Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Thunder cracked from the sky above, rain pounded hard on the ceiling, and as Tyler looked up to the sky, he wondered if maybe the ominous atmosphere was trying to send him a message. 

As the thunder became louder and louder with each roar, Tyler listened. Maybe Zeus himself was trying to say something. Maybe he was trying to warn him of something.

Don't go to work today, The thunder could have spoke.

Tyler chuckled and shook his head, going back inside from where he had been standing on the balcony to watch the storm unfold.

It truly was a marvelous sight, but unfortunately, he was being transferred to a new office today, and he needed to be there on time in order to make a good first impression, especially since he was going to be their new H.R. representative. It was a lot of responsibility, but he had been doing it for quite some time now, so really, it wasn't anything he couldn't handle.

He just hoped his new boss wasn't a dick. Especially considering that was one of the reasons Tyler was so excited to hear they had an new opening for his exact position, here, in Ohio. 

But, as Tyler fixed his suit in his bathroom mirror and headed out to his car, he took a deep breath and reminded himself that it was time to leave his old home behind. Yes, he had a few friends back in Indiana that already missed him, but that was also something he needed to leave behind.

People weren't permanent.

And he tried to keep that in his mind as he drove, desperately attempting to combat the small knot in his gut.

By the time he had arrived to Co-Op Digital Inc., the rain, the thunder, and the knot in his gut had all settled.

And although that didn't necessarily make him any less nervous, he still grabbed a box of belongings that he planned to have on his desk, and walked inside.

Immediately, his impression was one of an underwhelming nature: for a digital art company, the inside wasn't nearly as impressive as it had been in at his old job. The inside was still relatively the same: there was a service desk to the left where the security sat, a bathroom to the right, and then an elevator straight ahead. The drywall was still a comforting baby blue, and there was still an directory to the right of the elevator.

Except, this one seemed unfinished, like it had been left alone for some time now, similar to the drywall - although it was the same color as his previous job, it was a little more chipped, and there were a few more holes.

The maintenance in the place wasn't their top priority, and at least that was obvious.

"Can I help you?" The security officer asked, putting a book down and sitting up in his chair.

"Yeah, I'm the new H.R. rep here-"

"Oh, you're one of the office people," The man interrupted with a disinterested tone, "You're on the third floor."

Tyler breathed out and smiled politely, "Okay. Thanks."

The man picked his book back up and didn't bother with another remark; a silent sign that Tyler's first day was off to a great start.

As he shifted his box of things in his hands, he closed his eyes and turned his face towards the ceiling. Maybe the thunder was right. He should've just stayed in bed this morning.

But it was too late to rethink, as the elevator opened up, and he walked through the first glass door, and into the large office labeled Co-Op Digital Office, 22A.

He pushed the door open with his side, and then headed quietly towards the reception desk, already noticing a few heads popping up to look at him.

"Hi!" The receptionist greeted, holding out her hand, "You must be the new H.R. guy." 

"Um, yeah-" He lifted his arms, gesturing to the box in his hands, "Sorry, can't shake your hand right now."

"Oh! Here, let me get Dan to show you to your desk, so you can put all of that down," She replied, picking up the phone and clicking a button. She spoke softly into the reciever, and there was hardly a delay of five seconds before the portly man stood up and out from his office, greeting Tyler with a large smile.

"Hi, there! I'm your new boss, Dan Wild. You can call me, Dan, though. How was the traffic on your way over? Not too bad, I hope."

Tyler shook his head, "No, it wasn't too bad. So where do you want me to put my things?" The box in his arms was beginning to weigh him down, and he knew if he didn't put it down soon, the edges would leave marks on his arms.

"Oh, right, before we do that-" Dan turned towards the rest of the office, "Hey, everybody, can I get your attention, please?" 

Disgruntled and enthusiastic faces alike turned towards Tyler, who roamed his eyes over all of the faces. He made eye contact with a few people, including a man towards the back with dark blue hair. Even from the front of the room, Tyler could tell he was quite pretty.

"This is Tyler, our newest H.R. guy. He came from our branch in..." Dan turned towards Tyler, who mumbled out "Indiana."

"Indiana! So, be nice to him, okay? He needs a break from those Hoosiers." He said, with a low chuckle. Some of them nodded, acknowledging the statement, while most of them simply turned back towards their computers. Tyler was slightly confused. He wasn't sure if the overall coldness was due to their feelings towards their boss, or their feelings towards new people. 

Either way, Dan sighed, gesturing for Tyler to follow him to the left, "These aren't the most lively group of people in the world, so don't expect much of a reaction from them with anything you say."

Tyler simply raised his eyebrows in recognition, wondering if he was one day going to be reffered to as one of those people. 

"So, you'll be taking Hannah's old office," He said, as he brought Tyler down a short hallway. "Break room," He pointed to a room on the right, with a clear glass door, "And your office," He pointed to the wooden door on the left, with a small sign on it labeled Hannah Goodman, H.R.

"Today is Hannah's last day, actually, so she can show you how she's arranged everything."

Tyler nodded.

"Not too much of a talkative one, are you?" Dan asked, placing his hand on the doorknob.

"I'm just trying to take everything in right now," Tyler responded.

"Well, you're doing a superb job in that case, then," The man responded, chuckling to himself and then opening the door.

There was a woman in front of a filing cabinet, looking through the different envelopes. She had long, dark hair that had grey streaks lining every other piece. She whipped around when they opened the door, sliding up her glasses and highlighting her piercing blue eyes, that had dark bags beneath them. She was youthful, yet aged, witch did nothing to deter her clear, natural beauty. 

"Ah," She breathed, looking over to Dan, "Is this who's replacing me?"

He nodded, "Yup. Tyler meet Hannah. Hannah, Tyler."

Tyler set his box down atop the empty desk and puffed out a breath, extending his hand to shake the woman's. "Nice to meet you."

"You too," She smiled, pulling her hand back to reach back into the filing cabinet and hand Dan a large manila folder. "Here. These are the forms that corporate's been requesting forever. All you have to do is cross some t's and dot some i's - I already filled the rest out."

"You. Are. The. Best," Dan replied, giving Hannah a pat on the shoulder. He turned to Tyler, "This woman is the greatest. I'm going to go fax these real quick - Hannah, will you show Tyler everything he needs to know?"

She nodded and smiled as Dan left the room with a brisk walk. 

Hannah sighed and plopped down into the chair and clicked around on the computer.

"I am so glad I'm not going to be working for that man anymore," She commented under her breath.

Tyler shoved his hands into his pockets and looked around at the empty, baby blue drywall that had small holes in it where plaques and paintings used to hang.

"Why's that? He seems like a nice enough guy," Tyler replied. 

"Yeah, he seems like a nice enough guy to everybody, until you work under him for long enough and then realize 'Oh! He's kind of a douche.'" Hannah said, still not taking her eyes off of the computer screen. "I just feel bad for Josh. He's the one that has to deal with him all the time."

Tyler looked up at the ceiling, wondering how long it would take him to get acquainted with everybody. "Who's Josh?"

She sighed, "Dan's husband. He works here - he's one of the web designers and developers in the back."

Tyler thought for a moment, before leaning back up against one of the filing cabinets, "Is he the one with dark blue hair?"

Hannah nodded and turned to him, "Yeah. Have you met him?"

He shook his head, "He just looks like a Josh." He's also quite attractive, His brain said, immediately shaking his head to get rid of the thought. How innapropriate. 

Hannah chuckled and turned back to her computer, "Yeah, I guess so. Well, either way, they're the only in-office relationship you have to worry about. And even then, you don't really have to worry about them. You wouldn't even know they were married unless they told you - they're not very affectionate with each other." She paused for a moment, before clicking out of the tabs she had opened, "Which is odd, since they're newlyweds, but it's not really any of my business."

Tyler hummed in reply. He supposed it wasn't any of his business either, but he tried to remember his last relationship and if he was affectionate at all. 

He wasn't ever overly affectionate, but then again, he never felt the desire to show affection towards any of his previous partners. And maybe that's why he was single at the moment. 

"How long have they been married?" Tyler asked, simply out of curiosity. 

She thought for a moment, standing up to put a few last things in her cardboard box, "About a year now. Maybe a little longer. So," She huffed out a breath, "It's pretty self-explanitory, all of the computer files. You're up to date with everything that's currently happening, and all of the files are in order. The only thing I didn't touch were the formal complaints," She pointed to a large carboard box sitting on top of the cabinet, "But you know how to deal with those. You came from our other branch in Indiana, right?"

Tyler nodded.

"Alright, so. It was really nice meeting you, Tyler. I think Dan has some stuff he wants to get done with you today, but other than that, I wish you luck," Hannah shook his hand again and grabbed her box of things, heading out of the door, taking her name plate with her. 

Tyler sighed and sat down in the suprisingly comfortable leather chair, logging into the computer with the same password he used for his old one.

Despite the new surroundings, new building layout, and new co-workers, he still felt like he was back at his old job. Technically, he was - he had the same responsibilities, and same duties, but as he sat there, looking at his generic wallpaper, left alone in his new office, he realized that a change of location may have not been his saving grace.

He looked up and to the left at the door that had remained ajar. A woman with light hair and baggy clothing entered the break room across from his room.

Two minutes later, Dan popped his head into the door.  "Hey - oh, Hannah left?"

"Yup. She left a few minutes ago," Tyler replied.

"Oh," Dan frowned, "I didn't even see her leave. Well, oh well. She'll be missed by some."

"Not by you?" 

The man shrugged, "She was great at her job, but her and I didn't always get along. Just different personalities - it happens."

Tyler simply blinked and darted his eyes to each corner of Dan's face, searching for why Hannah was so eager to leave him.

"Um," Dan stepped into the room and shut the door behind him, causing Tyler to sit up a bit straighter in his chair, "So, I'm assuming that she brought you up-to-date? With the... office romances?"

Tyler's eyes flicked down to the silver ring on Dan's left finger, and then nodded, "Yeah. She told me about you and Josh. Congratulations, by the way. I hear you guys are recently married."

Dan nodded, "Yeah, thanks. So, listen, since it's your first day, I'm gonna go ahead and let you get settled, but after that I'm gonna need you to catch up on filing and reports. Y'know, just the same kind of stuff you did back at the other branch."

Tyler nodded, "Yeah, okay. I can do that." 

"Oh! And also the company picnic. It's coming up this weekend - Hannah organized it, as she always did. The information should be in your company e-mail. If not, just let me know and I'll send you another one," Dan said, giving Tyler a thumbs-up and then heading right back out of the room.

Tyler sighed and looked at the blank desktop, wondering if it would be too soon to log into his Spotify account and begin playing music.

He didn't - instead, he let his thoughts take their own path, as he began taking items from his carboard box and setting them up on his desk.

He looked up at the room across from his, watching the woman with blonde hair and baggy clothing exit, just as a man with dark blue hair entered. 

She patted him on the shoulder as she passed, "How's the Nextel website going?"

He sighed, with his hand on the door handle, "It's going. You know how incredibly picky those people can get. They want their entire body copy to be all tight leading, even after I explained how unappealing that is."

The woman snickered and rolled her eyes, "Typical. Well, good luck with that."

"Thanks," Josh replied, looking towards the right, where Tyler had been watching them converse. He flashed a tight smile at the new H.R. representative, then entered the break room.

Tyler clicked his tongue and continued unpacking his things. 

He couldn't wait to go back home.

::::

The first week passed by relatively quickly. The first few days were spent familiarizing himself with his new surroundings, and catching up on the data and reports they may have been behind on. 

It was monotonous to the very definition of the word, and Tyler was beginning to rethink his entire purpose of relocating in the first place. 

But, as he sipped on a cup of coffee at his kitchen table and half-listened to the news that he had turned on, he reminded himself there was no way he could go back.

He looked to his right, out of the window, wondering how far the drop was from his ledge to the ground would be. He was on the second floor of the aparment complex, so maybe 20 feet? Maybe a little less, maybe a little more.

He leaned further to the right, stretching his neck to get a better view of the fall. He wouldn't die. He might break a foot, or a whole leg if he landed incorrectly enough, but there would most likely be no fatal damage. Just a hospital visit, hospital bills, and most likely very little time off from work. 

Tyler sighed and sat back down correctly in his seat. He stood up and walked over to the TV, clicking it off when it began talking about the developing story of a young man who had fallen to his death from a five-story building. 

The clock struck 11am, and Tyler stared at the black reflection of himself. He was handsome, yes, but he was... unkempt. His facial hair was spotted and itchy; the hair atop his head hadn't been shampooed in days, and he couldn't even remember the last time he did a load of laundry.

He swore to himself he'd hop in the shower and shave before the company picnic, at 3pm.

And, suprisingly enough, he did just that.

He was a bit late to the picnic, but only by half an hour, so nobody bothered him too much for it. 

"Hey!" A lanky man with dark, matted hair greeted. He was standing with a group of people who, upon hearing his exclamation, turned towards where Tyler was walking to their setup.

"Tyler, you made it!" The woman beside him said. 

He nodded, "Hey, Ben, hey, Jenna. Yeah, I made it."

"Aw, man, H.R. is here?" A voice came from behind. Tyler turned around and saw Dan and Josh walking towards all of them, "Now we can't drink." He continued, laughing hard at his own joke. He earned a few chuckles around the circle, and then shoved Tyler's shoulder playfully, "I'm kidding, I'm kidding."

Three more people began walking towards the group, almost completing the entire staff.

Ben and Jenna walked off to go talk to other co-workers, while Dan dragged Tyler off to the side, convincing him to have a drink with him. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Tyler wondered if Josh was going to associate with any of them, but the thought was out of his mind sooner than it had entered.

"Do you play football?" Dan asked, emptying his cooler out onto the table that had been set up there. He took out two tubs of some sort of salad, and then left the cooler open, with several beers inside. As other employees showed up, the table began to get more and more full with items everyone had brought, and Tyler couldn't remember whether or not he was supposed to bring something. 

He took the beer that Dan handed him, despite consciously thinking about how much he didn't like the taste of it.

Either way, he shrugged, "Not really. I was always more of a basketball fan."

"Ah," Dan breathed, straighting his posture and taking a long sip of beer, "You're like Josh, then. He's not one for sports in general, but he prefers basketball to football."

Tyler hummed and looked around the area, trying to spot Josh. For as much he had listened to people talk about him, he hadn't actually had a one-on-one conversation with the guy. And he probably should've, before forming an opinion on him.

"Well," Dan said, also looking around, "Looks like everyone's here. Hold on, let me gather everyone - Hey, everybody!" He walked towards where the majority of people were, and waited until everyone gathered around, before continuing: "Thank you all for coming, those of you that did. Now listen - today is all about relaxing, okay? Don't worry about me being your boss, or anybody being your co-worker. Just hang out, drink a little, eat a little, all that." He picked up the football he had apparently brought from one of the park benches and held it in the air, "Anyone for two-hand-touch?"

A number of people whooped and followed Dan towards the side of the feild, beginning to throw the football around. Ben and another co-worker that Tyler couldn't remember the name of, set up a bluetooth speaker, and began playing soft rock, while other gathered around to converse over plates of food.

Tyler looked around, spotting Josh sitting by himself on one of the park benches, a cigarette lit in his hand. The sun was high up in the sky, dramatically shining down from the thick clouds that only made it that much more humid. The fading dark colors of Josh's hair were exaggerated by certain rays of the sun, making him look like a character out of a movie rather than a real person. Maybe that's what made Tyler's feet began moving towards him.

He kicked a stone towards Josh, causing his gaze to shoot up.

"Oh, hey," He greeted with a chuckle, "Was that you?"

Tyler smiled and shrugged, "Guilty."

"I thought the wind was picking up for a second," Josh replied, looking towards the right of the field and taking a long drag.

Tyler sat down beside him, "I wish," He leaned his back up against the table and placed his beer down, "A break from the humidity would be nice."

Josh nodded. "You smoke?" He asked.

Tyler shook his head, and paid attention to the way Josh took one last drag and then tossed the cigarette to the ground, stomping it out with his heel.

"You didn't have to stop just because I was here," He said.

Josh nodded, flicking his eyes up and down Tyler's face, "No, I know. I was almost done with it anyways."

Both of them leaned with their backs against the table, watching everybody else converse, eat, drink, and play football.

"How come you're not out there being social with everyone else?" Tyler couldn't help but ask.

Josh shrugged, "I've never been a huge fan of these company events. I mean, I like socializing, but... sometimes I'd kinda rather be home, you know?"

Tyler nodded, "I know the feeling."

There was a short silence as they watched a squirrel run up a tree, and then through the branches, stopping to look down on everyone. It receeded back into the tree, going somewhere out of their sight.

"Wait, why are you here, then? If you don't want to be?" Tyler wondered, looking over and making eye contact with Josh.

Josh shrugged, looking back out onto the field, "Dan kinda... well, he likes me to come to this stuff with him. Plus, I work for this company, too, so I should be here."

Tyler thought for a moment, Hannah's words fresh in his mind.

"I just feel bad for Josh. He's the one that has to deal with him all the time."

"How did you guys meet?" Tyler asked. Josh took a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, lighting one and putting it between his lips.

"Just through work," He commented. When the smoke blew across Tyler's face, he inhaled, looking toward the source.

"And you guys have been married for... a year now?"

Josh nodded, "One year, nine months, and six days."

Maybe it was just the way Tyler was hearing it, but the way those numbers left his lips sounded more like a countdown than a casual timer. 

And maybe Tyler's skeptical thoughts showed on his face, because the second Josh made eye contact with him again, he smiled graciously, turning his grimace into something of the exact opposite.

"Why do you ask?"

Tyler shrugged, "I was just curious."

Josh nodded and pursed his lips, sending yet another cigarette to the ground. "What about you? Any special someone in your life?"

Tyler shook his head, "Not unless you count my mailman."

The sudden humor must've taken Josh by surprise because he began laughing just a bit too hard for a joke that was hardly even worth a giggle.

"Your mailman is your special someone?" Josh asked, still reeling from his laughter. His eyes were slightly squinted as he looked at Tyler who just sat there with a smile on his face, coming to the realization that Josh's smiles may have been one of the nicest smiles he had ever seen.

"Well, yeah. Sometimes he leaves little lipstick marks on the envelopes. Y'know, stuff like that," Tyler replied, his gaze as cool as steel.

Josh's eyebrows shot up, "Wait, seriously?"

Tyler immediately broke out into laughter, ruining his whole cool-guy façade. "No, not seriously. I've only actually seen my mailman, like, twice."

"Oh," Josh chuckled, his laughter dying down. He looked over to Tyler, who's grin was so wide it was crinkling his eyes, as he just watched Josh be entertained by something that wasn't all that entertaining in the first place.

"Sorry. I guess I just needed to laugh," He apologized, coughing into a closed fist.

"That's fine by me," Tyler replied, "I just wasn't aware of how funny I actually was, I guess."

Josh grinned again and opened his mouth to respond when a shadow suddenly loomed in the space between the both of them, catching their attention.

"Either of you got a lighter?" A woman with bleached hair and bright red lips asked. She looked vaguely familiar, and Tyler recognized her as one of the sales representatives.

Tyler immediately looked towards Josh, who took one out of his left pocket, flicking it on and holding it up to her cigarette. There was a cheer of victory from somewhere by the football feild, and Tyler wondered if they were done with their game yet.

"Thanks," She said, puffing on the cigarette and then letting her arm hang. She was pretty - not a conventional pretty, but she definitely had a certain look to her that many would find appealing. Maybe it was the way she stood. Tall and confident, like a figure of authority. "This weather sucks," She turned to Josh, "Bet it makes you miss your hometown."

Josh shook his head, "Not really. The humidity is bad, but I'm used to it."

Tyler turned to Josh, "Where're you from?"

Josh looked back out towards the feild, as the football group disbanded, and began heading towards the refreshment table. 

"Ottawa," He replied, standing up and stretching. 

Tyler furrowed a brow, "Did you have to get a Visa, then, to stay in America?"

Josh shrugged, "Yeah, something like that. I'm going to go use the bathroom. I'll be back in a bit," He said, before any other questions could be asked.

The woman with the bleached hair sat down in his place, taking another puff of her cigarette. It had red rings around it from where her lips had been, and a small indent in the middle where her fingers gripped it tightly. Tyler couldn't recall the woman's name, but he felt as if he already knew more about her than he should've.

"Don't take it personally," She said, stomping the lipstick-stained cigarette out, "He does that to everyone. Say the word ‘Visa’ and he’s out of the conversation faster than my first husband was out of our marriage.”

Tyler nodded and kicked at the gravel by his feet, not letting himself be confused by the analogy.

"There's something off about those two," She continued, picking at something inbetween her teeth. She flicked something off of her painted fingernails, and then crossed her legs, leaning back on the bench. "They don't look right."

"They don't look right?" Tyler questioned, looking out towards the refreshment table. Jenna waved him over and he shook his head, holding up his index finger.

"Yeah. I dunno, something doesn't match up." 

They continued watching everything before them. A bird chirped from a tree, but it meant nothing.

"Dan has some skeletons in his closet if you ask me."

A squirrel ran from one tree to another, as another squirrel followed closely behind. They ran into the tree together, and exactly thirty seconds later, one squirrel left. 

"Maybe Josh, too. Those gays are so dramatic, I bet they all have something to hide."

Tyler turned towards her, with his head cocked to the side.

"Not that I have anything against them," She quickly backtracked, putting her hands up in defense.

Tyler nodded, "Right." He stood up and walked towards a group of people he could actually look forward to associating with.

The rest of the afternoon passed by fairly quickly. As the humidity died down, the bluetooth speaker began to play more exciting music, a limbo stick appeared from somewhere, and all were invited to try.

Tyler declined politely when they tried to get him to go at first, but Josh's big brown eyes and wide smile wanted to see how low Tyler could go and if he could beat his record.

So, succumbing to the pressure, Tyler limboed and went far lower than anyone - including himself - had expected.

Josh was shocked, but was also competitive. They cheered him on as he attempted to go lower, and when he fell, some laughed, other chuckled, and no one was all that concerned.

Tyler grasped his hand and helped him stand up, telling him not to feel too bad - there was always next year.

They had a good time, and Tyler didn't even care how Josh got slightly offended when he learned that Tyler had never seen Fight Club in it's entirety. 

He would have to come over and watch it sometime, Josh offered, taking a cigarette from his pocket. 

Tyler agreed. That sounded like a nice idea.

"Josh!" Someone called from afar, interrupting their conversation. Dan walked up to Josh, putting a protective arm around his shoulders. The humidity and mild exercise must have gotten to him, as the sweat marks all over his shirt showed. "You ready to go?"

Josh swallowed and nodded, "Yeah, sure." He turned to Tyler, poking him in the shoulder, "You're pretty cool. For an H.R. guy, that is."

Tyler laughed and playfully rolled his eyes, swatting Josh's hand away, "Yeah, whatever."

Dan silently beckoned Josh to begin walking towards their car.

"See you Monday!" Josh called back to Tyler, waving.

Tyler called the same and waved back, watching Dan take him arm and put his back by his own side. Maybe he did notice the lack of physical contact, and the supposed lack of an emotional connection between the two, but then again, he reminded himself that it was none of his business. 

Not only was it none of his business, but as he drove alone back to his house where he arrived alone, ate dinner alone, and watched TV alone, he didn't have much room to say anything about anybody's relationship.

He sat on the couch, watching some crime documentary with his knees tucked close to his chest. There was an odd sense of lonliness that settled into the atmosphere of his home.

Which was odd, because he was usually perfectly okay with being by himself.

Tonight was different.

So he shut the TV off early and dragged his feet to his kitchen cabinet, taking a few capsules of Melatonin before heading to sleep.

Part of him (but only part of him) didn't want to wake up in the morning.

Chapter Text

Tyler sat at his desk, watching the digital clock on his monitor tick by, going slower and slower each minute he sat there.

The first few months of his employment passed by relatively quickly, yet here he was, still sitting and waiting for 4:38pm to become 5:00pm, so he could go home. Just because he had gotten used to his work did not mean that he enjoyed it any more than he did when he first started.

He sighed.

It was 4:39pm. 

He refreshed his e-mail, and was surprised to find there was a new letter in his inbox.

From: [email protected]

To: Upper-level employees

Re: Software Update

Good afternoon, upper-level management and human resources!

On Friday (November 10th, 2017), we will be recieving a new and exciting software update! This update includes:

• New and more efficient use of the Genius program (Genius 2.0)

• New filing and hardware storage system

• Online communication between branches

• E-HR 6.8-9

Attached to this e-mail, you will find a powerpoint presentation, explaining the new and innovative features we have added for our employees. Please show them all the powerpoint BEFORE the new update.

Thank you for your attention!

- Victoria Finn, Director of Human Recourses

Tyler skimmed the e-mail one more time and then clicked the link to the powerpoint, immediately groaning at how long and ridiculously detailed it was. He clicked through each slide, reading a few words here and there, just trying to get himself familiar with the new software.

But, then again, he could always get familiar with it the next day.

So he skipped several slides and then closed the e-mail out, leaning back in his chair. He looked to the left at his door that always remained ajar, and then to the right at the filing cabinets that he hardly had to use yet.

In fact, he had only seen the top three drawers, and hadn't had the opprotunity to use whatever lied in the very bottom drawer. Wanting to know what it held, he stood up and walked over to it, opening it up. There was a thin manila folder in it - so thin you'd have to open it up to even know that anything was in it.

Tyler opened it up and took of the sticky note that sat in the middle of the document, labeled "PHOTOCOPY."

He flicked his eyes over it, reading the first paragraph more than one.

Joshua Dun and Daniel Hopper have notified the company that they have entered into a consensual relationship on 6/08/16, and said relationship continues through this date.

He flipped it over and looked on the back, where another sticky note was found, and in messy handwriting it read: Married on 6/22/16.

Tyler furrowed his eyebrows. There wasn't even a one-month discrepancy between the two dates. He knew it really wasn't his business, but that was an awfully fast pace to know each other, especially since they're lawfully wed. 

And then he thought of Canada. He thought of the picnic. He thought of one year, nine months and six days, and how those words had such a disappointing tone beneath them.

With his face still contorted in confusion, he went over to his computer and sat down. He clicked around through a few different files, until he got to their employee roster, clicking on Josh's name.

DUN, JOSHUA         HIRE DATE: 6/01/17

Something didn't sit right with Tyler. He didn't know exactly what it was, but all of those dates were far close together. He thought of the picnic again. 

"How'd you two meet?"

"Just through work."

6/01, 6/08, 6/22.

It was simply too fast. Maybe they did have something to hide. He watched the dates move back and forth behind his eyelids, trying to fit them together in his mind.

He stood up from his desk and picked his work bag up, shutting down his computer.

Hopefully he could catch Josh before he left for the day.

And what a lucky man he was.

“Hey,” Tyler greeted, entering the break room where Josh was warming up a cup of something in the microwave.

Josh smiled, “Hey. Getting ready to leave?”

Tyler nodded. Different questions flooded through his mind, and he stared blankly ahead at the vending machine, only partially wondering if he was actually going to get something.

“Was this your first summer in Ohio?” He asked, trying to remain nonchalant as he took his wallet out of his pocket.

Josh shook his head and leaned up against the counter, “Nope. I moved here last summer, at the end of August. So, I got the butt end of the heat wave.”

Tyler nodded again, putting two quarters into the machine and pressing A1. “So you moved here, from outside of the United States during the last week of August, got hired and began dating Dan within your first week here, and then got married three weeks later.”

There was silence. Tyler reached at the bottom of the vending machine and grabbed his bag of chips, but when he looked over at Josh and saw the downright petrified look he wore on his face, his appetite disappeared.

Josh was silent. His gaze was unwavering and stone cold.

“When was your Visa set to expire?” Tyler questioned.

Josh blinked, finally, and then looked to the ground. “How do you-” He looked up with a confused expression. “What’re you implying?” The microwave sounded as the timer ended, but neither of them moved to stop it.

“I was looking around in my office and I just noticed that… well, you moved from Canada, got a job, and then married Dan within… a month?” Tyler replied.

And Josh was at a loss of words. He trudged over to the nearest table and sat down at a chair, putting his head in his hands. Tyler stood there in silence, unsure of what to do. It was such a vulnerable position he was watching Josh take, and it didn’t suit him at all.

He took the chair next to him, putting a comforting hand on his back.

“I had to do it, okay?” Josh said, bringing his head up to make eye contact. His tone was hushed, but sincere. "I had to get out of there. I had to.”

Tyler swallowed thickly. “Does Dan know the reason you married him?”

Josh scoffed, “Of course he knows. It was his idea in the first place.” He put his head back down in his hands, leaving the rest of the story unfinished. So, Tyler waited, with his hand now running soothingly up and down Josh’s back, in an attempt to comfort him.

It was his job, after all.

“He was the first person I met when I came here,” Josh began, speaking in a quiet tone, “I was terrified that my Visa would expire, and they’d send me back.”

“So you got married to a citizen,” Tyler completed.

Josh simply nodded, bringing his head back up, with a pleading look in his eyes, “You can’t - please, you can’t report us. In a year, I’ll be able to divorce him and keep my residency, but - just - please, Tyler.”

There were a few things that went through Tyler’s head as he stared into Josh’s eyes that glistened with an emotion he had trouble reading. One of them was the fact that Josh’s eyes were beautiful: and it was pure and simple as that.

However, the situation that he was presented with was less pure and less simple. But that did not stop an answer from popping into his head before Josh had even finished his sentence.

“I won’t say anything,” He responded with a thickness in his throat, “I promise.”

Josh smiled wearily and scooted himself forward, wrapping Tyler in a hug. "Thank you," He whispered.

Tyler wrapped his arms right back around Josh and paused for a second, before holding him just as tightly. He closed his eyes and relaxed into the position they were in, smiling softly to himself.

When he pulled back, Josh's eyes were glistening with moisture. 

"Josh," Tyler breathed, "It's okay. You'll be fine."

"I know, I know," Josh replied, wiping at his eyes and taking a deep breath, "I just..." He chuckled, "I just hate having to do this."

Tyler sighed in sympathy. There really wasn't much else for him to say at this point, so he kept a warm hand on his shoulder. 

They exchanged eye contact, and Tyler tried to convey everything he was feeling and thinking into his expression.

Josh smiled tightly, and then wiped at his eyes, standing up. He took a deep breath, "I'll, uh, I'll see you tomorrow, I guess. Thanks again." His voice faded as the sentence went on, and Tyler's voice wasn't any louder as he mumbled a pleasantry right back at him. 

He watched Josh exit the break room and walk right past the microwave that still continued to sound every few seconds, reminding them both that there was an item inside.

Tyler got up with a newfound weariness in his bones and took the cup out of the microwave. It smelled nice - tea, probably. Either way, Tyler dumped it into the sink next to him and rinsed the cup out, placing it next to the microwave.

He sighed and then grabbed his bookbag, exiting the building. On the way home, he thought of different movies and TV shows he could catch up on, already knowing that trying to get to sleep tonight was going to be tedious.

Whether it was because of him or Josh, he was unsure.

That was not the only thing he was unsure of.

:::

The next day wasn’t any more spectacular - Tyler gave the powerpoint presentation that had been sitting in his e-mail, and during lunch, Josh made him a cup of coffee, which “was very kind of him.”

Tyler chuckled, “You know you don’t have to do this, right?”

Josh nodded before he had even finished the sentence, “Yeah, I know. I’m doing it because I want to.”

Tyler smiled politely and thanked him again. Him and Josh sat in his office for a long lunch and chatted about really anything that came to their minds.

Josh was a really easy person to talk to, Tyler was finding. Maybe the little secret that he kept was what drew them closer, or maybe it was the little smile that made Tyler’s heart do a backflip on occasion. He was a pretty man, there was no doubt about it. And there were other things too, of course. There was his impeccable sense of humor, his dyed hair that always looked good, whether it was fading or not, and then there were the small lines on either side of his eyes that would scrunch up when he laughed.

There was the way he looked at Dan, and then there was the way he looked at Tyler.

Tyler tried to remind himself that Josh was not avalible, Josh was married, and Josh was definitely not interested in him.

Not like it mattered.

Tyler shook his head and mentally slapped himself, as he noticed the clock had ticked 5:10p.m. He should have been out of the door ten minutes ago, but he was so busy daydreaming about the lines next to Josh’s eyes, he had lost track of time.

So he sighed and stood up, wishing he had the strength to physically slap himself.

Of course, there was not a single soul left at their desk, as everybody had already left for the day.

Except for Josh’s bag. It was still sitting next to his desk, and his jacket was still thrown casually over his chair. Tyler furrowed his eyebrows and looked towards the back of the building, squinting to see who else may have not left yet.

Dan was gone. Which was odd, because him and Josh usually left and arrived together.

“Josh?” Tyler called out, wondering where he was. For a few seconds, there was no reply. Then, about a minute later, Josh entered through the bathroom doors, blowing his nose and wiping at his teary eyes.

Tyler cocked an eyebrow and immediately began walking towards the man,“Are you okay?”

Josh nodded and smiled weakly, “Yeah, I’m good.”

“You sure? ‘Cause you’re crying.” Tyler replied.

He nodded again, “Yeah. I just -” His voice began to waver, “I just-” He cut off his own sentence and began crying again, putting his face in his hands.

Tyler frowned and stepped forwards again, taking Josh into his arms. He didn’t know what it was that was causing Josh to shed tears, but it tugged at his heart and lit a fire beneath his bones. He ran a patient hand up and down Josh’s back, trying to comfort him as much as he could.

“Do you have a ride home?” Tyler asked.

Josh shook his head and sniffled, his tears beginning to subside.

“Want me to take you?”

But Josh shook his head again. He pulled back and used his sleeves to wipe at his tears, “I can’t - I don’t think I can go home.”

“What do you mean you can’t go home?” Tyler questioned, trying to keep his tone soft.

“Well, I can, but. Dan and I got into a really big argument. And I don’t -” He began twisting his fingers, “If I go home now, it’ll probably just get worse.”

“Oh,” Tyler breathed. He put a hand on Josh’s shoulder, “You want to stay the night at my place?”

Josh paused, before shaking his head, “I can’t. I don’t want to inconvinience you.”

“It wouldn’t be an inconvenience at all, Josh. I live alone and have no pets. I could actually use some company,” Tyler chuckled.

“You’re sure?” Josh asked, still wringing his fingers.

Tyler nodded and walked over to Josh’s desk, getting his things and putting them into his hands. He placed an arm around Josh’s shoulder, “I’m positive,” He finally replied, as the both of them exit the building.

The drive home was silent, and Josh kept his knees tucked close to his chest the whole time, making very minimal conversation. Tyler looked over at him a few times, just to make sure he was indeed still breathing, and he couldn’t help but marvel at how small Josh looked at the moment.

He looked like a little kid, the way he sat. As if the next words out of his mouth were going to be a question as to why the world was so big, what colored the sky, or why some stars blinked and others didn’t.

Tyler looked back at the road, and was greatful that he wasn’t being asked those questions. He hardly had an answer to any of them.

“I think I have pajamas that’ll fit you,” Tyler said as they walked into his apartment. He flicked the light switch on and threw his bag towards the couch, not caring that it missed.

“Um,” Josh reached into his pocket and pulled out a carton of cigarettes, “Do you mind if I smoke?”

Tyler shook his head, “You’ll have to use the balcony. ‘Cause of the smoke detectors.”

Josh nodded and headed out, leaving Tyler alone in the living room. He looked around, feeling as if his furniture was giving him weird looks. After he shook his head and remembered that that was impossible, he kicked his shoes off and walked into the kitchen, wondering what he could make for his company tonight.

The options were slim, as Tyler tended to keep it simple when he cooked.

He really hoped Josh liked pasta.

A few minutes later, when he heard the balcony door open and close, he called over his shoulder: “You like pasta?”

Josh poked his head into the kitchen and nodded.

“Good,” Tyler replied, stirring the spaghetti.

“Thanks again, Tyler. For letting me stay the night and all,” Josh said, with his hands in his pockets.

Tyler shrugged, “That’s what friends are for.”

Josh smiled and nodded, “Yeah. Right.”

The night continued carrying itself quietly. Tyler served the both of them their dinner and then turned the TV on, letting it play a rerun of Criminal Minds. And although it entered Tyler’s mind to ask Josh just why him and his husband were fighting, the words never could find their way out of his mouth. The man that sat next to him looked so vulernable. He had only recently dried his eyes, and Tyler really did not want to be the reason they would fall yet again.

So he kept quiet, only making conversation when it was convenient.

At one point throughout the night, he noticed Josh’s gaze fall down, no longer paying attention to the TV. He began picking at his fingernails, and his face was contorted unhappily.

“You okay?” Tyler asked, turning his head towards him.

Josh shrugged.

Tyler scooted towards him and put a hand on his shoulder. “What’s the matter?”

At first, Josh let out a deep breath and turned his attention back to the TV, giving off the impression that he didn’t want to talk. A few seconds later, he took his carton of cigarettes out of his pocket, standing up.

“Wanna come sit on the balcony with me?” He asked.

Tyler nodded and stood up, shutting the TV off.

The sun had set, and the sky was almost like a blank canvas, had there not been any stars. Tyler watched as Josh brought the lighter to his lips and breathed in deeply, the tip of the cigarette burning bright. The smoke blew in his direction, but he couldn’t be bothered to mind.

“Dan says he’s in love with me,” Josh claimed, breaking their silence.

Tyler’s eyes widened. His eyes flicked from him, to the edge of the balcony, and then back to Josh, who was staring intently into the night.

“Is that why you’re so upset?” He finally asked.

Josh took another puff of his cigarette. “I mean - It’s unexpected, but. That’s not why I got so frustrated.”

Tyler sat with his legs crossed and waited patiently for him to finish.

“He. He wants a divorce. He says he can’t take it.” Josh’s voice was beginning to waver again, and he coughed into his fist.

“Like… right now?”

The man nodded. He licked his lips and looked somewhere far up in the sky. “I can’t go back, Tyler.”

Tyler reached over to place a hand on his leg.

“I can’t - if he divorces me now, I’ll have to go back to Canada. And I can’t go back,” The last words were not only emphasized in tone, but in the way Josh’s eyes pleaded with Tyler’s as they made contact.

“Why can’t you?” He wondered aloud.

Josh took another shaky puff of his cigarette and then sighed, “I ran away from - from a really bad place. I was - it just wasn’t good.” He paused for a second, most likely wondering weather to elaborate or not. And he did not. “I moved to Ohio, and I-I had a green card, but they expire, and I was so afraid of leaving, Tyler, I had to do something. I explained the situation to Dan, and he said he would help me out. So, before it expired, we got married in a courthouse, in front of two strangers.”

Tyler rubbed a soothing hand up and down Josh’s leg, watching a tear roll down his cheek.

“And I’m so close. Just one more year, and I’ll be able to divorce him without any suspicion. But if we get divorced now, they’ll send me back. I’ll be right back where I started.” Josh broke down into tears and wrapped his arms around himself, the cigarette still carefully balanced between his fingers.

Tyler moved his hand to swipe up and down Josh’s back, silently trying to let him know that he wasn’t alone. Except, in a small way, he was. Because this situation was completely and utterly foreign to Tyler, and mind came up empty when he tried to think of ways he could help the man.

“Sorry,” Josh mumbled, wiping at his tears, “God, I’m pathetic.”

Tyler pushed hair back from his forehead, “You’re not pathetic. And you don’t have to apologize for crying. It’s perfectly normal.”

Josh chuckled and wiped at his eyes again, bringing his cigarette back up to his lips, and re-lighting it. He sighed and flicked at the filter, sending ashes to rest on the wood beneath their chairs. “I just wish I knew what to do.”

Tyler sighed. “Me too.”

The both of them looked back out towards the night; their eyes flicked back and forth, as if they were attempting to measure the space between each star.

“Do you think you can reason with him? To just hold on for one more year?” Tyler asked suddenly.

Josh shrugged, “Maybe. He likes things to go his way, though.”

Tyler nodded and pursed his lips. He ran over every word Josh had said, mulling over each and every syllable, until it was ingrained in his head and tattooed to the back of his eyelids.

“What happened in Canada?” Tyler asked, not entirely expecting Josh to answer the question.

He watched the man toss his cigarette to the ground and then stomp it out, killing the last of the ashes. He then picked it up and tossed it over the side of the balcony, after realizing Tyler didn’t have an ashtray. He sat back and looked up at the sky, almost as if he hadn’t registered Tyler’s words.

Except he had.

“A lot. My family was pretty… abusive.” He said, his tone now even.

Tyler nodded and sat forwards in his chair, watching a flock of birds pass over them.

“I tried to escape within the country, by moving in with my boyfriend when I was 17. He never hit me, but… our relationship was toxic. He was always angry. Did a lot of drugs. He pressured me to quit smoking, even though he did way worse than smoking cigarettes,” Josh chuckled, but Tyler struggled hard to find any sense of humor in his story. “Anyway, I ended up getting out of there after about a year. Moved back in with my family. And then I left for good after I got this,” He rolled up his shirt and revealed a thick, and unevenly healed scar right below his right lung.

Tyler turned towards him to see the scar and then frowned. “You didn’t go to a hospital for stitches?”

Josh shook his head. “Couldn’t. My brother pushed me down the basement stairs, and then locked it on me. Had to fight my way out when I finally got the bleeding to stop.”

Tyler blinked and shook his head, his mouth opening and closing on it’s own. “Wow… I - I am so sorry, Josh. You’ve been through a lot of shit.”

He shrugged, leaning back into his chair and returning his attention to the stars, “Yeah, I guess.”

There was another silence. Tyler thought he might’ve seen a shooting star, but the thought of making a wish felt wrong at the moment.

“Anyways, here I am, almost three years later. Still trying to live the American Dream." Josh concluded, in a complete monotone-of-voice.

Aren't we all?, Tyler thought. Of course, however, he didn't let the words escape his mouth. So, instead, he nodded and thought for a moment. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-two. You?”

“Twenty-nine.”

Josh nodded.

And a silence ensued. There were no cigarettes, and out of respect, the wind did not blow. Josh took in a stuttered breath, and Tyler turned his head.

“I feel like I’m just waiting for something to go right.” His tone was quieter now, and more familiar to Tyler.

And for some reason, Tyler extended his hand towards Josh, who smiled softly and took it.

“Something will go right eventually,” Tyler said. But even he was unsure of his optomism.

Josh simply shrugged and faced forwards, not letting go of Tyler’s hand.

The rest of the night was spent in a comfortable silence. And, out of respect, the wind began blowing again when they had finally gone back inside.

:::

The first thing Tyler registered upon waking up was a crook in his neck. He blinked his eyes opened and looked around in confusion, wondering why he had let himself fall asleep on the couch, fully clothed.

Then, he remembered.

He remembered 8p.m., and how he and Josh exchanged stories about their youth. He remembered 10p.m., when they snacked on the leftover pasta that had been left on the counter. He remembered 12a.m., and watching Who's Line is it Anyway? They shouted out inappropriate commentary, and laughed at bad commercials. He remembered 2a.m., and confessing to Josh that he was exhausted. Hardly five minutes later, and Tyler was passed out, with Josh resting on his chest.

And the fact that none of that felt odd was quite odd.

Tyler sighed and began running a hand through Josh's hair. He moved it backwards, then forwards, then sideways. It was rather thick for hair that was dyed on a regular basis.  He ducked his head down slightly to make sure that Josh was still asleep.

Good, he was.

Tyler brought his face closer to Josh's hair, and then paused before sniffing it. He realized it was weird, maybe, but he was just curious. Plus, Josh's hair smelled really nice. Like fruit and summer.

He returned back to his original position of stroking Josh's hair, and looked up at the ceiling, remembering how much fun they had last night. He'd like to spend quality time with Josh more often.

In fact, he'd like to wake up like this more often.

Maybe Josh was crushing his lungs, but maybe he was also really cute and Tyler didn't mind the added weight. Just maybe, though.

Because Tyler would never admit aloud that Josh was cute.

Well, maybe he could at the moment, while the man was asleep. He wouldn't hear him, but the words would be in the air, floating around and creating a warmer atmosphere.

"I think you're cute," Tyler said aloud. He chuckled at himself for being a little bit ridiculous. 

Less than a minute passed by before Josh blinked his eyes open and groggily raised his head, turning towards Tyler.

"Hi," He greeted with a smile.

"Hi," Tyler replied, his hands finding themselves on Josh's back.

And maybe time paused. Because when they made eye contact, and Tyler's eyes flicked back and forth between Josh's, he may have seen the world in a different order - a similar order, yes, but a different one. 

"How'd you sleep?" Tyler asked in a soft tone, trying to match the softness he felt in his heart at the moment.

Josh shrugged, "Alright, I guess." He put his head down to rest in the crook of Tyler's neck and took a deep breath. "You're comfy."

Tyler chuckled and rubbed his hand up and down Josh's back. "Thanks. So are you."

Josh lifted his head with a mischevious grin on his face, "And cute, right?"

The temperature of the room must've increased by a significant amount, because suddenly there was a faint blush that spread itself across Tyler's body as he stumbled to reply.

"Um - what?" He asked.

Josh's smirk only grew, "I heard you say I was cute." 

"Oh shut up," Tyler replied, "I was... I wasn't - not like that. Just, like, how you look when you sleep. But - I mean, not anything weird."

"So," Josh exaggerated the syllables, scooting up further to rest his forehead against Tyler's, "You only think I'm cute while I'm sleeping?" 

And, quite frankly, as Tyler stared up into Josh's large, brown eyes, he thought he was very cute at the moment. He vaguely thought of how easy it could have been for Dan to fall in love with a man like this - with this man. He was pretty, and he was a lot of fun to be around. And, personally, Tyler thought he deserved nothing but safety and security.

And if he were married to Josh, he'd make sure that safety and security was all he knew.

But, in the moment, Tyler couldn't push himself to express any of that. So, he simply shrugged. "Yeah. Something like that."

Josh's smile faded a little bit, after he realized there was no jest in Tyler's tone. He didn't bother replying - maybe because he didn't want to, or couldn't bring himself to, but he rested his head back into the crook of Tyler's neck, and breathed deeply.

"You're nice," He said softly, almost in a childish tone.

Tyler smiled towards the ceiling. 

Neither of them moved for almost an hour.

Chapter Text

Now there were signals. 

There were small smiles that Tyler and Josh shared every morning, that were a bit different than the kind of smiles they used to share.

There were brief moments of eye contact when Tyler would give a presentation on one thing or another. 

There were touches.

Like when Tyler passed by Josh and poked him in the side, when he was waiting for his tea to be done heating up. Or when Josh poked his head into Tyler's office and sat down for a few minutes, just ranting about a coworker. Tyler, of course, would simply listen rather than write in a formal complaint, like his job description required. Josh would sigh and thank Tyler for listening, and then walk around to the back of Tyler's chair and give him a hug from behind. 

Tyler reveled in it - he was quite infatuated, actually. 

He would not admit so aloud, and he probably never would, because infatuation was not love, it was... well, it was infatuation.

And Tyler told himself that, no matter how long it seemed to last.

Even when Josh found himself bringing his face rather close to Tyler's while they spoke, he told himself it meant nothing. Even when Tyler flicked his eyes down to Josh's lips, he told himself it meant nothing.

Even when Josh texted him late at night and confessed that Tyler's chest was much more comfortable than his own bed, and Tyler felt his heart flutter - it meant nothing.

They were co-workers. And Tyler was professional.

Not to mention, Josh was married to Tyler's boss.

"So, Dan is okay now," Josh said one day, as they ate lunch in the break room together. "He doesn't want a divorce."

Tyler stabbed his fork through his salad with an unnecessary amount of force, "Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah," Josh popped open his chip bag, "We talked it out. He still stuck by his feelings and everything, but he said he could stick it out for at least another year."

Tyler chewed and swallowed while nodding. "So why did he wanna get divorced so bad when he's in love with you?"

Josh sighed and bit a chip, "He said it was too hard to be married when I don't feel the same way. I dunno. I'm just glad he finally saw where I was coming from, and agreed to stay married till we reach the third year."

Someone else walked into the break room and got a snack from the vending machine, politely smiling at both Josh and Tyler. After she left to go back to her desk, Josh spoke up again.

"It's not gonna be easy," He said quietly, "But... nothing really ever is."

Tyler pursed his lips and used his fork to push around a few salad peices. "Would you ever... like, after you've divorced and everything - would you consider getting married for real? To someone you love?"

The question sat heavily in the air between the both of them, and Tyler's neck heated up as Josh blinked at him for a few moments.

He nodded, "Yeah. I, uh. I think I would."

"Cool," Tyler replied with a soft smile on his face. Him and Josh watched each other's expressions for a few seconds, before they each went back to their food. 

Except, Tyler couldn't help but look back at Josh. He looked at his eyes that were focused on typing something into his phone and then he looked down at his lips. They looked soft.

He wondered what would happen if he just... leaned forward. If he leaned forward suddenly and captured Josh's lips with his. Would he push him away? Maybe. But also maybe not.

"When was the last time you kissed somebody?" Tyler asked suddenly.

Josh put his phone down and thought for a moment. "Probably... since before I met Dan. So, like, two or three years ago." He balled up his chip bag and then tossed it into the trash can across the room, resting his elbows back on the table and facing Tyler. "What about you?"

Tyler chuckled and moved around random peices of lettuce, suddenly not wanting to finish his lunch. "Um... like... maybe four years ago?"

Josh's eyebrows shot up, "Four years?"

Tyler rolled his eyes and hung his head, "Yea, four years. It's been... I'm not super social, so. It's not really easy for me to meet people."

Josh nodded, a more sympathizing look coming over his face. He scooted more towards Tyler and placed a hand on his thigh. "I'm sure you could... meet someone if you wanted to."

Tyler looked at him for a long, hard moment. He desperately wanted to ask what that was supposed to mean, but at the same time, he felt like he already knew. 

"Josh, I-"

"Tyler! just who I was looking for."

Both of their heads snapped towards the entrance where Dan was standing, and Josh's hand retracted immediately. 

"Can I talk to you for a second?" He asked, his hands on his hips.

Tyler swallowed and stood up, "Yeah, of course." He smiled at Josh and waved goodbye as Dan escorted him back to his office. Tyler sat in front of the man's desk and crossed his legs, waiting anxiously. Him and Josh didn't do anything, but that didn't stop his hairs from standing on edge.

Dan shut the door and made his way around to his desk, plopping down in his chair. "Listen, Tyler," He sighed and crossed his arms, leaning back, "I know that... well, I know that Josh told you about our situation."

Words floated around in Tyler's mind, but none that he could say aloud.

"And I think it's great that he has someone to talk to about all of this but," Dan leaned forwards against his desk, "I really hope that this won't interfere with your work or work relationship with either of us. Like, I don't want any drama or anything. You transferred here with a clean slate - I'd hate to have to transfer you again."

Tyler immediately shook his head, "No, no, I - it won't. I know how to keep my work and personal life seperate."

"Good," Dan replied, leaning back again. He lowered his tone of voice. "And, uh. Thank you. For keeping it a secret. And not reporting him. It really helped us out."

Tyler nodded, and thought of how impossible it would be for him to report Josh. Never in a million years would he betray the man like that. He had grown quite fond of him, after all.

There was a knock on the door and one of the web designers stepped in, with a stack of papers.

"Hey, Kyle," Dan turned back to Tyler, "You can go, if you'd like."

Tyler nodded again and exited the room as fast as he could without drawing too much attention. It was odd, being thanked by Dan. It set a weird stone in his stomach. 

Maybe it was because he wasn't as nice of a person as his boss made him out to be.

Sure, he didn't report either of them, but just before that, he had Josh's hand on his thigh. Just before that, he watched Josh's lips as he spoke. And just before that, he wondered what it would be like to wake up next to Josh every morning. He thought it would be nice, and he also thought about how much happier he would be - never did he think about how he was indirectly improving the home life between Josh and Dan.

Tyler went back into his office and sat at his desk, to take a deep breath. 

He wanted to get back to work, but nearly jumped when his phone chirped in his pocket.

Josh (1:01): what was that all about?

Tyler (1:02): Eh, just some new memo from corporate. No big deal

Josh (1:02): oh okay :)

Tyler sighed and pocketed his phone, turning his computer back on. He really needed to get some work done.

:::

Sometimes Tyler thought it was all too much.

Looking at Josh; watching him smile, laugh, talk, and blush, but not being able to touch or kiss him. For a second he thought about the possibility of switching to another branch again, but he quickly came to the realization that he would much rather feel a little bit of pain than nothing at all.

It wasn't always painful. 

It wasn't painful when they sat alone in the breakroom and Josh rested his chin in his hands and paid apt attention as Tyler spoke. It wasn't painful when Josh breathed in the toxic smoke that calmed him down and spoke quietly into the air, while resting his head on Tyler's shoulder as they sat on the bench on the side of the building. 

It wasn't painful when Josh smiled at Tyler, who smiled sweetly back at him.

But it was painful when Josh went home each evening with Dan. And it was painful when they were so close, yet so far away. It was painful when Tyler went home alone and fell asleep even lonlier. Even his walls screamed at him - every creak and crack throughout the night was just a reminder of how many people he didn't have in his life.

Maybe the pros outweighed the cons.

Maybe the cons outweighed the pros.

Neither scenario stopped Tyler from watching Josh speak with glazed-over eyes and a newfound sense of purpose.

And it was that newfound sense of purpose that motivated him to hop out of bed each and every morning. 

However, on one morning, when Tyler was feeling rather ill, it was going to take a lot more than motivation to get him out of bed. It was going to take medicine, rest, and maybe some soup.

He called the office to let them know he wouldn't be coming in that day, and explained the symptoms he was having. His head was throbbing, his throat was dry, and he was both hot and cold at the same time. The receptionist was polite, as she always was, and told him to get lots of rest.

So, he sat down on his couch, wrapped in a blanket, and watched whatever TV show came on, snacking on whatever he had in his refrigerator. He was a little dissappinted that he wouldn't get to see Josh that day, but he'd at least get the chance to take a short break from work.

Tyler's eyelids were fluttering back shut when they popped back open, at the sound of his text tone going off.

Josh (10:14): I heard you weren't feeling well :(

Tyler (10:15): Well then you heard correct lol

Josh (10:15): well get lots of rest. And i'll bring you some chicken soup

Tyler (10:16): Yeah right

Josh (10:17): i'm serious

His thumbs hovered over his keyboard, wondering if Josh was, indeed, serious. 

Josh (10:19): i'll see you soon :)

And Tyler just had to crack a smile. He tossed his phone on the cushion next to him and curled further into his blanket. He felt lucky to have a friend like Josh. Even if they weren't, and might never be, romantically involved. 

Tyler took a deep breath and fixated his attention back on the TV. He had no idea when Josh was planning to drop by, but that was alright, because either way, he'd be sitting on his couch and waiting for a knock on the front door.

And that's exactly what he was doing when, at 12:42, there was a rhythmic knock on the door.

Tyler hopped up from the couch and took a deep breath; he took a second to fix his hair, and then swung the door open.

"Hey," Josh smiled. His entire body relaxed as he breathed out deeply, as if he had been holding his breath. Tyler's eyes flicked down to a plastic bag the man was carrying, and then back up to his star-like eyes.

"Hi," Tyler replied, stepping aside and opening the door wider. Josh stepped inside and looked around, re-familiarizing himself with his surroundings. He turned towards the TV and chuckled when he saw what was on.

"Really?" He smirked, raising an eyebrow, "Who's Line is it Anyway?"

Tyler shrugged, "It's a good show. Also it's pretty much the only good thing on at this time of the day."

Josh pursed his lips and nodded, then reached into the plastic bag he had been holding, and handed Tyler a large set of Tupperware, filled with some kind of - filled with chicken soup.

"For me?" Tyler asked, taking it into his hands.

"I told you I was going to bring you chicken soup. You have to get better soon," Josh said, following Tyler into the kitchen, "It is way too boring without you there." He leaned against the refrigerator, setting the plastic bag aside.

Tyler snickered, "I doubt that." He put the chicken soup away, and the hopped up onto the counter next to Josh.

"I don't. Now I can't randomly pop into your office and see you whenever I want," Josh replied, moving over to where Tyler was perched. 

"Well, you're seeing me right now," Tyler said.

"I know," Josh spoke in a softer tone. He approached Tyler with almost-hesitant steps, crowding the space between his legs. He placed one hand on either of Tyler's knees. "But I'd still like to see you more often."

Tyler was still as he watched Josh splay his hands out on his thighs. 

It made him feel a different sort of way.

And the way Josh looked at him - with those eyes - he felt like maybe this was supposed to happen. Life was supposed to be like this. Him and Josh. Josh and him.

He opened his mouth to maybe say those words, but when his eyes caught on the black band around Josh's left finger, his courage and sense of rightfulness drained.

"Josh," He ended up breathing out. It sounded much more desperate than he had intended, and he wasn't entirely sure why.

Josh looked up at him with large eyes, his hands still steady on Tyler's thighs.

And, well, if there was a better time to admit his feelings, Tyler was sure he wouldn't find it in this lifetime. As his eyes flicked back and forth over Josh's expression, he wondered if he should just keep his mouth shut. 

But he knew better. 

"I like you," Tyler blurted out. It may have seemed sudden to Josh, but in Tyler's head, it had been a calculated move.

"I like you too," Josh chuckled.

Tyler shook his head, "No, like. I really like you. As... as more than friends." He began wringing his hands, suddenly nervous as to what Josh was going to say.

Josh swallowed hard and then nodded, "Yeah. I - well, I like you, too, as more than friends."

Tyler silently ushered Josh to step backwards, so he could hop off of the counter. In his mind, he rejoiced - his heart was so happy that this man reciprocated his feelings - but the feeling of joy was short-lived, when he realized just how complicated it may make things.

"Are you serious?" Tyler asked, now at eye-level.

Josh nodded, "I am."

Tyler's eyes flicked back down to Josh's ring. For a second, he felt like he was in a fever-induced dream. But when he looked to the floor, to the walls, and then back to Josh, who was standing there patiently, he realized this was real. And this man he was standing in front of, actually, really felt the same way that he did. 

"You're married," He said in a saddened tone.

Josh chuckled sarcastically and twisted the ring, "I know."

Tyler thought for a moment, before opening his mouth, "So then, we probably shouldn't... like," He gestured with his finger between the two of them.

"I would like to, but - yeah. It probably wouldn't be a good idea."

There was a silence that fell in the space before the both of them, and Josh took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and a lighter. Tyler vaguely wondered if he was ever not carrying a pack.

"Wanna sit on the balcony with me?" Josh asked.

Tyler nodded, and followed him outside, both of them taking a seat and admiring the view.

Josh cupped his hand around the cigarette dangling from his mouth, trying to protect it from the slight wind blowing. He took a deep breath - out, then in, then out again.

"I wish things didn't have to be so complicated," Josh said.

Tyler tucked his knees close to his chest and rested his head on them, facing Josh. "Same here."

The wind picked up, and Josh's hair blew to the left, the fading strands of dye being highlighted by the sun.

"I don't..." Josh picked at a loose strand of fabric on his jeans, "I don't want to ask you to wait for me. It's, um. It's gonna be awhile until Dan and I are divorced."

Tyler reached over and took Josh's hand in his own, stroking his thumb up and down his soft hand. "I wouldn't have told you I liked you if I didn't plan on waiting."

Josh smiled softly, his eyes glistening. He took a shaky puff of his cigarette and then a steady breath out.

Tyler watched him carefully. He thought of That Night, when the moon was high in the sky, and Josh told his horror stories of his home, and even showed him proof. He remembered the small, but thick scar on his torso. He remembered how it felt to have Josh lay peacefully on his chest. He thought of how he may have wanted that forever.

"I think I love you," Tyler said.

Josh's expression softened, and he smiled gratefully. "I think I love you, too." He finished his cigarette and tossed it to the floor, stomping it out with his heel. He tucked away his pack of cigarettes and his lighter, looking back out over the balcony for a few minutes. "I should get back to work, before they realize how long of a lunch I took," Josh stated, with humor masking the solemn undertone of his statement.

Tyler nodded and stood up with Josh's hand still in his, leading him back inside. 

It was much warmer and much more welcome than the outdoors.

Josh sighed, "I really don't want to go back."

Tyler chuckled, not being able to bring himself to respond with words. He simply walked up to Josh and wrapped his arms around his neck, prompting Josh to wrap his arms around Tyler's waist. He smelled like charcoal and cologne, and Tyler couldn't think of anything he'd rather smell. He wanted to bathe in the scent - to decorate his walls with it.

Josh pulled back only a little bit, to place the back of his hand on Tyler's forehead. "Wow, you are burning up. Make sure you eat that chicken soup I brought you."

Tyler chuckled and nodded, "Don't worry, I will."

"Good," Josh replied, keeping a steady gaze when he looked at Tyler. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Tyler's forehead, for a feather-light kiss. It wasn't a real kiss - it wasn't their lips pressed against each other's - but it was something. 

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Josh asked.

Tyler nodded, slightly dazed. Maybe it was his fever.

Josh smiled and looked at Tyler for just a little bit longer, as if trying to memorize his figure, before exiting the door.

Tyler sighed and stood still for what felt like hours. But when he caught sight of the oven clock, and realized he had only been standing there for a few minutes, he pursed his lips and looked around.

It was oddly peaceful in his home now. As if everything had suddenly righted itself. As if the world was no longer off-balance. Yes, he missed Josh's company, but he did not have the crippling weight of lonliness to crush him.

Tyler bit back a smile as he went to go sit back down on the couch and wrap his blankets around himself. 

He may have been physically sick, but he had never felt better mentally.

::::

Every day after Josh had kissed him on the forehead seemed to crawl by painfully. 

Tyler watched clocks carefully, and minutes didn't turn into hours. Minutes turned into longer, more extended minutes, and when the sun set and the moon rose, those were simply more minutes gone by. Days were scattered and blurred - time itself may have ceased to exist.

Because, of course, since Tyler was now so dependent on time, it chose to stop being reliable.

A month passed by, and Tyler swore he could still feel Josh's warm lips on his temple.

The kiss only happened once - it came again two months later. This time it was on the cheek. Tyler blushed furiously, and Josh thought it was cute.

Three months passed by, and Dan made a snide comment in regards to how much time the two spent together. Josh gave him a look, and then left to go talk to him, alone.

Tyler's heart was dampened.

Four, five, six months passed by, and Tyler was aching for relief - itching for his next fix. He needed Josh, in more ways than one. His walls began to talk again, and his floors creaked louder and louder each night.

Finally, finally, finally, after far too many minutes that strung together rather ungracefully, Josh knocked on Tyler's door with a boquet of roses in his hand.

"So, um," He said, coughing into his fist, "The divorce is finalized. And - I mean, I was gonna wait, but... I was just wondering if you'd like to go out with me."

Tyler smiled so wide, it crinkled his eyes and picked his heart up from where it sat deep in his chest.

He nodded and wrapped Josh in a tight hug. "Yes," He breathed, "I'd love to."

The roses were tossed aside and forgotten, as Tyler pulled Josh even closer by his collar, their lips pressing firmly together. 

After the both of them could control themselves enough to stop smiling so widely, their mouths began moving in sync, and their tongues even joined, as the kiss quickly became more passionate.

Tyler sighed into the kiss, his heart beating steadily, and his body flushed with a wholesome desire.

He knew this was what his life had lead up to. And that was possibly the most comforting thought he could ever have had.