Wait to start the song.

This was without a doubt the worst part of college. Tyler had to physically restrain himself from running out of the building or bursting into tears. Instead, he forced himself to calmly walk down the busy corridors and out of the building before he got to his car. As soon as he sat in the driver's seat and closed the door, he broke down. He sobbed as he pulled his legs up against his chest and buried his face in them.

"Fuck!" He yelled, digging his nails into his shins as he screamed into his thighs.

He allowed himself five minutes to scream and cry and act like a petulant child before he pulled himself together, put his seatbelt on, and started his car as if nothing had ever happened. Going back to the trailer park wasn't an option right now. It was a painful reminder that he was trapped here unless he busted his ass to earn that exit. Instead, he drove to the park.

Parks were good, right? Parks were calming. They had birds and grass and stuff. Surely he could calm down there. It wouldn't feel so much like he was drowning if he went somewhere pretty, so that's what he did.

The park he chose was fairly big, but that wasn't really compared to much given that this was Oklahoma. He walked with his hands in the pockets of his jeans, watching his feet as he walked along the blacktop trail. He didn't stop until he came across a patch of flowers that had been planted where there was a fork in the trail. The purple, blue, and pink blooms made him smile, so he sat down next to them.

Tyler could probably call Brendon for emotional support, but he'd likely get another one of those, "You're being too hard on yourself, Tyler" talks that made him even more upset. He had to be hard on himself. No one else was going to push him to do his best if he didn't do it himself.

He jumped in fear when someone sat down next to him, but calmed when he heard a familiar laugh, although it sounded a bit less enthusiastic than the last time he'd heard it. Tyler looked at Josh, but he wasn't looking at him. He was looking at the flowers like Tyler had been.

"What are you doing here?" Tyler asked, cursing how crackly his voice still was from crying.

"Not sure. What are you doing?" Josh asked, picking one of the purple flowers before looking at Tyler finally.

Josh tucked the purple flower behind Tyler's ear. He'd been crying. There were tear tracks on his cheeks and his eyes were bloodshot. His eyebrows drew together in concern when he saw Tyler.

"Hey, man. You okay?" Josh asked, and Tyler felt embarrassed when the other man reached out and wiped residual tears off of his cheeks for him.

Tyler forced a laugh and nodded, self-consciously wiping at his cheeks for anything Josh's fingertips missed. "Yeah, I'm just being stupid. Are you okay?"

"Weirdly, yes," Josh replied, suddenly seeming distant.

Tyler glanced at him. He wasn't sure why he did it when he'd only talked to Josh once in his life, but he scooted closer to him and linked their arms together, resting his head on Josh's shoulder. Surprisingly, Josh leaned his head on top of his without hesitation and sighed.

"So do I need to beat someone up for you or...?" Josh asked carefully.

Tyler chuckled. "No. It's just hitting me that I might not have what it takes to get out of here. I'm not really smart enough for college."

"Bullshit," Josh replied. "Why would you think that?"

"I just took a biology test and I didn't know anything on it even though I studied all night, and now I'm crying in a park on the shoulder of a guy who barely knows me. I'm kind of a mess at the moment," Tyler informed him.

He silently hoped that Josh wouldn't pull away from him once he mentioned their close proximity and unfamiliar social status, and his heart broke a little when Josh shifted his arm out of his grip. Relief flooded him, however, when Josh laid down in his lap instead, looking up at him tiredly through red-rimmed, swollen eyes.

"I failed biology twice in high school," Josh told him without a hint of shame or regret about it. "I failed geometry three times. I got held back a year once too. Trust me. You're doing a lot better than I would. You're officially above trailer trash."

Tyler was surprised when the confession made him laugh, and a smile tugged at Josh's lips despite the tears still drying on his freckled cheeks. "Thanks, Josh."

"I have to pull my weight as a sugar baby somehow," Josh replied, and Tyler laughed again.

Even though it was probably going too far, Tyler found himself absent-mindedly playing with Josh's hair, but made no effort to stop himself. It seemed to relax the other man anyways.

"You're so cute that you don't have to do anything to pull your weight. My greatest pleasure in life is carrying your weight for you," Tyler assured Josh jokingly, making him laugh.

Josh only laughed for a second before his face fell. Tyler's eyes widened when Josh covered his face with his hands and Tyler belatedly realized his companion was starting to cry. He kept playing with Josh's hair, afraid any sudden movements would make this worse.

"Hey, what's up?" He asked as gently as he could, but Josh just shook his head and sat up.

"I have to go," Josh told him as he started to stand up. "I just stopped 'cause I saw you but I should...." He trailed off as he started to wander away.

Too concerned to just let him leave, Tyler stood up too. "Hey, wait. I just dumped all my problems on you and you helped. Maybe I can help you too," he suggested hopefully.

Josh let out a huff that was almost a melancholy laugh. He shook his head. "As much as I would love to tell you, I can't. It's-It's complicated."

Tyler studied Josh's face for a second before nodding. "Okay. No talking then, but I'm still going to help you feel better. I know just the thing. Come on."

That seemed to take Josh by surprise, so much in fact, that he let Tyler lead him to his car. "What do you mean by that?" Josh asked, and he actually looked a little worried.

Tyler opened the passenger door for Josh, helping him into the car when his feet stumbled clumsily. He waited until Josh was buckled to close the door and go over to his own side of the vehicle.

He explained to Josh as he buckled up and started the car, "I'm taking you to get the two best things for bad days."

"Which are...?" Josh asked worriedly.

Tyler smiled. "Drinks and nugs."

Josh's eyes widened. "Um, I don't really drink and I don't think it's a good idea for me to-"

"Trust me, okay?" Tyler told him. Then, just to remind Josh that they were friends and that he didn't need to be afraid of him, he added, "Daddy's got you covered."

After a nanosecond of trying to hold it in, Josh laughed. Tyler smiled proudly. He'd make sure Josh was okay before he let him go home. Maybe letting him go home to his girlfriend would be what he needed, but Tyler had a feeling that wasn't the case. Something was off. Josh seemed hollow. Tyler could fix that up real quick.

-----
Start the song. It's Bad Boy by Dan Croll.

The look on Josh's face when he realized "drinks and nugs" meant shakes and chicken nuggets from McDonalds was one of the greatest things Tyler had ever seen. He laughed so hard that Tyler had to guide him into the building so his clumsy feet wouldn't land him on his butt outside. The only thing better than that face was the one Josh made when Tyler didn't let him pay for his own food because, "Daddy's got it, baby."

True to his word, Tyler didn't ask Josh any questions or make him talk. He let the other man eat and create conversation about whatever he wanted whenever he wanted to. At the moment, Josh was teasing Tyler for being "the only person on earth who would order a strawberry shake instead of chocolate."

"It's pink, Josh. It's the prettiest shake," Tyler insisted. He popped the lid off as he spoke. "Look at it. It's beautiful."

Josh laughed, but looked inside of the cup anyways. "Okay, fine. You're right. That's sort of my favourite colour."

"Pink?" Tyler asked with a smile.

Josh shrugged. "It changes a lot, but that's the happiest colour I've seen in a while, so I like it."

Grinning, Tyler leant forward and made Josh's faded blue mohawk stand up for a second before letting it fall. "Looks like your next hair colour is sorted."

That statement made Josh's eyes light up. He ran his fingers through his hair. "That's actually a really good idea."

"I've been known to have those every once in a while," Tyler said with mock cockiness, making Josh laugh.

"I believe it. That's why you're gonna be rich," Josh reminded him, "which is your most valuable asset."

"My ass is my most valuable asset, thank you very much," Tyler told him with a smirk.

Josh hummed. "Can't say it's ever grabbed my attention," he teased.

Tyler's jaw dropped in mock offence. "I'm hurt, Joshua. Honestly, this could be a deal-breaker in our relationship."

"Okay then. Show me this magnificent ass so that I may worship it accordingly," Josh replied without hesitation.

Not willing to be the least daring in this conversation, Tyler instantly stood up, turning around so Josh could look at his butt. Josh dragged him close by his back belt loop before turning him to view his butt at different angles, making Tyler laugh far too loudly for a public place.

"Okay, okay. I give in. You've got a pretty great ass. I'm on board," Josh decided, making Tyler smirk as he sat back down.

"Told you."

"That you did," Josh agreed, popping the lid off of Tyler's shake once again before pulling his phone out and taking a picture of it. When he caught Tyler watching in confusion he said, "I wasn't joking. I'm dyeing my hair this colour next."

"Cute," Tyler commented before he could filter himself. He felt his cheeks begin to burn when Josh laughed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to-"

Josh popped the lid back onto Tyler's cup. "Don't worry about it. It's the least you can offer me after the praise I gave your ass. You got magnificent, and I got cute. We're almost even."

Finding a guy friend in Oklahoma who wasn't going to try and rip Tyler's throat out every time he accidentally flirted with them was rare. Brendon had been the only one for a very long time, but it looked like Josh had joined him on that list. Tyler wasn't developing a crush though. He one hundred percent was not allowing himself to develop a crush on Josh.

"Speaking of cute, how's your girlfriend?" Tyler before taking a bite of a chicken nugget.

Silence fell between them for a moment, and Tyler instantly regretted being born with a mouth. Just before Tyler could try to salvage the situation, Josh replied.

"She's just Ashley's girlfriend now," Josh said quietly, looking down at the table as any and all mirth left his face.

Tyler was too shocked to say anything. They'd been so in love last week. What had happened?

Josh looked up at Tyler suddenly, and he looked like he might cry again. "Have you ever done something because you knew it was for the best, but it still killed you to do it?"

"What, like going to college when I definitely can't afford it and went to a shitty high school that in no way prepared me?" Tyler asked, hoping to ease the tension with a joke. It didn't work.

"How...how do you know if you really did the right thing?" Josh asked in a small voice.

Tyler studied Josh's face carefully. "Close your eyes." Josh did so without hesitation. "Picture yourself in five years. Whatever decision you made, how does it fit in with what you see?"

Josh's eyes opened slowly, and he somehow looked sadder than before. "That's a long time."

"Five years? Not super long. How old will you be in five years?" Tyler asked.

"Twenty-seven," Josh replied after a moment. He tugged his sleeves down over his hands. "Where will you be in five years?"

Tyler thought about that. "I'll be twenty-six. I'll have my bachelor's degree in business, and hopefully I'll have an apartment somewhere outside of Oklahoma. Maybe in Texas. I went there once when I was a kid. It was pretty cool."

Something about the way Josh was looking at him made his heart break, but the words he spoke tore Tyler to pieces inside. "The decision I made might be my only chance to make it to twenty-seven."

Unsure of what to say without breaking the "no asking questions" rule, Tyler lifted his milkshake up.

"Well, cheers to your decision then," he decided.

Finally, Josh smiled as he picked up his own shake and touched it to Tyler's. "Cheers, man."

They both took a sip of their drinks, and Tyler fought down the urge to ask more questions. One slipped through the cracks before he could help himself. "Where are you living if you're not...you know?"

The other man shifted uncomfortably, and Tyler once again regretted his existence. "Not sure yet. I moved out like an hour ago. I just threw all my shit in a bag and left."

That surprised Tyler too. So Josh's chances of living another five years were so close to being cut down by staying with Debby that he'd had to evacuate the premises as quickly as possible?

"One more concerned friend question that's potentially crossing the line?" Tyler requested.

Josh shrugged. "Hit me."

"That's kind of my question. She wasn't hurting you, right? You didn't leave so fast because you were being abused?" Tyler asked worriedly.

The other man shook his head easily. "No. Leaving is mostly my fault. It's for me, I guess. It's....I left because of my own problems. I have some shit to work on and she isn't the right person to help me through it."

Tyler nodded, letting out a sigh of relief. "Well if you need anything, let me know. You can crash on our couch for a while if you want."

Josh chuckled. "Trust me. You don't want that. I've gotta get my shit sorted out before I can do anything like that. Don't worry about it though. I've lived in some terrible places over the years. I can survive anything."

After a moment of carefully eyeing Josh to search for any traces of dishonesty, Tyler nodded. "Well the offer stands if you need it. Really, if you need help with anything, let me know. I'll do whatever I can to help."

Josh smiled slightly. "Thanks, man."

"What kind of a sugar daddy would I be if I didn't let you sleep on my couch from time to time?" Tyler asked, just to make Josh smile again. It worked.

"You're the best sugar daddy," Josh assured him.

Tyler beamed. "That's right! You're so sweet, baby. Someday I'm gonna buy you a mansion, just for saying that."

"I'm sure someday I'll give you sugar as payment for that mansion, but I'll probably wait until I'm not eating chicken nuggets and wearing my little brother's shirt," Josh replied just as casually.

Tyler squashed down the idea of Josh ever giving him sugar before his thoughts could wander into crush territory. Josh was his friend. Their relationship was purely friendly. Tyler needed to remember that, especially while Josh was going through a tough breakup.

"I'm sure it'll be worth the wait," he responded, masking just how quickly the cogs in his brain were whirring at the moment.

Josh hummed out a response before calmly stating, "It won't be."

Tyler laughed, making Josh smiled proudly. "Hey, Josh? Thanks for making my day not suck. It was really rough before I ran into you. You're seriously the nicest person I've ever met."

Josh smiled. "Says the person who just bought me dinner because I cried like a baby in the middle of a park."

"I was also crying, so we can be babies together." Tyler handed Josh his last chicken nugget since he was too full to finish it. The other man's eyes lit up as he took it. "Seriously though. I like hanging out with you. Can we do it again sometime?"

The question made Josh smile slightly. "Yeah, I'd love that. Next time, I buy the chicken nuggets though."

"As your sugar daddy, I have to respectfully decline," Tyler replied.

Josh pouted. "You just feel bad for me because I'm temporarily homeless."

"That's correct, but if you decide you're ready for a home, my couch is always empty. I only have one other friend and he already has his own bed," Tyler told Josh, only half joking.

A smile tugged at Josh's lips. "Maybe after I've gotten my life together a little bit more. Until then, I'll just have to dream about your ass from afar."

"I'm glad you're already looking forward to pleasant dreams," Tyler replied, making Josh laugh.

"The best of dreams," he agreed.

Tyler smiled. "Well, I better get you back to your car and get home to study for my history test tomorrow. Hopefully that one will go better, but we'll see."

"You'll do great, Tyler. Besides, once this one's done with, you'll be one test closer to Texas," Josh told him.

It made Tyler smile that Josh had remembered Texas. He fought a blush, but only because it would give the wrong impression. Tyler didn't have a crush on Josh, and he wasn't going to. Still, he fought a blush the whole drive back to Josh's car.

Tyler's heart felt heavy as he watched Josh climb into his car. He'd given Josh his number on the way here in case he needed anything, but he had a feeling Josh wouldn't use it. Whatever had happened with Debby that made Josh leave so quickly had to be something big, and Josh seemed different because of it. Tyler couldn't figure out if that was a bad thing or not.

"Hey, Josh!" Tyler called through his open window. Josh looked over at him. "I'm proud of you. Twenty-seven is gonna be great."

Josh smiled slightly, his eyes twinkling at the words. "Thanks, Ty."

Tyler smiled back. "Call me any time, okay? I don't really sleep, so odds are I'll answer."

"Thanks," Josh said again, quieter this time.

"I'll text you our address too in case you change your mind about the couch or just need a hug. You're always welcome," Tyler continued.

Josh was starting to look a little overwhelmed, but not in a bad way. He climbed back out of his car and into Tyler's, hugging him tightly. Tyler wrapped his arms around Josh instantly, letting Josh burrow his face against his shoulder. He rubbed Josh's back when he realized he was shaking.

"Thank you," Josh whispered against Tyler's shirt.

This was starting to make Tyler a bit worried that something was really wrong with Josh, but he didn't want to ask questions that would make Josh feel less safe right now. He hugged him a little tighter instead.

"I know I don't have all of the information, but I really do think you're doing the right thing. If it means you get to live longer, it's the right choice. Besides, the right choice usually hurts like this for a while until you've seen it through," Tyler told Josh carefully.

Josh nodded against his shoulder, but still didn't release him. "I'm sorry I'm dragging you into this."

"I don't mind," Tyler told him.

Josh's arms tightened around him for a second before he let go, pulling away. "Really, Tyler. Thanks. You have no idea how....Just thanks."

"Anytime," Tyler assured him.

Josh thanked him at least a thousand times before getting back in his own car, and hugged him twice as much. After a while, Tyler figured out that Josh just needed someone to hold him for a minute, so he held him as close as possible every time. He didn't know what was going on with Josh or what the future had in store for him as he drove away. All he knew was that he hoped Josh called because whatever Josh was dealing with was clearly too heavy for him to shoulder alone.