He’s been all in since the moment their eyes locked at that crowded audition ten years ago before they even knew each other’s names.
Now they know everything you could possibly know about another person without actually being inside that person’s head. But man, sometimes he wishes he could be inside Trevor’s head. So he’d know for sure that Trevor’s as in this as he is.
It certainly feels like he is every time Trevor wanders into the music room while Skyler’s working on stuff for his new album, offering opinions and support, or simply enjoying the chance to listen.
Skyler loves it. He loves how they share the same passion, and that even though they’re not in the band together anymore, Trevor is still genuinely interested in his music. He has professional songwriters working with him, of course. Plus the support of his label. But for the first time in his solo career, he has the person he trusts most in the world by his side during the process of making an album—possibly the most important album of his career—and it’s making Skyler feel kind of invincible.
It makes him feel like maybe he can share with Trevor and the world the song that’s been slowly building in his heart since Trevor came back into his life. The one that reached a crescendo last night when Trevor came into the kitchen for a glass of water and did something as simple as pausing to give Skyler a quick kiss on the cheek before he walked out again.
This morning, when Skyler woke up, the first thing he did was head to his music room, because he was finally ready to let the lyrics out.
Eventually Trevor stumbles in, a little bleary-eyed and sleep rumpled. “Wow, you got to work early. How’s it going?”
Skyler grins, eager to share what he’s been in here by himself obsessing over for the past hour. “Well, you know the album is almost finished, right? But I kept thinking it was missing something. One song to tie it all together thematically and represent this new era for me as a publicly out gay artist.”
“We talked about how you don’t need to do anything differently than you would before,” Trevor reminds him as he takes a seat.
“I know. But Iwantto do something different. Something big. Somethingproud.”
Now Trevor’s smiling like he gets it. Smiling like the sun and allowing Skyler to bask in his warmth.
Skyler fiddles with his guitar strap. “And I think I finally found the missing song. I don’t have all the lyrics yet, it’s more like a concept, but uh, I think it’s called ‘He’s Mine.’”
Trevor raises an interested eyebrow but doesn’t say anything.
“I’d really like to play it for you,” he forges ahead. “What I have so far anyway. Because it’s…”All about you.Everythingis about you.“Well. You’ll see. And I was hoping if you like it, if you think it should be on the album, you might be able to help me with the rest of it.”
Trevor is quiet a few moments, studying the floor. But then he looks up and nods. “Let’s hear it then.”
Skyler clears his throat. He’s played his other new stuff for Trevor; he shouldn’t be nervous anymore. But he kind of is, becausethis… This might be the most important song he’s ever written. And if Trevor disagrees, if he doesn’t want him to release it, he’s not sure what he’ll do.
He starts playing the slow melody as he explains that he only has the chorus and a few other random lines, and Trevor gives him an understanding smile. Then he sings.
And heeee
He’s everything I need
Showed me who I could be
Picks me up when I fall behind
Makes me feel like I can do anything
As long as he is mine
And he’s mine, he’s mine, he’s mine
Skyler didn’t realize it until now, but the last line of the chorus is reminiscent of theIt’s you, it’s you, it’s youin the first song he ever wrote for Trevor. When he stops playing and looks up, he thinks maybe Trevor heard it too. And the awe in Trevor’s eyes is magnified ten times from what it was that day years ago.
“That’s…You… I…”
He waits for Trevor to gather his thoughts, heart pounding in his chest. But at least that lets him know it’s still there, when it sort of feels like it might have fallen out while he was singing and landed on the floor at Trevor’s feet.
Finally, Trevor stands and walks over to him, carefully taking the guitar and cradling it in his own arms, giving it a few strums. Then he begins playing, effortlessly copying Skyler’s melody. And Skyler shouldn’t be surprised by his ability to do that. Trevor’s the one who taughthimto play, after all.
“Maybe for a verse,” Trevor says, eyebrows sort of questioning if what he’s doing is okay, “you could have something like this.”
Dimples make him look innocent, but it’s all an act
