(sorry if this is annoying but i'm changing this to all lowercase because my phones keyboard has auto-caps turned off and i'm too lazy to switch it back n forth. thank ya.)

josh finishes clocking out and hangs his name badge up. he removes his waiter apron and slings it over his shoulder, walking out of the back room. the only person left sitting at a booth is tyler, considering josh just finished closing the restaurant a few minutes prior.

the brunette is sitting quietly, tongue captured between his teeth in concentration as he colors on a kid's menu. josh wants to snatch him up and smush his face and cuddle the heck out of him, he's so precious.

"there's my good, little boy," he praises, holding his arms out expectantly.

following a small gasp, tyler leaps from the booth into josh's arms. his arms wrap around the man's shoulders as he buries his face in his neck. his legs wrap around josh's waist, the latter supporting him by the underside of his thighs.

"hi, baby boy," josh chuckles, nuzzling his face against the little's. "daddy missed you."

"missed daddy so, so much," tyler whines, only squeezing tighter. "get so sad when you's workin'."

"shh, i know baby," josh says softly, carrying the boy outside and to his car. "but daddy's done now. do you want to go to daddy's house or yours?"

"daddy's," the brunette decides, whimpering as josh tries to put him down in the passenger seat. he only clings to josh tighter.

"honey, listen to me, okay? daddy's right here. i need to put you down and buckle you up so you'll be safe on the way home. don't want anything happening to my little prince, yeah? i'll hold your hand the whole way home."

"otay," tyler says sadly, allowing himself to be placed in the car. he blushes as josh buckles his seatbelt and kisses his cheek.

"good boy."

josh keeps his promise, holding tyler's hand the whole way home. he expects the little to fall asleep, actually, but he can tell tyler is going to be stubborn tonight. he sits with his eyes wide open, looking to his daddy for help with the seatbelt. josh only smiles, walking around the car to help unbuckle tyler.

"uppies daddy, p'ease," the younger says, holding his arms up and making grabby-hands at josh.

the man fulfills his wish, obviously, carrying tyler inside on his hip. with one arm cradled beneath his butt, josh uses his free hand to unlock the door. he shuts it behind them and locks it again, a habit he'd been trying to teach tyler for weeks now. josh tosses the keys into the glass bowl on the table beside the door and slides his shoes off, then does the same with tyler's.

"do you need anything, honey? are you hungry? thirsty?" he checks, cradling the small frame against his chest and patting his back.

"wan' sippy," tyler says, words mumbled against josh's neck. the latter understands perfectly, though, and retrieves one of the two sippy cups tyler keeps at his place.

"juice or milk?"

"dis one," he says, pointing at the gallon of milk.

josh carefully pours milk into tyler's sippy cup with one hand, the other still holding the boy against him. he's getting to be an expert at this, seeing as tyler is always extra clingy when josh is home from work. he's had lots of practice.

he's sure to screw the lid on tight, a mistake he's only made once before, then gives the sippy to tyler. he takes it gratefully, placing the spout between his cherry lips and sucking away.

it's late, almost tyler's bedtime already. they definitely don't have time for a bath tonight, but they can just take one in the morning. josh carries the brunette to his bedroom, which has become a mix of his and tyler's things.

he grabs everything he think tyler may possibly want: a fuzzy blanket, a pacifier, one of josh's t-shirt's, and.... oh no. where are tyler's stuffies? (just want it to be known, stuffies autocorrected to druggies.) josh doesn't remember the boy bringing any inside, but he also doesn't remember him bringing any to the car either. tyler always has a stuffy with him so that means...

crap. he left one at the restaurant which is now closed and locked until 7 am tomorrow. well, maybe tyler is so tired he won't even notice. psh, yeah right. he's bound to ask for a stuffed animal any minute now.

"daddy..."

oh no, here it comes.

"i's ti'ed."

josh lets out a sigh of relief, placing the boy on the bed. "i know you're tired, baby. here."

he helps undress the little, leaving him in one of the cute pairs of boyshorts the two picked out together. josh then slides his t-shirt over tyler's head, helping him stick his arms through the correct holes. the sippy cup is instantly placed back in his mouth.

tyler lays back, pulling the fuzzy blanket to his face and rubbing the material between his fingers. he stops suddenly though, hand now patting the empty spot next to him. oh crap.

"daddy, wan' thumpa."

josh takes a deep breath. "honey, i think you left thumper at the restaurant. i can't go back to get him right now because it's lock-"

"no, daddy! you's gotsta get him! him's 'fraid of the dark!" tyler's eyes are wide, fingers clutching the blanket to his chest. "p'ease!"

"ty, baby-"

"i needs him, daddy! can't sleep wif'out 'em!" the little's eyes begin to water as he starts panicking. he tosses the blanket off of him and scurries off the bed, darting for the door. josh quickly intervenes, standing between the door and tyler.

"listen to me," josh says in a stern voice, catching the little's attention. "thumper is going to be okay. he can be a big boy tonight, he's tough. i'll go down first thing tomorrow morning to get him. for now, you have two choices. i can go get penny from your house, or you can try to be tough like thumper for the night. what do you want?"

tyler whimpers, wiping his tears and snot away on josh's shirt. his lip quivers as he hugs josh, burying his face in the man's chest. "d-don' wan' y-you's to leave m-me daddy..."

"can you be strong for daddy?" he asks softly, cupping the boy's cheeks and forcing their eyes to meet. "i know how important thumper is to you, and how much he means to you, and i'm sorry that i can't get him right now. if you can be strong tonight, i'll give you a reward tomorrow."

tyler seems to perk up at that, lips curling upwards ever so slightly. "i's daddy's strong b-boy," he murmurs, fluttering his eyes shut as josh kisses his forehead.

"the strongest boy ever. do you know how proud you're making me right now, bub? you're such a good little boy."

tyler only whines in response, clearly calming down from his episode and feeling sleepy once again. josh places him back on the bed, waiting for him to finish his milk before speaking again.

"want to watch moana?"

the brunette nods vigorously, placing the fuzzy blanket between him and josh and cuddling with both of them. his head rests on the man's shoulder, thumb habitually rising to his lips. after turning on the movie, josh grabs the pacifier off of the bedside table and plops it in tyler's mouth.

the little hums, wrapping his arms around his daddy as tight as possible (which isn't saying much considering the boy can't even open a pickle jar). josh wraps both arms around him, gently squeezing his little body in response.

"i love you, little one. you're such a good boy. daddy's strong, brave little boy."

"'m luh' you's," tyler mumbles against his paci, nuzzling his cheek against josh's bare chest. his eyes are glued to the tv, watching intently. josh wants to puke; tyler is too damn cute.

"goodnight, honey. sleep tight."

"don' let bed bu's bite."

__a/n__

it would mean the world to me if you would check out my new joshler fic, tell your friends you love them (: that's all <3