Should have brought my library card because I wanna check you out / joshler

Chapter 9

Tyler hadn't seen Josh in weeks.

While he was sure that everyone around him had noticed by now no one had said anything about it, giving him sympathetic looks and pats on the back instead. He kind of hated how much he missed Josh and the number of texts he had sent him before deeming the number too pathetic and giving up, six was the precise answer. With no way to find Josh he had given up on seeing the alien conspirator again and not having to guard the non-fiction section any more didn't make Tyler as happy as he thought he would have been. Tyler resorted to burying himself in reading material and picking up slack around the library which usually just meant wandering around in his free time and sorting misplaced books much to Jenna's annoyance. Today's book of the day was The Martian which Tyler found very relatable since he too fucked up a lot and hated potatoes, the perfect read Tyler found.

Jenna, who was rolling across the library in her office chair, came to a squeaky stop as she passed Tyler and looked at him with a huff.

"Tyler, the patrons of the library have asked me to kindly tell you to leave as you have been here for so long they're scared you might just be a hyper realistic statue. I too share their concerns that I may indeed be best friends with an object." Jenna poked his cheek with a biro pen.

When he didn't even look up from his novel Jenna crossed her arms over the table and regarded him with the same pitiful look everyone had been giving him that week.

"We need to talk about this, Ty."

"I can't, Watney just blew up his house." Tyler didn't look up from the book.

"Ok, as interesting that book sounds and as much as I want to ask about it we need to talk about Josh," Jenna said.

With a sigh Tyler set his book down while still refusing to meet Jenna's eyes. "What's there to talk about?" he replied.

"I know you, you're probably finding some absurd way to blame yourself and tell yourself that it was something you did not him. Don't give me that look Tyler I know what you're thinking." Jenna took a deep breath and gently picked up Tyler's hand. "You are wonderful and weird and I love you and I know that whatever is going through Josh's head right now it's not because of anything you did unless he somehow blames you for being too cute."

Tyler nodded glumly before having his cheeks squished together by his best friend.

"Good! Now come on, we're getting out of this god awful place this afternoon. Put the book down Tyler."

//

"Josh, again?!"

He winced as Ryan's voice resonated across the cafe, shattered plates and food sat scattered around his feet as patrons stared at the mess. Third time this fortnight Josh thought as he excused himself to grab a broom.

Josh pushed the overwhelming urge to lie on the floor and give up while he went around the counter and Ryan shook his head before telling him he'd clean it up, his face burned as he tried to blink away embarrassed hot tears. Josh's anxiety had been running overtime for a while now and to him everything seemed overwhelming and confronting at this point. He'd only come into work today because he was the only one who could make it besides Ryan. Making a point not to look at Ryan cleaning up his mess he gingerly took off the apron and left for the bathroom, sitting on the dirty floor with his head between his knees was definitely what Josh needed at that moment. He'd gotten used to being able to talk to Tyler over the past two months they'd known each other for and the librarian was ridiculously good at calming him down and giving him a welcome distraction. Now it took everything in his power not to take his binder off to let himself breathe better, each passing breath seeming to constrict his chest more.