In Love with a Lunatic (joshler)

3. Toepick

(*Legend -twenty one pilots)

Friday
November 8

Josh arrives at the stadium and follows Abby inside. She heads to the girls locker room where her class is already getting ready for practice. Walking into the men's room, he sets his duffel bag down and unzips it to retrieve his skates. He pauses suddenly, hearing a small noise from the other side of the lockers.

"Who's in here?" He calls out.

Not getting a response, he shrugs it off. Sitting on the bench, he sets his skates on the ground before toeing off his sneakers. Picking up a skate, he freezes, hearing another sound. Dropping the skate again, he stands up to investigate. Walking around the wall of lockers, his puzzled face softens upon seeing Tyler.

The brunette sits on the floor, back against the lockers with his knees pulled to his chest. He hides his face in his arms, but his shaking body gives away the clear fact he's crying. Josh licks his lips in thought. Hesitantly, he opens his mouth, "Tyler?"

Tyler's head snaps up, revealing his wet, reddened face. Josh has never seen someone look so fragile. He doesn't know how to handle it. Would Tyler even allow him to handle it?

The ice skater wipes his face dry with his hoodie sleeve and sits straighter, breaking eye contact with the red haired man. He stares straight ahead at the bench as Josh sits on the end quietly.

"Are you okay?"

Tyler nods slowly. He stops after a moment, his bottom lip quivering. He lets out a hushed sob, tears once again rolling down his cheeks, "No."

Josh lowers himself to the spot next to Tyler and cautiously wraps an arm around his shoulders, the brunette immediately falling into his embrace. Josh's eyes widen slightly as he gets a whiff of alcohol coming from the brunette. He turns his head away subtly. Josh sits silently, unsure of what to do, but lets Tyler cry into his neck. He glances down to see Tyler clenching his fist tightly on his knee, his knuckles white.

Gently, Josh grabs his hand and forces it open to prevent his nails from breaking skin. Tyler squeezes Josh's hand in response. Minutes pass before Tyler takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. He remains planted in Josh's side, staring at their connected hands as he relaxes his grip on the man's fingers, attempting everything in his power to snap out of it.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Josh asks softly, after a moment of silence.

Tyler doesn't respond right away, simply enjoying whatever company he's offered. On one hand, Tyler knew Josh would understand what he's going through. On the other hand, this is not how Tyler ever pictured letting his guard down, if at all, with him. He bites his lip and sniffles, "My grandma died."

Josh shuts his eyes sadly. He remembers when his own grandfather passed. He cried for months, and still, even after two years, will sometimes break down thinking about the man. He doesn't know how close Tyler was with his grandmother, but if he was as close to her as Josh was with his grandpa, he knows Tyler needs all the support he could get right now. But with as cold as Tyler normally is toward Josh, it surprises the man how easily Tyler is accepting his comfort.

"I'm so sorry, Tyler," Josh says quietly, opening his eyes again. "Do you...do you want to be alone?"

Immediately, the boy shakes his head, "Please, don't leave."

Josh nods, remaining in his current position and tracing invisible shapes onto Tyler's bicep. The locker room is silent, neither boy making an attempt at conversation. Josh feels awkward. He's never been the best at comforting people, and with the current person being someone that seemingly hated him just this morning, he isn't sure what to think about the situation. But he knows he isn't about to leave someone in need of solace.