Whisperer ^/\{•;;•}/\^

It was the summer of 2017. Tyler and Josh had already been working on the new album for a little while now, in parts. They were nearing the end of the Emotional Roadshow, with only a few festivals and the Tour de Columbus left. There, at their hometown shows, they hoped to give the Clique a little piece of what the new music would sound like.
Fueled by Ramen had already set up a release date for its debut, if it wasn't accidentally leaked like Blurryface. The date was December 16, 2017. It was a bit more far away than Tyler had hoped, but they needed more time. Despite anyone's thoughts, Tyler wanted this album to be planned out as Blurryface was: meticulous. He had promised a self-titled style, but he was getting stuck in a few places. Like he said, he didn't have writer's block, he just needed time.
The Emotional Roadshow and its theatrics had been an exhausting long haul for the both of them, despite their love for music.
Putting all these thoughts aside, Tyler's true desire was for a rawer sound.
His other desire was for Josh.

Why did he have to live in L.A.? Why couldn't he have just stayed in Ohio?
Wasn't seven long years of a close relationship a well enough reason to stay?
Tyler shook the thoughts away. He just missed Josh. But typical Josh was a rebel, and it didn't matter how much it crippled Tyler's heart, Josh would always leave.
On the bright side, Josh couldn't ignore the upcoming festivals he was required to play in. Tyler would see him soon.

Tyler stared at his bare chest in the mirror, tracing his tan callused fingers across the faint three lines on his stomach. Scars, from long ago. Those memories were meant to stay in the past, he thought. So he wiped those thoughts away from his mind quickly, as if they were that easy to forget. Gone.
His eyes moved from the scars to the dark lines on his chest and arms. So dark, so permanent. Just like the place he thought he was going whenever he would look across the room and not see Josh's squinting eyes. He needed those eyes.
These tattoos, they meant so much to him. Jenna. Josh. Columbus. Kitchen sinks and his relationship with God. In the Bible, you weren't supposed to mark your skin. But there was something of much greater sin that Tyler was taking a part in, that he figured a few tattoos didn't matter. His relationship with Josh.
It was mental, emotional, spiritual. Physical. It was a part of him. It was a little cliché, he thought, but you couldn't put a price on their love.
After all, the Bible was written 3500 years ago, did God really care?

Tyler shook his head. Oh, he missed Josh terribly. He longed to be held in his embrace again. Yet, he was worried that once Josh came back, they wouldn't have time or a chance to...

Well, you know.

Tyler dove back into his memories, all the times...in the light, in the dark, anywhere they could. That time Jenna almost caught them. The excitement of the memories still reverberated through him, giving him chills. He looked down to see all the chill bumps that had risen on his body.

Sometimes, he wanted so badly to be ridden of the burden of hiding it, but it was also half of the fun.
"All a part of the game," Josh had once said, giving Tyler a kiss on the cheek one day while they layed in bed.
Why couldn't they go back to the good old days? When Jenna wasn't on tour with them, when they could do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted?

There was a knock on the door, and Tyler jumped, driven out of his reverie.

"Ty, you in there?" It was Jenna.

Tyler instantly glanced at the doorknob. The lock was turned. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief. "Yeah, I'm just about to take a shower."

"Okay, well I'm back with Tatum. We're gonna make lunch, okay?" Jenna said.

Why did she sound worried?

"All right," Tyler replied. Then he shook his head, brushing away all thoughts of Josh, and hopped in the shower.