the florist ❀ joshler

(4) candytuft

indifference

❀

it was finally saturday, and josh was finally free. no school, no bullies, and a weekend of rest and recovery. the most he could ever ask for in his current routine.

he had had a nice breakfast, curtesy of his father, who, had originally made the breakfast for his wife but in the end decided that he might as well make some for the whole family. it was yet another one of their anniversaries, and josh's father made sure he wouldn't skip on going full out, like he did every year. and therefore, every year, that one day, josh was granted permission to do whatever as he was left alone with his siblings, and put in charge. though typically, he just let them do whatever being the awesome older brother he was.

josh's dad had pulled him to the side when josh's mother was on the phone that morning.

"hey josh, i'm taking your mother out to town and i hadn't a chance to run down to the flower shop to buy her a bouquet. do you think you can manage that for me?"

"yeah, sure dad. what am i getting?"

"i have a list," his father states, taking out a grocery list and handing it to josh. "it has everything i need on there. i'll also give you the money that should hopefully cover it," this time, his father takes a fifty dollar bill from his wallet and hands it to josh.

"so i'll just hand the list over, and i'll be good?"

"yes. thank you so much, j," josh's dad smiles.

"it's no problem, really," josh reciprocates.

❀

josh had parked just outside the small flower shop, as it was a bit dewy outside that saturday and he didn't feel like walking in a puddle-infused parking lot.

a quiet bell rang through the floral shop, as pleasant smells filled josh's nose. the boy working didn't seem to notice though, as he kept tending to flowers, singing a soft tune, wearing a well planned floral kimono and black skinny jeans. whoever the voice belonged to knew how to sing, to say the least.

"u-um, e-excuse me?" josh calls out timidly. he was not one for interaction.

"hm?—oh, yes, hi. i'm sorry about that. what can i help you... with..." the boy turns around, revealing himself to be none other than tyler joseph himself.

"uh, y-you know what? i can just g-go to t-the grocery store. yep, that's uh—s-see ya!" josh exclaims frantically, ready to turn on his heel and walk out, but for whatever reason, his feet were glued to the floor, his eyes wide and staring into those of tyler.

"just, um, just tell me what you need, josh," tyler sighs. and josh rarely ever hears tyler call him by his first name.

"m-my dad made a list, s-so here, i guess," josh takes a curt step forward, holding out the list like it was a dirty tissue given to him by someone else.

tyler's face had already become more stoic at the sight of josh in attempt to keep up his 'you're inferior to me' look. he takes the bigger step forward to snatch the paper out of josh's hold to look it over.

"what's the occasion? i'm gonna guess anniversary," tyler says plainly, gaze still on the list and the scribbled writing that made it up.

"it is, actually. h-how did you—"

"it's the kind of flowers he wants. chrysanthemums, carnations. so on," tyler shrugs before turning around to fulfil the order.

josh waits silently, swaying on his feet. the thing that most intrigued him about the whole ordeal was the fact that, asides from having josh there, he knew what he was doing, and he appeared as if he were enjoying himself. who knew tyler had an activity different than something that involved violence. 

though, unbeknownst to josh, tyler was in fact struggling to fight off the smile threatening to blossom on his face.

tyler was finished fairly quickly with a lush bouquet of many colours, especially reds. josh scurried over the to the counter where tyler was gingerly holding on to the ensemble. "your total comes to fourty-three eighty-five."

josh stumbles pulling out his wallet, fishing out the 50 dollar bill his father had given him to spend on the flowers.

tyler skilfully, with one hand, gets josh's change and offers it to him, giving him a chance to drop it in his wallet before holding out the flower. josh reaches for them, but tyler pulls them back at the last minute as his face forms into a scowl.

"if you tell anyone about this dun, and i mean anyone, you'll be dead meat. got that?" he growls, frightening josh even more so than he already was.

tyler holds out the bouquet once again, actually letting josh grab it this time. his face softens, and he falsely wears a smile now. "have a lovely day."

"t-thanks," josh squeaks, before hurriedly exiting the shop.

"and remember what i said about the stuttering!"

❀

josh was, naturally, thanked for getting the flowers, though over the phone as josh's mother and father were already out. josh had set them out nicely on the island in a glass vase.

josh was currently splayed out on the couch on his phone, with the tv buzzing in the background just because.

two of his siblings were out with friends, and ashley, the eldest of his younger sisters had zero interest in bothering josh.

what had happened at the flower shop was still being tossed around his head as he mindlessly played around on his phone. the tyler joseph works at a flower shop, let alone wears floral kimonos, and sings. josh had a hard time depicting whether what happened was actually real or not.

and he so desperately wanted to text ashley and dallon right then and there about the encounter, but he couldn't shake off the words tyler had threatened him with. if tyler and his gang nearly beat josh to a pulp for no reason, the warning couldn't have been any more true.

josh was, still, remotely scared. but now, he couldn't help but be the slightest bit intrigued with what else tyler may have to hide.

❀

yikes yikes yikes