(trigger warning: mentions self-harm and depression. very minor.)
Josh woke up the next morning just like it was a normal day. He didn't even think about Tyler until he switched the light on in the bathroom and glanced at his reflection.
Apparently the tickling hadn't woken him up, but it was all over Josh. Josh usually slept shirtless, and there was ink all over his arms, his chest, his neck, and his face. He glanced down to find his legs covered. His body was literally covered from head to toe with two words.
Help me
Josh jumped into the shower and scrubbed all the ink off as fast as he could. When he got out, he grabbed a pen and wrote, Tyler?
He waited ten seconds before writing again.
Tyler answer me
Tyler obviously hadn't washed the ink off yet because it was still on Josh. Josh honestly wondered if Tyler was dead. He stared at his arm for another ten seconds before he felt the tickling on his wrist.
Tyler wasn't writing, though. Tyler was drawing lines. Parallel lines, all perpendicular to his arm. Stretched across the inside of his wrist. One, two, three, nine, ten, eleven, twelve.
Tyler please stop
I can't. Tyler continued drawing lines.
Yes you can. Please just talk to me. Josh didn't know what to do. He knew he didn't want Tyler to feel how he was feeling at the moment. He knew he wanted to help.
You don't even care
If I didn't care, would I be talking to you right now?
If I didn't care, I'd be telling you to shut up.
Then I don't care
Tell me what's wrong
Nothing
You weren't there when I needed you
Thanks for washing the ink off
I have to go
I'm going to be late for school
Tyler don't cut me off like that
Like what?
Like you did
Like you used to ignore me?
Yeah
That made Josh a little angry. What do you want from me?
You don't want a pity friend and then you ask for pity
I was just too expectant last night
I thought you would help
I was wrong
I was asleep
I know.
Talk to you later
Tyler don't leave
Tyler
Tyler
The words started disappearing from Josh's arm. He let it go. If Tyler refused to talk, there was nothing Josh could do. Josh was honestly already feeling a burden, like he needed to make sure Tyler was okay. That wasn't right. He shouldn't be enslaved by the words on his arm. That wasn't what they were for.
__________________
I push you away
Not because I don't like you
Not because I don't need your help
Not because I don't want your help
Because I hate that I do
And I hate myself
Josh read the words in the school bathroom. He'd worn long sleeves today for this purpose, so no one could see if Tyler wrote to him. Once again, Josh couldn't think of what to write. But he couldn't just leave Tyler like that. Sorry I don't know how to help.
That's okay
Kind of
Do you know how I can help?
No.
Okay.
You talking to me makes me happy
It makes me so happy
I haven't felt this happy in so long
You have no idea
Well, maybe you do
Have you ever been depressed?
Sort of.
I have anxiety
It makes me-
Sorry the bell rang. I need to go
Okay.
Bye
Bye
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Markings on My Skin (Joshler)
Fanfiction(so this isn't my idea, i'm using the one where whatever you write on yourself with ink also appears on your soulmate's body) Josh has ignored the writing on his arms ever since he found out his soulmate was a boy. He knew if he started falling for...
