#topfic

what can I say? Epilepsy is a GIGANTIC FUCK and I hate it for taking away one of the things I really enjoyed doing ( and liked about myself). Writing has always been one of my biggest outlets and I miss being an active writer ( you can find my fics on my AO3 page )

Love Song Series

There is a playlist on Spotify called ‘You and Me’. I have decided to start a loosely affiliated drabble series based on these songs - one for each song. This drabble is part of that series.

Welcome to ‘Love Songs’.

Raincoat

Word Count: 1573

Summary: Soulmate AU where if you aren’t with your soul mate you suffer from love frostbite. JoshxReader

Notes: This drabble is based on the song ‘Raincoat’ by Timeflies and SHY Martin.

Also, I know the pic of Josh looks like he has black lipstick... trust the story.

You crossed your legs, the right over the left, and sighed. Your eyes glanced up to your boyfriend - if you could call him that. He was laughing with some other guys across the room, it was the first time this week you had seen him happy. You understood why. Your gaze wandered down to your own hands, that black leeching its way from the fingertips had made it all the way to your second knuckle now. You imagined the same black had wormed its way around your heart, and his.

It couldn’t be helped.

You were Sundered.

The black on your fingers, toes, and lips gave you away.

It was a fate you could never explain. Something that those who didn’t carry it couldn’t understand. The tingling and then numbness that followed the black as it changed your skin. The same thing that happened to your emotions. The numbness that seemed to fill your life.

You twirled your drink in your glass contemplating how you would explain to your mother the next time you saw her when the knife twist in your stomach caused your breath to catch in your chest.

Your hands clutched the edge of the table you were sitting at as you turned to look at the entrance of the club. You could see him, just beyond the frame of the door. He was paying for himself and the blonde that stood next to him.

Your soulmate.

Your breathing returned rapidly as panic spread through your limbs, the most vivid thing you had felt in months. Your right inner wrist began to burn and you rested your left hand over the black blotch that seemed to heat your skin from within.

Your eyes couldn’t leave him, you watched as he took her hand in his and they made their way into the main room of the only club that would allow the Sundered through its doors. As soon as his foot stepped past the door frame you saw it, that look of knowing on his face. He felt it too.

The blonde slipped away from his side, seeing someone she knew. But he remained where he was, his eyes locked with yours.

Time stopped. But only for a heartbeat.

You tore your eyes from his and looked at your boyfriend who was still laughing with his friends. You willed him to look at you, to catch your mental cue to leave. But he continued to laugh and talk with those around him.

The tightness in your chest pinched down harder and harder and you knew he was crossing the room to you now. His eyes on your back.

You stiffened when he came into view, coming up from your right side and standing at the other side of the table.

“Do you mind if I sit with you, Y/N?” His voice hadn’t changed. It was the same voice that haunted your nightmares and filled your best dreams.

“Of course not,” you try to feign disinterest, but you know he can see the shaking of your hands. “I see you’re here with Lauren.”

“Yeah,” his eyes glance to where the blonde is standing with her friends and settle on his own hands, the black fingertips resting on the table. “It’s just easy, you know?”

“I know,” you glance to where Travis is standing, still smiling, completely unaware of the pain you are feeling.

“It’s good to see you, Y/N,” his shoulders finally release some of the tension they had been holding.

“You too, Josh,” you let loose a shaky sigh and rub your fingers over the black mark on your right wrist.

“I just don’t know if I can do this anymore!” you yelled, finally saying the words out loud. “You’re gone all the time, and I’m always here alone and I can’t stand it.” The tears you had been fighting back were falling now, hot and full of the emotions you had both been fighting.

“Are we really doing this?” Josh’s voice was soft as the realization of where all your fighting was leading settled over the two of you.

“I think so.” You could feel your heart breaking. It had been wonderful in the beginning. The two of you together. You couldn’t have imagined someone fitting in your life so well, so completely. But he had. It was his absence from your life that was the problem. Since the fame of Twenty One Pilots had risen he was home less and less and the completeness he had brought into your life along with him.

You would rather he be gone all the time forcing you to learn to cope with the hole than the constant flitting in and out.

You would rather deal with the fallout of not being with him than the pain of him being around and then gone.

“If this is what you want, Y/N,” you could hear the pain in his voice, “then I won’t argue anymore.”

“I think that it would be best,” you watched as your fingers wrung the blanket in your lap.

“I guess,” he stood from the couch and crossed your living room to the front door, “this is goodbye then.”

You only nodded.

You fiddled with the half-full cup now as your fingers had the blanket then.

“You aren’t here alone, are you?” his fingers continued to lightly drum on the table top.

“No, I’m here with Travis,” you motioned with your head towards where he was standing about twenty-five feet away.

“Are you two...” Josh turned to look at him, his question trailing off when he saw the large black swirls arching over the man’s skin all the way to the elbows, down his jaw and neck.

“His wife died three years ago,” you jumped to explain. “They lived in an apartment down the hall. I kinda look like her, so it’s, you know…” you hold your hands in the air with a light chuckle, “easy.”

“Yeah,” he turned back around, his fingers returning to drumming.

Silence. Heavy, full silence. Your whole body hummed into that silence. It screamed at you. The burning on your wrist deepened.

“Do you ever think about that night?” his eyes were on the ground, studying some unknown spot.

“All the time,” you breathed.

The two of you laughed as you tumbled into your living room.

“I’m so sorry!” you steadied yourself against him, your hands on his chest. “I didn’t mean to hog the umbrella. Let me get you a towel.”

“Yeah,” he was grinning, “okay.”

You hurried out of the room, your skin flushed from being so close to him. You couldn’t stop smiling.

You changed into your own warm pajamas and grabbed an oversized shirt from college and a towel for Josh.

“Here you go…” you froze as you rounded the corner into your living room.

Josh had taken off his soaked jacket and shirt, leaving him topless in just his shorts.

“Wow-” he breathed but was cut off by a wince of pain as he grabbed his right wrist.

You hissed yourself at the scraping, burning across your own skin. When you removed your hand from your wrist your eyes widened. It was there in the thin skin over your tendons and veins, his name.

Josh

You look at him and his eyes were as wide as yours. He held out his wrist and on it, in your handwriting was your name.

“You forgot your raincoat, so I walked you home,” he smiled softly.

“I forgot it on purpose because I wanted you before this ever happened,” your fingers idly ran over your right wrist. Over the black that blocked out his name.

His eyes snapped up and met yours.

The knife in your stomach twisted again.

“You what?” his brows knit together.

“I forgot my raincoat on purpose,” you studied his face, there was something in his eyes you couldn’t work out.

He grabbed your hand in his and pulled you away from the table. You didn’t have time to react as he led you towards the hallway that led to the bathrooms. You couldn’t fight him. All you could do was focus on the feeling that was suddenly returning to your fingers as they rubbed against his. The heat was exquisite.

He pulled you into the dark hallway and pushed you against a wall. His hands were on either side of your head as he leaned in closer. You could feel the heat of his body as it hovered over yours.

“Say it again,” he breathed, “please.”

Your eyes searched his, seeing the same desperation in him that you felt in yourself.

“I forgot my raincoat on purpose,” you whispered.

His hands cupped your face and his lips pressed against yours with an urgency you were eager to rise to meet. The numbness in your fingertips, in your lips, around your heart melted away and for the first time in six months, you could feel.

Josh pulled away and rested his forehead against yours. “I can’t stop thinking about you, Y/N.” He closed his eyes. “I only agreed to leave because I thought you were only with me because of marks. I never would have left if I had known that you felt the same way as I did. I know what we were doing before wasn’t working, and I will gladly take all the blame for that if you would just…” he paused, biting his bottom lip. “If we could just try again.”

You slowly reached up and traced his jaw with your fingertips, the scratch of his stubble was the best thing you could imagine.

Josh Dun x Reader fic, fluff

AN: Wow, so I got a little carried away with this one. I’m sorry it’s so long, but it’s fluff and was fun to write. Enjoy.

Warnings: Mild panic, some strong language, breakup.

Received 9:55 AM

Seriously stop with this shit, or my GF is going to step in and trust me you don’t want that

My eyes were locked on my phone. I can’t believe I messaged him again. Why couldn’t I just let it go like a normal person? You break up, you move on, done, that’s it. But not me. Even though I knew I didn’t want him back or that I legitimately hated him, I still messaged him last night, only to get this reply when I woke up. Why am I like this?

With my hands shaking I went to my recent calls on my phone and pressed Josh’s name, he picked up on the second ring.

“Hey! I was just thinking about you, how’s it going?” His voice was always so cheerful, like every day was the best day ever. Normally that brought a smile to my face, but not this time.

“Josh..” was all I could get out. His tone immediately changed.

“Hey, Y/N what’s wrong? What happened, are you alright?” I wavered a moment, not sure that I could tell him. He’d be disappointed in me again.

“Talk to me hon’…” he urged.

“Josh, I,” I drew in a shaky breath. “I messaged him again…”

He sighed heavily, “Y/N why would you do that? You know he doesn’t really care about you, and he’s only going to hurt you. Besides, doesn’t he have a girlfriend now?” He asked, his tone clearly agitated. I knew this would upset him. Josh always looked out for me and never had a good feeling about my ex when we had started dating, but I had ignored him. I regretted that now.

“Yes, he does, and I don’t know Josh! I was just feeling lonely last night I guess and…” I trailed off.

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. Then, finally, “You know you can call me whenever you feel like that, right? Like, I’ll always be here for you.”

My heart felt like a weight in my chest, I had hurt my best friend. “Yes, I know that Josh. It’s just, I guess I wanted something else. Like you’re my best friend and what I wanted was something, well, different, I guess.”

Josh was silent again on the other end. I could hear a commotion in the background, probably the crew setting up for another show. “Y/N-”

My phone chimed, another incoming message. “Hang on a sec,” I pressed the home button and then to my messages. My ex had sent me another text.

Received 9:58 AM

And don’t get me started on why she’s a HUGE upgrade from you. I know exactly where to hit you to beak you. Sit the fuck down before shit gets real for you

I stared at my screen, my hands shaking. Why would he say something like that? He knew exactly how to break me? What kind of person would say that? And to someone they used to love?

I could hear Josh calling my name, so I put the phone back up to my ear.

“What did he say now?” he pressed. When I relayed the message to him, he blew up. I had to pull the phone away slightly so his shouting wouldn’t hurt my ear. 

“Who the heck does he think he is?! You listen to me, you are a goddess. Do you hear me? He was lucky that he even got the time with you that he did. You’re funny, smart, talented, and drop dead gorgeous. There is no way his troll of a girlfriend is an upgrade from you. He makes me so mad! I could cuss right now!”

I suppressed a small smile at his last comment. It would take a lot for Josh to cuss. He would feel like he was letting down his mom if he ever did, so he avoided it as much as possible. Tyler too.

“Look, we’re about to do sound check and Tyler is waiting for me, so I will call you after. But this is what I want you to do, first, block his number. I mean it. Block him from everything, facebook, snapchat, all of it. Throw out all the crap he gave you. I don’t want you to have any of it laying around anymore. You’ll feel better when you do, trust me. Then, go take a bath or something, make yourself your favorite drink, and just relax. I’ll call you soon okay?” 

“Okay, Josh. Thank you. I miss you”

I could almost hear Josh’s smile. “I miss you too. Now go, I’ll call you soon.”

I did what I was told and blocked my ex from all social media, even email. Then I gathered all the mementos, the hoodie, the cute mug, the necklace, everything I could find that reminded me of him, and I scooped them up in my arms and marched outside.

Luckily for me, my dad was already outside starting a fire. Since it was now fall, we had a fire almost every night, dad was getting a head start and burning some garbage.

“Hey dad,” I acknowledge him as I stomped by with my arms full. His puzzled eyes followed me, “Hey pumpkin.”

I dumped all the garbage right into the fire unceremoniously, and watched the flames overtake everything. My dad stood beside me and patted my back with what I assumed was understanding. After a few more minutes of watching the fire, I took a deep breath, and let everything go.

I stayed in the bath for quite a while, afterwards. I let the negativity wash away from my body, and watched as my fingers pruned up. When I felt more refreshed, I finally stepped out and wrapped myself in the fluffy white towel my mom and left for me, fresh from the dryer. I guess dad had told her what had happened. 

My phone was ringing when I entered my room, Guns for Hands blaring as my ringtone. I rushed over to pick it up from where it sat on my bed. “Josh?” I asked breathlessly.

“Yeah, it’s me. Listen, I want to see you, you know, to make sure you’re okay. I don’t feel comfortable leaving you alone right now.”

Confusion tugged at my brow, “But how? You’re on tour and I have work. Josh, honestly, don’t worry about it, I’m okay.” 

Josh was silent again, I could tell he was trying to think it through, but he really didn’t need to worry. His advice had already helped me quite a bit. “Are you sure? Because we have a day off tomorrow. I could-”

“Josh.”

“Yeah?”

“Breathe. I’m okay. I don’t want you to stress about me. You have the show to focus on, and Tyler needs your head to be in it, not on me. I promise I’m okay.”

He sighed heavily, “Are you sure?” 

I couldn’t help but giggle, he was being so sweet. “Yes, I’m sure. Besides, there’s only like a month left of the tour anyway. We can hang out when you get back, just like we used to before- well, before he came along.” 

“I’d like that.” I could almost hear his smile through the phone again. “Okay, if you’re sure you’re alright, I’ll call you tomorrow. But you can text me if you need anything, okay?” 

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful after I hung up with Josh. I spent some time with my parents, cooked dinner, watched netfilx, and I was fine. 

I was fine…

But then it was 3 AM, and I still hadn’t slept. My mind wouldn’t shut off. No matter what I did, I couldn’t stop thinking about what a fool I was. I had wasted so much time on this guy and had nothing to show for it, nothing besides a broken heart, anyway. 

As these thoughts flooded my mind, my breaths became shallow and rapid, and my skin clammed up. I couldn’t get enough air and I felt sick to my stomach. It was when the tears came that I decided I needed to talk to Josh. 

Instead of answering right away like he normally did, I got his voicemail. It was pretty late so he could be sleeping, but I didn’t think it was likely. Josh was normally on a high after a show, and stayed up late exploring or hanging out with his friends. Him not answering at this time wasn’t really like him.

I started to worry, what if something happened to him? My mind filled with images of him being hurt and my panic only grew. I couldn’t handle this,  there was just too much stress today, I needed to calm down. I just didn’t think that I could without Josh. 

Josh was always there for me. He made me laugh, he protected me when I got picked on, he always surprised me with little gifts or my favorite foods. It never bothered him when I called late at night when my troubles got to me. He would talk me in his soothing voice and I would be able to relax right away. 

Ever since we became friends we were almost inseparable. I always wanted to hear about his day and he always wanted to know about mine. We supported each other. I was so proud of the success that he was able to achieve, but I missed him all the time. He was my best friend, the only person I could always count on, and I-

Oh. 

Oh. 

How could I have been so stupid? This whole time I was wasting my affection on someone who didn’t deserve it when Josh was-

I hurriedly called his number again, desperately wishing that he would pick up. 

“Come on, come on, come on.” I pleaded, listening to the ringing continue. 

“Y/N! Sorry I missed your call, I’m actually-”

“Josh, wait. I need to tell you something.”

He chuckled, “Well that sounds ominous.” A pause, then this time with more concern, “Wait, what did he say now? I thought you blocked him” 

“No. I mean, yes, I did. No, this is about something else.” 

“Y/N you’re scaring me. Are you alright? Did you have another panic attack?” 

I was starting to get frustrated. “Josh, just listen for a moment!” 

“Okay…” he sounded hurt. I guess my tone was too harsh, but now that I realized, I needed to get it out. 

“Josh, I-” But what if he didn’t reciprocate? He’s such a nice guy, there’s a high chance that he never thought of me that way. I wasn’t that special, I was probably only a friend to him in his eyes. Could I risk destroying what we have?

A rustling on his end pulled me from my thoughts. What was he doing? A sudden tapping sound on my bedroom window nearly made me jump from my skin. I turned to look at it with a gasp, dropping my phone from my clammy hand. 

Josh was there, at my window. But how? He was supposed to be a few states away, the show would have ended only four hours ago. How did he?

I leapt from my bed, rushing to the window to let the yellow haired boy in. As soon as his feet were planted on my floor, he crushed me to his chest in a hug. The smell of his cologne, sweat, and something like the smell of an airplane washed over me. My heart skipped and danced in my chest at his proximity, and I wasn’t sure If I was warm because of his body heat, or just how he suddenly made me feel, being so close. 

“I’m sorry, I just didn’t feel right about the situation. When we hung up I booked a flight and left right after the show. I figured we could spend the day together tomorrow, and forget about that dipcrap.” He lifted his cheek from where it was resting on top of my head to look down at me. “Is that okay?”

I felt as if I could melt, or fly, or cry, sing, dance, laugh. There were too many emotions swirling around in my stomach, and my mind felt as if I were in a fog. I couldn’t believe he was here. That he would rush here just to make sure that I was okay. That had to mean something right? Would just a friend do something like that?

“Yeah, that’s absolutely okay, thank you. I can’t believe you’re here.” 

Josh smiled, causing his eyes to squint and his perfect teeth to flash. My stomach did a somersault. “What did you want to tell me?” he asked. 

I pulled him over to my bed so that he could sit, and I began pacing in front of him, not sure how to put what I’d realized into words. 

“Y/N?” I stopped pacing and locked eyes with Josh. I was surprised to see him blushing and fidgeting where he sat. When I didn’t say anything, he continued. “Before you say anything, there’s been something I’ve wanted to tell you too. I’ve felt it for a long time, but then you were with him, and I wanted to give you time to heal, but then I guess I just chickened out really and, well, I just-” 

“Josh.”

His eyes locked onto mine again, and I could see it. I saw our shared feelings reflected back at each other. I had been blind to it, and he had probably gone through so much pain because of it. I didn’t want to hurt him anymore. 

So I kissed him. 

He jumped in surprise at first, then relaxed into the kiss, bringing his hand up to cup my cheek. He tasted like coffee and mint. Feeling brazen, I crawled into his lap to deepen the kiss. I just needed to be closer. I pushed his hat off his head to thread my fingers though his silky hair. This is what a kiss was supposed to feel like, like fire and passion, and comfort all rolled into one. It never felt like this with my ex. I trusted Josh in a way that I’ve never trusted anyone else. 

Josh’s tongue flicked against my bottom lip, pleading with me. I complied and a little moan escaped him. I echoed with my own, my cheeks flushing and dizziness overtaking me. When we finally broke away for air, I rested my forehead against his. 

“That’s all I wanted to tell you,” I said after a few gulps of air. 

Josh laughed, his voice thick from what just happened, his warm breath mingling with mine in between our shared space. “Funny, I’ve been wanting to say the same thing. It’s like you took the words right from my mouth.”

That brought a laugh out of me. “I’m sorry it took me so long to realize, but I’m willing to see where this goes if you are.”

Josh gave me a sweet peck on the nose, “I would be delighted.” 

After a few more stolen kisses and warm embraces, it was time to kick Josh out. He couldn’t stay here with my parents so close by, but now that we knew how the other felt, we had all the time in the world to enjoy it. 

As Josh started to climb from my window, he paused to look up at me with those beautiful eyes. “Can I take you on a date tomorrow?” 

Summary: There was a man in the Trench today. His presence has stirred up confusion in the whole camp, including inside Clancy and his partner, Porter. Will they be able to discover the true nature behind the purpose of Dema and the Trench? Do they want to? East is up.

Warnings: This story will contain content of a serious nature. Including the following: deep personal fears, torture, and heavy emotions.

Want More? Try here: @yviegordon @marieporter @lillylincoln

Read previous parts: Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four

Word Count: 1403

Enjoy!

Chapter Five - The Ground Taunts My Wings

Gordon froze as her eyes locked with Tyler’s, the man from Trench. There was a sudden tearing feeling in her head that caused her to drop the firewood she had been carrying. Her mind was flooded with overwhelming memories.

The first time they met, collecting their food rations for the day. He had bumped her, causing her to drop her bread all over the ground.

The first time he gained the courage to ask her if she ever thought about the future.

The first time she admitted out loud that she had.

The secret whispered meetings. They would dream about leaving Dema, about being free.

The time she had been caught trying to look beyond the wall, and he had taken her lashings from the priest for her.

The first time she realized he had a light in his eyes, and that she had one in hers to match.

The night they made plans to leave Dema. To escape the dreamless world of muted light.

The night they made their way through the underground tunnel. Her hand tucked in his.

Word Count: 1410

Summary: You’ve finally finished cleaning your apartment and are ready for a relaxing night in with your boyfriend. He just can’t seem to get in the ‘no hijinks’ mood too. TylerxReader

Warnings: None. Just fluff, really.

Dedication: @ohprettyweeper

You roll the lower rack of the dishwasher into the machine and close the door. You breathe a deep sigh of relief as you press the power button and hear the water whoosh on. It had taken several hours, but you were done. Your whole apartment was cleaned and decluttered. You were just picking up your phone to check the time when your doorbell rang.

Your stomach jumped as you grinned and padded softly over to the front door, your extra cushioned socks silent on the hardwood floor. You took a breath to calm your giddiness before opening the door.

“I hear someone’s been working hard all day,” Tyler grinned at you from under his black baseball hat, “and I believe you need a Chinese takeout break.” He held up the plastic bag with food from your favorite place.

I hope everyone continues to enjoy my fics! Find my master list here.

Chapter One - Words Bring Life

The line was long. One of the longest they had ever seen, but that was to be expected this close to home. Each fan was as enthusiastic as the last. High fives were dispersed, hugs were had, and autographs were scribbled, slowly but surely the line got smaller and smaller.

Josh wrapped his arm around Tyler, the young girl stood between them as they all posed for the picture.

“Thank you! Thank you!” she squealed as she snatched the phone from her mother and flipped through the photos.

‘Thank you,’ her mother mouthed a silent offer of appreciation as they turned to leave.

“I will never get used to how happy a picture will make people…” Tyler smiled and shook his head as he returned to the waiting line of fans.

“I, um…” a soft voice caught Josh’s attention, “I don’t know if this is an appropriate place for this but…”

Josh looked up from the autograph he had finish scrawling across a poster. The woman standing across the table was holding a plain white envelope in her hands and was nervously shifting back and forth from foot to foot. His eyes met hers and for a moment, he felt time stop. It wasn’t like a jolt of electricity, like Tyler had described when he first met Jenna. It wasn’t rosy colored and soft like in old movies. It was just a moment in which her brown eyes met his and everything was still.

Alright kids, here is another one for your consumption! Enjoy!

Catch My Breath - A TOP Fic

The line was long. One of the longest they had ever seen, but that was to be expected this close to home. Each fan was as enthusiastic as the last. High fives were dispersed, hugs were had, and autographs were scribbled, slowly but surely the line got smaller and smaller.

Josh wrapped his arm around Tyler, the young girl stood between them as they all posed for the picture.

“Thank you! Thank you!” she squealed as she snatched the phone from her mother and flipped through the photos.

‘Thank you,’ her mother mouthed a silent offer of appreciation as they turned to leave.

“I will never get used to how happy a picture will make people…” Tyler smiled and shook his head as he returned to the waiting line of fans.

“I, um…” a soft voice caught Josh’s attention, “I don’t know if this is an appropriate place for this but…”

Josh looked up from the autograph he had finish scrawling across a poster. The woman standing across the table was holding a plain white envelope in her hands and was nervously shifting back and forth from foot to foot. His eyes met hers and for a moment, he felt time stop. It wasn’t like a jolt of electricity, like Tyler had described when he first met Jenna. It wasn’t rosy colored and soft like in old movies. It was just a moment in which her brown eyes met his and everything was still.

“I just wanted to give this to you in person,” her voice hung in the air as she held the envelope out to him.

“Oh, uh…” he blinked and the stillness was gone. “Yea, sorry,” he took the envelope and smiled.

“I just wanted to say thank you, for everything you guys do,” she wrapped her arm around a girl standing next to her that was obviously her sister. The girl held out a poster towards Josh.

“Of course,” he smiled wider as he took the poster, “we are happy that our music reaches people, and grateful for your support.” He placed the envelope on the table and picked his marker back up.

“Hey, what’s this?” Tyler picked up the envelope.

“A letter,” Josh slid the poster over the table to in front of Tyler without looking away from the woman and her sister.

“Letters are awesome,” Tyler grinned childishly as he opened the envelope.

“You two want a picture?” Josh side stepped the table.

“Sure!” The younger girl grinned and pulled out her phone. “Take it for me, Amy?”

“Sure,” she accepted her sister’s phone, “alright, smile!”

“Stay street!” He grinned as he rested a hand on the girl’s shoulder. The light flashed.

“Hey Josh,” Tyler called.

“Would you like one too?” Josh asked, ignoring his bandmate.

“Of course!” she traded places with her sister.

“Josh…” Tyler called again.

Josh only waved a hand at him.

“Stay street!” Josh bent his head down slightly, resting it against hers. The light flashed again.

“Thank you,” she smiled as she reached for the phone.

“Yes, thank you,” her sister picked up her signed poster from the table.

“Thanks for your support,” he nodded to them as they left the table.

“Have a safe trip to your next show!” they called as they disappeared into the crowd.

Josh held up a hand, returning their wave.

“Josh, seriously dude!” Tyler yelled.

“What?” Josh finally turned to face the frustrated man.

“Who left this?” Tyler held up the envelope.

“Oh, uh…” Josh looked over the heads of the crowd to see if he could catch a glimpse of the pair. “They were just here.”

“You need to read some of this,” Tyler’s face was serious, “it would have been good to catch them while they were here.”

“Oh, alright…” Josh’s face fell as he accepted the envelope and glanced back at the crowd.

“Trust me, you need to,” Tyler’s face softened, “I will handle the Clique.”

Josh nodded and slipped behind the merch curtain for some privacy. He turned the envelope over in his hands, it wasn’t as crisp and plain as he had first thought. The edges were beat up and the adhesive had been sealed, broken, and resealed several times. Across the front were written three words, 'Josh and Tyler’. He pulled the folded paper from inside and was startled by how crumpled it was.

Josh and Tyler,

I am not sure if this will even be the final copy of what I give you, I have rewritten this letter so many times I don’t even remember what I originally wrote. I am hoping this one will contain everything I wish to say. First, thank you. Thank you so much for everything you do. Your music fills a need that few have sought to fill. You reach so many people with your music, you help so many people. So, from all of us in the Skeleton Clique, thank you for being you.

Second, thank you from me personally. Your music, and I don’t mean just the words, I mean all of it, has helped me through some of the roughest parts of my life. Your album, 'Vessel’ was my anthem as my husband and I struggled with infertility for five years, and were finally told that we would never have children of our own. Blurryface came along just in time to lead me through the death of my grandmother, who I was very close to, and again through the sudden, and more recent death of my husband of ten years.

Josh bit his bottom lip as he recalled the smile she had given him when handing him the letter. He knew their fans struggled through darkness, that was what they wanted to help with, but she had seemed so happy.

I can’t begin to tell you what your honesty through your music has done for me, and for all of us in the Skeleton Clique. You offer a light to people who need a tangible hope in this world that would have us believe we are alone. So, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I also wanted to let you know that just like you remind us that we are not alone, you are not alone either. I pray for you as you tour, that you will be safe, and that you will not lose sight of the love you wish to share with people. So, if you ever find yourselves down and feeling like everything you do is not reaching people, know that it is. You can pull out this letter and remember there is at least one person you have touched deeply.

Thank you.

It wasn’t signed.

He shoved the letter back into its packaging and emerged from behind the curtain.

“Would have been nice to catch them, right?” Tyler glanced back at his friend.

Josh rifled through the bags of merch booth items before finding a random piece of paper.

“You alright?” Tyler turned around, “can I help you find something?”

Josh scribbled on the scrap of paper, “I will be back,” he hopped over the table.

Tyler only shook his head and threw his hands in the air, “Run! Run!” he yelled.

Josh pushed his way through the crowd trying to get out the door, “excuse me please!”

“Hey, look…” the whispers began to fly all around him as the crowd thinned for him, “that’s Josh… where is he going…?”

He continued to press forward, jumping to see over the crowd and try to get through the layers of people. Finally he was to the main doors of the venue. He slammed into them at full force and tumbled out into the night. It was colder than he had remembered it being when they arrived that morning, large clouds of white puffed from his lips. He stood up and looked around, the parking lot was huge.

“Come on…” he breathed as he began to race up and down the aisles, doing his best to look down each one, “come on, please…” he begged.

There it was, her hair.

“Hey!” he yelled as loud as he could. She was several rows over and walking away from him. “Hey you!” he yelled as he began to chase after her.

He was getting closer, it was definitely them. “Hey you, with the purple hair!” he yelled.

She stopped and turned around, confusion on her face.

“You…” he gasped as he stopped in front of her, “you forgot…” he bent forward, his hands resting on his knees. The cold air burned his lungs and he hadn’t realized how winded he was.

Her eyes grew wide as she realized who it was, “Oh, my goodness, don’t tell me I left my phone, or my wallet…” she was frantically checking her purse, “I am so sorry, I am always doing things like that…”

“No, no…” he stood up and waved his hands, “nothing like that,” he placed the folded scrap of paper into her hand, “you forgot your hug.”

“Oh,” she blushed, “I didn’t realize that was something we were supposed to get.”

“Oh yea,” he smiled, “everyone gets a hug at a Twenty One Pilots show.” He held his arms out.

“Th…” she did the same, “thank you.”

He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight, rocking back and forth slightly. “If you ever feel alone, you can use that,” he whispered.

She nodded.

“Alright short stuff,” he released her and held his arms out for her sister, “you too.”

Her sister grinned from ear to ear as he hugged her too.

“Thank you again,” the woman smiled, her eyes watery.

He only nodded.

“You guys did good tonight,” she took her sisters hand, “seriously, amazing.”

“Thanks,” he began to back away, he could hear a few quiet comments being made by the passersby, “have a safe trip home.”

They waved as he turned and began to walk back to the building.

Josh slowly trotted back to the front doors, a smile on his face.

“Did you catch them?” Tyler grinned as his friend hopped back over the table.

“Yea,” Josh smiled, “sorry guys!” he waved to the remaining fans in line, “I am back now!”

“You leave me like that again,” Tyler shoved him playfully, “you’re out of the band.”

“Yea, yea,” Josh chuckled as he picked a marker back up.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< I-/ >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The faint buzz of a cell phone could be heard through the bus as it barreled down the highway. Josh forced his eyes open as he groggily grabbed for his phone. The text was from a number he didn’t recognize. Rolling over onto his stomach he squinted against the brightness of the screen.

Hello, I was given this number about a week ago. I was told to use it if I ever felt lonely. Josh Dun gave me this number, if that helps.

He smiled.

Yea, you have the right number. What’s going on?

I am sorry, it has to be late wherever you are, assuming you are in the US. I am in the middle of the states and it is late here, so it has to be late everywhere… but I just didn’t really want to wake up my family any more than I already do.

It’s no problem. Like you were told, you can use this number whenever. I can’t always reply right away, but I will when I can. This is the girl from the Cincinnati show, right? I was waiting for you to ping me.

Thank you. Yes, that is me. My name is Amelia, Amy. Is this like a help line for Clique members or something?

Josh snickered.

You could say that. So, what has got you feeling lonely tonight?

It’s just that… I don’t know what all you were told, but I lost my husband a few months ago, and sometimes the nights are just really lonely.

He felt his chest tighten. Months. He hadn’t realized it had been so recent.

I understand. Being alone at night when you are used to being around someone is hard. Anything I can do for you?

Just talk to me, please. About anything.

Alright, tell me about yourself, what do you like to do?

I like to read, a lot. I write too… but nothing too serious. It was my major in college, but I really haven’t done much with it.

Why not? Creating is important. Is there something stopping you from writing like you would like?

I suppose I hadn’t found my muse yet, and then life kicked in. Bills, student loans, you know… just life.

Yea, sometimes I feel that way too. I mean, I love my job, but sometimes I feel like there should be more.

What? Talking to lonely people isn’t enough? How does someone even get a job doing something like this? A services degree I suppose.

Actually, this is more of a hobby. My job is far less interesting than talking to people all day.

What about you? Do you have hobbies besides talking to strangers?

Hey there! You make this sound weird.

It’s a little weird, I mean… I don’t even know your name.

I really shouldn’t give my name out. But you could give me a name if you want.

I understand, personal security and all that. For all you know I could be a crazy person. Give you a name, huh? Does that mean we are friends?

I would like to think so.

Man, I don’t know if I can think of a name. Tell me a little more about yourself and I will see what comes to mind.

Okay, let’s see… I really like music. But I suppose working for TOP that would make sense, huh?

Yea. :) What’s your favorite band?

Oh man. Loaded question. I like Rage Against the Machine, Mutemath, and Switchfoot to name a few.

Oh, Rage is soothing to the soul!

Right? There is something about them that is just so wonderful to listen to.

It’s the passion in their music. It reaches to you on more levels than just being good music.

Yes! I agree completely! Plus Brad Wilk is a brilliant drummer. But what do I know?

You like drummers, huh? Bass players usually hold a special place in my heart.

Bass players, huh? No love for drummers?

Josh chuckled. It had been a while since he had been able to have a semi-normal conversation with someone, even if she didn’t know who he was, it was nice to be getting to know someone.

“What are you doing?” Tyler’s half-awake voice cut through the world of texting Josh had fallen into.

“Oh, nothing.” he dimmed the screen and dropped his phone just before Tyler’s head swung up from the bottom bunk.

“Who are you talking to?” Tyler’s eyes were half lidded and his brow was furrowed in confusion, “and don’t deny it, I can hear you giggling like a middle school girl.”

Josh only shook his head.

“Fine,” Tyler’s head disappeared, “but I know you are lying.”

Josh smiled.

Oh, no. Don’t get me wrong. I like drummers too, there is actually one drummer in particular I could listen to all day.

Oh, yea? Who would that be? And if you say Chad Butler, I will have to take your Skeleton Clique card.

No fear. It is for sure Josh. I sometimes watch the music videos just to watch him play.

“Josh!” Tyler yelled, “seriously… you sound ridiculous.”

He pressed his lips together between his teeth to keep from laughing out loud.

Oh god! I can’t believe I just told you that. For all I know you have to report everything I say. Please don’t tell him I said that… I would die of embarrassment!

No worries! Your secret is safe with me!

I think I know what I am going to call you.

Oh yea?

Well, no one knows that we had this conversation right? At least, I can pretend like no one does.

It’s just you and me here.

Harvey.

What?

Harvey. Like the rabbit.

Yea, I know who Harvey is. How am I like a rabbit?

You’re not… but you are like my imaginary friend. Only I will know that we talk, and you are only around to help me out. To pull me from the dark.

Josh pressed his lips together in a small smile.

Harvey it is.

Thanks Harvey. I think I am doing better. I need to get to sleep. I have work in the morning.

Same. You sleep good, you understand?

Yes, Sir! *salutes* Seriously thank you. You saved me from myself.

Anytime, like I said. And maybe you will find that I will need you to save me sometimes too.

I would like that. To repay the favor. Good night.

Good night. Stay street. Stay alive.

Stay street. Stay alive.