Short Stories (Multifandom)

You Belong With Me Instead

for Georgia
creds to sophia & cardlin

Josh is repeatedly bouncing his leg anxiously as he holds his phone to his ear. "Come on, pick up your phone," he's been trying all day and it's not helping that Tyler hasn't responded. He's so paranoid. "Jesus, you're on your damn phone all the time, you can't just pick up a simple-" He's cut short on his rambling as the front door opens and closes, Tyler walking in. "What the hell! Where have you been? Do you not understand how worried I've been?"

Tyler is taking off his jacket and sitting himself down onto the couch, rubbing his face like he's had a long day. He's had a long day yet Josh is here worrying his ass off and Tyler has had a long day. "I was out." Is all Tyler says, yeah, no kidding.

"Christ, I've been calling you all night!"

"What's the big deal?" Tyler removes his hands from his face and stares at Josh, confused.

"'What's the big deal?' It's eleven o'clock at night! You're mom was blowing up my phone, wondering if you were with me. I thought you'd been freaking murdered!"

"No, Josh, I was out. Okay?"

"You were with him, please don't tell me you were with him?"

Tyler stands to go to the kitchen. "Yes, I was. Listen, he's changed, he's not how he used to be, alright?"

"He's changed?" Josh doesn't believe he's hearing this. "This is the guy that slept with a different person on your fucking anniversary. The guy who somehow miraculously managed to convince that he had changed the first four times he said it."

"It isn't like that, he's a different person now."

"But it is like that. You keep going back to him and he keeps doing the same shit he's always done. He keeps using you because you," Josh waves his arms around in front of him, getting frustrated, "allow him to do it, and you wonder if he's the problem."

"So you're saying I'm a problem?" Tyler raises his eyebrows, placing his drink down onto the counter.

"That's not what I'm saying," Josh sighs. "I'm saying that the reason that you continue getting hurt is because you let him. I know you've always seen the good in people, now we probably wouldn't be friends if you hadn't and that," he sighs again, "you're annoyingly optimistic about people 'changing' but some people are just incapable of change. What does this asshole even know about you, huh?" He holds his arms out as if waiting for an answer.

Tyler walks back into the living room and sits back down onto the couch. "He knows me, Josh."

"Yeah, sure but I mean, does he know that you love tea on cold days but despise coffee unless it's in the morning? Or that everyday without fail you make a wish at 11:11, but never tell me what you wished for because it'll 'jinx it'? Does he know that you love to sing in the shower but will literally deny all knowledge of it if confronted about how good you are?" Josh takes a breath as he watches Tyler pick at his nails in embarrassment. "Has he ever been with you through your worst panic attacks or spent hours talking about your nightmares, or let you crush his hand on the ferris-wheel because you're terrified of heights?"

Tyler looks up at Josh and Josh swears he sees a small shake of the head. He swears he can see it in Tyler's eyes that he's denying that this guy he's with, knows nothing about him. Really knows.

"Has he ever held you while you were sick?" This time, Tyler shakes his head, letting Josh know that this guy really doesn't know. "Does he even know what you're fucking favorite color is or anything?"

"Does all of that matter?" Tyler starts, getting up to stand in front of where Josh was stood. "Why do you even care?"

"Why do I care?! I care because I'm so fucking in love with you and you don't even see it!"

Tyler blinks and takes a small step back in shock. "What?" It's small and he's quiet.

Josh is staggering with his breaths, in utter disbelief that he's just said that. He's vowed to himself that he'd never admit it. "I've-" He begins but he's still so surprised with himself. "I've been in love with you since we were in eighth grade," he laughs nervously, "and I didn't say anything because there was the strong possibility of you not feeling the same way and I didn't want to lose you because of it." He rambles, "so I decided that having you as a friend, my best friend, would be better than ruining everything that we had." Tyler doesn't say anything so Josh continues. "It's been so fucking agonizing watching you love somebody like - like him! Because I know that he doesn't deserve your tears, he deserves nothing from you." Josh rubs at his face, "and even - even if it's not wi-with me, you - you deserve someone who treats you like they have - nothing else they'd rather be doing than making you happy." Josh sighs, "you deserve that kind of love, you hear me?" He asks.

"Yeah," Tyler looks down. He doesn't know what to say, he's at a loss with words.

"I'm sorry for yelling and I didn't mean to," Josh's tone is soft and gentle, silky and so nice. "It wouldn't have made a difference if I had told you," he laughs almost miserably.

"Not at all!" Tyler looks up at that then immediately grabs onto Josh's hand. "Josh, if you had told me sooner, I wouldn't be with who I am with now."

"What - you mean you," Josh stutters, "you felt the same way? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was scared that you didn't feel the same way, I didn't want to lose your friendship let alone ruin something like us," Tyler almost cringes at his words from how hard they were to say. "I didn't want you to hate me."

Josh takes a step back and runs his hands through his hair. "Jesus fuck, this is a mess," this is quite honestly the most stressful day he's had in a long while. "Hate you? I could never hate you, hell I've - I've loved you for six years, you think a little argument is going to erase all of that?" Josh lets out a breath like what he had just heard put him in pain. "Come here," he pulls Tyler towards him and hugs him tightly, wrapping his arms around his torso and burying his face into Tyler's neck. He laughs pathetically, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, the thought of losing you - it's terrifying and I'd do anything to keep us together as friends if nothing else,"

"I would really like that - imagining us as something more," Tyler laughs as he feels those familiar butterflies invade his stomach as they usually did around Josh.

Josh pulls back. "Next time I see that jackass I'm kicking his ass I swear to God,"

"I wouldn't be opposed to that."

Then silence engulfs them for a couple seconds before Josh takes Tyler's hand nervously. "Would it be weird if I told you I love you?"

Tyler smiles widely, shaking his head. "No," he bites his lip, still smiling.

"Then I love you," Josh laughs as he takes Tyler's head into his hands. "I've waited six years to tell you and I love you so goddamn much."

"I love you too," Tyler holds onto Josh's wrist, taking his other hand to run through Josh's hair. "I do, I love you so much," he laughs as he leans in to place his forehead to Josh's.