Fuck!" Corey mutters under his breath. Once he saw the police officer signaling to him that he needed to start finishing up his call, Corey lifted his head and smiled at the officer. "Because I'm in a Florida jail and need you to bail me out, you ass. Phil, you're the only person I can trust."
Both stunned and confused, Phil opened his mouth a few times to try and say something, but he just ended up closing his mouth again. Corey Graves was arrested? He knew Corey was going to Florida, but he wouldn't have predicted he would get arrested!
"Wow..." Phil says, "Corey, what did you do?"
"I can't tell you all the details, just know I was arresting for fighting. You know how bad my anger can get, Phil." Corey explained, "If you can bail me out, I can go back home to Delaware and they will probably suggest months of anger management... Again. Please, Phil." Something about his voice made it sound like Corey was begging for help.
"Fine, I'll help." Phil agrees. "But you'll have to spend a little bit there because I have to pack and leave to go to Florida now."
Corey nods his head, "Thank you, Phil. This means a lot to me."
"It better, Corey." Phil says. "I hope this makes you think about that anger and maybe not getting into fights anymore."
"I will, Phil. I promise." Corey promises and it sounded real, like he really meant it.
"Okay Corey, I've got to go now and pack. Better be ready when I get there." Phil replies.
"Phil, I've been ready since the minute they locked me up. Now I've got to go, the officer wants me to be done with this call. Bye." Corey comments and then hangs up.
Phil threw his phone on the bed, running his hands over his head, then rubbing his eyes. He shook his head, never thinking he'd hear Corey Graves being arrested. Phil knew he had gotten angry easily, but he didn't know how bad it was.
"I need to piss." Phil says, getting up from the bed.
Watching Phil walk to the bathroom, Tyler closed his laptop and followed Phil. Standing in the doorway, Tyler coughed.
"What do you want, Tyler?"
"Why did Corey call you and what did he want?" Tyler demands to know.
Phil would like to tell Tyler what had happened because he knew Tyler never got along with Corey, but then his words replayed in his mind. You're the only one I can trust, Phil.
No, he wouldn't do that to Corey, even though Corey's only been mean to Phil in the past. "None of your business, Ty. Let it go."
"Well I need to know why your leaving?"
Pulling his pants back up, Phil turns around and gives Tyler a look. "Just know I'm going to help Corey. Stay out of it, Ty."
"Come on Phil - "
"I don't have to tell you anything, Tyler! Just know Corey needs help and I'm going to help him. That's all you need to know about this situation." Phil says. "End of conversation."
Phil walks past him and Tyler scoffs. He just wouldn't let this go. "Well I guess than we don't have to do what we did earlier anymore."
Tyler walks back to his bed, sitting down and opening his laptop. He sneaked a view of Phil putting clothes in an open suitcase and then he saw Phil stand tall.
"Don't be like this, Tyler. I'm just going to help a co-worker." Phil said, "You'd probably do the same thing."
"Yeah if Corey wasn't such an asshole to us in the past."
Rubbing an eye, "He promised me he'd stop that, Ty."
"And you're going to believe him?" Tyler scoffed.
Phil looked serious. "I believed you when you came to me and said you changed your mind about your feelings for me." Tyler looked down, realizing he was sort of right, but these were different things. One was anger, the other was love. Phil nodded his head, "Exactly."
"I just don't want to see you get hurt, Phil." Tyler reasoned, "Corey's temper is pretty bad, you didn't work with him when he was with his one of his exes. Something had to happen if he went to court after they broke up and Stephanie had to cover it up."
"I don't want to hear it, Tyler. I'm a big boy and I've been hurt before." Phil says, for a second thinking about Jarrod. He wondered what he was doing right now.
"Just know I warned you, Phil." Tyler says.
"I will." Phil mutters as Tyler puts earphones in and starts playing a video on his computer. After what Tyler said, Phil, yeah, was a little worried. But Corey himself promised and Phil was going to believe him. Even if in the end, Corey might break his promise.
I hope you like this chapter! Thank you for reading. This may or may not hold some spoilers for the next chapter *cough*the-chapter-before-Tyler-and-Seth-meet-fina lly*cough*
Again, I hope you like this chapter and thank you for reading. You guys are awesome!
Thank you, Lizzie.