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Title: Summer Ficlet
By: Caroline Crane
Pairing: Speed/Tyler
Rating: PG

Over two hours in the car, listening to Tyler sing along to every song on the radio and now they're literally baking in the sun, hot metal underneath them and somebody should really have planned better for springtime in southern Florida. He glances over at Tyler, eyeing the pink skin on the back of his neck and that's definitely going to hurt in the morning. But it's his own fault, because he's the one who insisted they drive all the way to Fort Myers for a game.

Baseball's never really been Speed's thing – the science of it he gets, sure. In a way he can appreciate the sport, because it's all about statistics and equations and that part he understands. But he doesn't need to sit on uncomfortable bleachers in the hot sun and watch a game, and he's not practically vibrating with pent-up energy the way Tyler's been since they got here.

It's the top of the sixth and Tyler's team is at bat, one run down and everybody on their side of the park is shouting a name Speed can't quite make out. He has a feeling the guy at bat is some kind of star, but he doesn't know anything about the Twins except that Tyler's crazy about them. And hometown loyalty is something Speed never really understood, but he has to admit that it's kind of cute when Tyler gets going.

It's just as cute when he's in their living room yelling at the TV, though, and Speed has to stop himself from reaching over to rest a hand on the already burned skin on the back of Tyler's neck. He wishes he'd thought to bring some aloe, because it's too late to prevent a burn, but at least it would soothe the pain a little tomorrow. But he didn't plan that far ahead, and all he can do is sit back and watch the crowd go wild as the guy at bat hits one out of the park.

When Tyler sits down again he turns to grin at Speed, the tip of his nose as pink as his neck and Speed has to work hard not to touch. "I told you it was worth the drive."

"I hope it's worth the sunburn."

"It's worth it," Tyler says, holding his gaze and for a second Speed's almost sure Tyler's not talking about the game at all. Then he grins again and turns back to the action on the field, standing up along with the rest of the crowd as the Twins score another run. And Speed knows doesn't say it, but Tyler's right – it's worth the drive, worth the heat and the crowd, just as long as they're together.