...

"You what?"

Tylers face would've been entertaining if it wasn't for the seriousness of the topic. For the first two or three seconds it was like Josh's words didnt find a way into the younger's brain, but when they did, they did.
His face dropped, cheeks filling with a dark rose color, but his eyes wide. Like a frightened animal staring into some bright headlights coming in for the kill.

He stood up. "You- you can't just say that to- to make me feel better, Josh." He stuttered, slowly backing away, as if he had been threathened and tried to escape whatever was coming for him.

"Please, Tyler", Josh pleaded. "I would never say anything like this if it wasn't true. It's complicated enough. But it's true." Tyler's response hit him hard, and he immediatly regretting throwing this on the table when Tyler was at his most vulnerable. He should've known better.

Tyler stopped moving, but his eyes shifted from Josh's to Brendon, the same questioning look on his face, trying to see if Brendon's face would show the lie. It didn't though.

"But..." he started and stopped, he had no idea what to say. In all honesty, Josh's heart broke. Instead of making Tyler feel better, he just made him feel like a fucking joke.

"I'm sorry Ty, I didnt mean to overwhelm you, it's just.. it's true." Josh spoke softly now, looking at Brendon for back-up but at the moment even he had nothing. "Fuck, why do I mess this all up", the pink hair whispered as he rubbed his face into his hands, before abruptly standing up and walking out of the kitchen, leaving Tyler and Brendon in silence.

"i-if you two made this up to in some way make me feel better, tell me now, because i'm about to lose my fucking shit."

Brendon sighed and was then the one to rub his face. "Josh didn't just storm out because it's made up, Ty..." He shook his head, Tyler's gaze following the path where Josh had just left.
"Oh.." He whispered, almost a whine.

"We know it's a mess, but it's the truth. Josh and I talked about it a lot, and we weren't going to tell you. At least not yet, because it wasn't the right time for it. But after what you said.. I don't know, it was all we got. I'm sorry, we didn't think it through enough, how this would be for you. Sorry."

"Shit", Tyler mumbled. Stunned. Incapable of any other response, Brendon could pretty much tell his brain shot into a huge error. "I... I think i'm gonna go home now."

Brendon stood up too, nodding softly but disappointed. "Do you still want me to drive you?" It seemed to remind Tyler that he got here without a car or anything and either relied on them or a cab. He frowned, thinking. "I'll get you a cab." Brendon decided for him.

"Could you please just.. find Josh and at least tell him you're leaving now?"

Tyler hummed a soft "yeah", and walked out as Brendon called a cab for him to get home. The oldest leaned against the wall once he hung up. From one mess into another, and he sighed.

After a moment of deep breathing, and letting the first shock wear off, Tyler found Josh, sitting on the bench in front of their house. "Josh?"
The pink haired looked up, a guilty, sad look on his face.
"I'm sorry, okay? I... I do believe you." Tyler answered softly as he sat down on the other end of the bench. Josh didn't look at him, but shrugged softly.

"I wish we'd met in a different way", he spoke, close to a whisper. "I feel like shit."
Tyler thought about it, not knowing what to answer, but he couldn't help but to smile softly for some reason. As much as he was shocked, and this was a mess, he felt strangely 'okay'. A taxi then stopped at the driveway.

"I'm gonna go now." He hummed, looking up when Brendon stepped out too and leaned against the doorframe. Josh nodded as he stood up. "Okay."

To their surprise, Tyler hugged Josh softly, after that Brendon too. "I'll call you guys, okay?"

And as he watched Brendon holding and squeezing Josh's hand, he grabbed his bag and walked off.

————

Josh frowned as he tried to understand what the sound was he kept hearing. Sleepily rubbing his eyes, glancing the clock. What? 2:15 am? The sound was still going and Josh sat up.

"Pick up your phone", Brendon grumbled, voice hazy and soft. "Hm?"
Brendon rolled to his side towards Josh, mumbling. "Phone."
"It's 2 am Bren. Phone?" Josh answered, still sleepy, still not awake, still not understanding.

"Your phone!" Brendon now huffed, annoyed. It seemed to get Josh out of his dreamlike state of mind and grabbing his phone. "Bren, i-it's Tyler."
Brendon instantly woke up at that. "Well, answer it!" Hints of worry spread across their faces, but unable to see in the darkness of their bedroom.

It had been more than 36 hours since Josh and Brendon had heard from Tyler. When he left, it got silent. And the silence made Josh anxious, so anxious, but Brendon convinced him to give Tyler the time he needed. Both were craving to reach out, but also didn't want to put any pressure on the boy. To balance it was... difficult to say the least.

Josh quickly fumbled it around in his hands, swiping the green button to answer the call. He put it on speaker right away.

"Ty!? Are you okay?"

"Hey, yeah don't worry." His voice was cracking a bit, sounding nervous but genuin.

Both Josh and Brendon sighed in relief, dropping back down into their pillows, Brendon scooting closer to Josh as he wrapped his arm around the younger's waist, and pulled his chest against Josh's back. He nuzzled his nose into Josh's neck as they got comfortable, the phone somewhere on top of the covers.

"You scared us for a bit there." Josh now spoke softly, now letting the calmness of the night wash over them again and slightly push away that anxiety.

"Sorry, I just... I thought about what you guys told me. A lot. I haven't slept last night, I couldn't sleep now. I've been thinking, thinking, thinking. About you. About me. About a lot. And I just... I feel like I owe it to you to be honest, and open so... will you let me talk?"

Josh smiled softly, his heart so warm. So warm when Brendon squeezed his side a bit, whispering a soft "ofcourse." But adding a "you don't owe us anything though" quickly after it.

They could hear Tyler sigh.
"Okay. This is hard. This is unlike me, I never talk, I-... i'm going to regret this probably, thats why I call at this stupid time. But I guess its time to change my ways and i'm going to be honest and i'm..."

Silence.

"Hey, it's okay. Relax. It's just us", Josh whispered, wishing he could somehow comfort Tyler to do what he was procrastinating on.

"I'm sorry for responding the way I did. I was shocked. Am shocked. I... struggle with the fact of people actually liking me... because I dont know what thats like."

He sighed again. "I suck at this. Wait a sec."

Josh and Brendon just hummed, resting against each other as Brendon softly kissed the back of Josh's neck. They could hear a door closing, and eventually Tyler was back.

"What did you do?" Brendon wondered.

"Getting back to bed." He chuckled.

"Can we please videocall?" Josh tried. "I want to see you."
"It's kinda in the middle of the night, kinda dark", Tyler chuckled again. "Also i'm scared to say what I planned to say, while looking at you."

Brendon leaned up on his hand, bending over Josh a bit to click on the dim light on Josh's nightstand en prop up the phone somehow. "Dont worry, You'll be okay. Please?", Brendon comforted as he pressed the videocall button before laying back down and got back into their warm embrace.

They waited a few seconds before Tyler accepted. A dim light was on, only lighting up some features of a beautiful face. Even while they only saw a slight outline of it. "Pretty", Josh mumbled.

"Okay. So. Look. My parents were strict, cold. Providing, but not loving. I was there, but I don't know what for, they never seemed to enjoy it or, I don't know, be happy about it. When they died when I was 15, I was pretty much dumped at my aunt's place. She was.. horrible. Se knew what her so called boyfriend did with me, no, to me, and she just turned her head. I was 15... I didn't know anything."

He hummed. "Point i'm trying to sort of make is, already from my childhood, I don't know whats it like to be appreciated. After that, and I got away from there, well, you know that story.

I know how to use my body and have it used. I'm not used to being liked for... Anything else really. Not for me."

Josh swallowed thickly, noticing a shaky breath coming from behind him. It hurt him to hear this, even though it had been pretty clear by now. He appreciated Tyler being this honest about it.

"When we met, and I went home with you two... at first I thought it was just the same as any other night. As I said, just for sex and thats it. And even though that was exactly what it was, it also wasn't. You..." Tyler paused, turning to his back and rethinking his words. "You were respectful. Nice. Careful. Fuck, you even let me sleep and made me breakfast? I was totally overwhelmed and confused. Thats not how it normally goes?"

He sighed. " It confused me. And it kept confusing me, in the time after where you somehow tried to be my friend. I'm sorry for holding off, I just didnt understand. Nobody ever wanted to be my friend."

Josh had to swallow a large lump in his throat, squeezing Brendon's hand. And he wanted to respond, but Tyler was quicker and continued after another deep sigh.

"I got jealous. I think. What you and Brendon have, seemed real. And until then I had always believed it wasn't. I guess I.... I started to want it too. What you two had. Or maybe not even just what you had.. I wanted you."

Both Josh's and Brendon's eyes grew big.

"I got frustrated because I liked you. Both. And the fact that I was never going to have that, frustrated me, disappointed me, it beat me. So when the whole thing happened at the club and I got home... it just proved my earlier believe that all the good you showed me wasn't for me. And I gave up."

"Baby..." Brendon whispered, roughly rubbing his eye, pretending it wasn't tearing up. Josh wasn't pretending, he just let the tear disappear into his pillow.

"So when like you told me you guys like me... like not just like, but like... I freaked out. I still am freaking out. I dont even understand the tiniest bit of why you two would wanna ruin what you have with even thinking about dating me."

"Well, its not really the plan to ruin it, Ty", Brendon chuckled, a light sound to lift the heavy atmosphere for a bit.

"I just cant imagine why you would like me when you got each other."

Josh chuckled softly then. "Well I can give you a few reasons. I mean, first of all, you're really cute. Like, really pretty. And then you're funny, and sassy, and smart and sweet and your laugh is adorable." Brendon laughed at Josh's free speeching, and even in the near dark, Tyler hid his face behind his hands.

"It's true! When you smile my heart skips a beat, the dimples in your cheeks then are like the most beautiful ever and I practically melted that one time you were cuddled up to me..." Josh dreamed on.
"Bren, tell him!"
"No."

Josh huffed. "Brendon thought it was very cute too. I may have made a picture and sent it to Bren.."

Tyler let go of a tiny giggle, and Josh couldn't be more happy to hear that sound.
"I gotta see that one. But seriously, like, you already got all those things you said in Brendon? Why.. me?"

"Yeah babe, you already got me", Brendon joked. "Oh shut up, you agree with me."

Josh then focussed back on Tyler, who's cheeks were still hidden behind his hands. He was probably blushing. "I know, I got all of that in Brendon. I do. And believe me, I really tried not to like you, like that. It's so complicated, even for me and Brendon. Not liking you would be easier but...
Brendon is Brendon, and you are you, and I just can't help it... I just really like you too Ty."

"Oh."
...
"A-and Brendon? You're not bothered by what Josh just... said? I mean-."

Brendon shook his head. "I mean. Not really. Okay, yes it scares the shit out of me, now it's 'out' and not just a secret between Josh and I anymore. And it is fucking scary to realise my boyfriend has feelings like that for someone else too. But it's not just anyone, it is you.
So him saying all that... no that doesn't bother me."

Josh sighed, speaking clearly to Tyler now.
"He won't say it, makes it look like its all me, but he likes you a lot too Tyler." Josh huffed and Brendon grinned.

...

"How would you guys even picture the whole thing, y'know, about you wanting to date... me?"

"Yeah, we have no idea." Brendon blurted and Josh agreed. "We haven't figured that out yet... but thats because we didnt dare to think about it really. We didnt know what to think, because, well.. we never really expected you'd even possibly be interested."

"I... I like you. But this is a lot right now. I'm confused and-."

"You don't have to say or do anything, Tyler. We appreciate what you just told us, a lot. Just know that we also have no idea how to deal with this, we..." Brendon thought about his words. "We don't know what this will mean, if it will mean anything, but we needed you to know. We just wanted to be honest, because keeping it from you started to feel more and more uncomfortable. I still think we confessed it at the wrong time, but it's not any less true. We want to be honest, and that you know what has been going on in our heads. Thank you for telling us what's in yours."

They could see Tyler nodd softly.

Josh nodded too. "Will you come over friday? Just our regular dinner and movie time, we could talk if you want to? Only if you want to. Otherwise we just hang out. I really don't want us to become awkward because of all this. Even when nothing comes from it, I still want us to be friends."

"Okay. Y-yeah, I'll be there."

"Okay. Goodnight Ty. And thank you."
They heard a soft "Goodnight.." and then Tyler hung up.

"I wish he was here", Josh admitted softly when he had turned off the light and cuddles up to Brendon's chest.