circus - joshler

_conjoined_

josh was awakened to his room shaking and the memory that nobody would be next to him in bed. still half asleep, he tiredly reached across the bed to make sure that debby wasn't there. to his surprise, he could feel her warmth near him until his hand was running across the back of her shirt. the response to the touch was a low-pitched groan that josh couldn't immediately recognize until he opened his eyes.

"oh, shit," josh sputtered, clearly embarrassed, "i didn't know you were-"

tyler rolled over to face josh and smiled in a sleepy daze at the bright shade of red he was becoming, "dude, it's alright. it's not like you kicked me or anything- although you do move around a lot when you're asleep."

"really?"

"yeah. you talk in your sleep, too."

josh had a terrible feeling that he might have said something about tyler while he was sleep-talking, "well, what did i say?"

"you kept mumbling about someone named 'debby' or something," tyler winced after seeing how josh's demeanor changed slightly. debby must have been the girl he was talking about the previous night.

josh sat up and folded his arms after learning he was talking about the other person he dreaded tyler hearing about, "must have been a nightmare then." he looked over as tyler sat up and stretched. they were both startled at the sound of someone banging on the side of the train car telling them that they had arrived in the new city and were needed to help set up for the next night's performance, "from now on, i just want to focus on us."

"huh?"

"the show, i mean. our act." josh corrected, slightly too fast.

******

the two boys walked into the dining car of the train, that was now filled with other members of the troupe. josh could feel everyone's eyes on him, mentally stripping him down in their minds. tyler had tried to prepare josh for how much attention he would get, but now it only took away his appetite. the only safe place in the room was next to tyler.

josh suddenly felt someone pull him by the arm.

"how's it hangin', sweetie?" rasped a large woman with a beard more impressive than the one josh could grow, "don't get tripped up by whiskers; i'm all woman where it counts-"

"aye bertha, cut that shit out," chuckled boyd, already in his full clown makeup, "you'll scare away wentz' new toy."

boyd shot a look to tyler, but tyler looked away just as fast.

"you're right, you're right. i'm just excited, that's all."

josh managed to break free from bertha's mighty grip and find a seat next to tyler at a booth in the crowded car. some people returned to eating, but some still stared and whispered about josh from their seats. it gave him a bad feeling, but tyler put his hand on josh's hand across the booth to calm him down.

"i promise they won't always be like this," tyler tried to reassure the older man, "they just haven't had anyone new join the troupe since, well, me."

"but what do they mean by 'wentz' new toy'?"

tyler just couldn't figure out how to tell josh what everyone in the dining car knew. what their boss had done to many of them when they first joined the circus and was the main attraction. tyler could only assure him it was nothing and try to find them something to eat before josh figures everything out and runs away from the circus, leaving the brunette all alone again.

"just don't worry about it, josh," tyler shook it off, "it's one of their deranged jokes; only trying to scare the new guy on his first day."

josh gave a polite nod before someone sat down and put their arm around him.

"you must be dun, right?" brendon breathed his foul whiskey-soaked breath into unwelcoming josh's face, "been hearing lots about you from our boss."

"yeah, i'm josh and you are?" josh said, trying to pry brendon off of him.

brendon raised an eyebrow at him, "a feisty one, huh? i'm brendon urie, but people don't go around using first names under the big top," he glanced distractedly at josh's hand on tyler's and shot tyler a smirk, "well, joseph, am i interrupting something?"

tyler pulled his hand away and folded his arms, "shut up, urie. i should ask you the same thing."

brendon pulled josh closer under his sweaty arm, "maybe you should- he ain't too bad lookin'. might get my hands on him before he dicks you down."

josh turned a shade of crimson before tyler had finally had enough.

"okay, that's enough," tyler stood up from the table and ripped brendon from around josh, earning a surprised yelp from them both.

"stronger than you look, joseph," brendon stood as well and pushed tyler backwards onto another table, pinning him on it, "must be so easy for wentz to do this every night, huh?"

josh was in shock at the scene escalating in front of him, but he scrambled to try and help tyler. he grabbed the back of brendon's shirt and tried to pull him off of his friend, but brendon only elbowed josh's chest in defense.

"josh, just go talk to wentz," tyler managed to breathe out with brendon's hands at his neck, "i'll be right after you."

josh still tried to help, brendon insisted that he leave, "just give me a few minutes to chat with joseph, here."

the door to the train car closed behind josh after he reluctantly left them.

most of the troupe had cleared out of the dining car to start setting up, which left tyler alone and at brendon's mercy. to the brunette's surprise, brendon let go of him.

"what the hell was all that, brendon?!"

"calm down, kid, i just needed to talk to you alone." brendon pulled tyler up, roughly.

"you could have just said something!"

"yeah, right!" brendon chuckled, "that guy is practically attached to you. i had to get rid of him before you guys become the second fucking set of conjoined twins at our circus."

tyler scoffed and sat back down at their booth, "i'm just doing what you said to do, urie; i found someone to take my place for wentz."

"that's a laugh, dude. you like this guy too much and you're gonna be pissed once wentz gets his greasy hands on him. i'm not trying to be a dick here, but you can't keep leading josh on if you're just gonna pass him off to wentz."

"yeah, right, i'm definitely 'leading him on'", tyler spat, soaked in sarcasm.

"i'm just trying to help, joseph."

"i've got it under control." tyler bit his lip in worry as brendon's words set in, "whatever, dude. i'm pretty sure he had a girlfriend, anyways."

"with the way he was looking at you? i doubt it."