killjoy - joshler

ilysb

it had been a few days.

tyler had convinced josh to do something about it, and josh eventually gave in, trying his best not to panic when they buried her in the front yard. tyler knew how to clean everything up, and soon it was like she was never there. josh still pictured her, and he couldn't get that image out of his mind, but she was gone.

she was gone.

"i want to burn the nest." josh said suddenly, making tyler look up from one of his comic books.

he was able to cover up the cuts and bruises on his body from josh, but his face was clear of that, except for the purple circles that made their way to his eyes from lack of sleep. josh knew something was wrong, but he stopped pressing when tyler would always change the subject, talking about anything but that.

"it's not that easy, josh. they could kill you in an instant."

"tomorrow night." josh said, completely ignoring tyler's warning.

"that's a full moon, sweetie." tyler said, flipping through his comic book.

"isn't there a way you could help me? can't i drink your blood?" josh asked, remembering from his comic book.

"well...y-yeah, you can, but it wouldn't help any. i wouldn't recommend it, though. i don't think you would like it." tyler said, oblivious.

"tyler, they killed my mom."

tyler's chest stung, a pang of regret making its way to his heart.

"i...i know. the thing is, it's hard to kill just one. you think you could take out four? they're strong, especially at night and especially during full moon."

"please."

tyler sighed, tightening his lips in a thin line before shaking his head. "okay. okay, fine."

"how are we going to do it?" josh asked, thinking to himself.

"i could distract them, and maybe you could set the house on fire."

"i want to kill them."

tyler raised his eyebrows, surprised by josh's tone of voice. he was used to his gentle nature, but here he was, plotting to murder an entire nest of vampires right down the street.

wow.

"josh, they're going to kill you." tyler pushed, josh shaking his head.

"i don't care, tyler. they killed my mom!"

"what about me, josh? if they kill you, then what?" tyler retorted, sounding selfish, but it was true.

he couldn't lose josh, not like that.

"what the fuck about you?" josh shouted, shutting his book. "you got me into this! why should you care if i died?" by now, josh was upset, standing in front of tyler, who stood up himself upon seeing josh do that.

"because..." tyler trailed off, looking at the floor and tugging at his collar in nerves.

if he was thinking about it, he really didn't know. if he was really thinking about it, he wasn't supposed to give a shit if josh died trying to wipe out his nest.

if he was listening to his heart, it was because he couldn't live with himself if he knew josh got hurt at his expense. he already had the death of his mother over his head, but he was never programmed to experience feelings like this. he wasn't programmed to feel like he needed josh by his side, to have unsolicited smiles plastered on his face whenever he would make eye contact with him from staring for too long. he wasn't programmed to make sure josh was always happy, and he wasn't programmed to care so damn much whenever josh was the slightest bit upset at him.

he wasn't programmed for this.

and now that he knew that josh most likely didn't want to see him as much as he used to, or that he was angry at him because it was probably his fault that his mother was dead, this was torture.

so instead of pouring his thoughts into a pile of wordy jumble, he simplified it.

"i love you."

his voice shook, and it came out in a whisper because he could barely breathe. josh's eyebrows slowly separated from the middle of his forehead, his mouth opening to say something, but he quickly shut it, the words slipping from his tongue.

"i love you." he said again, "i don't care if you think it's too early for that, or if you don't feel the same, but i'm not going to let them kill you. i'm not. i'll get a whole army of people on my side, even if that army's just me, and i will not let them fucking kill you." tyler was almost out of breath. "i don't-"

tyler was completely out of breath when josh hugged him tightly, his neck wrapped in his arms. he leaned on josh's shoulder, fisting the material of josh's shirt. he hadn't smelled this in days. it's like he hasn't been home for that long. josh started crying again.

the only person that said they loved him was his mom, but she didn't count.

"i'll go, and i'll kill them for you. i'll kill every last one, and set it on fire." tyler said, voice muffled in josh's sleeve.

"okay. okay." josh said. "okay."

===

josh and tyler studied all night.

they reread every lore book, josh having second thoughts, tyler have thirds and even fourths. he didn't want josh to do this, but his mind was set on it, and tyler learned that josh wasn't one to just forget things like this. he'd gone with him to buy gasoline and lighters, the cashier giving them weird looks when josh ran to get the machetes he almost forgot.

tyler found a blessing ritual for holy water, in which he thought couldn't possibly work, but regretting sticking his finger in it afterwards. they looked suspicious to anyone who looked at them, but they eventually felt like it was enough.

night was coming quickly.

"holy shit." josh said, staring out the window and watching the sunset.

the clouds took on the yellow and pink of the sky, purples peeking up from the horizon as the sun waved goodbye at them. tyler hummed in agreement, flipping through a comic book.

"what if i die?" josh asked, looking over at tyler.

"i'll see you later, then." tyler said, eyes never leaving his comic book.

"i'm only eighteen."

"then i'll do it myself. i'm technically ageless."

"wait, so you're like...a billion years old?" josh asked, making a face.

"i guess. i'm seventeen, though, if that makes sense."

"no."

"okay."

josh sighed, laying on his bed and staring up at the ceiling. if he were to pass this onto tyler, he could die, too. they've only been together for a few months, but he really needed tyler around. tyler on the other hand, was willing to do anything to make josh's aura turn blue-green magenta again.

now it was just blue.

tyler finished his comic book, josh continuing to think to himself, and it wasn't until he looked out the window that josh sat up.

"is it time?" josh asked, tyler blinking.

his eyes were golden as he trained his gaze on the full moon, nodding. "yeah. y-yeah, we should go."