tyler was instructed to go about business as usual, so he does just that. he goes about his nightly routine with no problems, only feeling slightly unsafe as two drunk men past him. they barely cast him a glance, though. they're too busy leaning on each other and sharing intoxicated kisses. it makes tyler smile. he can't wait to get home to josh.

when he finally does get home, he remembers josh went out to bring home the new recruit. he must already be home, though, judging by the shoes kicked just to the side of the front door. the house is rather quiet, most of the girls have yet to return.

tyler toes his shoes off, heading straight for the bathroom to brush his teeth and take a shower. after doing such, he sets on his mission to find josh. it's a little weird considering he has yet to see the man or the new recruit.

he figures the best place to search first is josh's bedroom, and he's proved right. josh sits in the chair beside his bed, reading a book in dim, yellow light from his bedside lamp. he looks up upon hearing tyler enter, smiling at the brunette.

"hey, ty. how'd things go?"

"good," tyler hums, shutting the door as he takes a seat on the bed. "how'd things go for you?"

"good," josh says, marking the page in his book before setting it aside. "they're up in their room right now. sleeping, probably."

"what's her name?" tyler asks curiously, grabbing a pillow. he holds it in his lap, hugging it to his chest.

josh hesitates before letting out a small chuckle. "well... his name is pete."

tyler blinks a few times. his body's initial reaction, for some reason, is to grow extremely hot and sweaty. his brain's initial reaction, of course, is just bad. his name? there's another boy recruit in the house? why? what was so special about him? was tyler not enough?

the brunette digs his fingernails into the pillow, trying to get a hold of himself. he knows he needs to calm his brain down. he knows he's overreacting. he knows this, yet he can't help it. it's normal for him to just being used and then thrown away like a toy. he doesn't want that to happen with josh.

"oh," he finally speaks, realizing josh was waiting for his response. "cool."

the man nods slowly, trying to read tyler. "is that okay with you?"

"yeah, yeah, it's cool," tyler offers a smile, trying so hard not to convey his true emotions. "it's your decision anyway, not mine."

"i know, but-"

"it's cool," tyler repeats.

it's not cool. it's not cool at all. tyler feels it, he feels it deep in his gut, the probability of josh being sick of him and wanting someone new. he should've guessed it. he should've seen that coming. of course josh was sick of him. he was probably the most annoying person on the face of the earth. it'll only be a matter of time before josh ends things with him. then what?

would tyler be able to stay here after that happens? would josh kick him back out on the street? would he keep him around just to make more money? tyler had so many questions, so much uncertainty, he didn't even know what to worry about first.

"i'm gonna go to bed," he blurts out, realizing josh was in the middle of talking and he just interrupted.

"and- oh. okay, dear. want me to come up there with you?"

tyler shakes his head, chewing on the inside of his cheek to fight the tears burning his eyes. he quickly sets aside the pillow in his lap. he's totally ready to dart upstairs to his room until josh grabs his arm and kisses his cheek.

it only makes tyler feel worse. he doesn't know why. he can't explain what is happening to him right now. all he knows is he's hurting and being around josh right now makes it worse.

"love you, josh," he mumbles, moving to gnaw on his lip now as the man smiles.

"love you too, ty. goodnight, see you in the morning."

"night," tyler nods, walking out of that bedroom without a second thought.

surprisingly, he doesn't immediately burst into tears. he wants to turn right back around to have josh hold him and assure him they'll be okay, but he doesn't feel like that's an option right now. instead, tyler trudges upstairs with the weight of a thousand uncertainties crushing his chest.

sadly, he makes it inside his room without running into the new recruit, pete. he really wants to check this boy out, see what's so great about him. it would have to wait for tomorrow, though.

tyler strips down to his underwear, climbing into bed. he isn't tired, he knows that. he won't fall asleep for a while, if at all, he knows that. that doesn't matter to him right now, what matters is being somewhere safe where he can try to clear his mind.

the brunette sighs, ready to try to break this down.

okay, there's a new male in the house. josh picked him out himself, yesterday, and picked him up himself, today. he refrained from pointing out it was a boy until it was already too late. why was that? was he afraid of tyler's reaction, or was it more?

tyler hasn't met pete yet. for all he knows, he could be ugly as hell. that would be a plus. that would be a major plus.

oh god, but what if he wasn't? what if he was stunning? what if josh thought so, too? was what billie said right? was josh just using him to get in his pants?

no, that can't be. there's no way. josh wouldn't do that to him, he's not like that. not anymore, at least... but what if he still is? what if he hasn't changed at all and he's just very deceptive?

tyler sighs, smacking the back of his head against his pillow several times. he knows he should just go talk to josh about it, but he feels like he physically can't.

the words will get caught in his throat. either that, or he'll start crying before he can get any words out. besides, he knows for a fact josh will react negatively. he knows josh will think he's overreacting. he knows he's being a weird, jealous, possibly controlling lunatic.

tyler so badly doesn't want to be like that, and he doesn't want josh to think of him as that either. he has to suck it up, he has no other choice. him and pete will meet tomorrow, and tyler can see how he feels afterwards. until then, he needs to let it go. he needs to get his brain to shut up.

...but he can't. he literally cannot do it. he concludes such after trying for a full twenty minutes, and after that he just wants to cry out of frustration. tyler needs help, he can't get rid of these thoughts on his own. he doesn't want to go to josh, though, so he heads for the next best's room.

"can't sleep?" felix asks, allowing the brunette to enter.

"no," tyler sighs. "my brain won't shut up."

"what's it saying?" the older asks curiously.

tyler shakes his head. "nothing, just bad stuff. i don't know what to do."

"did you try talking to josh?"

"no, i can't," tyler sighs. when felix urges for him to go on, he explains, "i don't want to annoy him. i don't want him to think of me any differently."

"ty," felix starts, "none of that will happen. josh loves you. he-"

"does he actually, though? do you really know that, or do you just assume? is he just good at pretending to love me? does he just want to use me? how would you know? you don't, and i don't either."

"oh," felix whispers, now understanding. "i get it. this is about what brendon said to you that night, right?"

"what? no, it's- how did you even know about that?"

"josh told me," he says matter-of-factly.

"no, it's not that. i mean, that plays into it, i guess, but it's not just that."

"then it must be about pete, right?"

tyler nods shamefully, not questioning whether felix has already met him or not. that's not important right now.

"ohhh, okay," he nods, finally piecing it together. "i get what's happening. you think josh is going to... dump you, for lack of better words, and replace you with him."

"uh-huh... is that wrong of me?"

"no, no, don't think that," felix quickly responds. "it's not your fault for thinking that. you have your doubts and rightfully so. you know how josh was before he met you, i remember how worried you were about him using you before you guys were even a thing. and then brendon got in your head, and now there's this. it isn't your fault, ty."

"what do you think about it, then?"

"about josh using you?"

"mhm..."

"i don't think that's true," he says, simply. "josh has never put as much effort into somebody as he has into you. i honestly think he just recruited pete because he thinks pete will bring in a lot of cash."

"you don't think he just thinks of me like that? how do you know he's not just deceiving us?" tyler continues to question, grateful felix isn't showing any traces of annoyance or aggravation.

"no, i don't think he thinks of you like that. i think he looks at you as someone he wants to take care of, someone he loves and trusts. although, i can't lie. i don't know if he's just really good at pretending. however, my gut tells me that isn't the case."

"but what if my gut tells me it is?"

"that's something that can be worked on," felix says, smiling kindly. "i think before you can let yourself worry any further, you need to meet pete first. i think you'll realize he's not josh's type. hey, maybe you guys will even be friends."

"i don't know," tyler states. "i don't think i can stop worrying until i meet him."

"do you want me to talk to josh for you?" the older offers.

"no, i don't want him to know. is it okay if i just.. do you just think it would be okay if i slept in here tonight? if that's okay with you? i can just sleep on the floor, or something, i just really don't want to go back to my room alone," tyler rambles, hoping he isn't asking too much of felix. he already threw all of his problems at him, it's understandable if he says no.

"yeah, of course, dude. you can sleep in my bed, i'm cool with the floor," felix says, already working on making himself a make-shift bed on the wooden floor.

"what? no, that's not fair. you sleep in your own bed," he argues.

"don't worry about it," the older chuckles, "really. i don't mind. as long as it will make you feel better, it's totally fine with me."

"are you sure?" tyler sighs, feeling guilty. he really would've been fine with the floor...

"one hundred percent," felix nods, sitting on the pile of blankets he laid out. "now, get in bed."

"okay," tyler caves, smiling slightly. he shimmies himself between the sheets of felix's bed, rolling over to face towards the man. "felix?"

"yeah?"

"thanks for not telling me i'm overreacting."

"well, because you aren't. your worries are totally justified, tyler. you and i both know you struggle with stuff like this, and that's okay. it doesn't make you a bad person because of it," he says gently, shifting to lay down on his pathetic, little bed.

"i can't stop thinking about it."

"do you have your phone on you?"

"no, it's in my room," the brunette mumbles, peering into a dark corner.

"here," felix says, handing over his phone with his airpods case. "put these in and turn some music on."

"okay," tyler agrees, searching through apple music for something to listen to. "thank you, felix. i think you're probably my best friend."

"i damn well better be," he laughs. "i'm sleeping on the floor for you."

"you are," tyler grins, deciding to just listen to some random playlist felix made called 'sleep'. "goodnight, felix. thanks, again."

"night, ty. no need to thank me."

the boy smiles to himself, rolling over as he places both airpods in his ears. he puts the playlist on shuffle, not knowing the first song that begins playing but liking it nonetheless. it only takes around three songs before tyler's brain finally shuts off and he falls asleep.