blossom ↣ joshler ✓

24. Exuberant

"So..." Hayley spoke as the four of them sat together at lunch. She popped a raspberry into her mouth. "How are things with you and Christian boy? Dallon caught me up since you failed to."

"His name is Tyler," Josh rolled his eyes, getting offended on his boyfriend's behalf. "And I'm sorry I don't feel the need to announce my love life to the world and parade it around every chance I get."

The two looked over to see Brendon on Dallon's lap, the couple staring into each other's eyes with sappy looks on their faces.

Hayley cleared her throat and they instantly turned to look at her. "What?" Brendon asked.

"You guys want us to shield our eyes while you fuck or...?" She trailed off.

"Hayley!" Brendon gasped dramatically, throwing an unused plastic spoon at her.

"That would be great, actually," Dallon nodded.

Josh and Hayley laughed as Brendon's face turned bright red. "Stop!" He whined. "You can not make jokes off of my love for my boyfriend."

Hayley snorted. "Yes I can. I just did. I just did it to Josh a few seconds ago."

"To answer your question," Josh turned back to her. "Things are great," he gave her a dopey smile. "Things are really great."

"Aww," she cooed. "How so?"

"Well..." Josh thought for a moment. "I don't know. He's just so... different. We're completely different people. When I dated Brendon we were practically the same person and we weren't a terrible couple—"

"We were a terrible couple," Brendon interjected, rubbing Dallon's arm. "We were weird and awkward and for two horny teenage boys we didn't make out a lot."

Josh laughed. "Okay maybe we were a terrible couple. And things just didn't work out with Debby. I mean it was nice while it lasted but it went exactly how a weird freshman relationship would go. And then there was Ashley in third grade who dumped me a day later when I got her out in four square. But Tyler's just..." his heart swelled. "I don't know."

"Wasn't he like an asshole to you?"

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Josh huffed.

"Because it's true," Dallon shrugged.

"Fine he was an asshole to me but now he's not obviously. He's so scared and hesitant and uptight but when he's with me he tries to breath and let me take care of him. All I wanna do is wrap him up in my arms and let him cry into my chest. I wanna protect him from everything."

"That's adorable," she gushed. "I'm so fucking lonely," she groaned right after.

"Yes you are but we love you anyway," Brendon teased resulting in Hayley thumping him on the head.

"Josh?" Dallon asked.

"Yeah?"

"When are we gonna meet Tyler?"

Josh stopped. "Uh..." he trailed off.

"Wait he exists, doesn't he?" Brendon asked for clarification. "You didn't just make him up so you had something to yank your wank to?"

"I jerk off to other things thank you very much," Josh sneered playfully.

"So you've never thought of the religious kid you babysit when you masturbate?" Hayley challenged.

Josh's face flushed red. "Don't describe him like that he's only a year younger than us."

"He didn't answer the question!" Brendon cackled. "He has!"

Josh groaned and set his head on the lunch table, instantly regretting it when he felt his forehead stick to it.

He heard his three friends laughing at him so he looked back up, promptly flipping them off with both hands. "Yes he exists," he rolled his eyes.

"Why can't we meet him then?" Dallon questioned.

"Are you embarrassed of us?" Brendon pouted.

"Just a little bit."

Brendon gasped again and that time threw the unused fork at him. "Stop throwing all your utensils, baby," Dallon hummed in his ear, a smile on his face.

"I'm not embarrassed of you guys," he told them seriously.

"Are you embarrassed of Tyler?" Hayley asked.

"No," he sighed. "I just... I know you guys won't get along. You might hate him and he'll probably hate you."

"J," Dallon looked at him. "This is your boyfriend. We want you to be comfortable inviting him places and talking about him and just being with him. We won't hate him unless he gives us a reason to hate him."

"No promises!" Brendon smiled innocently.

Josh rolled his eyes with a smile. "Okay. Let me talk to him."

"Awesome," Brendon crawled off his boyfriend's lap, pulling Dallon up with him. "We're gonna go hit Juulius Caesar in the math bathrooms. You wanna come?"

Josh laughed. "Nah. I'll sit this round of nicotine addiction out. Thanks though."

"Suit yourself."

---

"Babe?"

Tyler looked up, his glasses sliding down the bridge of his nose. "Yeah?" He replied, pushing them back up.

"You're cute," Josh smiled.

Tyler blushed. "Thank you," he cleared his throat. "You as well."

"Ty?"

"Tyler."

Josh bit his lip to hold back a smile as he grabbed Tyler's binder off his lap, setting it on the coffee table. "You look stressed," he pointed out. "Come here," he held his arms out.

Tyler gave an overwhelmed sigh and rubbed his temples. "I have to get that review packet completed. I have a math test tomorrow."

"Take a break for a minute," Josh told him. "I don't want you getting a headache," Tyler gave a look of hesitation. "Please?" Josh pouted and made grabby hands. "I miss my boy."

That's what got Tyler to cave. He curled up into Josh's side, setting his head on the older's chest. Josh took the liberty of planting a kiss on Tyler's forehead before beginning to play with his hair. "Mmm I like that," he hummed into Josh's chest.

Josh chuckled and continued to play with it. "I have a question for you."

"Hmm?"

"Would you be interested in meeting my friends?"

Tyler pulled away and looked at Josh with tired eyes. He raised an eyebrow. "Your friends?"

"Yeah. Brendon, his boyfriend Dallon, and Hayley."

"Uh..." he paused. "Sure? I just don't think my mother would let me do so."

"Don't worry about it. I just wanna know if you'd like to meet them. If not, you don't have to."

"Yes, I'd like to," Tyler nodded. "If they make you exuberant than I might as well meet them."

Josh beamed. "Really?"

Tyler giggled and laid his head back down. Josh watched him stare at the older's hand. He hesitantly grabbed Josh's hand and laced their fingers together before pressing a kiss to his chest. "Of course."

The combination of actions made Josh's heart flutter and he grinned. "Great."

Now all he had to do was think of a way to make it happen.