JOSH DUN VS THE WORLD ✓

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: I LOVED YOU FIRST, TRY AND KEEP UP

SAVING...

SAVING...

SAVING...

SAVING COMPLETE!

Josh is at the front door, ready to leave that apartment for the last time, when Jon grabs him again. He pulls Josh back by the hood of his coat, spinning him around hard enough for Josh to drop the duffel bag of his belongings.

"You don't get to leave without-"

Before Jon could finish, Josh arches his arm back and punches him in the face, knocking him on his ass. Jon cradles his nose, grunting and looking with bloodshot, furious eyes.

"You broke my fucking nose!" He bellows.

Tyler grabs the duffel bag. "Come on, J, we should go."

"That's what you get for trying to ruin my relationship!" Josh shouts.

"Fuck you!"

Max runs outside and grabs Jon from off the ground, pulling him inside while Tyler holds Josh back. He watches as Josh turns, bass guitar in hand. Tyler follows close behind, his arm around Josh's waist.

As that's it. That's how Josh and Jon fall out. He always knew it woeful end be a dramatic thing when they did because their friendship was flimsy at best, but he never thought it'd be like this.

Neither of them talk until they're lost in downtown, when Tyler slips his hand from Josh's waist to around his arm. He softly kisses his shoulder.

"It's okay," he whispers into the fabric of Josh's jacket. "I've got you."

Josh can't help but fall apart with such a simple yet sweet gesture. His whole body shakes with every emotion he'd been fighting to hold inside during this whole ordeal and he explodes into tears. Tyler hugs him and lets him quietly cry, shivering but not outright sobbing. He's done too much breaking down over this already.

Once he's done, Tyler suggests getting pizza and staying in to watch Narcos. Josh agrees. They pick up a pizza from a local wood smoked restaurant and walk to Tyler's when Josh is struck with a realization.

"I have nowhere to sleep."

Tyler looks at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I just kicked myself out of my own apartment and am now homeless." Josh groans and smacks his forehead. "Oh, shit, I'm an idiot."

"You really are," Tyler laughs, kissing him softly.

"What do you mean?"

"Move in with me."

Josh didn't even think about that. "Oh."

"What? It's not like you've been staying at my place for two weeks."

"Uh, I mean, that's a big step for both of us."

"Yeah, in this timeline, but I've already been with you long enough in others to be comfortable having you live with me."

As always, Tyler has a point.

Josh hesitates before he gives in, like he would even refuse such an offer. "Okay. I mean, what's the worse that can happen?"

"Well, on one hand, I have to see your ugly mug every morning," Tyler says with a sly grin.

"You know what- I'll just stay in a hotel."

—

"You know, if I'm still alive by the end of this whole evil ex shenanigans, I'm going to have to confess my undying love for you or else all this shit was for nothing."

Josh stands in the kitchen making breakfast for Tyler who's running late for work. Tyler's in the bathroom, showering, but the walls are thin so they can hear each other if they talk loud enough.

"Not if I confess first," Tyler retorts back with a smile in his voice.

Shower turns off a moment later and Josh slides the omelet from the pan to a plate, tossing a piece of toast alongside it. "Fat chance, sir, I called dibs. I loved you first, try and catch up."

There's silence, and Josh worries that maybe he said something that went too far. Maybe Tyler's not ready for that kind of intimacy.

They've been together for what, a month? Probably less. Sure, they live together now, but more out of necessity than anything else. But Josh really doesn't care. Time is irrelevant. All he knows is that he's falling fast and hard and the rest of the world can't keep up.

"Sorry, it just slipped out, I-"

Tyler is right behind when Josh turns, wearing just a towel around his waist and a wild look on his face. He nearly tackles Josh into the stoves, kissing him so hard his jaw hurts.

"Ow," Josh mumbles against Tyler's lips, his hands finding their way aiding his waist. "Ty. Baby. Ow."

By the time he pulls back, Josh is convinced he left another bruise on his mouth. "Sorry. It's just- you've never said that before. In any other timeline. That was a first for me, and I didn't know what else to do except kiss you."

Josh frowns. "I've never said I love you before in the past time-dimension-thing?"

Tyler shakes his head. "Never. It only took, what, three tries to get it right? Guess this is the good timeline after all."

He still doesn't know what that whole babble all about, but he's too tired, physically and mentally, to try and decipher the cryptic shit he says. If Tyler's not ready to talk about the other timeline love heists he's done, then Josh will just have to wait, and he will wait a lifetime.

For right now, all he wants to focus on is Tyler kissing him. So, that's what he does.