True Colors (joshler, multi-fandom)

25 - Taking My Time

The week goes by as per usual, what Mrs. Davis said in this class, a couple suggestive jokes, and even helping to study for a quiz. Today is November 3, the day of Tyler and Josh going out for the first time as a couple.

Tyler sat in his car at the parking lot of this coffee shop Brendon told him about. He didn't like having to lie to his mother, though he figured Josh probably had to do the same. The radio is playing the same song they play every. Freaking. Hour. He mutes the radio.

He hears nothing but the faint sound of cars passing by on the busy street near the parking lot of the strip mall this Grassroots place is in, and thinks about what exactly motivated him to actually do this, a date, with his best friend he's known since kindergarten, now his boyfriend, at some place he's never been to, on a Saturday afternoon.

He then sees Josh's red car pull into the parking lot, and Tyler shifts, turning the key in the ignition off, and watches his friend, no, boyfriend, pull into the empty spot right next to him. This is really happening.

"Josh!"

"Hey, Ty!"

They never gave up the handshake. Except now, they end with a kiss on a cheek. It's a standard Spanish greeting, so why not? Tyler looks around the parking lot to make sure nobody was watching, and the boys make their way inside.

The interior of the coffee shop does have a homey feeling to it. There's rugs, suede chairs, a bar by the window with those weird metal stools, and indie music plays through the cafe. They're seasonal, too. It smells like Autumn, and artificial leaf garlands are strung along the windows, and "SEASONAL SPECIAL: PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE" is written on the small chalkboard on the counter. Josh spots an inviting, vibrant decoration (not seasonal) on the back wall, near the ceiling where no one can tear it down, almost out of place from the rest of the cafe. He's pleasantly surprised to see it here, because he's never seen it in public before.

"Tyler, look." He nods to the rainbow striped flag hanging proudly on the back wall. Tyler softly gasped. He loves this place already.

"So that's why Brendon wanted us to come."

Josh turns back around. "-Here."

"Yes. Here."

A sweet, feminine voice bursts from the counter. "Welcome to Grassroots! What will it be today?"

The girl at the counter has blond hair with pink at the ends, blue eyes, and a definitely beaming look to her. The nametag on her olive green uniform reads "JESSIE."

"Oh! Sorry. We were looking around."

"Do I know you from somewhere? You look familiar."

"Aren't you in my physics class?"

"That's right! You're Tyler!"

Josh tapped on his shoulder and said lowly, "I think I'm gonna order."

"Alright, go ahead."

Josh speaks up enough for Jessie to hear. "I want the raspberry tea, hot, and...one of these things." He points to the glass case. "Are these scones?"

"Yes. We have pumpkin spice scones too, along with these."

"I- I'll take one of those."

"Alright. And for you?"

Tyler didn't have enough time to think of his order. "I'll just have the mocha latte. Also hot."

"You want anything to go with it?"

"No thanks. Just this."

"A name for this order?"

"Tyler. Just like it sounds."

"I figured. We're not Starbucks." She laughs.

"Alright. Your total is $12.36."

Tyler faced Josh and says "I got this." While he takes his wallet out of the pocket of his jeans. He takes out his credit card and pays for the both of them.

"Your stuff should be out here in a few minutes."

The boys decided to sit on the couch in the back of the cafe, under the rainbow flag. Tyler would look up at it  a couple times before their order was called, while Josh was on his phone the whole time. Tyler brought him his order first, and watched him smile. He's so cute. Tyler feels so lucky to have Josh, together in a little cafe under a rainbow flag.

Tyler brings the cup up slowly to his lips, and didn't take a sip, but decided it was still too hot. He looks over to Josh, nibbling on his scone. Tyler nods at him and whispers "come here."

"You come here! I'm holding two things, you only have one!"

Tyler smiled. "Fine." He shifts until there's no space between him and Josh. He whispers again, "How you doin'?" It makes Josh smile and flush pink.

"This scone is really good. You want a taste?"

Tyler takes a bite out of the scone before Josh could adjust himself.

"That is good." Tyler faces away from Josh to drink his coffee. His eyes widened. "Woah. That's a good latte. I didn't know something could taste toasty."

"That was cute."

"What was cute?"

"The way you said 'toasty.' That was cute."

Tyler put his free hand on top of Josh's thigh. Josh flinched.

"I can...do that now, right?"

"I mean, we've already made out twice."

They were lucky the cafe was empty right now, besides Jessie, and whether or not she was listening didn't really matter. They were silent for a couple minutes to finish their orders.

"How's your tea?"

"It's okay. I could've asked for some sugar, though."

Tyler almost spouted some pickup line, then decided it wasn't the time. "Wanna finish the rest of mine?"

"No, I'm good."

A pause. Tyler thinks about how this jump in their relationship status has only been a week. "You think we...rushed into this?"

"It might take a while. But look at Brendon and Ryan, they had a good start and they're still going strong."

"And those other guys, Pete and Patrick, and Frank and Gee were together since the summer."

"Exactly! We don't have much to worry about there."

Another pause. Tyler finished his latte. He tightened his eyes shut, then opened then again. "I know it's only been a week. But I love you so much."

"I'm gonna be honest. I fell in love with you pretty much when school started back up. I came out to you first to, you know, test the waters, and I didn't know when it would've been okay to just tell you I loved you in another way. I guess whoever pushed you into me was my saving grace."

This was a surprise to Tyler. He never really thought about why Josh had fallen in love with him, of all people, so quickly, he just let it happen, which is something he never does.

They leave the cafe and get out to their cars, and before parting ways, Tyler gives Josh a goodbye kiss. He unmutes the radio when he gets in his car, and one of his favorite songs is playing.