skatepark - joshler

fifteen

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tyler reached for his cell phone that sat on the bathroom counter, his hands still trembling from a couple hours ago

tyler: i don't know what i just did.

josh: what do you mean? are you okay?

tyler: physically, yea.

josh: :-(

josh: do you wanna talk about it?

tyler: can you come over?

josh: i'll be there in five minutes.

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josh traced his steps from the park until he reached the small white house he brought tyler to hours earlier. he walked up the creaky white steps and knocked on the flimsy white door.

the door opened slowly. josh's eyes caught on tyler, dressed in sweatpants and a thin white t shirt. he'd never seen tyler dressed down like this. he was wearing a beanie, too.

"he-" josh tried to say, but he was cut off by a tight hug. tyler wrapped himself around joshua, tucking his head under joshua's chin. he was shaking, and for some reason he seemed smaller. thinner.

"tyler, are you alright?" josh asked as tyler pulled away. tyler wiped his eyes, nodding.

"i'm okay." he said, looking down. his voice was scratchy and lower than usual. josh could tell he had been screaming.

"tyler," josh whispered, walking inside with him. he stopped tyler in the living room, taking a hold of his shoulders lightly. "don't lie to me."

tyler avoided his knowing gaze.

"tell me what's on your mind. i want to listen to you." josh whispered, leading him to the couch. tyler sat with his hands in between this thighs, staring at his lap.

he pulled off his black beanie to reveal his shaven head, his chocolate locks at the bottom of his trash bin.

"tyler..." josh said. "can i touch you?" he asked. tyler nodded. joshua ran his warm hand over tyler's bald head, and brought his hand back to tyler's cheek.

"i'm even more disgusting now." tyler whispered.

"tyler, baby no," josh said. "look at me." tyler moved his head to look at josh with tearful eyes. "you are beautiful."

tyler sighed, looking down as tears came flushing down his face. josh wiped them away with his thumb.

tyler leaned into him, letting josh put an arm around him as he settled into his side.

they sat on the couch for a while, tyler playing with joshua's hand as he calmed his nerves.

"hey josh?" he whispered, still staring into his lap.

"yea, ty?"

"why do you call me baby?" he asked.

josh swallowed. "i don't know, sometimes it just slips out. i'll stop if you want me to."

"no, no," tyler said, intertwining their fingers together and squeezing lightly. "i like it." he admitted.

"i like you." josh said, squeezing back.

"i like you too." tyler whispered. "can you stay the night?" he asked. "you don't have to if you don't want to."

"i'd love to, tyler."

he stood up, taking josh's hand as he got off the couch. he led him up the stairs and down the hall to the last room. it was smaller than josh's, with a twin sized bed and a small wooden dresser.

it was already late, the sun outside was almost completely down. josh led tyler onto the bed, letting tyler settle on his chest, their legs intertwined under tyler's heavy covers.

"hey josh?" tyler whispered against joshua's chest.

"yea?"

"you always ask me what's going on in my head, but i don't know what's going on in yours." tyler explained.

joshua sighed. "you don't want to know what's going on up there."

"yes i do," tyler said, poking joshua's stomach. he laughed. "come on, tell me what you're thinking about."

"i'm thinking about you and how good you look with a shaved head." josh said, running his hand over his stubby hair. "and how much you make me happy."

tyler blushed. "you make me happy too, josh. i'm glad you're here right now."

josh hummed, rubbing tyler's shoulder.

"hey josh?"

"yea ty?"

"i think... i think im in love with you."
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