Under The Covers {joshler}

junior year - part nine

It only took a day for the awkwardness to wear off, for Josh and Tyler to fall straight back into their rhythm of friendship. And it only took a week for Tyler to start flirting with Josh publicly. Not in a way that made him uncomfortable, just enough to remind him that he was still prepared to wait for him.

"How are you two today?" Ashley sighed as she sat opposite them.

"All the better for seeing Josh." Tyler said wiggling his eyebrows and leaning closer to Josh. Josh rolled his eyes playfully and shoved at Tyler's face.

"Just date already." Ashley deadpanned, resting on her head on her hand before putting a forkful of tater tots into her mouth.

Josh blushed but Tyler turned to him with a teasing tone. "Yeah Josh, go out with me already."

Josh shook his head and looked down at his food, laughing it off. Tyler pouted. "Fine, I'll wait for you my love." He said overdramatically causing Josh to shove him again.

Michael sat down at the table. "What's wrong with him?" He teased.

"He can't handle rejection." Ashley replied with a smirk at the same time Josh rolled his eyes and said "nothing".

Michael smirked. "Of course he's upset, Josh is adorable. Tough luck buddy."

"Thank you, see Michael understands my pain." Tyler continued but Josh was too busy blushing at the compliment from Michael.

Mark and Jenna arrived not long after, joining in on the teasing just like most lunchtimes.

Josh was startled at his locker when he shut the door and someone was stood behind it.

"Sorry." The girl apologised, a hand flying to her mouth in worry.

"No-no it's fine, just surprised me is all." Josh brushed it off. "What's up Emma?" He said gesturing for his Spanish partner to walk with him, they had Spanish next anyway.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to come over to my house tomorrow to work on the presentation together?" She blushed a little but Josh didn't notice.

"Oh, yeah sure thing." He said smiling back.

"I was thinking we could like order pizza and stuff, motivation ya know? We're kinda behind right now." She added and Josh nodded. He knew it was largely his fault for being so distracted with the Tyler drama and missing a whole week of school that had put them behind on their year-long partner-project.

Josh was about to head into the classroom when Mark called to him.

"Hey, you coming in?" Josh asked confused, his smile dropping when he saw Mark seemed worried about something. He moved out of the doorway to talk to him. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want to be a dick, but if you're gonna flirt with other girls maybe stop leading Tyler on." Mark wouldn't look at him and Josh felt his anxiety spike at the words, his heart thudding loudly.

"I wasn't- I didn't flirt with anyone?" Josh replied confused.

"You might not think you were but Jenna and I were talking and she said Emma was talking about how she was gonna ask you on a date at their last STUCO meeting. She likes you Josh, even if you're oblivious."

"Mark, she's my Spanish partner, I have to pull my weight in the project." Josh explained.

"I understand that, I'm just warning you that Tyler's not as strong as you think. He's not as okay with the constant rejection as he plays it off. Don't string him along if you're not interested in him, it's not fair." Mark replied, playing with his sleeve.

Just then the bell went and Josh took it as his opportunity to storm off, but not before he had the last word. "Don't tell me that I don't understand Tyler's feelings Mark, and don't tell me who I can hang out with. I know you're just looking out for Tyler but stay out of it."

Josh aggressively took his seat, not looking back when he heard Mark pull out the empty chair behind him. He felt wrong and he was mad at Mark for making him feel like he'd had his feathers ruffled. He glanced over at where Emma smiled at him and he looked back at the front of the class, a sick guilty feeling settling in his stomach.

He felt miserable for the rest of the day and it drove him straight up to Tyler at the end of the school day. He caught him just before he finished at his locker before he headed home.

"Hey cutie." Tyler smiled but Josh kept a straight face.

"You need to stop flirting with me." Josh said, harsher than he meant. Tyler's mouth turned into a frown.

"What-"

"It hurts Tyler." Josh blabbed, his eyes beginning to water. "I can't do it."

"Josh I never meant to hurt you, I'm sorry." Tyler apologised.

Josh felt worse. "I still love you," Josh admitted, bitterly wiping a tear from his eye.

But before Tyler could even say anything or reach out to hold Josh, like Josh so desperately wanted, he was speaking again.

"Move on Tyler, you deserve better." He mumbled before walking off. "You deserve to be happy." He added before he was out of earshot.

Tyler tried to follow him but once he got into the parking lot he saw Josh was running to his car, Tyler knew he couldn't reach him before he drove off.

Tyler called Josh when he got home and by some miracle Josh answered.

"Hear me out." Tyler said before Josh could say a word. There was silence which Tyler took as the go ahead.

"Look I don't know what happened, but I'm here for you. You've always been my best friend first, anything else second Josh. I'll stop flirting, but i won't give up on you Josh. Whatever's going on I love you, in any way you need it okay?"

Tyler knew Josh was crying, and it hurt his heart. He was relieved at least when Josh started talking to him, like they used to. Josh couldn't stop the words flowing it just felt right to talk with Tyler about his worries, talking until Tyler had managed to steer the conversation somewhere else and distract him if he needed. The ache in his chest was always easiest to bare in Tyler's presence even if the pain magnified right after they finally hung up a few hours later.