Air Catcher |-/ Joshler ✓

4

word count: 1069

josh got on his tip toes and kissed tyler.

he kissed him.

on the lips.

and it wasn't just a quick peck.

it was a full kiss.

it lasted 5 seconds before josh pulled away.

tyler didn't kiss back.

but he didn't push josh away.

"o-oh m-m-my g-god, i-i'm s-s-sorry i-i shouldn't've d-done th-that!" josh screamed, tears filling his eyes as he gathered his stuff.

tyler stood there in awe. he didn't know what to do, he didn't know what to say. did that really just happen?

then, everything clicked.

josh didn't just draw him for fun, no. he did it because he liked him. since freshman year. he just cheated on jenna. but why did he almost enjoy that kiss? why did josh like him? why has he never talked to him until the middle of senior year?

"josh, wait!" tyler grabbed josh's wrist, making josh look at him, tears were pouring out of his eyes now. all of those unshed tears from today are finally leaving.

"i-" that was really all tyler could say before josh ripped himself out of tyler's grip and ran. he ran out of the house and out of the gated community. he didn't stop running. his legs burned, screaming at him to stop for just a minute, but he didn't listen to his body. only his mind. telling him to keep going. that he didn't deserve to be here now. he deserves every bad thing to happen to him.

---

josh didn't show up to school the next day.

or the day after that.

or the day after that.

something didn't sit well in tyler's stomach and he kept finding his mind wander to the boy with baby pink hair. he never really tuned into conversations because he kept thinking about where josh could possibly be.

why isn't he here? i need him to be here and be ok. i need him to be fine.

---

josh finally showed up to school a week later.

he had dark bags under his eyes, and he looked skinnier than the last time tyler had seen him. he looked like shit. josh didn't talk to anyone as usual, but he didn't even have his notebook with him in classes. he just stared at his lap or into space. he didn't bother to do his work, and he was practically a walking skeleton. he just looked dead.

emotionless.

when lunch started, tyler followed josh out into the field where they first were together.

"josh?"

the mentioned turned around and fear struck his face. he ran. just like last time. but he was too weak to run far. so tyler caught him. just like the first day. except tyler didn't trip and fall. he tackled josh onto the ground.

"stop running. no more running josh. you're going to talk to me, and we're going have a damn conversation." tyler growled into his ear. he was done with this shit. he just wanted to have a conversation and he was going to get mean about if josh refused, a.k.a. him running away.

josh whimpered softly, but nodded submissively anyways, too scared to actually talk, his bad stutter porbably worse now since he hasn't talked in days.

tyler got off of him and sat in the grass next to him. josh just layed there in the grass.

"we have to talk."

"n-no w-w-we d-don't." josh shook his head, his face turning a dark red.

"josh." tyler said in a warning tone.

"th-theres n-nothing t-t-to t-talk a-about." josh closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing. in, out. in, out.

tyler rolled his eyes. "there's a lot to talk about."

"t-t-tyler, p-please, i-i c-can't." josh sat up an looked at him with pleading eyes. "i-i c-cant t-tyler, y-you d-don't u-understand."

tyler sighed. "josh, i get it, but i can't go on without knowing what happened. you've been missing for the past week and i haven't stopped thinking about it since you..." tyler cleared his throat and looked down at the grass.

"i-i'm s-s-sorry. i-i sh-shouldn't've d-done that. i-it w-as a-a m-mistake-" josh's voice cracked. "i-i'm s-sorry."

"i cheated on jenna..." tyler said quietly which made josh's heart ache.

he caused that. it was all his fault.

"where have you have been the past week? i haven't fucking stopped thinking about you. you worry me, you know that?"

josh shrugged. "i-i've b-been around. i-i k-kind o-o-f j-just, w-walked around t-the st-streets. i d-didn't w-want t-to g-go home."

"josh, why didn't you just come back. you could've stayed and-"

"n-no, i-i couldn't. n-not after i-i kissed you. i-i'm s-sorry f-for w-worrying you."

the two sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes before tyler opened his mouth.

"josh?"

josh hummed in acknowledgement.

"how come we're just now starting to talk if you've liked me since freshman year?"

the question caught josh off guard and his heart began racing.

fuck. fuck. fuck.

"b-because i-i-" josh hesitated, not able to think of the correct words. "i a-always f-figured you w-were st-straight a-and d-didn't w-want s-s-someone l-like me... a-and y-you a-always looked s-so h-happy with j-j-jenna." josh looked down and picked at a loose thread on his jeans, his face still the same crimson color.

"josh."

"hmm?"

"look at me."

josh looked up and met tyler's soft, brown eyes, but instantly shyed away.

"josh," tyler said in a stern tone. "look at me. please?"

josh slowly looked at him and met his gaze, trying his hardest not to look away out of embarassment.

tyler took his thumb and index finger, lightly gripping josh's chin and gently connecting their lips in a soft kiss.

tyler's brain was screaming at him that this was wrong. he had a loving girlfriend who adored him and he was throwing it all away just because of this shy boy who he didn't even know existed a week ago.

and he was ok with that.