secret keepers | joshler.

quinze.

Waking up cold on your birthday was not a great start to the day. At least in Tyler's opinion. He could have sworn that he fell asleep with two bodies curled around him and now he was alone.

Blinking his eyes open in confusion, Tyler let out a soft whine when he was in fact alone in the bed and it seemed like for sometime he had been alone. The man slowly slipped out of bed, pulling Josh's hoodie on over his simple t-shirt and sweats before heading down the stairs. He could hear giggling and it made his heart warm thinking about Olivia. In such a short time she had come to mean so much to him and hearing her laugh could cheer him up even on the shittiest of days.

Tyler paused before he entered the kitchen, watching from the doorway the scene before him.

Josh was stood in only his pajama pants cooking bacon with Olivia messily mixing the pancakes at his side in her nightgown. They both had messy heads and giggling together. Tyler smiled at the two before heading into kitchen and sneakily slipping behind Josh and wrapping his arms around his waist, the older man jumping in surprise.

"Fu-," Josh glanced at his daughter momentarily, "Frick Tyler!"

Tyler laughed softly, kissing Josh's shoulder blade before moving down the side and kissing Olivia's temple. The younger girl was pouting at him, abandoning her mixing and holding her arms out to Tyler to be picked up. He knew it would spoil her, but he couldn't help himself to lift her into his arms.

"Why are you pouting love?" Tyler cooed, not able to keep his smile off his face. It was his birthday and he was getting to spend it with the closest thing to family he had.

"Was suppose'ta be a surprise," she grumbled, burying her face in Tyler's chest. The brunet glanced at Josh in question, but the older man just grinned at him.

"What was?" He questioned further, rubbing Olivia's back to try and console her. She seemed really upset by what ever he had 'ruined'.

"Birthday breakfast," she mumbled, though it sounded more like "birfday brefast," from her mumbling. Tyler smiled softly, eyes stinging slightly. She just wanted to surprise him for his birthday.

"Hayley always helps her make a birthday breakfast," Josh pronounced his words slowly to correct Olivia, the younger Dun mumbling the words against Tyler's neck, "for me every year and she wanted to make it for you," Josh explained, turning off the stove and wrapping his arms around Tyler's waist.

"Should have warned you so you could have played along like I do," Josh whispered in Tyler's ear making the younger giggle. Tyler bounced Olivia slightly and hummed to get her attention.

"Would you like me to go sit in the living room and you can finish making your surprise? I didn't see anything, I promise! I only saw what your daddy had," Tyler said, even pretending to glance over her head to see what she was doing when she quickly covered his eyes with her hands.

"No Papa!" Tyler smirked inwardly to himself. It had actually worked!

"I'm just gonna sit in the living room then!" He tried to hold back his laughter, setting her back down and quickly turning around so he didn't see what she was doing. Tyler smiled cheekily at the beaming Josh and leaned up to press their lips together.

Happy birthday honey," Josh whispered, caressing Tyler's lower back. The younger man hummed his thanks, kissing Josh's lips once more before leaving the kitchen so they could continue cooking.

･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.

After breakfast, the small family decided to get dressed and actually do something for Tyler's birthday. Josh had no clue how it had ended with ice skating, but here he was, lacing his overly bundled daughter's skates as Tyler held her still so she wouldn't bounce away.

Neither of the Duns had been ice skating before, while Tyler had been many times as a child and so they were going to be taught by Tyler.

"Okay my loves, let's get on the ice!" Tyler cheered, opting to carry Olivia so she wouldn't have to do the awkward tottering that Josh was currently doing. The birthday boy smiled at his boyfriend and helped him on to the ice before settling Olivia down on the ice.

"Just hold on for now okay?" Tyler instructed, slowly moving his feet ( it had been awhile since he ice skated ) and pulling them along. It was a bit difficult to pull his weight and Josh's, but they were making it work.

Before long, Olivia had gotten confident enough to move her own feet and then release Tyler's hand to move ahead of them. Josh was still clingy firmly to his boyfriend, Tyler's shoulder surely bound to ache later, but it didn't matter right now.

"Look at you go!" Tyler encouraged as Olivia did a lap around them, zooming past.

"Slow down flower!" Josh called as she passed, Olivia slowly momentarily before speeding up again. She seemed to be getting along with the other kids on the ice and they were playing some game or another. Tyler smiled happily, rubbing Josh's back to calm him down.

"She'll be fine sugar," Tyler reminded him, speeding up slightly and pushing Josh ahead of him in a sling shot kind of move. The older man let out a short scream, parents looking over in concerned before smiling when they saw it was merely Josh. Tyler giggled, skating up to his side and holding him close when Josh latched onto his neck.

"Do that again and I'll kill you in the middle of the ice," Josh threatened, clinging to Tyler's side.

"Least I didn't knee you in the balls this time," Tyler joked, watching Josh glare at him. The younger didn't take it seriously, knowing that Josh was just playing around.

"Yeah, thanks for that by the way dude," Josh huffed, Tyler chuckling and kissing his cheek. A group of kids sped past them once more, Olivia amongst the group yelling a brief "hi daddies!" as she passed. Both waved at her before going back to their comfortable silence.

"Hey Ty," Tyler hummed to let him know he was listening to him.

"You know it is our anniversary too," Josh whispered, pulling them to a stop at the side of the rink so they were not in the way of others. Tyler nodded, it was their year anniversary and he was especially happy about that. He was glad that they were actually spending the anniversary together with no secrets.

"I was thinking maybe we could have some us time later? Like adult time," Josh trailed off, not wanting to say the actually say the thing because of children around and because he didn't want to pressure Tyler. The brunet man's eyes widened and he was about to answer when a sickening crack sounded through the quiet air, all the children's voice coming to halt.

People getting hurt was an experience at ice rinks since some people just wanted to show off and ended up getting hurt. Tyler had seen it often. Though nothing could have prepared him for the shrill scream that sounded, the noise echoing his head and would forever haunt his nightmares.

Both heads snapped to their left where they met a sight that had their blood cooling and hearts racing.

Olivia, red in the face from the cold or screaming who knew, laying on her side, clutching her leg across the rink from them.

･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.

Word Count: 1,264

so technically, this is part one of four chapters because i split a lot of it up into different chapters! but please survive the cliffhanger! 

happy thanksgiving guys! i have to work tonight and tomorrow night so wish me luck

until next time, 

stay alive sunshines <3

- courtney xoxo