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Mark is the first to notice. He doesn't need to walk in on them kissing or catch them holding hands under blankets. It's the way Tyler is suddenly constantly happy, the way he wants to sing and embrace the whole world, the way his energy runs high. It's the chuckles Josh gives when the singer swirls around in the bus, a song on his lips, love in his heart, startling all the others with his change of personality. Mark is the first to know. He just smiles and let the other figure out.
Jenna is the second to notice, when she comes to visit them on tour. Tyler and her had stayed close friends, even after their divorce. They had never fought, Jenna just felt that something was wrong, out of the picture, and ended it before Tyler could brake on it. She's the one who is told what is going on, in a quiet minute, when the three of them can be alone. Tyler is nervous, but it's to no avail, she laughs and cries and hugs them and tells them how glad she is they finally figured out.
Their mums are the third and fourth to notice. Whom of them catches up first is hard to say, they both always had been observant. When their families unite on them coming home for christmasbrake they ask them to help out in the kitchen. It is Kelly who starts to tell Tyler he should show his boyfriend how the meat is cut correctly. They both blush bright red, Tyler stumbling over words, their mums bursting out in laughter. Laura pushes Joshs shoulder lightly and asks if he really thought she wouldn't notice.
They stop counting after that. Their siblings use every opportunity to wind them up after they learn, of course. But they all make sure they know how happy they are for them. The fathers may not be all to pleased about it, but still they think this is the best case szenario, given the fact they have to tolerate their sons being...different.
The crew learns when they stop hiding. No one asks directly, but it's spread like a wildfire. There are a lot of looks and whispers they have to go through, but when Josh takes his hand and smiles at him with, you know, THAT smile Tyler doesn't care about what the others think anymore.
The clique is the last to learn, they just wanted to be sure they are ready for this, for exposing themselfs to the world. Of course it is a simple tweet, a photo Brad had made on a stop somewhere in the dessert. It shows them, the inks on their arms aligned, their lips lost in each other. Mark likes the picture. He will not tell them he knew from the start.
