Fear Will Lose // twenty one pilots // Joshler

Chapter 14

// if anybody is keeping track, this is later on the same day (Thursday) as the previous chapter //

"Are you staying home from work again today?" Tyler asked as he sat on the breakfast bar stool and watched as Josh made them both cereal.

Despite its name, they never actually ate at the breakfast bar, and instead opted to have all their meals at the dining room table.

"Yeah, but I've got that report to work on so I'll be in my office most of the day."
"Why don't you just go into work and do it there? You'll probably get it done quicker,"
"You trying to kick me out?" Josh kidded, and Tyler shook his head with a smile.

"Trying to get me out of the house? Have you got another man on the side? Is he coming round later? Is he hotter than me?" Josh teased with a smirk.
"Busted," Tyler said, holding both his hands up. "And yes, he's way hotter and stronger and richer than you,"

"Well he'll have to fight me for you," Josh said slowly before stepping towards Tyler and kissing him gently on the lips. He stepped back after a moment, but Tyler placed his hand on the back of his neck and pulled him against his lips again, this time more passionately.

"You'd win," Tyler whispered as they stopped, their lips lingering a few centimetres apart.

Josh stared deep into Tyler's dark eyes, then let his vision wander down his face until he unintentionally caught glance of the faded self inflicted scar on Tyler's neck. Tyler noticed him looking and the flirtatious mood dropped, he quickly moved his hand from the back of Josh's neck to his own in an attempt to hide it.

"It's looking better," Josh said honestly,
"I hate it," Tyler told him, rubbing the scar with his fingers.
"I know you do, but like I said, it's barely noticeable anymore."
"I think it's getting redder again, I don't know,"
"Turn your head sweetie, let me see," Josh said calmly, and put the side of his finger on Tyler's chin and turned it so he could see the scar properly. He could tell Tyler was uncomfortable, so he held his bandaged hand with his spare hand.

"Can I touch it?"
"Yeh," Tyler answered, and Josh carefully moved his hand from Tyler's chin and touched the flat white scar running perpendicular to his neck. Tyler flinched.

"Sorry sorry, did it hurt?"
"No, it's numb,"
"Is it always numb?" Josh asked concerned.
"Yeh, the doctor said I cut the nerves," Tyler explained, his voice a little strained from the strange angle of his neck.
"Ah okay, you've never told me that before. Anyway, I don't think it's the actual scar going red honey, I think it's just the scratches from Sunday." Josh reassured Tyler, and Tyler turned his head back to face him again.

"Okay thanks. And uh, yeah, I mean it doesn't usually pop up in conversation I guess,"
"Fair enough, want to go into the dining room now?"

"What are these?" Tyler asked as he finished his last spoonful and reached towards the stack of four envelopes on the table. Josh carried on eating his cereal as Tyler flicked through them and read the front of them aloud.

"Zack, Maddy, Jay and Sukki Ramdani, what are they?"
"The last one is a letter I wrote for Sukki, Sari and Maia; I want to put in a photo before I seal and send it. And the other three were given to me by your mom last night. They're for you, they're letters written by your siblings and their name is on the front of the one they wrote."

"Oh, what are they about? Have you read them?"
"No. Kelly said that they hadn't sealed them so I could check they were okay, but I decided that you could cope with whatever they've written."

"Yeah, thanks," Tyler said, playing with the envelopes.
"That's alright, do you want to read them?" Josh asked.
"Yeah yeah, just give me a minute," Tyler said, staring at the envelope from Zack.