ON HOLD Casino Lights • Joshler

15

"Wait! Wait! Wha- What are you doing?" Josh actually laughed as Tyler sat him down in a soft golden chair with red armrests, cushion and back cushion. He watched Tyler take handcuffs off his belt.

"Why do you have handcuffs on you?" Josh giggled as his hands were being pulled back behind the chair.

"I'm making sure you don't run off and get lost again" Tyler said from behind the chair. He crouched down and adjusted the cold handcuffs onto Josh's wrists.

"Ah! Ah!" Josh hated the coldness of the cuffs "That is so unnecessary Tyler!"

"Is it now?" Tyler spoke calmly; he clicked the handcuffs closed.

"You have some serious trust issues, Tyler" Josh complained with a pout, watching Tyler as the older one walked to stand in front of the chair.

"I trusted you, Josh" Tyler now stood in front of Josh, leaning above him "Many times now. And you've been here less than a day"

Josh sniffled, examining Tyler's pretty face with his dark eyes "I didn't know you were a guy who uses the word 'kinky'"

Tyler sighed, stepping away from his beloved one "There are many things you still don't know about me, Josh"

Josh snorted "I wonder whose fault is that"

Tyler threw him a glance from the corner of his eye, before shaking his head and approaching the large bed. He sat down tiredly and cupped his face with his sweaty hands, elbows resting atop his knees.

"I'm a prisoner!" Josh yelled jokingly toward the large opened window and laughed as he did so "Help!"

"Shut up, Josh" Tyler growled seriously, standing up and nearing the tall mirror.

Josh's brows furrowed at Tyler and his face was wrapped in annoyance "What's gotten into you?"

Tyler sighed heavily, rising his hands and fixing his suit as he studied himself in the mirror "I'm worried about what my parents will say of you, that's all"

"You don't have to worry" Josh assured with a wink "I'm a very likable person"

Tyler let out a quiet chuckle "Yeah, I know you are"

"Hello" a quintuplet said, walking into the room and swiftly closing the large door.

"Hey, Tay" Tyler sighed, letting his arms fall to his sides and turning toward his brother who was making his way to the bed.

"What's up?" Taylor threw himself onto the bed and took a small bowl of peanuts off the beside table.

"It's so weird when you say 'what's up' in a British accent" Josh spoke. Taylor only gave him an eyeroll and kept his focus on his brother, throwing a peanut into his mouth.

"Nothing much" Tyler replied, ignoring Josh's words "You?"

"Mother and Father will be arriving earlier than planned" Taylor said, throwing another salty peanut into his mouth "From what I hear, tomorrow already"

Tyler gulped.

"That's great! I'm so excited to meet them!" Josh jumped a little in his seat, frowning at the pain the cuffs were giving him when he moved.

Silence fell over the room. It kept its place for good ten minutes. It was enough for Josh's mind to produce a billion and thirty two questions. He started with question number four hundred fifty eight

"How many people do you have in the dungeons?"

"What?" Taylor's voice was almost high-pitched as he sat up straight in utter shock.

"How do you know about the dungeons?" Tyler frowned, expressing his confusion much calmer than his brother.

Josh rolled his eyes at Tyler ignorance of the literal first day they spent together; does he really not remember the time Theo pinned him up against the wall? Deciding to ignore Taylor, Josh spoke "Just answer me, c'mon. Who's down there with Patrick?"

Taylor jumped off the bed and both brothers stomped over to Josh. Two identical faces now stared at Josh and damn it was scary. Both brothers were alarmed now and Tyler's face looked less calm, while Taylor only seemed to be more upset.

"How do you know of Patrick?!" Taylor was the first to speak; or, well, shout.

"I got lost and happened to come across him in the dungeons!" Josh's answer came out very fast.

"You can't just 'come across' the dungeons!" Taylor yelled into Josh's face "How the hell did you get into the dungeons in the first place?!"

Tyler placed a hand on his brother's shoulder "Calm down, Tay"

Taylor huffed air, turning his back to Josh and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Why don't you free Patrick?" Josh pursued questions.

"Josh" Tyler warned, facepalming with his eyes closed "Just stop talking, alright?"

Josh bit his bottom lip, not dropping his gaze off of Tyler. Taylor was far too angry at this point, marching to the door and opening it almost aggressively.

"Listen to me carefully" as Tyler began, the door shut behind Taylor loudly "It's on Theodore to judge if somebody is to be freed from our dungeons. I-"

"What if I were down there?" Josh frowned lightly. Love before brothers or Josh is gonna break off this engagement. If Tyler's gonna love him, he better love him more than anyone and anything in the whole wide world.

"I'd kill for you, Joshie"

Good.

"But why is Patrick being punished?!" Josh now spoke angrily "Troy told me everything! Patrick did nothing wrong! And look at him now! He's beaten up, hungry, lost track of time and goddammit he's basically gone crazy!"

"Yes, I know Josh! Believe me, I know!" Tyler shouted back, grabbing the armrests of the chair Josh sat in "Do you think I wouldn't be freeing Patrick already if I could?! I never approved of this! But there's nothing I can do, Josh! There's nothing I can do!"

...

"I'm gonna make you the Queen"

"But what about your brother?"

"Don't worry a bit about him"

"He's already brought his fiancé here..."

"Well, my love's been here all along. I don't need to call you my fiancée if I mean to marry you, beautiful"

"I thought the law-"

"Yes, the law says the first to marry gets the crown"

"Nobody even knows we are to marry! Goodness, not even we know we're to marry!"

"Shh... Believe me, my parents would never allow such nobody as Joshua is to sit on the throne"

"But that equals to my situation! If they wouldn't approve of him, how would they ever approve of me?"

"Sweetheart, I'm older than Tyler. That gives me some advance, does it not? Stop worrying"

"I cannot, my Prince. You speak of unimaginable things"

"It's going to happen, I give you my word. By the end of this year, you and I will be King and Queen"