Tyler was sitting on the couch and eating a bowl of cereal, watching the news. Three bodies had been found last night, all of which were suspected to be belonging to the homeless.

"I don' know why ya keep watchin' the news. All it's goin' do is freak ya out."

Tyler stopped chewing at the sound of his dad's voice. He didn't know Tyler had his nose pierced.

"Uh huh," he stood up quickly and ducked his head down, attempting to run to the bathroom and hide out there for the rest of his life.

"Jesus Christ, Ty. Why ya runnin' outta here so quick?"

"I gotta p—" he began but his dad stopped him by grabbing his arm.

"Ty, what's— what the hell did ya do to your nose?"

Tyler looked up, guilt running through him. "I uh..." he froze, not knowing what to say.

"That better be fake."

"It's uh," he swallowed. "It's real."

Chris's eyes widened and he let go of Tyler's arm, stepping back slightly. "Ya got your nose pierced? Without askin' me?" He asked, his voice frighteningly calm.

"I didn't think you'd care," Tyler replied in a voice barely above a whisper.

"I wouldn' have cared if ya would've gotten my permission first!" Chris said exasperatedly. "How the hell did ya even get it?"

"Ashley pierced it last night."

"Who the fuck is Ashley?"

"One of my friends," Tyler explained, feeling defensive.

"I thought ya only had Josh!"

"Well I met her from Josh. Her and Brendon and—" he stopped himself.

"And who?"

"And Josh. Her and Brendon and Josh are all friends. She came over last night and did it."

"Christ ya could get an infection, Tyler!"

"I'm not going to! I texted her this morning on how to clean it and she said salt water. She pierced her own ears twice and Josh's nose, none of them have gotten infected."

Chris sighed and rubbed his face in exhaustion. "Why didn' ya ask me first?" He asked, disappointed.

However, for the first time in his life, the disappointment didn't bother Tyler. He didn't care. "I didn't think it mattered, I'm sorry," he apologized but it was no where near sincere.

"It's fine I guess. Jus'," he took a deep breath. "Ask me before ya do that kind of shit next time, okay? I woulda said yes but I jus' need ya to ask first."

"Okay," Tyler nodded.

"Okay," Chris copied. He looked at Tyler and pulled him in for a hug. "I love ya."

"I love you too," Tyler mumbled against his shirt.

---

Tyler woke up the next morning to his alarm blaring. It was seven and he had to leave for church in an hour. He did not want to go. At all.

He picked up his phone and saw he had a text from Josh from midnight.

Josh
Hey Ty you're probably sleeping but we're gonna be hanging out tomorrow and I was wondering if you'd like to come with

Josh
Oh shit you have church never mind

Josh
Forget I said anything I'm kinda high right now

Josh
Okay sweet dreams

Tyler laughed, setting his phone back down. He would way rather hang out with his boyfriend than sit in a old church for hours and hear the reasons why he's going to Hell.

A thought struck him. If he acted sick then his dad wouldn't make him go.

He quickly got out of bed and hurried to the hallway, going to the closet and grabbing the heating pad out. He went back to bed and plugged it in, waiting for it to heat up before holding it to his forehead. He had about fifteen minutes before his dad woke up and came in to make sure Tyler was awake.

About thirteen minutes later he unplugged the heating pad and threw it under his bed to hide it. Four minutes later his bedroom door opened and his dad walked in, looking exhausted. "Ty? Why ain't ya up?"

"I don't feel good," he croaked.

Chris frowned and walked over. "Does it have ta do with your nose ring?" He peered down and inspected the piercing. "It doesn' look infected."

"I don't think it has anything to do with it. My throat hurts and I feel like I'm going to throw up."

Chris held his hand to Tyler's forehead and gasped. "Shit, bud. You're burnin' up."

"I feel terrible," he lied.

"Do ya want me ta stay home with ya?"

"No," Tyler insisted. "I know how important church is to you. I can watch myself."

"Do ya want me ta come straight home after then?" He asked, referring to him going over to Black's after church. It had become a traditional every Sunday for Chris to go over there after church ended.

"No, go have fun," Tyler smiled weakly. "You deserve to have a break."

Chris nodded warily. "Okay. Get some rest. Feel better, son. 'M goin' go get ready."

"Okay," Tyler replied. Once his dad left the room and he heard the shower turn on, he grabbed his phone and texted Josh back.

Tyler
Skipped church. What time are you getting me?

He figured Josh was sleeping so he set his phone back down and went back to sleep.

---

Tyler sat on Dallon's couch, smoking a cigarette. Well, technically, he sat on Josh's lap who was sitting on the couch. Brendon sat next to him on Dallon's lap as well and Ashley opted to sit on the floor. Tyler, Ashley, and Josh had just gotten back from 7/11 where she had gotten a slushie so she sat drinking it and staring off blankly.

"It took ya two long enough to get together," Brendon stated after Josh pressed a kiss to Tyler's head.

"He's lived here a month, dumbass," Josh tightened his grip on Tyler's waist and the brunette smiled as smoke tumbled out of his mouth.

He had felt weird going to Dallon's at first. He was a teacher at their school after all. But after a few minutes of being there things felt sort of normal. He was a lot like his other friends and Tyler quickly forgot the fact that he wasn't supposed be around him.

"Okay but ya two have always had a thing," Brendon replied, laying his head on Dallon's chest.

"We have?" Tyler raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah," Ashley piped up. "Or at least when we're aroun'."

Tyler blushed at that and cuddled closer to Josh. He didn't think it was obvious but who knows.

Tyler took another drag of the cigarette before Josh took it from him and smoked a little bit of it as well. He handed it back to the younger and Tyler finished it off before putting it out on the ashtray on the coffee table.

"Hey?" Josh whispered in his ear.

"Yeah?" Tyler turned so he was looking at Josh. The pink haired smiled and kissed Tyler gently. He melted into it and it felt like he was on cloud nine.

When they broke the kiss Josh spoke. "'M really lucky to have ya."

Tyler beamed. "Yeah. Me too."