Chapter Text
The first few months of their relationship were spent in a whirlwind of intermingled activities, Josh at work, Tyler at class, both of them taking care of Riley, and trying to catch snippets of time for themselves. Mostly up in Josh’s lounge with the TV on low in the background, Josh’s hands gripping Tyler’s hair as he bucked up into his mouth. But sometimes in Josh’s gigantic bed, when Riley was with Julia, Tyler riding Josh like his life depended on it, rolling his hips and putting on a show.
All the time in the world with Josh would never be enough.
But now that summer has rolled around they’ve decided to see where things might go permanently. Tyler won’t have class anymore and though he’s picked up a few more shifts at the grocery store Josh has made it abundantly clear that missing any of those shifts won’t put even a dent in Tyler’s pocket. His meaning being, of course, that he can just give Tyler whatever money he doesn’t make on a certain day, which still makes Tyler uncomfortable. But being without Josh makes him even more uncomfortable.
As for Josh, his hours fluctuate during the summer months, as the company brings in more interns to do menial tasks. Leaving Josh to simply do his job and leave early every day.
Which is how he’s able to meet Tyler on campus after his last day of class.
Josh waves through the window at Tyler, who’s walking side by side with Mark. Tyler can’t wave back because he’s carrying two frappe’s from the cafe, but he does beam and see Josh smile back, that warm smile that always makes Tyler hot from the tips of his toes up into his cheeks.
“When’re you gonna let me meet him? Like, officially.” This from Mark, who is watching Tyler’s moonstruck performance with an arched eyebrow.
“Soon, trust me. Can you open the door for me?”
Mark does so, allowing Tyler to climb inside and deposit the drinks into the cupholders.
“Hey-“ Josh starts, but Mark cuts him off, head craned inside the open car door like some kind of intruding giraffe.
“Hi, just so you know, I’m Tyler’s best friend. If you hurt him, I’ll…crush your balls or something.” As he says this, he takes in Josh’s bulging arms and most likely realizes he wouldn’t be able to crush anything on Josh if he tried, unless Josh happened to be dead asleep with no chance of waking up any time soon.
“Duly noted,” Josh says, obviously amused.
“Mark,” Tyler growls, and kicks out at Mark’s shin.
“I’m going, I’m going. Just…be cool, bro.” Mark makes an ‘I see you’ gesture at Josh and Tyler feels a raging blush as he snaps the door shut.
“Jesus, sorry about him.”
“You have protective friends.” Josh leans over and kisses just below Tyler’s ear, making him blush further. He can see in the reflection of the windshield that he’s a bright maroon color now.
He curls a hand around the back of Josh’s neck and rubs at his nose. “I got you something for once.”
“I see that.” Josh grabs one of the frappe’s, takes a gulp, and then settles it between his legs as he pulls away from the curb. “Mm, that’s really good.”
“The cafe on campus has the best frappe’s. One of the only things I miss over the summer.”
“Don’t worry.” Josh claps a hand on Tyler’s thigh. “We’ll keep you stocked up on Starbucks in the meantime.”
Tyler giggles and takes Josh’s hand, kisses his fingers and hopes he conveniently forgot about-
“You ready for dinner tonight?”
Or not.
Tyler frowns and looks out of the window, hoping Josh won’t see. “You want the truth? Or a lie?”
“Tyler,” Josh says patiently, and squeezes Tyler’s thigh again. “They’re going to love you. I swear. If my parents loved Julia they’re gonna love you.”
Tyler twitches. “Or they’re going to hate me because they loved Julia.”
“Nope. When I told them I was gay they did nothing but accept me. I promise, they won’t hate you. Would I lie to you?”
Tyler’s mom used to ask him that, whenever she gave him advice he didn’t want to take. She always turned out to be right. He shrugs. “I guess not…”
“Don’t sulk. We can get home and relax for a bit before we have to leave. Does that sound good?” Josh’s hand makes its way dangerously close to Tyler’s crotch.
Tyler grabs it and puts it directly on him, moans for good measure and bucks up under Josh’s palm. “If you promise to treat me right I promise to behave tonight.”
He’s kidding, of course.
Because when they get to Josh’s parents’ house on the outskirts of Columbus Tyler stands on the threshold and says, “I think I’m gonna puke.” He will not be misbehaving tonight. And that’s not just because Josh bent him over the back of the couch and fucked him into it an hour ago.
Josh fumbles with his keys. “Ty, relax. When I open this door you’re gonna regret ever even worrying.” The door swings wide and Josh calls, “Mom! Dad! We’re here!”
Tyler is blasted in the face with the smell of delicious food and Josh’s dad dragging his son into the house, giving him a rub to the top of his head. Josh pushes his father away good-naturedly and then the man is on Tyler, slinging an arm around his shoulders and saying, “And you must be Tyler.”
He does feel sort of silly for worrying so much because he forgot one very important facet of his and Josh’s relationship. That Josh is a lot older than him. So consequently Josh’s parents are a lot older than Tyler’s parents. They’re both mostly gray, with lots of laugh lines and wrinkles and Josh’s mom gets her tacky lipstick on Tyler’s cheek when she kisses him, after he hands her the flowers he got for her.
“Well, aren’t you thoughtful!” She exclaims, sniffing the flowers. “And handsome to boot. Josh, you got yourself a winner here.”
“I know, Mom. He was so nervous to come over, he really wants to make a good impression.” Josh has already taken a seat at the table, waiting for his parents to serve him like a little kid. He has the biggest shit-eating grin on his face.
“Josh!” Tyler chides, his face flaming. He just catches Josh’s wink as he turns back to Josh’s mother. “Do you need help with anything, Mrs. Dun?”
“No, dear. You can take a seat with Josh and let me handle everything. And please, call me Laura.”
She shoos him back to Josh, who reaches out. “Yeah, Ty. Come have a seat with me.” He pulls Tyler by the waist down onto his lap and Tyler tries to push shyly away from him, watching Josh’s parents. But they’re puttering around near the stove, arguing quietly about how much salt should be added to something. So Tyler relaxes back into Josh’s embrace, arms winding around his boyfriend’s shoulders.
“Told you you had nothing to worry about,” Josh mutters, and his beard scratches Tyler’s jaw as he kisses there.
“They’re really nice,” Tyler concedes, and feels relief wash over him. He doesn’t mention that he’s not as nervous as he was because Josh’s parents are old. But he feels like being an old person just somehow makes you nicer. You don’t hear the phrase ‘vicious old woman’ being thrown around as often as you do ‘kindly old lady.’ It just doesn’t happen.
Dinner goes by quickly and easily, Josh’s mom cracking raunchy jokes about how young Tyler is and Josh’s dad rolling his eyes and threatening to divorce her. Jokingly, one would hope.
But Josh doesn’t look worried. In fact, he looks as at ease with his parents as he does when he’s playing with Riley. As he does when he’s around Tyler. He finds himself watching Josh because of this, the fluidity of his movements, the ease with which his perpetually blinding grin makes its way to his face again and again.
And by the time Tyler is stuffed full of meatloaf and potatoes Josh’s parents know all about him and how he met Josh and Josh even tells them the nasty stuff, how Tyler didn’t believe Josh was really gay, how Josh kept having to cancel on him because of Julia.
At the mention of Julia the table goes silent and Josh’s dad rolls a brussel sprout around on his plate. “Nasty woman,” he murmurs.
Tyler bites his lip. “I met her.”
Josh and his parents look at him.
“I met her. One day when Josh wasn’t home. I was watching Riley and um, I actually told her I was the babysitter.”
Josh’s parents devolve into fits of laughter and Josh looks at Tyler like he could kiss him right there, mouth full of chewed up meatloaf and everything. Tyler smiles softly and squeezes Josh’s hand under the table. Josh squeezes back.
At the front door Josh’s mom gives Tyler a tight hug. “Good luck with everything, Tyler. We look forward to seeing you a lot more. We will, right?”
“I promise.” Tyler nods, and shakes Josh’s dad’s hand when he offers it.
“I’m sure that’ll please you, Laura.”
“Of course it will,” Josh’s mom says, hand on her hip. “If I weren’t so attached to you I’d have already traded you in for a newer model.”
Josh closes the door on his parents’ playful bickering without so much as a backward glance. “So?”
“That was easy.”
“Told you.” Josh kisses Tyler on the front lawn of his parents’ house, tangled up with him in the pale moonlight. He brushes their noses together. “One down, two to go.”
-
A week later they have dinner with Tyler’s parents.
And it’s everything dinner with Josh’s parents wasn’t.
Beforehand Tyler told Josh he thought everything would go okay. “They’re fine with me being gay, so I don’t see why they’d have a problem with anything.”
He knows this isn’t as comforting as all the shit Josh told him before meeting the Duns, putting Tyler at ease and stroking a gentle hand down his side. But Josh has had 34 years with his parents. Tyler has only had 20. And while 20 years might be more than enough for most people to really get a grasp on their parents, Tyler has always felt rather alien to his. Especially his father. He wishes Zack could have been here at least, but his mom sent all his siblings away for the night. So it’s just him and Josh and his parents.
The first thing he hates is how his mom answers the door, feigning politeness and hugging Tyler while only giving a little wave to Josh, and a “how do you do.” He tries to send his thoughts telepathically to his mother, begging her to hug Josh the way Josh’s mom hugged him.
But she just leads them into the kitchen, where Tyler’s dad is facing the stove not saying a word.
“Chris, honey-“ Tyler’s mom starts, but Tyler takes the wheel.
“Hey, dad. This is Josh.”
Tyler’s father turns, looks at Josh’s outstretched hand, and grunts on his way to his seat.
That’s the second thing he hates, feeling himself burning up even as Josh grabs his elbow and squeezes affectionately.
At the table, the food plated and everyone digging in, Tyler’s father still doesn’t say anything.
And his mother says things like, “We always knew Tyler was different,” and “but we didn’t expect him to be with someone so…well, so much older than him.”
“Mom-“ Tyler tries to say.
But his dad finally pipes up. “How old are you, Josh?”
“I’m 34, sir.”
The table goes quiet, like it did at Josh’s parents’ when Julia was mentioned. Only this time Tyler doesn’t know what to say to break the tension and make everyone laugh. He grips his fork tight and stares across the table at Josh. Josh meets his gaze with…what? Tyler tries to decipher the look.
But then his dad is saying, “You know Tyler is only 20, correct?” and Tyler stands from the table, chair scraping abruptly on the floor.
“We’re going,” he says, because that’s what he does when things get tough. He runs.
But Josh just says, “Tyler,” and Tyler’s mom says, “Chris.”
Tyler’s father shrugs, looks at Josh with distrustful eyes. “I’m just saying. The boy’s not even old enough to legally have a drink yet-“
“Dad!”
“Tyler.” Josh stays seated, moves his gaze purposefully to Tyler’s father. “I know how old Tyler is. And with all due respect, sir, he’s not a boy.”
“Just because someone’s older than 18 doesn’t make them a man.”
“Dad, what the fuck?” Tyler is still standing, shaking now because everything’s going wrong and Josh isn’t going to want him anymore if his parents make this difficult for him.
“Tyler, language,” his mother says calmly.
“No! He can’t just sit there and do that, try to make it seem like Josh is some predator preying on me like I’m a high school student. I’m in college and I’m sure as hell more mature than most other guys my age. I thought you guys were cool with this, otherwise I never would’ve brought him here.” He’s getting choked up and he wishes he wasn’t. “I-I’m sorry you guys think I’m abnormal or something, that th-this is abnormal. But it’s n-not. I have to go.
“Tyler,” Josh says one more time, but Tyler’s headed for the front door with angry tears streaking his face.
And he feels like a child, on the front steps sobbing uncontrollably because his parents ruined everything. It was so easy with Josh’s mom and dad and Tyler never guessed it wouldn’t be with his. Maybe a little awkward at first, sure, but certainly not hostile like that, with his dad announcing to the room that he still saw his own son as a child.
He is, he realizes. His dad sees it, and now Josh will too. The veil has been lifted, so to speak. It shows itself even plainer in the tears that just keep coming, streaming hot and heavy and childish down his face.
Josh stays inside for a long time and Tyler still hasn’t stopped crying by the time he steps out and closes the door behind him.
Tyler shoots up for one last conversation with the man he loves now that everything is destroyed. “I’m sorry,” he moans, and Josh catches his arms. “I’m so fucking sorry. I didn’t know they were like that. I know I should have, I’m the worst son and an even worse boyfriend, Jesus, I didn’t even dare tell them about Riley because I know my mom would’ve flipped her shit too and I’m just so sorry, Josh, I know it’s over and that’s okay-“
“Tyler.” Finally Josh gets his attention and Tyler looks up with a runny nose and a wet face. Josh frowns and pulls Tyler closer, brushes his thumbs through the damp tracks on Tyler’s cheeks, even swipes at the snot bubbling out from his nostrils. “Nothing is over. I talked to your parents.”
The simple sentence ‘nothing is over’ makes Tyler collapse against Josh, suddenly exhausted. “What’d you say?”
“I explained some things to them. They might need a while to come around, but I think they will.”
Tyler groans and pushes his face, hard, into Josh’s chest. “I’m sorry I’m such a child. I can’t stop crying. I really thought you were gonna leave me because of this.”
“Never, Tyler.” Gently, Josh starts leading Tyler to the car, nestling him against his side. “Crying doesn’t make you childish. It just means you care.”
“I care so much about what just happened in there I feel like I might explode.”
“I know,” Josh says, and when he lets Tyler lean against the car with his hands on Tyler’s waist he looks deathly serious. “I care, too. Don’t think I’m just writing this off. Your parents obviously care about you or they wouldn’t have cared so much that we were dating. But I can’t just have them hate me. I’ll make them like me, I promise.”
“I just really thought they’d be okay with this. They seemed fine with my other boyfriends.” Although now that he thought about it his parents were never in the same room with any of his exes for more than about five minutes at a time. He certainly never brought any of them over for a formal dinner like this.
“None of your other boyfriends were 34,” Josh also points out. He opens the door for Tyler.
As Tyler’s climbing in he reaches out for Josh’s hand. “I really am sorry.”
“You don’t have to be.” Josh cuffs him lightly on the chin and then drives him home.
-
The third dinner more than makes up for the fuckery of the second and the trepidation of the first.
They have it at Josh’s house, on home turf. Tyler will be damned if he has a repeat of the night with his parents. Which he’s told Mark and his other friends about, of course, but Mark can show his hostile side at the most inopportune of times, as evidenced by that last day of class when he threatened to crush Josh’s balls.
Tyler is ready for any of that shit this time, but he doesn’t have to be.
Dinner is a perfectly pleasant affair, with Mark, Jenna, Brad, and Michael seated around the table and Tyler being pulled onto Josh’s lap halfway through the meal.
Jenna awwwws with weepy eyes, half-drunk on wine because she’s the only one of them older than 21, and on their way out Mark takes Tyler aside.
“Dude, he totally doesn’t smell overtly like Old Spice or Bengay. Aren’t you glad I told you to give him a second chance?”
“Uh, if I’m not mistaken all you told me was not to be too hard on him for canceling our dates. Don’t take credit for this.”
“I’ll take credit where credit is due, thank you very much.” Mark bows on his way out, plucking Jenna’s keys from her hand. She’s listing pretty hard to her left and Mark catches her just before she falls onto the lawn. “You two have fun now, y’hear? Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
From behind Mark, Brad whoops and flashes his headlights.
“That leaves us with a very slim list of things we can’t do,” Josh says, coming up behind Tyler and wrapping his arms around Tyler’s waist.
Mark winks and manages to muscle Jenna, moaning about how cute Tyler and Josh are, into the backseat.
Tyler closes the door and turns in Josh’s arms, reminded distinctly of how the last dinner ended. It makes him ecstatic that this isn’t like that at all. He runs his hands up Josh’s biceps. “Well?”
“They like me.”
“They really do.” Tyler nods and kisses Josh deeply, goes to wraps his arms around Josh’s shoulders just as Josh pulls away. Tyler whines, but Josh just laughs and takes his hand.
“Come out to the patio with me for a second.”
The back porch is lined with still-lit tiki torches, the outdoor fireplace still blazing away in front of the lounge chairs. Tyler faces out toward the backyard, though, leaning against the railing. It’s muggy out, but he still lets Josh press close up behind him, arms back around his waist and his chin on Tyler’s shoulder.
“I love you,” Josh says. His voice is quiet, but it echoes in the dead of the night.
“I love you, too.” And then, because he can’t stop himself, “I love everything about you. I love Riley, I love how you’re passionate about your job, I love the way you look when you sleep. And I love how kind you are, how you didn’t let Julia turn you into a prick. Speaking of, it was so nice of you to open that bottle of wine for Jenna.”
Josh steps away from him and Tyler hears a rustling noise. He turns to find Josh pulling something from his pocket, something he keeps clutched deep in his palm. “Tyler.” He falls to one knee.
“Josh? Is something wrong?”
Josh shakes his head, but Tyler isn’t sure if it’s in answer to his question or for some other reason. He’s about to ask again when Josh speaks. “I was going to do this while your friends were here, so they could see and share in it with us. But I decided not to just in case you have to say no. Which I’ll understand. If you have to say no or think about it, I get it. Because you’re still young and these things don’t always work out. I mean, I was 27 when Julia and I got married and mine still didn’t work out.“
“Josh?”
“Tyler,” Josh says again, and takes Tyler’s hand in his. “Tyler, Tyler, Tyler. When Julia and I split up I thought it would take forever to find someone who was right for me, who was patient enough to not care about my job, patient enough to not care that I’d never been with a guy before. And patient enough not to not care that I had a kid, but someone who could actually play an active part in her life. That’s what I was most afraid of. That even if I met a really great guy who I got along with perfectly…that he still wouldn’t get along with Riley, wouldn’t take care of her like I would. And then I met you. And if you think about it you technically met Riley before you even met me. And you’re so good with her and it didn’t take me nearly as long as I thought it would to find you and I can’t tell you how happy that makes me.”
Seeing Josh this emotional has Tyler crying. He’s pretty sure he knows where this is going. And he’s more than ready.
Josh brings his other hand up, proffers the small box Tyler thought he’d find there. Tyler slips his hand from Josh’s, so that Josh can open the box properly. When he does, a simple gold band glints up at him from the surrounding velvet. It’s more beautiful that any diamond ring Tyler has ever seen.
“If you have to say no, I understand. You’re 20, there’s a bunch of stuff you have yet to do and if you want to do those things on your own or if you just think this is too soon, that’s fine. But for me…I’m ready. You’re everything I was missing all those years, everything I thought I could never have. I would say my only regret is that we didn’t meet sooner, but y’know.” Josh doesn’t joke around about Tyler’s age often, which is how Tyler knows this is serious. “Tyler Robert Joseph. You’re a goddamn prince. And I want you to be my prince. Will you marry me?”
“…I can’t believe,” Tyler chokes out, trying not to sob, “that you thought I’d say no.”
“I didn’t know, Ty-“
“Yes.” Tyler closes his hand around the ring, pulling at Josh’s hand for him to stand. “Yes. A thousand times yes. I wanna fucking marry you, Josh.”
Josh dips him into the most romantic kiss he’s ever had, fireworks exploding behind his eyelids, the buzz of the nighttime insects in the trees making him shudder and hold Josh close, salty tears cascading down his cheeks and mixing into their kiss. But neither of them wants to part, licking out at each other and clinging everywhere.
Eventually they have to part for air and Josh wastes no time in pulling at Tyler’s hand, sliding the ring on carefully. Tyler holds his fingers out and starts to cry all over again when the gold catches the flickering light of the torches, when Josh slots their fingers together and Tyler feels the cold metal pressing into his skin.
They kiss again, just because they can’t help it, longer this time. And slower, savoring each other and knowing they’ll have forever to do so.
“I love you,” Tyler says.
“I love you, too.”
“You know Riley’s gonna wanna have a pirate themed wedding.”
“I’ll put it on the list,” Josh says, eyes twinkling.
“And Mark is not invited,” Tyler jokes. “He keeps making stupid old man jokes about you.”
“So, make him my best man. Duly noted.”
“Might as well make him the flower girl. God knows Riley’s not gonna want to do it.”
Josh fixes him with a warm smile. “Sometimes I feel like you know my own daughter better than I do.”
“Hey, she’s about to be my daughter, too.”
As though just realizing Tyler is right, Josh scoops him up and carries him inside.
Tyler can’t fucking wait for the honeymoon.