Wanted: {joshler}

11: Your Eyes.

"What?" Josh stared at Tyler with widened eyes, and it was his turn to freeze. Tyler hadn't moved, not even turned his head to look at Josh, and it only made Josh a little bit more freaked out about the entire situation.

"I said," Tyler sighed, "It wasn't me."

"Tyler, if it wasn't you, then who was it?"

"Josh, please-"

"No, Tyler. I need to know that I'm not lending my house keys to a murderer," Josh snarled in a low voice.

"Josh, you don't understand-"

"No, I don't understand. Would you care to elaborate so I will?" Josh continued, the boy next to him obviously beginning to get frustrated. But, Josh was, too, and he wasn't going to take no for an answer this time. He continued to stare down tyler, watching as he tensed and eventually, exhaled and allowed his head drop.

"You won't understand."

"Try me."

"Can I..." Tyler trailed off for a moment, before turning to meet Josh's gaze, "Can I see your eyes?"

"What?" Josh stuttered. He furrowed his brows, and pulled back from the small amount of space between the two of them and the silence of the room flooded the new and open space.

"Can I see your eyes?"

"I," Josh stopped, hesitating before nodding slowly, "I guess."

Tyler leaned forward this time, taking Josh's face into his palms. His brown eyes burned into Josh's dark brown ones. Neither spoke, Josh out of the tension that was arising but decreasing at the same time, Tyler for the sole reason that he was too busy studying Josh's eyes.

"Tyler?" Josh questioned in a voice so quiet, only Tyler would be able to hear it.

"Shush, I'm concentrating."

"On what?"

Tyler chuckled, blinking, but not moving his focal point. Josh blinked as well, and Tyler answered his inquiry, "Your eyes, of course. What else would I be concentrating on?"

"But why? They're eyes. Eyes, Tyler. It's not the most complex thing in the world. There isn't that much to concentrate on at all."

"That's where you're wrong. So much to learn with you, indeed. You see, Joshua, I love looking at eyes. They wash away all of the feelings that he brings me. Do you know why I love looking at them of all things?" Josh shook his head. "It's because you can see people's true selves. You can't hide yourself in your eyes. Your eyes truly are the windows to the soul, and God made it that way. People struggle so much with themselves, including myself, and eyes are the one way people are able to see their true self. You see the piece that God wanted you to have. The very one piece that only you have. When you show someone your eyes, it means you're putting all of your trust into that person. That's why. Thank you, by the way. Thanks you for the trust. It gets rid of him, Josh. Your eyes get rid of the horrible feelings he brings with him."

"Tyler.." Josh tried to say something, but couldn't think of much. So, instead of trying to counter it, he simply opened his mouth, "Can I do something?"

Tyler smiled slightly, "I think that would be okay."

Josh returned the smile, before leaning forward quickly. He leaned forward until he felt his lips collide with the boy who could or could not be a murderer. But, in that moment, Josh didn't care. All thoughts, in fact had left his head except for one. One, and only one thought.

T y l e r.

Josh could feel some slightly surprise from Tyler for no more than a split second, as he was feeling the same. But, both of their surprise and tension vanished and faded away in an instant before they even realized what was happening. Tyler gripped the side of Josh's face a little harder, feeling the slight scruff from beneath his fingertips.

They sat on the couch, the static from the television buzzing lightly behind them as rain pounded gently on the window, the radio playing some song that neither of them knew in the background. Neither of them could probably remember turning it on, but both were thankful. But they were more thankful for each other in that one moment in time, when the world seemed to disappear.

--

goddamn it took me a while to update this oops

this summers turned out to be a lot busier than planned, so i apologize.

but ayye, joshler, right?

xotati