Just Friends //joshler&bryler [✔]

thirty

josh didn't realize just how toxic he was.

he didn't know how hard the boy was trying to get over him.

all he knew was that he hadn't seen tyler for a few weeks and he was worried. so worried, in fact, that debby couldn't stand it anymore. she went out and started fucking other guys behind josh's back. when josh found out, he was devastated. he did so much for her only to be treated like nothing. little did he know, he did the same thing to tyler.

tyler was snuggling with brendon when his phone started buzzing.

josh was calling him.

the brunette gave brendon a hopeful look. "b... josh is calling me..."

"don't answer it."

"i have to."

"don't, tyler."

"please?" he begged, giving brendon puppy dog eyes that he just couldn't say no to.

"fine. put it on speaker."

as soon as tyler answered, he heard josh crying. his heart dropped into his stomach.

"hello?"

"t-ty...?"

oh, so that's why tyler didn't want brendon to call him ty, the older realized.

"josh? what's wrong?"

"a-are you okay?"

"i'm..." he glanced up at brendon who gave him a worried look. "i'm great, actually..."

"p-please come home..."

dammit. tyler wanted to so bad. josh was asking for him to come back. josh missed him. he missed josh...

"are you okay?"

"d-debby... she... cheated on me.."

tyler didn't know if he should feel bad or not, but he couldn't help it when his stomach did a somersault. josh could he his again. god, he missed josh so much.

the small boy looked up to brendon who was shaking his head. he muted their end.

"b... i have to go back. he needs me."

"that's too bad. you needed him and where was he?"

"b..."

"where was he, tyler?"

"he tried..."

"t," brendon sighed, starting to grow impatient. "hang up."

"what? no!" he hopped off the older's lap, phone clutched tightly in his hand.

"tyler, you can't go back. i'm sorry, but it's for your own good. you're doing so good without him. you don't need him. you have me."

tyler's head hurt. he loved brendon. he loved the way the older treated him. but... he loved josh more. oh god, he felt like a horrible person. was this how josh felt when trying to decide between tyler or debby? was tyler going to make brendon feel how josh made him feel?

"i'm sorry, b... you know i love you. i really do. i just... i have to go see him. i'll be back."

"t, stop. this is a horrible
idea."

"t-ty?" josh's voice rang out.

tyler unmuted the phone.

"yeah?"

"a-are you coming?"

the boy stared at brendon, who had the saddest expression tyler had ever seen. he felt horrible.

"no, josh... i'm sorry..."

"w-where are you? can i come?"

brendon shook his head.

"i'm nowhere. i can't tell you. i have to go. bye."

he hung up, hands trembling as he slid his phone into his pocket.

"c'mere."

tyler fell into brendon's open arms, instantly sobbing into his chest. he felt horrendously guilty, but he was going to do what he thought was right.