A/N: That's it, sorry it wasn't quite 5 chapters! I hope you've enjoyed it though. :-) I'm already working on a little something else, but I'm also taking prompts over on Tumblr – I'm Purplepie1
Let me know what you thought! :-)

He gasped softly, rubbing at his eyes and willing himself to stop crying. Sitting stock still, he held his breath and tried to ignore the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

'Elliot, please. I know you're in there. I just want to know if you're alright.'

He kept silent.

'Please, I just want to talk to you. I'll do anything. Elliot, I'm so sorry. I'm begging you to let me make this right.' His voice was rising, as panic started to spread through him.

'Elliot, I love you. Please!'

At this, Elliot's neighbour came out and frowned at Tyrell, who fixed her with a withering stare.

'Elliot, please let me in. Or at least let me know you're okay,' he continued, knocking again on the door. He'd turned away from the nosy neighbour, but could feel her glaring at the back of his head. He spun around to face her and snapped, 'Is there something I can help you with?'

She shook her head, tutting angrily at him, but retreated back into her apartment. Tyrell swore under his breath in Swedish.

'Elliot, I'm not going to leave. I'll stay out here all night if I have to.' He knew Tyrell would be true to his word. He'd have to face him eventually, but he couldn't do it just yet. He wasn't ready.

Tyrell sighed sadly, and sat on the grubby-looking floor, with his back against the door. It was two-am by this point and Tyrell was exhausted, the events of the day having now fully caught up with him. He let himself close his eyes for a moment.

In the apartment, Elliot released the breath he'd been holding for far too long. Tyrell had been quiet for a few minutes, but Elliot knew he hadn't left. As much as he hated the other man right now, he didn't know if he could let him sleep out there. He closed his eyes to try and clear his head and compose himself before letting Tyrell in. He felt all his anger leave him as he succumbed to the bone-crushing tiredness he'd been trying to fight off.

He jerked awake some time later. Shit! What time was it? Looking at his phone he saw that it was just after four-am. Fuck! He hadn't meant to fall asleep.

'Tyrell?' he called out hesitantly. No answer. He'd probably fallen asleep too, Elliot wouldn't be surprised. He had a remarkable ability to fall asleep anywhere. Bent at uncomfortable angles, surrounded by loud noises, with the lights on- if he was tired enough nothing stopped him. Elliot found it amazing, but always manoeuvred him so he was lying down, and made sure he was more comfortable.

He rushed over to the door.

'Tyrell?' he tried again, knocking lightly on the door. No answer. That was the other thing about Tyrell- he slept like the dead. Elliot had found it slightly creepy at first, but soon realised it was quite handy. He never slept amazingly, so if he got up and clattered around at five-am, or tossed and turned in bed, he never disturbed Tyrell.

Slowly, he opened the door. Tyrell fell back, slumping towards Elliot's feet. The movement startled him awake and he swore loudly. Quickly getting his bearings he shifted to kneel in front of Elliot, looking up at him with wide eyes.

'Elliot?'

'Come in then,' he muttered bluntly, and Tyrell scrambled to his feet.

'Elliot, I…'

Elliot turned away from him and started to move back towards the bed.

Tyrell didn't really know where to sit so he perched awkwardly on the edge.

'What are you doing?' Elliot grumbled.

'Um…'

'We're not going to talk about anything tonight, so you may as well get some sleep.'

Confused, Tyrell just nodded, getting up to move over to the sofa.

'Where are you going?'

'To the sofa, I thought…'

'Don't be fucking stupid.'

Despite himself Tyrell smiled as he slid awkwardly under the covers next to Elliot.

Elliot seemed to drift off about ten minutes later, but Tyrell couldn't sleep. He lay rigid next to Elliot, eyes fixed on the ceiling. He was too afraid to move, in case he somehow broke the delicate truce they seemed to have formed.

When Elliot woke up a few hours later Tyrell was showered and dressed, sitting on the sofa with his laptop.

The older man looked up quickly when he heard Elliot stirring.

'Do you want some breakfast? I could make eggs, or…' he started, moving over to Elliot.

'No,' Elliot answered bluntly.

Tyrell blinked, surprised.

'Just because I let you stay here doesn't mean things are fixed.'

'I know. I'm sorry. I just thought…'

'How could you do that to me?'

Okay, so they were doing this right now. Tyrell drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes to compose himself. He tried to remember the words he'd practiced while he was lying awake in bed, but they'd abandoned him.

'I know what I did was wrong. I saw a way in and I took it, but I should never have done what I did. I have no excuse, I'm so sorry.'

'I know why you did it- I was just a pawn to you. What I don't understand, what I simply cannot fathom, is how you could enjoy doing what you did. I know you use people Tyrell, it's what you do. But you got a kick out of using me, and I don't understand why.'

Tyrell looked at a loss for words, confusion marring his features.

'Elliot, you were never just a pawn to me, I thought you understood that. I wanted us to work together, be allies. I was fairly certain I'd made that clear to you very early on. But you weren't interested. I wanted to leave you alone after that, but I couldn't. I was desperate, and I still saw you as my only hope. I felt like I had no choice. But believe me when I say I got no pleasure from deceiving you the way I did.'

'But the way you talked about it, you made it sound like a game, a chase. What were the words you used, 'exciting', 'intrigue'…? You enjoyed finding my weakness and exploiting it. You enjoyed playing with me like I was some sort of toy! With everything else you did you just went through the motions, but not with me. Why?!'

His voice was starting to rise, and he stopped himself, taking deep, ragged breaths.

Tyrell was staring at him, eyes wide and sad, and mouth open in shock.

'Elliot, is that really what you thought?'

Elliot just nodded, scared that his voice would betray him.

'Elliot, I…' he trailed off brokenly, at a loss for words.

Elliot felt his chest tightening and wanted Tyrell to leave before he crumbled. The very least the man owed him now was his dignity.

'I want you to leave.' His heart hammered in his chest. This was it. 'We're done.'

'Elliot no, please let me explain…'

'We're done,' Elliot repeated. 'Take your things and…'

'I wanted you!' Tyrell blurted desperately. He'd wanted to be more eloquent about it, but that would have to do. Elliot looked startled.

'I wanted you, Elliot. I thought it was obvious,' he frowned.

'What are you saying?'

'I wasn't excited by the idea of manipulating you, I hated it! I tried so hard to get you on my side, but eventually I got desperate. It seemed like the only way. I didn't know what else to do. But I hated deceiving you!'

He tried to read Elliot's face, but the younger man gave nothing away.

'The intrigue and excitement I spoke of was in reference to you. I found you intoxicating, and wanted to be close to you. I'm sorry that I didn't explain myself properly earlier. Sometimes I don't find the right words in English. But if I'm completely honest, I thought you knew. I was always clear about my intentions.'

'What?' Elliot's brain couldn't muster a better response than that.

'Something drew me to you when I first met you at Allsafe. After that, I was yours. I tried to fight it, tried to see you as a business associate, and nothing more, but I couldn't. Did you honestly not feel it? How I stood too close, how I'd grab you by the arms…'

'I thought you were trying to intimidate me.'

'…how I couldn't stop my thumbs from stroking your shoulders as I did so?'

Elliot swallowed.

'Elliot, why do you even think I was at Steel Mountain that day?'

Elliot didn't know how to answer, so he kept quiet.

'You thought I was trying to intimidate you?'

'Maybe not all the time. Eventually I think I realised,' Elliot mumbled.

'This has always been my problem. I'm a simple person Elliot, I use words carefully, and sparingly. I've always felt that people are straightforward, and that the easiest way to convey your intent is with your actions. Body language can tell you a lot about a person, and I've always been very direct, physically speaking. But I've also found that sometimes people aren't accustomed to this, they're trained to look for hidden meaning in your subtleties, rather than accept what you put right in front of them. People by nature don't tend to reach out and take what they want, so I understand how my actions could have seemed a bit…intense, as opposed to romantic. This was my mistake, I apologise.'

His words were starting to make sense to Elliot. He had come to learn that Tyrell was indeed, extremely forward. He was tactile by nature, and seemed to have a general disregard for personal space. It had been unsettling for Elliot, who liked to keep his distance from people. Eventually though he must have gotten used to it; gradually he'd stopped flinching away, and now it was just part of how they were together.

Tyrell was passionate, and always made it very clear when he wanted Elliot. It was what made sex with him so intoxicating, the feeling that he needed you, right then and there. A leg jammed between yours, lips on your neck, hands stroking your thighs…

In turn, he also responded positively to such gestures from Elliot. Elliot tended to initiate sex less often, but when he did it seemed to drive Tyrell crazy. Elliot had worked out early on that Tyrell liked to be dominated. He moaned when Elliot pinned his wrists down, writhed with pleasure when Elliot leaned his weight down onto him. He suspected that Tyrell found pleasure in the freedom of Elliot having total control; as if not having to take charge somehow heightened his senses, and allowed him to completely let go.

He started to recall their early encounters. Each moment of prolonged eye-contact…every unnecessary touch…the weight and sincerity of Tyrell's words…how for a while he seemed to be around every corner. Fuck, it all made sense. For all of his ability to read people, he had always been oblivious when it came to noticing romantic advances. He always misread situations, and asked awkward questions at the wrong moment. It was safe to say he'd never been smooth. But how the fuck had he missed this?

Maybe he hadn't. Maybe he'd been scared of the implications of Tyrell's advances, so convinced himself he'd got the wrong idea. He recalled the feelings of unease and nausea that he'd persuaded himself was fear. Maybe this had been what people referred to as 'butterflies'. He cringed at himself for being so cheesy.

He remembered in flashes the day he'd taken Tyrell to the arcade for the first time. The ghost of hands on his face, the smell of latex gloves, Tyrell's eyes full of reverence… that had been the moment he'd finally admitted his feelings to himself, he realised now. When he'd let his desire take hold of him. He remembered very little else from that day, but he distinctly remembered his own arousal. Shit.

Tyrell was looking at him expectantly but Elliot couldn't for the life of him remember the last thing that had been said. He licked his lips and swallowed, trying to encourage saliva back into his dry mouth.

'Elliot?' Tyrell whispered, trying to make sense of the strange look Elliot was giving him.

The younger man nodded eagerly, eyes wide.

'I'm not misreading this situation, am I?' Tyrell didn't dare be hopeful.

'No, you're not,' Elliot croaked.

'Are you sure?'

'Yes,' he whispered breathlessly.

'Fuck,' Tyrell groaned, and in one fluid movement, he'd lunged towards Elliot, kissing him hungrily and pushing him backwards until they were both on the bed.

Tyrell broke the kiss, panting. He looked down into Elliot's eyes, his own shining with moisture.

'Elliot, I'm so sorry. I promise you I will never do anything to break your trust again. Please forgive me.'

Elliot knew they had more to talk about- he still had a lot of unanswered questions. But for now at least, he was confident they were going to be alright.

He didn't know how to put any of this into words however, so instead he reached up and put his fingers in Tyrell's hair.

He tugged roughly, bringing Tyrell's lips back down to meet his own, and kissed him again.