(A/N: I did a huge time skip here. The lads are now at the beginning of another major tour. I hope you guys don’t mind too much)
Josh sat at the front of the bus, his head in hands. He knew he had messed up. He knew he had hurt Oli’s feelings and that there was probably no way to come back from it. All the things that happened when he got with Alicia were coming back to him. All of those awful memories, the nights alone he spent crying, wishing someone was by his side.
The young man sighed deeply as he threw his head back, crossing his arms in his lap. Nothing seemed to be going his way.
“Maybe if you’d broken up with Alicia before you’d gotten with Oli, then maybe this wouldn’t have been happening.” Dan spoke, making his way from the bunk area. “I’m not saying Alicia is a bad person, which she is, and you have the right to hate me after what I’m about to say, but she’s a bitch and we all hate her. You remember that weekend Max and Matt had that big fight?”
“Yeah, what about it?”
“You know how Chris, Daniella, and I were over at your house? When you stepped out to answer Matt’s call, she bet us she could make you stay with her and not go to Matt’s house. That’s not the only time she has done it.”
“No way!” Josh exclaimed, sitting up straight. “There is no way she-”
Dan stood up, putting his hands on his hips.
“This is exactly why you lost Oli.”
“No it isn’t and you know damn well it’s not.” Josh complained. “You know he just wanted to get rid of me so he just found a way to do it. He never really loved me.”
“Listen to yourself. What are you even going on about mate? Like are you fucking serious. This wasn’t his fault, at all. This was all your fault.” Dan said with a stern look on his face. “You can’t keep blaming others for your mistakes. You’re going to end up alone.”
“Maybe that’s what I deserve!”
Before he knew it, Dan landed a punch on Josh’s face.
“No, that is not what you deserve. You’ve worked so hard and you only deserve the best so that’s why you need to be honest.”
— — —
You said you’d never hurt me, now this is all that we have left. You were supposed to save me from myself.
Oli sat at the front of the bus, eyes in one place and mind in another. His heart was shattered in a million pieces and there was no way to simply ‘glue’ it back together. He would never be the same again.
A few minutes later, Matt walked in with a younger guy. He had black hair that was slicked back, tattoos ran down both arms and his neck, he was tall and well built with blue eyes that could kill.
“This is Joshua Flint, Dan’s brother.” Matt said, making Oli’s heart drop. “Dan brought him along because he wants to improve his singing and he and uh, the other Josh don’t particularly get along very well.”
“You do know that there are better vocalists out there than me, right?” Oli asked, directing himself to Joshua. “Why’d you pick me? Don’t get me wrong, I’m honored, but why me?”
“Because I’ve always really admired your work.” the younger man replied. “And Dan said he knew you so I didn’t want to go work with a complete stranger.”
“I guess my work here is done.” Matt spoke, walking to the bunk area. “I’ll let you two get acquainted while I go sleep a little.”
Matt disappeared into his bunk, closing the curtain after him. Silence filled the room quickly as Oli turned around to face Joshua.
“Can I ask you a question?” the older man asked carefully. “You don’t have an-”
“Josh, the other Josh, said he liked me. At the time I really liked him, but sadly his words were only part of a bet. I’ve forgiven him, but he still thinks I haven’t.” Joshua said, putting his hands in his lap, looking at them as he spoke. “I-I assume that was your question.”
“I’m sorry.”
“What’s there to be sorry about?”
That was the moment when Oli realized, he shouldn’t be sorry for what happened with the other Josh.
-- -- --
After the lads had finished their sets, they decided to go to a club. Since the venue was around the local club scene they didn’t have to walk very far. All of the lads seemed to be having a good time, including Oli.
He was smiling more than before. Josh caught sight of this, his heart dropping when he saw the reason for the older man’s laughter and smiling; Dan’s brother, the other Josh. He sighed deeply, thinking back to when he used to be laughing and smiling at Josh’s jokes. Now it was the love of his life and his almost ex boyfriend. A scowl came to his face to when he remembered what he’d done to the younger man, and how angry Dan was at him for that week.
“Hey, are you alright mate?” Dan asked, following Josh’s gaze. “You’ve been making some weird faces the who- Oh.”
“Oh no, no it’s not that.” Josh tried to say, his eyes flicking to meet Dan’s gaze. “That’s not it at all.”
“You’re such a bad liar, you know that right? There is no way that seeing the love of your life and your almost ex boyfriend hanging out and laughing together, there’s no way that seeing them isn’t affecting you.”
“Look, what happened with your brother was ages ago and I still regret it very much, but the Oli thing is much more recent and it stings more.”
“It’s understandable.”
— — —
Josh sat at the back of the dance floor, or the bar area. He sat and drank his drink quietly, gently setting the cup down and asking for another. His eyes were glued to the way Oliver’s body danced on Josh’s, his smile falling even more. That should be him and not the other Josh.
“Sir, I don’t think that you should be drinking anymore.” the bartender advised. “One more and you might get alcohol poisoning.”
“Nonsense.” Josh replied, sending his cup in the bartender’s direction. “Besides, I’m only drinking to forget what troubles me.”
“If I may know, what troubles you sir?”
“You see the guys that are dancing really close to each other?”
“Yes, what about them?”
“The one with tattoos all over his body, short hair, the shorter one. He’s the love of my life and the guy he’s dancing with is a would be ex of mine.”
“What do you mean by would be ex, sir?” he questioned, not taking his eyes off the other two.
“We were talking, and we were about to date but then something happened.”
“And what was that?”
“I met the other guy.”
