Bunch 'o band oneshots

Bring in your brightness (Joshler)

It's dark where I stay. Not a peek of light, no sun. We couldn't go to the other side, there were countless stories of people bursting into flames or some other theory relating to flames and burns. I don't know that for sure but it made me curious, no one has stepped over the dark line in ages. It was strange, it was as if the sun just cut off over us.

But how could we possibly burst into flames when there are people roaming around that side? They're aware of our presence too but they turn their head and tip their chin up as if they look down at us.

To be honest, I would too, considering our state of appearance compared to their's. I looked down at my arms and looked back up at them. I was filthy, their skin was brighter and clean. They had green grass and swaying trees scattered around, we just have dirt, dying sprouts, dead trees and sticks. The My clothes were ripped in places and stained, Their clothes were smooth and intact. While their women's faces were covered in makeup, ours were covered in dirt but so was everyone else's. It darkened our features.

I noticed another thing about them, when it turned dark for them, they went inside. Inside their h-ha-houses. Strange things.

As I watched them 'cower' from the dark, I decided to occupy myself by drawing various things from my mind onto the soft, dark dirt with my stick. Usually I drew a figure that I kept seeing in my dreams and nightmares. He had bulky arms, I forget how his face looks, though.

All I could remember distinctly was his hair. It was soft and curly but fierce at the same time.

As I was drawing the possibilities of how his face could look, I hear a faint crackle. I freeze but shrug it off as someone stepping on a stick but then I hear it again, it's closer, the ground beside me begins to glow.

I turn to see something or someone holding a ball of light at the end of a stick. They held it in front of themself revealing their face. My eyes widened as I suddenly recalled the figure's face. It was him. His hair resembled the ball of, I think it was called fire. It was fierce and his curls made it look so...alive like the dancing flame he held.

I stood up and slowly walked towards him, his eyes adjusted and had landed on me, he froze into a lowered stance and held his hand out, I merely looked at it until I decided to poke it, smearing dirt on his fingertip. He pulled his arm back and looked at his hand, rubbing his fingers together then rubbing them on his pants.

"He-hello." He said softly and slowly as he straightened his stance.

I kept my eyes on the ground, unable to keep them on him. "H-hi."

He lowered his head, trying to catch my eyes, "what's your name?".

My shoulders curled in slightly, "T-Tyler." I replied, rubbing my elbow.

"I'm Josh," he nodded towards where I was sitting earlier, "what were you doing?"

I looked up with raised eyebrows and scurried towards my little drawing of him. I pointed towards it and he followed slowly.

"I-is that..." He furrowed his brows and lowered the fire to my drawing, "me?" I nodded.

"I saw you." He stared at the drawing for a couple more seconds then pursed his lips and turned towards me, his eyes fixated on my face, flickering over my features. All of a sudden, before he got the chance to see me blush, he just sat down. He glanced up at me as he stuck the stick into the ground making it stand beside him. I took that as an invitation to join him so I sat in front of him.

"Why are you so dirty?" He asked out of nowhere.

"What?"

"You look like you haven't had a shower in ages." He cringed. I didn't quite understand.

"I-I don't-"

"Oh you haven't had a shower at all." He raised his eyebrows.

"What's that?" He's asking why I looked dirty, I assumed it's something to do with cleanliness.

"It's how you clean yourself."

"Oh." I stared around, "I don't think we have those."

After restless hours of talking, the sun began to come up to rise, I liked the haze it gave in its wake up. Pity, it was unsafe to - I guess - my kind

"Hmm." He hummed in response to my compliment to the sun "well have you ever been in the sun?"

I shook my head vigorously, "no, no, no, I don't think I can, I might just burst into flames!" I waved my arms in the air, exaggerating the theory.

"That's ridiculous!" He growled in protest.

"We-well I-" before I could say anything, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me up, leaving the fire behind which was no further than a handspan from the ground.

I stumbled for the first few steps but then I managed to scrape my heels into the ground which still, didn't help. His arms were strong like in my dreams.

We were getting closer to the sun line and my eyes began to feel the brightness and warmth. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried pushing his arm away with my free hand, when that didn't work, I simply, helplessly squirmed under his grip until he stopped and a weird sensation danced on my skin and I saw red through my eyelids.

I furrowed my eyebrows but kept my eyes shut and inhaled slowly. The air was light in my lungs. It was so strange. He let go of me but I stayed frozen, I felt something soft, softer than dirt under my feet so I wriggled my toes, curling and uncurling them, grabbing at whatever was underneath me.

I felt Josh's breath on my shoulder. "Open your eyes." He whispered, I heard a smile in his tone.

Slowly, my eyes shook open. I saw white, then yellow, then an array of colours. It was...beautiful. The amazing warmth of the sun felt like I was being wrapped in an embrace in the world around me. I felt like I've found home.

"How do you feel?" Josh asked.

My lips were parted and my eyes were widened in amazement as I turned to face him. He's done such a huge deed to me, he's introduced me to a new world that I've yet to explore, he's taken me home. I couldn't answer with words so instead, I did what I felt like someone from his side would do if they were given such a gift.

I stood on my toes and did the unthinkable.

I kissed him.

His lips were soft and they moved with mine so perfectly.

I hugged him tightly afterwards and just let him hold me in his welcoming arms. I was so thankful for him. Then the words came to me.

"I feel like I belong here." Not just in the brightness of the sun, but in Josh's arms, I felt like I just fit in them. He even tightened them around me and rested his head on mine.

I then identified a new feeling.

I felt like I was loved.