I Saw You In The Water [Joshler]

Thirty five 🐚

Tyler felt a foreign weight sit on his bed and tug on his blanket a little. Tyler sat with his arms around his knees with no desire to show his face to the man who came into his room uninvited. He was mad at his mother for letting the man in but didn't have the courage to tell him to go away. The weigh lifted off of his bed and Tyler hoped that Josh decided to get out.

Tyler sat still for a few seconds listening to the steps that were heard in his room. Tyler poked his head out for a brief second to see Josh walking around his room and examining it. There was nothing there to examine​, Tyler wasn't that type of kid who hung up posters on the walls. Well, at least not anymore. Tyler's walls were plain, grey, like the rest of his room. The boy let out a heavy sight and hid himself under the blankets again.

Tyler frowned hearing the curtains being drawn back and a window opening. Tyler felt warmth brush against his exposed toes. He liked when it was cold, just like his heart. Tyler frowned and curled his legs under himself. He heard Josh let out a heavy sigh.

"Yeah, be disappointed and go away. " The boy thought to himself and continued hiding.

He didn't want Josh to go away but the man didn't remember him and it was for the best. Tyler was the reason why there was so much pain in Josh's life. If not him, Josh would've been a happy merman who lived his ordinary merman life without any unnecessary drama. Tyler was hurting too but was too stubborn to realize that it wasn't​ his fault at all. Of course, Tyler did some bad stuff like burying the necklace and yelling at Josh for no reason but the boy just wanted Josh to stay. Tyler didn't think that he was being selfish at that moment, he did what he thought was the best for both of them. Tyler never thought that his life would come to this. He never thought that he would need to cry so much in his life. Tyler never thought that a heart could ache that much.

"Hey? " Tyler heard a soft voice.

"Go away. " Tyler murmured and buried his face in his palms to stop himself from crying "Go away... "

Tyler grabbed onto his blanket when he felt it sliding off of him. Josh removed the blanket exposing a whimpering little boy with dark circles under his eyes. Tyler turned his head away from Josh so that the man wouldn't see his tears.

"Look, I'm sorry. " Josh started

"For what? " Tyler murmured

"For rejecting you like that. " Josh signed and gently placed his hand on Tyler's shoulder

The boy shrugged it off and wrapped himself into a blanket again but this time he left his face poking out of the pathetic burrito blanket.

"You don't have to be sorry. " Tyler muttered "I'm the one who kissed you, you don't even know me.  "

"I feel like I do. " Josh inched closer "What are we, Ty? "

"I already told you that it was a stupid prank. "

"No, Tyler. Tell me. " Josh gripped Tyler's shoulder

"I already told you. " Tyler bit back his tears "It was a prank, I'm sorry.  "

"Tyler... "

"We're nothing! " Tyler snapped "We never were! I don't know you and you don't know me, now get out of my room! "

The boy jumped up and started shoving Josh out of his room. The man resisted, Tyler got exhausted in three seconds from the lack of exercise and Josh overpowered him. The man was so determined to find out who Tyler was that the boy didn't have a chance against him. Josh lightly gripped Tyler's by his wrists and held him till the boy calmed down, but that took a while because even exhausted Tyler wasn't giving up.

"Get out! " Tyler cried lightly hitting Josh's chest "P-please, don't do this to me... "

Josh gently placed his hand on Tyler's head in order to calm the boy down. Tyler felt the familiar warmth from Josh and the gesture made him cry even more.

"Don't do this to me... " Tyler cried with face buried in Josh's chest

Josh sat down on the bed dragging Tyler with him. Tyler sat with his arms limply by his sides, the brunette had his face pressed up against Josh's chest making his shirt damp with all the tears. Josh lightly caressed Tyler's head and sat there with him till the boy calmed down a bit. When there was only a weak sniffling heard Josh decided to speak up again.

"If you don't want to see me I understand... " Josh started "If I ever hurt you I'm sorry. "

"Y-you didn't... " Tyler said in a shaky voice

"Do you hate me?" Josh asked

Tyler shook his head and sniffled. Josh bit his lip, he didn't want to bring up unpleasant memories but the man had to know why Tyler was so upset.

"Do you love me?"

Tyler froze up, he inhaled sharply and held the breath in his lungs till he couldn't anymore. He didn't answer the question because it was already obvious. Why would he kiss Josh in the first place? The prank theory was stupid and the fact that Tyler was hiding from Josh meant something. Josh wasn't stupid. 

Josh didn't ask any more questions and let Tyler calm down. The man had so many questions he wanted to ask but seeing what a fragile creature Tyler was, Josh's heart didn't let him speak another word. Tyler was hurting enough.

They just sat in silence for almost two hours with occasional sniffle heard from Tyler. Finally, Josh gained more courage.

"Tyler? " he spoke softly, afraid that the boy might start crying again

"Mm? " Tyler answered quietly without moving his head

Tyler rested his cheek against Josh's chest inhaling his scent. Josh was so warm and cuddly, Tyler resisted the urge to wrap his hands around the man.

"Would you like to hang out with me?"

"Mhm. " Tyler hummed, his eyelids became heavier with each second and soon he was sleeping in Josh's arms, snuggled up comfortably against his warm chest

"I'm glad. " Josh smiled looking down at the sleeping boy

There was something about him that made the man's heart go out of rhythm for a second. There was something special about Tyler that Josh had yet to understand...