A STUDY IN BLACK ✓

XI

Josh didn't speak to Tyler for the three days they were stranded in the hospital. Even when they arrived at the airport they boarded their plane, he's stayed quiet. He did, however, slip up when he was stopped while passing through the metal detector on their connected flight in Germany.

One of the TSA women motioned for him to step out of the line. Josh, already used to the drill, stepped to the side and held his hands out to his sides. The woman patted him down, paying special attention to his right arm.

"I have a metal plate in my arm," he explained when he saw her her eyes go wide at the feeling of the scar. "And in my leg."

Slowly, he reached down and knocked on his left leg. The woman's face flushed. "Sorry, I didn't know you were a veteran."

"Yeah, I look young for my age." He smiled.

"You're quite handsome, too."

Tyler must've caught sight of the obvious flirting between the two, because he stalked over and wrapped an arm around Josh's waist, who shot him a death glare. "Yeah, he is. I thank my lucky stars every day for him."

The woman looked between the two, her mouth making and 'o' shape, apologized once again, and let him pass through.

Josh grabbed his bags of the belt and tossed one onto the cart Tyler had grabbed, smacking Tyler upside the head.

"What the hell was that, Tyler?" He snarled. "She was cute."

"And you're gay. Your point?"

Spinning on his heels, Josh grabbed Tyler's arm and pulled him close. Tyler yelped in surprise.

"Listen to me, Sherlock," Josh snarled. "You don't get to be all buddy-buddy with me after the shit you pulled in Dhaka. You used me, and that won't happen again. Ever. Got it?"

Tyler remained stoic and pulled his arm free. "Ow."

Josh rolled his eyes and grabbed his shoes off the conveyor belt. They made their way to their terminal only to find their flight was canceled. 

"What do you mean the earliest flight is tomorrow morning?" Josh groaned, sinking into his seat on the wall.

Tyler pointed to the ceiling. "The weather is keeping our flight grounded, so we're going to have to stay here overnight. Don't worry, I already booked us a hotel room."

Josh shot him a dirty look. "My hero."

The hotel was across from the airport, and on the first floor this time. Josh broke his silence once in their shared room. The moment they walked in, dumping his bags onto the farthest bed from the door and climbing into it.

"Jo-osh," Tyler hummed. Josh could feel the bed dip under Tyler's weight at the edge of the mattress. "You can't be mad at me forever."

"Watch me, asshole."

Tyler huffed but didn't move. Instead, he began to ramble. "When I was a kid, I was diagnosed with ADHD. Turns out, I was just too smart for my class and was put into an honors class, which initiated my descent into madness."

No response.

"My parents always held me to a higher standard than my other siblings. I was the oldest, the smartest, but also the coldest. Cold-hearted, I mean. Even when I met Jenna and proposed, I still never truly loved her. Our relationship is based more on mutual respect than romantic love. You can ask her yourself when we find her. But anyways-"

Josh groaned and buried his face into the pillows. "Why are you telling me this?"

"I want you to understand why I am the way I am."

He looked up. Tyler wasn't smiling anymore, mouth pinned into a tiny frown.

"Can I continue?"

Josh flopped onto his back and waved in his general direction. "Go ahead."

"I was loved and I loved others, but it was never anything... more. It's quite sad really, that the only people I ever truly loved were related to me. I had a girlfriend for a while before Jenna, but I didn't love her. I didn't even like her. She was jealous and annoying, like a tiny chihuahua. Eventually, I realized why I was like that."

"And why was that, Einstein?"

"Because emotion is a weakness, and love is the one that leaves you the most vulnerable to hurt."

Josh furrowed his brow. "That's depressing as hell."

Tyler shrugged. "I'm sorry, I felt a compulsion to tell you that. I'm not exactly sure why, but I hope you understand why it seems like I'm a robot."

"You're telling me you're not a robot?"

He shoved Josh's arm. "Ha ha, funny. At least you're talking to me again."

"You kind of gave me no choice, pal," Josh teased.

Tyler laughed. Josh cracked a small grin and turned on his side, propping his head on his hand.

"I'm going to be honest," Josh said. "I'm a pretty emotional person and that has put me in some very bad situations to which I was badly hurt by someone."

Tyler held his hands up in victory. "There we go. Evidence for my hypothesis."

"But I don't think that means emotion is a weakness," Josh continued. "In fact, it's more like an advantage. If you're willing to fight and die for someone, that gives you purpose."

Josh shifted so they sat next to each other on the edge of the mattress.

"I really am sorry about the whole deceiving thing," Tyler said. "I just didn't see another way to get close to you."

"Maybe buy me a coffee instead of killing someone in my kitchen," Josh joked.

Tyler shrugged, leaning in closer. "Go big or go home."

Then he kissed him.