save (joshler)

cant think of a title haha kill me

josh was mad. where was tyler that day at school? he was so badly looking forward to holding tyler or even just looking at tyler but no, he hadn't even shown up.

he missed tyler.

maybe it was just a mistake... tyler was only his friend.

he pulled out his cell phone. not even a text. suddenly, a notification popped up on the screen. it was from that dick at school named bryce.

bryce (to joshua dun and 103 others): party my place 9p tonight

josh always got invited to bryce's parties, even though josh was considered a loner. but he had nothing else to do so he might as well.

the air had that special smell that it has after it rains, that smelled like asphalt and water. it smelled nice. it smelled like tyler. josh shook his head.

you need to stop. tyler doesn't care about you.

•

josh combed his hair. he almost never combed it, but something felt special. maybe he would stop by tyler's on the way there. he couldn't stop thinking about tyler's soft hands. he just wanted tyler. it was driving him insane.

he slipped downstairs and almost crept through the door when --

"joshie? that you?" his mom.

"yeah, uh. there's a party tonight-"

"my baby! a party! ooooh, go have fun hon!"

josh blinked. "uh-ok." he stuffed his hands in his pockets and hopped in the car. as the motor softly hummed, he noticed tylers red beanie on the passenger seat. now he had an excuse.

•

he stopped at tylers driveway. it was dark, and crickets chirped throughout the night. from the star light, josh could see tylers front porch and a basketball hoop. tylers light was on.

josh went through the front garden to the bright red door. the pathway was lined with shrubbery and roses of all different colors. he knocked softly. a tall, burly man opened the door. he frowned.

"can i help you?" he rumbled.

josh fiddled with his shirt cuffs. he could feel the mans eyes on him. "hi, i'm here for tyler? i'm his friend, uh, josh!"

the mans face lit up. "ah! josh! i've heard about you. come on in."

josh stepped into the warm house. it was carpeted and there were lots of baby pictures of the children. the man looked upstairs.

"tyler! your friend josh is here!"

josh heard padded feet pitter-pattering towards the railing, where tylers beaming face appeared. "joshie! m'boy!" he ran down the stairs and embraced josh in tight warm hug. surprised, it took josh a moment to hug tyler back.

"hey ty, i'm just dropping off your beanie. thought you might want it to wear tomorrow or something." josh handed it over.

"oh." tyler said, a little disappointed that josh wasn't there just to see him. "thanks, bud. you going somewhere? your hair looks nice." tylers father had left, so tyler put his soft hands through josh's curly hair.

josh's heart beat was rapid and heavy.

"yeah uh, bryce is having a party!"

"oh." tyler said. "can i come with?" as his hand left josh's hair, it brushed josh's arm too, and josh immediately got goosebumps.

"of course ty." he said. josh was staring at his pink lips.

"yay" tylers adorable smile appeared. "dad, imma hang with josh for a while okay?"

"have fun." tylers dad mumbled.

tyler skipped out of the house, tailed by josh. in the car, tyler couldn't stop jumping about. this made josh laugh.

"why so excited?" josh asked.

"i'm just happy to be with you." tyler said.

"i'm happy to be with you too ty." his heart jumped. tyler was happy with josh. maybe things were okay.

tyler giggled and clapped his hands. "yay!"

•

at the party, it was loud. they were a bit late so people had already gotten comfortable and downed a few drinks. people were dancing drunkly, and you could smell weed throughout the room.

tyler was holding josh's hand when they walked through the door. he didn't stop holding it.

"joseph!" a basketball player came out of nowhere and slapped tyler on the back. his beer sloshed over the side of his cup. "who's your uh--" he glanced at tyler holding josh's hand. "friend?"

"jake, this is josh." tyler smiled.

jake kind of stared at josh for a second, then waved.

josh waved at jake. jake was huge and had blonde hair. he was sweating incredibly.

"um we should go get some drinks." tyler stated awkwardly and split through the crowd, bringing josh with him. josh was so happy. tyler was holding his hand. in front of half the school. tyler liked josh.

they hightailed through the hall, and into the kitchen. bodies were everywhere, and music pounded in josh's ears. he didn't like this type of music.  it was too bouncy. but it was okay, tyler was here.

tyler grabbed a sticky bottle of fireball and poured some into a cup for josh and one for himself. they tapped cups and chugged.

it burned josh's throat, but he squinted his eyes and was able to choke it down.

a couple hours later, tyler was sailor drunk and he wouldn't stop flailing about loosely and giggling at anything. josh was tipsy, but not drunk. he enjoyed seeing tyler laugh at a bug on the floor, or the people who were dancing quite oddly. it warmed his heart.

josh felt a need to protect tyler ever since that vulnerable evening in the rain. he wanted to hold him forever.

about an hour later, when there was only a few people left, a drunk bryce stood on top of a table and yelled, slurring, "who wants to p-play seven minutes in heaven?" he glanced at a cheerleader not so slyly as people whooped throughout the room, agreeing.

bryce somehow got everyone in a circle and placed an empty beer bottle in the middle. josh sat next to tyler, and he prayed to god that tyler didn't go into that closet with anyone but himself.

bryce flicked the bottle and it landed on the cheerleader he had his eyes on. they disappeared into the closet for seven minutes, until some kid's timer went off and he knocked on the door.

they came out, and obviously they had been slobbering al over each other.

next to bryce was josh, so it was his turn. he spun the bottle and it slowed and slowed and slowed and...

tyler.