Southern Gothic // Joshler

7. Love

Vomiting.

Tyler and Josh raced back together to Tyler's house as fast as they were able to. Each step pained Tyler, pure agony shooting through his feet as he ran desperately towards his childhood house. His mind was spinning with dreadful thoughts about what his mother was experiencing at home. The thought alone made him terrified to enter through his door.

Tyler slammed open the door to his house, screaming his mother's name. He looked frantically around the living room and dashed into the kitchen, not finding her.

Heading up the stairs, Tyler dashed into Madison's room and collapsed onto the floor in tears of relief. His mother was waking his sister up from a nap, and she whipped around quickly as he entered.

"Thank the Lord you're okay-" Tyler sobbed out, tears streaming from his eyes. His mother rushed over to him and looked up at Josh, who had followed Tyler up and was standing in the doorway.

"What's going on?" She asked, frantic as she kneeled down in front of her crying son. Tyler's hands outstretched and wrapped around her, clinging to her like a newborn baby as she hugged him back. "Tyler, I'm okay- what's going on,"

"The storm," Josh panted, out of breath from the near marathon the duo had just run. "There were fingers and-" He gagged at the thought, "There were so many fingers, I can't- I can't do this." He ran out and opened a few doors in the hallway until he found the bathroom, evident by the sound of vomiting coming from down the hall.

"Tyler I need you to tell me what's going on," She murmured, pulling Tyler away from her. He was hiccuping now, trying his hardest to calm himself down as he fell back onto the ground.

"We got caught in the football field's shed during the storm- there were fingers coming under the door, Dad's voice was talking to us and he said you would be so excited to see me at home-" His voice was trembling as he spoke, and he wanted nothing more than to fall through the floor and just burn in Hell like he was so convinced he would be soon. "I thought whatever it is got here and took you away-" His voice came to an abrupt halt and he let out a body wracking sob, bringing his hands up to cover his eyes in a moment of desperation. There was still vomiting coming from down the hall.

"Th-they were s-so l-long," He stammered out, "They found us- how did, how did they kn-know where we were?"

"Tyler, baby," His mother cooed, pulling him back into her arms. He wrapped his arms around her and sobbed into her shoulder, shaking both of their bodies with the force of his cries. The toilet flushed in the other room.

"It might be better if Josh stays here for a while, yeah? I'll take you home tonight, Josh." His mother asked quietly. Tyler nodded without hesitation, pulling away from her and standing up. He thanked her softly before nodding to Josh and pulling the other teen into his room.

Both boys stood there awkwardly. Tyler's head was racing from what had just happened, yet all he could think about in that very moment was the once blue haired, alternative boy that was standing in front of him and how he made his heart nearly beat out of his chest.

Josh started back at Tyler, thinking the exact same thing. He timidly stepped closer to the tan teen in front of him, who didn't move, instead dropping his head to look at his feet as he rubbed his hands together nervously.

"Tyler?" Josh whispered out, trying to swallow the lump in his throat.

"Josh," Tyler responded, not looking up. His voice was full of fear at the conversation he knew they were about to have and he wished that he would just be struck down and dead in that moment.

"Can I kiss you?" Josh breathed out, softer than he had before. He was barely audible over Tyler's still panicked breathing, who's head shot up at the question.

Before Tyler could answer, Josh brought either of his hands up to cup both sides of the other teen's face, leaning in and planting a firm kiss on the other's lips.

Tyler didn't pull away. He brought his hands up around Josh's shoulders, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him in closer than he had previously been. Tears streamed openly down his face as they kissed, for what felt like an eternity, as their two body's finally pressed against each other. His heart was pounding, and his head was racing, and he felt so wrong for doing this and yet so right at the same time. Everything made sense to him, clear as what he imagined the sky would look like without all the dreary clouds that were always around.

He realized why he had never wanted to marry Jenna. He realized why he was so terrified to talk to the Preacher about it. He realized why he was so comfortable around Josh.

Everything just made sense the second Josh had kissed him. He had always heard stories from Brendon, from the other rebellious teens in the school who had already had their first kiss about how your first kiss with someone that means something will be like electricity running through your entire body. How it will suddenly feel like you're floating and no matter what else happens afterwards that you'll never feel that way again unless you're kissing the one that matters to you.

Tyler finally knew what they meant by that and he had never felt so sure of anything else in his entire life as he had about kissing Josh.

Pulling away, Josh's face was bright red as Tyler stumbled backwards, covering his mouth with his hand.

"I'm so sorry I shouldn't have- Shit, dude-" Josh stammered out, knitting his eyebrows together as he squeezed his eyes shut.

"Josh," Tyler managed, sitting back on his bed and staring at the other boy.

"I shouldn't have done that Tyler I'm so-"

"Josh." Tyler's voice was impatient and the other looked at him finally. "Please, come do that again."

Josh inhaled sharply, surprised, and raced forward, nearly falling on top of Tyler as he connected their lips again.

Tyler wanted to cry at how happy he finally felt. How he felt something other than empty for the first time in years. He pushed the nagging in the back of his head of just how wrong this was down to the deepest, darkest places he never wanted to encounter again as Josh climbed on top of him, both boys scooting backwards so they were both on the bed together.

Pulling back to catch his breath, Josh whispered out, "I think I might love you, Tyler,"

Without thinking, Tyler whispered back, "I think I might love you, too."