ballerina // jøshler

sieze ;

Tyler stirred at the sound of shoes clattering on the hardwood floor. He opened his eyes as he watched Joshua sneak toward the door, a familiar bag in his possession.

"Where're you going?" the sleepy brunette questioned, stopping Josh in his tracks. They both looked at the ticking clock on the wall.

7:10 am.

Both parties knew it was way too early to come up with any valid excuse.

"I'm going to work."

Tyler's eyes widened with excited as he sat up on the couch.

"Can I go?"

Josh visibly looked agitated at the question. The brunette furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, indicating for the pink-haired man to explain himself.

"I'm just...worried is all."

"For what?"

Josh took a deep breath and started to explain. "You've been living off my couch for how many days now? It's almost been a week, right? We've both been absent for a week.

"It's just that...don't you think it'd be a little...suggestive I think if we both showed up at the same time? If someone saw us getting out of the same car..." he squeezed the bridge of his crooked nose with his thumb and forefinger, eyes clenched tightly with concentration. "You could lose your spot, Tyler. I could lose my job."

The boy was torn. Of course, he didn't want Joshua to get fired - all he had done was helped out a student in need of support when no one else was around to give it to him. But part of him missed the smell of simple yet luxurious college corridors, and the empty, grungy appeal of the dance studio. The glistening floors would squeak under your slippers and the bricks would feel cool against your sweat drenched skin. Tyler could stare out of those ceiling-to-floor windows for hours, admiring the city skyline. Marymount Manhattan College was yet another place he wished he could be.

"I still want to go. I miss it there, Josh. My leg is feeling better, I'm not hurting. I could take a bus, I don't mind being late. I just want to go." he was on the verge of whining.

The older man still looked hesitant. "How about this," Tyler began. "If you let me go with you, I'll the tutu you gave me every class...A-and if you start to get annoyed with me or anything, I'll move out."

"Ty..."

"Please. I need this Joshua. You know that," his eyes were searching the other man's. "please."

The curly haired man couldn't help but reconsider. "Fine." Tyler sprung from his position on the couch and ran to embrace his mentor. Out of the pure, undeniable, buzz he was feeling in his chest, Tyler kissed Josh excitedly on the corner of his mouth.

"Where's the tutu?" the brunette couldn't contain himself.

"Upstairs, second door on the right."

The brunette scurried up the carpeted stairs, rushing toward the corridor so child-like. Joshua made his way to the kitchenette, pouring himself a cup of coffee, knowing that he'd be there for a while longer.

"Wait, is this the guest room?" Tyler called from the top of the stairs. All of his things were placed on the floor next to the queen sized bed. The sheets looked crisp and the soft blue of the fabric made the brunette want sleep.

"No," Joshua responded after a sip of the bitter coffee. "that's my room. I didn't want you sleeping down here all by yourself, so I just set up shop down here."

Tyler was quiet for a moment. That was one of the sweetest things anyone had done for him, even if it was the smallest of gestures. "Oh...thank you."