Tyler's father was charging at them, hands clenched into fists at his side. He did not look happy.
Tyler broke away from Josh, instinctively hiding behind him. Josh took a protective stance. His eyes flared with anger; he wasn't going to let him touch his prince.
"Tyler!" His father screamed.
At the sound, Tyler flinched and grabbed onto Josh's back in fear.
"Move, you little rat!" The man spat at Josh, standing in front of him, chest puffed out. Josh did the same, just eager for him to do something that allowed him to strike back with his powers.
"Never." Josh sneered. "You're never touching him ever again."
"I never laid a finger on him. He's done all that damage to himself by falling for you. I know you're up to something," he pointed a finger up at Josh's chin from below. "And I'm gonna find out what."
He made a grab for Tyler, but Josh slapped his hand around his wrist while simultaneously inching Tyler back.
"Let me go." Tyler's father commanded him. Josh didn't obey, and held him in place as he struggled to escape his grip.
So the man used his other arm, but Josh caught that one too. Now he could do something.
Thorny branches grew from under Josh's sleeves, wrapping around the man's hands and arms, creeping up his body. Tyler gasped in horror and fell backwards, scrambling to get away from the supernatural force.
"You're not going to hurt my prince EVER AGAIN!" Josh bellowed.
Josh allowed the branches to consume the man completely. His entire body was being poked and prodded by prickly thorns, and the more he fought against them as he hung midair, the more cuts were produced on his skin.
"Josh!" Tyler screamed.
Spinning around, he saw Tyler with tears streaming down his face. He watched in terror as the boy he loved attacked his father, with tree branches.
"Tyler, I-" Josh began, putting all his attention to his boyfriend. Instead, Tyler backed away from him as he stood up from the ground.
"Let him go! You're hurting him!" Tyler demanded.
Blood had begun to drip on the dusty ground below as Tyler's father was hoisted above by the now independent branches. If not released, he could bleed out.
"But he hurt you. He made you cry, and I don't want anyone to do that to you." Josh said softly, taking one step towards Tyler.
For each cautious step towards Tyler, he took a compensatory one back. Soon, his back hit the front door and he held on for dear life.
"You're making me cry! You're scaring me!" Tyler wailed.
Time stopped for Josh.
He was right. He looked upon Tyler's face and saw the tears, the tears he had caused. He really was a monster.
With the sounds of pain emitting from the ball of man and tree behind him and the shuddering whimpers of Tyler in front of him, Josh's emotions were getting the better of him.
With animosity swelling in his chest, he tore himself away from Tyler and charged his father, who was helpless in his cage.
His body had begun to change, fully this time. Halfway to the man he planned to kill, just as his horns sprouted from his head, Tyler cried out his name and begged him to stop.
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Josh looked over his shoulder, a smirk gracing his face as he held his hands in the air. There was no stopping him now. The only way to have Tyler was to free him from his father.
So he kept walking. He reached the man, and with a swing of his mighty arms, he slashed open his belly and let the contents spill onto the ground.
The writhing stopped. He was drained of blood, and it pooled around Josh's feet as he stood there, heaving for breath. They had become labored and deep in nature, much like a beast's.
He heard nothing from Tyler. He didn't want to, he didn't need to--he knew he would be relieved.
Suddenly, something popped up from the puddle of blood. It grew and grew skyward, its petals spanning out as they dripped with blood.
