Josh had a towel wrapped around his waist; he walked out of the bathroom.
A tired groan escaped his mouth. He stood in front of the closed door of his bedroom.
He opened the said door slowly and quietly; he knew Tyler would hear him either way, but still.
Tyler was lying beside the mattress, curled up in a ball, his back facing Josh's part of the room.
Rays of moonlight came from the caged window in Tyler's part of the room, giving the room a shiny, icy blue light.
Josh didn't turn the light on; he knew where his queen-sized bed was.
He lied down; body still wet from the shower. He threw his left hand to the beside table he luckily managed to reach it. He opened a drawer and grabbed a pair of boxer briefs. They were an olive-ish blue, but he didn't see that in the dark nor did he care. He pulled them on, not caring to stand up.
He pulled the white duvet over his wet body and cuddled into it.
He closed his eyes, turning to his left; back facing Tyler's part of the room.
Not a lot over five minutes later, Josh was awaken by a growl.
But this was not a growl like any Josh heard before.
It was Tyler's. But it wasn't threatening. It wasn't scary. It wasn't sending shivers down Josh's spine. It didn't rise panic in Josh's lungs. No. This growl was a scared one. A growl asking for help. A sad growl. A growl in desperate need to break free and escape it's prison. A growl that was trying to protect itself from the world with its last bits of strength.
Josh turned to look at the younger boy in the caged part of the room.
Tyler twitched in his sleep. In between the next growl, Josh heard a soft hum. If Tyler wasn't facing the wall, Josh would've been able to see the frown on his face.
Josh sighed sadly and turned back to the left.
Sleep.
...
Josh was gonna be making spaghetti for lunch.
Tyler has been complaining about being locked for the entire morning, but Josh didn't know what else to tell him except the fact he was under any circumstance not gonna be let out.
He first went to make Tyler something to eat. He was gonna try to stop Tyler's cannibalism. He bought him a chicken in a market earlier and didn't bother to put any additives on it; Tyler was used to raw meat so why not give him that. He put the whole chicken on a metal tray and walked toward hid bedroom.
This was sure a weird thing to do at high noon on a Saturday.
Tyler was pacing around his little cell nervously.
"I brought you food" Josh said calmly.
Tyler's head shot up and he gripped onto the bars "Who?"
Josh rolled his eyes "It's not a human being, Tyler"
Tyler scoffed, walking away from the bars "You can leave then"
"Tyler, c'mon, you have to eat" Josh approached the bars, a pleading look on his face.
Tyler looked at Josh over his shoulder "Then bring me someone to eat"
Josh sighed dramatically "You can have the chicken. Wanna name it? Let's say... Rose? Huh? What do you say?"
Tyler cringed and laughed "What?"
Josh shrugged, a smile creeping on his face "Humans have names. I thought it'd be easier for you to eat if your food has a name"
Tyler genuinely laughed for the first time in months; it was a beautiful sound, it even reminded of the "old" him "Oh, Josh, I don't care about the names. It's the meat that matters"
Josh sighed dramatically, a grin on his face "Then, there's nothing I can do for you. You get the chicken or nothing. It's your choice"
Tyler snorted and shook his head, facing the floor.
Josh took the moment to open the tiny door in the bottom of the bar wall and slide the tray into Tyler's part of the room. He quickly locked it after the action.
His smile changed into a serious expression "But, seriously Tyler, please eat"
Tyler just sighed and walked away from the chicken.
Josh shook his head and left the room. He went to the kitchen, to start working on the lunch.
Earlier that morning, Ashley had called. Josh trusted her with knowing about Tyler staying in his apartment. She wanted to come over to see how both boys were doing. Josh was making the lunch for her, her new boyfriend and himself.
He set up the table rather simply. White tablecloth, white dishes, metal forks.
He turned he stove on for the spaghetti to start cooking. He placed the ketchup and few kinds of sauces on the table. He knew Ashley and him ate spaghetti with ketchup, but he never met her new boyfriend, so he's gonna offer all he has.
The doorbell rang.
Josh jogged over to the other end of the spacious apartment to open the door.
"Jo, man! What's up?"
"Hi, Ashley" Josh smiled widely.
"Well, we're here!" she grinned wider than Josh's smile.
"Do come in" Josh chuckled.
The guy Josh didn't know murmured a quiet hello.
The two took their jackets and shoes off and Josh led them to the table.
"The spaghetti will he ready in around fifteen minutes" Josh informed them; all three sat down.
"Good, we can talk" Ashley straightened her shirt "You guys could meet first. Josh, this is Kyle, my boyfriend.
Josh leaned over the table, putting his arm out "Nice to meet you"
"You too" Kyle said; he seemed uncomfortable.
Then again, how could he ever be comfortable? He was in apartment he was aware contained an alive cannibal.
"So your friend is a cannibal?"
"Kyle!" Ashley smacked him on the arm.
"What?" he shrugged.
"It's okay Ashley" Josh didn't like this guy "Yes, he is"
"How is he?" Ashley's full concentration was on Josh.
Josh sighed "He's been better"
Josh stood up to get the spaghetti off the stove and onto the table.
All three started eating. Kyle apparently liked ketchup too.
Josh started to repeat the story the whole world heard a million times already; about the concert. Then he continued with the story about the visit and the rescue.
He was just gonna start on Tyler's current state, when-
"Can I use your bathroom?"
Both Josh's and Ashley's head turned quickly toward Kyle.
"S-Sure" Josh nodded subconsciously "Down the hallway, on the left"
"Thanks" Kyle nodded and excused himself.
Down the hallway.
On the right.