Adore // Oneshots

Nocturn (Joshler)

CATEGORY: Trench Era, Dema AU
FEATURING: nervous!Tyler and brave!Josh
TRIGGER WARNINGS: None
PROMPT: They may have been born and raised in Dema, but it was not the place for them.
WORD COUNT: About 1,850 (ah, the year my state became a state)
A/N: I'm sure most of this will be irrelevant once the whole album and its lore are released, but in the meantime, enjoy this.

Nocturn (knock-turn) n. A religious service held at midnight or later.

Services in Dema were always held at midnight. You were expected to be there at eleven forty-five sharp, and those who were late would be given dirty looks at best. Once you'd arrived, you'd take your place in the pews, and bow your heads in submission as the bishops performed the service.

On the night, in particular, one late in October, there was something different in the air. An excitement, almost. Well, perhaps it wasn't in the air, but it was certainly in Tyler's heart. He did his best to keep it there, and not show anything outwardly--he'd keep his face solemn, lowering his eyes and bowing his head at the correct times.

The church was filled with Dema citizens, but only one stood out to Tyler.

Josh was in a pew across the aisle, two rows up, so as to be less suspicious. He kept his face as still as stone, and only looked up when the bishops were occupied with the ceremony. When he did look up, he always looked to Tyler. The latter couldn't help the butterflies in his stomach and the excitement in his heart whenever they made eye contact.

It was their last service in Dema, but they were the only two people there who knew it. Of course they were; their escape would be stopped immediately by the bishops if they knew about it.

Once the service had ended, Tyler and Josh walked together back to the room that they share.d All unmarried Dema citizens over seventeen were required to share a room with another citizen of the same sex, so as not to encourage any liaisons, as they were called.

Tyler still remembers when his old roommate had left--supposedly he'd gotten ill, but then he never came back--and when Josh arrived. Josh had been not quite rebellious at the time, but close enough to be a slight risk, and so they had placed him specifically with Tyler. Up until that point, Tyler had been the perfect Dema citizen. He worked hard, was always on time, and frequently praised Vialism, as well as Dema itself.

That is, until Josh.

Josh had taught Tyler that Dema wasn't a utopia like the bishops wanted its citizens to believe. Josh taught Tyler that there was something outside of Dema, something freer and better. And, perhaps most importantly, Josh taught Tyler to love.

A relationship like theirs was forbidden, but it had happened anyway, and Tyler didn't regret it one bit. Josh was everything that he could have ever asked for, and it was clear that Josh felt the same way. The two lovebirds were smitten with one another, practically couldn't keep their hands off one another--at least, behind closed doors. To be anything but polite with one another in public would mean punishment, or worse.

And so, walking back to their room after the service, Josh did not touch or even look at one another. They simply made small talk about the service, uttered hushed praises of Vialism, never once giving a hint of anything else.

When they arrived back home, however, all bets were off.

They were kissing against the door almost as soon as it was shut, eyes and mouths and hands free to roam. Everything was free when they were safe like this, but unfortunately, it was still only temporary.

After a few minutes, Josh finally pulled back from Tyler, breathing hard, a huge grin on his face. "Tomorrow night, Tyler. We're finally getting out of here."