Friends With Benefits//joshler [✔]

5. Desire

Tyler woke up the next morning, not wrapped up in Josh's arms anymore. He rolled over to look at Josh, and found the boy already looking at him.

"Good morning," Josh said quietly, gazing into Tyler's eyes with a straight expression on his face.

Tyler couldn't help but blush. Was Josh watching him sleep? Josh sure put up a good facade.

"Morning," Tyler yawned.

He sat up, stretching his arms over his back and wincing at the popping noises. Josh watched curiously, keeping himself still. Tyler lifted the comforter off him and stepped out of bed.

"Ow, fuck," Tyler groaned, hands holding his lower back.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm sore," Tyler grumbled, eyes rolling in annoyance.

"Aw, did daddy fuck you too hard?"

Tyler's lips curled up as he giggled. He chucked a pillow at Josh.

"What?" Josh laughed, letting the pillow hit him.

"Yes! You did!"

"But you liked it."

"Yeah but now I hurt," Tyler whined, sitting himself back on top of the bed.

"Want me to rub your back?"

Tyler gave Josh a curious glance, one of his eyebrows raised higher than the other.

"You'd do that?"

"Well, yeah. I'm not an asshole."

"Okay, sure," Tyler rolled his eyes, making Josh gasp.

"I'm not!"

"Okay."

"You don't believe me."

"Nope."

"Why not?"

Tyler pulled his legs up on the bed, turning himself around. He sat criss-cross, staring a hole into Josh.

"You never talk to me in school, you never stay the night, you touch and use other girls, you only come to my games to fuck me-" Tyler rambled before getting interrupted.

"Hang on. For one, I've started talking to you. Two, I stayed last night didn't I? Three, so what? It's not like I have feelings for them. And lastly, did I not tell you last night that I love watching you play? Did you forget that?"

Tyler could tell Josh was getting angry, but he didn't care. He was angry too.

"Okay, sorry. You've been an asshole every day for almost a year except for yesterday!"

"I never forced you to keep coming back to me."

Tyler could feel the anger bubbling in his chest. Josh made it seem like all Tyler was desperate for was sex.

"I didn't just keep coming back to you! It's not like that!"

"Then what is it, Tyler?!" Josh was practically yelling now.

"I want you to love me!"

The room fell silent.

Josh froze, mouth hanging open as if unsure of what to say. Once Tyler realized what he'd said, his eyes slowly filled with tears. He couldn't believe he'd said that out loud.

Josh stared, gaping at him, making Tyler only feel worse. Tyler furiously wiped at his tears as they began to fall. He swung himself off the bed, ignoring the pain that shot throughout his back. He marched straight for his en suite, slamming the door behind him. Tyler dropped himself on top of the toilet seat, blankly staring at the ground as hot tears streamed down his cheeks.

Josh still sat frozen. Had Tyler really just said what he thought? Tyler wanted Josh to love him? That was crazy. Josh told him in the beginning they weren't supposed to develop feelings for each other. Josh sighed. He should've known better.

He didn't know why he cared so much, or why he was making such an effort lately. Something about Tyler just recently struck a chord in him. He missed the boy whenever he wasn't around. He wanted to praise him to no end. He wanted to not only fuck Tyler, but make love to him. Josh was absolutely terrified.

He couldn't grow feelings for Tyler. He wouldn't allow himself to. At least, he thought he wouldn't. But now, as the brunette sat crying in the bathroom, Josh was hit with the realization.

He wanted to love Tyler.

He couldn't stand the fact of knowing Tyler was crying in the room over. Slowly, as if he had weights attached to his ankles, Josh slid himself onto the ground. He trudged over to the bathroom door, not bothering to knock before entering.

Tyler's swollen eyes darted up to Josh's, dampened red cheeks glistening in the light. Josh's heart grew heavy. He made Tyler feel like this. He took a step towards him.

"Tyler-"

"Stop. Just go away. Go home. I don't really care."

"Tyler-" He tried again.

"I said stop, Josh. Just leave me alone."

"But I-"

"But what?!" Tyler yelled, eyebrows pulled down in a frown.

"I do love you..."

Tyler felt chills get sent down his spine. His heart pounded in his chest, not sure if he should believe it.

"Yeah, right."

"No, I really do."

"You don't know what love is."

"Yes I do," Josh said defensively.

"What's love to you, then, Josh? Making someone your fuck toy?"

"No..."

"Then what is it?"

"I don't really know..."

"Exactly."

"But I do know that when I look at you I never want to stop."

"Uh huh," Tyler replied sarcastically, arms crossing in annoyance.

"I feel empty when I'm not with you. I think about you all the time. I hate when you're upset. I hate that I made you upset and I never want to do it again..."

Tyler uncrossed his arms, letting a small sigh escape his parted lips.

"Come here."

Josh nodded, and walked closer to Tyler. He knelt down in front of the brunette, never breaking eye contact.

"Kiss me like you love me."

Josh leaned in, hands reaching up to cup Tyler's warm cheeks as their foreheads touched. He brushed their lips together in hesitation, before fully closing the space between them. Tyler's hands came up to hold both sides of Josh's neck, thumbs resting against his jawline.

Their lips moved almost perfectly in sync as the world around them faded away. Josh was focused on kissing Tyler like he never had before. It was slow and soft, comforting in ways that his words could never be. Tyler knew Josh wasn't lying.

They drew back at the same time, foreheads still resting against each other. Tyler slowly opened his eyes, finding Josh already looking at him. A smile spread across his face.

"You really do love me," He said in disbelief.

"I wouldn't lie about that."

Tyler pulled Josh's head forward, lips crashing in another kiss. Josh knew it was Tyler's way of silently saying, "I love you too."