In Love With A Stripper (Joshler)

>25<

A faint knock came from the front door. Tyler sighed as Josh kissed the top his head.

"You okay?"

Tyler hung his head and nodded.

"Are you sure?"

Tyler looked up. His face held no emotion. It concerned Josh. "I'm just afraid of what they're going to say. I'm afraid of what they will think of me." Tyler paused and looked back down. "I'm scared I'll lose you."

Josh said nothing and walked to the front door. Behind his was a fuming mother, demanding for answers. She looked as if she was going to explode. "Joshua! You better explain what is going on right now!"

"Listen mom. Tyler's parents will be here any minute and we'll explain everything." Josh looked back as Tyler and stepped outside, shutting the door behind him. "Please don't say anything to hurt Tyler okay? He's really upset and I don't want you to judge him."

Laura sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Fine."

"Thank you. Now, go inside and wait. They're here."

---

Everyone sat around in the living room. There was complete silence and it was making Tyler very uncomfortable.

Kelly couldn't even look in Josh's general direction, she was so mad. The thing is, she didn't have the right to be mad. She only made it worse.

"M-mom?"

Kelly's eyes shot up and met her son's.

"There's someone I want you to meet." He swallowed hard and gestured for Josh to scoot toward him. "Mom. Dad. This is Josh. He's-He's my-"

"I'm his boyfriend." Josh said sternly and put his arms around Tyler's shoulder, pulling him closer.

"Y-yeah."

"And this is Tyler's wonderful family." Josh looked over to his parents and gestured to Tyler's parents.

"Great. Now that we're all introduced," Kelly smiled evilly. "Tyler, what do you do for a living? I would love to know."

Tyler panicked. He froze up and Josh knew it by the way he grabbed onto his shirt tightly.

"He works a Ralph's."

"Let the boy speak for himself." Laura cursed her son.

"I-I uh." Tyler's eyes danced around the room at anywhere but his mother. He balled Josh's shirt up in his hand. Finally he sighed and closed his eyes. "I work at a club."

His mother caught on immediately and sighed loudly. "Okay, I'm leaving." Her and her husband stood up walked out the front door, slamming it behind them.

Laura was afraid to ask, but did anyway. "W-what kind of club do you work at?"

Josh and Tyler made eye contact. Josh's eyes were telling Tyler that everything would be alright and he would be okay and Tyler trusted him.

"I work at a....a strip club." Tyler hung his head and buried himself closer to Josh, who rubbed circles in his back.

Laura looked like she wanted to say something rude, but Josh glared at her to keep her mouth shut, so she bit her tongue.

"Can I tell them what you told me?" Josh bends his neck and whispers. Tyler nods and buries his face deeper in Josh's ugly Christmas sweater. He takes in his familiar scent and smiles.

"Now, before you think badly of him, you must know Tyler has had a very rough childhood." Josh parents exchanged nervous looks. "When Tyler was younger, he was realizing he was a bit different and his family didn't want to accept it, so they hurt him for many years to the point where Tyler was pretending to be someone he wan't. When he finally was old enough to leave, he did and he moved here. When he got here, he has no money and nowhere to stay, so when Tyler was offered a job at the strip club, he took it. And if you can not see Tyler for who he is, then leave. I love him with every last bit of my heart and I will stick with him no matter what happens. I'm sorry if you've changed your mind about him." Josh's voice changed to a low whisper when the sleepy boy had fallen asleep in his lap.

"Josh," Laura got up and stood over them. "I will love you both no matter what. I hope you know that." Josh's lips curved into a smile. "I'll call you later and we all can have dinner." She leaned down and placed a kiss onto the back of Tyler's head and headed out the door after her husband.

Josh looked down at the sleeping boy beneath him. He looked so peaceful when he slept, like all of his worries would disappear. Slow, quiet breaths escaped his slightly parted lips, his hair strung about, and his perfect eyelashes hung beneath his eyelids. He'd hate to wake him, so he wouldn't. Josh had things to do anyway, so he'd just let Tyler sleep.

A/N

Merry Christmas! Hope it's a good one. (If you celebrate it.) New story up and my account. Should be two or three parts out by now. Check it out if you want.