farm boy // joshler

1

josh's point of view

i watch as the sun rises. it paints a golden glow onto the fields, taking its time to rise in the sky.

the view makes me want to paint, to drag pastel pigments across a blank canvas.

my alarm blares and i turn it off, moving away from my window to stretch and walk downstairs.

my uncle scott waits at the kitchen table, a smile on his face and a coffee in his hand. "good morning, josh."

i pour myself a mug of the hot, brown liquid. "morning."

"tyler is supposed to get here today," he mentions, flipping the page of his newspaper.

"oh?" i take a seat next to him and he nods. "he just here for the summer?"

"yep." scott sets his cup down and stands up. "we should clean a little bit before he gets here. i'll make sure the downstairs is good if you take care of the upstairs."

"no problem." i take another sip of my coffee and pull my phone out of my pocket. unsurprisingly, i don't have any notifications, so i set it aside and finish my coffee.

once i'm finished, i load both mine and uncle scott's mugs into the dishwasher and then make my way back upstairs.

i walk through each of the rooms once and then check the laundry. a pile of dry clothes sits in the machine and i shovel it into a basket. i take it to my room to fold, and i let music play quietly while i do so.

i hum along while rolling up the towels. i'm finished in what feels like no time and then i'm back downstairs helping uncle scott.

"i think i can finish up. why don't you go tend to the animals for me. i haven't checked the eggs yet this morning." he smiles and pats my shoulder.

"okie dokie." i salute him and walk out of the back door. the sun hits me immediately, washing me in heat and light.

i make my way towards the back of the property first, where the horses roam. i refill their food and water and then stop to pay attention to each one individually. i comb through their hair a bit and scratch behind their ears, as i do every day.

after the horses, i move to the pigs, and then the chickens. when i get to the coop, i spread some seeds and grains across the grass and wait for them to flock out of the small building. once they've evacuated, i move in. i gather the eggs from where they lay and then begin the hike back to the house.

when i enter through the screen door, sweat shining on my forehead and a basket of eggs in my hand, i'm met with my uncle's voice.

"he's outside now, but he should be in any minute. he's a nice boy, im sure you'll like him. everyone does."

i follow the sound and step into the kitchen, where he's talking to who i assume is tyler.

he's wearing a baby pink t-shirt and light blue jeans, which fit tightly and have holes that expose small patches of skin on his legs.

his eyes meet mine, a warm caramel brown, and i open my mouth to introduce myself.

my uncle beats me to it, clapping his hand onto my shoulder once more. "here he is! tyler, this is josh. josh, this here is tyler joseph."

i set the basket of eggs onto the table and wipe my hand on my shirt before holding it out for him to shake. "nice to meet you."

he takes my hand in his. while my hands are large and calloused from working in the farm my whole life, tyler's are soft and small and delicate in my grasp.

"it's my pleasure." his voice is even softer than his skin when he speaks and i let go of his hand sooner than i would have liked.

i feel a strange tug in my chest, and whatever words my uncle continues to say are muffled by the eye contact i hold with the small boy in front of me.

suddenly the sun's glow over the grass is not what i envision on the blank canvas, but it's tyler and his soft pink cheeks.

i want to paint each eyelash and freckle upon his pale face. i want to let my brush strokes create the soft curls of his hair, and my pastel shades to fill in his plump lips.

he feels me staring, i'm sure, but he's paying attention to my uncle's instructions while i paint him in my mind.

"so, josh here will show you around. think youll be able to handle that, dun?" my uncle's voice calling my name snaps me out of my thoughts.

"it's my pleasure."

(edited an: i missed this world so much, im so happy to be back! 6/18/22)