secret keepers | joshler.

quarante-cinq.

"Her gift is in the bedroom," Jordan informed Josh as he passed him in the kitchen on the way outside. The older Dun sibling nodded his recently shaven head and continued to cut fruit up for the children in his backyard.

Today was Olivia's birthday, his beautiful daughter was six today! He was so happy that she actually had some friends to spend her birthday with instead of just a dinner with her family. Not that there was anything wrong with it, but this was her first time with friends over for her party. Josh was not as upset as he normally would have been by not having his daughter's undivided attention since her laughter was ringing across the backyard.

It was the happiest she had been since the encounter with Sarah and Josh would not take her happiness away from her right now. Besides he had Tyler to keep him company. Arms wrapping around his waist paused his thoughts. Speaking of Tyler.

"Hey baby," Josh greeted, continuing to cut the strawberries, but being careful in case Tyler decided to reach for the fruit like he had been doing earlier when Josh was cutting up the first round of fruit.

"Pete called me fat," Tyler pouted, burying his face into Josh's shoulder blades. Josh's smile fell slightly and he placed his knife down to move Tyler in between him and the counter. He had noticed that Tyler was gaining some weight, but it was not unhealthy. Josh thought it looked good on him. Besides the one time that Josh had acknowledged the weight gain Tyler had gotten rather upset with him and revealed that whenever he gained weight he got curvy and it made him uncomfortable.

So while Josh noticed the weight, but he thought it looked good on Tyler and made him look healthy.

"You're not fat gorgeous," Josh assured, pressing kisses on his cheeks and neck.

"You have to say that," he pouted more, letting out a squeak when Josh lifted him off his feet and held him firmly with hands on his thighs.

"Even if you were fat, you still be beautiful to me. I'd love you even if you were six hundred pounds and I have to roll you outside for a bath," he teased, laughing when Tyler pushed his face away from him.

"Dork," Tyler rolled his eyes at him, wrapping his arms around Josh's neck and resting their foreheads together.

"Does that mean you wouldn't roll me outside if I was six hundred pounds?" Josh asked, grinning widely.

"Oh baby, I'd hose you down for all the neighbors to see," Tyler grinned, leaning forward to press their lips together. Josh leaned him up against the counter, using one of his hands to come up to cup Tyler's jaw. The couple spent a few more minutes kissing before someone clearing their throat broke them apart. Josh turned to look at his mother, hands going back to Tyler's thighs to hold him up.

"Boys this is a children's party," she fondly, reaching passed the two to grab a piece of strawberry on the cutting board. Tyler blushed at her, but after months of being around her he was not shying away from her fond gaze. Josh did not even look embarrassed by being caught by his mom.

"Gotta show my boy my undying love," Josh answered honestly, laughing at his mother's eyeroll before she headed out the backdoor to the rest of the party. Josh carefully set his boyfriend down and kept him captive between him and the counter as he went back to chopping the fruit. Tyler just leaned back into his chest and watched Josh cut fruit. Josh would very gladly awkwardly cut fruit if it made his boyfriend feel comfortable. He would also be talking to Pete about calling his boyfriend fat.

･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.

"Okay peach, you have to be real careful with this next one. It is a big responsibility," Tyler introduced her last present, nodding to Jordan to go grab it from the bedroom. Olivia was nodding in understanding, her encounter with Sarah causing her to listen to her parents a lot more than she had already. She never was a problem before, but now she followed every word they said. It was a little terrifying, but hopefully her present would help bring back the happy girl she once was.

"A puppy!" Olivia gasped, eyes wide as Jordan carried in the golden retriever. The 'puppy' was not exactly small anymore, he was old enough to be professional trained as an emotional service animal. They had toyed around with then idea of getting her a dog for a couple months now and with the reoccurring nightmares and trauma from Sarah, an emotional support animal was a good option.

"Now rose," Josh begun, taking the puppy from Jordan and holding him steady in his arms and nodding when she held her hand out to bet him. 

"This is Jim, and he is a very special dog, he will be there to keep away your bad dreams and be your best buddy," Josh said, lowering his voice so all the children could not hear the reason why she was getting a dog. Olivia was looking at him with big eyes, taking what he was saying.

"You all can pet him if you want," Tyler addressed the children, not missing how Olivia's fist tightened on Jim's fur, not that the puppy minded. 

"But you must ask Olivia first and I ask that if he is wearing his vest, you do not pet him, he is a special dog and should only be touched if Olivia gives permission," Tyler informed, knowing they would probably not respect those rules. He did not plan on letting Jim go with Olivia to school (unless she was having a bad day) until maybe third grade or so when the children would be able to understand that Jim was a service dog and should not be treated like a normal dog.

"Thank you daddy and papa," Olivia smiled, letting Josh help her hold the golden retriever in her lap and cuddled him happily. Josh smiled at his daughter and pressed a kiss to her head. He was glad that she was excited about Jim. He knew that she would take the responsibility seriously.

･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.

"Goodnight daddy," Olivia smiled sleepily, cuddled in bed with Jim. The golden retriever had taken to his owner in the hours since they have met and had effectively begun another blanket on her bed to keep her safe and warm. Jim was tired as well, but he was ready to keep watch over the little girl in the night.

"Goodnight birthday girl," he smiled giving her a kiss on the head and going to leave when she grabbed his hand. He looked at her in confusion, wondering what she needed.

"Jim's goodnight kiss?" She asked innocently, the pup raising his head at his name. Josh grinned at her and leaned over to press a kiss to Jim's head. Olivia smiled happily up at him, her fingers curling into the golden fur. Josh gave her one more kiss before leaving her to go to sleep. His heart swelled hearing her whisper a goodnight to Jim.

Josh entered their bedroom and bit his lip seeing his boyfriend spread out on the bed in simple white boxers, his arms under the pillow and his head. Geez, Tyler was stunning. Josh quickly changed out into a pair of grey boxers and not bothering with sweatpants or a shirt since Tyler would probably take it off in the middle of the night anyhow. Whether it was to wear it himself or get closer to Josh's warmth, it depended on the night.

The older man gently got in bed attempting not wake Tyler as he settled into the bed sheets. Tyler smiled sleepily at him, pulling one arm out from under the pillow to wrap around Josh's hips. Josh moved closer and pressed a kiss to Tyler's freshly shaven head. The younger man cuddled closer and slowly went back to sleep, Josh following after him.

It was the first night in a month that Olivia did not wake up from nightmares. 

1,365. cinq.