Birthdaypresent(s) [Broshler]

1, 2, 3 = 1

"Baby baby, what's wrong?" Both Brendon and Josh hurried off the couch to Tyler, who looked absolutely lost standing at the door of the living room.
He had his bag in his hand, that dropped to the floor dramatically when Josh reached him and cupped the boys face. Josh examined the boys eyes, gently drying his cheeks with his thumbs. He didn't speak yet, just waited for Tyler to look at him.
"I'm okay", Tyler then spoke softly, in a tiny whisper. "I'm okay." He nodded to add to his statement. "I'm okay."

Neither Brendon or Josh replied to that, since it was pretty obvious a lie, but both realized it seemed to be Tyler speaking to himself, and not so much to them.

"You're okay", Brendon spoke softly, getting his bag from the floor and gently getting the boy out of his jacket. "C'mon I'll make you some tea", Josh spoke carefully, practically guiding Tyler to the kitchen.

"Sorry i just barged in", Tyler apologized once he sat down and Josh got some tea glasses out of the kitchen cupboard. "Ty, you have a key for a reason. We don't mind you 'barging' in ever. You know that", Josh answered in honesty.
"What happened?"

Tyler sighed, eyes shyly going from Josh to Brendon, carefully observing their faces. Both looked worried, and Tyler didn't like he was the one to cause them any worry, again. He always seemed the cause of worry. But their faces showed calmness too. A breeze of calming warmth covered him and he briefly closed his eyes. When he opened them, maybe two seconds later, they were still there. Still worried, still calm, still so patient. They had always been patient with him. His pace. Or actually not only his pace, but theirs. They patiently waited for his answer and he knew he took to long but he felt everything he was so upset about slowly fade away and he relished in that feeling, paying attention to it as much as he could, be aware of that feeling of peace consuming him.

"Not much actually", Tyler then broke the silence. "I just..." He sighed. He didn't want to hide anymore.

*
When he had gotten back to his apartment after work, earlier today, his stomach dropped once again. Every time he was in his apartment, alone, the feelings came back. Harder every time. Darker, every single time. It had come to the point where he already started feeling down hours before work was even finished. If it was busy he seemed to forget it, being distracted. But then, when the amount of customers dropped, indicating the end of the day came up, his stomach would drop and he would be close to throwing up.

Kelsey would ask if he was okay, every single day that he would go back to his apartment. She could tell something was off those days, but didn't know what, since he would never tell. On days he'd go to Brendon and Josh he would have a dumb little smile frozen on his face, radiating all things good. Those other days.. he felt physically sick, and she knew.

He'd drive around the city for an hour sometimes, just avoiding getting home. Gathering the courage to actually do so. He would make sure he had eaten something before getting home, if his stomach would let him, so he could get straight into his bedroom and sleep, trying to get time as fast as possible to wake up again and get out.

He started having nightmares, that the bathtub would flood and his whole apartment would fill with ice cold water, and he'd be in bed waiting till the water would completely cover him. Eyes open, mouth open, being so cold and just waiting for it to be over.

He avoided his bathroom. For whatever reason it had taken a while for him to start being extremely uncomfortable in that little room, his eyes always being pulled towards that tub. As if the tub itself was the reason he had almost missed out on the road he was on now. He knew the tub wasn't the reason, but it felt like here only sorrow hung in the air. So he had gotten out everything, towels, toothbrush, and tried not to go there, ever.

His apartment. From his save hide away, to an uncomfortable place, to now a place that pulled him into the darkest places in his mind. And he couldn't stand being there anymore or any longer, afraid the darkness would consume him at any second.
*

"i just don't want to be there anymore", Tyler nearly whispered once he zoned back in and his two boyfriends still watched him carefully. He could feel Brendons hand gently caressing his back, as Josh's fingers gently stroked his left hand.

It was all he could say before his got smothered into a crushing embrace of Josh's arms without any other reply. Brendon's fingers threaded through Tylers hair carefully, eventually slowly separating the two. "Baby, don't you see we don't want you to be there anymore either", Josh spoke ever so softly, emphasizing the 'we' to make sure Tyler knew.

Tyler breathed deeply, knowing he would have to explain more of his reasoning, all he had just thought, later. Later. It didn't matter now, at all. Because he was here. And they wanted him to be right here too.

Josh pulled back further, and gazed up at Brendon who stood next to him. Tyler saw how Brendon's hand was gently squeezing the back of Josh's neck, reassuring, even more so as the two shared the tiniest smile. "Will you please start using that key and move in with us?"

He didn't know what he had expected, but apparently it was not this because Tyler felt his own jaw drop shortly after that question. "We've been meaning to ask you tomorrow when you would get here after work", Josh continued with a little smile. Brendon chuckled as he got a little envelope out of a kitchen drawer. With a smile he handed it to Tyler, who looked at it dumbfounded. "Open it", Brendon encouraged him softly.

Tyler opened the plain white envelope which had his name written on it with a little scribbled heart behind it. He pulled out a little card, unable to stop his smile as it was a picture of them there together. It was a timer-photo they took a while ago, Josh demanding they needed pictures together.

(my dearest fren @jvstaghost made this drawing of the boys and it's so perfect and i love it. thank you so much jvstaghost 🤍)

There wasn't much text in the card but it was clear and sufficient.

We're not complete without you here.
Will you move in with us?

"Are you really, really, really, really a hundred thousand percent sure to... fully change you two and me into.." he didn't dare even say it yet.
"Us three." Josh finished for him.
"Yep." Brendon answered for the both of them.
"More than a hundred thousand percent."
"If you are", Brendon added with a wink.

"I... yeah", Tyler nodded looking down at the card again before putting it on the table and suddenly launch himself up into the best hug possible from this position, an arm around each of his boyfriends. He only pulled back a little to press a fat kiss onto their lips, Josh's, then Brendon's. He saw the happiest sparkle in their eyes, and even though he found it hard to believe him moving in could be the reason of that, he chose to believe it.