Let's Recelebrate (a Joshler story) (Celebrate ALTERNATE version)

⭒ CLXI ⭒

Hi friends! Quick update before I gotta work again. Thank you for all the comments on last chapter! Please don't forget your votes on this chapter 'cause it helps me so so much! Thank you for being here, I truly hope you'll enjoy this chapter! Be back Friday with another one. All my love!

Big chapter today!!

Word count: 6182

~~

The next day, Michael drove his own car to the venue instead of getting picked up by Jordan, because he gave Steve and Lucas a ride too. They met up with Tyler at the venue - no slow morning where Steve and Luke made breakfast for Tyler because they wanted him to eat well and not stress before the big show. Instead, Tyler was the one who'd made David breakfast. He didn't mind; David hadn't been over that often yet. It didn't feel yet like his place too, while for Steve and Luke it always did. But then again, Steve and Luke never needed permission for that; they just made Tyler's home their home too. Everything seemed to be easier with them, but Tyler told himself that that was also because they'd had that bond for a long time now, and that's just how they worked. With David, it was new.

Still, Tyler missed being treated to a nice breakfast on the day of a big show in Columbus like this, cuddled by his soulmates and given so much enthusiastic encouragement. David wasn't being mean or anything, but his comments and compliments were a lot more timid and it didn't feel the same.

Tyler told himself to get over that though; he was with David, that was a fact. New relationships always brought new things they had to figure out and get through. It wasn't easy as if everything was on autopilot with Austin or William either. Steve and Lucas had been exceptions. His soulmates. Maybe his lover wasn't supposed to feel like that right away.

"Hi", Tyler smiled, a little uneasy, at Steve and Lucas. He both gave them a one-armed hug, and Lucas quirked his eyebrow at Steve right after. Steve gave a short shrug, and the feeling in his chest didn't feel very positive. Not positive at all, actually.

As Tyler was called by Jordan for something, Steve found Lucas again. "What was that?" Lucas asked. "I don't know but I don't like it very much", Steve sighed softly. "He never haphazardly hugs us like that", he said. "And that was the weakest, shortest hug I've ever gotten from him. He's such a tight hugger, he didn't even really look at me before", Lucas said. "He feels off." "I know", Steve said softly. "Maybe I said something wrong", he said. "Why would Ty do that to me too then, if you'd done so? I don't believe it's you. It's gotta be something else", Lucas said.

The rest of the day leading up to the show, Tyler felt jealousy in his chest when he saw Steve and Lucas cuddle, hug each other, hold hands, lie on the couch or laugh together. He felt a distance between them and him, and he knew it wasn't because of them. It was because of him, because of Tyler, being weird and awkward and strange because his boyfriend asked him to be less affectionate towards them 'cause it made him uncomfortable. Tyler understood that and wanted to respect that, but doing so without telling Steve and Lucas first was ten times harder and more awkward than Tyler imagined.

He didn't know how to bring it up to them either, so... he just didn't.

The show took Tyler's mind off of things for a while, until he sang Steve's song. Obviously he couldn't be distracted from his crush on Steve while singing about his crush on Steve. Now that was distracting him from the gigantic crowd in front of him, which made it harder too.

But he got through it, and Tyler didn't know how to feel as he got off stage. He had seen David sit up front, but instead of Steve and Lucas being next to him they were further back. Tyler understood why; not because they wanted to be away from David, but because he'd seen Steve have a moment of struggle as he sang the songs, and Lucas comforted him. His heart was heavy; he wished he could comfort Steve. And he guessed Steve had told and talked about it with Lucas; it certainly very much looked that way. Tyler wasn't angry about that or anything. He just wished he wouldn't need to. If he'd just told Steve sooner... if he'd only gotten another chance with him. All of that wouldn't have happened.