close as strangers ↣ joshler ✓

1. Butterfly

"Fuck off," Josh laughed. "That shit hurt. I am not doing that again. It went through my jeans. Reagan saw the red mark on my thigh and babied me for hours after it."

"You love me," a voice spoke and Josh turned around to see his girlfriend, the face splitting smile returning to his face. She was wearing her scrubs from work and noticed the tiny balloons covering them. He thought she was the cutest thing in the world.

"Guilty as charged," he walked over to her and grabbed the bag of Chipotle from her, wrapping his other arm around her waist and pulling her in for a kiss. "Mmm miss you," he mumbled into it, making her laugh. He pulled back and grinned. "You got here quick."

"I was already on my way when I called," she shrugged. "I wasn't going to take no for an answer."

Josh laughed and shook his head as he walked back over to the desk, Reagan following but standing on the other side of it. He set the bag on the top of it and propped his elbow up next to it, resting his head in his hand. "How has work been?"

"Interesting..." she trailed off. "Some six year old got a cheerio stuck up his nose."

"How do you even— y'know what I don't wanna know," Josh chuckled. He didn't get how Reagan could be a pediatric nurse. Then again, she loved kids so it wasn't shitty for her like it would be if Josh was in her position. He didn't necessarily hate them but he couldn't be around them all day every day.

"What about you?" Her eyes flicked over to the woman laying on the chair still, making conversation with Frank.

"Slow," he replied. "I have an appointment at one thirty though. Frank says it's a surprise," he put up jazz hands making her laugh.

"Have fun with that," she shook her head slightly, the piece of curly hair hanging by her face bouncing in the process. The rest of it was pulled back in a bun and Josh thought she looked adorable. "I gotta get back to work but I'll see you at home. I love you," she smiled softly.

"I love you too," Josh kissed her quickly and she gave him one last smile before walking out.

"You are so god damn whipped," Frank snickered as Josh took his burrito bowl out of the carry out bag.

"Yes indeed, Mr. Iero," Josh agreed letting out a laugh.

"When are you proposing?" He asked, jokingly.

"Dude honestly I might."

Frank instantly took his needle off the customer before looking at Josh with wide eyes. "Are you kidding?"

"I mean we've been together five years and I really love her a lot. I can't imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else. She's my other half," he shrugged. "I'm 27 I'm getting up there I don't wanna drag this shit out until I'm like 43."

"Holy shit," Frank blinked. "My best friend's getting married!"

"No," Josh laughed, taking the lid off his food. "I just said I thought about it, calm your tits."

"Just let me know when you buy the ring," his boss winked before going back to finish the tattoo.

Josh ate his lunch, making conversation with Frank and the client while he did so. One thirty rolled around a lot quicker than he thought it would and he was in the middle of replying to a few emails when he heard the bell above the door go off, signaling someone had entered. "Welcome to Iero's— oh ew what are you doing here?" Josh grimaced when he looked up and saw who had walked in.

"Hey, toots," Hayley replied with a grin, Ashley following behind her. "It's one thirty ink me up, baby."

"What?" Josh raised an eyebrow. "I thought you hated needles. You've told me at least forty times you'd never get a tattoo."

"I lied," she simply shrugged.

Josh looked at Hayley's wife for an answer for her sudden change in behavior.

"I don't know either," Ashley shrugged, her blonde bangs shifting as she did so. "She just woke up today and declared she wanted a tattoo. Maybe she's going through a mid-life crisis or something I dunno."

"I'm 27," Hayley reminded her.

"I know," Ashley replied with a fake smile. "I don't expect you to make it past 55," she told her playfully.

"Honestly I don't either," Hayley shrugged. "Anyway I've actually been thinking about getting one for awhile but I didn't say anything until today. I like the ones Ashley has even though she has to cover them up for work because her law firm has a stick up it's ass. I want a small one like she has though. And I wanted my life long buddy Joshua Dun to do the honors."

"He might draw a dick on you," Frank piped up, cleaning up the materials from the job he just finished before they had walked in.

"Please don't draw a dick on me I married a woman for a reason," Hayley looked at Josh seriously.

"I won't draw a dick on you," Josh rolled his eyes and held his hands up in surrender. "Do you know what you want?"

"I want a small minimalistic butterfly on my wrist," she told him. "I have some drawings," she handed him a piece of paper with multiple doodles on it, one circled multiple times with a highlighter. "That's the one I decided on," she pointed at it.

"I can tell," Josh laughed as he looked at it. He thought it was really cute actually. Hayley was an art teacher after all so she was an amazing drawer. "I can do this in like ten minutes actually," he told her.

"Really?" She looked hopeful.

"Yeah. Are you sure you want it? There's no going back."

"I'm sure."

"Alright lets get you tatted."