Pairing: Tyler Joseph x Reader

Word Count: 1556

Warnings: Angst

Author's Note: I hope you enjoy this one :)

* * *

"I don't know," you sighed, examining the chipped polish on your nails. "Don't you think that I'm rushing into this all too fast? I mean, it's been a month and I already think I'm in love with him."

    "Why is that such a bad thing, Y/N?" your friend asked.

    "You know how I am, I think I'm in love with someone and then I change my mind and the whole thing goes down in flames. Tyler is a nice guy and I really don't want to do that to him, especially after the way that he's treated me over the last month. He doesn't deserve that."

"Why are you so sure that it's going to end badly?"

"Because it always does, no matter how hard I try to prevent it."

    "Can I be honest with you?"

    You didn't particularly like where this was going, but you also knew there wasn't a way for you to get out of it that didn't involve just ending the call. After giving your friend a reluctant yes, you wandered over towards the mirror to check your appearance.

    "Is the problem really that your feelings suddenly change? Or are you just so afraid of letting yourself develop a genuine emotional connection that you shut down all of your relationships before they have a chance to even really begin?"

    You watched as your reflection's jaw dropped. You could practically see your friend's smirk, the satisfaction of dissecting another piece of your character written all across their face. This was far from the first time they had proudly announced something that you "had no way of knowing about yourself".

    And as much as you hated to admit it, you knew they were right.

    "I have genuine connections," you said, burying the shock in your voice beneath layers of false confidence and disbelief. "Look at us, we get along great. You know everything about me, even the things I don't know about myself." You hoped the stroke of their ego would pull the attention away from you.

    "No, no, no." They clicked their tongue. "I'm talking about all the people you've dated, Y/N, if you could even call it that. When was the last time you kept someone around for more than a month or two?"

    Your fist tightened around your phone. What once had been curiosity about your self sabotage had turned to anger at your friend for thinking they could insult you like this. There was a fine line between being helpful and hurtful, and they had just tripped right over it.

    "Had you ever considered that maybe I just haven't found the right person yet?"

    "Y/N, I really don't think-"

    Your phone vibrated against your ear. You pulled the phone in front of your face, not bothering to put it on speaker. A text stretched across the top of the screen. There was only enough time for you to catch the name before it disappeared, but it gave you all the information you needed.

    "Tyler is here, I have to go," you said.

    "Oh, yeah, because you're totally still going to go out with him," your friend scoffed.

    You clicked the end call button without another word, took one final glance in the mirror as you slipped your phone into your pocket, and grabbed your keys before heading out the door. Not wanting to wait for the notoriously slow elevator in your building, you took the stairs down. Your hand barely grazed the handrail as you walked, practically skipping as your heart started to race at the prospect of seeing Tyler. It had been a few days since the last time you hung out - something about band practice or the like - and you were excited to be near him again. He was able to put a type of butterflies in your stomach that you had never experienced before.

    You saw him before he saw you. He was standing outside with his back to the door, looking at the brightly colored sign on top of the burger joint across the street. His hands were dug deep into the pockets of his dark jeans, an odd choice for this time of year. His top was adorned with a patterned button-down, putting his dark tattoos on full display. You had yet to work up the courage to ask him if they had any significance.

    "Hey," you said softly as you stepped out the front door of your building. Tyler immediately whirled around, his mouth curling into a small smile. Warmth washed over you as you looked at him and you found yourself matching his expression.

    "Wow," he shook his head a little, as if bringing himself out of a daydream, "you look amazing."

    You glanced down at your worn shirt and chipped nail polish, figuring he must not see you the same way you saw yourself.

    "If you think I look nice now, you should see me dressed up."

    "I would love to," Tyler smiled, extending a hand out to you. You swallowed down the fear bubbling in your chest and laced your fingers with his. "So, the plan for today..."

    Tyler started to walk down the sidewalk. You fell into step beside him, idly swinging your arm back and forth. He didn't seem to mind.

    "I was thinking we could grab lunch at that place you really like a few blocks away, catch up on our lives, and then see where the day takes us."

    You nodded, "I think that sounds perfect."

    "Good," he smiled again, accompanied by a light squeeze of your hand.

    Tyler started to tell you a story, but you found yourself struggling to listen. You were still hung up on what your friend had told you over the phone, their sureness that you were incapable of having a connection, the satisfied smirk that you could practically see.

    "Are you ok?" Tyler asked. You hadn't realized how zoned out you were until Tyler drew you right back in again. It took you a second to realize you were nearly two blocks away from your apartment already, right by the laundromat that you had to use for a month when the washing machines went out.

    "Yeah, I'm fine," you nodded, trying to convince yourself more than anything. "I'm fine."

    "Do you need to sit for awhile?"

    You shook your head, but you weren't entirely sure of your answer. Your stomach started to twist uncomfortably, and you realized what you had to do.

    "Tyler, wait."

Your feet still stopped moving. It took Tyler a second to notice, until your fingers laced with his pulled his arm straight. He stopped and turned around, letting his grip on your hand loosen until your fingers were barely intertwined. Your eyes were fixated on the ground, staring at the deep crack that was running through the pavement.

    "Y/N, are you sure you're alright?"

    You pulled your hand away from Tyler's, leaving a full foot of space between the two of you. Your eyes were looking everywhere but his face, avoiding seeing the same pained expression that you had seen countless times before. Your heart was practically pounding in your chest, making your hands shake.

    "There's something that I need to tell you."

    You took a deep breath and looked up, meeting Tyler's brown eyes. His eyebrows were knit together in concern, but his mouth was a straight line. Determined. You pulled your shirt away from the spot where it was rubbing uncomfortably against your neck.

    "Whenever you're ready," Tyler said, but he didn't seem so ready himself.

    You swallowed down the lump in your throat. It was now or never.

    "I love you."

    Tyler's eyes immediately brightened, his shoulders relaxed, the corner of his mouth curled into a smile. You felt your eyes go wide as your heart continued to pound in your chest. You had never heard yourself say that out loud before.

    "I love you too."

    In your panic, you had forgotten that there was a response to your statement. A reciprocation. The words didn't quite process the first time he said them.

    "Wait, what?"

    "I said I, um, I love you too," Tyler said. His hands were back in his pockets again.

    You let the words hang there for a moment, letting your mind run over them. This wasn't some catastrophic moment like you had always expected it to be. You hadn't suddenly handed over some secret, carefully guarded part of yourself. If anything, you had opened it up, allowing Tyler to see some piece of you that you had never shared before.

    "Sorry," you said, becoming aware of the fact that you were still staring wide-eyed at Tyler. "This is kind of... new, for me."

    Tyler breathed deeply, slowly blowing the air out of his mouth. "Me too."

    "Really?"

    "Really, though I'm sure it's hard to tell through my totally relaxed and not at all panicked demeanor," he grinned.

    You smiled and leaned forward, crashing your lips against Tyler's. His arms wrapped around your waist, keeping you from falling, and drew you closer to him. The two of you had kissed before, but never like this. It was like the first time all over again, and yet still different. Those same butterflies were back in your stomach again.

    Maybe being in love didn't have to be so bad.