Lifeline {joshler}

seventeen

tw: should be safe.

🌱

Just when Tyler was beginning to think his family would never leave, his mother suggested that perhaps it was best they went home now. Tyler was eyeing his brother suspiciously, seeing as he'd returned from the toilet too quickly to even have made it to Tyler's room. He stood up at his mother's words, trying to hide his eagerness to be alone again for a while.

As he escorted them to the main entrance., his mother looked anxious, like she was trying to figure out how to say what she wanted to.

"What's wrong?" Tyler's brow furrowed.

"Just tell him mom." Maddy said giving her mother a reassuring smile. 

"Well. Not long after-" His mother hesitated over the memory of the incident that had put Tyler in this place, he winced. "Well, we got a letter to say that at your last game a scout from Otterbein saw you play and so-" She bit back a smile and Zack took the opportunity to finish the sentence for her.

"They're offering you a scholarship." He said excitedly.

"They're what?" Tyler replied after a moment of shocked silence. Trying to take in his family's excited faces. One by one their smiles dropped as they realised Tyler wasn't as excited as they thought he would've been.

"A scholarship. To university. To play basketball." His sister spelled out for him.

"I-I don't know what to say." Tyler hesitated.

"It's okay, there's plenty of time to think about it." His mother soothed, stepping forward to squeeze his arms comfortingly.  "But they said, if you keep improving at this rate you might be ready to leave here in a month or so.  You can come home," she stressed. "You can get your life back on track all with a brilliant future all set up waiting, isn't that great?" His mother replied hopefully.

Tyler faked excitement, let his siblings encase him in a group hug. He waited as they were signed out before ushering them out the front door. He pretended not to see his mother practically break down on her way to the parking lot.

When he headed for the corridor he saw Josh leaving one of the rooms, they made eye contact for a moment, before Josh ducked his head and began walking hastily to his room. Tyler called out Josh's name but he kept walking, pretending not to hear. Tyler was confused, his brow furrowing as he stared after Josh. He called out again but Josh kept walking, concerned he chased after him.

Josh seemed to notice Tyler was following and he practically jogged into his room, shutting the door right before Tyler could reach it.

"Josh?" Tyler knocked on Josh's bedroom door. He tried the handle but Josh must be holding it shut. "Josh, please." He knocked again this time more persistently.

The door didn't budge.

"Come on Josh don't shut me out." Tyler pleaded, resting his head on the door. There was yet more silence.

"Fine, I'll wait." Tyler huffed out. Josh winced as there was a light thump as Tyler sat back against the door frame. Josh groaned at his stubbornness, but the aching in his chest just told him it made him love him more. Josh's hand hesitated over the handle.

With a heavy sigh, Josh slowly began opening the door. Tyler instantly scrambled to his feet at the turning of the door handle.

As soon as the door was open Josh was immediately attacked by pulling him into a tight embrace. Peppering Josh with feather light kisses on his shoulder, collarbone and neck. Josh shivered and scrunched his nose, ticklish.

"Tyler stop." Josh pushed Tyler off, placing a hand on his chest as they rested their foreheads together.

"Stop shutting me out." Tyler whined, taking Josh's face into his hands.

"Tyler I-" Josh closed his eyes, fighting to make his words come out. "I don't need you to take care of me."

"I know." Tyler reassured pushing his head forward gently so their noses rubbed together. Their mouths were so close now that Josh's lips brushed Tyler's as he tried to speak.

"I don't want you to take care of me, I want you to focus on taking care of yourself."

"Maybe you should take your own advice Josh." Tyler gave him a pointed look. "I love you, I'm gonna worry about you, doesn't mean I'm not taking care of myself. Being with you makes me a better person." Tyler smiled and Josh sighed, defeated.

"I love you too." He mumbled and Tyler scoffed, nipping at the tip of Josh's nose playfully.

"You could pretend to be happy about it ya know?" He teased and Josh couldn't help the playful eye-roll he gave in response.

"I'm sorry oh love of my life." Josh teased back making Tyler chuckled fondly. He pulled at the nape of Josh's neck, closing the tiny gap left between them.

Their lips crashed together, Josh almost instantly reciprocating. Josh tried to ignore the nagging voice in the back of his head that told him he was only holding Tyler back.

"Stop over-thinking." Tyler said against Josh's lips. "That's my job." He smiled before pulling Josh into a hug, squeezing his shoulders tightly.

Josh hugged back tightly, nuzzling into Tyler's shoulder. Letting safety wash over him as he took in the familiar smell of Tyler.

"Josh." Tyler said softly into his shoulder.

Josh hummed, the vibrations travelling down his spine and making him shiver and almost giggle like a child.

"You know I'm not ashamed of you, right?" Tyler said pulling apart the hug to make eye contact. He thought back to when Josh had let go of his hand during lunch at the mention of Jenna.

Josh looked at him with awe, as though he never thought someone would tell him that, it broke Tyler's heart a little. "I love you, I'm proud to be your boyfriend. I-if that's what you want to be?" He blushed shyly.

Josh's eyes sparkled as he took in Tyler's words. He nodded frantically not trusting himself to speak without getting emotional. He clung to Tyler desperately as he pulled him into another slow kiss. They were both smiling too much to kiss properly, finally breaking apart with soft chuckles.

"I'll take that as a yes." Tyler teased and Josh nodded frantically again.

"Love you." Josh finally managed to say beaming widely flashing his pearly teeth.

"Love you most." Tyler said with a kiss to Josh's nose. He took Josh's hand and began pulling him over the bed. "But I need a nap, socialising is exhausting. I need cuddles immediately." He pouted and Josh laughed.

"What else am I here for." Josh said climbing onto the bed beside Tyler and pulling him close, snuggling up. They were asleep almost instantly.