Abused

9: do it out of love

It was 2:36 am, and Tyler was fast asleep, with his arm draped over Josh's chest and josh holding Tyler in his arms. It was so warm, and in their dreams they were together. They were always together, they were so in love.

Josh was a light sleeper, unlike Tyler. So when his phone rang, he awoke faster than you can say "Joshler isn't real." His phone rang, and he quickly rolled out of bed trying not to wake his beautiful sleeper. Tyler's dreams were haunted with the memories of his past, and he tossed and turned when Josh wasn't beside him in the night. Tyler started to make groaning noises in his slumber as soon as Josh left, and Tyler sounded like he was going to cry himself awake. Josh hurried to answer the phone. Who would call at this time of night?

"..hello?" Josh said in his sleepy voice, barely able to concentrate.

"Listen up, this is Chris."

"...Chris who?"

"In your dick sucking boyfriends father. I got some news for you, kid. Your breaking up with him."

"Umh... no, I am not."

"Ok... I only have 5 minutes and one phone call a week.  So I'll say it once more, your breaking up with my son."

"And what makes you think you can just tell me that? Tyler is the love of my life, no matter his gender. Sorry, you monster. Not going to happen."

"Okay then... I'll have to put it this way. If you don't, I will come after you. I may be in prison now, but you do realize I'm not going to be in here forever. I'll be out in a short 5 years, they shortened my sentence. When I'm out, mark my words if your still with my son I will find him, and you, and I will hurt him right in front of you."

"I'll protect him, you won't hurt him again."

"Well well well, what makes you think you can protect him? What happened last time? You were both helpless. Your lucky the police came when they did, or you both would have been nothing but dead queers. So I'm gonna say this one. More. Goddamn. Time. Leave him. I have to go... but mark my fucking words. You'll pay the price."

The call was disconnected. Josh stood there with the phone still up to his ear, just listening to the meep meep meep of the disconnected phone. He dropped his phone, and dropped to the ground slowly with it. He sobbed into his hands. This man was like an incurable disease: he's always there. Always tormenting them. They can't see him, but he still managed to scare Josh to the point of taking tears. What will Josh do? He can't just leave Tyler after all he's been through! Tyler's heart would break... what if he killed himself? Plus, josh couldn't go the rest of his life loving Tyler but Tyler thinking he didn't. He could never do that to himself, or his little bean boy. He crept back into bed to lay with Tyler, and tried to come up with a solution.

Josh opened his eyes to a bright room, filled with sunlight and Tyler's lips against his forehead.

"Morning, Joshyy. Time to get up cutie." Tyler was laying on top of Josh with his head rested against Josh's chest. Tyler found comfort in the sound of Josh's heart against his ears. It was Tyler's favourite song, it made him feel so warm. Tyler's head rose and fell along with Josh's breathing and it felt like he was being rocked to sleep. But it was morning, time to rise and shine.

"I made breakfast babeeee, your favourite. Pastaaaaaa!"

"Tyler... pasta for breakfast?"

"Why not?"

"This is why your the one I love."

"I love it when you say that."

"I love it when you say anything."

"I love it when you do anything."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

They laid there for a couple minutes, and then Tyler insisted they got up. Tyler grabbed Josh's hand and led him to the kitchen in nothing but their boxers and messy hair. Tyler had laid out a perfect table, complete with a rose beside Josh's plate.

"Oh, Tyler... you shouldn't have."

"Josh, yes. I should have. You have done so much for me: you talked to me when nobody else would. You stood up for me. You saved me. You let me into your home with open arms, you protect me. You stayed with me through it all... and most of all you made me feel loved for the first time in my 17 years of living. Josh, you deserve every good thing the universe has to offer. You are a beautiful man, inside and out. I love you with all my heart... and this is only a sliver of what you really deserve. I'm sorry.. it's all I could do. I'm broke.. I could only afford one rose and I learned to make pasta just for you. You deserve so much more... but this is what I can do for now to show you my appreciation.... I love you."

Josh's heart pounded with love and just the sight of Tyler made his heart stop. Whenever he looked at Tyler, his heart stopped. Everything seemed to slow down, and time went leisurely. The moments they spent staring into each other's brown eyes and hearing each other's heartbeats seemed to last a thousand years.

"I love you so much. Tyler... just being with you is a reward. I don't deserve you... you can do so much better, but I'm glad you were able to settle for silly old me. You complete me, and I am so very deeply in love with you. You are my world."

They leaned in for a kiss, and then dug into the Pesto Pasta Tyler had made that morning.

The days rolled around and passed, and Josh was still thinking about what Tyler's father had said to him that terrifying night. He didn't have much of a choice.. he knew that leaving him would tear him apart... both of them... but if he truly loved Tyler he would protect him....just like he promised. He couldn't tell Tyler the truth, or he'd get even more scared. He had to lie... it broke his heart to break Tyler and lie to him... but it was for his own safety.