Once Mike’s brought up all their stuff, Skyler asks him if he minds running to a café down the block to grab them some sandwiches. After coming back with them, Mike says he’ll be downstairs if they need anything.
“Is he just going to wait around for us?” Trevor asks as he and Skyler eat their sandwiches on tall swivel chairs at the breakfast bar, the sunlight beaming in and reflecting off everything.
Stella’s already found her happy spot, sprawled on the floor belly up right in front of the window.
“No,” Skyler mumbles around a mouthful of roast beef. He finishes chewing and then says, “I bought another apartment in the building for him and Hal to share for when they come here with me. It’s convenient.”
Trevor gives him an assessing look. “Do you buy everyone you know apartments?”
“Why? Do you want one?”
“Not funny.”
Skyler shrugs casually. Like he doesn’t care if it’s funny or not. Like it may have been a joke, but he really would buy an apartment for Trevor if Trevor wanted him to, and he’d do it without blinking an eye.
And Trevor doesn’t want Skyler to buy him anything. Doesn’t need him to. But he still finds himself overwhelmed sometimes by the depths of Skyler’s unfailingly generous heart.
They spend the afternoon getting used to each other in a new space, and although this apartment couldn’t be considered small by any normal person’s standards, Trevor can’t help feeling a little trapped. A part of him still wants to be at home waiting for the worst. Instead, he’s here waiting.
Later, they sit on the couch to watch a movie, and since it’s what they’d be doing if they were at Skyler’s house, it almost lets him forget that they’re not in L.A., andwhythey’re not in L.A. Almost. But as Skyler searches for a movie, asking Trevor’s opinion, he finds he couldn’t care less what they watch. He probably won’t be able to concentrate on it anyway.
After he gives a noncommittal shrug to four of Skyler’s suggestions, Skyler chooses for them. He picks something old, like really old, and Trevor gives him a skeptical look. That's a far cry from the romcoms Skyler loves.
“My dad got me into older stuff,” Skyler explains, setting the remote aside. “They don’t make movies like this anymore. They’re kind of soothing.”
Trevor nods. He could use soothing.
As the opening credits start, he turns so his back is resting against the arm of the couch. He pulls his feet up on the cushion, knees bent so as not to kick Skyler. Wordlessly, Skyler grabs his feet and pulls them over his lap, one hand remaining wrapped around Trevor’s ankles. Soothing.
He zones out a bit after the first couple scenes, but Skyler brings his attention back by squeezing his ankle.
“Did you know he was gay?”
“Who?”
Skyler juts his head toward the screen where an attractive man with a charming smile is holding out a rose to a woman. “Taylor Bucannon.”
Trevor eyes the man another moment. He only vaguely recognizes his face, but he’s definitely heard the name. Taylor Bucannon’s regarded as one of the biggest movie stars of his time. “How do you know?”
“It’s something I heard at a party,” Skyler says. He rubs his thumb up toward Trevor’s calf and back down to his heel. “A lot of film industry people were there, and I don’t know how the topic came up, but they talked about how it was sort of an open secret in the industry at the time.”
He shifts awkwardly, pulling his leg away. Not totally out of Skyler’s grasp, but enough to make him stop rubbing. He’s plenty familiar with secrets like that.
Skyler frowns and lets his hand simply settle around Trevor’s ankle again. “They said he had a relationship with the director of one of his movies.”
Glancing at the screen, Trevor asks, “Wasn’t he married to an actress?” He vaguely remembers that the guy starred in a bunch of movies with his wife.
“He was. Uh. . .” Skyler clears his throat. “Rumor has it their marriage was to protect his secret and promote their films. They say he was still with the director for years after he got married.”
Trevor stiffens. He turns to the screen again, trying to hide his discomfort, but Skyler notices anyway.
“Shit. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—I mean, I wasn’t—” Skyler lets go of his ankle. “Do you want to watch something else?”
“I don’t care, it’s just a dumb movie,” he snaps.
“Okay,” Skyler says, barely above a whisper. He makes no move to push Trevor’s feet off his lap, but it takes him an awkward moment to figure out where to put his hands so they’re not touching any part of him.
And Trevor feels bad, because he’s not mad at Skyler, but how did Skyler expect him to react to that story? It’s shitty how Taylor Bucannon had to hide who he was. And frustrating to know that some things haven’t changed in fifty years.
