Work Text:
Javier Rivera is an unexpected problem.
It’s such a helpless thought Tyler Owens can’t help but laugh, because of course Javi is a problem. He’s been one since he and Storm Par first rolled into town at the start of the season: first as a competitor on the field with Riggs in his pocket, then as a potential obstacle in winning Kate’s affections.
Sometimes Tyler thinks he’s unbelievably lucky that Kate came to Oklahoma with a heart full of grief. It’s a cruel thought at first glance, but he can’t figure another way to put it into words. Kate’s refusal to face her past meant looking right past Javi’s longing glances; the man was so wrapped up in her unresolved trauma she simply couldn’t afford to let him in. It bought Tyler enough time to wear down her defenses and win her over first.
But now Kate’s faced her fears and taken her life back, and as proud as Tyler is of her, he’s undeniably nervous. He’s spent the last two weeks watching her and Javi flit about the Wranglers’ caravan, noticing the easy way they fit together and listening to their helpless giggles when an inside joke sneaks into an otherwise serious conversation. They have a history he can’t even begin to compete with, and all Tyler has is his charm and shameless devotion.
For now, it’s enough to keep the scales tilted in his favor. Kate never hesitates to climb into his bed or twine her fingers through his, and the way she lights up at the sight of him makes his knees weak. He hopes it’ll always be enough, because Javi and Kate are perfect new additions to his crew, and he doesn’t want to lose either of them. He just can’t imagine having to wake up to Kate kissing Javi instead.
And therein lies the problem, because that hasn’t technically been true for the better part of a week now. He’s just not quite sure how to feel about it. A lie, he warns himself as he watches Javi run tests on Dorothy in the parking lot. He knows exactly how he feels, he just isn’t sure what he’s supposed to do about it.
Here’s the thing: Tyler knows his way around a man's body, has every tic and tell memorized from adrenaline-fueled encounters at arenas, but those escapades should be years behind him. He could lie to himself and call this confusion, maybe say that his obsessive study of Javi this season has led his mind down unhelpful paths or that he’s just being swayed by Kate’s very real affection, but Tyler can't sell that excuse in a way he'll believe.
In the end it comes down to this: cheekbones that could put an angel to shame, flawless curls that soften Javi’s face, and a pristine white truck that probably gets washed more than he does. Javi even scrubs his nails twice a day, working the dirt out from underneath them. It’s not an aversion to filth, Tyler knows; he’s seen Javi plunge unhesitating into creeks and fields to get the data he craves. Maybe it’s a fastidious holdover from the military or a desperate attachment to corporate sensibility despite the chaotic messes they throw themselves into day-in and day-out. Tyler doesn’t know, and honestly, he doesn’t care. He looks at Javi’s brand-new jeans and button-up shirt and thinks only, I want to ruin you.
It's unbelievably dangerous territory to tread when he and Kate are still figuring out how they fit together, but Javi is such an intrinsic part of her story Tyler can't shake free of that nagging temptation. He tries for a week, kissing her everywhere he can reach, burying himself in her heat while she digs her nails into his scalp. Her voice breaks on his name, and again when he pushes her further than she thinks she can go, and he knows he is the luckiest man alive, existing in the same world she calls home. He’s thunder to her lightning, fated to chase her brilliance, and her eyes shine the first time he says it to her.
Tyler is so busy trying to keep her he doesn’t realize it’s not just storms they want to chase together. It’s Kate who brings it up, when she’s finally tired of his furtive looks and pussyfooting.
“I don’t think he’s ever been with a man,” she says unprompted, “though we drifted apart for so long I can’t be sure he would’ve told me.”
Tyler realizes too late he’s still watching Javi out the hotel window. He turns to her, guilty denials biting at his tongue, but Kate’s expression kills his voice before he manages a word. She looks expectant, not hurt. Tyler shudders to think he’s been so transparent, but in the same breath he knows he can’t hide from her. She’s always floating between him and Javi; of course she has seen his gaze wandering in her wake. He’s not sure what face he makes, but it’s enough that she offers a pitying sigh. She crosses the room to kiss him and sets to work on the buttons of his shirt.
“I love you,” he says, and means it with all his heart.
“I love you,” is the easy echo back. She quirks a brow up at him in easy challenge and adds, “Both of you. So go get him for us, but go easy on him, okay?”
He’s not wearing his hat, but he catches an imaginary brim and tips it. “Yes ma’am,” he promises. “You can supervise, if you think I might come on a bit heavy-handed.”
It’s a joke up until it leaves his lips; he feels the way her breath catches against his mouth and the trembling bite of fingers into his arms, and he wonders again what he did to deserve her. It's easy to pick her up and easier to get her to their bed, and he firmly puts Javi to the back of his thoughts—for now.
.
The trouble is this: women aren't easy, but they're easier to get a feel for. Things aren’t as dire now as they were growing up, but the hard push from society is still toward heteronormativity as a default. Flirting with a woman is expected, and Tyler has a slew of countless social cues to fall back on. He can laugh away his missteps with a bit of country charm, an easy forgive-and-forget flow that has gotten him this far in life.
Gauging a man's interest feels a bit more like a rodeo: sometimes you get to ride the whirlwind, but the greater risk is getting your head kicked in. Tyler’s not ashamed to admit that most of his early hookups were initiated by less-cautious souls. He’d smile and scatter a breadcrumb trail of subtle hints, but he wouldn’t take charge until his would-be suitors made their intentions inescapably clear. That’s not going to work this time, he knows, and it makes him more anxious than he wants it to. His hope for a favorable outcome stems solely from Kate’s blessing: she would not sic him on Javi if she didn’t think he had a chance.
The whole thing is further complicated by the Wranglers’ rocketing fame on YouTube. They’re continuing to break personal records with Kate and Javi on the team, especially with Kate’s tireless efforts to bring the Alley to heel. Tyler knows his crew will rally around him—they sorted him out three years back after he tumbled into bed with Dani’s cousin Brady—but he can’t vouch for the near-two million subscribers now following their channel.
I’d take two over two million is an easy thought during the daylight hours, but Tyler’s more worried about the toll it will take on his crew if they end up at the center of a righteous mob.
He says as much to Kate one afternoon. She listens in silence, weighing his concerns with the same serious interest she devotes to storm data. She doesn’t look disappointed, but Tyler still feels compelled to say, “I won’t keep holding you back, Kate. Just because I can’t make a move right now doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.”
She runs a thumb along his stubble before cradling his face in her hand. “It won’t work without you. He won’t know how to share me; he’ll always feel like he’s overstepping and intruding.” She waits a beat to see if he protests before saying, “You said we’re lightning and thunder, but we’re not a proper storm without rain.”
He kisses her palm, and she goes back to carding her fingers through his hair. After a minute she turns her gaze across the parking lot. Looking for Javi, he assumes, and the other man is easy enough to find. He and Lily are huddled over her laptop, studying the readouts from her drone’s last flight. Javi’s in khakis and a polo today. Tyler teeters between amusement and the need to drag him down into the dirt.
“What if they knew?” Kate asks. “The Wranglers, I mean.”
Tyler looks from one to the other. “About Javi?”
“You don’t want them blindsided and targeted by hateful rhetoric,” she reminds him. “But if they know it’s a risk, and they still put their weight behind us, isn’t that enough?”
“They’re the least subtle lot I know,” Tyler says, to buy himself time to think. “They’ll turn around and tell him before we can.”
It’s still not the worst idea, so when Lily puts her hand up and yells for everyone to gather close, he motions for Kate to precede him and only says, “Let me get a feel for Javi first. If I don’t scare him off, I’ll run it by them.”
“Sure,” Kate says, with a wry smile. “Because it’s obviously fear in his eyes when he stares at you.”
It’s an unfair thing to say when they’re this close to the team, because Tyler can’t press her for a better explanation. He rocks to a stop to stare after her, mouth open on a demand he knows better than to voice, and Kate turns to walk backwards a bit. She looks quite proud of herself for getting the last word in. Tyler glances past her at Javi, thinking to steal one last look before business demands his full attention. But Javi’s not looking at the laptop, and he’s not even looking at Kate. Javi is quick as a snap to look away when he’s caught, but for the first time Tyler feels a little drunk on hope.
.
Tyler spends the better part of four days moving in and out of Javi’s space, denying him the polite distance they’ve tried to maintain since Kate chose Tyler. He’s there when Javi is moving heavy equipment to the trailers and truck beds, he snags Javi as his shotgun rider on a chase, and he hovers unreasonably close when Javi is trying to explain desired tweaks to their experiments. Kate is out of town, meeting with some fancy folk down in Houston for additional funding, so Tyler doesn’t even have to feel guilty about ignoring her in favor of heckling Javi.
The man has to be commended; he actually lasts three days before he starts to crack. The first day he makes a valiant effort to step away from Tyler—once per conversation, anyway, so as not to look like he’s running. He simply refuses to look Tyler in the face when Tyler is looming over him, and the clipped edge in his voice and bite in his “Owens” is not at all promising. Tyler thinks maybe he and Kate were imagining things, except he can feel Javi’s heavy stare following him every time he walks away.
On the fourth morning, Javi is too excited about Kate’s latest update to remember himself. He’s scrambling around the back of Tyler’s truck, making space for some equipment while he reads Kate’s email aloud from a tablet, when he slips up and references something from the Wranglers’ channel.
Tyler sets his hat in the truck bed so he can get a better look up at Javi’s face. “Didn’t think you were a fan.”
Javi hesitates for far too long, then finally says, “I wouldn’t call it being a fan. More just… market research until I could get back out here myself. You know how it goes.”
“How many seasons?” Tyler asks.
“Sporadically,” Javi says, so firmly Tyler knows it’s a lie.
Tyler lets him have it in favor of asking, “Did we look good?”
“Your camera work is a bit shaky since you drive like a maniac, but the footage was still useful in its own way. Let me finish this,” he insists before Tyler can keep pressing him. Tyler answers with an indulgent smile and wave of his hand, so Javi picks up where he left off with Kate’s email.
When it’s time for him to climb down, Tyler puts a hand up for him, and Javi is distracted enough to actually take it. Realization sinks in when he has both feet on the ground and he goes to tuck the tablet under his arm, and he flicks a startled look up. Tyler’s still got hold of his hand, and Javi is perfectly trapped between Tyler’s broader body and the truck. For a moment Tyler feels that line between them shiver; it feels a bit like the sizzle of summer air before lightning strikes.
“Hey, man.” Javi plants his forearm against Tyler’s chest but doesn’t push. “Personal space.”
Maybe he means it as an indignant protest, but Javi’s voice is too unsteady to carry any warning.
“Just need my hat,” Tyler says, letting go of his hand. He leans forward with slow deliberation and pins Javi against the sun-warmed metal so he can pluck the Stetson off his storage box. The quiet, anxious “Jesus” at his ear might be Tyler’s imagination stringing him along, but the feel of Javi automatically turning his face into Tyler’s neck is undeniably real. Tyler wants to put his hands on him and take him apart right here, but he forces himself to take a step back. Javi looks shaken, and Tyler feels his self-control creak a bit.
“Second thought, you wear it today. You’re looking a little flushed from all this sun, Storm Par.”
He drops the hat on Javi’s head. This time Javi has the strength to push him away, and Tyler doesn’t try to hold his ground. He watches Javi cross the parking lot as fast as he can go without running, and he can’t get the smile off his face the rest of the morning.
.
Mrs. Carter calls them the next day for help. A friend of hers fell on the stairs and broke a hip, and it’ll be another day or two before her son can get home from Europe to keep an eye on her. Cathy wants to pop over and help her in the meantime, but she can’t leave the farm unattended.
Cathy’s been handling it for years, mostly on her own with occasional help from her neighbors, so it technically doesn’t require all three of them to go, but Kate isn’t going to waste the opportunity. She asks Javi first, who of course immediately drops everything to say yes. Then she turns on Tyler, already knowing what his answer will be, and says, “If you can help Javi, I can get more work done on the barn while we’re out there.”
“I can do it without him,” Javi is quick to say. “Can’t leave the Wranglers unattended, right?”
Tyler only smiles. “They’ll be just fine.”
“We don’t need to be babysat,” Dani adds, where she’s sitting close enough to overhear.
“I don’t mean it like that,” Javi says, but her skeptical look cows him to silence.
And so they’re gone right after breakfast, Javi radiating regret in the backseat while Kate admires the view from up front. It’s too long a drive to tolerate silence, so Tyler gets them talking about the area. Oklahoma feels both a stranger and a second home, but most of Tornado Alley gives off that same disquieting comfort. He’s in and out for storm season and away for the winter: collating data, acting as a guest speaker, and doing what he can to drum up additional viewers and funding for his team. He can tell you how to get just about anywhere in the state, and he knows the best spots for his crew to set up camp when they’re working, but it feels like a skin-deep familiarity.
His passengers have a deep and abiding love for her, luckily, and once he gets them going, they tell him all about their favorite places and fondest memories. It makes him feel a bit more present, a bit less like he’s just passing through, and he studies the scenery with deeper appreciation.
Cathy is packed and ready to go when they arrive, and she’s got a fresh pot of coffee to hold them over. It’s hugs and kisses for Kate, a quick hug for Javi, and a pleasant nod for Tyler. Javi sends him a sidelong look, but Tyler doesn’t take it personally. He’s still a new face, swooping in from out of town to court her estranged daughter. If she took to him immediately, he might trust her judgment a little less.
It’s been years since he did any farmwork, and longer for Javi, and it’s backbreaking work. Kate brings them lemonade and tea throughout the day, and Tyler’s never tasted anything sweeter. He and Javi find a patch of shade to while away an afternoon break. Tyler’s still too hot, so he peels his shirt off, and Javi freezes with his drink halfway to his mouth. Tyler takes his time stretching before sprawling in the grass, keenly aware that Javi is staring. As soon as he returns it, Javi looks away, but Tyler lets his gaze linger. It’s fascinating to see how flustered Javi grows under his unwavering attention.
He’s too hot and sore to pursue it now, so finally Tyler exercises a bit of mercy and looks away. “I think my respect for Cathy has tripled. I don’t know how she does it.”
“A beast,” Javi agrees, letting the tree trunk take his weight. He groans a little and works at his shoulder. “I went to school to get away from all this. How’d I end up back here?”
“The things we do for love,” Tyler says, and closes his eyes. “See you in ten.”
It ends up being closer to fifteen, because the shade feels so good they take turns dozing off. Distant thunder rouses them, and Tyler pushes himself up on his elbows to gauge the clouds along the horizon. He doesn’t have to look to know Javi is also zeroed in. At last he forces his gaze away, because even if something comes of it their place is here tonight. He feels the mistake of lying down as soon as he has to get to his feet, and he takes his time stretching before offering Javi his hand.
“Back at it, then?”
Javi looks at his hand for so long Tyler thinks he won’t take it, but finally he catches hold of Tyler’s wrist and lets Tyler haul him to his feet.
“Jesus,” Javi says, pressing his free hand to the small of his back. “Long shower tonight.”
“Sure,” Tyler says, and smiles at the way Javi’s pulse quickens beneath his fingertips.
“I’ve got the chickens,” Javi says, tugging free of him with a little too much force. “God knows I owe it to ‘em.”
Tyler’s not sure what that’s supposed to mean, but he lets Javi walk away uncontested.
.
Cathy checks in over breakfast the next day to say she should be back around noon. Her friend’s son is still en route, but a niece can make good time over there as soon as someone picks up her kids. Tyler and Javi present a unified front when Kate passes it on, serious nods and unhesitating declarations that they can stay as long as Cathy needs, but the relieved look they exchange as soon as Kate turns her back makes Tyler grin. Javi almost smiles, but he looks away to break the moment.
Knowing they’ll be gone midday does nothing to make the morning easier; the chores feel twice as hard when they’re both sore from yesterday. Tyler wonders if Cathy is just used to it or if he and Javi wrecked themselves by overestimating their abilities. He composes a mental debate to support both sides of the argument, knowing it doesn’t matter but needing something to distract himself from the weight of all this hay. He wants to ask Cathy why she doesn’t own any proper farm equipment, but she seems the type to scold him if he comes up short in her eyes.
Kate swings past with the last round of drinks and a promise that lunch is in the fridge, and Tyler decides it’s close enough to noon to call it a day. He finds a quiet spot near the coop to savor his drink after she’s gone, and he’s tending his thoughts when Javi comes around the corner of the barn. The man has both hands to the small of his back, knuckles almost white as he digs into his aching muscles. Tyler considers his options, then sets his glass aside and starts that way.
Javi slows to a stop at his approach. “Next time she asks for help, we’re sending Boone.”
“Might genuinely cause a disaster,” Tyler says, and motions for Javi to turn. Javi frowns like he doesn’t understand the obvious gesture, so Tyler sighs and takes his elbow to turn Javi around. He taps at Javi’s forearm and says, “Drop ‘em.”
“What are you doing?” Javi asks.
“Just looking after a valued member of my crew,” Tyler says. “I won’t ask again, Storm Par.”
“You didn’t ask the first time,” Javi mutters, but he folds his arms over his chest.
Tyler smiles, slow and easy, knowing Javi can’t see it. “Please?”
He’s close enough to hear the short breath Javi sucks in. Tyler bites back a laugh, afraid Javi will retreat if he feels mocked, and settles for reaching out. Javi jumps when Tyler touches him, but Tyler moves with him when Javi instinctively steps away. A firm grip on his hip warns Javi to hold his ground, and Tyler waits for him to go still before setting to work on his back. He knows all the places he hurts, so he finds those same spots on Javi and digs his fingers in.
“I’m in enough pain,” Javi protests, voice tight. “I don’t need you making it—fuck.”
“You done?” Tyler asks, and Javi subsides.
The sun is sweltering, he’s in dire need of a shower, and he aches in places he didn’t know could hurt, but all that matters is the feel of Javi relaxing under his hands. Tyler takes his time, starting from the bottom and working his way up to Javi’s shoulders, and Javi is limp long before Tyler reaches his neck. Tyler works the last knots out, then cradles the back of Javi’s neck in his hand as he eases around in front of him. Javi looks almost drugged, heavy-lidded and boneless, and Tyler takes his time memorizing all of Javi’s freckles.
Javi finally rouses enough to realize they’re done. Tyler waits until Javi’s eyes flutter open to say, “Personally, I don’t think you were watching the channel for market research. I think you just wanted to admire my roguish good looks without getting caught.”
“You’re an asshole, Owens,” Javi says, voice rough.
It’s not a no. For a moment Tyler understands the tension he brought to every encounter at the start of this season: Javi finally got Kate back in the field after five years, only to lose her to the man he’d been nursing a secret attraction to in her absence. Tyler ought to feel sorry for him, but he’s too pleased by how perfectly it’s working out to manage a scrap of pity.
Tyler fights back a smile and says, “I’m going to kiss you.”
Javi tenses up, wiping out all of Tyler’s hard work, but he doesn’t run. Tyler gives him two whole seconds to protest, and then he ducks in. Gentle, he warns himself, but that thought evaporates when Javi tips in at the last second to meet him head-on. Tyler can taste the lingering bite of lemonade on his sun-chapped lips, but it’s the hand knotting in his shirt to keep him close that gets his blood pounding in his temples. Javi is too hungry for a light touch. Thank God, because Tyler is starving.
Kate’s been in and out of the barn all day, so the door is still open. It takes no work at all to get Javi through it. It’s not much of an improvement in here—the sun can’t hit as hard, but the air is stagnant and warm—but it does have something they both need.
Backing Javi up is easy; he goes like he was born to give ground to Tyler. There’s a new table in the center of the room, half-covered in paperwork, and Tyler pushes Javi into it. It isn’t until Tyler seals himself against Javi chest-to-groin that Javi remembers himself, and he manages a desperate, “Kate.” It’s a belated warning to himself to have some self-control. Tyler chases another kiss, but Javi turns his head away from it and plants one hand against Tyler’s broad chest. “No. We’re not doing this to her. I can’t.”
“She already knows,” Tyler says.
Javi goes still for all of one moment before panic sets in, and he pushes Tyler as hard as he can. He makes it only two steps away from the desk before Kate speaks up, and Tyler can watch the blood leave Javi’s face when he realizes they’re not alone in the barn: “Javi.”
Kate gets up from her desk and starts their way. Javi is so rattled to see her he doesn’t seem to realize Tyler is herding him again. He rocks to a stop when his ass hits the table, and it's too easy to pin him there. He shoots Tyler a hunted glance before turning a guilty stare on Kate. Kate stops beside them to fix Javi with an earnest look. “Javi, it’s okay. I promise.”
“Nah,” Javi starts to say, but Kate catches his face in her hands and ducks in to kiss him.
Javi leans into it for a heartbeat before breaking free, and the look he flicks Tyler is that of a cornered beast. As eager as he is for her, he’s a good enough man to know Kate is taken, and he can’t cross this line with Tyler right here. But Tyler only smiles and gives a tilt of his head, a silent go-get-her as Kate tries again. Javi’s hand comes up this time, burrowing in her hair to cradle the back of her skull, and Kate melts into the kiss.
And oh, it has never been more obvious that Javi is in love with her. Tyler’s seen the helpless pining in every glance he’s sent her way this summer, but permission to finally cross that line breaks something in Javi. There’s something ravenous in the way he clutches at her, and Tyler feels his pulse kick up a notch in response. Lord, but he does love ‘em needy in bed.
It’s perhaps a little rude to interrupt them, but Tyler can’t resist a lazy roll of his hips. The noise it drags out of Javi has Kate gasping against his mouth, and that’s reason enough to do it again. A firm grip on Javi’s ass gets him hoisted onto the table, and Tyler ignores his sputtered protest over the manhandling in favor of getting Javi’s leg up around his waist.
The heat and friction of this new angle is so much better Tyler can’t help but drop his head to Javi’s shoulder. Javi’s “Fuck, Owens,” is only a touch shy of desperate. Kate’s fingers dig into Tyler’s back, encouragement or need or something hungry in-between. She peels away from Javi long enough to kiss Tyler, and the press of her thumb against his jaw has him dipping down to catch Javi’s mouth next. Javi doesn’t try to run this time but groans low in his chest as Tyler tries to kiss the air from his lungs.
It’s not quite how Tyler pictured their first encounter going down—and he’s pictured it a dozen ways from Sunday, at least—but Tyler is past the point of caring. He grinds into Javi like they’re a couple of skittish high schoolers, and Javi drags him closer in a mindless demand for more.
He doesn’t want it to end, but how can Tyler last with Kate’s fingers tangled in his hair and Javi’s frantic hands digging bruises into his back? He lets Javi take his weight for a few blissed-out seconds and thinks he’d like to stay here all night, Javi’s face buried in the crook of his neck and their hearts pounding in sync. But Kate’s still here, and Tyler won’t neglect her. He steals a last kiss from Javi and eases away from him.
He kisses Kate once, twice, loving the bite of her teeth against his lower lip and the feverish heat in her eyes. He doesn’t try to move her but sinks to his knees right there, working the button of her jeans open with practiced ease.
Javi’s soft “Oh my god,” two-parts stunned and one-part alarmed by the indecency of it all, is enough to make Tyler laugh before he puts his mouth to better use. Kate clutches his shoulders for balance, and Tyler imagines she’s staring Javi down over his head. Javi’s next “Oh my god,” is more a moan than words, and Tyler wants to hear more of that.
Later, he promises himself, because Kate’s whimpered “Please, Tyler, please,” is more than enough for now. He loves her so much he feels crazy sometimes, her stubborn defiance when she’s sure she’s right, her passion for the storms they chase, her giddy smile when they’ve pulled off something incredible against all odds.
“Jesus, Kate,” Javi whispers, with an awe normally reserved for genesis, and Tyler thinks he’s more than a little in love with Javi, too.
.
It is no surprise to either of them that Javi retreats from them. He comes and goes on business that may or may not be real and makes a tremendous effort to avoid being alone with either of them. For five days they let him have his space, allowing him time to work through what they’d done.
Eventually Javi is a little less stray cat and a little more himself, with one notable change. The way he refuses eye contact with either of them is worrisome, except Tyler still catches Javi watching them from time to time. There’s a deep and anxious yearning in it that Javi isn’t fast enough to hide, and Tyler thinks it’s time to push a few more buttons. Maybe it’s not them Javi’s scared of; maybe it’s thinking that this is just a fleeting diversion for them and not them staking a permanent claim on him.
He says as much to Kate, and she thinks it over for a couple hours before booking a hotel in Wichita. “Buy me two days,” she says when she shows him the travel confirmation. “I’ll get through to him.”
The next time the Wranglers are divvying up tasks, Kate launches into an easy pitch about interviews up in Kansas. Lot of ground to cover, she claims, so she’ll need to borrow another body. Dexter says something about missing Ben, to a chorus of agreements, and then Tyler turns a winning smile on Javi.
“You’ll go with her, won’t you?” he asks.
Javi freezes for a moment, but with all eyes on him he can’t make up an excuse fast enough. “Yeah,” he says, with a laugh that almost hides the nervous edge in his voice. “Of course. We can handle it.”
Tyler’s “Good boy, Storm Par,” is not at all necessary, except that Javi is immediately flustered. He exits the meeting as quickly as he can, muttering some excuse about how he needs to pack. Kate flicks Tyler a chastising look for teasing him in front of the team, but Tyler is too pleased by his reaction to feel an ounce of regret. He offers her his best smile, earning a dramatic eye roll, and Kate heads off to gather her own things.
Tyler watches her go, enjoying the easy way her jeans hug her hips, and then Lily pipes up with her usual tactlessness: “You sure about this, boss? Love them both to death, but we all know Javi’s sweet on her. You let them leave town together and he’s probably gonna make a move.”
“I sure hope so,” Tyler says, and turns back to a sea of startled faces.
Dani puts it together first and punches Dexter’s arm with a triumphant, “I told you he wanted to jump Javi’s bones.”
“Dani,” Tyler says, flat with warning, because excitement makes her loud. He motions for her to keep it down.
“Sorry,” she says, sounding not at all apologetic, “but y’all’ve been staring at each other all summer. Dexter said it was some alpha battle of wills over Kate—”
“I didn’t use those words,” Dexter is quick to interject.
Dani ignores him. “—but I knew it was more than that.”
Lily stops popping her gum to point at Tyler, but she can’t find the right words for an accusation. He watches it dawn on her that Dani’s right and makes himself look each Wrangler in the face.
Tyler’s known for weeks this conversation has to happen, but now that it’s here he regrets not rehearsing it. He’s not used to second-guessing himself, especially to his team, but there’s so much at stake now. The best he finally manages is, “I’m about to make things very complicated for us.”
Boone gives a sage nod but says, “No, man, love is easy.”
“Sometimes it’s really not,” Dani says, but she claps an encouraging hand to Boone’s shoulder. To Tyler she adds, “But you do have two hands, so you might as well use ‘em both.”
“I think he means the channel,” Dexter guesses, and Tyler motions toward him in silent confirmation. It’s enough to quiet the rest of them.
“Discretion is the name of the game, but I can’t promise we won’t slip up.” He looks down the line again, searching for censure or trepidation and only finding patient curiosity. “If they come after us, you might get caught in the crossfire. I don’t want to bring that down on you.”
“Haters will always find something to hate,” Lily says with an exaggerated shrug. “It’s about staying true to yourself no matter what, you know?”
“Doing what makes you happy,” Boone agrees. “Do they?”
Dani hisses a quiet warning, and Tyler knows before he looks up that Kate and Javi are on their way back down the stairs. Kate’s expression is the perfect picture of professionalism as she heads for Javi’s truck, but Javi is following her like he’s being dragged. Tyler understands the feeling; Kate is a force he can’t resist, either.
“Yes,” he says at last, and Boone offers him two thumbs up.
The Wranglers let Javi get all the way to the truck before Dexter yells, “If you feel it—”
“—chase it!” is almost deafening as the team sounds off, and Javi freezes halfway into the truck to stare back at them. Tyler only smiles and tips his hat, and Javi has no choice but to get in the truck and take Kate north.
“Like a deer in headlights,” Lily guffaws, and she kicks her shoe in Tyler’s direction. “Okay boss, what’s next for the rest of us?”
Back to business, just like that, and Tyler has never been more grateful for his crew.
.
Tyler doesn’t call or text them the entire time they’re gone, not wanting to distract them from each other. He trusts that Kate is doing her best to wear down what little is left of Javi’s self-control and doubts. He thinks about it when he’s back at the hotel for the night, imagining Javi’s desperate impatience as he finally gets his hands on Kate’s bare skin, Kate’s voice cracking on Javi’s name as she shows him all the ways she likes being handled, and he can barely get a hand down his pants before he’s seeing stars. He’s getting a little old to be such a light touch, but Tyler can’t help it. It’s cold showers the whole time they’re gone.
He, Lily, and Boone are surveying the latest wreckage when Dani sends word the pair are back. “Sounds good,” Tyler radios back.
Lily reaches between the seats to snatch the radio up. “How’re they looking?”
“Oh yeah,” is all Dani says, but she sounds so smug Tyler’s stomach goes tight.
He plucks the radio out of Lily’s hands but fumbles it as he tries to put it back on its hook. “Okay now,” he says, refusing to meet her grin in the rearview mirror. “We’ve got work to do still.”
“Sure thing, boss,” Lily says, and settles back into her seat.
Boone is a little slow, but then blurts, “Oh, she means they shagged!”
Lily cackles like it’s the funniest thing she’s heard all day, and Tyler has no choice but to drown them out with the stereo.
It’ll be late when they get back, so they agree to rendezvous at a restaurant five miles out from their current headquarters. Tyler’s never been, but Kate swears by it, and that’s good enough reason to go. The Wranglers have beaten them here but haven’t gone in yet, and Tyler understands Dani’s confident glee as soon as he gets out of the truck.
The tension Javi’s carried with him since he first stormed into Tyler’s life is finally gone, but it’s not just that—Kate has finally gotten him out of his usual stiff clothes and into a relaxed fit Tyler doesn’t recognize. He comes across less like their token corporate attaché and more like a permanent member of their ragtag family. This might be the first time Tyler’s seen Javi’s arms fully bared, and the need to bite his shoulders is fierce and fleeting.
Tyler doesn’t try to fight a shit-eating grin as he leads Lily and Boone across the small parking lot. Kate’s smile is radiant when she spots him. At her side Javi shrinks in on himself a little, a flicker of guilt and doubt eating away at his new peace. Tyler greets Kate with a kiss, then a second when the first isn’t enough, and smiles his pleasure at Javi.
“Storm Par.”
“Owens,” is the subdued response.
Kate nudges him. Javi glances at her, and she fixes him with a meaningful look. There’s an entire short argument in that exchange; Tyler recognizes the arch of her brow and the slant of her mouth. It’s not meant for him, so Tyler fixes his attention on Javi’s face and waits for Javi to look his way again. This time Javi really looks, searching Tyler’s expression for jealousy or regret, and after a beat he slowly relaxes again.
“You clean up pretty good,” Lily says. “I get it now.”
“Thanks, I think?” Javi says as he gets the door open for them.
Lily sails past him with a cheeky, “And he’s got manners, watch out now!” Dani and Dexter are close behind her, then Boone, and Kate slips in after a glance at Tyler. Tyler catches the door and motions for Javi to go ahead of him, and it’s not so he can slide a hand against Javi’s ass on his way by.
Maybe it is, a little.
Having seven bodies means one booth isn’t enough, so they divvy up four and three. The Wranglers continue their unsubtle support by leaving Kate, Tyler, and Javi to their own table. Javi is sitting across from Kate, relinquishing the space beside her to Tyler, but Tyler slides in alongside him. Kate’s smile is approving, but she fixes her stare on the menu and says nothing.
There are enough menus for all of them, but Tyler opens his halfway between himself and Javi on the table. One hand holds the first page up at an angle Javi can see; the other he leaves out of sight on his own thigh. Self-control lasts until their appetizers and drinks are in. Then Kate and Javi are looking for a dish they only half-remember eating the last time they were here, and Tyler gives in to temptation. He presses his knuckles gently against Javi’s thigh and waits to see if he flinches away. The lack of reaction is encouraging, and Tyler traces a slow, short line back and forth with his fingertips.
“Yeah, I, uh.” Javi falters, but gamely tries again, “It was on a wrap, wasn’t it?”
Tyler settles his hand on Javi’s thigh, and that’s bold enough Javi flicks a nervous look around. Tyler knows better than to push any further right now—this isn’t the place, especially with his crew in the next booth. He doesn’t take his hand back until his steaming plate arrives. He’s halfway through dinner when he feels the careful press of another shoe against his. He chews and waits, debating if it’s intentional, and then Javi adds just enough pressure to ease Tyler’s doubts.
At the next table, Dexter is telling a story he’s already shared a half-dozen times, but the Wranglers are beside themselves with raucous laughter as they are every time. Kate is across from him, a smile on her lips as she ignores her dinner in favor of studying her boys. Javi is a steady presence at his side, visibly warmed by Kate’s unfettered affection. Tyler digs into a meal that’s every bit as good as Kate promised it’d be and thinks about how good it is to be alive.
.
They’re set to have an outbreak the next day, but Tyler’s never been against mixing business and pleasure. The ruse is simple, almost see-through: he, Kate, Boone, and Javi will head out and be on-site eyes and ears. What Tyler and Kate don’t bother to tell Javi is they’re taking two trucks. Tyler gets Javi into the passenger seat only because Kate comes to the truck with them. She chucks a bag into the backseat, tucks another under the passenger seat from behind, then sticks her hand in the window and says, “Keys.”
Javi looks from her expectant face to Tyler’s toothy smile and knows he’s been had. Tyler owes Kate all the world for whatever long conversations she had with Javi in Wichita, because Javi swallows every argument in favor of passing his key ring to Kate’s waiting hand. She offers him a quick kiss through the window before coming around to do the same to Tyler, and she raps the side of his truck as she steps back.
“See you out there,” she says.
“No, you won’t,” Tyler returns with a laugh, and he peels out of the parking lot like he wants to take gravel with them.
For the first forty-five minutes they really do have work to do, and Tyler keeps the conversation on tornadoes and stormfronts. Only when the first funnel touches down in their designated area does he think they can finally multitask. He checks the rearview mirror, then the side one, but Lily’s drone is nowhere to be seen. Kate requested it in her airspace, so hopefully Lily is too busy to come check on them.
Javi calls in their progress and gets confirmation back from Dexter and Dani. As soon as the radio is back on its hook, Tyler reaches out and casually flicks it off. They’re about to go off the road and into the field, but he risks a glance down to make sure he didn’t miss. The light is gone; it’s just the two of them until they finally make it back.
The thump of his tires hitting uneven dirt gets his attention where it belongs, and Tyler follows Javi’s pointing finger to line up an interception course.
“You never told me how many seasons you watched,” he says.
“All of them,” is the grudging confession.
“How’d I look?” Tyler asks.
“Stop fishing for compliments,” Javi says, disgruntled. Tyler continues to smile at him, and Javi gives in with, “Really good. Happy now?”
“Never been better,” Tyler says, and means it. He reaches out blindly and puts a hand on Javi’s thigh, testing for resistance. Javi tenses up, but only for a moment. “Here’s what I’m thinking: we ride this beauty this morning, and then you can ride me all afternoon. Interested?”
“Nah,” Javi says, incredulous. “Do these lines of yours actually work on anyone?”
It’s a half-hearted protest at best, because Javi is already spreading his legs. Tyler’s hand fits between them like it was born to rest there, and he works Javi through his jeans with lazy intent. They’re the only ones around for a mile at least, but Javi stares out the windows like he’s waiting to get caught. Tyler could reassure him, but he lets his hand do the talking for him. Javi’s leg is tense as he pushes a shoe hard against the floor, fighting the urge not to rock up into Tyler’s palm, but he can only hold out so long. With a whispered “Jesus,” he bucks up off the seat.
“Atta boy.”
“Don’t,” Javi warns him, as if the hungry drawl in Tyler’s words doesn’t have his head falling back against the headrest. “God.”
It’s hard to remember they’re driving into a storm when there’s a contained one in his passenger seat, except they’re close enough to the funnel Tyler can feel the way his truck sways in the wind. His reluctant, “We’ve got to anchor,” is as much for himself as it is Javi, because the last thing in the world he wants to do is let go. He pulls away, leaving Javi looking more than a little rattled, and works on getting the truck screwed into the dirt. “Check the glove compartment for me?”
He doesn’t say for what, but Javi will figure it out. Unsteady hands pop the door open, and it takes only a second to see the lube Tyler chucked in there this morning. Tyler says nothing, content to let Javi work through it while he gets the tanks and Dorothy prepped for deployment. Javi makes up his mind a second before the tornado hits. The truck rocks enough he almost loses a finger getting the glove compartment closed again, but he’s got the tube in hand.
Tyler puts his hand out and waits, answering Javi’s pensive look with his best smile. The slow flush is satisfying to see, and Javi turns the tube over without a word. He doesn’t have to be asked; he gets his button and zipper undone while Tyler slicks up his hand. He’s half-hard before Tyler even gets a good grip on him, and his ragged pants are swallowed up by the wind howling like a caged beast around them.
“Kate thinks I should go easy on you,” Tyler says, and is pleased at the groan her name elicits. “I don’t think you want it easy. I think you need an excuse to lose control. What do you think, Storm Par?” He watches Javi’s eyes flutter closed, studies the white-knuckled grip Javi has on the grab handle. “Treat you so good you forget which way is up and which way is down.”
“Unbelievable,” Javi manages. He’s trying for dismissal, but he sounds one good pull from a full-out whimper. Tyler is determined to find that breaking point, and he only laughs when Javi asks, “Don’t you get tired of being proud of—fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck.”
“Sure don’t.”
He’s not sure Javi hears that smug response, but that’s all right. He can think he got the last word this time, because the sight of him slowly unraveling is more than enough of a trade. Tyler wants to stay like this all day, but the storm has passed, and they’ve got a team waiting for a status report.
He can’t get fully out of his harness one-handed, but he can at least wrestle his left side free. The knobs and dials between them dig into his ribs as he leans over, but he gets his free hand in Javi’s hair and drags him into a kiss. Javi tastes like the mints he was sucking so nervously on the drive out. He’s practically begging as Tyler drags him closer to the edge, and if he’s this easy already Tyler can’t wait to get a few fingers inside him.
He says as much, kissing his hungry promises into the shell of Javi’s ear, and that’s all Javi can take. His jagged “Tyler,” leaves Tyler dry-mouthed with need. He works Javi through his release before sinking back into his own chair.
“Jesus, Javi,” he says, breathless as a prayer. “You’re incredible.”
He looks glorious like this, flushed and satiated, hair clinging to his temples with sweat and matted a bit from pressing helplessly against the headrest. His knuckles pop when he finds a way to let go of the grab handle, and Javi works the ache out of his fingers before even trying to put his pants to rights. Tyler takes full advantage of those extra seconds to study him and the mess on his dash. He’s so hard he can’t stand it, but he doesn’t want to deal with it here.
“Let me take you to bed,” comes out rougher than he means it to, but Javi’s hoarse, “Yeah, yeah okay” isn’t much better.
Tyler wills his body to hold on a little longer and gestures toward Javi’s footwell. “There’s a towel under the seat.”
Javi finds a wet washcloth tucked in a storage bag and can’t help but laugh. “Arrogant, Owens,” he says, but he scrubs Tyler’s hand clean before working on the car. “I can’t stand you sometimes, I hope you know that.”
There’s only tired fondness in that declaration, so Tyler smiles and plucks up his radio. He checks in with the Wranglers while Javi tries and fails to tidy himself. Within seconds they’re on the road north—away from the Wranglers and toward a small roadside inn he knows should be there. The drive is just long enough to make himself presentable, but he leaves Javi in the car while he secures them a room.
All of the rooms have doors facing the parking lot. As soon as Tyler gets a key, he moves his truck directly in front of their room. Javi only has to travel a couple feet to be out of sight again, but he’s swabbing self-consciously at the damp spots on his jeans as he ducks into the room.
“I’m a mess,” Javi complains.
“Kate packed you a change of clothes,” Tyler says, turning every lock on the door. Javi almost looks offended when Tyler rounds on him again, like he wants to protest their assumptions as to how this day would play out, but Tyler kisses away his strident demands and Javi is quick enough to subside.
Javi tugs at his shirt, and Tyler is all-too happy to shrug out of it. Javi leans back when Tyler moves to kiss him again, trying to keep his stare on Tyler’s sun-bronzed skin, and the appreciative heat in his quiet “Damn,” is pleasing to hear. Tyler buries his hands in Javi’s back pockets without hesitation. Javi fights with Tyler’s zipper while Tyler gets them across the room, but Tyler manages to pry Javi out of his shirt before stopping to kick out of his jeans.
“Tell me how you like it,” he says as he finally pushes Javi flat on the mattress.
For a moment there’s uncertainty, and Javi proves Kate right when he says, “I don’t know. I never—” He gestures helplessly, unable to finish it. “The guys in my unit would joke about it, but no one ever crossed the line. Too afraid of getting ratted out and harassed, maybe. I couldn’t trust anyone enough to be honest with ‘em.”
Tyler’s looming over him, one knee tucked between Javi’s legs and his hands planted to either side of Javi’s shoulders. His expression is serious when he asks, “Do you trust me?”
Javi doesn’t even hesitate. “Yeah.” He’s honest enough to add, “Now that I know you.”
“Tell me if that changes,” Tyler says. When Javi is too slow to respond, he stresses, “I mean it, Javi. Don’t let me do anything that’ll scare you off; I think it would kill me to lose you two.”
It’s more honest than Javi’s expecting, judging by the way he goes so perfectly still, but Tyler refuses to go back on it. He stares Javi down, willing Javi to believe him, and at last Javi’s gaze goes soft.
“Yeah,” he promises. “I will.”
Tyler lets the somber moment hang for only a moment before smiling and saying, “Okay, since you’ve got no preferences, how about I tell you what I’m going to do to you?” He doesn’t wait for an affirmative before launching into exquisite detail, and it’s enough to make Javi squirm long before Tyler gets his hands on him. And oh, but this is good, this is everything, and Tyler is not going to let either of them leave this room today.
.
Kate is by at the crack of dawn with breakfast and a travel box full of coffee. She’s also got a folder tucked under one arm, stuffed with readouts from yesterday’s storms, and she’s practically vibrating with excitement to show them off. It’s not quite how Tyler thought the morning would go, but it’s undeniably pleasing all the same.
They throw one of the bathroom towels across the bed to act as a tablecloth, and Kate’s hands dart through the air as she talks numbers. Javi looks positively electrified by the findings, and Tyler can’t blame her whatsoever for working through this newest revelation first. His food is cold by the time he remembers to take the last few bites, but the aluminum liner kept the coffee hot, so he can’t ask for more than that.
“—definitely head up to Nebraska this week,” Kate finishes.
“Sure,” Tyler says as he clears away their trash and towel. “Let’s ride out tonight’s front and then we can hit the road.” He knows the answer, but he still asks, “What’s the morning forecast?”
“Cloudy with showers, but the chances of her giving us anything are pretty low,” Kate says. A week ago, two weeks ago, there might’ve been a bit of disappointment in that answer, but today she turns an expectant look on Javi. For now, there’s nowhere else they need to be, and checkout time isn’t until noon. They’ve got another four or five hours all to themselves.
Javi runs a thumb across her lower lip, looking a little awed that he’s allowed to do so, and Tyler watches as he leans in to kiss her. She gives a pleased little hum as she tangles her fingers in his hair. She tugs, and Javi obeys, easing her down to the bed like she’s the most precious creation he’ll ever handle. Tyler can’t help but admire the way they look together, Kate’s hair fanned out against the sheets and a sliver of Javi’s chest showing where Tyler wouldn’t let him button all the way up this morning.
Kate gets one hand free of Javi and reaches for Tyler, and how can he resist an invitation like that? He settles in at Javi’s side where it’s easy to kiss them both. It takes a little work to figure out how they fit when it’s all three of them, but when it finally clicks it's perfect. He has a chin on Javi’s shoulder and a hand splayed against Javi’s abdomen, and he’s studying the arch of Kate’s neck like it’s a long-lost piece of art. Javi wants to treat her with reverence, but it’s Tyler’s hand on the throttle. The more desperate he makes Javi, the easier it is to drive Kate wild. Tyler wouldn’t have it any other way, unless—
“You wanna fuck me next time, Storm Par?” he asks, low and rough at Javi’s ear. “I’ll let you push me down, if you think you can handle it.”
“Oh my God,” Javi manages.
Kate gasps a breathless swear as Javi’s movements get a little more frantic and a little less controlled. She leaves lines on his shoulders where she digs in a little too hard and loses mumbled encouragement into his heavy string of kisses, and Tyler is starting to feel a little out of control himself. He holds on with all he’s got, determined to tease them both to madness, and Kate breaks first.
Her frustrated, “Ride him, cowboy,” startles a laugh out of Tyler.
“Yes ma’am,” he says, and tightens his fingers on Javi’s hip in warning before he picks up the pace. It kills the conversation quick; the best they can manage is a slur of wondering compliments against sweat-slicked skin. Kate is the first to hit the edge, and Javi follows her down. There’s no way Tyler can stay afloat with two weights on the line, and he holds onto Javi for dear life as the world cracks apart.
They end up sprawled in a messy pile, Javi’s arm slung across Kate where she’s trapped between them and Tyler toying idly with Javi’s hair. Tyler lets his thoughts drift, and then he can’t help but laugh. Kate gives his hip a gentle pinch as she asks, “What’s so funny?”
“Not much,” he says, but they’re both watching him now. “Just that I rolled into Oklahoma looking for a story for Ben, and now I’m riding out again on a happy ending. Who would’ve guessed?”
“You are unbearably cheesy sometimes,” Javi says, like he’s not a little flushed over being included.
“You have no idea,” is Kate’s fond response. “Don’t let the country hick exterior fool you.”
“Wounded,” Tyler says, but he can’t stop smiling. “See if I’m honest with the two of you again.”
Kate’s smile is unrepentant as she presses closer. “I’ll kiss it better later.”
Later is good enough; Tyler is content for now to stay like this, tangled together with them. He can feel Kate’s heartbeat on his skin, and Javi looks almost peaceful as he studies Tyler over her head.
The rain has caught up with them, relentless against the window and deafening on the cars outside. Tyler is willing to drift off to it, but then a crackling roll of thunder is close enough to set off more than one car alarm. He looks toward the window instinctively, watching for lightning around the edges of the curtain and listening to the nonstop pop of the flagpole line ricocheting in the wind.
He looks at Javi and Kate, who are also staring transfixed at the window. There’s a familiar light in Kate’s eyes as the storm hits harder than expected, and Javi looks braced to move at a moment’s notice. Tyler knows what’s coming even before they turn on him, and he smiles as he lets go of Javi’s hair. They scramble off the bed in a flurry of flailing limbs and laughter, tossing jeans and socks to each other in their hurry to get back out there. Kate grabs Tyler’s hand to drag him across the room, and Javi lets Tyler pin him against the doorframe for one last quick kiss.
He’s got to get the key turned back in before he can peel out of here, but he sends them on ahead in Javi’s truck. He waits until their taillights disappear before closing his eyes and tipping his head back. He can see the flash of lightning on his eyelids, and the thunder’s so loud he feels it in his heart. What a beautiful storm, what a beautiful life, and Tyler wouldn’t have it any other way.