somewhere only we know (joshler)

fifteen

josh was crying.

tyler stumbled into the clearing late that day, after helping his mom with grocery shopping and everything else that hadn't been done in way too long. "josh?"

the crying stopped and tyler walked faster, kneeling next to the boy. he was sitting in the center of the clearing, where they always lay down together, with tears carving highways into his skin.

"oh my god - "

his lip was split, a small trickle of blood already dried to his chin. both of his eyes were darkening, black and blue bruises already forming. one eye was swollen shut. "tyler," josh said, and even just the name was slurred, almost.

"what happened, josh, we have to - i don't know - can you, can you come back to my house or something - "

"s-s-low down," josh whispered, and it sounded like it hurt to speak. tyler tilted his chin slightly, and brushed a finger over tiny crescent shaped indents around his neck. fingernails.

"josh," tyler whimpered. "you're hurt."

"y-yeah," he said, touching his eye gingerly, like he was afraid to touch it. "some - some kids cornered me, after school."

"you haven't done anything wrong," tyler told him angrily. "why would they do this?"

josh curled around himself, as if he was wrapping the air in a blanket that rested on his shoulders. the sleeve of his shirt was torn, and dirt stained the whole thing. "i don't know," he said. "i'm - " and his voice was cracked and broken and he sounded so weak and tyler just wanted to take him far, far away from that school. somewhere safe. he wanted josh to stay hidden in that clearing with him forever. just breathing and watching the clouds and surviving.

"we - we can go back to my house. my mom will know what to do."

josh nodded and tyler helped him stand up. his touch burned but the quiet trace of his tears hurt more.