Falling Too {tyler joseph fic}

Fifteen

I suggest listening to that song while you read also it's a killer song so yeah
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Ari pov

I didn't sleep the rest of the night. I lay on my bed, staring at the Christmas lights I had strung around the ceiling. My phone never rang and I never called anyone. All I could do was sit and think. I worried about Tyler mostly. About how he would recover from his brothers death, if at all. About how I wasn't sure I'd be able to help him through it and convince him that everything around him kept happening and he couldn't miss it. About how I knew he had thought about jumping off of that bridge and ending it all because I had done the same thing a few years ago.

Eventually the sun rose and I could hear my parents moving about downstairs, but I still made no effort to leave my bed. I was supposed to go to school but I was 18 and technically allowed to call myself in sick without my parents permission, so that's exactly what I did- because God knows I needed more time to do nothing.

I was exhausted as all hell and wanted nothing more than to sleep for the next ten years, but I knew that was unrealistic and I had bigger problems to worry about. I reached for my phone and saw I had no new messages-no surprise there- and quickly unlocked it, opening my contacts and pressing on Tyler's name.

He didn't answer so I hung up and called again- still no answer. On the third call I left a message.

"Hey Ty, it's me. You're not answering your phone and I'm kinda worried so, I'm gonna come over. Hopefully that's ok, I'll see you soon. I guess."

I hang up and walk out to my car. The drive over seemed to take forever. I'm worried he won't be there but I'm also worried he will be-- I have no idea what to say to him, I've never lost anyone close to me and have no experience dealing with situations like this.

I pull into the empty driveway and knock on the door. No one answers so I knock again, peering through the windows next to it. The hallway light is on and I can see Tyler's vans laying nearby meaning he's probably home. I try the door and it's locked. Just my luck.

I sigh as I run around to the backyard, letting myself in through the gate and jogging up to the sliding door. Its thankfully unlocked and I quickly open it, quietly stepping in and walking up the carpeted stairs muffling my footsteps. I walk over to Tyler's door and it's closed. I softly knock, lightly calling out his name. He doesn't open it and I don't hear any sounds coming from inside. Getting worried, I press my ear against the door. The pressure causes it to swing open and I observe the room. The curtains are drawn and it's almost completely black. The duvet is half on the bed, a pair of headphones laying on top of it. Nothing seems out of the ordinary except that Tyler isn't in it.

I leave, closing the door behind me, and begin looking into the other rooms. They're all empty, even Zach's room which I thought he might have been in.

I suddenly remember the basement. That's where he probably spent most of his time so I quickly walk back downstairs and head to the basement. As I descend the stairs, the only light turned on is a small lamp on top of the piano. It barely illuminates the sheet music splayed around it and I can just make out the shape of Tyler sitting against the wall with a pencil in one hand, the other in his hair.

I slowly walk over to him, not wanting to startle him. He hasn't seen me yet and appears to by fully engrossed in scribbling on the sheet. I reach him and sit down, he jumps slightly but when he realizes it's me he soon relaxes again.

"What are you doing?" I whisper, trying to make out the words scratches on the paper.

"Nothing," he shrugs.

"That's not true," I look up at him and he raises his head to briefly meet my gaze before looking down again.

He folds the paper up and stuffs it with the rest of the papers scattered in piles.

"I write music... Sometimes," he quietly admits.

"Can I hear some?" I gently push, hoping he would be willing to let me in.

"It's not any good, you wouldn't like it," he says, trying to avoid my eyes.

"I don't believe that. Anything you create is beautiful," I say as I gently place my hand on his shoulder. He shrugs it off and curls himself into a ball, and I sigh, scooting away from him slightly to give him some space.

"Look, I know you're life is shït right now but I can help. My life is shït too and maybe together our shïtty lives can cancel each other out to make pretty halfway decent lives. And I don't want to be selfish but without you I don't think I can make it," I whisper the last part, fiddling with my hands as I look around the dark room.

He says nothing, just leans over and places his head on my shoulder. I sigh as I rest my head in his. He begins to hum softly and I can barely make out the tune. I close my eyes and my breathing slows to the beat of his voice and before I know it were both drifting to sleep.