It had been around 3:30 am when Tyler finally got home. Because he had been so close to home the police had agreed on escorting him there, since his headlight was busted and the snow still fell. He was lucky his car didn't have to be towed, and since the police had to go in the same direction anyway, they made sure he parked safely on the parkinglot.
Even before stepping out he called Josh and Brendon, a little disappointed Josh had fallen asleep just minutes before he called, because he really just wanted to talk to him. Apologize. But he spoke with Brendon for a minute, making sure he'd tell Josh that he was home now.

As he layed down on his back on his cold bed, he gently got the uke and held it to his chest. Gently strumming the snares with his fingers a soft smile crept up his face. He loved the sounds so much, and even more now he got the instrument from those two.

Softly playing a mindless tune, his thoughts were on this evening. He never had a birthday like this, he never had a gift that considered his interests so much. Not even when he was a kid. His parents weren't considerate like that, they gave him presents but only what they wanted him to have. Books about things that he didnt care for, clothes he hated, other things to push him into a direction they wanted him in. Never something that was to his interest. And now, Josh and Brendon did it again. After their first date to the Observatory and now the instrument.

He felt bad for having them, probably mostly Josh, so worried. He hadn't said it in the exact words, but Tyler realized all too well now it was because of what happened 'back then'. Ofcourse he knew, but hearing Josh's response to tonight's situation still startled him. And he felt bad, so bad that his breakdown still had so much effect on them. And it made sense, Tyler had just blocked thinking about it, but obviously finding someone more dead than alive in a bathtub was traumatizing.

He wished he could turn back time and change that, but he knew he couldn't. He was determined now to do better, keep it in the back of his mind whenever they were worried about him, without making Josh one big worried mess. They cared. They cared.

——

Unfortunately Tyler hadn't seen them all week after that, now their schedules just mismatched. Not even ont 'their' friday. They called about twice and texted (a lot), but Tyler missed them. He slowly grew to hate what he had always loved the most, being alone. It was already the strangest thing that he didn't even feel so alone anymore, even when he was physically. But the more time he spent at their house, how more he started to dislike being at his own apartment.

He took a sip from his coffee, before getting his phone out of his pocket. There were a bunch of notifications on the screen.

Brendon
Hi!
Josh has a work thing friday, so please tell me that you're free this friday so i can take on you on a date. Yes, without Josh.

Brendon
(Who is now pouting and being sooooo sad next to me and forcing me to text you that the next week is his turn to take you out, without me.)

Brendon
(He just crossed his arms and said 'or else he won't cuddle with me all week' so...)

Brendon
(Not that he would succeed in not cuddling with me for a whole week, but i did it anyway.)
So, two one-on-one dates.

Brendon
If you want to and you're free obviously.

Brendon
:)

Tyler laughed when he read Brendon's texts, a soft blush creeping up his cheeks. He had never blushed so much in his whole life as he had since he met them, he wasn't even sure he could ever blush but he seemed to be a completely different person nowadays anyway. Right then his co-worker, or manager actually, walked in to their little break room.

"Who got you blushing honey?" she asked with a wink. Kelsey was really a great girl, sweet and enthusiastic. Tyler didn't consider her a friend just yet, but he thought that they once could be, when they knew each other longer maybe. She was really bright and caring, yet determined and a real entrepreneur. Tyler didn't know how to have friends at all, but he tried to trust her and see how thing went along. So far he just really liked her and there seemed to be a good connection between them.

Yet, that didn't mean he was sure how to answer her last question. He could say "a guy he's been seeing" and it wouldn't be a lie... But he felt a little bad excluding Josh out of the story, since he was pretty sure she'd ask more questions after that response. But was he confident enough in both himself and Kelsey to say he was seeing two guys? Like two who were already dating each other?

"I'm sorry, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to", Kelsey spoke up again, when apparently Tyler took way too long to answer. "I just saw the little color on your cheeks and your smile.. You look... smitten." She chuckled softly.

Tyler gazed at her as she sat down next to him with a small cup of coffee. "It's okay", he spoke barely audible, still not sure of his answer. He had no idea how her view was on all this, but she seemed open minded for sure.
He decided he just would see where the conversation went too. "I just kinda was invited for a date... Or two dates actually."

She giggled, watching him with a questionable look. "Like two just now at the same time? I knew you'd do good on the market", she winked. Tyler laughed, shaking his head. "Not first dates though."

"Oh?" An invitation for Tyler to keep talking.

He shrugged softly, blush getting deeper. "Can you keep a little secret?" Not that he knew whoever she was going to tell it too, other than their colleague, but he just didn't want it to be out without.. it being like 'official'. She sipped her coffee before enthusiastically answering "yes, definitely."

"I am sort of seeing two guys."

She giggled. "Oh you naughty boy! Seeing whats out there for you huh? Good for you." She frowned then, as if she realized something suddenly. "Do they know? Like, do they know you're seeing someone else too?

Tyler couldn't help but smile. Oh did they know.

"Yeah."

"Wait- they do? And they're okay with that?"

Tyler nodded. "Very okay." He watched her surprised reaction. "They are actually dating each other. Have been, for more than 5 years.."

Her mouth dropped, before she covered it with her hand and jokingly punched his shoulder. "Tyleeerrrr, oh my god!! You're polyamorous?" She laughed though, maybe blushing a bit herself.
Tyler laughed too, already feeling a little relieved that at least she knew it existed and she sounded more surprised and excited, not judgemental.
He shrugged. "I don't know!? Maybe? I mean..? I don't know!! I just stumbled into this and..." he paused a bit and looked back at her. "I don't know man... I just really like them both."

"And they both like you."

He nodded with a smile. "Yeah. Apparently."

"That's cool." She seemed to think of it.

"You don't think it's weird?"

She shrugged. "Well I mean... If they both like you, and you like the both of them... Yeah, it's a little uncommon i have to say, never came across it other than on tv", she laughed. "But if they're happy, and you're happy? Go for it! I hope it works out... Oh! You should totally bring them here once!"

"I hope it'll work out too.." Tyler daydreamed before watching the clock. His break was over and he gently tapped Kelseys shoulder as he stood up. "Don't tell anyone about it, please? I know there's nobody to tell who even knows me, but just.. Just don't mention it yet, okay?"

"Honey, don't worry, nobody will hear a thing from me. It's save, i promise. Thanks for sharing, i'm... I'm happy you're getting comfortable here."

———

"Nervous?" Josh chuckled.
"That'd be a slight understatement, yes."

Josh sat up right, watching Tyler laugh on the phonescreen, phone being held up by his laptop screen. He had a little dinner break at his on-sight job for this day, and called Tyler to check in about how he was feeling for his date with Brendon.

"You know, on first sight you didn't seem the nervous-type. Yet now I get to know you better... You come across so sassy, and you are, yet there's this cute shy boy inside. And i'm all for it."

"You big sap." Tyler rolled his eyes before he laughed.
"You know, would it bother you if i said that I would not be as nervous if it was a date with just you?"
Josh hadn't replied yet when Tyler continued. "I mean, i'm honestly really excited, it's just, Brendon is somehow..." a silence fell, Tyler trying to think of a word.
"Intimidating", Josh suggested.
"Yes. Exactly."

"Tell me about it", and now Josh rolled his eyes. "i was, well i still am, always just so impressed by him, I don't know... He's intimidating in a good way."

"He's nervous too, you know?" Josh then chuckled. "He won't admit it, and probably you won't notice, but he is."
Tyler sat back, watching Josh smile softly. Tyler couldn't help but wonder how Josh felt about all this.

"And what about you?"
"What about me?"

"How do you feel about this? Me going out with your man. Without you."

He could see Josh shrugged lightly. "I'm trying not to be jealous", he laughed. "I don't know. I'm excited too, for you two, for me, for us, but you know... can't deny that it feels a little strange? I know this is part of it, and it's really fine. But weird. Just bummed I am missing out on spending time with you guys. But it's good, necessary even."

Tyler nodded. He was glad Josh was honest about this, and not going for the easy answer and saying it's all fine. It is strange, them all three being together is one thing. Jealousy was an easy thing to fall for in a triangular relationship, especially with them too being together for so long already.

"But mostly i'm excited. So don't worry about me, this is part of the journey we set out for ourselves. We all gotta learn", he winked. "But i have to go now, and you have to get ready!"

Tyler nodded. "Thanks Josh.. I'll see you soon okay?"
Josh nodded too. "Have a good date, Ty", he added with a soft chuckle and shake of his head.

——

"Are you kidding me?" Tyler laughed as he saw where Brendon parked. Brendon laughed too, and Tyler was relieved he had noticed how this wasn't bad are you kidding me but a good one. "That's so cheesy, I love it!" Tyler jumped out of the car happily, pulling Brendon's arm because he was slow.

Once they sat down at the bench and tried to tie their ice skates Tyler gently nudged Brendon's shoulder. "So this is where you and Josh hang out saturday nights?" Brendon laughed, causing Tyler's skin to form small goosebumps of how he enjoyed hearing it. "For sure. Three times a week."
He shook his head then. "Yeah, no. I haven't been on ice since i was... 7? So expect drama."
Tyler chuckled. "I used to live next to the ice skating rink with my parents. From, I think I was 5 when I started? I skated every week until I was 14 or 15. I'll be rusty, but i will kick your butt for sure."

Carefully, Tyler got on the ice and it definitely took him some time to get used to it. But the feeling was still there apparently and shortly he was able to at least move over the ice without wobbling or slipped. But then, Brendon.
Tyler couldn't help but laugh seeing Brendon as some sort of Bambi on the ice, now holding the barricades on the side of the rink.

He could see Brendon was maybe a tiny bit irritated by the fact that Tyler pretty easily skated around him. Brendon pouted when Tyler grabbed his hands. "C'mon old man."
He gently pulled Brendon with him, the oldest wobbling and Tyler couldn't help but find it somewhat endearing.

"This was not how it was supposed to go", Brendon admitted. "I had kind of planned that you would suck at this more than i would", Brendon laughed softly, even though he looked unsatisfied with how this went. "So I could help you and keep you from falling you know. It would be all cute and stuff."

"You're not used to letting people help you, are you?" Brendon frowned, nearly falling when his ice skate slipped from underneath his feet. Tyler kept him up. "Also it's practically impossible to be worse at this then you", he chuckled.
Brendon huffed. "True, maybe. And true."
"Josh and I called earlier, and I told him i was nervous because for some reason you can be.. intimidating sometimes? Can i take those words back? You're not very intimidating right now." Tyler mocked, sticking out his tongue when Brendon replied with a semi-insulted "ouch."

Tyler was skating backwards now, steadily holding Brendon to stay up on his feet. It got a little easier and he shook his head, visibly feeling a little dumb. "You're not used to not being on top of a situation, are you? You're usually the 'wise' one. Always stay calm, the one in charge. And you get uncomfortable when someone else has to, or wants to take care of you."

"Partly true."

Brendon eventually got more of a feeling for it, now able to slowly skate himself with only holding Tylers hand. Firmly.

"You obviously need to be cared for too. And you are, Josh does just that. You just don't show it. In general you show your feelings less, i think." Tyler added. "But you need him as much as he needs you." He chuckled. "Only Josh has no problem with actually showing how much he needs you", and he winked.
"And that works, because you like that too."

Tyler then finally let go of Brendon, to easily skate around him, only keeping him from falling maybe once or twice. "But, you know, its okay to not always be the one in charge."

Brendon laughed. "You got me figured out quite well there mister. I'm not sure if I like it, but cant deny."

"Let's get some hot chocolate. I'm done with this", Brendon laughed. They had been skating for over an hour now. Once the skates were off and Brendon dramatically streched his feet as if they'd been caught in too small shoes for a week, he laughed. "Usually i read people quite easily. Some parts of you i can read, but i guess i have a lot to figure out still. You're... interesting."

Tyler laughed, jumping on Brendon's back to have him carry him to the cafeteria. "Oh i'm so interesting", he chuckled. His grip around Brendon's neck got stronger when he noticed the older wanting to put him down. It made Brendon laugh, and Tyler had really started to like that sound. "Hot chocolate for you?"
"And a brownie." Tyler added. "And a brownie", Brendon repeated towards the man behind the register now. Tyler noticed the amused look on the mans face, and he laughed.

"You're just as much as a sweet tooth as Josh", Brendon shook his head when Tyler had finally jumped off his back and sat down at a table for two. "Says the man with a year-supply of Red Bull in his fridge", Tyler bit back. Brendon snorted. "Fair, okay, but-." He stopped and laughed. "Fine."

Tyler looked at Brendon, amused he got him pretty much speechless. "Anyway, i'm not as interesting as you think." Tyler continued. "I might have a crazy past, but last weeks with you guys i'm kind of discovering myself to be a lot less interesting than i thought."
"Why's that?"
"I mean...", Tyler sipped his drink as Brendon did too, noticing how Brendon's knee leaned against his own, yet made no effort to move. It was sweet.
"I thought i was, who i was..? Like I was that person in 'my story'", he air-quoted the last part. "Angry, angsty, alone, careless, numb, worthless. Yet i'm slowly starting to maybe realize it wasn't who i was, but just what i had to live through. Or what i settled for maybe."
He shrugged. "I had seen so many negative things, to me that was all there was? And that started to be normal. Only now i'm trying to accept that maybe life doesn't have to be as shit as it was."

"Absolutely hate how you used the words useless and worthless to just discribe your former self." Tyler couldn't find any of that playful sparkle in Brendon's eyes he seemed to have at almost all times. "But i'm glad that's starting to change. Really glad, I-... We don't want you to feel like that, ever."

He snorted softly. "Sometimes its hard to actually understand what you and Josh had to go through. I had the easiest childhood and teenage years ever. Only child of two full out hippies, my mom miscarried two babies after i was born, which left a mark on them and made them decide not to try again. If that hadn't happened i bet they would've had 20 kids", Brendon laughed. "They wanted to maybe have foster kids, but my dad been caught selling marijuana once, so he had a record and that was a no-go." Tyler frowned. Drugs?
"Hippies. At some music festifal. Full on hippies. They're the most openminded, sweetest people ever. All I had to worry about as a kid was 'always try and always give your best'."

"Whoa", Tyler was actually surprised, yet also not. It made sense to how Brendon got to be so easy going and openminded himself. "Do they know you're possibly seeing someone else besides Josh..?" Tyler asked, not sure what he wanted the answer to be.

"No. Not yet." He winked. "Not yet."
Tyler decided not to ask more, because he was actually fully content with Brendon's answer.

They talked more, about Brendon's job and Tyler's, about how Josh loved everything space and UFO's (and Brendon mocked him for it) and many random things more. Time flew by and they only got distracted when at some point, at exactly the same time, both their phones buzzed.

Tyler laughed as he and Brendon saw the message at the same time. They realized Josh had created a groupchat for the three of them.

Josh
🥺🥺

Tyler checked the time, seeing it was soon to be 11pm already. "Must be so weird for him, right?"
Brendon nodded. "I think he just got home, and.. yeah it'll be weird knowing we're out and he's not." Brendon laughed then. "Let's take a pic to send him, and then get ready to get out of here.. good idea?" Tyler agreed, scooting closer to Brendon for the picture.

And yeah, Tyler blushed, again, when Brendon's hands comfortably rested, or held, the back of his neck. His finger were for whatever reason so comforting, just the simple way he placed them on his skin. He smiled, watching the lens when he heard Brendon make the picture and felt soft lips pressing against his cheek. Tyler's heart did a little skip at that, his stomach a twirl.

It didn't take more than a few seconds for Josh to reply.

Josh
😮🥺😍🥰 m i s s y o u

Brendon
Don't worry babe, be home in a bit :)

Josh
Bring Ty

Both laughed at the simple demand.

Tyler
No can't do, sorry... Have a long training day tomorrow, have to get up at 5:30 am.

Josh
meanie :(

Josh
But okay 😤 good luck at training tomorrow and pls call me soon i wanna know if Brendon behaved well 💛

Again, Brendon laughed that full laugh before putting away his phone. "Alright, puppy eyes, let's get you home", and he smiled, reaching out for Tyler's hand. To pull him out of the booth he was sitting, or just to hold his hand, Tyler wasn't sure but he accepted. When Brendon kept Tyler's hand in his own, Tyler's heart was warm. It was new (apart from holding Brendon's hand to keep him standing up while ice skating), and maybe it meant nothing, to him it meant a lot.

They got back to the car, Brendon driving carefully on the lightly snow-dusted roads. For a short moment they didn't speak, yet there was no discomfort at all. It was good. Tyler felt comfortable and at ease, happy how tonight went well and how he had learned a lot more about Brendons character. He was intriguing for sure.

In a minute or 20 Brendon pulled up on the parking lot, and Tyler sighed. "Thank for tonight, Brendon. I really had a good time. Glad i got to spend some time with you."
Brendon smiled softly, the way only he could with one corner of his lips curling up a bit more than the other. "Me too, me too."

When Tyler unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door, he felt Brendon pull his sleeve. So Tyler turned back, a little startled by Brendon suddenly being much, much closer. Then the older's fingers were on his chin, softly, and pulled him a little closer as Brendon leaned in. It was sweet, so sweet. How a small peck like that could have such a big effect on both.

"See you soon", Brendon nodded. "Sweet dreams."

Tyler just watched him, feeling shy all of a sudden, and nodded with a smile before he got out the car. Again, Brendon didn't leave until Tyler was up in his apartment, lights switched on. And after a quick shower Tyler dropped in his bed with a deep sigh.