Blue Plaid

Human

In which Stella discovers that Tyson Kingsley is human after all. 

Dressing up is one of life’s simple pleasures. One of the many reasons I love my job is the fact that I pretty much get to dress up every single day. There were photoshoots and runway shows and sometimes commercials. But the times I liked the best were the nights like these where I got to do my own hair and makeup.

Tonight I was going to a party to celebrate the opening of a new store for SXB, the brand I currently had a contract with. As usual, I had no idea what kind of outfit was supposed to be appropriate, so Mia had sent over a few options earlier in the week and I’d picked the one I liked best. The deep purple one shouldered bandage dress was now wrapped safely beneath a fluffy blue robe because I had a tendency to drop anything powdered on myself.

I chewed my bottom lip in concentration as I held the curling iron away from my face and waited for the last curl to set into place. Slowly releasing the clamp and dropping the curl thirty seconds later, I lay the iron back on the bathroom counter and nodded with satisfaction before unplugging the iron.

There was a soft knock on my bedroom door and I yelled for Tyson to come in as I stuffed my various eyeshadow cases and eyeliners back into my makeup bag. Once done, I looked over to see Cooper, toddling along with his hands raised in the air, Tyson bent over and his hands firmly holding Cooper’s to keep him upright. I smiled widely. We’d been taking turns walking around the apartment like that for the past couple weeks. Cooper couldn’t quite walk on his own yet, but he was getting there and he preferred standing on two feet to crawling.

Deciding Tyson’s back could probably use a break, I stepped out of the bathroom and scooped Cooper into my arms.

“Thanks,” Tyson muttered, bending backwards to stretch out his spine. “I think I’m going to end up permanently hunched over.”

“Which really wouldn’t be that different than usual,” I pointed out, scrunching my nose at Cooper and kissing his temple quickly.

Tyson shrugged it off because, to be honest, it wasn’t really an insult. He had horrible posture. At least he was trying to remedy the situation, though, as I’d figured out when I’d walked in on him doing yoga one afternoon. After laughing for about five minutes at the image of him doing a downward dog, I realized that it was probably a good thing that he was trying.

“So what are you two up to tonight?” I asked as I set Cooper down on my bed and fenced him in with pillows. He had a habit of rolling off the bed. It was impressive, actually. “Staying home and watching the food network?”

“You say that like it’s not highly entertaining,” Tyson shot back, crossing his arms over his chest. “Plus, I plan on making Cooper some actual food. He’s probably tired of all that mashed crap you give him.”

I rolled my eyes and looked at Cooper. “What do you say, bro? Wanna come to this party with me instead? I can probably hook you up with one of my model friends.”

Tyson snorted. “Don’t you think you should wait a little until you start pimping him out? You know, maybe until he can actually walk on his own?”

My eyes widened in excitement at the change in subject and I grinned. “It’s going to happen any day now. I can feel it.”

“You think?” he asked.

I nodded. “Yep. You better double up on your yoga sessions, Kingsley. You’re going to need all the stamina you can get once he starts walking.”

“Oh, Stella,” he smirked, his voice dropping to a whisper. “You know my stamina is fantastic.”

I completely set him up for that one, so I rolled my eyes and walked back into the bathroom to complete the outfit. Shedding the robe and slipping into some nude pumps, I shrugged at my reflection in the mirror before making my grand entrance into the bedroom.

Tyson was now lying on my bed beside Cooper, tickling the toddler’s stomach, but his gaze lifted to me as I stepped into the room.

I twirled for good measure. “So…what do you think?”

The absorbing of my appearance started at my feet, working its way up my legs and over my torso until his eyes met mine again. And then he shrugged. “Eh.”

I pressed my lips together to hold in a laugh because as much as Tyson wasn’t willing to admit that he was just slightly turned on, the flash of appreciation in his eyes was enough for me.

“Thanks, Kingsley,” I laughed, walking over to grab a purse from my closet and stuffing my phone and wallet inside once I’d noticed the text from Mia saying the car should be there by now. “I better head out. I don’t want to keep the limo waiting for too long. I’ll try not to stay out too late.”

Tyson shrugged. “Stay out as long as you want. We’ll be good here.”

I snorted. “Trust me, I wasn’t worried about you getting in trouble.”

I received my first eye roll of the conversation, late if I might add. “Have fun.”

Grinning, I leaned over the bed and kissed both Cooper’s cheeks as well as the top of his head before ruffling Tyson’s hair for good measure, which earned me an annoyed scoff.

“Later, boys.”

I waved happily as I skipped out of the door and hopped into the limo that was waiting by the curb, with Mia in the backseat. She nodded in approval at my choice of outfit before giving the driver the instructions for how we were to arrive.

No matter how many times you do it, the novelty of riding in a limousine never pays off. I mean, how could it? It’s this giant car that pretty much has everything you need to live in, so why would you ever get bored of being in the backseat and feeling so incredibly important?

I enjoyed the ride, staring at the pedestrians on the sidewalks as the city whizzed by and making good use of the complimentary mini bar. The black carpet of the event came into view twenty minutes later and I thanked the limo driver as I was helped out of the limo by an usher waiting at the end of the carpet.

“Thanks, bro,” I grinned, smoothing out the skirt of my dress. Mia grabbed my purse once she had exited the car behind me, nodding towards the black carpeted entrance and telling me to begin my arrival.

The first time I had done this, I’d thought it was super intimidating. To an extent it still was, but I no longer got disoriented by the numerous flashing cameras or people calling my name from ten different directions. I’d learned to drown it out and just pretend like it was a normal photoshoot. Once the paparazzi and press were muted in my mind, it became so much more fun.

Ten minutes later, I finally stepped inside the venue: an emptied out restaurant. It was relatively crowded, seeing as I was actually a bit late, but I immediately spotted someone I knew and began to mingle. I was five songs into dancing with a handsome stranger when I felt someone tap me on the shoulder.

Turning, I immediately grinned at the familiar figure.

“Alex!” I squealed, throwing my arms around him. “I should have figured you’d be here.”

He laughed and squeezed my tight, keeping his hands on my hips and swaying slightly to the music when he pulled away. “My first social gathering since I started working for SXB.”

“What’s the verdict?” I asked.

“I’ve never seen so many beautiful people in my life,” he replied, shouting slightly over the music.

Nodding in agreement, I pulled Alex to the side after thanking the handsome stranger for the dances, knowing that we’d be able to have an easier conversation off the dance floor. Of course, we headed for the bar because I’d only had one drink since I’d arrived and that was about four too little.

“Mojito, please,” I called to the bartender, turning to face Alex once he’d placed his beer order. “How is the job, by the way?”

He shrugged, nodding his thanks to the bartender when we received our drinks. “So far so good. I’m trying not to piss too many people off too early, so I’m kind of tiptoeing around.”

“Good strategy,” I nodded, sipping my mojito. “Pissing people off is far too easy.”

He laughed. “What about you? How are Cooper and Tyson?”

“Well, Cooper’s on the verge of walking, so you know that means we’re on the verge of being exhausted all the time because we’re chasing him around. And Tyson…well, he’s Tyson.”

“Uh oh,” Alex raised his eyebrows. “Trouble in paradise?”

I snorted. “Since when has it ever been paradise?”

He shrugged. “I thought you guys seemed to be doing alright.”

“I guess,” I admitted. “We have dialed back the bickering a bunch. But still, nowhere near perfection. Not like you and Jenna.”

His expression faltered slightly at the mention of his girlfriend and I furrowed my brow in concern.

“Everything alright?” I asked.

There was a pause and then he nodded slowly. “Yeah, it will be. The whole long distance thing is straining our relationship a little.”

I nodded in understanding. Jenna lived in their hometown in Arizona where she was finishing up grad school. Once she graduated, Alex was hoping she’d be able to find a job in New York and they could move in together. It seemed like they’d been coping well with being apart so far, but I guess even the best of relationships have their problems.

“You’ll work it out,” I shrugged. I’d only known Alex for about two months, but I’d heard him talk to Jenna or about Jenna enough times to know that he was ridiculously in love with her and didn’t plan on letting her go anytime soon. He got this dopey expression on his face when he talked about her that made me simultaneously want to sigh with contentment and punch him in the face.

“We usually do,” Alex nodded in agreement. “I’m sure you and Tyson will work things out as well.”

I swallowed a gulp of my drink before I answered. “What is there to work out?”

He raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “Do you really think this arrangement you guys have where you live in the same apartment but lead completely separate lives is really going to work out?”

“Yes…” I replied. “Trust me, it’s best for everyone involved if we don’t spend excessive amounts of time together.”

“Do you really think that’s what’s best for Cooper?” Alex shot back. “Having two parents who can’t stand to be in the same room as each other?”

“It’s not like that anymore,” I protested. “I mean, we have a lot less fights than we used to, we just don’t hang out.”

“Exactly,” Alex nodded. “Cooper’s gonna have a pretty screwed up perception of functional relationships if he only ever sees his parents hang out when it’s absolutely necessary.”

The response ‘he’s going to be screwed up regardless’ seemed inappropriate considering the seriousness of Alex’s tone, so I nodded as though I was taking his words to heart and decided now would be a good time to check my phone.

Surprisingly, I had three missed calls as well as a new voicemail from Tyson. Generally, we just texted, so if he was calling and bothered to leave me a message, it must have been urgent.

“Ty called me a bunch of times, so I’m just going to check in and make sure everything’s ok,” I told Alex before finishing off the last of my drink.

He nodded and waved goodbye as I slipped out into the back alley. It was still too early for people to be leaving, so the paparazzi hadn’t wandered back in an attempt to catch people as they tried to sneak away unnoticed.

I called my voicemail to get the message, picking at my bottom lip as I waited for it to connect.

“Hey, Stel. Hope you’re having fun. I’m just calling because I think you may be psychic. You know how you were saying that you thought Cooper was going start walking any day now? Well, I think that day might actually be tonight. He just stood on his own for an entire ten seconds. By the time you get back, there’s a possibility that he could be walking around. Anyway, just thought you might want to know and so you’re not surprised if you come back to find me chasing after him. Hope you’re having fun. I said that already. Hanging up now.”

Chuckling softly, I tapped my phone against my lips as I came to a decision: it was time to leave this party. Much more important things were happening at home.

So I snuck out onto the street and hailed a cab and as I zoomed towards home, I sent Alex and Mia text messages to explain my sudden absence. I arrived back at the apartment a few minutes later to find that the alcohol I’d drunk over the course of the night was finally having its effect on me.

Slightly woozy as I stepped off the elevator, I dug my key out of my purse and struggled to insert it into the lock. Fortunately, that task was made simpler when the door swung open to reveal a confused looking Tyson.

“Stella? What are you doing back already?”

“Are you kidding?” I replied, a little breathless as I stepped inside and kicked the door shut. “Did you really think I was going to miss Cooper’s first steps?”

Shaking his head, Tyson laughed as he glanced towards the side of the apartment where we’d set up a small play pen for Cooper. The toddler in question was currently stacking large plastic rings of varying sizes on top of each other.

“It hasn’t happened yet,” Tyson replied. “I set him on the floor after I fed him just to see what he would do and he stood on his own for a good ten seconds before falling on him bum. He kind of started to take some steps later on, but honestly, I’ve been hesitant to let him stand again because I was kinda hoping you’d come back before he started walking.”

“Aww, Kingsley,” I grinned, “Look at you being sweet.”

He shrugged and laughed. “I have my moments.”

Maybe it was the alcohol, but I felt a sudden rush of affection towards him, so I leaned over and kissed him softly on the cheek. He looked surprised, but didn’t comment, instead shoving his hands in his pockets and clearing his throat awkwardly.

“You hungry?” he asked.

“I’m surprised you even ask that question anymore,” I scoffed. “I’m always hungry.”

“Good,” he chuckled, stepping towards the kitchen. “There’s some left over mac and cheese.”

“Perfect!” I exclaimed. “That should help me sober up. Let me get changed and I’ll be right back.”

He nodded, glancing to make sure Cooper was still entertained before turning on the stove to reheat the pasta. Giggling, I slipped off my heels and went to kiss Cooper on the head before skipping to my room to change.

It took me a few minutes to figure out how to unzip my dress, but soon enough I was skipping back into the living room, dressed in yoga pants, a messy ponytail, and my favorite oversized hoodie that my brother had bought me from the college he went to.

I squatted beside Cooper’s play pen, resting my crossed arms on the side and smiling widely. “Hey, buddy. I hear you’re super close to walking.”

He sent me a look that could only be described as a glare, though I wasn’t entirely sure how a one-year-old was even capable of expressing such irritation, so I raised my hands in defense. “Just asking. No rush or anything.”

Standing up, I extended my arms without actually picking him up to make sure he didn’t have a problem being held and when his small arms reached towards me, I pulled him up and into my chest, pressing a sloppy kiss to his cheek, which caused him to giggle.

“Come on, bro,” I sighed. “It’s mac and cheese time.”

I sat down at the small table across from the kitchen with Cooper in my lap and sighed in contentment when Tyson slid a steaming bowl of macaroni and cheese in front of me. So far, it was my favorite thing he’d ever made because he used like five types of cheeses and they all blended together to form this magnificent creation of orgasmic perfection.

“You’re not going to get into trouble for leaving early or anything, are you?” Tyson asked as he slid into the seat beside me.

I shook my head, holding Cooper to my stomach with one hand splayed across his small torso as I picked up a heaping forkful with the other hand. “Nah. As long as they got pictures of me arriving, they know that I came to show my support. And no one actually saw me leave, so it’s not like they’ll know how early it is.”

He nodded, watching in amused silence as I downed the entire bowl of mac and cheese with lightning fast speed.

Cooper wiggled in my lap as I swallowed the last bite, so I lay my fork down inside the bowl and used both hands to lower him to the floor.

“Everything alright, Coop?” I asked quietly, making sure to keep my hands securely fastened at his waist, despite the fact that he was standing comfortably.

His foot lifted and I looked towards Tyson, who raised an eyebrow in intrigue and silently nodded for me to let go and let nature take its course.

So I slowly removed my hands and Tyson and I watched with bated breath as Cooper stood still for what seemed like hours before purposefully taking one step forward. I chewed on my bottom lip nervously, but my nerves soon turned into utter joy as Tyson and I relished the sight of our baby boy taking small, quick steps towards his play pen.

It was a sort of out of body experience. I felt as though I was watching a movie from an entirely different perspective. It was a moment in time when everything felt right in the world and I wished I could freeze it and save that feeling forever.

“He’s walking,” I whispered in disbelief, unable to take my eyes off Cooper.

“I know,” Tyson replied softly. “I can’t believe it either.”

As quietly and quickly as he could, Tyson tiptoed to the counter to grab his phone and record the historic moment. We spent the next hour playing with Cooper and grinning idiotically as he toddled around the apartment until he tired himself out and fell asleep in Tyson’s arms.

I volunteered to put him to bed and lay him gently in the crib I knew he would soon outgrow, kissing him gently on the cheek before grabbing the video monitor and shutting his door.

When I returned to the living room, Tyson had pushed open the window leading to the fire escape and was sitting out on the ledge. I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge before I climbed outside to join him.

The effects of the alcohol had almost worn off entirely, but I figured it was best to be completely sober before I went to sleep in order to avoid a hangover the next morning. Tyson apparently had other ideas, as he was currently nursing a beer.

And one beer was really all it took with him; he had the alcohol tolerance of a three-year-old.

That being said, he rarely drank at home, which meant something had to be wrong.

“You alright?” I asked as I unscrewed the cap of my water bottle. “You’re pensive.”

He licked his lips and took a sip of beer before responding. “Do you ever feel guilty? For being happy?”

It took me a second to realize what he meant.

“Because of Eric and Georgia?” I whispered.

He nodded, his gaze blank as he looked anywhere but me. “It just doesn’t seem fair, you know. They’re not here to see their son take his first steps, but we are. And what did we do to deserve that amazing honor? Absolutely nothing.”

I didn’t know how to respond, but I got the sense he didn’t need me to say anything anyway. He just wanted to talk, so I sipped my water and waited for him to continue.

“Sometimes I’m angry, too,” he admitted. “I mean, I know none of this is their fault, and sure I wanted kids at some point in the future, but now? My career is just barely starting. I wanted to make something of myself before raising a child and sometimes I feel like that’s never going to happen.”

“Have some faith, Ty,” I said softly, reaching out a hand to grip his shoulder in what I hoped was a comforting gesture. “You’re an amazing cook. You’ll get there someday.”

“It’s not that,” he shook his head, his eyes wet. “Do you know how much it costs to raise a kid? I’m not sure of the specifics, but I’m pretty sure it’s a lot. Even all the determination in the world isn’t going to get me very far if I don’t have the money to open my own restaurant anyway.”

“Hey,” I squeezed his shoulder. “You’re not alone. I’d totally help you out if you need it.”

It wasn’t as though I was exactly raking it in, seeing as I’d just started breaking the modeling market, but I had savings and was willing to help out if Tyson needed it.

He glanced at me, his look quizzical. “I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

I shrugged. “You wouldn’t have to ask.”

To be honest, I was as surprised as anyone that these words were coming out of my mouth. But as Tyson had once said, we were in this forever and if that was the case, then we had to have each other’s backs.

“Thanks,” he breathed in, sniffling and wiping his eyes with his palm. “I’m sorry I sound like such a d**k. Here I am complaining about things that haven’t even happened yet while the two people I loved most in the world won’t get to see their son grow into an amazing human being. I mean, soon he’ll be running and talking and they won’t hear his first word or see him off on his first day of school or give him advice on how to talk to girls…or boys.”

“I know,” I said, wrapping my fingers around my half empty water bottle. “The world sucks sometimes. But they obviously knew what they were doing, so we’re going to have to be there for Cooper now. Which might not be entirely a good thing because knowing us, his first word will be a curse.”

Despite his saddened state, he let out a low chuckle. It only lasted a few seconds before he spoke again. “I miss them.”

“Me too,” I whispered. Every single day. I still physically ached when I thought about them.

“I know.”

I raised my eyebrows in surprise at the response. “What do you mean?”

He lifted his gaze to look at me, wincing slightly. “Sometimes I hear you cry at night.”

It was true. For the first two months, I’d cried myself to sleep quite frequently. But Tyson had never said anything, so I assumed he had no idea. As with most things that involved Tyson, I had assumed wrong.

“Oh,” I said, not really sure how else to respond.

“I’m sorry,” he leaned a little closer, setting his beer bottle down on the ground. “I should have said something sooner. I just figured you wouldn’t want me to mention it.”

“Yeah,” I exhaled, setting down my water bottle as well. “I guess I wouldn’t have known what to say if you did anyway. I just don’t really know how else to deal with it, though. Every day something happens that I wish I could tell Georgia and then I remember and…”

He reached out and squeezed my hand comfortingly. “I know.”

It occurred to me that I had been idiotic. For the past few months, I’d dealt with my pain in silence because I didn’t know where else to turn, but I’d completely forgotten that there was someone else who knew exactly how I felt. For the first time since we’d met, Tyson and I shared the same mindset.

Perhaps it was time we learned to trust each other. I briefly recalled what Alex had said to me at the party before I spoke again.

“Tyson,” I said slowly, “We haven’t been a very good team, have we?”

One side of his mouth quirked upwards at the mention of the words he’d used to describe our relationship a couple weeks prior. “I guess not.”

Breathing in deeply, I continued. “I think that part of the problem is that we kind of avoid each other. I know we thought this arrangement where Cooper gets looked after but we never have to interact would be ideal, but I think it might actually end up being catastrophic.”

He raised his eyebrows. I’ll admit I was being a tad dramatic. “So what do you suggest?”

“I guess, that we get to know each other better. That we become friends.”

“And how do we do that?”

“We hang out more?” I suggested. “Like, next time you go grocery shopping, I’ll go with you. Or if you ever want to come to work with me, you can. And I won’t always spend my days off out with my friends. Maybe if we spend more time together, we can form a relationship that isn’t solely based on mutual sarcasm.”

He laughed quietly. “Maybe.”

Clearing his throat, he sat up a little straighter and looked me directly in the eyes. “So what you’re saying is that we should go on friend dates?”

“Sure,” I wrinkled my nose at the term. “If that’s what you want to call it.”

He laughed again. “Sounds good.”

“Really?” I replied brightly.

He nodded.

A wide grin stretched my lips. “Tyson Kingsley, will you be my friend?”

His eyes twinkled in the moonlight, his lips lifting into a gorgeous smile. “Stella St. Clare, I’d be honored.”

Still grinning, he opened one arm and nodded for me to scoot closer. I obliged, settling into his side and resting my head on his shoulder as his fingers lightly tapped against my upper arm. For the first time in ages, the future didn’t seem quite so scary.