Loyalty (JoshxBrendonxTyler)

43. Heed

TRIGGER WARNINGS:

- Crying/partial anxiety attacks
- Anxiety over food
- Mentions of sex

If there are any more you feel I need to state, of course, please tell me. I hope you all enjoy, and remember that everyday is always worth something to me because I know I have this to come back to. Thank you for that.

***

Brendon can't help but remember the times in elementary and highschool where food was people's happy places. Have an upcoming test? Here's a bag of chips. Don't want to read an assigned book? There's a granola bar in my backpack. Want to eat all your feelings and forget about everything else? Check.

Though, since reaching adulthood, that has changed.

For Brendon, at least.

He sits at the table, Honey Bunches of Oats in front of him, but he has barely touched it. Once again.

It seems to be becoming a cycle, looking at what could be, yet he never fully gets there. He has taken a few bites at least. Now though, he sits with his chin propped up on the table, gathering cereal on his spoon, lifting it up, then watching it pour back into the bowl. Like a waterfall.

Except, it's not nearly as beautiful.

Josh and Tyler are both eating breakfast beside him. Multitasking. Tyler is paying a few bills they had been stressing over on their phone, and Josh is editing some more photos for a customer.

Brendon's jealous, really. Jealous that they're able to be productive and eat at the same time when all he can think about is food. It controls him. Takes over his entire mind. Yet, here is Tyler and Josh proving to him they're lucky once more. Lucky in this instance, at least.

After a moment, Josh glances over to him, and Brendon is immediately sitting up straighter.

He tilts his head, eyes lit up by the sun. "It'll get soggy soon,"

Brendon blinks in response. Though, he gathers more cereal onto the spoon, slowly bringing it to his mouth while he trembles. Once he's chewing, and after he swallows, his lips wobble into a small smile for Josh to see.

To reassure him, to distract himself.

Josh hums, absentmindedly moving so his fingers intertwine with Brendon's. He doesn't say a word, simply continuing to put all of his attention on the screen. That's when he is leaning forward, squinting his eyes to try and look at something.

He shakes his head quickly afterwards, sitting back with a huff. "I can't read this shit."

"Maybe if you wore your glasses," Tyler murmurs.

Brendon pauses. He looks up from his bowl, to Josh, eyebrows furrowed. "You wear glasses?"

"Supposed to wear glasses." Tyler says.

Brendon purses his lips at the information, focusing on Josh once more. He squeezes his hand a little, with softest of upturns pulling at the side if his mouth. "Why don't you wear them?"

"Because. . . I don't know. I don't need them. They look dumb."

Tyler rolls their eyes, smirking. They have yet to look up from their phone, but it's okay. "You got prescribed for a reason, Josh." They press something on the screen in front of them, reading, nodding, finally setting their phone aside. "Besides, they look really cute on you."