Fanfiction: Implicit Demand For Proof

Debby was talking but Josh wasn’t paying attention. His entire focus was on the lanky boy in a baggy hoodie at the table across the room, scribbling in a notebook while his friends laughed and joked around him.

Tyler Joseph, tortured poet hidden in a jock’s body – and the absolute center of Josh’s world.

Not that he knew that.

“Ow!”

A sharp kick to his shin dragged Josh’s attention back to his best friend. She raised an eyebrow, staring at him expectantly.

“What?”

Debby shook her head. Fighting Tyler for Josh’s attention was nothing new.

“I said,” Debby repeated, snatching a fry from Josh’s tray, “just go talk to him already. That boy is definitely into you.” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively and popped the fry into her mouth.

He dropped his eyes, staring intently at his plate so no one would know who Debby was talking about.

Loudly.  

“Deb!” he hissed, blushing furiously.

They were too far away for Tyler to hear, but it was the kind of gossip bored high schoolers would gobble up faster than their veggie burgers. Josh snuck an anxious glance at the others at their table, hoping they had better things to talk about than his love life.

“Oh, for Pete’s sake, Josh! What’ll it take to prove to you that Tyler Joseph has the hots for you?”

Josh buried his face in his hands with a groan. He didn’t bother checking to see if anyone had overheard her; she said it so loudly the whole cafeteria must have heard!

“You can’t prove it,” he argued miserably into his palms, “because it isn’t true.” Tyler had never given Josh any indication that he even knew he existed, much less returned his feelings.

He dropped his hands, eyes automatically searching for Tyler’s dark head across the room. Josh’s slumped when he saw the other boy’s seat was empty. Must’ve slipped away while his so-called best friend was busy trying to humiliate him…

A throat cleared, making Josh start. Heart thudding painfully, he turned in his seat to find Tyler standing behind him. Right behind him. So close Josh had to crane to meet the other boy’s laughing eyes.

Tyler held his gaze a moment before dropping a hand to Josh’s shoulder. “You can consider this proof,” he said.

Then, he ducked his head. Tyler’s fingers teased Josh’s too-long curls as he captured his lips in a lingering kiss that made Josh hungry for something that was definitely not on the cafeteria menu.

Distantly, Josh heard a low whistle and Debby’s “Well, hot damn.”

The kiss lasted just long enough to drive the air from Josh’s lungs and send the lunch goers at their table into rowdy hoots of approval. Tyler broke the kiss, fingers trailing slowly along the exposed skin of Josh’s neck as he rose.

While Josh’s head was still spinning, Tyler gave him a lazy wink, shoved his hands into his pockets, and sauntered away.

Debby’s grin was smug as she dragged Josh’s tray toward herself. He let her. Food was the last thing he was hungry for at that moment…

“Well?” she gloated, cheerfully munching on his fries. “Do you believe me now?”

Josh touched a dazed finger to his lips. Excitement buzzed through him. A classmate he knew by face but not by name clapped him on the back and made a raunchy suggestion that made Josh’s face flame all over again.

Ignoring his classmates and their vulgar comments, Josh watched Tyler’s friends jostle him playfully as they made their way toward the exit. The other boy looked back once. He gave Josh a smile when he caught him watching.

“I dunno,” Josh answered with a bemused grin. “I might need more proof…”