killjoy - joshler

fourth

it's been weeks, the fourth of july now.

josh still didn't know how he was able to hide tyler in his room from his mom for so long, especially now that she was well and moving more. she popped her head in everyday, just to check on him, and tyler would hide in the closet or behind his little library. it was getting harder to, and josh felt a little guilty that he was keeping tyler here in secret, but he'd always forget about it within minutes of tyler telling him a joke or story.

"ty, i think i should introduce you to my mom." josh said, peeking out of his book.

"are you sure you want to do that?" tyler asked.

"shouldn't she know?"

"no," tyler shook his head, "but if you want to, i don't mind."

"mom!" josh called, tyler jumping.

"now?" tyler whisper-yelled.

he wasn't even ready for it.

"yes, now." josh said, putting his book down.

"what are you even going to tell her? 'hey, mom, my vampire boyfriend has been living with me for the past month or so, hope you don't mind!'?" tyler mocked, making josh roll his eyes.

"so now you're my vampire boyfriend?" josh asked, making tyler roll his own and scoff.

there was a knock on the door, making josh shut up and look as his mom walked in.

"what's wrong?" she asked, seeing tyler almost immediately. "oh! are you tyler?"

"y-yes," he stood up, going to shake her hand, "nice to meet you."

instead, she pulled him in for a gentle hug, making tyler smile at the warm gesture.

"it's good to finally see you!" she said, making tyler hide his teeth from her in a smile.

"you, too."

"mom, is it okay if tyler stays here?" josh asked, making sure not to give her a time frame.

"for how long?"

shit.

"uh...i don't know?" josh tried, his mom making a face.

"i, uh...i have some problems at home. if i can't, it's totally fine." tyler said, beginning to think of where he'd go.

he couldn't exactly go back to where he came from, but he could probably find someone that was willing to let him stay with them. it would suck without josh, though.

"you can stay for as long as you need to." josh's mom smiled, breaking his thoughts. "i'll be downstairs if you need anything."

tyler watched her leave, shutting the door behind her.

"would you look at that." josh said sarcastically, tyler blowing a raspberry at him and sitting down in his same spot, resuming his game.

he only stopped when he heard pops outside, and then what sounded like rain hitting the roof. he looked to josh, who sat up and heard the same thing, watching him as he crawled towards the foot of his bed to look out the window. he heard the popping sound again, watching as a tiny blue rocket shot up into the night sky, exploding into colors.

"fireworks, nice! do you want to go see them?" josh asked tyler, who stared in awe at the bursts of lights in the dark sky.

within seconds, tyler began to open the window, eagerly getting into the giant tree. josh followed after him, meeting him tyler in the middle of the street, looking up at the clear night sky into the fireworks.

"josh, look!" tyler pointed towards the sky, the fireworks gleaming in tyler's eyes.

josh smiled, looking up at them as well, jumping a bit at the loud burst of noise from that firework.

"aren't they pretty?" josh asked.

"almost..." tyler thought, trying to remember where he's heard it from. "...as pretty as you!"

josh shook his head, the creases in his cheeks deep as he smiled widely at tyler's remark and tone of voice.

"you're silly."

tyler took josh's hand, leading him to the front yard again and sitting down right in the grass. josh followed, laying back and watching a string of white fireworks go off underneath the moon. tyler brought his knees up to his chest, still in awe; how did people get the lights to go off in the sky like that?

he was fascinated.

"wow." tyler breathed, a firework bursting in the shape of the american flag, falling down like raindrops.

josh, on the other hand, couldn't help but stare. tyler really was something else; he's never seen someone get so excited over fireworks before. he was like a child when it came to how the outside world worked, but josh was just happy to show him.

he didn't mind this.

"yes?" tyler asked, looking down at josh.

"what?" josh titled his head.

"you're staring again." tyler said, giggling into his hoodie-covered hands.

"but you're so cute, killjoy!" josh said dramatically, laughing at tyler's eye roll.

"you're annoying."

josh leaned up on his elbows, looking at the fireworks. "are you liking the fireworks?"

tyler continued to look at them, nodding his head. josh was enjoying himself as well, liking the gentle pops of the fireworks exploding into the sky, the chilly night breezes beating against his hoodie.

tyler suddenly tackled josh in a hug, burying his face in his neck. josh giggled at the tickling sensations on his throat of tyler's eyelashes, hugging him back and wondering why the heck he was so touchy for.

"thank you." he said simply, hugging josh tighter.

"for what?" josh asked, confused.

"for everything. thank you." tyler said.

"oh...uh, you're welcome."

tyler leaned back, that same, stupid, silly grin never leaving his face.

josh returned the gesture, tyler taking him by surprise again when he brought his lips to his, josh falling backwards into the grass. tyler shifted his head, his nose bumping josh's a bit, the silver irritating it. josh rested his hands on tyler's hips, gripping them tightly as tyler completely straddled josh's waist, supporting himself on his hands.

tyler grazed his lips over josh's, who eagerly pushed his mouth towards tyler's again, their break ending as fast as it started. their chins bumped slightly, tyler breathing out of his nose as josh moved his hand towards the back of his neck, bringing him closer. tyler dipped his head, goosebumps littering his skin underneath josh's hoodie as josh trailed his hands slowly towards the small of his back, then towards his butt. tyler had his knee in between josh's legs, shifting his weight every so often from his legs and his hands, teasing.

he had searched these types of things up on josh's phone before, and despite the slightly sloppy kisses and shaky hands, he was alright.

tyler poured every new feeling he was experiencing into the kiss, from the bursts of happiness whenever he saw josh to the racing of his heart in his chest, to the need to make sure he looked okay before josh even saw him in the morning to the pit of want rising up in his tummy.

he literally owed his life to josh, but he was so humble about it. he was lucky to have ran into him that one single night he was taking a night walk, because he would have never dreamed of watching fireworks on the fourth of july with someone he really came to like.

back then, if you told him that, he would've killed you.