Summer Secret •Joshler•

Can You Keep It?

☀️☀️☀️

Tyler just stared under the water until he needed air and surfaced, wiping his face of water. A slick pink tail swirled around his legs as Josh swam up next to him.

"Hi." Josh said shyly, trying to search Tyler's face for a reaction.

Tyler just swam there treading water.

"What am I supposed to say Josh? You're a fricking merman." Tyler said running his hand through his wet hair. "This can't be real." He said swimming over to the steps of the pier to sit.

Josh swam next to him, his pink tail flicking in the water. "Y-you can touch it if you want." He said laying on his back to float in the water, his tail next to the steps.

Tyler eyed Josh then his tail before reaching down slowly and cautiously running his hands along the bright pink scales. Josh giggled and Tyler yanked his hand away.

"Slimier than I thought it would be." Tyler said and laughed nervously.

"Thanks." Josh laughed and splashed Tyler with the flick of his tail. The brunette laughed and splashed Josh back.

"I guess you're not afraid of water." Tyler said splashing him again.

"Only if I don't want to grow a tail. I have about fifteen seconds after my skin comes into contact with water to find more water because poof tail." Josh said simply, lifting his body out of the water to sit next to Tyler.

Tyler couldn't help but notice Josh's muscles as he hoisted himself up.

"I see you staring." Josh teased and Tyler scoffed.

"It's cause I just found out you have a tail." Tyler said sarcastically and Josh giggled again.

Oh how Tyler wished he could bottle Josh's laughter and keep it forever.

"Do you have any more questions?" Josh said tilting his head, his pink hair sticking to his forehead. He looked absolutely magical.

"I'm still wrapping my mind around merman's existing." Tyler smiled. "But your tail is very pretty. Prettier than those flowers your mom has." He said.

Josh blushed and the tips of his fins curled up slightly at the compliment. "Thanks." He said quietly with a smile.

The sun finally rose over the horizon, the rays bleeding into the ocean beneath.

"You still like me?" Josh asked turning towards Tyler.

"Of course I do." Tyler said before leaning in and kissing Josh who was taken by surprise at first but melted into the kiss, his arms wrapping around Tyler's neck.

After making out, Josh showed Tyler how he got rid of his tail. He propped himself and his tail up on the dock completely out of the water and waited.

"If you give me your towel it won't take as long." Josh said and Tyler
grabbed his towel and handed it
Josh who began drying himself off. He hated being dry though, considering he was a creature of the sea.

Suddenly Josh's tail began to morph and change, the skin separating and becoming flesh colored until two legs were there instead. Josh began getting up.

"Woah wait." Tyler said covering his eyes and grabbing the towel again. "Put this around your waist."

Josh looked confused before looking down. "Oh right humans cover up their appendages for some weird reason." The pink haired boy said wrapping the towel
around his waist. Tyler wasn't going to let him walk around naked.

Tyler was severely curious now as to what Josh looked like down there. Was it different than normal?

"What? Questions?" Josh said taking Tyler's hand.

"Let's go back to my place first, you're barely dressed." Tyler said pulling Josh along with him who was clutching his towel.

Tyler opened the front door slowly and peeked in. Sure enough Mark had gone to bed and Brendon was still asleep on the couch.

"Okay just be quiet." Tyler whispered and lightly walked through the living room, then passed the kitchen. He stopped when he noticed Josh wasn't behind him and he heard the fridge door close.
Josh reappeared holding a cold slice of pizza and munching on it.

"This stuff taste way better than fish." Josh said and Tyler sighed grabbing his arm, pulling him into his room and shutting the door.

"Okay well first question is what do you eat?" Tyler asked searching through his clothes for a pair of
swim trunks. Finding some he tossed them to Josh.

Josh caught them. "Well we eat mostly fish, crab, stuff you find in the ocean ya know? I love certain types of seaweed." He said beginning to change in front of Tyler who turned around.

"Why do you do that?" Josh said chewing on his pizza, one leg halfway in the swim trunks.

"Because...." Tyler trailed off. He wasn't sure. They were kind of dating and Josh certainly wasn't embarrassed. "I don't know it's just we're not supposed to look without permission." He finally finished.

"That's weird. They're just reproductive organs." Josh said confused and sitting on the bed with the trunks on.

"It's just a thing okay." Tyler said turning to look at Josh who was finishing his pizza slice.

"What about your family? Are they all merpeople?" Tyler asked and Josh froze for a split second before nodding slowly.

"It's why Abby looked at you so scared. She tried having a human as a friend a few years ago and they found out. We were glad they were just six and we convinced the other parents they were just playing pretend but that little boy is always going to question it." Josh said and sighed. "My dad lives in the ocean."

"Oh." Tyler said sitting on his bed next to Josh processing all the information. "Why doesn't he live with you?"

"His work doesn't really allow him to." Josh said laying back on the bed and curling up, sighing contentedly. "Sleep with me, I know you're tired." Josh said reaching out for Tyler and making grabby hands.

Tyler laughed a bit because Josh really had no idea what he had just said. He laid down next to Josh and wrapped his arms around his waist, Tyler's hand curiously touching Josh's leg to see if it felt real.

"Those are real too." Josh said and laced his hand with Tyler's.

"Josh what do you know about sex?" Tyler asked and Josh sighed.

"Sleep now, weird questions later." Josh sighed before he turned away,  his head relaxing against the pillow and his grip on Tyler's hand loosening a bit.

Tyler began to wonder exactly how clueless Josh was. He laid his head down beside the fluffy pink hair and inhaled the scent. Saltwater and candy. Tyler didn't realize how tired he was until his eyes fluttered closed and he fell asleep beside Josh.