Welcome To Trench

Chapter Seventeen | Soft Cliches and Dark Twists

I'm feelin kinda lonely and I would like to get to know you all better, so I'll share more about myself and maybe you can do the same!

Hi, i'm Caspian! But if you'd like, you can just call me Cas. I'm pansexual and trans, so pretty please use he/him pronouns for me <3 I'm 16, and I live in the most boring place in the US aka Oregon

If anyone wants to be friends, don't be afraid to hmu!

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After wishing Josh a good night's rest and promising him you'd get some rest, you made your way over to the campfire where Tyler sat patiently, awaiting your presence. He smiled at you when you arrived. The flames lit up one half of his face, which casted a beautiful shadow on the other.

"Come here often?" He smirked a sly grin as you seated yourself beside him. You quickly shoved your arms into the sleeves of his spare jacket that he often let you borrow on the colder nights you shared together.

Laughing at the awful romantic phrase, you said "We really need to stop meeting like this." You shook your head slightly. "This must be the hundredth time we've spoken by the fire."

He silently agreed that this was your usual meetup place. But you liked it here, and so did he. It was quiet and peaceful, and although it felt like you two were encased in eternal night it still felt homey as well. It was a warm kind of night time. Singing crickets, crackling flames, and Tyler's smile. It wasn't cold like the chilly stars, looming hills or distant owl song.

"Where else would we go?" Tyler questioned and he turned to face you. You weren't sure, mostly since you haven't been around long and didn't know much about the land.

You shrugged. "Anywhere I guess, but.. that might not be very safe now that I think about it."

Tyler gazed out into the depths of the night and you followed his wondrous eyes. "As long as we're not alone, we'll be okay. We have each other to rely one." He looked back at you with a mellow grin. "You and me, against the world."

You stared at each other for a few seconds longer before bursting into a small fit laughter. "Tyler Joseph, that was probably the most cheesiest thing I have ever heard-" You cackled, struggling to breathe. He watched fondly as you hugged your sides. He adored the crinkles that formed around your mouth when you laughed this hard.

"Wow, thanks for ruining the moment." He said in a sassy tone, folding his arms over his chest and smiling. "I was just trying to be cute."

You wiped away a tear as you straightened your posture and caught your breath. "And you succeeded, in the worst way possible."

You two enjoyed the happy quiet that fell upon you both. Endless smiles filled the empty air. The moment felt... pink. Pink like the ears of a child on a snowy winter morning. Pink like the velvety petals of roses that blossomed when it rained. Pink like the dainty blush that dusted Tyler's cheekbones whenever he saw you in that damned jacket of his.

"Hey," he looked over at you again. His eyes flickered up and down between your face and the clothing that hung around your shoulders. "That jacket looks really familiar."

"Hm, I wonder why." You replied sarcastically.

"I'm starting to think it may be mine." You could see the smirk on his face from the corner of your eye.

You turned your head now. "Oh yeah? Well if it was, it's mine now." You swiftly flipped the hood over your head and lifted your knees to your chest, enjoying the feeling of the plush fabric. It wasn't until now you realized how good the jacket smelled.

He blinked at you with a surprised expression. "Wha- and who said that?"

The sassiness didn't leave your voice. "I did."

Tyler quickly gave up, holding his hands up as a sign of surrender. "Alright, alright. You can have it. Besides, it looks better on you anyway."

Your face flushed at the compliment, but it was faint.

"But.." Tyler's voice dragged on, and from the way he said it, you felt uneasy about what would happen next. "It would be awesome if you shared it with me, instead." He inched closer to you, and you backed away as much as you possibly could.

He wrapped his arms around you and you squirmed away while he nuzzled your shoulder and you giggled uncontrollably. You backed away so much, you now sat on the edge of your seat. "Tyler, I swear to God-" You pushed against his chest but the boy didn't budge. "If you don't let go right now, i'm going to end up falli-"

But it was too late.

You leaned over the edge a little too far, resulting in you slipping out of Tyler's tight embrace and crashing to the floor. Luckily, it didn't hurt, and it was instead rather hilarious. While you laughed softly to yourself, Tyler leaned down and picked something up off the ground. "What's this?" He muttered quietly. His serious tone urged you to relax.

In Tyler's hand was the demented drawing you received from Clancy earlier in the afternoon. It had been tucked away in your pocket, so you assumed it fell out when you toppled over just seconds ago. After unfolding the page, Tyler's honey brown eyes analysed the paper slowly. "Where'd you get this?" His head shot up and he stared directly at you.

Your expression straightened. "Clancy drew it. He said he saw the man in the picture." You awaited a reaction from Tyler, wanting desperately to know how he felt about the image.

He bit his bottom lip anxiously. "Dammit." His eyes scanned the page some more. His gaze seemed desperate to find clues that would give more input on what the drawing meant. If it even had meaning, that is. "Did he say anything? Did Clancy tell you anything else?" Tyler's voice was rushed and urgent, and it made you feel worry.

"H-He told me the man said something. That he was coming back, or something like that." You watched as Tyler grew to be even more panicked than before.

"No, no, no, this isn't good.." He said. All you could do was stare as he clenched the page in a fist and ran a hand through his hair. "This isn't good at all. He- He can't know where I am. If he finds me.." Tyler's voice drifted off into an uncomfortable silence. "..It will be all my fault."

Your throat felt dryer than a desert, and it itched as if cactus' pricked the roof of your mouth. "T-Tyler," you stammered in a frightened voice, "What does this mean?"

Tyler situated himself in front of you and lifted your hands, holding them gently in a comforting manner. His thumbs rubbed the back of your palms and the sensation slowly eased your nerves. "Y/N, i'm going to need you to listen to me. There isn't much time life- not just for us, but for everyone here in Trench." His warning startled you and hyped up your senses. "I need you to trust me, okay? I will make sure nothing happens to you. No matter what's coming, you are going to be okay."

You nodded your head shakily, knowing very well you were going to have trouble sleeping tonight. "Okay. I trust you, Tyler." You heaved a strained breath. "I trust you."

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Well wasn't that lovely?

Okay soooo I may have swerved into Tyler's lane a little much, but I can't help it that I got carried away with the cuteness >:0 Just be thankful for the fluff because it won't last very long-