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"Dude, what are you playing?"
Josh's voice is soft, filled with humor. His brown eyes glimmer with mirth as he looks at Tyler, sprawled on his stomach on their shared hotel bed. The singer is only in boxers, his laptop propped up on a pillow in front of him. He keeps groaning loudly when he dies in the game, and Josh could hear it while he was brushing his teeth.
"Happy Wheels. C'mere, you should watch,"
Josh sits on the corner of the bed, staring at the website. The screen has a 2D animation of a bunch of blood and organs spewing everywhere. A bicycle helmet is stuck on a pixellated spike.
Josh is mildly terrified.
"Is this... A horror game?" He's heard of the game vaguely, thinks a few of his friends have played it. This just looks strangely morbid.
Tyler shakes his head. When he speaks, he has that soft, quiet voice that pitches up at the end. There's a slight roughness to it. Josh wonders why Tyler's voice does that when they talk to each other.
"Nah, man. It's like... an obstacle course. The physics are really stupid, so it's fun,"
Tyler glances at Josh, he has that shimmer in his eye that silently beckons Josh close.
The bed dips as Josh stirrs, lying parallel to Tyler in his own boxers.
The hotel room is dark, dusty and cold. There's a broken heating unit by the only window of the small room, and the singular overhead light flickers precariously. Josh feels a bit anxious at the dinginess, scoots ever so slightly closer. Still not close enough.
After a little bit of watching Tyler play, the singer decides to record their screen. Something about slushies and dudes and a youtube channel. Josh agrees because there's a soft flush on Tyler's cheeks that looks like it'd be the same temperature as the heat coiling in Josh's chest.
Josh had declined playing too much, preferring to watch Tyler control Sven and Spencer and crack jokes each time Tyler died. Surprisingly, Tyler wasn't nearly as vocal about his defeats with Josh next to him. Maybe Tyler was just getting tired. It must be why he was so soft spoken and liked to stare at Josh for a little too long.
Subconsciously, Josh had scooted away from Tyler for a while. He really hadn't even noticed, the sheets feeling cool and comforting under his bare skin, until Tyler turned to look at him, almost concerned.
"Dude, get on the bed," Tyler has that soft, lilting voice again. He laughs a little, "You've got plenty of room!"
Josh laughs, almost nervous. He scoots close as Tyler covers up their slip from the bit.
"We're actually at the pool," Tyler mumbles, and Josh thinks his voice is so soft and raspy that he just has to kiss Tyler. He doesn't do it, he's too anxious, but he has an overwhelming urge to.
"Yeah, there's tons of chicks here..." Josh adds onto Tyler's bit, trying his hardest to not smile.
Tyler giggles, shaking his head. "Cut— We can cut this out—" He makes a stopping motion to his neck, and Josh grins.
"Gosh, they're so good looking, too..."
Tyler swallows hard.
"Yeah,"
"I'm attracted to them."
Josh's eyes trace every movement of Tyler's body. He feels his mouth go dry as he watches Tyler's mouth work, fluidly going through the vowels and curving up slightly in a smirk. He feels his face flush, his stomach going white-hot.
"They're really quiet," Tyler adds, somehow oblivious to the mess Josh is becoming. He tears his eyes away to look at the screen, the still image of Sven's insides all over a green obstacle course.
"Well, yeah. They're, like... eating,"
Tyler turns to Josh the same time Josh turns to Tyler. Their noses almost bump, and Josh has a fleeting moment of realization that their noses would fit together perfectly, like a puzzle piece. That's weird, though, and he doubts Tyler would ever want to prove the theory.
Tyler starts to laugh, a small wheeze as his eyes scrunch up and his pretty pink lips glisten from him licking them. Josh wonders if he has enough money to get Tyler a pack of chapstick. Not because his lips are cracked too bad, but because Josh really wants an excuse to feel even a whisper of Tyler's lips on his.
They play for more time after that, until Sven becomes a slinky and his bike flies by in such a way that makes Tyler laugh so hard he turns off the recording. Josh gets to watch Tyler dissolve into uncontrollable giggles, resting his cheek on his hand like a school girl. He almost gets embarrassed when he kicks his feet before realizing Tyler's doing it too.
Tyler shuts the laptop, tears in his eyes full of glee as he turns to Josh.
"I love you, man," Josh feels his stomach sink, a black hole in his chest. He smiles, laughs a little, nods to Tyler.
"You too."
Josh wants to ball himself up and cry under the bed. Tyler would never say that if he knew what Josh had been thinking all night. Tyler wouldn't even be sat here. He'd be back in Columbus, back home, telling everyone how disgusting and queer Josh is.
Tyler would never say he loves Josh knowing Josh felt the same but more.
It coursed through his veins. The sinews holding him together whisper Tyler's name. Josh is a rag-doll, every piece of him sewed on from someone who once loved him, but there's a tag on the back of his neck that says "if found, return to Tyler Joseph" in black cursive. His very being was created seemingly with the intention of loving Tyler Robert Joseph. It's barely been a year knowing him, but Josh would do practically anything for the singer.
Tyler stares at him expectedly. Oh, did he say something? Josh got distracted. Clearly.
"Uh... Sorry, did you say something?"
"Hm? Oh, no. I just like looking at you,"
Josh feels his chest tighten. He can't tell if it's anxiety or him being smitten. He stares at Tyler, trying to decode him. Josh has never been good at cryptic things, that's all Tyler.
"Really? I don't think there's much to look at, but thanks, I guess..."
Tyler's brows furrow. In a moment, he's pushing Josh to lay on his back, hands on his shoulders. Josh feels the wind knock out of him just from having Tyler's hands on bare skin. He hovers over Josh, looking a moment away from punching him. Josh is mildly terrified.
"Don't say that, man. You're a looker, I swear,"
Josh huffs a laugh. "A looker? Dude, we aren't in the 1900's. It's a new decade, you can call a guy pretty. It's not gay, we're wearing socks,"
Tyler stares down at Josh with such intensity it's scary. His long, thick eyelashes take Josh's attention, and he watches them flutter with every slow blink before Tyler switches his position, sitting on Josh's chest. The wind is knocked out of him once again.
Tyler takes his socks off, flinging them across the room. He puts his hands on Josh's chest once again, this time further down.
Josh thinks he's sweating enough to fill a swimming pool.
"I think you're pretty, Josh. I think you're hot."
Tyler's soft, complicit voice is more pushy now. He sounds more intense, almost annoyed. Tyler's cheeks turn red as Josh's stomach fills with heat.
"Okay, well, that's a little—"
"I know it's gay. I just took my socks off to prove it. I think you're really attractive in a gay way."
Josh can feel Tyler shivering above him. His hands shakily hold Tyler's shoulders, feeling his tan skin jump and hearing him gasp nervously. Tyler's brown eyes are wide, scared. Josh thinks he's the most beautiful boy he's ever seen.
"Tyler... Ty, come here," Josh pulls him down so they're practically chest to chest, and then he feels soft, plush lips against his own.
Hesitantly, Tyler opens his mouth, pushes back and presses at the seam of Josh's lips. Tyler tastes like mint toothpaste and a hint of the red-bull he was drinking earlier. He makes a soft sound, melting into Josh, and when he pulls away Josh thinks his pretty, puffy lips are the same color as red leaves in the fall, or the flesh of a plum, or the juice of cherries that stain your fingertips as you try to take the pits out.
Tyler looks so, so shocked. Josh feels like he just jumped into traffic. Brown eyes meet and all of a sudden everything is gentle waves and the gentle pluck of a piano. Josh feels like silken sheets as Tyler's hands run up and down his chest, feeling the dips and curves of Josh's muscles.
"You look really hot shirtless. All the time, but even more when you're shirtless,"
Josh's breath hitches. He almost wants to push Tyler off of him, scared he'll react badly when he notices the effect of his words.
"Uh huh... You're gonna kill me, Ty..."
Tyler scoffs, smirking down at Josh.
"No, I'd never. How would I show Mark my boyfriend if he's dead?" Tyler giggles before going stiff, suddenly frantic.
"I mean—"
"I'll be your boyfriend if you want, Tyler. I want it, at least,"
Tyler relaxes, nodding.
"Cool. Does this mean I get to cuddle with my boyfriend to stay warm tonight? I wanna play with his hair..."
Josh hums, a smile on his face. Tyler's already shifting so he's lying down, trying to flip Josh to lay on his chest.
"Hm... If you pay the price, yes,"
"Aw, man. I don't have any money!"
"That's okay," Josh turns himself over, hovering above Tyler's face, "A kiss is, like, the same price anyway. You can tip if you want,"
Tyler scoffs slightly at how silly this is. He holds Josh's face, thumbs rubbing at where Josh knows a bridge of freckles is present. His eyes flutter closed as Tyler pulls him down to have their lips meet once again.
Tyler leads the kiss, prying Josh's mouth open so so gently, nipping at his bottom lip. Josh can't hold himself up anymore, pulling away with a sigh before resting his head on Tyler's chest, hearing his heartbeat. It's so fast Josh is almost scared he'll have a heart attack.
"Everything okay?" Josh traces shapes on Tyler's stomach, feeling his breath hitch and his heart race impossibly faster.
"Yeah— Mhm... Just happy. And you're kinda scary like this,"
"Scary?" Josh huffs a laugh, eyebrows furrowing.
"Well— More like... You make me nervous. You're just so amazing, Josh,"
He hums, nuzzles a little closer to Tyler. Tyler pulls the covers up to Josh's shoulders, one hand reaching to play with his hair.
"We should go to sleep, Ty," He feels Tyler yawn, "We've got a concert tomorrow night,"
Tyler hums, twisting Josh's hair around his fingers. His other hand begins to gently scratch Josh's shoulder blades, lulling his drummer to sleep with the repetitive motions.
-
At 7 am, Mark comes into their hotel room to wake Josh and Tyler up.
He freezes as he sees both of them shirtless, curled together. So close it would be impossible to tell who's who if Tyler weren't so tan.
Mark would rather not force them to explain why their clothes are strewn around the room. Or why they're sleeping so close together.
He shuts their door silently. He takes a few deep breaths before knocking loudly.
Hushed grumbles and complaints are hardly audible through the hotel door. Tyler raises his voice enough for Mark to hear him complain through the door. He smiles, rolling his eyes behind thick-rimmed glasses.