introvertfics

Two very men sat in the same room.

The first man sat on the edge of his mahogany desk, one palm planted firmly on top of the wooden top and the other holding a granny-smith apple, partially reflecting the tubular fluorescent bulbs above. He seemed to be made of all sharp points and pricks, from the neatly pressed folds of his black suit with gold and amber accents, to the angles formed by his bent knees as his legs hung over the edge of the desk and his jaw that was free from even the slightest trace of facial hair. Even his chocolate-coloured curls, which logically would feel like regular soft hair upon being touched, appeared to be sharp and pointy in the room’s odd lighting. He had a completely neutral expression, his crimsoned lips set in a straight line and his eyebrows remaining in a standard position. However, the chestnut orbs that were his eyes had an expression of contempt and hatred as he squinted at the other man sitting before him.

The second man in question was sitting straight up in the firm plastic chair, his thighs pressed firmly together as his toes pointed towards the first man, and his hands strategically folded in his lap to hide the slight pudge of his stomach that was distorting the fabric of his clothing. Contrary to the appearance of the first man, he seemed to be made up of soft curves and bends, from his unnaturally wide and feminine hips and thighs that strained the seams of his too-small trainee’s uniform, to the barely noticable baby fat that lingered on his face and stomach. He as well was trying his best to maintain a neutral expression, but he was not even close to successful- his teeth nervously tugging at his plump bottom lip, and his sapphire eyes wide open and darting around the room anxiously, mostly focusing on the angled man who sat before him.

After a few moments in which neither of the two men spoke, the silence only being broken by the hum of lightbulbs above and the barely audible honking of the cars on the London streets far below, the first man spoke, his voice filled with audible annoyance towards the second. “Lester.”

“Yes, sir?” The second man asked in a quiet voice as he attempted to sit up even straighter in his chair, resisting the urge to adjust the single strand of raven-black hair that had fallen out of his quiff and in front of his left eye.

“Phillip Michael Lester. Do you know why you’re sitting here in my office?” The first man asked, crossing one leg over the other as he adjusted the gold-plated name tag on his desk. Daniel James Howell. Supervising Secret Agent.

“No, sir.” Phil shook his head, speaking in a slightly louder voice in an attempt to convince himself that he was confident and unafraid. In reality, however, he was deathly afraid of the man before him. Daniel Howell was one of the highest ranked agents in the London Private Investigation Committee, only a few spots beneath the President of the Committee himself. He was best known throughout the L.P.I.C for two things- the first thing was his incredible mission skills, both his physical ability as well as his mental capacity. The second thing was his extremely limited yet utterly terrifying range of emotions. Daniel seemed to constantly have a deadpan expression; however, whenever he spoke, his voice was unmistakably laced with annoyance, scorn, or outrage, or perhaps a combination of the three. All agents who were lower ranked than him were as respectful as humanly possible in order to hide their fear and terror. The most notable feature of Daniel’s besides his mission skills and personality was the fact that he never hired any trainees to go on missions with him. Most supervising agents served as instructors for the trainees and lower agents, taking them on missions and instructing them further than basic training could. However, Dan had never supervised any trainees in his life despite what his title implied, and nobody seemed to know why, apart from the fact that most trainees were too scared to look him in the face, never mind spend an entire mission with him.

Rather than continuing to talk, Daniel got off of his desk and began walking in wide, lazy circles around Phil’s chair, tossing the apple up in the air and catching it in the process. Every so often, he would raise the apple up to his mouth as if to take a bite, opening his lips just the slightest bit as he made contact with Phil, but seemingly changing his mind last second as he tossed the apple into the air once more. After five or six laps around Phil’s chair, Daniel began speaking in the same contempt-filled voice as before, crossing his arms behind his back while holding the apple tightly in his fist. “Tell me, Lester, what have you done in the establishment so far besides beginner’s training? And do not say eating and sleeping,” he added just as Phil opened his mouth.

How did he know I would say that? Phil wondered, his mouth closing then opening again as he attempted to speak for a second time. However, he was unable to find any words, since 95% of his time was spent training, the other 5% devoted to basic human functions as well as resting between training periods. “I… I’m not sure how to answer that question, sir.”

“Exactly. And to be quite honest, I’m not surprised one bit.” Daniel sat down on the edge of his desk once more, crossing his legs at the ankles and finally taking a bite of his apple. He downed the bite in two seconds, not even smudging his red lipstick in the process before placing the apple down on the corner of the desk and crossing his arms over his chest. “I don’t find it very stunning that no other agents have selected you for missions yet… according to your files, you are one of the worst performing trainees we’ve had in the past five years.”

Phil nodded slowly, looking down at his folded hands in his lap. This wasn’t a surprise to him either- he was quite possibly the most unathletic, clumsy, overly apologetic person he knew, and he hated it. It was well-known that he would apologize whenever he hit someone during his self-defense training, and he would curl into a ball on the floor and beg for his life whenever somebody approached him with the intent of returning the gesture. He was constantly breaking equipment by dropping it or tripping over it, often injuring himself in the process, and would get winded from running any distances over ten feet. His ridiculous six-foot-two height and the lingering baby fat on most parts of his body didn’t help anything either, and simply contributed to his unathleticism.

“Out of shape… clumsy… overapolagetic…” Daniel murmured, seemingly reading his mind as he took another bite of his apple. “I can’t help but feel a bit sorry for you… but mostly, I’m disappointed. I’d expect more from someone who’s done nothing but training for two years.” He considered the apple in his hand for a few seconds before placing it back on his desk and picking up a pastel yellow cube of sticky notes. “It’s rather pathetic, actually.” Without warning, he threw the sticky note cube at Phil with all the strength in his arm. Instinctively, Phil let out a high-pitched squeal as he covered his face with his arms and tucked his knees up to his chest in an attempt to shield himself from the incoming projectile. Only after the note cube had harmlessly bounced off the top of his head and landed with a dull thud on the hardwood floor did he realize that Daniel had most likely wanted him to throw the cube back at him, or at least catch it, rather than react as he just had.

“Pathetic,” Daniel repeated, walking around behind Phil’s chair and picking up the note cube, throwing it up in the air as he had done just minutes earlier with the apple. Putting the cube back on his desk, he picked up the apple once more and began eating it. This time, a substantial bit of time went by without either of them speaking, Daniel’s quiet chewing noises filling the room. Phil had grown so on-edge at this point that he was worried the superior male sitting before him could see his heart throbbing in his chest. His folded hands were trembling with his built-up anxiety, his sweaty hair falling out of the regulation quiff and into the former emo fringe he had possessed until just a few months ago. He’s probably brought me here to kick me out… he’s just building up to it, just teasing me beforehand…

“Like I said, I feel sorry for you.” Daniel chucked the apple core across the room, where it landed with a clang in the trash can by the door. “However, contrary to what you’re probably thinking, you are not being dismissed from the Agency. Yet.” As he got up and began to walk in circles around Phil’s chair again, he occasionally intentionally kicked the metal leg of the chair, letting out a dry chuckle whenever Phil jumped from the sudden noise and movement. “I have a proposition for you, Lester. Let’s say, hypothetically, I had a mission coming up in one week in Tokyo, Japan. A rather small mission, actually- it’d only take a couple of weeks to complete on my own. If I was to bring you on this mission, with the promise of some sort of… reward… if you were able to help me complete it… would you be interested?”

“A… a mission, sir?” Phil asked quietly, finally managing to muster up enough courage to look up at Daniel’s face.

“Yes, a mission. If you were to not be a complete nuisance and failure to me during it, I would ask your trainers to permanently recruit you as my agent-in-training.” Daniel nodded, pausing and turning to face Phil, standing right in front of his chair. “However, before you tell me whether or not you’re interested, let me tell you one very important thing.” Practically slamming his hands on Phil’s shoulders, Daniel leaned close to his face, close enough that Phil could count the barely noticeable freckles scattered across his face. “Although this mission is small, it is of the utmost importance to me. And I am only taking you with me on it because I feel sorry for you. I have no desire to be around you if I don’t have to, and if you cause me to fail this mission, I can reassure you that there will be severe consequences.” He tightened his grip on Phil’s shoulders, which was extraordinarily painful as his slender yet strong fingers dug into his flesh through his shirt. “I’m simply giving you this opportunity because I’d rather not have the Agency’s reputation ruined by one pesky trainee. I’m utterly disgraced by your lack of skill and improvement, and I’m taking it upon me to do everything in my power to change you completely. Do you understand, Lester?”

“Y-yes, sir… I understand, sir…” Phil nodded slowly, his hands latching onto his inner thighs and squeezing them tightly to ground himself- having Daniel leaning this close to his face was sending his anxiety through the roof, his breath coming in quick little gasps and his frame trembling more than before. Please get away, please get away…

As if he was reading Phil’s thoughts, Daniel finally straightened up after a few more seconds of looking into Phil’s eyes with a deadpan expression, walking around behind his desk and sitting down in his worn office chair, his plump crimson lips curved into a frown as he held out an envelope to Phil between two fingers. “Here. This contains your mission description and what you need to pack. All of your questions will have their answers in here. Now, please report back to your dorm room.”

“...yes, sir. I will…” Nodding frantically, Phil scrambled to his feet, almost tripping over his boots in the process and provoking a barely audible snicker from Daniel. Blushing furiously and covering the lower half of his face with the collar of his shirt, he stumbled forward and took the envelope before making a hasty retreat from the office, closing the door as quietly as he could before letting out a sigh that was almost a sob, holding the envelope to his chest as he looked down at the floor. Rather than feeling an ounce of excitement about his first mission as an unofficial agent-in-training, Phil felt only dread and possibly terror at the possibility of screwing up an important mission with the Daniel Howell. If he messed this up, he was absolutely dreading what would happen to him next. Daniel’s words rang in his head- he really was pathetic, and he was never going to be a real agent if he didn’t perform perfectly on this mission with him. Shaking his head weakly, Phil felt like screaming in frustration as he slowly straightened up as best he could and made his way down the hall towards his dorm room. If I don’t improve… he’ll absolutely obliterate me. And there’ll be nothing I can do to stop him.

Phil had never liked his body. From as early as he could remember, Phil had hated everything about his physical appearance, from his ginger hair which he attempted to cover with black hair dye, to his plump stomach and thighs which were much too flabby and oversized in his eyes, he despised how he looked completely. So understandably, he would feel rather upset and ashamed when his boyfriend, Dan, asked to have sex for the first time. Phil had said yes, but he was still scared that Dan would find his body repulsive.

Dan knew how sensitive and shy Phil was, and so far was being extremely slow and reassuring with him. Gently pulling his boyfriend into his lap, he kissed him lovingly and gently, slowly becoming more heated and passionate. Phil found himself beginning to feel a bit of arousal in his gut, letting Dan push him on his back on the bed and become more dominant in his kissing, their tongues slipping together and their teeth occasionally bumping together. Soon, Dan's fingers trailed down to the edge of Phil's white t-shirt, tugging it over his head and giving him full access to his bare torso. "God you're so pretty, Phil..." he murmured, his lips grazing against Phil's collarbone. Phil's breath hitched as Dan began sucking and kissing along his collarbone, leaving a trail of barely visible bruises along his pale skin.

After a while, Dan trailed down to Phil's stomach, leaving a trail of soft kisses down it in a long trail right to the edge of his jeans. Although the gesture was arousing, and a bit cute as well, Phil couldn't focus on anything besides his bulging stomach that Dan had passed over. Apart from his thighs, it was one of the parts of his body that he was the most ashamed of, primarily due to how much it stuck out and how big it was compared to the rest of his skinny body. His throat clogging up and his vision beginning to blur, he tried desperately to focus on something, anything else- the feeling of Dan's black and grey duvet gently rubbing against the bare skin of his back, the small crack on the ceiling that looked somewhat like the Big Dipper, the slight taste of strawberry on his lips left over from Dan's lip balm, the slight tickle of his fluffy curls against his hip...

"Phil?" Dan's voice suddenly broke the quiet tranquillity in the bedroom.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Phil asked, frowning up at Dan. His curly-headed boyfriend was in a crouching position by his feet, an expression of concern spread across his pretty features.

"That's what I should be asking you... do you want me to stop?" Dan asked.

"No." Phil shook his head. "Danny, I'm fine..."

"Philly, you're crying. You're not fine." Dan shook his head, reaching down and rubbing away the tears that had begun making their way down Phil's cheeks- Phil hadn't even realised that he'd begun crying, due to his attempts to distract himself. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, no, no, you didn't do anything wrong, honestly," Phil shook his head, sitting up and rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand. "It's... it's hard to explain, it's silly..."

"If it's making you this upset, than it's not silly..." Dan reached over and carefully pulled Phil into his arms, hugging him tightly. "Please tell me what's wrong..."

"...it's hard to explain," Phil repeated. "I want to do this, I really do. I love you and I'm a hundred percent ready to do this, but..." He cut himself off with a dry sob, his emotions beginning to bubble up inside him and escape in the form of a shaky voice and a waterfall of tears. "...it's just you're so pretty and gorgeous, and I, I don't..." He wasn't able to finish his sentence, dissolving into whimpers and sobs with his face buried in Dan's shoulder.

"Oh god, Philly... please don't cry, baby, it's okay..." Rubbing his hand up and down Phil's back in a comforting gesture, Dan planted kisses along his boyfriend's temple and cheeks, whispering comforting words to him. "It's alright, baby, just tell me what's wrong, I'll fix it..."

"You can't fix me, Dan," Phil replied bitterly through his tears, pulling himself out of Dan's arms and settling down on the bed a few inches away from him.

"Fix you?...Phil, what do you mean?" Dan frowned.

"Isn't it obvious, Dan? I hate my body!" Phil snapped, tears continuing to free-fall down his cheeks as he clenched his fists so hard he left marks from his nails in the palms of his hands. "I'm so ugly, Dan- look at me, I'm hideous! You're so perfect, and I'm just so disgusting! I don't want you to be revolted by me-" Phil's words were suddenly cut off when Dan grabbed his shoulders and kissed him firmly on the lips, effectively muting his words. When he pulled away, Phil felt his heart break when he saw tears beginning to trail down Dan's face as well. "Oh my god... D-Dan, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you, I didn't mean to upset you..."

"Phil, it's okay. I'm not upset with you," Dan insisted. "I'm crying because of those things you said about yourself... Philly, you're not ugly at all, I don't know how you could think those things..."

"But they're all true, Dan..." Phil whispered, dropping his head and staring down at the duvet. "I hate my face, I hate how fat my stomach and thighs are, I hate all these stupid freckles I have everywhere..."

"I don't." Dan interrupted him. "I don't think you're ugly, Phil, not at all. Please... just let me show you how perfect you are." Gently nudging Phil onto his back on the bed, he kissed him again, lovingly caressing his face with one hand and pulling back every few seconds to speak. "I love kissing you... your lips are so soft and nice..." He slipped his fingers up into Phil's hair and gazed into Phil's eyes, which were blown wide and filled with tears. "I love your eyes... they're such a pretty shade of blue, they're so big and beautiful... and I love your hair, I love how soft it is... and I love when I can see your ginger roots, they're so pretty and cute..."

Dan trailed down to Phil's chest, leaving tender kisses across his collarbone and occasionally pausing to suck a hickey on his pale skin. "I love all these little freckles you have... they look like little stars, they make you look like a beautiful galaxy..." He drifted lower and flicked his tongue across one of Phil's nipples, the sudden warmth causing Phil to let out a small gasp and arch his back slightly. Humming quietly, Dan sucked the hardened nub into his mouth, flicking it back and forth with his tongue and gently scraping it with his teeth. Phil moaned and threw his head back almost dramatically, tiny squeaks and whimpers leaving his slightly parted lips.

"Love how sensitive these are..." Dan murmured. His hands trailed down to Phil's tummy, pausing just before he reached the waist of his jeans. Almost immediately, Phil felt tears welling in his eyes, tilting his head upward and blinking quickly in an attempt to keep from crying. Seeing what Phil's reaction was, Dan sat up and kissed him lovingly before turning back to his belly. "God, Phil, I love your tummy so much... it's just the cutest thing ever, honestly. What kills me is how it makes you look adorable and hot at the same time... that's hardly fair, is it? Best of both worlds... that's how perfect you are," he chuckled. He planted a kiss on Phil's tummy just above his belly button, provoking a tiny giggle from his boyfriend.

After tugging his own shirt over his head, Dan unzipped Phil's jeans and tugged them down his legs. Almost immediately, Phil felt his stomach flipping over as Dan looked at his thighs- they looked absolutely enormous and hideous, covered in freckles and birthmarks that stood out way too much. He stifled a little sob in his hand, closing his eyes and letting himself dissolve into tears again.

"Oh god, Phil... Phil, please don't cry, it's okay..." Dan begged, reaching down and hugging Phil tightly. "It's alright, baby boy, tell me what's wrong..."

"My thighs... I hate them so much, they're the ugliest thing ever..." Phil whispered.

"No they're not, baby, don't say that... they're not ugly at all." Shaking his head and moving back to the opposite end of the bed, Dan gently trailed his hand down one side of the V formed by Phil's thighs. "Philly, you're gorgeous... I swear I don't have a thigh kink or anything, but yours are so fucking sexy... do you have any idea what your legs do to me?" Tugging Phil's boxers down his legs, he leaned down and trailed his lips along the sensitive insides of his inner thighs, planting teasing kisses along his skin and causing Phil to begin whimpering and trembling under his touch. Phil let out a soft gasp and began letting out tiny squeaky moans as Dan began leaving kisses and bites along his thighs, causing more dark bruises to appear. He had never realised how sensitive his thighs were, since he usually avoided touching them out of disgust; however, now that Dan was paying so much more attention to them, he felt himself growing more and more aroused at the thought of more contact with them. A mixture of moans and whispered curses escaped his mouth as Dan moved lower, his breath teasingly ghosting over his already hard cock, which was rubbing almost painfully against his stomach. Dan reached down and began slowly stroking Phil, teasingly running his thumb over the slit and provoking a few more moans.

Finally, after a while, Dan pulled his hand away, tugging his own baggy sweatpants and boxers down his legs. "Philly, I need to stretch you now... you're gonna be okay, right?" he asked softly.

Phil nodded eagerly in reply. "I'll be okay... just please be gently, Dan..."

"Of course, I'll be gently, Philly..." Grabbing the bottle of cherry-scented lube from the bedside table, Dan coated his fingers with a healthy amount so he wouldn't hurt Phil. Slipping one hand underneath Phil's hips to hold him steady, he circled Phil's rim with one lubed-up finger, looking up towards Phil to make sure he was okay. "I'm gonna start now, baby boy... tell me if you want me to stop, and I will."

"Phil nodded and took a deep breath, instinctively stiffening up when he felt Dan's finger start to enter him.

"Phil, you've gotta relax, love... if you don't, it's gonna hurt even with the lube..." Dan insisted, rubbing Phil's inner thigh to calm him down.

"Okay, okay... I'll try..." Exhaling loudly, Phil tried his best to relax his muscles and hold still, inhaling sharply as he felt Dan slowly push his finger inside him.

"You alright?" Dan immediately asked.

"It doesn't hurt, it just feels kinda weird... you can keep going, though." Phil replied.

"It'll get better soon, baby, I promise... you're already doing such a good job, Phil, I'm so proud of you..." Dan reassured him. Little by little, Dan began slowly easing his other fingers inside of Phil, stretching his tight hole and slipping his fingers in and out in a scissoring motion that sent waves of pleasure through Phil's body with every motion. Soon, Dan had all three fingers pressed firmly into Phil up to the knuckle and was pumping them in and out, practically finger-fucking him and pushing him almost to the brink of orgasm within a few seconds. Phil was twitching and shaking uncontrollably, moaning loudly as he desperately rutted his hips against Dan's fingers. When Dan eventually removed his fingers, Phil let out a desperate, begging moan, his hips bucking into the air in an attempt to find any sort of friction.

"Shh, shh, baby, calm down..." Dan murmured, leaning down and pecking Phil on the lips. "You'll be able to cum soon, I promise, you've just got to be patient..." He didn't waist a second in lubing up his cock and gripping his boyfriend's hips, lining himself up with Phil's clenching hole. "You ready, baby?"

Phil nodded. "I'm ready, Dan, I want to do this... please hurry, I need you-"

"Alright, babe..." Dan slowly pushed himself into Phil's ass, letting out a soft grunt as he eased himself in all the way and bottoming out. Phil gasped and let out a shaky moan, already feeling overwhelmed by how Dan instantly filled him up. Bracing his hands on Dan's back, he dropped his head into the crook of his neck as he caught his breath.

"Okay, Philly, you want me to start moving now?" Dan asked. When Phil nodded, he began moving his hips forwards and backwards at a steady pace while still staying as slow as possible so Phil could adjust. Once Phil seemed to be okay, he began speeding up and going harder until his was pounding into him at a faster but still steady pace. The unusual and uncomfortable feeling quickly changed into one of immense pleasure for Phil, needy moans and whimpers escaping his lips as he dragged his nails down Dan's back and rocked his hips back up to meet every thrust.

Suddenly, Dan slammed against a spot inside of Phil that felt completely different from before- it caused an overwhelming rush of arousal, overstimulating him to the point of pain. Letting out a borderline scream, Phil felt his entire body shuddering uncontrollably, unsure if he was trying to move towards or away from the stimulation. As Dan immediately stilled his actions, he felt tears welling in his eyes, his chest heaving and his breath coming out in trembling gasps as he desperately tried to recover.

"Shit, Phil, I'm sorry... was I too rough? I didn't mean to hurt you," Dan rushed to say, his voice choked with emotion as he frantically apologised. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I was trying to be gentle..."

"No, no, Dan, it's fine," Phil insisted. "You were being gentle, you were, you just... it felt different for a second, you hit something, it was too much for a second..."

"I think that was your prostate... it must be really sensitive if that happened..." Dan murmured. Slowly, he began experimentally moving his hips again, briefly brushing against that same spot inside of Phil. It wasn't nearly as intense as before, and not nearly as painful; however, it still sent an immense rush of pleasure through Phil, his toes curling and his back arching in an almost perfect C shape off the bed as a sob of pleasure ripped its way from his throat, his eyes screwed shut as he moaned Dan's name like a prayer.

"I barely even touched it that time," Dan whispered, more to himself than Phil, who was whimpering and shaking on the bed with his hips practically spasming with need. He began thrusting again, this time much harder and faster than before while still making sure he wasn't hurting Phil in the process, hitting his prostate with every other thrust. Phil was legitimately sobbing from how amazing it felt, a mixture of curses and moans leaving his mouth as he got closer and closer to his high.

"Come on, baby boy, you'res so close..." Dan reassured Phil, his motions becoming sloppier and more uneven as he got closer to orgasm. "You're doing so good, Philly, cum whenever you're ready..."

With a few more thrusts against his prostate and a scream of his boyfriend's name, Phil felt his entire body tense then relax as his cum spilled over onto his chest, his frame shaking uncontrollably. A few seconds later, Dan let out an unusually high-pitched gasp before cumming inside of Phil, his knees almost collapsing from the intensity. He was barely able to hold up his own weight but somehow managed to pull out in order to keep Phil from getting overstimulated. Phil was vaguely aware that he was crying again, this time from amazement other than shame, reaching up and rubbing his eyes with his hand. "Dan... Danny, that felt amazing," he squeaked out in a soft voice.

"You did so good, love..." Dan smiled, running his fingers through Phil's hair with one hand and wiping away his tears with the other. "Are you okay?"

Phil nodded, becoming slowly aware of just how tired he was growing as the fatigue of being mercilessly fucked into the mattress caught up to him. He let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes, frowning as Dan shook his shoulder. "I'm so tired, Danny..." he whined.

"I know, love, but I've gotta clean you up first... otherwise it's gonna be all sticky and gross in the morning," Dan insisted. "Trust me, you'll feel a lot better if you take a bath and get some pyjamas on..."

"Fine..." Phil pouted. As Dan scooped him up into his arms, he wrapped his legs around his waist and hugged his neck, holding on tight and trying not to fall asleep. Dan carried him into the bathroom and set him down on the edge of the bathtub, turning on the warm water.

"You want a bath bomb?" Dan asked, already retrieving the large basket of bath bombs from the side of the bathtub.

"Can I pick it?" Phis asked eagerly.

"Of course you can, love." Dan smiled and held out the basket.

After a few seconds, Phil held up a black and blue galaxy bath bomb with silver glitter embedded in it. "This one is pretty..."

"Yeah it is!" Dan smiled. "Good choice." He leaned up and gently pecked Phil on the lips. "I love you so much, Phil..."

"I love you too, Dan..." Phil smiled, leaning back down for another kiss.

After about a minute or so of gentle, loving kisses and murmured words, Dan slowly pulled away, giving Phil one final kiss on the nose. "Is the water warm enough for you yet?"

Phil leaned over towards the bathtub, running his hand through the warm water. "Perfect."

Dan smiled and turned off the faucet. "You wanna toss the bath bomb in?"

Eagerly nodding, Phil tossed the bomb into the bath, gasping and staring as the water began bubbling and changing colour. Once it was completely dissolved, he climbed into the bathtub and let out a happy sigh at the warmth, waiting for Dan to get in as well before leaning back between his legs and resting his head on his chest. As Phil relaxed against Dan, drowsily tracing invisible circles on his leg with his finger, Dan began cleaning the drying cum from Phil's chest, thighs, and tummy, pausing occasionally to lean down and kiss the top of his head. By the time he finished, Phil was barely awake, letting out tired squeaks and his head lazily resting on his shoulder.

"Phil, you can't fall asleep yet, love..." Dan chuckled, pulling the plug to drain the bathtub. Once the water drained, Dan helped Phil out onto the bathroom floor and draped a towel around his shoulders before wrapping one around his own waist. "I'm gonna get some pyjamas for us, okay? I'll be right back..."

Phil nodded, watching Dan leave the room as he rubbed the water from his body. Soon, he smiled and watched his boyfriend return with the pyjamas. "Thank you..."

"You're welcome," Dan replied, yanking a white t-shirt over his head and tugging his baggy pyjama pants up to his hips. He then helped Phil pull on an identical pair of pyjama pants and his black eclipse shirt before scooping him up and carrying him back down the hall to the bedroom. He placed him on the matress and lay next to him, pulling the covers over them both.

Letting out a happy giggle, Phil immediately snuggled up to Dan, resting his head on his chest and hugging him. Dan wrapped a protective arm around him, running his fingers through Phil's messy wet hair. "Such a cutie..." he murmured, gently tilting Phil's head up.

Smiling and propping himself up on his arms, Phil gave Dan a quick peck on the lips. Dan gently pulled him down into a deeper kiss, cupping his face in his hands. When the two finally pulled away, Phil dropped his head against Dan's shoulder, letting his eyes drift shut.

"Goodnight, Philly... I love you so much, baby boy." Dan whispered.

"I love you too, Danny." Phil smiled.

Part 1

The sounds of chatter and laughter filled the crowded Starbucks, the sight of people enjoying their drinks and talking amicably with each other putting a smile on Tyler Joseph’s face. His break had just begun, so he was able to finally take a rest from the afternoon drink rush, sitting perched on one of the high-top chairs pushed near a table next to one of the wide glass windows illuminating the entire coffee shop. He didn’t particularly like coffee himself, despite liking making it and serving it for other people, so his fingers were gripping a cup of ice water, the slight condensation on the foam cup soaking through the sleeves of his navy blue sweater.

Tyler let out a little sigh, lowering his gaze back to the contents of the cup. He loved his job, and he put all of his passion and effort into it. It was, quite honestly, the only source of happiness in his life. He had been forced to leave home at the age of 18 by his violent and overbearing parents, who quite frankly wanted nothing to do with him and wanted him out of the house as soon as possible. After graduating high school and just barely managing to make it into a decent college, he had been forced to juggle multiple classes with his job as a Starbucks barista, which thankfully paid a somewhat decent wage. Due to his constantly busy schedule, he had virtually no time for anything other than school and work, leaving him feeling virtually no passion for anything other than making coffee. It was a rather depressing lifestyle, considering he was actually revolted by the sight of coffee and only enjoyed serving it for others, but it gave him a slight bit of satisfaction about his life. Biting his lip as he recalled the events of his sorry life so far, he crossed one leg underneath himself and lowered his head slightly.

The quiet scrape of a chair against the tiles suddenly alerted him to his surroundings. His head snapping up, his eyes fell on a man with fluffy crimson-coloured hair pulling the other seat out and sitting down. His eyes were a stunning shade of brown, his arms covered with multicolored tattoos and a black tank top hugging his upper half. Unable to find his words for a second, he lowered his gaze back down to the tabletop, blinking quickly and nervously swinging his free leg back and forth.

“Hey there…” the man sitting across from him said softly.

“Hm?” Tyler lifted his head, his fingers digging slightly into the styrofoam coffee cup and causing several barely visible indents in the material. What on earth did this intimidating stranger want with him? “Hello…” he said in a barely audible whisper, moving his foot around in slow circles- one of the exercises he found calmed him down in stressful situations. Three circles clockwise, four circles counterclockwise. Three circles clockwise, four circles clockwise…

“You work here?” The man asked, putting his steaming hot latte cup down on the table, far too close to the edge for Tyler’s liking.

“How did you guess?” Tyler managed to stutter out, lowering his hands and gripping them in fists in his lap.

“Your apron,” the man replied, gesturing towards the forest-green apron emblazoned with the white Starbucks logo loosely hanging off Tyler’s frame.

“Oh…” His face heating up with an unhidable blush of embarrassment, Tyler let out a tiny chuckle in an attempt to appear unphased. “Yep, I do. Love it here.” he nodded, pushing a few wayward strands of fluffy brown hair out of his face as he tried to appear even the slightest bit confident.

“That’s good that you like your job…” The man let out a little chuckle, stretching one hand across the table. “The name’s Josh. You’ve got a name too, I’m guessing?” “Yes, ah… Tyler. That’s my name,” Tyler let out a giggle, finding his voice after a short pause. He reached across the table and shook Josh’s hand, not that surprised at how strong his grip was.

“Nice laugh…” Josh chuckled, his eyes traveling slowly over Tyler’s body and taking in every detail. Tyler felt as though he was being scanned by an x-ray machine of some sort, the man before him memorizing every detail of his appearance and personality with his gaze. “Everything about you is pretty nice, actually…”

“Oh, I… I don’t like guys, I’m sorry…” Tyler stuttered out with a little shake of his head.

“You sure? I’m pretty sure a few hours with me might change your mind,” Josh chuckled with a wink that sent uncomfortable shivers up Tyler’s spine.

“I’m very sure.” Tyler nodded, taking a gulp of his water and finishing apart from the partially melted ice cubes that remained at the bottom. “I’m flattered, and I’m sure you’re a really nice person, but I’m not like that. I’m honestly not interested in any sort of relationship at this point, period, never mind one with the same gender…”

“Oh come on… you can’t tell me you haven’t been at least a little bit interested in me. I saw you staring at me when I sat down,” Josh smiled, his eyes darting from Tyler’s eyes down to his slightly visible collarbone and back up again. “You looked like you were just…”

“I was staring because I was confused,” Tyler interrupted, crossing his arms. “Because I didn’t know you and I was wondering why you just sat down near me for no reason. And it’s actually really rude of you to just assume what I was thinking, especially regarding something as sensitive and personal as that,” he continued, frowning and looking down at the tabletop.

“You don’t have to make such a big deal about it, bunny,” Josh replied half-mockingly, one hand traveling under the table and touching upon Tyler’s knee. “All I’m saying is-”

“Leave me alone!” Tyler promptly pulled back and clambered out of the chair to the floor, every inch of his body trembling with suppressed rage and fear as he dug his fingers into his upper arms. “Don’t touch me, and don’t call me bunny.” He spat the last word out as though it was a vile curse, walking as fast as he could away from the table and calling over his shoulder as he headed back towards the counter. “And don’t even think about talking to me again!”

“...you okay, Ty?” asked one of Tyler’s coworkers, Jenna, as Tyler swooped back behind the counter and slammed his hands down so hard several people looked over. “Do you want me to talk to that guy and ask him to leave, or…”

“It’s fine. Just don’t let him come near me. He’s a fucking creep,” Tyler hissed, glaring at Josh and crossing his arms. He let out a little sigh and checked his phone- his break was almost over, and he wasted almost all of it dealing with Josh. Biting his bottom lip hard enough to draw a bit of blood, Tyler turned and faced one of the trays of pastries, breathing heavily and managing to calm himself down eventually. His gaze fell on the slowly growing line of people, taking one more breath and managing to put on a smile as he walked over to resume his shift.

It had begun to rain when Tyler left Starbucks at around six in the afternoon- round, fat drops that fell from the sky and plunked loudly on his black umbrella. Shivering slightly in the late autumn air, Tyler set off down the sidewalk, intent on getting home before the rain got any worse. The soaked multi colored fall leaves stuck to the bottoms of his sneakers as he walked down the deserted sidewalk, and the harsh wind blew his fluffy hair in all directions. Sighing, Tyler kept his eyes on the sidewalk, since looking straight into the wind was stinging his eyes.

A tap on his shoulder stopped Tyler in his tracks as he turned around. A man about the same height as him, dressed in mostly black and wearing a top hat that should have given him a comical appearance but instead somehow made him look elegant and civilized, stood beside him, the shadow from his hat covering most of his face apart from his nose and mouth. He had one hand in his pocket and the other outstretched in front of him, holding a gold pocket watch with a crack in the glass clock face.

“Excuse me…” the man began in a smoky voice. “Could you possibly tell me what time it is? I’m afraid my watch is broken,” he chuckled, gesturing to the broken pocket watch in his hand.

“Oh, it’s…” Tyler pulled his phone out of his pocket and squinted at the time. “6:14 pm, exactly.”

“Oh, dear.” The man frowned. “I’m going to miss my bus now… and I don’t have a way to contact anyone to pick me up. Oh well.” He shrugged, a smile almost instantly appearing on his face. “I’ll simply have to keep walking.”

“It’s raining so much, though… and you don’t have an umbrella.” Tyler bit his lip. “Are you sure you don’t want me to call an Uber for you or something? I’ll pay for it…”

“That’s not necessary, trust me. It’s only about a twenty minute walk to where I live. My apartment is right near the park,” the man replied.

“Oh, my college is right around there too!” Tyler smiled. This man seemed rather interesting and friendly, and a definite improvement from Josh. “If you want, we could walk there together… I have an umbrella, so you won’t get as wet.”

“Thank you very much.” the man nodded, his brown eyes sparkling in the barest hint of light from the streetlight. “I’ll have to repay you somehow, though.”

“You don’t have to, honestly,” Tyler insisted. “I’m just helping you out, you don’t have to do anything in return.”

“But I feel like I should, though. You’re taking time out of your day to walk me to my apartment, after all. I just need to repay you…” the man repeated.

“I mean… if you want to, but it’s honestly not necessary,” Tyler giggled.

The man nodded slowly, a wide smile overtaking his features. “I think I’ll repay you by taking that wallet and jacket off your hands,” he said in a sotto voice.

Tyler frowned at the sudden, threatening change in the man’s words and tone. Before he could ask what he meant or attempt to run away, the man had violently grabbed him and tugged him into a nearby alley, one hand clamped firmly over his mouth and the other slicing at the zipper of his raincoat with a pocket knife that had seemingly materialized out of nowhere. Letting out a muffled yell of protest, Tyler desperately tried to force the man away from him, simultaneously trying to hold onto his jacket that was being ripped away from him. Within seconds, however, the man had ripped the jacket- somehow still in one piece- off his skinny frame and had plunged his hand into his pocket, grabbing his wallet. As soon as he had pulled out the wallet and stuffed it into his own pocket, the man punched Tyler hard in the stomach, knocking the breath out of him and causing tears to well in his eyes out of pain. He sank down to his knees and landed on his side in a mud puddle, unable to even get a scream or yell of help out as the man darted out of the alley.

A split second later, however, there were a few grunts of pain and the clink of metal hitting the ground from around the corner where the man had disappeared. Confused, Tyler attempted to get to his feet to see what was happening, but had to stop and lie back down due to the lingering pain in his stomach. Whimpering with pain as tears dripped down his cheeks and onto the filthy ground of the alley, his eyes widened with utter shock as Josh stepped into the alley holding the jacket and wallet, scratches and cuts covering his arms and parts of his face. Upon seeing Tyler, he immediately darted over to him, dropping to his knees and speaking in a panicked voice. “Oh my god, Tyler, are you okay? What did he do to you? D-do you need to go to the hospital, did he…”

“He punched me in the stomach…” Tyler whispered, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand. “It hurts so much, holy shit…”

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay, Tyler, you’re gonna be okay…” Josh said in a soothing voice, reaching down and running his fingers through Tyler’s hair in a relaxing gesture. “There’s a first aid kit in my car right down the street… I’m gonna run and get it and I’ll be right back, okay? I promise.”

Tyler nodded and watched as Josh got to his feet and ran out of the alley, still crying quietly. Sure enough, in only a minute or so Josh was back, a wave of relief rushing over him when he knew Josh hadn’t abandoned him. “Please hurry, Josh, it hurts…” “Shh, shh, shh, it’s okay, I’ve got you, you’re gonna be okay. I’m gonna need to look at your stomach to see how badly he hit you, okay?” Josh said gently. “I have to lift your shirt up, okay? I’m not gonna try anything, I’m just gonna check out how badly you’re hurt.”

Tyler nodded, pulling up the edge of his sweater and the white shirt underneath with a little bit of effort. He closed his eyes, exhaling softly and preparing for pain as Josh’s hands ghosted over his belly. However, he noticed that Josh was being extremely gentle with him- so gentle, in fact, that it almost seemed like just being touched by him was helping him to feel better.

Within a few minutes, Josh pulled away, wiping his forehead with his arm and managing a little smile. “Okay… you’ll probably have a bruise for a few days, but it’s not anything serious. Your clothes are soaked, though,” he murmured, gesturing towards the mud puddle that Tyler was still lying in.

“Oh… I’ll be fine.” Tyler mumbled, pulling himself out of the mud puddle and managing to get to his feet.

“You’re already shivering…” Josh frowned, reaching forward and putting a hand on Tyler’s shaking shoulder. “I have an extra jacket in my car… you can wear it, and I could drive you home if you want…”

“Thank you… thank you so much…” Tyler smiled, feeling tears of gratitude welling in his eyes,

“You’re welcome, b….” Josh trailed off, stopping himself from saying the word “bunny” and instead finishing the sentence with “...Tyler.” He sighed and shook his head. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay, honestly,” Tyler insisted through chattering teeth, rubbing the goosebumps rising on the back of his neck.

“God, you’re shaking… come on, come with me…” Gently looping one arm around Tyler’s shoulders, hugging his trembling form close in an attempt to keep him warm, Josh led him out of the alley and down the street towards the only car on the street, which Tyler presumed was his. As soon as they got into the car, Tyler scrambled into the front seat, tucking his knees up to his chin and shivering violently. He felt Josh draping the jacket over his shoulders and he quickly tugged it on, seeing that it was much too big on him- the sleeves of the camouflage jacket covered his hands, and the fabric hung loosely on his body. Zipping the jacket up to his neck, Tyler closed his eyes, covering the lower half of his face with one of the too-long sleeves, feeling a bit better.

“You feel alright now?” Josh asked as he sat in the driver’s seat and turned the ignition.

“Yes… thank you.” Tyler smiled, poking his hand out of the oversized sleeves.

“You’re welcome,” Josh smiled, pushing a few strands of crimson hair out of his eyes. “What’s your address?”

“My dorm’s at the college right near the park,” Tyler replied with a little nod. “Actually, wait, hold on…”

“Is something wrong?” Josh asked quietly with a frown.

“That guy who tried to steal my stuff… should we go to the police station and tell them what happened?” Tyler asked.

“Ah, shit, you’re right… I didn’t even think about that, I’m such a dumbass…” Josh let out a dry chuckle. “We should probably stop there first.” His eyes drifted towards Tyler as he put one hand on his shoulder. “You’re going to be okay, right?”

“I will. I’ll be fine,” Tyler replied with a little nod. Josh appeared to have completely changed from a few hours ago. Rather than shamelessly flirting with him and harassing him, he was being the kindest person in the world, making sure he was a hundred percent okay. Judging from how sincere he seemed in his words, and how he had been close to tears when he found Tyler lying on the ground, it seemed as though the flirtatious personality from before was but a farce. For the first time since they had met, Tyler felt something different towards Josh- not disgust, not embarrassment, but something genuinely positive and happy that he couldn’t quite describe. He wrapped his arms around himself, nuzzling deep into the warmth of the jacket as Josh began driving.

After filing the police report and driving back to the college, Josh insisted on going as far as to get a visitor’s pass from the front office, just so he could walk Tyler to his dorm and make sure he was completely okay before he left. Tyler couldn’t help but notice the strange looks he got from a few people as they walked down the hallway to their dorm- not only did Josh appear to be at least two or three years older than him, but he stood out greatly with his vibrantly colored hair and tattoos. Not to mention Josh hadn’t removed his arm from around his shoulders since they stepped out of the car, the simple action causing Tyler’s cheeks to heat up and turn a vibrant pink.

When the two of them reached Tyler’s door room, which was completely plain compared to the other doors in the hallway, Tyler fumbled in his wallet for the key to his room. As he unlocked the door, he heard Josh mumble something. “Hm?”

“I guess I have to go now…” Josh repeated with a little laugh.

“Yeah…” Tyler nodded and turned around, shrugging the jacket off his shoulders and handing it back to Josh. As he returned the jacket, he felt Josh press something into the pad of his hand, closing his fingers around it. “What are you…”

“Just hang onto it, please.” Josh insisted with a smile.

“...okay.” Tyler nodded with a shrug. “Hey, um, before you go… I just wanna say that I’m sorry.”

“What for?”

“I was wrong about you… you’re actually a really, really, really nice guy, Josh. I shouldn’t have judged you based on my first impression,” Tyler murmured.

“Tyler, you don’t have to apologize, honestly…” Josh frowned and shook his head. “I shouldn’t have acted that way back there… I should have just left you alone, I shouldn’t have made you uncomfortable like that…” He reached forward and pulled Tyler into a gentle hug, letting out a little sigh that tickled the baby-fine hairs on the back of his neck. “I’m so sorry…”

“I forgive you, Josh, it’s okay,” Tyler insisted, rubbing a hand up and down Josh’s back in a calming gesture.

“You sure?” Josh asked as he pulled away.

“One hundred percent sure.” Tyler nodded with a wide smile, pushing a few strands of hair out of his face.

Josh nodded, shrugging the camouflage jacket back on his shoulders. “Okay… I should probably get going now…”

“I guess…” Tyler let out a little sigh. “I’ll text you later…”

“But you never asked for my number?”

“I have a feeling you wrote it on whatever you put in my hand,” Tyler giggled. He opened his palm and glanced down- sure enough, on the slightly wrinkled Starbucks on his hand was written a phone number, in purple Sharpie.

“Well, look at that… you were right.” Josh let out a chuckle.

Tyler nodded with a wide grin, leaning against the doorframe. “So yeah, I guess I will text you later.”

Josh smiled, reaching out and gently ruffling Tyler’s hair before turning on his heel. “Stay safe, Ty.” And with his words of parting he set off down the hall, soon disappearing through the doorway to the elevator. Tyler watched him go down the hall all the way before turning and closing the door, his heart absolutely soaring in his chest and pounding so hard it threatened to burst right through his shirt.

I think I found someone who made me happy.

Part 2

One Month Later

“I think they’re scared of you…” Tyler whispered with a chuckle, gesturing towards a group of students from his college sitting at an outdoor cafe as they walked down the sidewalk together. The students appeared to be confused and intimidated by the sight of Tyler holding onto the sleeve of Josh, who was at least two or three inches taller than him.

“Maybe…” Josh let out a little chuckle and shrugged. “What movie do you wanna watch when we get back to your dorm?”

“It doesn’t matter, you can pick.” Tyler smiled, resting his forehead against Josh’s arm and hugging it.

“What are you doing?” Josh asked with a laugh, reaching down and playfully ruffling Tyler’s hair.

“I don’t know…” Tyler murmured against Josh’s arm. Ever since the two had met a month ago, they had grown closer than Tyler had expected. They spent almost every single weekend together at Josh’s house, usually watching Disney movies while his dog Jim sat on top of them trying to eat the popcorn. Tyler had also managed to determine within three days that Josh gave the best hugs in the world, since he received one approximately every twenty minutes when they were together. Even though he had doubted himself and denied it at first, Tyler found himself slowly falling completely and hopelessly in love with him.

Josh didn’t seem to return his feelings, however. Ever since Tyler had blatantly told him again and again in Starbucks when they first met that he didn’t like guys, he hadn’t tried to make any sort of romantic gesture towards him, other than the constant hugging. He hadn’t given him any more pet names, he hadn’t tried to kiss him or tell him anything affectionate, he hadn’t called any of their outings or get-togethers a date, even though that was pretty much what they were. Tyler had tried showing Josh how he felt, dropping as many hints as possible, eventually going so far as to give him the ridiculous childlike nickname of Jishwa, but nothing worked. Josh had even passed the nickname off as a friendly gesture, murmuring something about how silly Tyler was as he ruffled his hair and pulled him into his arms.

Tyler felt a little pang of heartbreak as he recalled the memory, biting his bottom lip and clinging tighter to Josh’s arm. He felt tears of frustration beginning to well in his eyes and quickly tried to blink them away. Keeping his grip on Josh’s arm, he turned his head away so he wouldn’t get tears on Josh’s hoodie, breathing heavily and shaking his head back and forth. The emotions he had been keeping to himself for the past month were beginning to push their way forward, and he couldn’t hide it anymore.

“Tyler?” Josh frowned, gently shaking Tyler’s shoulder. He turned and bent down to Tyler’s level, pushing his hair out of his face. “Hey… are you crying? What’s wrong?”

Tyler shook his head, stepping backwards away from Josh until his back bumped against the outside wall of the bookstore they were walking by, shaking his head involuntarily and his hands clutched in tight fists and drawn up to his chest. “Don’t…” he whispered, unsure of what he was saying as tears blurred his vision and his limbs began to shake. He felt his knees buckle beneath him as he sank to the ground, dropping his head into his hands as he started sobbing and curling his body in on himself. He felt Josh’s hands on his shoulders but ignored him, pathetic whines and sobs that bordered on screams ripping their way from his throat despite his knowledge that people walking by were staring and watching.

“Ty, please, I need you to listen to me… you’ve gotta take deep breaths and calm yourself down, okay?” Josh’s words managed to push their way through the thick fog of his hysteria. “Put your hand on my chest and copy how I’m breathing…” Despite his panic, Tyler put his hand on Josh’s chest, keeping his head lowered as he tried desperately to match the rate of the rise and fall of his chest.

Then suddenly Josh’s hands were violently ripped from his shoulders, causing him to almost topple over. Tyler lifted his head and gasped when he saw the same man who had attacked him just a month ago, pinning Josh to the ground and punching him again and again. Josh was trying desperately to push the man off of him while trying to shield his chest and face, but to no avail.

Letting out a scream of protest, Tyler scrambled to his feet, tears still blurring his vision as he rushed towards Josh and the man fighting on the ground. Without thinking, he began slamming his fists as hard as he could against the man’s back, trying to do whatever he could to force him away. However, this proved to be ineffective, as the man was able to simply swat Tyler away like he was a bug on his shoulder. Tyler tumbled to the ground and quickly got back up again, trying to hit every inch of the man that he could. This time, rather than simply pushing him away, the man took his attention off of Josh and grabbed Tyler by the neck, slamming him the ground so hard he saw stars before beginning to tighten his grip. Gasping for breath but finding nothing, Tyler desperately struggled against his firm grip, his fingers scrabbling at the man’s hands and his lungs already aching from the lack of oxygen.

A split second later, Tyler felt the man’s hands being torn away from his neck, the nails digging slightly into his flesh as they left and leaving scratches along his skin. Letting out a tiny yelp of pain and gasping in air, Tyler stayed still on the ground, still shaking from the intensity of having his air taken away. He saw that the man was being pinned to the ground by someone who appeared to be a police officer, a rush of relief rushing though his body.

Suddenly, Tyler felt Josh picking him up and pulling him into a tight hug, squeezing him like a stuffed animal. “Oh my god, Tyler, oh my god… please tell me you’re alright, please, talk to me…”

“J-Jishwa! I’m fine, I’m okay,” Tyler insisted, his eyes widening as he saw tears trailing down Josh’s face. “Please don’t cry… it’s okay, I’m not hurt…” He reached up and began rubbing the tears away with the pad of his thumb, his heart breaking when he saw the open cuts and bruises that had already appeared on Josh’s face and neck.

“I thought I was gonna lose you…” Josh whispered, tangling his fingers in Tyler’s fluffy hair and blinking slowly as he gazed into his eyes. “I couldn’t let that happen to you, I just couldn’t… I thought you were gonna die…”

“Oh god, Josh… it’s okay, Jishwa, I’m not dead…” Looping his arms around Josh’s neck, Tyler pulled him into a hug, holding him close and letting the taller man cry quietly into his shoulder. He could see several other police officers approaching, and he could hear the faint siren of an ambulance approaching, and held on tight to his friend, whispering softly into his ear. “It’s okay, Josh, I’m alive… I’m not gonna leave you…”

|-/

The two were allowed to leave the hospital after only a few hours, since neither of them had any injuries apart from minor cuts and bruises. The police told them the man went by the name Brendon and had several major felonies, including robbery and breaking and entering. After they left the hospital and got back to Josh’s house, Tyler noticed that the red haired man was still extremely quiet. Josh was curled up on the end of the couch with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his hoodie with his head lowered and his his hair hanging in his face.

“Josh… Josh, please talk to me…” Tyler whispered, climbing onto the couch near Josh. He curled up and nuzzled against Josh’s side, resting his head against his back and slipping his arms around his waist. “I hate seeing you this upset… please tell me what’s wrong, Jishwa…”

With a quiet sigh, Josh replied, “I’m sorry… I was just so worried when that guy attacked you, I was worried he was gonna hurt you or kill you… I don’t know what I would do without you, Ty.” He turned over so that he was facing Tyler, touching his temple and trailing his hand down to his chin. “I couldn’t go on without you… you just mean so, so, much to me…”

“Josh? What… are you trying to say?” Tyler asked softly, his fingers reaching out and settling on Josh’s shoulders as a heavy blush began settling over his face.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is… I love you.” Josh dropped his head, biting his bottom lip and squeezing his eyes shut. “I tried to deny it for so long, because you said you didn’t like guys and that you weren’t interested, and I didn’t wanna push you into anything… but I just love you so much, Ty, I’m sorry…”

“Josh, you don’t have to apologize, honestly…” Tyler reached up and gently lifted up Josh’s head, frowning when he saw the taller male beginning to cry again. “Hey, hey, it’s alright, please don’t cry…”

“But I know you don’t feel the same way and I know you’re mad at me now and you’re gonna leave and never talk to me again…” Josh blurted, shaking his head quickly.

“Joshie… Josh, I’m not mad at you, I’m not gonna leave,” Tyler whispered. “And I do feel the same way, honestly.”

“Tyler, you don’t have to say that. I know you’re just trying to make me feel better.” Josh shook his head again.

“I’m not just saying it, Josh, I mean it. I really do…” Tyler inisted, nodding slowly. “I really do love you, I want you to believe me…”

“Prove it.” Josh lowered his head, biting his bottom lip and rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand. “Prove to me in some way that you actually love me, and maybe you’ll believe me.”

Tyler hesitated for a few moments, his gaze rapidly shifting from Josh’s eyes to his lips and back up again. Taking a deep breath and working up as much courage as he could, he stood up on his knees, grabbing Josh’s shoulders and leaning up to kiss him. The kiss lasted for only a few moments and was much too hesitant for Tyler’s liking- his lips just barely brushed against Josh’s before he pulled away involuntarily- but it seemed to prove his point to Josh. As soon as Tyler pulled away, he saw that Josh’s eyes had widened, his mouth open in a huge smile.

“...does that prove it to you?” Tyler asked hesitantly, settling back down on the couch.

Instead of giving a verbal response, Josh practically tackled Tyler flat on his back, tangling his fingers in his hair and kissing him again and again. Tyler let out a startled squeak, managing to realize what was happening and fell back into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Josh’s neck and pulling him closer. When the two broke apart after several long moments, both of them were visibly flushed and breathing heavily.

“That proves it,” Josh murmured with a wide smile.

“I love you so much, Jishwa…” Tyler smiled back, lacing his fingers in Josh’s scarlet hair.

“I love you too, Ty…” Josh smiled, dropping his head onto Tyler’s chest and curling up in a little ball. To anyone else, it might have been a peculiar sight; the significantly larger and older man nuzzled up to him like a cat. But it was absolutely perfect for the two of them. Tyler smiled and wrapped his arms around Josh, hugging him tightly and running one hand through his fluffy hair. Josh let out a soft giggle as Tyler’s fingers tickled his head, letting his eyes fall closed gradually.

“Are you gonna fall asleep?” Tyler asked softly.

“Maybe…”

“Joshie, it’s only three in the afternoon…” Tyler giggled. “What about that movie we were gonna watch?”

“Oh yeah.” Josh chuckled and smiled. “I forgot…”

“We could just stay like this if you want…” Tyler suggested.

“That sounds just as good.” Josh replied, wrapping his arms around Tyler and relaxing against him completely. Resting his chin on top of Josh’s head, Tyler kept the taller man close to him protectively, even though the two were perfectly safe alone in the room. His lips silently formed the words “I love you” over and over again as he gazed down at Josh, feeling an overwhelming rush of affection for him in that moment.

I found someone who made me happy.

Tyler had never learned how to swim. When he was in first grade his mother had signed him up for swimming lessons at the local youth center. He had been excited for weeks leading up to it- he had begged his mother to buy him a new swimsuit, a pair of red swimming trunks with a black skull pattern on them. In his little six-year-old mind, he could already see himself like one of the swimmers his father had shown him during the Olympics, a rush of happiness and childlike eagerness filling him every time he thought of it.

But when the day finally came, things weren’t at all how he had expected- the instructor he had been partnered with, a teenage boy with greasy brown hair down to his waist and piercings in seemingly every part of his body, had decided that the first method Tyler had to be taught was how to hold his breath underwater. The instant Tyler’s mom had left the pool area, after promising him that she would be back in ten minutes to check on him, the teenager had pushed his head under the water without even giving him a chance to get a breath. Due to the limited amount of oxygen already in his lungs when he had been shoved beneath the surface of the water, it was only a few seconds before he reached his breaking point, his mouth involuntarily opening and allowing water to rush into his windpipe. Overwhelming panic rushing through his body, he tried desperately to move his limbs in an attempt to break free from the iron grips on the back of his neck. His mind was racing, unable to form a single coherent thought other than the one voice at the back of his head that was screaming you’re going to die, you’re going to die over and over again.

Then suddenly he was being pulled from the water by the back of his neck, being barely given a chance to cough the salty, chlorine-filled water from his mouth and take in a breath before being plunged back beneath the suffocating liquid. It was torture for Tyler as the process was repeated over and over again; every brief moment of possible hope as he was allowed to breathe being promptly flattened as he was shoved back in the water, his head spinning from the lack of oxygen and the repetitive motion of his head being tossed back and forth as he was pulled to and from the water, like he was slamming his head against a wall. When his vision began shifting to a faded, tainted yellow, Tyler was vaguely aware of a little voice in the back of his head, whispering quietly over the panic in his mind- that’s a very pretty yellow. The thought lingered in his head for a few more seconds, the single coherent thought that it was indeed a very pretty shade of yellow, before his vision cut out completely to black, like a television being switched off with a single press of a button.

He had awoken in the hospital, surrounded by various machines that beeped and lit up randomly and terrified him. He already didn’t like the hospital, since the first visit he could remember when he had wiped out on his tricycle in the driveway and gotten a particularly nasty scrape on his knee that required stitches- the smell of antiseptic, the occasional screaming and yelling of distressed patients in their room, how everything was an uncomfortably bright and blinding white… it was far too much for him to handle then, and especially not now in this already panicked and confused state. Most of Tyler’s time in the hospital was spent under heavy sedation, since he would go into a borderline panic attack state if he wasn’t. He didn’t bring up the swimming lessons after he was released from the hospital- in fact, he didn’t want to learn how anymore, and he’d be much better off never seeing another pool for the rest of his life. But despite his best efforts, here he was, almost eleven years later, his fists clenching the pastel yellow fabric of his favorite hoodie, his eyes widening and his chest rising and falling at a rapid rate as he stared at the in-ground pool just a few feet of grey patio tile away from him.

“Tyler, you gonna get in or what? You’ve been standing there for like ten minutes…” Jenna called from the deep end of the pool, her blonde hair illuminated by the strands of yellow and white fairy lights strung high above the water. They were one of the few sources of light outside the house, the sun having set an hour or so ago and the moon shining bright in the summer sky.

Tyler nodded slowly, putting his hands in his hoodie pockets to hide his shaking fingers. “I will, Jenna, in like five minutes…” He let out a brief sigh, shuffling his bare feet back and forth and shivering slightly due to the cold marble against them.

“It’s been more than five minutes already, come on!” One of Jenna’s friends called from somewhere near her. When Jenna had invited Tyler to her house, he hadn’t counted on twelve of her friends that he didn’t know being there as well. He had spent most of the time so far sticking close to Jenna’s side, far too intimidated to engage in conversation with the others.

“...okay, fine, make some room for me! I’m coming in!” Tyler forced out with as wide a smile as he could muster. As his ears were filled with the whoops and cheers of the others, he stripped down to his boxers, his shaking hands making it extremely difficult to remove his clothing. Kicking the articles of clothing off to the edge of the patio where they wouldn’t get soaked with pool water, he got down in a crouch by the edge of the edge of the water, staring down at the greyish, almost black, reflection of the sky. He slowly touched the surface of the water, allowing his fingertips to dip below the surface of it as the tiny ripples washed over his fingers. The pool seemed to be heated, which meant that it wasn’t deathly cold like the last time he had been in water. He removed his fingers from the water and let out a little sigh, mentally willing himself to move into the pool slowly. Just stay calm, it’ll be fine… if you stay near the edge in the shallow end, you should be fine. Just act normal and you’ll…

But Tyler’s logical thinking quickly turned to a flurry of panic when he suddenly found himself in the water, unable to tell which way was up, the bodies of the people in the water only represented by dark shapes on an even darker background. A slight thought flashed through his mind like lightning- somebody pushed me- before it was gone and replaced with panicked nonsense. His arms and legs slammed against the walls and bottoms of the pool, a single muted scream of terror ripping its way through his throat before being stifled by the rush of water into his throat. His head was spinning already, that familiar shade of yellow soaking its way into his line of vision as he fought against the feeling of hands on the back of his neck, his fear taking him back to the first time the teenage swimming instructor had plunged him into the pool.

When Tyler felt himself being pulled back above the surface, he immediately tried to get loose, his utter terror at being shoved back beneath the dark unknown, water-choked screams escaping his lips as he tried to pull himself over the edge of the pool. Even though his eyes were closed, he could almost picture himself being held in the grip of the swimming instructor, about to be pushed back beneath the water in one merciless motion. Only when he felt the cold marble patio pressing against his back as he was pushed over the edge and back onto solid ground did he open his eyes and realize that he wasn’t at the youth center, about to be shoved underneath the water. He wasn’t on the water anymore, and he was alive. Disoriented, shaky, and on the verge of tears, but still alive.

Someone was suddenly yelling, shaking his shoulder, and waving a hand in front of his face. As Tyler tried to focus on his surroundings as his vision came into focus, he slowly realized that it was one of Jenna’s friends, who appeared to be a year or two older than him. The thing that Tyler first focused on was his dark green hair, which appeared to be still in a semi-fluffy state despite being soaked with water. There was also a variety of tattoos covering his body, the most noticeable one being a colorful image of a tree that covered his entire right arm. Even though his vision was still blurry from the tears and pool water clinging to his eyelashes, he could still make out most of his features. Tyler reached up and grabbed the male’s left bicep, holding onto it tightly in an attempt to ground him. “Don’t leave…” he choked out, coughing some pool water up in the process and wincing as the chlorine stung the inside of his mouth and throat.

“It’s Tyler, right? Tyler, just breathe for me…” The male said in a calming though slightly shaky voice, pushing a few strands of Tyler’s soaked hair out of his face. “You’re okay, you’re out of the water, you’re not in danger…” Tyler nodded, gripping his arm tighter as he squeezed his eyes shut and continued to cough up water, letting out pathetic half-sobs as his left hand involuntarily grabbed at nothing. When he felt the male’s own hand ghosting over his own empty one, he grabbed it as hard as he could, lacing their fingers together tightly.

When Tyler eventually managed to calm himself down most of the way, finally laying still on the patio apart from the occasional twitches of his head and left hand, he continued to cough every few minutes, attempting to clear any remaining water from his lungs. Apart from the ache in his chest and throat and the stinging of his lower arm- he had somehow managed to scrape it and open a small cut while he was in the water- he felt okay. The green-haired boy had stood up and was currently screaming at one of the other people in the pool at the moment. “You kidding me, Jason? Why the fuck would you push him?”

“I didn’t know he was gonna flip out like that, Josh! Shut the hell up!” Jason yelled back.

“You could have killed him! What the hell were you thinking?”

Tyler shook his head as he lay on the ground, digging the fingers of his right hand into his sopping wet hair. “Stop yelling… stop yelling!” he begged, the first part in a whisper and the second part a near scream, already on the verge of tears again.

Almost immediately, the boy- Josh- was at his side again, gently pushing his fingers through his hair and whispering calm words to him. “Hey, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I won’t yell anymore… you want me to take you inside where it’s quieter?” he asked softly.

Tyler nodded and latched his arms around Josh’s neck, holding on as tight as he could. As Josh picked him up and held him close to his chest as he carried him inside through the slightly tarnished glass sliding doors, he could feel himself becoming surprisingly relaxed, his hyper heart rate slowing down to a normal level and the shaking of his head and left hand completely dying away. He continued to hold on tight and closed his eyes, shivering slightly as the cool air conditioning of the house raised goosebumps over his wet skin. He only chose to let go when Josh set him down on the edge of the kitchen counter, letting his legs dangle over the edge as he wrapped his arms around himself in an attempt to keep warm. His head was bowed slightly and his gaze was focused on the water dripping down his legs onto the floor, so he was caught a bit off-guard when he felt some sort of fabric being draped around his shoulders. Slightly confused, he picked up the item and examined it. It was a light green hoodie, the kind that zipped up completely around your face, with a cartoonish alien face on the part that covered your head.

“You can wear it if you’re cold…” Josh smiled when Tyler glanced up at him. “You seemed chilly, so…”

“I don’t wanna get water all over it, though…” Tyler mumbled, frowning slightly as some water from his fingertips began to seep into the soft material of the hoodie.

“It’s okay, honestly. I care more about you being okay than a hoodie getting soaked,” Josh shrugged, draping the hoodie back around Tyler’s shoulder. “Just put it on… you’re shivering so much…” he frowned.

“Okay, okay, I will…” Tyler pushed his arms into the sleeves and tugged the hood over his head. The hoodie was clearly a few sizes too big for him, his fingertips just barely managing to poke out of the sleeves and the hood partially draping in front of his eyes. However, it made him significantly warmer in just a few seconds, and he quickly zipped it up to his neck, managing his first real smile in what felt like hours.

“Is that better?” Josh asked in a murmur, leaning against the kitchen counter with his hands on either side of Tyler’s hips.

“Yes… much better,” Tyler replied with a quick nod, his face beginning to heat up as he realized just how close their two faces were. “Thank you for helping me,” he added, pushing a few strands of wet hair out of his eyes and keeping part of the sleeve over the lower half of his face in a poor attempt to hide the blush embarrassingly making its way across his cheeks.

“That’s good… you need anything else right now?” Josh raised an eyebrow.

“No… don’t go, though, please…” Tyler said quickly, reaching out and grabbing hold of Josh’s shoulder. “I don’t want you to leave yet…”

“Don’t worry, I’m not leaving any time soon.” Josh shook his head, pushing a few strands of green hair out of his face. “I’ll stay as long as you need me to.”

“Thank you.” Tyler smiled, letting his hand drop from Josh’s shoulder into his lap. “...can I have a hug, please?”

“Aw, of course…” Josh leaned forward and hugged Tyler, almost lifting him off the counter due to how tightly he was embracing him. Feeling his heart pounding in his chest, Tyler wrapped his arms around Josh’s neck, holding on tightly and feeling his heart pounding rapidly in his chest in the best way possible- it was entirely possible that Josh gave the best hugs in the entire universe. Just like before, he felt safe and protected, like nothing could possibly hurt him. In this moment, he was also aware of just how exhausted he was- every muscle in his body seemed to ache slightly, his eyelids threatening to drift shut any moment. He let out a little yawn, dropping his head against Josh’s shoulder in fatigue.

“You tired?” Josh asked, rubbing a hand up and down Tyler’s back in a relaxing gesture.

“M-hm…” Tyler nodded, clinging tightly to Josh as he closed his eyes. He felt Josh lifting him up and moving across the room, and he continued to hold on, not planning to let go any time soon. Soon, he felt Josh lying down on his back on the couch, putting his arms around his waist and hugging him. He opened one eye, glancing up towards the green-haired boy he was clinging to. “What are you doing?” “Get some rest if you need to.” Josh pushed his fingers through Tyler’s hair underneath his hoodie, playfully teasing it and fluffing it up.

“Don’t you wanna go back outside with everyone? I’m sure that’d be more fun for you…” Tyler insisted.

“It’s fine, honestly. Like I said, I’ll stay as long as you need me to.” Josh smiled, gently drumming his fingers on Tyler’s lower back in a motion that somewhat mimicked rain falling onto a glass window. “Get some rest, okay? I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Tyler nodded, letting his eyes drift closed as he curled up in a little ball on Josh’s chest and nuzzling his head against his shoulder. For the first time since the evening began, he felt truly safe and protected- he had no idea why, but this boy wanted to keep him as happy and protected as possible, and he was happier than ever. The last thing that went through his mind was simple, but the most relaxing thing he could imagine: His eyes are such a nice shade of brown..