Chapter Text
"Alright I think the Uber just got here if you guys wanna clean up while I go get it." Narrator said as he checked his phone.
The group had just wrapped up filming their second day of American videos, so exhausted they decided to eat in rather than go out somewhere.
"Can we address the weird ass energy you two have had since you got here? Did Josh sing about fucking your mom again or something Mully?" Juicy asked as the five left in the room were cleaning up.
Eddie and Gabby immediately looked at each other in shock. Sure they had felt the tension between Josh and Mully, but it wasn't like they were going to bring it up with everyone there.
"The fuck are you talking about?" Mully scoffed defensively.
"Yeah, what? What do you mean Juice?" Josh asked, his anxiety showing a little more than Mully's was.
For once the pair had underestimated how well the group knew them. Their vow to never speak of it again was suddenly being challenged and they didn't like it.
Juicy just rolled his eyes at the pair and kept cleaning up the room, leaving the room in an awkward silence until Narrator returned with bags of food.
"Guys, oh my god I just thought of this joke, you gotta hear it.. Why does Mario hate to use the internet? ... Because he's afraid of the Browsers!" Narrator laughed.
"Get it? Browser, Bowser? Why aren't you laughing? Guess we got some grumpy pants in here." He pouted after a minute of them just staring at each other, not even cracking a smile.
"Haha, woah you're so funny Narrator. That's what I'd say if you were actually fucking funny." Mully jeered.
While he'd say sarcastic things on occasion after one of Narrator's bad jokes, this was clearly not sarcastic. He was redirecting the resentment he held for Josh towards the rest of the group.
"Chill Mully. Don't take shit out on Grant just because you're upset I called out your problem with Josh. You either be upset with me or don't be upset at all." Juicy said.
"Look, fuck off mate, I'm not doing this shit with you." Mully scoffed, shaking his head and walking out.
"The hell is wrong with you two? Seriously dude?" Eddie questioned. Seeing his friends act like this was painful when he didn't know what was going on.
"It's nothing. I'm gonna go check on him, you guys enjoy the food." Josh sighed.
He rushed out of the room after Mully, only leaving the others extremely confused as to what could be going on between the pair.
"I thought you said you could forget it ever happened but you've been acting so damn weird that they caught on to it. Mully the hell is wrong with you?" Josh asked angrily as they stopped in the backyard.
"You know what's wrong Josh. You know damn well what's wrong." Mully replied. His eyes showed how truly hurt and angry he was.
"You're blaming this on me? Are you serious?" Josh scoffed.
"Yes I'm blaming this on you! If you hadn't—I-I.. You made me vulnerable and then you stomped on my fucking heart man. How can I act normal with what you fucking did to me?" He muttered, slowly beginning to cry.
"We can't and you know that Mully. This is not just my fault. You should've kept it to yourself!" Josh shouted.
"Should've kept it to myself? You're fucking heartless. Go back inside and tell them I'm fine. I'll be in to apologize to Grant and everyone else in a few." Mully said, beginning to let the numbness take over.
He was trying to just make the pain go away and disassociate himself from it all. His heart couldn't handle the daggers it was being thrown by Josh's cold hearted response.
As Mully stayed outside, staring at the sky as he wished for it all stop, Josh went back inside to their friends. The reality of the situation and how badly his actions were hurting his friend still not hitting him at all.
"Is he alright? I've never seen him act like that." Narrator asked softly.
"He said he's fine and he'll be back in to apologize when he's calmed down." Josh sighed.
"Do you believe he's fine?" Eddie questioned.
"Uhh, he will be. Might need some time before he's 100% again but he'll be fine." He answered, shrugging as he sat down.
"So you do know what's wrong?" Juicy suggested.
"It's really nothing. He's just upset about some shit that happened when we were drunk a week or two ago." Josh said, rolling his eyes.
"Damn, you must've been drunk as hell if he's this upset." Juicy joked.
The group tried to act normal as they waited for Mully to come back in. It'd been thirty minutes since Josh came back in and they began to get a little concerned. Just as they were about to go check on him, he walked through the door and back inside.
"We were about to come out looking for you. You had us worried." Narrator said seriously.
"Sorry guys. I uhm.. I don't know. I don't think I can do this anymore." Mully started.
"What?" Josh asked shocked.
"Are you serious?" Juicy questioned.
"Yeah I just.. I need a break but even then I don't think I'm gonna be able to do this. You don't need me anymore. It's clear I'm just bringing the group down." He explained.
"You two better start fucking talking because whatever happened with you is making him think this dumbass shit." Narrator said, pushing Mully over to Josh and blocking the only exit.
Josh and Mully stared at each other, debating whether or not they put it all out in the open and break their agreement.
Mully was clearly not wanting to share what had happened as he didn't want to relive it again. Reality was finally hitting Josh, how bad he had fucked this all up.
"I kissed Mully." Josh admitted.
"Look we really don't have to—"
"Like a romantic kiss?" Eddie asked, interrupting Mully before he could stop them.
"Yeah." Mully answered.
"And what else happened?" Juicy asked.
"Yeah, that can't be why you're so upset." Narrator scoffed.
"I told him I was in love with him and when we were sober—"
"Josh don't." Mully warned.
"I'm not gonna let you leave the fucking group over this. He told me he felt the same when we were sober but I told him it was a mistake and we could never act on that again because we can't bring that image to you guys." Josh explained.
"You didn't say it like that. If I remember, your exact words were, "It was a drunk mistake to ever give you the idea I could openly like someone like you. I'm not gay and even if I was I wouldn't be for you." And then you told me to forget it ever happened because if I didn't I'd just be ruining the group." Mully corrected.
"Mully I.. I'm sorry. I was freaked out, okay? I'd suppressed everything by telling myself you'd never feel the same a-and then when you did I had to convince myself no one else would. You're like my best friend and I can't lose you from letting things get complicated." Josh admitted.
"You're losing me anyway man." Mully told him softly. His words were enough to make the entire group start crying as they'd never heard him sound so broken before.
"Mully please, we can't lose you." Eddie muttered, hugging him tightly.
He broke the hug not long after as they all kind of circled Mully to give him a hug and tell him how much they needed him. When it was Josh's turn he didn't go straight for the hug, he grabbed Mully's hands and took a deep breath.
"Fuck, Mully I love you man. Don't do this because of me. I'll never stop trying to make it up to you, you are my literal everything. I hurt you and I'm never going to forgive myself for it. Please, please just let me try before you leave for good. I will do everything I can to make this right." Josh said.
Mully stared deep into Josh's eyes before he began crying himself. He felt so overwhelmed with everything happening, so overwhelmed with the love he was receiving.
"Do you promise..?" He whispered as he hugged Josh.
"You'll stay?" Narrator sniffled, wiping tears off his face as he smiled at Mully.
"If you fuckers will quit crying." Mully joked, unable to hold back the smile he had.
"And you'll let me try to make it up to you?" Josh asked as they broke apart.
"You better." He said before pulling Josh towards him and kissing him.
"If we were in a movie right now there'd be fireworks and cheering because of this." Juicy said as he looked at Eddie.
"Uhhh, we could tase some corn kernels, see what happens." Eddie suggested.
"What do you think would happen if we used hairspray and a lighter on aluminum wrapped corn kernels?" Juicy continued, his hand slipping into his pocket to fidget with his lighter.
"Please don't burn my house down somehow." Narrator sighed.
And just like that, Josh and Mully were able to finally feel at peace with their feelings out in the open. They were ready for their next chapter of life together, holding a fire extinguisher for anytime someone trusted Juicy with a lighter.