Limerence {Joshler} [COMPLETED]

63.doesn't matter

Joshua checked his phone for about the 10.000th time that day. It was thursday, about 2 in the afternoon and he hadn't heard from Tyler since tuesday morning. It was odd to say the least, normally his boyfriend would respond to every text he's sent. He was only silent when he was asleep. But now, there was nothing and Joshua got more and more worried by the second. If he didn't have to work and play a show last night, he would've gone over, but he hadn't had a chance just yet. His day went by so slow, his heart pounding nervously and eyes darting at his phone nearly every 10 seconds.

"What's wrong with you today?" His collegue Hayley asked at around 4 pm. "You're acting so weird." Joshua sighed. "Tyler won't answer my texts and", he paused, doubting is he came across as too clingy. Hayley raised an eyebrow. "And..?" Joshua sighed, "I'm worried." He mumbled his response, throwing his phone from one hand into the other repeatedly. Hayley nodded. "You tried to call?" Joshua nodded. "But he hates calling and I don't want to stress him out. I don't know. I just don't know what to think? What if I did something wrong. What is he's all freaked out with something I did or said?"

Hayley jumped off the counter she was sitting on and with her hands on both his arms she shook him back and forth playfully. "I'll finish up alone. It won't be so busy this last hours, so you go see your boy", she implied. He threw her a sympathetic look, "are you sure?"
"Yes! Now go, and let me know if everything's okay." She nearly pushed him out. Joshua quickly grabbed his coat and keys before practically being shoved out the door.

---

He bit his lip nervously as he arrived at home, still sitting in his car watching Tyler's house. Was he overreacting? Should he even go over? What if he would just find him clingy, or annoying. He didn't want it to look like he was babying him. It was only two days. Two days for someone not to respond, wasn't that long if you think about it? Joshua sighed. This wasn't helping. Reluctantly he stepped out of his car and walked over to Tyler's frontdoor. He took a deep breath before he knocked.

It took a short while before Tyler's mom opened the door. Her face lit up a bit when she saw him. "Joshua! Hi." She sounded somewhat surprised. Joshua just started rambling. "Sorry for showing up just so suddenly but is Tyler okay? Did I do something wrong? He hasn't answered any of my texts since tuesday and i'm worried, and maybe i'm just overreac-." Kelly put her arm on Joshua's shoulder and he looked at her slightly embarrassed of his rambling. "Come inside for a second."

Joshua frowned, why wasn't she just answering? Was there actually something wrong? His heart nearly dropped to the floor, chest tightening. She sighed softly before she gestured for Joshua to wait a second and she walked back to the staircase, three or four steps up. "Tyler! Joshua's here and i'm sending him upstairs!" Joshua's heart actually broke in half when he heard Tyler's soft broken voice. "B-but momma! he c-can't see me like t-this..."

She sighed again softly when she saw the concerned, or shocked, look on Joshua's face. "Tyler had a rough day at school tuesday. He's hurt, embarrassed and doesn't want you to worry about him or see him like this." Joshua frowned in confusion. "Like this?"
Kelly nodded. "Just go upstairs, be gentle, he'll be happy to see you even though he's avoiding you."

Kelly gently squeezed his shoulder before heading back to the livingroom. Joshua looked upstairs towards Tylers bedroom. His heart was heavy, sinking to his feet as he forced them to go up the stairs. He softly knocked the boy's bedroom door. "Ty?"
There was no response, so Joshua just slowly stepped inside the room. The curtains weren't fully closed, so it was pretty light in the bedroom and he noticed a rolled up bundle under the covers. He closed the door softly before walking over. He stood next to the bed helplessly. "Baby? Talk to me? Please?" His heart broke a little more with every beat, his brain trying to think of what could've been so bad Tyler felt like he had to hide from him.

He dropped down to his knees next to the bed, unsure whether to touch the pile of sheets or not. "Please don't shut me out", he whispered, the whole atmosphere putting him on the edge of tears.
After that the lump moved a bit, but remained hidden. "I-I d-don't want you t-to see me like t-this", Tyler sobbed, voice muffled by the sheets covering his face. "Like what, baby?" Joshua couldn't resist any longer and gently placed his hand on the boy's back. "U-ugly", Tyler whispered.

"Please?" Joshua asked as he stroked the boys back. "Promise y-you won't l-laugh?" "I promise."

Slowly the sheets started to move, an arm popped up above the sheets, reluctantly pulling down the covers. Joshua's jaw dropped, as his heart did, now for real, seeing Tyler's bruised up face. An immense anger washed over him, his hands itching, dying to get a hold of whoever caused this.
"My god, darling, what have they done to you", he whispered in disbelieve, his hands softly touching the boy's cheek. Tyler's eyebrow was busted, three stitches keeping the skin together. A huge dark purple, nearly black bruise covered his eye and cheek, and another purple green-ish bruise marked his jaw.
Tyler just shrugged and looked down, too scared to catch Joshua's stare. Maybe that was for the better, because Joshua's blood boiled and his eyes spat fire. If looks could kill.

"I-I know... ugly", the boy whispered still looking down. Joshua had to take a few deep breaths to let the anger settle for a bit, not wanting to show Tyler right now how furious he was. "Look at me." He tilted Tylers chin up gently, trying not to hurt him. "I don't think you look ugly, baby. You'll never be ugly to me." He gently got Tyler's hand into his own. "But this is not, ehm... acceptable. They can't do this to you. I'm not going to let that happen. Tell me, who did this?" He tried his best to remain calm. "When I get my hands on th-".

"Doesn't m-matter", the boy spoke, he was scared to honestly tell what happened. It made him feel even more weak than he apparently already was. "It matters to me", Joshua answered. "You matter to me. And i'm not going to let anyone hurt my boy." Joshua got Tyler's face in his hands and softly brushed tiny kisses on the bruises on his jaw an cheek. I'm so sorry sweetheart, i'm so sorry", Joshua spoke softly as Tyler scooted closer to ask for a hug timidly.

Joshua softly wrapped his arms around the boy, trying not to squeeze to hard out of pure rage building in every fiber in his body. He nuzzled his face into Tylers neck. "Tell me what happened."

Tyler sighed softly. "He always p-picks on me. I-I don't k-know what I did t-to make h-him hate me. He... he s-said i'm a l-liar about..."
Joshua held him a little closer, if that was possible. He felt the boy trembling, knowing he had to stay calm, so Tyler could calm down too.
"About what?" Joshua questioned. Tyler sobbed softly, pushing Joshua back to actually look at him. "A-about you... H-he said n-nobody would ever w-want me and I-I lied about h-having a boyfriend."

Joshua's jaw clenched in fury. "Who is he?" he asked after a sharp exhale of breath. He popped the joints of his fingers as he balled his fists. Tyler noticed and he quickly folded his hands around Joshua's fists. "Y-you can't d-do a-anything! P-please!" Joshua sighed in frustration. "I'm not just going to accept someone beating you up Tyler. Not in a million years. Who was it?"

Tyler shook his head, avoiding Joshua's demanding gaze. "I'll find out", Joshua whispered as he put his lips on Tyler's softly. "I love you, baby", Joshua said as he gestured Tyler to scoot over and he climbed on the bed. As soon as Joshua was comfortable, leaning halfway up the headboard, Tyler crawled over. The boy wrapped his arms around Joshua's waist, his cheek resting on the man's chest. Joshua's hand ran up and down the boys back repeatedly, the fingers of his other hand gently stroking through the boy's hair.
"I love you", Joshua spoke softly. And in his head he continued the sentence with a promise to make whoever did this, pay for it. Really, really pay. But he didn't want to stress Tyler, so he just kissed atop his head. "I love you, and you're the most beautiful boy in the world, even now. Please don't ever hide from me..."
Already dozing off as he finally felt a bit more comfortable, Tyler mumbled.  "M s-sorry, I-I l-love you Joshua."