part 3

Tyler woke to a killer head-ache. The second one in just seven days. He rolled around, feeling the nausea roll with him, the hammering increase, and he moaned softly.

Damn.

What had he been thinking?

Nothing, the reasonably coherent part decided. It was a small part, but at least it was there. It gave him hope that he could get sober again.

His ears registered a sizzling noise and Tyler cracked open an eye. A glass of water had magically appeared at his eye level, and it contained a tablet of alca seltzer bubbling in its depths. He managed to work his hand out from under his body. He took the glass and croaked a word that should have been 'thank you'.

"You're welcome," came the reply.

The water felt wonderful in his rough throat and he handed the glass back, closing his eyes.

The same kind soul held out a mug of coffee not much later. Damn, he was in heaven. Or somewhere where someone knew a lot about his hangovers.

Strong hands helped him carefully up into a sitting position.

"You need a bucket?"

"No," he moaned.

Not just yet anyway.

And damn, when would the world stop spinning around him? He screwed his eyes shut and concentrated on not embarrassing himself in front of whoever the kind soul taking care of him was. He didn't really want to throw up on someone.

It took him a while to get his senses back together, but when he finally squinted up and looked around, Tyler discovered that, of all places he could wake up after having too much to drink, it had to be the bunker. So that meant his caretaker had to be...

"Hi Burt," he murmured.

Burt Gummer just looked grimly at him. "You know that you drove here dead drunk?" he asked, voice slightly too loud for Tyler's overtaxed senses.

"Yeah, well..."

"You could have ended up in a ditch! You could have ended up dead! You could have been eaten by El Blanco!"

Reed winced with every word and ducked his head. "Burt, please. Not so loud."

"I yell at you as loudly as I want, Tyler! It was irresponsible!"

"I know."

"Not only that, it was foolish, too! I thought you were better than that!"

Tyler looked up and saw real anger in the other man's eyes. "Sorry."

"And why the heck did you get drunk anyway? Just to tell me that nothing happened in Juniper?"

Juniper? Tyler opened his mouth, then shut it again. Ah hell! Juniper!

"I'll tell you what, Tyler. Something did happen. You came on to me is what happened. You kissed me and we ended up in bed is what happened!"

Tyler blanched. "No..."

"Yes. You, Tyler Reed, offered yourself for a night," Burt went on, now clearly on a roll. "And guess what! Last night, when you came here? You did it again."

Tyler felt like losing his stomach contents for real now and he barely made it to the bathroom.

He had... He had... Oh god...

Resting his head against the cool concrete wall, he closed his eyes and fought against another kind of nausea. Please no. He couldn't have. But Burt Gummer wasn't the man to joke about this.

Okay, Tyler. Take it like a man. Go out there and face the firing squad.

*

When he reentered the main room of the bunker, Gummer was nowhere to be seen, but reappeared just seconds later, carrying more coffee and a plate with sandwiches. Just the thought of food made Tyler's stomach queasy.

"Burt, I..."

The older man set down the plate and held out the coffee, which Tyler took carefully.

"Why?" Burt asked quietly.

Tyler nearly choked on his first sip. "Huh?"

"You came on to me twice, wanted to sleep with me twice, and there has to be a reason for it," Burt told him calmly. "You lost your inhibitions, which means you had the idea all along."

Reed clutched the mug. "No," he protested weakly.

Burt sat down and looked at him like he would at a particularly fascinating piece of wildlife. "Yes," he corrected. "Tell me, Tyler, why did you come out here in the first place? And I don't mean the bunker. Why did you move to Perfection?"

"You know why. I crashed my car and lost my sponsorship. And I bought the Graboid Adventure Tours from Jack."

Gummer nodded. "That's the official version. Now for yours?"

Reed evaded the piercing eyes and studied his mug. "There is none."

"There always is. All of us have a reason to be out, to be away from the world, from civilization... Even you, Tyler."

He chewed on his lower lip, not looking at the other man. Yes, everyone had a secret or a piece of his past that wasn't anyone else's business. But here he was, again with a hangover, facing Burt Gummer, who wanted to know about something he wasn't comfortable telling. Still, he did.

"I did crash the car. I did lose my sponsorship. But one wasn't the reason for the other."

Burt was silent, just listening.

"I... made a mistake. I fell for someone. The wrong someone." Tyler turned the mug in his hands, never looking up. "A man." Now he did glance at the older man, but Gummer's face was unreadable. "He was a mechanic. He made the first step, approached me, and I reacted. He wasn't on my team -- actually he was from my opponent's team, the one closest behind me for the championship. We... ended up together one night, in a hotel room. I dunno... we both had a bit to drink, but we weren't that far gone. I knew what I was doing. Unlike, y'know, in Juniper. Or yesterday."

He fell silent for a while, but Burt didn't push.

"It was nice. Really nice. I mean, he didn't help me win any races; we could tell work and private life apart. But it leaked. Somehow, people found out. Never the press, of course." Tyler laughed humorlessly. "It was enough, though. No more sponsoring for the gay driver. You know how it is, Burt: you can do everything in this Land of the Free as long as they don't catch you. Guess what, I got caught in the act. They gave me a choice -- the press or a silent withdrawal from the racing circle. I took the last option." Tyler emptied the mug. "My opponent won after that and I announced my leaving. No reasons whatsoever, just that I had enough. It was only a while later that I found out that it had all been a set-up. I had been used."

Burt leaned forward, brows drawing down.

"Thing is... I really liked the guy. I fell for him. L..." He stopped and shook his head. "I liked him," he repeated. "I paid for it. Big time. Out of luck, out of a job, and dumped by someone who had been told to... seduce me. Getting the business from Jack was my jackpot. No one knew me here. I could start again. So I came here in the last piece that meant anything to me, my car. Lost that too. To a worm." Tyler laughed darkly, shaking his head at his own foolishness.

Silence descended after that. No lectures, no questions, not even a grunt of acknowledgment.

Finally Reed couldn't take it anymore. Without looking at Gummer, he put the mug down and got up, almost running from the bunker. He didn't get far. Actually, he hadn't really thought about where to go after escaping from the oppressive silence. So he just stood there, squinting into the
sunlight.

It was past noon time. Damn, how long had he been asleep?

Sinking down on the low concrete wall that surrounded Gummer's habitat, he stared out over the desert landscape, losing himself in his thoughts.

*

He had really blown it. Utterly and completely. He had probably alienated the one person in this valley he most relied on for friendship, and there was no going back and erasing his words. Or his
deeds.

Face it, Ty, he told himself. You made a pass at the antisocial paramilitary paranoid. Twice. It's a miracle you aren't dead, six feet underground. You blew your chances -- after a year of having the best time of his life.

He couldn't go back into the NASCAR circle, he didn't want to move to Bixby or Vegas, but he probably couldn't stay here either. Burt Gummer was their protection, their suspicion, their weapon, and he was the watchful guard. He was part of this tight-knit group and if push came to shove, Tyler knew he would be the one losing.

After some time into his morose thoughts, someone joined him. Tyler didn't have to turn his head to know it was Burt. Who else was out here except for them? Gummer just sat there, equally silent.

"I'm sorry," Tyler said after some time, his voice sounding strange to his own ears.

Burt turned his head, his eyes unreadable behind the sunglasses. "Are you really?"

Reed bit his lower lip, trying not to make eye-contact. This might be his only chance to rectify some of the mistakes he had made, try for normalcy, hope for Burt's forgiveness.

"Yeah. I mean, making a pass at you like this in Juniper was one thing.

We were both drunk. We both had an excuse. But yesterday, it was just me. I came on to you. I would have expected to have your fist in my face this time."

"I'm not a violent man, Tyler."

He laughed wryly. No, actually, Gummer wasn't. He refused to point his gun at people and he only shot to defend himself. He knew his weaponry inside out, was a walking encyclopedia on armory, but all that skill was used to defend and survive, not to attack. He used deadly force against Shriekers, but never against humans.

"Yeah, well... I wouldn't have blamed you, Burt. Not at all."

Burt watched him silently and Tyler sighed.

"I've got another question," the older man said after a while. "Why me?"

Tyler swallowed hard. Great. He wouldn't let it go. Oh well, it was a valid question. Why him? Why this man and why now? He had been here for nearly a year and he had never lost more than a thought about the possibility...

And he was saved from having to answer by the crackle of the walkie-talkie.

"Burt, come in, this is Jodi."

Burt grabbed the small device. "I read you."

"You better come down here. We got a missing hiker."

Burt grunted in annoyance. "I knew having them would be nothing but trouble," he muttered. "I'm on my way," he then spoke into the walkie-talkie and rose. "Tyler?"

Tyler pushed himself up and walked over to his car. "I'll go back, too.

I need to check for possible bookings."

And he was glad he had an excuse. For now, he needed space -- and time to think up an answer to Burt's question.

*

Burt found the hiker within two hours. The poor guy had lost his map and had wandered into the wrong direction, then fallen down a small incline.

He was happy to be saved and Burt was only too glad to have him out of his 'territory'. Tyler kept himself busy with his tour, which was mostly booked up to five people at the moment. Cash came in and he was out and about, away from Burt. Whenever Gummer came into town, Tyler tried not to be there, and if they had to interact, it was rather matter-of-fact -- as if nothing had happened; as if Tyler had never spilled his soul to him.

It confused the younger man, but it was also safe.

He felt... safe.

And very much at a loss.

Three days passed and the confusion didn't abate; it grew more. Because Tyler still had no answer to Burt's question and he was wreaking his mind for one.

Why had he made a pass on Gummer? No, scratch that. Why had he tried to get into bed with him? Twice!

Sitting on some old tires, Tyler wondered when his taste had shifted to find Burt Gummer attractive enough to offer himself to the other man, because what Burt had said was right. The alcohol had eradicated his inhibitions, so there must have been something there before. Or was he just that desperate for a partner? Since Rosalita resisted his charm, Nancy was too old and Jodi quite clearly lived her business with no time for that kind of relationship, there was only one person left -- the paramilitary survivalist. Right?

Right...

No!

Tyler buried his head in his hands. No, no, no. It hadn't been an act of drunken desperation. No way. He wasn't trying to break a dry spell by throwing himself at Burt. He could have driven into Bixby for some fun, he could have let a flirting tourist give him some action, but no, it had been Gummer. Early fantasies about a naked Rosalita Sanchez had turned into a hunger for the tough military guy. Great! What did that say about him?

Actually...

The sound of the garage door opening let Tyler look up and he groaned softly.

Of all the people walking into his home, it had to be the one he didn't really want to talk to, but who he had been thinking about.

"Tyler," Burt greeted him.

"Hey, Burt," he tried for normalcy.

The older man stopped halfway into the room, looking at him. "I haven't seen much of you lately," he remarked.

"Uh, I was busy."

"Yes. The tour."

Tyler nodded, fidgeting. "Listen, Burt... about what happened... I... I don't know why. You see, I thought about it... I really did. I gave it a lot of thought. I know what you said. I was drunk... really, really drunk. Absolutely stinking drunk. And I had no control. I was..." Tyler gestured vaguely. "I followed an idea."

Gummer cocked his head.

"I think I did. I mean, there has to be something that started this, right? I've been here for a year and suddenly, kawoom! A little field trip, too much alcohol, and I'm trying to sleep with my partner! I... I don't know why, Burt. I really don't. I kissed you... I wanted to sleep with you!"

Burt's eyebrows rose.

"Not with Rosalita, and damn, I was really trying to! Don't get me wrong! She's a nice-looking girl and I'd be blind not to try it. Then there's Jodi, but she's more like a sister, actually. And I wouldn't make passes on my sister. In the beginning I might have been interested, but now? No way. I won't mention Nancy. Nuh-uh. And that scientist?

Casey Matthews? She's good on the eye, but I don't do well with scientists. They soon point out all my flaws and I don't need that. So I probably decided to make a pass on you. Had to be this way. Told you I'm bi, right? I mean, I had a guy. We did more than just kiss. Not like us. I mean, you're an attractive man, Burt. You really are. I just never thought about it more than once or twice."

Gummer watched the pacing and babbling young man, and he felt his patience wither away slowly. He had come to the garage for one reason: Tyler was clearly evading him and they needed to settle this before it either blew out of proportion or developed into something ugly. So since Mohammed wasn't coming to the mountain, Burt Gummer had blown up the piece of rock and was looking through the rubble.

He had done some of his own thinking and while there were many unknowns, there were also the facts, and they spoke quite clearly. It wasn't just a theory, it was knowledge, and he was here to knock Tyler's head straight.

What he found was a heap of misery and confusion, large gray eyes radiating his inner feelings, and Burt couldn't but help notice that the eyes belonged to a nicely shaped body. Tyler had a liking for figure-hugging shirts and jeans; one couldn't but notice he was pretty well-muscled.

"Tyler! Stop babbling. You're making me dizzy," he finally interrupted the agitated man.

Reed stopped for a brief second, glanced at him, then continued pacing.

And babbling.

"It's not that I don't know nothing about it - I do - but ... and we're friends, right? We can't... I couldn't do that... Even if I wanted to. I just couldn't... I won't. I..."

Burt sighed and reached out to wrap a hand around the younger man's upper arm, stopping both the movement and the noise successfully.

"Tyler, you came on to me twice. You admitted you wanted to sleep with me. And from the babbling, you still do. So tell me, what do you want?"

Reed's eyes had an almost wild look. "Burt, it's not... I mean, I did all that. And... and..."

"Tyler, I ain't gettin' any younger here, so you better give me an honest answer. What. Do. *You*. Want?"

There was a longer moment of silence until Tyler looked up into his eyes. Burt could see everything in there, the younger man was wide open and vulnerable, and he almost regretted forcing his hand. But they had to deal with this now; he couldn't let it go on any longer. It would self-destruct in Reed and it wouldn't be pretty.

"You." The voice was wobbly, full of wonder, and laced with a panicky fear that had Burt wince in sympathy.

But it was as simple as that. Burt let go of him.

"Well, here I am."

Tyler blinked at him in confusion, and Burt just waited for the other man to fully register the true meaning of his words.

"Burt? I don't ... "

Oh for goodness sake!

This was it. It would end here and now.

Burt grabbed the younger man's blue t-shirt and pulled him close, effectively shutting him up by pressing their lips together. Tyler's body froze and Burt let go of the other man before he would bolt again.

Wide gray eyes stared at him in shock.

"Burt?" he stuttered.

He raised his eyebrows. "Tyler?"

And then Tyler was back, his body melting against Gummer's, and this time the kiss was as sweet as he remembered it - no, even better. This time Tyler was sober. He answered the questing lips, opened up to let him in deeper, and was rewarded with a very hot variation of what he had expected. Bodies pressed against each other he couldn't but run his hands over the slender form as Tyler almost performed a tonsillectomy on him.

Damn, the man was enthusiastic.

And who was he to refuse?

part 5

What was this? Tyler wondered as he cleaned the truck.

He knew what had happened, had been a willing and enthusiastic participant, and if it was up to his more southern part, he would happily do it again. Very happily.

The events of that encounter replayed before his inner eye again and again. Damn, it had been good. A relief, a seduction, a beginning addiction.

But what now? What did Burt expect? He knew what he wanted. He wanted to be in that bed again. He wanted to be touched and kissed by that man. He wanted to feel that body again.

You had unprotected sex with a man you know nothing about, a new part of him suddenly reared its ugly head. Yeah. That too.

Shit.

What had he been thinking?

Answer: not enough. His brain had shut down for the time and his instincts had taken over.

And damn, he wanted to again. Not unprotected, sure, but the sex part.

Definitely the sex part.

The deep sound of Burt's truck engine alerted him to the man's arrival and he watched the camouflage painted vehicle pull up outside the store.

Burt got out and started to fill the tank, then two canister, with gasoline. Tyler watched him.

Coward, he chided himself. Go over there as you usual do.

And he did.

"Hey, Burt," he called.

The older man looked up and nodded a greeting. "Tyler."

Awkwardness settled in again, broken only by Jodi's exit from the store.

"Hey, guys. Coffee? I'm trying out a new flavor."

A cup was thrust under Tyler's nose and he took it. It smelled good.

"Thanks, Jodi."

Burt took his own cup and tried a sip. "Hm, good stuff."

Jodi smiled brightly. "Latte Grabiatto. It'll be a hit."

They made small talk and Jodi finally walked back into the store, but instead of staying with Tyler, Burt just followed her. Tyler walked after him, wondering what this really was. Gummer behaved... just as usual. As if last night hadn't happened. And he'd be damned if the night had been 'nothing'. It had been something, even thought he still had no idea what to call it.

The morning passed in a haze of normality. Burt read his paper, checked the equipment, then Tyler went to run his first tour when three tourists arrived. He came back around noon, but Burt was already gone and only returned right before the next one. Unloading some form of equipment, he looked up when Tyler pulled in beside his truck.

"Anything unusual today?"

"Nope," Reed answered. "Saw El Blanco twice. Kept the folks happy."

Burt fastened the last straps over his load. "You coming over tonight?"

It was such a casual question, so normal, and it could mean anything from having a late beer to... having wild sex. Tyler swallowed, almost frozen in spot.

"Sure," he heard himself answer, convinced it was someone else's voice.

Burt nodded. "Good. See you then, Tyler."

The truck pulled out and Tyler stood rooted to the spot, enveloped in a cloud of dust.

*

They started to meet on a regular basis, though the encounters were limited to hand- and blowjobs. A part of Tyler's mind wondered how the real thing would be, how it would feel to actually... well, feel Burt, but he shied away from the thought immediately. Too soon. And he had no idea if his lover wanted to.

They sometimes met before Tyler's moonlight tour, sometimes after that, and always at Burt's. Tyler discovered that while Burt was a very active partner, he wasn't vocal. There was a hiss or a stifled moan, but never a cry, never a loud noise. Tyler was the complete opposite. He knew he was vocal in bed and he wasn't ashamed of it.

But he never stayed the night. When he had his moonlight tour, it was clear he had to leave. When there was no booking, he made up an excuse.

As much as he wanted to wake up next to the man, he wasn't sure this was what Burt wanted. He liked to touch Tyler after sex, but would he want to cuddle closer? Would he want to see him in the morning? Gummer had never said anything to him; he just let him go. There was no indication as to what his feelings were regarding their... interaction. Tyler was reluctant to call it a relationship.

Outside the walls of the bunker, everything was as normal as if they had never started to sleep together. No soft looks, no touches other than between good friends and partners. It was all too confusing for Tyler whose last relationship -- okay, there was that word -- had been quite different.

Still, he came back for the encounters; he enjoyed them.

Rolling away from the sated form of his lover, Tyler started to sit up to yet again leave, but an arm around his waist pulled him back down again. Serious eyes met his startled gaze.

"Tyler?"

"Yeah?"

"Stay?"

So simple. So very simple. Just one word.

And he had no excuses, no arguments against the warmth he saw in that gaze, the silent plea.

"Okay."

And such a crude word. So inappropriate to answer the question, the offer.

Burt pulled him close, giving Tyler another answer. Physical nearness was encouraged, even after the actual act had been completed. Relaxing against the taller form, he wrapped a careful arm around Burt's chest and when that move wasn't discouraged, he closed his eyes, dozing off.

*

Burt watched the younger man fall asleep, studying the relaxed features, and he smiled to himself. Well, that hadn't been so hard. Just one word, asking a simple question -- and offering Tyler what he had been looking for. There had been no phony excuses, no made-up tours. Just a sudden need Burt had detected lately. He ran his hands over the longish hair, finger-combing it gently. And he had found the right way to answer it.

part 6

It was just the first night of many from then on that Tyler stayed afterwards, and slowly the awkwardness, the proverbial 'morning after' feeling had subsided. Tyler had enjoyed getting a glimpse of the other man's private life from a point of view he was pretty sure nobody else in Perfection had ever had. Gummer had no problem letting his friends and neighbors stay over night should the need for that arise, but Tyler seriously doubted any one of them had ever been woken with a soft kiss.

This was an aspect of his lover that managed to surprise Tyler every time it showed: as gruff and grumpy Burt Gummer appeared to the world, he was actually an unexpectedly tender man. During sex and afterwards, when he pulled Tyler close and just held him, or running a hand over his back while the younger man was slowly dozing off. It was - nice. Real nice.

But the inquisitive little voice in Tyler's mind grew louder every time. And then came the night he had to answer it.

*

Tyler felt the strong arms embrace him from behind when Burt's hands slipped under his shirt, pulling it over his head and tossing it away.

He was pressed against a hard chest, callused, knowing hands roaming slowly over his body, finding all the right spots and places to make him shiver, a pair of hot lips on his neck... and then he was horizontal, all his clothes gone, the hard body pressed fully against him -- equally naked. Tyler moaned and arched, clutching the sheets when he felt the mustache brush over his nipples, followed by a slight scratching of teeth as Burt slid down south. They hadn't been able to see each other properly in almost four days and obviously Burt had missed him as much as he had missed his lover.

Oh hell, yeah, right there!

He hissed in pleasure.

Burt finally reached what he had been aiming for and was settling between his legs, running his hands over the soft, sensitive skin of his inner thighs when he spread them even further in a silent invitation.

Tyler arched into the touch of the stroking hands and the hot wet mouth, groaning with the initial sensation of friction and the hot wet caress of a tongue. So good. He had missed this, had wanted it for four days, and it was like someone had dunked him into a bucket of pheromones that now played haywire along his senses.

"Oh yeah," he breathed, pushing himself up on his elbows to watch. It was an incredible turn-on to see himself disappear in that hot mouth, in Burt Gummer's mouth...

But this time Burt didn't stop at simple oral pleasure. His finger tips were running over the sensitive skin of Reed's scrotum and then even further, teasing an equally sensitive area.

Tyler could have screamed when Burt applied just a little more pressure against the resistance of a tight muscle, and then - god, Burt, yes - he almost whimpered when said finger slowly slid into his body. He fell back against the mattress, legs wide open, wanting, needing, demanding more. Burt seemed to know exactly when to push and when to wait. And then his lover brushed over the hidden spot that turned his spine into molten lava, his wild bucking and a harsh cry a dead giveaway of his feelings.

Heaven.

Burt slid up his body again, meeting his lips in a fiery kiss. He might be a silent lover, but he made that up when it came to passion, something Tyler hadn't expected either.

"Tyler?" Burt's deep voice was even rougher than usual.

Tyler looked into the dark eyes, clouded with a desire one wouldn't expect from Gummer. A desire for him, Tyler mused. Just for him.

"Yeah?"

"I want to be inside you. If you want me to, that is."

There. Burt had said it out loud, had asked the question Tyler had been asking himself for months now. But now the answer was quite easy - hell yes! He wanted this man -- badly.

"Condom?" Tyler managed to croak.

"Drawer. Or in the weapon's cabinet."

"You keep condoms where?" Tyler asked, startled.

Burt shrugged. "They're excellent when it comes to protecting a gun barrel from desert sand. But trust me, I'll use a clean one."

"What?"

He pushed himself up and stared at his lover incredulously.

"Tyler, that was a joke."

"Gummer - did someone ever tell you that your timing in developing a sense of humor really, really sucks?"

Burt looked at him thoughtfully. "Now that you mention it - no."

And then he was all over Tyler again and there was no further verbal communication necessary. Tyler finally rolled onto his side, felt strong arms wrap around his waist and a hot breath on his neck when Burt finally slid into him, carefully and gently as not to hurt him in any way.

"God, yes," he hissed, bucking against the intruder and the arms tightened. "More!"

Finally Burt settled against him, deeply sheathed, and he rested his head against one shoulder, his breath coming short, controlled bursts.

"Okay?" he whispered, sounding strained.

"Burt," the younger man groaned. "Goddamnit, move. Please!"

Finally he did.

Slowly but steadily.

"Oh yeah. Like this," Reed encouraged him.

He had missed this. It felt incredible, wonderful, sensational, and knowing it was Burt inside him doubled the pleasure.

Tyler's world twisted as Burt was hitting that exact same spot again and again, tightening his hold on his lover, making him sob in need for more. Tyler spread his legs as far as he could, needing more depth, more... anything... Burt answered his wordlessly moaned request, reaching down to wrap his fingers around the straining hardness, while his other hand caressed his younger lover's chest. Tyler felt Burt's lips on his neck and he turned his head to claim a kiss, feel that tongue glide into his mouth like Burt was gliding into his body.

Gummer picked up the pace and Tyler closed his eyes, and then there was nothing but the sensation of touch, heat, need, all flowing together and finally releasing itself in an explosion of utter bliss as Tyler screamed his lover's name. His world seemed to white out for a moment, then shrank down to one single point of existence where it was just him and Burt, joined together, and he sobbed hoarsely. Burt followed him over the edge only seconds later, shuddering and tightening his hold of is lover - as silent as ever. Just a sudden burst of air released, almost a sigh.

Tyler heard his hammering heartbeat, the blood rushing through his ears, and he felt Burt's body blanketing his, harsh breathing caressing his slick skin. The taller man was still deeply seated in him and he enjoyed the sensation. When his lover pulled out, Reed moaned softly.

"Tyler?"

"I'm fine," he answered the unspoken question, aware of the mild burn where he hadn't felt anything for way too long. "More than fine." Tyler gave the older man a lazy, satisfied grin, then pulled him down into a kiss.

Burt tenderly kissed him back, soothingly stroking over his sweaty skin.

Reed felt pleasantly exhausted and despite the knowledge that he would be damned sore tomorrow, already felt sore, he couldn't think of anything better than this moment. They rolled into a loose embrace and Tyler soon felt himself doze off, safe and secure in his lover's arms.

*

Gummer watched the sleeping man at his side, now and then running a caressing hand over the naked skin or through the tousled hair. He often did it: sat and watched. It was so amazing to see Tyler lying there, relaxed, asleep, so trusting and vulnerable.

Sitting propped up against the wall behind the head of the bed, Tyler curled up close, he wondered when attraction had turned into such passion, accompanied with emotions he had a hard time associating with himself and another man. With Tyler Reed.

Their relationship had developed in strange leaps ever since he had saved what he had assumed was just another stupid tourist from El Blanco. Within twenty-four hours of arriving in Perfection, Reed had become a part of the town, of their strange little world, and Burt had found himself adopting the still rather innocent man into his circle. He had taught him about survival, about the creatures that roamed around Perfection Valley, about El Blanco in particular, and Reed had helped out Burt on more than one occasion with his many instruments and surveillances. He was good with technical stuff, knew his mechanics, and he could think on his feet. A good survival trait out here.

His tour brought in tourists, which in turn brought in money. Reed was an easy-going guy who had soon adapted to all the specialties of living in this remote place, brought in his many talents as a mechanic, and as he had once snapped at Gummer, he had made him 'user friendly'. Burt Gummer and the outside world clashed on a regular basis, but Tyler had managed to intervene on so many occasions, Gummer had stopped counting.

He was a buffer, a catalyst, and a translator.

They worked and lived off each other in Perfection, and it was no more true than with the two men. Tyler had become a partner, someone he trusted, someone who spent time out at the bunker now and then -- before they had started to sleep together -- and who had slowly wormed himself under Burt's skin.

Reed made a soft noise and moved sleepily, but he didn't wake. Burt watched the play of muscle under the suntanned skin and smiled. Tyler was a good-looking man with just the right amount of muscle in the right places. He was athletic, enduring and still slender. He had the scruffy good looks some women liked, and he knew it. At least he had thought it would work on Rosalita.

Burt pursed his lips thoughtfully. Instead it had worked on him.

Actually from the first time he had laid eyes on the newcomer, sizing him up, categorizing him as nice on the eyes but unattainable, and then he had gone on with his life. Until now.

He had given in to his own needs and Tyler's rather bumbling come-ons.

But why? Had he been so desperate that he had finally lowered his guard?

Years with only his right hand to take care of himself had mellowed him enough to accept the younger man as more than a business partner and friend?

No. No, that wasn't it.

There had to be more. Burt Gummer had lived alone long enough. He didn't need that kind of companionship all of a sudden. And there were still the women in town. Why not chose one of them?

Rosalita wasn't his type, neither was Jodi, really. And Nancy... well, he had gone that road once before and in the end, they had come to the conclusion that they were better friends than possible lovers.

So it was Tyler Reed who had overcome the last defenses and landed in his bed -- on a regular basis. The man he had categorized as 'look but don't touch' -- however tightly those t-shirts had clung to the defined chest. A man who was not just enthusiastic when it came to hunting Shriekers or any other kind of monster; no, he was also enthusiastic in bed. Vocal, too. In the beginning, Burt had taken his cues from the moans and cries when he had touched his lover, had applied his hands and lips and mouth to hot spots, had driven him to completion. Later, he had absorbed each noise like a sponge, needing to hear Tyler, wanting to hear him. And when they had finally made the last step, it had been like a revelation.

Burt buried his hand in the longish hair. Tyler was an attractive man, body and mind. No doubt about it. No sir. Just touching those sleek and strong curves was addicting. He was charming, savvy, street-wise… combined with the quick wit and the way he absorbed everything Gummer had to teach, Tyler was..

Damn, he had really fallen for that man.

And it felt good.

"Morning, Jodi," he called, feeling rather buoyant. Sex did that; hot sex, too. Very hot sex.

"Morning, Tyler. Coffee?"

"Sure."

He slid onto the stool in front of the bar and immediately regretted it as his sore behind made itself known with stabbing pains.

"You okay?" Jodi asked, a worried frown on her forehead.

"Uh, yeah. Sure." Tyler grimaced and took the mug, then made a run for the outside.

"You want any breakfast?" Jodi called after him.

"Later."

And with that he was outside, just as Burt passed him on his way into the store.

*

Jodi shook her head and turned to Nancy, who was unpacking her latest action figures and stocking the shelves.

"Don't you think that Tyler's behaving odd as of late?"

Nancy smiled tolerantly. "Jodi, we're all odd, one way or another. Oh hi, Burt."

Gummer took a newspaper and accepted a cup of coffee, then settled down at his usual table.

"Breakfast?" Jodi offered.

"Yes. The usual."

She nodded and went to work. "I mean," she continued, still talking to Nancy, "I know we all have our odd moments, but have you seen him lately? He's... like a new man. More... I don't know."

Nancy stopped in her work. "Well, yes, he's become more... centered,"she said thoughtfully.

"Centered!" Jodi echoed. "Yeah! That's what I've been looking for. He's centered."

Nancy shrugged. "Well, maybe he found something he didn't know that he was looking for."

Burt looked over the rim of his coffee cup, then went back to reading the paper.

"Burt?" Jodi called. "You got any idea what's up with Tyler?"

"Yes."

Both women looked at him.

"You do?" the store owner echoed. "So, what is it?"

"We're sleeping together."

There was a clutter as Nancy lost hold of a new mug, which luckily didn't break. Jodi stared open-mouthed at their friend, not sure whether this was a joke or not.

"You're... sleeping together?" she finally managed.

"Yes."

"As in... the same bed."

"Usually."

"Sex?" Jodi's voice climbed in disbelief.

"Affirmative."

Gummer was still studying the pages, not the least perturbed by his revelation or their reaction.
"Burt!" Nancy finally cried.

He looked up. "Yes?"

"How long has that been going on?"

"Three months," was the calm, conversational reply.

"Three months?" Jodi gaped. "Damn! Why didn't you tell us?"

"You never asked."

"Oh, come on, Burt! That's no reason, that's an excuse."

Nancy shook her head, surprise still written all over her features, then she broke into a smile. "Well, good for you."

Burt looked at her, suspicion in his eyes.

"I mean, human contact?" She smiled. "It's good for the psyche."

"My psyche is fine, thank you very much," was the gruff reply.

"Sure."

He gave her a dark look, which glanced off the woman.

"So..." Jodi started. "You and Tyler. You're together? An item?"

Burt emptied his mug and rose, taking the egg and bacon sandwich off the plate she was carrying. "Affirmative," he answered before taking a bite and leaving.

"Well, figure that," Jodi murmured. Then she shrugged. "Oh well."

"Don't tell me you had your sights set on Tyler," Nancy teased, checking her mug for chipping.

"No! How about you and Burt?"

"No, we cleared that a long time ago. And before you ask, Tyler's cute, but he's a bit too young for me."

"He's not too young for Burt."

Nancy chuckled but didn't comment. She simply resumed her work.

*

News traveled fast in Perfection Valley. Any kind of news. It didn't even need the walkie-talkies, which were monitored by Burt. News just found a way.

Tyler had come out to Rosalita's ranch to fix one of the generators that had died a quick and painful death just three days ago. While the back-up was working fine, it was important to get the broken one fixed.

So, armed with his toolbox and a smile, he took a look at the old machine. It would be a patchwork job, but whatever Reed did, whatever he repaired, it was never below excellent working condition afterwards. An hour into the repair work, Rosalita came out to him, carrying something to drink. Resting his arms on the metal cover of the machine, Tyler took the glass of ice tea.

"Hey, thanks."

Rosalita watched him drink, a strange expression in her eyes.

"What? Something on my nose?" he wanted to know.

She put her hands on her hips, a clear sign she was annoyed, pursing her lips. "I could kick your butt from here to Vegas for keeping it a secret, Tyler, but... congrats."

"Uh. What?"

"I heard about it from Jodi, of all people!" she went on. "I thought we were friends. I thought this was a family. Did you think I'd rip your head off or something? Give you a speech? Boy, you really don't know me, right?"

"Uh, Rosalita...? What are you talking about?"

"You and Burt of course!"

Tyler knew his jaw had hit the floor and he was gaping. No sound left his mouth and he felt panic run through him. Rosalita knew. And she had it from... Jodi?

"Jodi told you?" he croaked, fumbling for sanity.

"Yeah. And don't deny it, Tyler, okay? Jodi got it right from the horse's mouth. Burt."

"Burt," he echoed, sanity making a run again. "Burt told Jodi."

"And Nancy. I know he doesn't joke around, so it's the truth. I've known the guy long enough anyway." Rosalita narrowed her eyes dangerously. "I thought I was your friend, too. Why keep it a secret?"

"It's personal?" Tyler rallied.

"Right..."

"Listen, I... ah..."

She threw her hands up. "Men!" she addressed the world in general and the sky in particular. "You're all the same! Find a pretty woman and you paint it on walls. But god beware should you find something special! You make a really big secret out of it." She stalked off to the house, leaving a dumbstruck Tyler Reed behind.

*

Tyler found Burt with one of his geophones. He was checking them on a daily basis; they were their safety net. Parking the tour truck next to Gummer's own vehicle he got out "Burt!" he nearly yelled.

Burt looked up from the device and pushed back his baseball cap. "Hello, Tyler."

"What the fuck did you think you were doing?"

Gummer frowned and straightened from his crouch.

"You told Jodi! Now Rosalita knows. I won't even mention Nancy. What about Harlow and Dr. Matthews? You brought them in on it, too?" Now he was yelling.

Burt's eyebrows rose. "Information in a controlled environment," he just quoted himself.

"Wonderful! What happened to 'don't ask, don't tell'?"

"It's important to know who to trust out here, Tyler," Gummer said reasonably. "Every change in the team dynamics is important, for all participants."

"So you decided to just walk into the store and announce that we're sleeping together?"

"No. They actually did ask, and I told. Simple as that."

"In your head maybe! It's never simple with you, right? You don't answer all the question anyone asks! You obfuscate, you circumvent. You're damn good at that!" Reed snapped. "Why not use that skill instead of putting our private life out on the front porch!"

"Like I said, it's important for everyone here to know. We depend on each other for survival."

"So who's next? Twitchell? The science club at the lab? Why not tell every fucking tourist I drive around!"

"They are all on a need to know basis. And they don't need to know," was the reasonable answer.

"Great! Next thing I know, Nancy's giving me motherly advice and everyone wants to know if you're a good lay!"

Burt tilted his head. "So, am I?"

"What?" Tyler's voice was laced with confusion now.

"Am I a good lay?" Gummer reiterated.

Reed's mouth worked, but no sound came out again. "You know the most inappropriate moments to throw something in one's face!" he accused.

Burt stepped closer, smiling. "Am I?"

Like a dog with a bone...

"You...I wouldn't put it like that, but hell... yeah... It's no reason to tell everyone though!" he tried it one last time, his voice no longer loud and his anger past. "It's... y'know... private."

"My reasoning still stands."

"Burt..."

And then Tyler was silenced by a pair of strong lips on his, effectively shutting him up. Arms curled around his waist, pulling him closer and he went with the flow willingly, holding on to the taller man. Burt skillfully manipulated him into opening his mouth and their tongues met.

Tyler heard himself groan as his mouth was plundered. He staggered a little when they separated, blinking up at Gummer.

"I'm not ashamed of us," Burt said seriously.

"Oh." Tyler had yet to disentangle himself from the other man. His mind had momentarily turned to mush. "Good."

Another kiss, a very brief one, was placed on his lips, then Burt stepped back. "And I could use some help checking the geophones."

"Oh." Lot's of mush. "Okay."

And they went to work. Just like that. Tyler was still digesting the latest news that now the whole of Perfection knew about him and Burt -- and that Burt had actually been the one to divulge that information. The man was full of surprises.

*

In the weeks that followed, both men slowly but surely got to know each other better. Not just sexually. Sexually was just fine, but Tyler found out about the man behind the military facade after a while, and it was a fascinating journey. Burt wasn't the one to spill his heart, neither was Tyler, so it was a collection of fact fragments, piecing them together, and feeling surprise at each revelation.

Sexually, one such revelation was that Tyler did enjoy being the bottom.

In his last relationship with a man, they had switched now and then, but he was the most comfortable this way. Burt didn't argue the point and somehow Reed had never seen him as anything but a top. A silent top, but a top nevertheless. Well, Tyler made up for the silence; he really did.

Some topics they didn't touch, like Tyler's reason he had left the big city, for instance. Burt knew the rough sketching, but he didn't inquire into the finer details. Neither did Tyler dig into the Gummer's military past, what kind of operations he had run and the like. If Burt told him by himself, okay. But he didn't want to pry.

As for the women. Well, Tyler had expected more of an upheaval, even if they had all taken it almost stoically. He had thought there would be teasing, maybe some poking and prodding into their relationship, but except for a friendly remark here or there, nothing else occurred. He was thankful that their little group was so eccentric that they didn't make a big deal out of a gay relationship. Twitchell had no idea.

Harlow, well, it was anyone's guess. He sure hadn't changed his attitude when talking to either man. It was fine by Tyler.

Their rhythm had changed a little. Driving out each night to Burt's place, even if they didn't have sex, had taken its toll on Reed, and his lover had seen it much earlier than Tyler himself. While it was nice to wake up each morning with the other man -- sex or no sex since cuddling was just fine with Tyler as well -- it was also a strain because he had to drive into town every day. Thirty minutes or more of bumpy road were not something he enjoyed just after breakfast. Burt started to stay at the garage, but Tyler knew he was uncomfortable with leaving his bunker alone, unable to have access to his equipment whenever he needed it, so they came up with an oddly alternating system. If it was a system at all. Tyler stayed at Burt's when there was no moonlight tour and no other pressing matters for him to take care of in town, like repairs, or when the two men planned to make their rounds to test night vision equipment.

Burt, in turn, made up camp in the garage when he was in the area to check the geophones or other seismic devices, or when he had nothing else coming up on his schedule. It worked, it eased on the stress of driving home each morning, and both men soon grew accustomed to it. Out here, odd and ever-changing was part of life; you either worked with it or moved on. Tyler had found this life to be more relaxing than anything he had ever tried before, and while the dangers out here were very real, very extreme, they weren't any worse than a life racing cars and talking to sponsors. With El Blanco you knew where he was coming from, with managers and promoters you didn't.

Tyler looked at the nightstand clock and sighed softly. It was only six in the morning and way too early to get up, but he had promised Rosalita to be out on the pastures at eight to help her with some fences. Harlow was gone for two days and she really needed to set up the new fencing.

It was close to forty minutes from the bunker, so he had to get going if he wanted a shower and breakfast.

Looking at the sleeping man at his side, Tyler smiled softly. His back gave off little twinges from the hot encounter last night, reminding him of the passionate lovemaking. He would have really loved to continue it this morning, but Rosalita might skin him alive. Well, there was always another night and he was looking forward to it.

Leaning over, he placed a little kiss on the sleeping man's lips as he ran a caressing hand over the strong chest.

"Love you," he whispered, then slid out of bed, padding over to the shower.

*

Dark brown eyes opened as the shower started and Burt Gummer pushed himself up on his elbows, a thoughtful expression on his face. He listened to the noises from the bathroom, then got out of bed, slipped into a pair of pants, and silently walked through the main room of the bunker into the kitchen to make coffee. It didn't take long for Tyler for finish and the sight of his lover, hair wet, freshly shaved and his shirt still hanging open over the nicely muscled chest, was enticing. "Hey, you're up," Tyler called and joined him at the makeshift kitchen table.

He slipped an arm around Burt's waist and claimed a kiss that Gummer was only too happy to give. Reed smelled fresh and clean, and the absence of his scruff left Burt to touch a smooth cheek, caressing it.

"You're heading for Rosalita's?" he asked matter-of-factly.

"Yep."

Tyler popped a piece of toast into his mouth. One change that had been the most pronounced was Burt's suddenly better-stocked kitchen. It wasn't just his income from the survival classes that had replaced many cactus dishes with a less desert plant oriented cuisine; it had also been this man staying here regularly.

"Good."

Tyler started to button up the shirt, much to Burt's dismay, and the younger man smiled as he saw the eyes on him. Grabbing a few more slices of toast and the coffee in the large walk-out mug, he gave Burt a quick kiss.

"See ya."

"Be careful."

"Always."

And with that he was gone. Burt looked at the stairs leading up and outside. Tyler had no idea that he had heard him, had been awake when the two words had been uttered softly.

'Love you.'

Lost in thought, Burt took his own coffee and walked over to the monitor to run his usual, early morning checks on what El Blanco had been up to last night.

Dat's it.... for now ;)