𝐒𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 ; ᴮʳᵘᶜᵉ ʸᵃᵐᵃᵈᵃ

iii

The next day after school, Tyler and Bruce were walking out to the baseball field, the curly haired boy wanting to make it up to Bruce as he ditched him the past afternoon. Bruce was overall fine with it, but Tyler was apologizing every chance he got that day, feeling terrible for not showing up. Walking onto the field, the raven haired boy tosses a glove to Tyler, the basket of baseballs next to the pitch already. Bruce grabs his bat, Tyler standing at the pitch.

"Fair warning I'm not a natural sports player" Tyler speaks in a louder tone so Bruce could hear him.

Bruce scoffs and jokingly rolls his eyes, holding the bat up and waiting for Tyler to pitch. Tyler throws the ball, Bruce hitting it, the ball flying halfway across the field. Tyler cheers Bruce on, half sarcastic and half serious just to joke around.

Tyler throws another, Bruce hits, over the fence.

Tyler throws another, Bruce hits, towards third base.

Tyler throws another, Bruce hits, almost over the fence.

After an hour or two, the boys called it quits, running out of balls and having to clean all of them up anyways. After cleaning up the field and tossing the baseballs back in the tall, metal basket, the boys leave with their backpacks, trying to avoid the rain that was moving in.

So many missing person's posters lined the metal fences, electrical poles and brick walls. Vance Hopper, Griffin Stagg, and the newest, Billy Showalter. Pinball Boy, The Ghost, and The Paperboy. Families were now starting to lock their kids inside, not wanting them to be the next victim of kidnapping and possible murder.

Surprisingly, the Yamada and Woodhill boys lived in the same neighborhood, so walking home was rather comforting before they had to part seperate ways.

"You should totally come over sometime, we could hang out and listen to this new record I got the other day" Bruce suggests, playing with the hem of his black t-shirt.

"Yeah, totally" Tyler answers, "Uh, see you later"

"See you"

Bruce and Tyler wave each other goodbye as they part ways, both looking back at each other at the same time and lightly laughing, smiles painting their faces.

<•>

As the days, weeks and then months passed, shared compliments and feelings between the two had increased at a high rate. Tyler was finally being more open and hanging out with Robin and Finney much more often, especially during lunch. It was like he was a whole new person, and as much as Finney had become suspicious, he didn't say anything. He wasn't one to talk as he had the same relationship with Robin that Tyler did with Bruce.

In Aunt Cherry's eyes who never watched anymore due to so many shifts at the hospital she worked at, she suspected nothing when Bruce started coming over almost everyday. Tyler would lock his bedroom door, laughter able to be heard through the walls. Behind those walls was always excuses and lies from Tyler to Cherry, but she believed her nephew, she wasn't his mother and she didn't really care, as long as he was safe and wasn't hurt nor hurting anyone.

Behind those doors were what others, people unlike Cherry, Finney, Robin, or Gwen would call sins. Tyler and Bruce would pull the curtains over the window, lock the door, sit on his bed and kiss, cuddle, make out, etcetera. They'd become attached to one another, more than friends, they never put a label on their relationship, but they were definitely more than best friends.

Tyler often made shitty little songs for Bruce, using his guitar to perform them and make Bruce watch as he sat on his bed, Tyler in his desk chair. Bruce would always laugh and smile, which made Tyler's eyes light up like a flame on gasoline. Bruce would often go to the Music Shack and bring back different guitar picks he would sign with his name in fancy lettering, which Tyler kept in the drawer of his nightstand in a mason jar.

They were the always happy and full of laughter couple, even if they had to keep their antics a secret, they were near inseparable outside of school. They were always locked away in one another's bedrooms, on their beds, cuddling or kissing as they hid in the dark, windows always to be vowed shut.

Sitting in Bruce's room, door locked and windows covered by the blinds, Tyler and Bruce were sitting on the bed, reading a comic book together. They both sat criss-cross, the comic laid in between their legs, Bruce with his head on Tyler's shoulder as they embraced the colorful comic together. Bruce looks up, making Tyler look back down.

"Ty...." Bruce stops as if he wanted to ask something important, but speaks again, "I have a game tomorrow, you wanna come?

"Yeah, totally, dude" The curly haired brunette smiles, "I'll be in the stands cheering you on and throwing popcorn on people"

"Okay, five, don't miss it again"

"It was once! I had to restring my guitar"

"Since when do you need to do that?"

"Like, every few months!"

AN - quick sponsor from nord vp- nah from me. I have a bunch of other tbp books so maybe you should read those 🤩 anyways I found this show called Haunted on Netflix and I cannot tell if it's real or not 💀💀 anyways have a great day/night and stay safe losers!