accidental love (COMPLETED)

chapter 47: the next step

"a-are you serious?!" josh exclaimed a wide grin on his lips.

"yes," tyler said. "b-but only if you'd like to."

"of course i wanna move back in with you, ty!"

the most the boys had done within their five months of 'dating' was a quick kiss on the cheek. they'd maybe cuddle once a week, only when tyler felt comfortable doing so.

"o-ok, great," tyler said. "i'll um... i'll clear off the bed for you."

"for me?" josh asked, his eyebrows furrowed. "why just me?"

"because you're going to be sleeping in the bed."

"where are you going to sleep?"

"the couch."

"no you're not," josh protested. "i'll sleep on the couch until you want to take the next step."

"no, really, i want you to sleep on the bed," tyler said.

josh shook his head. "no, honey. you're sleeping in the bed."

and so for the next month, josh slept on the couch. though, he slept better than he did on his bed at his own apartment.

he felt...

safer.

***

one month later.

"u-um... d-do you w-want... want to maybe... s-sleep i-in bed?" tyler asked shyly. "w-with m-me?"

josh opened his eyes, sitting up off the couch. "r-really??"

"i-it's ok i-if you don't want to. i-i understand. j-just i thought we maybe could t-try it out a-"

"of course i want to sleep with you, ty," josh smiled, hugging tyler tightly. "thank you for trusting me."

tyler smiled and nodded, sliding his hand into josh's and leading him to their room.

josh crawled in first, tyler following. josh put his arm around tyler as they sat in bed, leaning over and kissing his hair. "tell me if you get uncomfortable and i'll stop, ok?"

tyler nodded, leaning his head on josh's shoulder.

"c-can w-we hold hands?" tyler asked quietly.

josh smiled and nodded, taking tyler's hand and holding it with his free one.

before the incident, they would be kissing non-stop right now.

no ollie around, just them, holding hands, snuggled up under the blankets.

but that wasn't the case anymore.

josh wasn't really sure if he could say 'i love you' yet, but there was something telling him he had to.

"h-hey, ty?"

"y-yeah?"

"i-i'm really, really sorry if this is too soon, and you don't have to say it back by any means, but i love you. more than anything. i don't think it's possible to love something as much as i love you. you're just... so sweet and thoughtful and gentle and kind and handsome and smart and deep and... everything, tyler. you're every wonderful trait out there."

tyler blushed and smiled shyly, looking up at josh and pressing a kiss against the base of his jaw.

"i love you too, joshua. and i mean that. i've always loved you. if i didn't, i wouldn't have let you come back. and i wouldn't have waited for you either. but i did, and now we're kind of back together. i don't really know, to be honest. but i like the idea of just taking things slow," tyler said.

"as slow as you need to, baby," josh smiled, hugging tyler tightly.

and so they both just kind of fell asleep in each other's arms for the first time in...

well, almost a year.

and it was just as great as they remembered.

only this time, both boys were only focused on each other.

not two focused on one.