remember that you're mine {joshler}

x. said you had to leave to start your life over

a/n: tw// mentions of ab*se, implied scars, more v*miting, violence, threats. pls stay safe, if you need me to summarise this chapter instead (but i tried to be as vague as possible) my tumblr is josephthema message me on there ! :)

-x-

Tyler had been staying with Josh for over a week when one morning Josh turned to him sighing heavily.

"Do you still want to speak with Brendon?"

They were lay on Josh's bed, laughter just dying out from some light teasing that had just ensued. Tyler sat up on his elbows to give Josh his full attention.

"I can?" He checked and solemnly Josh nodded, he'd been hoping Tyler would have not remembered asking or perhaps would have changed his mind, but he pretended not to be a little disappointed.

"Obviously, you can't speak with him alone, I'll be there but yeah, if it's important to you then I won't stand in your way." Josh rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling in thought aware that Tyler was watching him.

"Thank you." Tyler said softly after a minute, sliding his hand down to link his fingers with Josh's. He shuffled closer to the older man, placing a light kiss on his shoulder which made Josh smile even if it was only briefly.

The next day, Tyler was blindfolded and put in Josh's car before and taken to the basement of the strip club, where the Duns ran their business. While he was staying with Josh the older man had only gone out for a few hours here and there, but Tyler had slept so much he couldn't be sure how long he had been gone for truthfully.

They headed down the bland white corridors, Josh guiding him with a firm hand between his shoulder blades. He approached a door that had Michael and another man situated either side of it.

Josh nodded at them as they approached the door.

"He's been suspiciously quiet since the last visit; I think your brother knocked him off his perch." The corner of Michael's mouth tugged into a mug grin for a brief second before his eyes clocked Tyler's.

Josh muttered something to Michael Tyler couldn't hear before he was stepping aside for the door to be unlocked. Josh gestured for Tyler to enter the room and suddenly he remembered why he was here. His whole body began to shake as he cautiously stepped inside the room, any confidence he had when he'd stopped Brendon over a week ago drained away as he slipped into the room.

It was completely white and bare like the corridors and Brendon sat huddled into the corner, a solid lump of black against the stark white. The room felt cold, and the door slamming shut behind them echoed loudly making Tyler and Brendon jump. He lifted his head weakly from his hands as he looked up to see who had come to interrogate him now. Tyler noted the shackles on his wrists, the way they'd rubbed Brendon's wrists raw, they were attached to a long chain that was finished with a thick loop of metal sunk into the wall. Josh grabbed Tyler's arm to stop him from stepping forward and silent look to stay put flickered his way. Tyler nodded subtly. A chilling broken chuckled echoed through the room, both men snapped their attention to the prisoner in the corner of the room. Josh immediately let go of Tyler's arm and straightened his jacket stepping back to let Tyler take charge. Brendon's laugh only got louder and more terrifying, Tyler's whole body went cold as he suppressed a shiver. Brendon started choking on his laughter and it was that that drew Tyler's attention to his busted lip and his bruised cheeks. His eyes were sunken in and honestly he looked dead.

"What do you want?" Brendon said from where he was doubled over, the coughing subsiding. He shakily pushed himself up to stand, using the wall for support before he slowly limped as close to Tyler as he could before the chain pulled taught and his hands were yanked back. He gave a low growl at the jolt before turning to look at Tyler, dead eyes staring into Tyler's own. Tyler gulped.