The Ghost Of You Is Close To Me

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Tyler laid wrapped up in Josh's embrace, fearing the moment that he had to pull away from that he would lose the sense of home, the sense of peace that came along with it. He had never meant to find it here, as much as he'd be searching for this feeling, he hadn't wanted to find it in a person.

Tyler had been let down by people too many times to count. They were the reason he had been pushed to the brink of death but they were also the reason he stayed alive, only to once again be let down. They were the reason that he ended up in this spot.

So, yeah, Tyler was cautious in who he let into his life and he hated that he let this one in but now that Josh was here, Tyler wasn't sure he'd be able to let go without a serious casualty.

"I think I fell for you," Tyler blurted, nuzzling deeper into Josh's arms. Josh laughed quietly, squeezing Tyler's body gently.

"Well, I think I fell for you, too," Josh answered. Josh looked down at Tyler and found his eyes looking up at the stars, unaware of Josh's gaze. He was so fascinated by the twinkling lights and deep black surrounding them, it made him seem innocent and beautiful, it was hard for Josh to not just jump straight into loving him like that.

~~~

"What's a hobby of yours, besides sitting at a cemetery?" Josh asked, sitting up and looking at Tyler. They were both frozen cold and shaking but neither wanted to leave, they didn't bother thinking about going to one another's houses either.

"Oh, damn, you took away my favorite thing," Tyler joked, smiling when Josh laughed, "I don't know, I like music. I've taught myself a couple of instruments and I like to sing sometimes, not that great at any of those but I enjoy it."

"Dude, we should start a band, I'm a drummer," Josh said excitedly, trying to imagine what it would be like to be on stage and have fans screaming at him.

"Sure, sure, that would be fun," Tyler said with a small smile.

They joked about their futures and bands until they couldn't stand the cold anymore and had to leave.

~~~

Tyler sat with his back against a tombstone, smiling when Josh strode up to him and took a seat.

It didn't take long for the skies to pour and the two boys to become drenched. Tyler leaned into what little warmth Josh was radiating and laughed.

"We should probably go, I'm soaking wet."

Tyler pressed in closer, a grin on his face. He buried his face in Josh's neck, his smile growing when Josh's hands wrapped around his waist. Although they were both shivering and cold, neither decided to move.

"Ty, we're gonna be so sick tomorrow," Josh mumbled, trying to talk himself and Tyler into leaving but it didn't happen.

They stayed for another thirty minutes before the shivering grew too much and they needed blankets and a hot shower each.

~~~

Tyler was nervous that things were going so well between him and Josh. Things didn't last, in Tyler's experience, and the anxiety of what might happen, or when it could happen was beginning to wear down on Tyler.

Josh had come in and broken down every wall of Tyler's, leaving him raw and exposed, without a way to take it back and hide. Tyler had given up his deepest secrets, had talked about every important thing in his life. It was new for Tyler but he wouldn't ask for it any other way.

He trusted Josh with his life.

~~~

Tyler sat straddled on Josh's lap, leaning his forehead against Josh's as they laughed, trying to pull themselves together.

"Josh, please, I was gonna do something," Tyler whined, slouching where he was seated until he could look up into Josh's eyes, giving a small pout. Josh only laughed harder.

"Tyler, you can't call me 'daddy' and kiss me all sweet like and not expect me to laugh," Josh said, trying to get a clear sentence out for his laughs. Tyler groaned and covered his face with his hands.

"I saw it on the internet, people said they liked it when you call your boyfriend 'daddy'," Tyler mumbled, his blush growing when he realized what he'd called Josh.

"Boyfriend?" He asked, tilting his head with a curious gaze, his smile still on his lips. Tyler nodded.

"Sorry, it's just, I don't know. We do boyfriend things like making out and cuddling," Tyler shrugged and turned his head away from Josh.

"Well, then, my sunshine," Josh started, pausing to smile when he saw the blush on Tyler's cheeks grow, "Whether or not there's a label to what we have, I'm glad it's here and everything you see belongs to you." Tyler looked back then, making eye contact and smiling wide.

"But Josh, I can't see your heart," and it was cheesy and Tyler wanted to hide and to take it back but he didn't. Josh reached up and placed his hands on Tyler's cheeks.

"Well, then, you're just gonna have to trust that you've won over my heart too," Josh said as he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss onto Tyler's lips, Tyler leaned in and smiled when he pulled away.

"I'm glad, that I won your heart," Tyler mumbled, looking down to his lap.

"Why?" Josh asked curiously, already knowing the answer but wanting to hear it out loud from Tyler's mouth.

"Because," Tyler said exasperatedly, flailing his hands for a moment before he stopped and tried to find the right words, "Because, you make me happy. I know things started out weird but having you here now, Jesus, you mean so much to me, you're the first thing that's made me genuinely happy since Olivia."

Josh didn't answer, leaning in and kissing Tyler again instead.

~~~

"So," Josh started one night, looking up at the stars as he laid with Tyler, "What should we call this band?" Tyler shrugged, trying to think of something that's catchy.

"The only thing that comes to mind is 'Twenty One Pilots' but I don't really like it," Tyler stated, frowning for a moment.

"What does it mean?" Josh asked, looking away from the stars to watch Tyler.

"It comes from a play called 'All My Sons', it's about this guy who built parts for planes during the war and he found out that the parts were faulty, he either sacrificed his reputation and opportunity to provide for his family or he killed twenty-one pilots," Tyler explained and Josh was fascinated by the way Tyler talked about things.

"But why a band name?" Josh asked again, trying to find what Tyler had been getting at.

"It's a reminder, at least for me. It's a reminder that there's always a choice in life and sometimes the easiest isn't always the best." Tyler never took his eyes off of the stars.

"That would be a way cool name," Josh said, smiling at Tyler and the way he found such meaning in everything.

"Too long," Tyler said flatly.

Josh nodded and turned back to look at the stars.

~Quick A.N~
Hey guys. I'm sorry it's short but I'm really busy today and I've got a job interview coming up soon so that's kinda more important. Thanks for reading and there'll be more coming soon I believe.

-Pixeled74😜🧡