Keeper and Protector (Joshler) ✔️

5

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"I remember when your head caught flame, it kissed your scalp and caressed your brain."

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"There's someone that I want you to meet."

Tyler, sat cross-legged as he dragged his spoon around in his cereal, looked up at Josh with a worried expression on his face.

"Don't worry, Tyler. He knows about you already."

He?

Looking down at his cereal as it got soggier and soggier, Tyler internally cursed himself for not being able to eat more than the two spoonfuls he had already managed. "Is he a friend of yours?"

Josh made a small 'hm'. "He's my best friend, actually, but he's also my house manager." He smiled. "I think you'll really like him."

The last time I heard those words was when the headmaster matched me with...

"When will he be here?" Tyler asked.

"Probably in the next twenty minutes or so. He has the day off today, but he still wanted to come by here and meet you."

Tyler frowned a little. It was hard enough adjusting to Josh and now there was another new person that he had to meet?

"If you're not feeling up to it, Tyler, that's totally okay. There's no rush."

When he saw the concerned expression on Josh's face, Tyler felt a twinge of guilt in his stomach. "No, no, it's okay. I want to meet him."

Josh nodded before taking a look at Tyler's cereal. "Are you finished?"

"Y-Yeah." Tyler chewed on his bottom lip as he nudged the bowl away, unsure of what Josh's reaction would be. "I'm sorry for not eating it all."

"Don't be sorry, sweetheart." Josh gave him a sweet smile. "Good job. I'm proud of you."

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After breakfast, Tyler slipped back to his room. It wasn't that he didn't want to be around Josh, but his head had started spinning so badly he feared he might pass out.

Wrapped up in the blanket, only his face was visible as he burrowed into his "cocoon." Maybe it was weird, perhaps it was a bit childish... but being like this made him feel in control.

Just for a little while.

His mind drifted back to memories of Keeper Training School, where he spent long days and even longer nights with girls and boys just like him. Inside of those walls, Time Keeper symbols were an adornment, a crowned jewel, something to be cherished and fiercely proud of. So many different personalities and backgrounds, yet everyone had the same aspiration as they hoped and prayed that their Protectors would be their soulmates for the years to come.

Things were much simpler and happier back then...

Being slapped across the face for the first time sure made a person forget that.

You deserved it. You were too soft. Too weak.

"Shut up," Tyler whispered.

It's weak to be afraid. You're nothing but a coward.

"Shut up," he repeated, squeezing his eyes shut.

Your Protector should've done both of you a favor and killed you that night.

"Shut up!"

Hyperventilating, Tyler tore himself out of the blanket. Dragging his knees up to his chest, his vision blurred with tears. "Stupid," he mumbled. "So stupid."

In this moment... all he wanted was a hug. A hug, a smile, some sort of reassurance that he'd be okay and that maybe everything wasn't as bad as it seemed.

But he couldn't ask that of Josh. He'd already done so much for him already. The last thing he wanted to do was wear out his welcome in the span of less than 24 hours.

So, instead, he just closed his eyes and cried.

Maybe I am weak.

Tyler didn't even notice the new voice inside the house and the two pairs of footsteps coming up the stairs. It wasn't until the bedroom door opened that he looked up and saw Josh and another man in the doorway that he realized he'd been found out.

He quickly wiped his cheeks and tried his best to make it look like he wasn't just crying. "O-Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't hear you guys come upstairs."

Josh frowned when he saw the look on Tyler's face. "Tyler, are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

He paused, not believing him for one second, before motioning to the guy next to him. "Tyler, I'd like you to meet my best friend, Fynn."

Tyler did a brief once-over of Fynn, noticing how tall he was (compared to Josh, anyway) and the contrast of his icy blonde hair against his blue eyes. Honestly, he looked more like a model off the cover of a high fashion magazine and not a house manager in Ohio.

"H-Hi," Tyler said softly, his voice cracking a little.

Fynn gave him a small smile, sensing the tension. "Hey, it's great to finally meet you, Tyler. Are you settling in alright so far?"

Tyler just nodded, not saying anything more as he looked away, biting down on his lip to keep from falling apart right then and there.

Josh came a little closer and tried once again to get through to him. "Hey... what's wrong?"

Tyler opened his mouth to say something, but when he saw the concerned, yet gentle look in Josh's eyes, it all disintegrated as he burst into tears.

Before he knew it, Josh and Fynn were sat on each side of him as he sobbed away.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Josh asked, afraid he had done something to upset him.

"Everything," Tyler said between gasps. "It just hurts."

Josh placed a hand on Tyler's knee. "What hurts, love?"

"My heart," he croaked out. "I'm so hurt, Josh."

Josh took Tyler into his arms, anticipating a possible negative reaction to it, but to his surprise, the young man just clung onto him and cried.

"I'm so sorry," Josh whispered. "I wish I could take your pain away. I really do."

Fynn watched everything unfold before him, not wanting to intrude on such a fragile moment between them. Deep down, though, he really felt for Tyler and understood what he was going through... probably more than he knew.

Tyler's sobs slowly turned into soft sniffles as he started to calm down. He kept his head on Josh's shoulder as said man rubbed small circles into his back. "Sorry for all my gross crying." He glanced up at Fynn. "I sure know how to make a great first impression, huh?"

"Don't be sorry," Fynn said. "I'm not here to judge you, Tyler. It's okay to cry."

Tyler nodded. "Thank you. Um, I know this is a little late, but... it's nice to meet you too." He managed to give him a small smile. "Fynn's a really pretty name."

He smiled back at Tyler. "Aw, thanks, Tyler. It's short for Fynnley."

"Fynnley and Joshua," Tyler said to himself. "You guys have nicknames, but I'm just... Tyler."

"Well, how about we call you Ty?" Josh suggested.

"Mm. I like Ty."

Josh smiled a little, relieved that Tyler wasn't as upset anymore. "Cute name for an even cuter person," he said before pressing a tiny kiss to his forehead.

It was a foreign, almost ticklish sensation, making Tyler giggle a little. Scooching in a bit closer to Josh, he listened to his two new friends as they talked about anything and everything.

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Stick with me, frens, I appreciate you.

Do you have a nickname?

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