Work Text:
lazy fingers curve over tyler’s back in intricate, delicate patterns.
it tickles, slightly, the callouses on the tips of josh’s fingers as he traces another circle shape over tyler’s skin; he shudders involuntarily, and josh huffs a laugh, laying his palm flat on the small of his back.
tyler’s long eyelashes flutter over his flushed cheeks, and he shifts closer, blinking softly over at josh through the dark; he reaches over with one hand, sheets pooling around his waist, and gently cups his cheek in his palm.
a slow smile spreads across josh’s face, tilting into tyler’s touch; his eyes close and he sighs, content and soft, as tyler’s thumb strokes slowly over his skin.
when he blinks open his eyes, tyler’s hand has traveled down to drape over his throat, and his brows are furrowed, lips pursed and eyes unclear, unfocused; almost as if he can sense tyler’s brain working into overdrive, josh clears his throat, and tyler’s eyes snap to attention to his gaze. his eyes are half-lidded but open, a little glazed over, and tyler smiles fondly because he’s the one who had done that to him. a small inkling of pride plants itself in his chest, and he sighs, brings the same hand to rest on josh’s bare waist underneath the sheets.
his hair is mussed up and sticking up in all different directions where his head is resting on the pillow opposite tyler’s (the pride only grows, blossoming inside tyler’s chest when he reminds himself that it was his fingers who’d had the privilege of tugging and pulling and yanking and coercing noises from josh’s mouth he’d only ever dreamed he’d be able to hear).
“what’s up?” josh asks, voice deep and rough and barely any louder than a whisper as he shifts closer in the dark; he reaches out, blindly brushing the side of tyler’s face with the palm of his hand until he finds his cheek, cupping it in his hand (tyler likes the way josh’s hand drifts down to the back of his neck afterwards, can’t help himself from desperately wanting more).
it’s so casual, like they hadn’t been fucking for the first time two minutes ago, like they weren’t both naked, like their legs weren’t intertwined underneath the sheets, like josh’s chest wasn’t still stained with tyler’s come. they hadn’t cleaned up very well, too exhausted to do much other than collapse on the filthy sheets in the back of the van reeking of what they'd done and cuddle up next to each other.
then again, tyler supposes things have always been that casual between them (like when they’d kissed for the first time, all shy touches and fluttering eyelids, and all josh had done when it was over was crack a smile and ask if he wanted to get something to eat). josh's hand presses against his skin gently, thumb rolling against the nape of his neck, and tyler moves closer until their faces are mere inches apart.
he tries to remember what had led to them having sex in the first place. all of the memories within the past few hours have collectively jumbled into one blurry, hazy mess of thoughts; josh's mouth on his, licking into his mouth and his tongue pressing behind his teeth, lips tracing up his throat and teeth sinking into his collarbone. strong hands on his hips, pressing him against the mattress, josh grinding down against him, the gasps pouring past both their lips; he squirms somewhat at the memory, inching closer to josh and sliding his arm the rest of the way around his waist, resting his palm on the small of his back.
josh accommodates his space easily, shifting himself closer until their chests are pressing together; he slides his hand over tyler’s jaw, pressing his thumb against his bottom lip before dropping it onto the mattess between them, curling his fingers.
“hi,” tyler mumbles, and when josh grins, his teeth glint. he’s momentarily distracted by the sight of his sharp incisors poking out from behind his candy-pink lips; he lifts the hand off of josh’s waist to prod at a forming bruise on the side of his throat, marked by those same sharp white teeth (perfect, so, so perfect; he wants them sunk into his neck for every day of the rest of his life), and even though he wonders if everything is real, he knows it is. he traces his fingertip around the bruise and he smiles to himself, pressing slightly and reveling in the slight, dull ache of pain it gives.
he’ll have to ask for more. he never wants the ones from tonight to fade from his skin; he wants a constant reminder that this is real, that it happened, that all of the pining and waiting he’d endured had paid off in the long run.
josh’s gravelly, soft voice breaks him out of his reverie. "what are you thinking about?" he inquires gently, not fond of the far-away look suddenly glowing in tyler’s eyes; he worries, no matter how much he tries to convince himself not to in the current scheme of things. maybe he did something wrong, or hurt him on accident, pushed him too far without even realizing; his heartbeat begins to pick up speed as every incidental thought of what he could’ve done wrong rolls through his mind, and he swallows nervously when tyler doesn’t respond right away.
he debates telling him everything that he’d just thought of, debates even going as far as asking as to why they’d decided to have sex because he can’t quite remember; instead, he bites his tongue, simply murmurs, "you." he doesn't elaborate, cheeks beginning to burn red at the thought of exposing himself any further than he had already the entire day. and then, quietly, because he can never keep his mouth shut, “i can’t believe that this is real.”
a relieved breath parts josh’s lips, quirking the corner up into an amused smile. “what’s real?”
“you and me,” tyler hesitantly pushes forward, blinking earnest eyes at him and even allowing a tiny smile to grace his features; he extends the hand draped over his own neck to curve around the line of josh’s jaw, stroking his thumb over his cheekbone. “this is real. you and me. it’s real.”
josh swears he’s never been so fucking in love before. “oh,” he mutters lamely, rushing to cover up his mistake when tyler begins to look slightly crestfallen. “yeah, of course, ty. it’s all real. you and me.”
relief floods through tyler’s veins at josh’s attempt at reassurance, and he exhales breathily, curving his hand around the back of josh’s neck. he presses softly at his neck with his hand, tilting his head in closer until their noses bump; they haven't quite perfected kissing yet, no matter how much they do it, and josh huffs a laugh through his nose as he tilts his head slightly to the left. tyler finds solace in the way their lips brush softly before their mouths connect with two placid, shared sighs; it lacks any heat, like all of the encounters between them from that day had held. it's just simple, pure adoration and innocent, young love when their lips move together, falling into place like matching puzzle pieces.
love and reverent adoration resonates throughout tyler's entire body, and he kisses a little harder, urgently tugging at the baby hairs sweaty and unfurling at the nape of josh's neck; he grunts, slightly, and it floods tyler with the reminder that josh likes having his hair pulled (maybe a little too much). he laughs into his opened mouth, tongues tangling together briefly before they separate, lips slick with each other's spit. so much for innocence, tyler thinks as he licks his lips and tastes josh's toothpaste on his tongue.
for a moment, both of them are unable to do much more than stare at each other and breathe heavily; tyler desperately wants more, and josh's lips quirk up in a smile as he lifts his hand from off the mattress and grips at tyler's hip underneath the sheets.
"god, i love you," josh mumbles after a second of silence, because tyler seems to have sapped all the breath from his lungs; tyler breaks into a grin so bright josh fears he might go blind, and it's all he can see as tyler tugs him into another insistent kiss. it grows more heated the longer they stay connected, sucking in each other's air into their lungs like it's the last thing they might ever breathe; josh's teeth catch on tyler's tongue, and he's not quite sure if it was an accident, unable to focus on whether or not it was when his tongue slides against his bottom lip. tyler tugs at his hair experimentally, and josh mumbles something unintelligible against his lips as his fingers dig urgent bruises into the skin of his bare hip.
josh tugs away softly, breathing a little heavier through his nose as he holds tyler’s gaze; they stare at each other in half-confusion and complete adoration for a second before both burst into giggles, clutching at each other and clinging to whatever their hands can find a hold on. he tugs tyler closer into his embrace, tucking his nose into his damp hair and breathing in the scent of faded cologne, sweat and sex; it’s nice, in a way, comforting. a reminder that what had happened between them was real, just like tyler had said.
nosing up the line of josh’s throat, tyler plants a few wet kisses just under his jaw before resting his lips against his skin, letting his eyes blink close. he’s tired, and all of his energy is sapped from touring and everything they’d done; he smiles at the thought, pressing a warm hand to josh’s chest and curling his fingers against his skin. “i love you, too,” he mumbles, kissing him once more before relaxing into the touch of his palm rubbing against his uper back.
this is real. him and tyler, it’s real.