✓ ❘ 𝐄𝐌𝐎 𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐓 𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒 ─ 𝐌𝐂𝐑. 𝐏!𝐀𝐓𝐃. 𝐅𝐎𝐁. 𝐓Ø𝐏.

Acceptance. (Tyler Joseph/Josh Dun x non-binary!Reader)

"Listen," you spoke up, finding your footing and deciding to take the leap off of the cliff into the obscure waters below. "I have something to tell you guys."

There was no room for lifesavers now; it was sink or swim.

"There's not many people who know about this – maybe, like, two at most – so it's a pretty big deal. I haven't been open about it to everyone because, well, for starters, I don't trust everyone as much as I trust you two – and the other two that I've told. And secondly, I'm afraid of how people will react. It's not a minor thing, ya know? It's a lot to take in and not something that can just be adapted to overnight. I know that most would just see it as not worth the trouble of understanding and accepting, and chose to rather cut me off. I'm not going to lie – I've thought of you guys doing exactly that, once I tell you. I really hope you won't, but I do realize that it's a possibility, and quite a strong one at that. But whatever happens, whatever the outcome of this conversation is, whether you accept it or not... it's something that I have to do. You two have had such a major impact on my life and you've become such a huge part of it; I can't keep this from you any longer."

Tyler and Josh sat in complete silence, their wide eyes and slight hunch forward a clear indication that they were hanging onto your every word – ears eager to hear what you had to say, minds open to anything and everything, and hearts ready to accept and love you more than they ever had before.

With a deep breath, you submerged yourself into the icy depths below.

"I'm non-binary."

You stopped breathing at that point, watching their faces intently for hints of disgust, disdain, disapproval, or any sign to indicate that your friendship was about suffer extinction, but no such signal was given off.

"As in..."

"I don't see myself as male or female, exclusively," you explained to your captive audience, "I'm just," you shrugged a little, "me. They/them pronouns, if you will. But I know that this is a lot to take in, and I don't expect you to suddenly change the way you are with me. I'm alright with you guys addressing me like you always have." Noticing the presumptuous nature of your mini-speech, you backtracked a bit. "If you accept me, that is."

That earned you a double-whammy of frowns.

"We love you," Josh said, a hint of amusement on his lips, "Why wouldn't we accept you?"

You shifted uncomfortably, rubbing your arm. "I don't know. I mean, I do know," you sighed, "You guys are Christian."

"Yeah, and?" Tyler narrowed his eyes in perplexity, not exactly getting what you were hinting at.

"Isn't it, like, not allowed for us to be friends now?"

The boys chuckled. You raised your brows.

"See," Tyler pointed a finger at you and arched one brow, "that's where most people go wrong. They think that Christianity is all about how you can't do this or you can't do that..."

"Or you're wrong because you accept this, and it's only right if you accept that..." Josh added.

"When in actuality," Tyler continued, "it's not like that at all. The most important thing about being a Christian is your relationship with God, but even above that, it's all about love. God loved us so much that he gave us his only son – the ultimate act of love. And as Christians, it's our duty to love. Love everything, love one another. Being Christian is not about telling people how to live, or rejecting them and casting them out because they're gay, or transgender, or a different religion. It's about loving everyone, no matter how different they are or how they chose to live, even if they've wronged you. You forgive, you move on, and you love."

"So to answer your question, no, it's not not allowed for us to be friends," Josh concluded with a smile, "And it was silly of you to think that we wouldn't accept you. Sorry, but you're stuck with us. For a very long time."

No verbal reaction seemed appropriate enough, so you opted for the most obvious reaction.

You cried.

You'd hugged the two band members countless times over the course of the past few years, but none of them carried even a smidgen of the amount of love, acceptance and comfort as the one you were just embraced with. They hadn't said another word to you; they simply got up and wrapped themselves around you in consolation.

Their gesture – along with their bodies and the way that they had formed a barrier around you, both literal and figurative – conveyed everything they wanted to say; they were there for you, they loved you, and they would protect you from anyone and anything that dared to challenge your happiness and self-acceptance.

And honestly, that was all you could've asked for.
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Thank you for reading x

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Note: (Just for laughs)
So the other day, 'Say Amen' come on the radio while we were in the car and we were discussing the high note and my little brother said that the reason Brendon's voice can go so high is 'cause he hides helium in his forehead and honestly everything makes sense now

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