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Tyler meets Josh at the gay club downtown. He’s there with Mark and Ivan, both of whom know Tyler’s goal is to pick up that night. Or get picked up. So when Tyler disappears into the crowd they don’t wonder where he’s gone or what someone’s done with their friend.
The guy with the fluffy pink hair and high, handsome cheekbones dances close with him to Nicki Minaj, putting his hands on Tyler’s hips and pressing an already-insistent erection against Tyler’s backside. Tyler thinks he knows this guy, knows his type, has danced with men like this many a time only to leave them aching and alone on the dance floor to find some other guy who won’t mind his sexual predilections.
But when he turns, cranes his neck up to press his lips to a slack, waiting mouth, the guy slows them, cupping Tyler’s jaw softly and letting Tyler kiss him instead of the other way around. When they part, the man’s cheeks are flushed and he’s cupping a gentle hand under Tyler’s chin. And Tyler knows.
“I’m Josh!” The guy shouts in his ear, over the thumping of the base.
“Tyler.”
Tyler asks if Josh would like to take him home.
Josh says yes.
-
Josh doesn’t look that much older than Tyler, maybe a year out of college while Tyler’s still a Junior. But he has enough books in his house to choke a horse. Books crammed into three bookshelves in his living room, books piled on tables, sitting forgotten on the floor. He even has to sweep a couple off of his bed when they get to his room.
“What are you, a librarian?” Tyler’s not judging, he’s really not. He likes when he goes to a guy’s house and they seem to have a hobby. That’s how he knows they aren’t secretly planning to kill him and bury his body in the garden.
“Something like that,” Josh says, and then he’s picking Tyler up so that Tyler has no choice but to wrap his legs around Josh’s solid waist and be leaned back onto the sheets as they kiss.
Kissing Josh is a religious experience, the way he curls his tongue around Tyler’s, pulls it into his mouth and sucks on it a little. The way he bites Tyler’s bottom lip and ruts against the crux of his thigh when Tyler bites back.
“Guess I should tell you,” Tyler says when they have their clothes off, “I don’t like penetration.”
Josh accepts this - simply - with a nod of his head, doesn’t ask why or what’s wrong with him, though that could be because his cock is hard and red and straining up toward his stomach. But Tyler doesn’t think that’s it. All of it, at least. It’s the fact that Josh let him take what he wanted back at the club, without pushing or asking for more. “D’you want a blowjob? Or just a handy?”
“Actually…” Tyler stretches out on his side, still a little embarrassed. “…lay down behind me? And grab the lube - you’ll need it.”
After another nod and a trip to his dresser, Josh joins Tyler back on the bed, pressing up close behind him and kissing high on Tyler’s shoulder blades, his neck, the curve of his ear. Tyler reaches back for the lube, which Josh hands off, still kissing.
Tyler raises his leg, squirts a generous amount of lubrication into his palm, and starts smearing it around the insides of his thighs, getting some on his balls and the base of his dick. When he tosses the lube aside and shimmies his hips back, legs closed again, Josh takes the hint and pushes forward with a grunt, his cock sliding through the tight vacuum of Tyler’s legs.
“Ungh, that’s hot.”
Tyler agrees - that’s why he prefers having sex this way, the length of Josh’s cock brushing his balls with every thrust, the way he can feel Josh’s precum mixing with the lube between his thighs. He’s jacking himself off with Josh’s hand on his waist until Josh grabs his wrist and moves it, starting to jerk Tyler off himself, tattoos blurring.
When he gets close, he squeezes his legs together even tighter, wanting Josh to come first. He knows it can be difficult for his top to come like this, especially gold star gays who are used to a tight asshole to fuck instead of the too-slick insides of Tyler’s thighs. But Josh moans with abandon, pushes his face against Tyler’s shoulder, and comes. It spurts first onto the sheets and then between Tyler’s legs when he fucks back again with a jerky movement.
The feeling makes Tyler whine and press his face against the pillows, coming over Josh’s fingers in thick ropes.
As they come down, Josh is pushing his softening dick through Tyler’s thighs slower and slower, hand now just playing with Tyler’s cock, Tyler watching as Josh rubs him to the point of discomfort.
“You can stay,” Josh says when they’re all cleaned up, top sheet folded down so that Josh can relax without laying in the mess they made. He’s reclined against the headboard, lighting a cigarette.
Tyler is pulling his jeans back on at the foot of the bed. He stills, stares at Josh as he takes a drag. “You sure?”
“Course.” When he speaks, a cloud of smoke billows out from between his lips and sifts through the cracked window. “I have somewhere to be in the morning, but if you can wait until around 10:30 I can come back and make us breakfast.”
Tyler’s not looking for anything longterm. Which is why, even after agreeing to stay the night and to let Josh cook breakfast in the morning, he doesn’t sleep. He curls up with Josh and watches him smoke, watches him nod off with a cute bit of drool at the corner of his mouth, and then leaves.
Term starts tomorrow anyway and Tyler has a 9 AM English class that’s going to positively drag.
-
Tyler wakes bright and early to the sound of his alarm, takes a shower and brushes his teeth in a daze, and joins Mark in the dining hall after.
“Dude. Look like shit much?” Mark slides a plate of food toward him.
“If you hadn’t offered to get me breakfast today I’d slap you for that.” Tyler can hardly stomach the eggs and bacon Mark picked out for him, though, even if the campus food is the one reason Tyler decided to come to this school. “Where’s Ivan?”
Mark rolls his eyes. “He picked up last night, too. So both of y’all left me alone. I had to get a drink so I didn’t look completely awkward and then leave.”
“Such a slut,” Tyler mutters, and takes the smallest bite of bacon he thinks his stomach can handle. He didn’t drink all that much last night, but he’s always been a lightweight and after staying up way too late with Josh he’s surprised the meager amount he’s already swallowed is staying down.
“You’re one to talk. How’d your little tryst go last night?”
Tyler, strictly speaking, takes no pleasure in discussing his sexual conquests with other people, even his friends. He simply nods and raises his fork to his mouth again. “It was fine. He let me do my thing and he was really nice about it.”
Mark knows about Tyler’s aversion to penetrative sex, if only because they’re young men and what young men do best is sit around the poker table on Saturday nights and talk about the number of people they’ve gotten it on with. So even though Tyler doesn’t particularly enjoy those conversations, he has had a few.
“Dude, that’s awesome! Did you get his number?”
Tyler gives Mark The Look. Mark knows he’s not looking for anything serious right now. Because Tyler tells him every time Mark points out a cute guy on campus. “He asked me to stay the night, but I said no.”
“Did you say no?” Mark squints at him. “Or did you wait until he fell asleep and then sneak out like with the last guy?”
“Can we stop with the Spanish Inquisition, please? You’re gonna make me yak.”
“No, that would be all the vodka you consumed last night.” Mark flicks his wrist and looks at his watch. “You better eat fast anyway - we have seven minutes until the shuttle leaves.”
Tyler groans and starts shoveling eggs into his mouth, knowing he’ll regret it later if he doesn’t.
-
At 8:55 he’s stepping off the shuttle and onto the secondary campus used for English and Science classes. By 8:58 he’s taking a seat beside Mark at the back of the class and slumping in it, wondering why he thought it was a good idea to go out the night before a 9 AM.
Because you met a really nice guy who was fine with fucking your thighs and then making you come, his brain supplies. Oh, yeah. That’s why.
Mark pulls his supplies from his bag and then starts taking Tyler’s out for him as well. Tyler tries to bat him away, not quite ready to face the reality of yet another school term, when the door opens.
“Sorry I’m a little late, everyone,” the person says, and as the class is quieting Tyler recognizes the voice. “I overslept a little, which I’m sure you all understand.”
No, Tyler wants to say, we don’t understand. We’re your students and we get penalized if we come to class late, unlike you, who could skip class altogether with a measly note on the door and still get paid - holy shit that’s Josh.
“Okay,” Josh sighs, and drops his messenger bag onto the desk in the front of the classroom. He claps his hands together. “I’m Josh Dun, you can call me Professor Dun, Mister Dun, Josh, I don’t really care. I’m teaching this class this semester, obviously-“
Josh has brown hair now. For a minute Tyler can almost convince himself it’s not the same man, just another insanely hot guy whose name is Josh with sleek cheekbones and arms the size of Tyler’s head. He tries to peek for tattoos, but Josh has the sleeves of his dress shirt buttoned tight around his wrists.
But no, because when Josh turns to start pulling things from his bag, Tyler can see a smudge of pink hair dye behind his ear.
He needs to leave, like right now. Josh hasn’t seen him yet so if he can just get to the door without being noticed he can go to the registrar’s office and drop this class or swap it for something else or-
“Tyler?”
He was going for the door, inching behind the guy sitting next to him, but Mark’s question has alerted Josh to his presence.
Slowly, like he’s in some bullshit scene from The Matrix, he makes eye contact with Josh. Josh promptly drops all his papers and there’s a ripple of laughter around the room. Tyler can’t even bring himself to feel bad, caught as he is between his seat and the door.
He can still go, pretend like nothing happened and sign up for another class. But what would be the point? Josh works at the university and it’s not a big one - he’s bound to see him some time or possibly even sign up for one of his classes next semester or next year.
He’s fucking doomed.
Hesitantly, he sits again. Josh is picking up his papers, blushing from the bottom of his neck to the tips of his ears.
“Are you okay?” Mark asks, quieter this time.
“That’s the guy,” Tyler tells him out of the corner of his mouth. “The guy I went home with last night.”
“What?” Mark is glancing between Josh and Tyler, dumbfounded. “But his hair-“
“Look behind his ear.”
It takes a couple seconds, but eventually Mark sees it. He gasps and claps his hands over his mouth. Half the class turns to glare at him. “That’s some Jason Bourne shit,” he whispers.
“Sorry about that.” Josh is shuffling his papers and Tyler can hear his voice wavering. “So, I uh, I’m gonna take roll just for this first class so I can put some names to faces. Let’s see, Eric Alderman?”
This cannot be happening. Tyler is gripping the edge of his desk like it’s going to come alive and eat him. He’s so hoping Josh will just skip him, save him the horror.
But two students after Mark Josh is saying, “Tyler Joseph?”
Tyler raises his arm and tries not to throw up. Josh marks something down on one of his papers and glances up at Tyler through dark lashes. No one else thinks anything of this, most of them looking bored, chewing gum or zoning out until their name is called, but Tyler feels his bowels loosen a little.
Josh moves on, though, and he starts the lesson with, “So, I was having pancakes this morning,” and Tyler whips his head up from where he’s been looking sickly at his lap.
Josh is staring right at him, though he’s continuing the class with some metaphor about his breakfast that isn’t really a metaphor or maybe it is, but only a metaphor about how he’s still salty that Tyler left in the middle of the night and didn’t let Josh make him those really good pancakes he was just talking about.
Fantastic.
If he has to deal with this all semester he’ll jump off a bridge.
Eventually Josh starts teaching for real, scribbling on the blackboard, and Tyler is free to lose himself in his note taking, super aware of Mark ultra aware beside him. Every so often the sound of Josh’s voice will remind Tyler of how he moaned last night or how he told Tyler what they were doing was so hot and Tyler will feel a blush rising in his face.
The class is only 50 minutes, so it’s over sooner than he expects. But he has it three days a week - Monday, Wednesday, Friday - and he doesn’t rightfully know how he’s supposed to survive.
At 9:50 Tyler sweeps his things unceremoniously into his bag and listens to Josh talk about the homework, how he’ll see them all on Wednesday, and just as Tyler thinks he’s free to exit into the hallway and scream at Mark, Josh says, “Joseph. Can I see you for a minute?”
Oh, is that how he wants to play it? Calling Tyler by his last name the whole semester?
Truly, Tyler is offended. So even though he could technically still leave and pretend he didn’t hear Josh, he turns back and waves Mark off when he pauses. He goes to the front of the classroom, where Josh stands gathering his things and not looking at him, and waits for the rest of the class to leave.
When they have, Josh finally looks at him, arms crossed. “So I guess-“
Tyler holds a hand up. “First of all, don’t call me Joseph. Least you could do is call me by my first name.”
Josh looks taken aback that Tyler is talking to him like this, but Tyler doesn’t care. “Okay, Tyler. I was going to say I guess we should talk.”
Shrugging, Tyler makes a face. “I don’t see why that’s necessary. We fucked, now you’re my teacher. No more fucking. Things seem pretty clear.”
“Would you have wanted to again anyway?”
“What?”
“You said no more fucking. Would you have wanted to have sex again? I mean, that’s why you left, right?”
Tyler can’t believe he’s actually having this conversation with the man who just gave him a 50 minute introductory English lesson on contemporary literature. “I left because I’m not looking for a relationship right now. Maybe I should have told you that before we left the club? If so I’m sorry, but it’s not like it matters now anyway, right?”
For a whole tenth of a second Josh looks really, seriously like Tyler just ripped his heart out of his chest. Then he gives a little twitch of his head. “No, I guess you’re right.”
“Okay,” Tyler exhales. “Can I go now?”
“Of course.”
Turning, Tyler says, “Hope you enjoyed those pancakes,” and leaves Josh in the empty classroom.
-
“And then it seemed like he was asking if I wanted to bone again, believe it or not.”
“And you said no?”
They’re at the volleyball courts and Mark spikes a ball down low that Tyler has to make a dive for. “Of course I said no,” he grunts, rubbing his bruised elbow. “Hello, he’s our teacher.”
“Exactly. You have a hot professor who wants to bone again and you said no. Are we sure you’re not straight?”
Tyler gags and then takes a volleyball to the side of the head. “The fuck-“
“Don’t get mad at me, man. Get mad at the cosmos, for not letting you have that hot professor dick or whatever.”
-
Tyler skips English on Wednesday. In fact, he skips all of his classes on Wednesday because they’re all on the other campus and he just doesn’t feel like going over there. A chance encounter with Josh is not on his agenda for the day.
This is not the first time he’s skipped class during the first week of the semester and he’s sure it won’t be the last.
He takes Wednesday as something of a personal health day - he shoots hoops in the gym, checks a few books out of the library, has lunch in the dining hall with Ivan (who can’t stop bragging about his one night stand, the fuck), and then in the early evening he takes the bus to his yoga class off campus.
He decided to do yoga this semester because why not? All things considered, he has a pretty open schedule. After Freshman year he decided not to try out for the basketball team anymore and he’s not interested in any of the clubs or extracurriculars. Hell, he doesn’t even go to parties unless Mark throws one in their dorm.
So he signed up for yoga at a local studio to try and…open his chakras or something, he doesn’t fucking know. He asked Mark to do it with him, but of course Mark was busy with Photography Club goings-on and didn’t have time for it.
Therefore, Tyler rolls his mat out on the floor alone a few minutes before the session starts and begins to stretch. The room is bordered on all sides by mirrors and he looks across at himself, sees the hickies Josh left there and tugs the collar of his shirt up over them, embarrassed.
The instructor is a petite woman with short blonde hair who is a little too peppy for Tyler, but then again most people are too peppy for Tyler. She walks around the room introducing herself to everyone and giving random high fives, asking if people are ‘ready to do some yoga.’
Duh, Tyler thinks. Otherwise why did we sign up for this class?
She takes a seat on her mat in the front of the room and explains that a lot of the activities they’ll be doing in the coming weeks will require a partner so everyone should buddy up. Tyler, in the corner of the room, has just enough time to dread partnering up with the bro to his left when in walks Josh.
Tyler can’t believe his luck or the audacity of this son of a bitch, intruding on every facet of his life at every possible moment.
“Sorry I’m a little late,” he says, and Tyler is having war flashbacks of Monday morning, gripping the edge of his mat and contemplating a very loud scream.
“That’s alright, dear. Come on in. We were just picking partners. You can have a seat right on the end there!”
On the end. Next to Tyler.
Josh nods and hoists his mat under his arm. When he sees Tyler his reaction is wholly different than it was on campus in that stuffy classroom. He grins and jogs the rest of the way to Tyler’s side, where he unrolls his mat and plops down.
Everyone else is getting chummy with their partner and Tyler is tempted to beg the bro in the snapback to be his partner at this point.
But Josh is sticking his hand out with a wide grin, tattoos now on display again with the band T-shirt he’s wearing. “Looks like we’re partners.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Tyler says loudly, and everyone stops and stares at him. He looks at the tiny fissures in the wood floor until everyone goes back to their conversations. Then he glances at Josh, whose hand is making its way back to his lap, but who is still smiling. “You need to leave.”
“Nah. I paid for this class same as you.”
“Are you following me?” Tyler asks, even though he knows this is just the purest coincidental joke the universe has ever played on him because the sign up date for these classes was a month ago.
Josh doesn’t even pity him with a response to that. “Why weren’t you in class this morning?”
“I took a personal health day.”
“So soon?”
“I’m probably gonna be taking a lot of those, just so you know.”
“And just so you know, you can be penalized for that.”
In the mirror across the room Tyler hates the way he looks so miserable next to the smiling sunshine that is Josh Dun. But that doesn’t keep him from grumbling, “Are you already threatening to fail me?”
Josh sighs and moves his mat a little closer to Tyler’s. “I’m saying you should come to class. So Monday morning was awkward. I admit I played a big part in that because…well, because I obviously didn’t expect you to be there. But can we agree to at least make the most out of this situation? Especially now that we’re gonna be here together as well?”
What Josh is saying makes sense, as much as Tyler wants to deny it.
“Okay, we’re going to start with a solo stretch first,” the instructor says, “so repeat after me.”
Most of the beginner stretches she shows them Tyler has used before, when he still played basketball. So he gets the hang of them easily, but he can’t really relax with Josh next to him.
“What d’you say?” Josh asks, bending a leg behind himself.
“I guess,” Tyler acquiesces. “Just…are you sure it’s smart for us to be partners here? You can ask her to switch, she seems nice - I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.”
“Why wouldn’t it be smart? Don’t tell me you’re still attracted to me.”
“Now we’re going to move into partner stretches so everyone move your mats together.”
Tyler’s not even going to bother lying about that one. Of course he finds Josh attractive - he let Josh take him home and fuck him (and oh my God all of a sudden all those books make so much sense). Finding out your one night stand is in fact your English teacher for the school term doesn’t change the fact that you had sex with him because he was the best looking guy at the gay club.
They’re scooting their mats to lay side by side when Josh grabs his wrist and says, “My God, you are.”
As if he’s been burned Tyler rips his hand from Josh’s grasp. “So? I’m sure a lot of your students have found you attractive and haven’t tried to bone you.”
Their first stretch together finds Tyler on his hands and knees with Josh beside him.
“I wouldn’t know actually - this is my first year teaching.”
“Now, you’re going to lift your leg and your partner’s going to take your knee and push up. It’s crucial for you to tell them when you can no longer bend your leg.”
“How old are you anyway?” Tyler asks as Josh’s hand finds his knee. This is a bad idea, but he doesn’t want to make a scene.
“I’m 24.” Josh is bending his leg slowly upward and Tyler is still surprisingly flexible from back when he played sports. Josh is able to push his knee to almost a 90 degree angle before Tyler says enough.
Before he can, though, Josh’s hand slips and goes sliding dangerously up Tyler’s thigh. Tyler gasps and falls sideways, simultaneously trying to bat Josh’s hand away.
The rest of the class either gasps with him or stifles laughter behind their hands.
“You okay?” The instructor asks, and Tyler nods, blushing furiously. “Some of these stretches can be a bit hard for beginners, it’s important that we pick ourselves up and try again.”
Great. Now thanks to the incredible Josh Dun everyone thinks Tyler sucks at yoga.
“Sorry,” Josh says, and reaches out to help Tyler steady himself. Tyler graciously decides he didn’t do it on purpose.
When he’s back in position, though, with Josh bending his leg back again, there’s also a warm hand on the small of his back and Josh is whispering, “Relax, Ty,” into his ear. Not even Mark calls him Ty, not even his parents anymore. This alone should make him mad, but it doesn’t. Even though he’s sure Josh did that on purpose.
Instead he actually is relaxing, letting Josh bend his knee as far back as he can before Tyler says, “Enough,” and Josh starts on the other leg.
Then they switch. Josh is far less flexible than Tyler is. Tyler almost points this out, then decides not to be an asshole.
He wishes he could say he doesn’t enjoy Josh’s warm hands all over him, wishes he could say it doesn’t remind him of Sunday night verging into the dark gloom of early Monday morning. But it does. Reminds him of the way Josh took him as he was, at face value, without asking for more or what was wrong with him that he didn’t want to have ‘normal’ sex.
At the end of class, Josh rolls his mat up and settles it on his shoulder. “That was fun.”
“Mhm,” Tyler hums, gathers his things, and tries to leave without saying goodbye.
Josh just jogs to catch up with him, though, athletic shorts clinging to his hips. “You drive here?”
“No, I took the bus,” Tyler says, before he can catch himself. He wants to punch himself in the face.
“Let me drive you back to campus.”
The sun outside is too bright, the weather too muggy. “I’m not going back to campus,” Tyler lies.
“Oh? Where are you going? I can still give you a ride.”
Tyler sighs. “Okay, I’m going back to campus.”
“Then c’mon.”
Tyler expects Josh to grab his arm and drag him to the car, but he doesn’t. Just makes a little skipping movement and motions for Tyler to follow him.
His car is sandwiched between an old green Nissan and a yellow Volkswagen. But Tyler can still easily squeeze beside Josh’s car because it’s a Ferrari. Josh drives a fucking Ferrari. “You the head of the English department or something?”
“Nope.” Josh tosses his mat in the back seat. “My parents actually got me this car.”
How lucky for him, coming from a family with money. Tyler climbs inside with his mat across his lap and immediately regrets it. Josh’s car smells the way his house did - like old books and just-lit matches. This is also a very bad idea.
“You okay?” Josh is starting the car and backing out.
Tyler nods, not trusting himself to speak.
The ride back to campus is mostly silent, but it doesn’t feel awkward. Every so often Josh will glance at Tyler and Tyler will glance back and then they’ll look away. Josh’s arm with all the tattoos is the one he uses to drive - the other he hangs out of his open window. Tyler expects him to light up, but there’s not a cigarette in sight.
When they’re passing the Dunkin Donuts just before campus Josh says, “Will I see you in class on Friday?”
And Tyler can’t skip all his classes this semester, as much as he’d like to, so he says, “Yeah,” and then, as they’re passing the athletic center, “you can drop me here.”
But Josh doesn’t stop, a smarmy little smile on his face. “What, afraid to be seen getting out of a professor’s car? Or are you scared I’m gonna show up at your dorm unannounced sometime? I’m a teacher, Tyler, that would be very unprofessional.”
Truthfully? That was exactly what Tyler had been afraid of, especially since it seems Josh has a permanent boner for him. But then, he’s not exactly sure that’s what it is. Maybe he’s just friendly and really does want to keep things normal between them for the sake of the semester.
So Tyler points out his residence hall and Josh pulls up out front. “Today was fun.”
Tyler can only nod - he wouldn’t personally classify this day under the category of ‘fun,’ but he didn’t completely hate it. “Sure.” He’s making to leave when Josh rests a hand high up on his arm.
“Tyler. I wanted to apologize. For how this has gone. I wanna be able to move past this, if that’s possible.”
The urge to make a smart comment is real, but he refrains. His hand on the door, he says, “I guess I should apologize, too. For making it seem like maybe I wanted something I didn’t.”
A relationship, he thinks, and Josh is biting his lip and nodding and letting Tyler exit the car. “Friday, right? No skipping.”
“No skipping,” Tyler tells him, and crosses his heart before he shuts the door.
-
“Dude, you hit the jackpot,” Mark says when Tyler tells him about the yoga class and Josh’s Ferrari. “Also, forget what I said about being mad at the cosmos. It seems like the universe wants you guys to be together.”
Ivan leans back on Mark’s bed and lets his moony eyes fall shut. “A teacher-student relationship. Forbidden love…so romantic.”
“It’s really not. I’m not interested in dating right now.”
“Why not?” Ivan’s eyes flash open again, piercing. “And don’t give me that ‘I’m focusing on other things’ bullshit. You don’t play basketball anymore, you aren’t involved in any clubs, and the one hobby you do have with your yoga class now includes Josh. It’s the perfect opportunity.”
“Really wish you two would stop trying to rule my love life.”
“We just wanna see you happy, dude,” Mark says quietly.
“Do I seem unhappy?” Tyler stops tossing the ball he’s been bouncing against the wall for the past half hour.
Ivan and Mark exchange a look.
“Oh, fuck off,” Tyler grouses, and starts gathering his things. “Maybe I’m unhappy because I spend most of my time around you two.”
Mark rolls his eyes. “Come on, Tyler. We didn’t mean to-“
“Whatever you didn’t mean to do, you did. I’ll see you later.” As he leaves, he kicks the trashcan in childish fury.
-
For dinner that night he goes alone to his favorite place off campus. The manager waves him in with a smile and he’s seated at the community table. Jenna breezes in with her hair tied up in a messy bun, apron secure around her waist. “Dude, rude.”
“I know, I know. I was gonna come Monday night, but something happened and-“ When Tyler sees Josh enter through the front door he doesn’t even bat an eye, just sighs and waves him over, actually pulls a chair out for him.
The universe apparently does want them together, go figure.
Instead of making some dumbass flirty remark to Tyler, Josh fixes his attention on Jenna. “Hi, I had a reservation here at 7. Sorry I’m a little late.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Jenna waves a slender hand. “Do you two know each other?”
“He’s my-“
“We’re friends,” Josh cuts Tyler off.
Tyler stares at Josh with dead eyes. Jenna giggles and Tyler knows her well enough to know that she knows something’s wrong. “Can I get you guys something to drink?”
“I’ll take a Coke,” Tyler grits out.
Josh orders a water with lemon.
“I’ll put those in.” Jenna brushes a hand over Tyler’s shoulder. “We’ll talk later.”
Tyler rounds immediately on Josh. “Friends?”
“We’re not on campus - we can be friends.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s not how it works.”
“And I’m pretty sure that’s exactly how it works.” Josh’s smile is cheeky.
“Whatever. By the way, are you late for everything?”
Josh ignores that. “You’re the one who waved me over here.”
Tyler snorts. “Please. You would have seen me and come over here anyway.”
“What can I say?” Jenna returns with their drinks. “I’m thirsty.”
Tyler goes beet red, Jenna sits their drinks down, and asks if they’re ready to order.
“I think I need a few more minutes,” Josh says. He hasn’t even opened the menu.
“Ty?” Jenna’s hand is back on his shoulder.
“I’ll have the usual,” he grumbles, and Jenna squeezes his shoulder before sauntering away again.
“She likes you,” Josh says immediately, and Tyler sees him watching Jenna walk away with something like jealousy.
“No. She does not. She is a lesbian.”
“Uhuh,” Josh says, like he doesn’t believe Tyler.
“Dude. I think I’d know if my friend were a lesbian or not.”
Josh ignores him, perusing the menu. “So, friend, what’s ‘the usual’?”
“I always get the chicken tenders and fries with a side of bleu cheese.”
Josh hums. “Wanna split an appetizer?”
Tyler groans and puts his head on the table.
“Does this make you uncomfortable?”
When he looks up Josh is watching him carefully, almost frightfully.
“No,” Tyler sighs. “It…look, you’re hot. You know I think you are. But you’re my teacher. And even if you weren’t I really don’t want a relationship.”
Josh slides closer and puts a hand on Tyler’s thigh. Tyler doesn’t stop him. “We wouldn’t have to date,” he says low in Tyler’s ear. “Just let me take you home again.”
Jenna is watching from the kitchen. Tyler lurches out of his chair. “I have to go to the bathroom.”
He doesn’t look back to gauge Josh’s reaction, just grabs Jenna’s hand and whips her back into the kitchen, grabbing at his hair.
“Dude, is he bothering you? I can seat you at a different table.”
“No,” Tyler moans, “that’s the problem. He’s my teacher.”
“What?”
“Yes, he teaches my MWF English class. And I fucked him, Jenna. I fucked him Sunday night in my brilliant plan to get off with someone the night before term started and now he wants to fuck again.”
“Is he like, stalking you? You should tell someone.”
“No, no, no. I mean actually, he might be? But I don’t think he is. I seriously think this is all just a coincidence and you know what? Even if he were stalking me I wouldn’t fucking care. Because look at him. He’s so fucking hot.”
Jenna peeks out from behind the kitchen pillar again. “He is attractive. I guess, then, I don’t understand your problem, Tyler. I’m assuming teacher-student relationships are against the rules?”
“Yes-“
“But even so, that would mean he’d lose his job if anyone found out. I doubt it would affect you at all. You would be the one ‘being taken advantage of,’ so to speak.
Tyler takes a breath. “So you think I should ruin a man’s career just because I want to have sex?”
Jenna actually shrugs. “I’m just saying, Ty. If he’s willing and you want to, then, why not? …what does Mark think?”
“Mark’s being a fucking asshole right now. He and Ivan said I don’t look happy.” Tyler laughs, as though to say can you believe that shit?
But Jenna is looking sadly at him. “You don’t look like your normal self. Did something happen over the summer?”
“No, I-“
“Well, it’s none of my business anyway. But it seems like you really like him. At least physically. And if that’s something you’re interested in and he wants to try, I think you should. I know my opinion doesn’t mean anything, but-“
“Jenna. What have I told you about having customers in the kitchen?”
“Sorry, Dave.” Jenna shoos Tyler back into the hallway and Tyler gives her a look. She blushes. “I may or may not have had Debby back here a few times.”
“Oh, that reminds me. Josh was totally jealous of you touching my shoulder. He didn’t even believe me when I told him you were gay.”
“Yeah,” Jenna scoffs, steering Tyler back toward the community table. “Take my advice. Give him a chance.”
Back at the table Tyler takes a seat and Josh keeps his distance when he asks, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. If you want to, um…split that appetizer we can.”
Josh continues to stay a safe distance away as Jenna takes his order and then as they eat. Tyler makes sure to brush his fingers against Josh’s while they work through their nachos and Josh watches him closely.
For dessert they split a sundae and Jenna brings it out with a sparkling candle on top.
“What’s this?” Josh chuckles.
“It’s a celebration,” she says cheekily, and walks away.
“I like her,” Josh declares and Tyler wonders if he knows what’s going to happen before it happens.
“I thought you said she was into me.”
“Doesn’t mean I can’t like her.”
And Tyler thinks maybe Josh is still oblivious.
Jenna brings the check, which Tyler insists they split, and mouths ‘good luck’ to him as they leave.
“Let me take you back to campus?” Josh asks.
“Sure.”
But after only a few minutes in the car Tyler says, “Don’t take me back to campus.”
Josh hums, a question.
“Take me to your place.”
“Oh.” Josh’s hand tightens on the steering wheel.
“But that’s all I want, okay? Just sex. Nothing more.”
Josh nods, gives a little shake of his wrist. “That works for me.”
-
The books are all over the place again. Tyler realizes now that a lot of them are textbooks. He doubts he would have been able to pick that out Sunday night.
As soon as Josh has the door closed Tyler turns and slams him against it, gets the meaty skin of Josh’s neck between his teeth and pulls. With a growl, Josh surges forward and spins them, muscles Tyler back against the door and pins his wrists above his head, slots a thigh between Tyler’s legs. Tyler whines and rocks down, wanting the other night back. Wanting Josh around him again.
“Didn’t think you’d wanna do this again,” Josh mutters, and he’s kissing the hollow of Tyler’s throat, curling hot fingers on Tyler’s waist, just under his shirt.
“Of course I wanted to. Just didn’t think it’d be a good idea.” Tyler trails off onto a moan as Josh starts sucking on the faint hickies he left last time.
“Just don’t tell anyone,” Josh intones, “and we’ll be fine.” And Tyler has just enough time to think oops I’ve already told three people, before Josh is picking him up and carrying him down the hall with Tyler’s legs hooked around his waist again.
He sits on the edge of the bed so that Tyler’s in his lap, grinding up and ripping Tyler’s shirt off. “I know you said you don’t like penetration, but you can fuck me this time. If you want.”
“Do you actually, um, mind if we do it like last time?”
“No.” Josh has his arms around Tyler, muttering into Tyler’s shoulder as he licks there. “I don’t mind at all.”
Tyler lets himself fall sideways onto the bed, kicking his pants off as Josh goes for the lube. “Face to face this time,” Tyler says when Josh returns. “Is that okay?”
Nodding, Josh is on him, kissing him more this time, uncapping the lube himself and pushing at Tyler’s thigh. “Open your legs.” Tyler does so, holding his thigh up with a hand under his knee.
“Nice yoga pose,” Josh says, and they’re both giggling as Josh rubs the lube into Tyler’s legs, getting it a little lower than necessary and also a little higher than necessary, flicking his fingers against Tyler’s balls. Tyler shudders and almost cries when Josh lays out and rests himself, hard and leaking, against Tyler’s lower leg, and doesn’t ask why Tyler won’t let Josh fuck him. Almost cries when he presses Tyler’s legs closed and moans. Almost cries when Josh starts kissing him and shoving his cock between Tyler’s thighs.
Because of all the guys Tyler has had sex with, even the ones who have been okay with doing it like this have always asked. What, are you afraid? I promise it won’t hurt. How can you be gay if you don’t like anal? You don’t even like pitching? Man, that’s weird.
The simple answer is that this is what Tyler likes and he doesn’t want to do it any other way.
And Josh is the only one who hasn’t asked. He supposes there’s always another time, maybe there will come a day when Josh will get frustrated and ask Tyler why he can’t just get fucked like a normal bottom.
But Tyler doesn’t think about that. The fact that he hasn’t asked yet makes Tyler cling to him, pressing their chests together as Josh winds an arm around his waist and continues to squeeze himself through Tyler’s slick thighs. They kiss - deep, wet kisses that leave Tyler aching. But he doesn’t touch himself yet, wanting to enjoy this for as long as possible.
They’re completely wrapped around each other when Josh’s thrusting slows and Tyler feels him pulse between his legs. The question he does ask catches Tyler off guard. “Why don’t you want a relationship?” A pause, as Tyler tries to gather his thoughts. “You don’t have to answer. I just thought I’d ask.”
He doesn’t have to answer, that’s the thing. But Josh is so…sincere, Tyler would say, that he feels sort of obligated to. “My last relationship…” He exhales shakily, clings to Josh with every ounce of energy he has left. “…didn’t end very well.”
“So you’re gonna shut every other guy out just because one didn’t work out?”
Tyler doesn’t know if he wants to have this conversation. Thinking about Jamie still makes him quiver, the way he threw things, the way he shouted, the way he raised his hand at Tyler not really planning to hit him, but letting Tyler know he could if he wanted to.
He’s pressing his face against Josh’s shoulder and whimpering without even realizing it. “Okay,” Josh is saying, softly, “okay, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I asked.”
“It’s okay.” Tyler touches himself then, face still smashed into Josh’s chest. And Josh’s thrusts quicken again, the head of his cock popping deliciously out the back of Tyler’s legs as he moans low in his throat.
Just like last time he bats Tyler’s hand away and starts to jack him off himself. Tyler raises his face to Josh’s and kisses him like his life depends on it, runs his tongue along Josh’s teeth and pushes himself through Josh’s tight fist.
When Josh pulls back and says, “What if you found the right guy?” Tyler comes. He comes so hard his vision blurs at the edges and he has to clutch Josh’s arm to make sure he’s not falling apart. Distantly, he registers Josh coming not too far behind, pressing down on Tyler’s legs to make them even tighter as he comes between them, squishy and dirty and hot.
Tyler can’t still his racing heart, pliant in Josh’s arms as Josh kisses him down from his high, tongues tangling and their legs muddled with cum and lube as Josh presses them together.
When they’re both breathing normally, Josh rests his head on Tyler’s shoulder and sighs. “So?”
Tyler swallows and looks away toward the window where he can just see the stars starting to show themselves. “I don’t have an answer to your question.”
“There’s an answer to every question, even if it’s as simple as I don’t know.”
Shifting, Tyler looks down to see Josh watching him intently. He tries as hard as he can not to think about Jamie, tries to make this conversation about some other guy, some random guy who wasn’t as belligerent as Jamie turned out to be, as mean. “You don’t think I thought I had the right guy last time?”
“I’m talking about really the right guy. If you knew, right off the bat.”
“I wouldn’t know, Josh. That’s the thing. You meet people and you think they’re okay and then they’re not. Whether it’s a month after you start dating or a year or 10 years, everyone eventually reveals something about themselves that…” Jamie had asked, Tyler tells himself. The night they first met, Jamie asked why he didn’t like ‘regular’ sex, just like all the other guys. Josh didn’t. Hasn’t. “…do you understand what I’m saying?”
Josh nods and raises onto his elbow. “I understand. Everyone has something about them that’s not good. Maybe not bad, but certainly not good. Or very bad, in some cases…would it make you feel better if I told you the very worst thing about me? Right now?”
“No.” Tyler sighs and tries to sit up, but Josh holds him back.
“Can I ask you to be brave for me, then? And just give me a chance?”
“Are you just conveniently forgetting that you’re my teacher?”
“I’m not forgetting anything. I think that’s a minor speed bump-“
“Minor?” Josh’s hand has splayed itself across Tyler’s chest and Tyler catches it now, squeezing. “You could lose your job. Sex is one thing, me coming here and then leaving? Fine. But if people - anyone; students or teachers - see us together that’s the end of your career. And you only just started. You’re willing to give that up for some guy you just met?”
Josh thinks for a moment. “I’m not saying we have to date right off the bat. I don’t expect you to leave here tonight - or tomorrow - agreeing to be in a relationship with me. I’m asking you to think about it. I’m asking you to let me prove myself to you, to just give me a chance. And let me worry about the worrying, so to speak. I’m sorry about your last relationship, I can tell it’s not easy for you to talk about. But I promise. If you so much as give me the time of day I can prove to you that I can be better than that guy, whoever he was, whatever he did.”
Josh is looking at him so pleadingly that Tyler has to bring Josh’s hand to his mouth, give his fingers a kiss if only to set him at ease. “You’re quite the sweet talker.”
“Must be all that Shakespeare.” Josh jerks his head at the stack of books on his desk.
“If you…” Tyler lets all of his breath leave him so that he can try again with full lungs. “If you’re serious about this, I need to see it. You need to show me. Not in class or on campus or anything, but during our time together, when we’re alone. I don’t expect you to be perfect. But if I’m gonna give you my trust I need you not to break it. Okay?”
The look on Josh’s face reminds Tyler of a puppy, tongue lolling out and ears perking up. “I promise, Tyler. I promise to be the best for you. And any time you need to know the worst thing about me, just ask.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Tyler groans, stretching out and getting comfortable.
“Are you actually gonna stay tonight?”
“You told me to let you worry about the worrying, right? So that’s what I’m gonna do.” Already his eyes are sliding shut, the constant worrying of the past three days taking its toll, even as he tries his best to pass it along to Josh.
Tyler feels the bed dip as Josh gets up to turn the light off, and sighs contentedly when he feels Josh’s warmth back beside him. “Am I gonna wake up to you tomorrow?” Josh’s breath ruffles Tyler’s hair with how close he is.
“Yes. I promise.” Tyler’s voice is muffled, nestling down into the covers as Josh draws them up.
“And am I gonna see you in class on Friday?”
“Ugh. Can we make that a rule? No talking about school or any of that shit while we’re alone together.”
Josh laughs and kisses Tyler’s forehead. “Deal.”
And the pancakes Josh makes in the morning, served on a tray in bed along with a sticky, syrupy kiss to his cheek? They aren’t half bad.