Characters: best friend!Josh, best friend!Tyler (although there's a little hint of josh x reader)

Warnings: Angst

Word Count: 1129

Request: Can you do one where one of them has a friendship that needs to be ended but he doesn't know how to end it? Maybe the other supports him through it?

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

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"I can't do this anymore," Josh huffed, throwing his phone down onto the couch. He had been pacing the length of the living room for the last twenty minutes while you and Tyler sat and listened to him vent.

"What did she say now?" you asked gently. You could tell by the look on Josh's face that he was one wrong question away from snapping at you and Tyler.

"She's doing the manipulation stuff again," he said, waving his hands up around his head. "Somehow I'm supposed to feel like I'm in the wrong for getting upset that she lied to me about where she was going on Saturday."

"Wait, what happened?" Tyler asked.

Josh shut his eyes and breathed in deeply. You and Tyler shared a look of fear. Though you two had been helping Josh work through his toxic friendship for a few weeks now, you had never seen him this angry.

"We were supposed to hang out on Saturday, but she cancelled last minute because she said she was going out of town to see her sister. That night, her boyfriend posted a video of him at the bar, and you could clearly see her in the background. Turquoise hair is kind of hard to miss. Now she's trying to say I'm being controlling because I got upset that she lied to me. We've been fighting about it for the last couple days."

"Is it possible that she met up with her sister at the bar?" Tyler asked.

"Her sister is five months pregnant."

"Oh," Tyler winced. "Nevermind."

"Have you tried explaining how hurt you are by her lying?" you asked.

"Yes!" Josh sighed, throwing a hand into the air. "And the thing is, we've already had this fight a million times before. She just keeps lying to me and trying to make it my fault. I can't even remember the last time we were getting along."

"Then why do you keep putting up with it?" Tyler asked.

Josh finally stopped pacing and turned to face the two of you. "What?"

"If she's not going to put in the effort of being a good friend, then why should you? All she's doing is making you upset, right?" You nodded along with Tyler's questions.

"Well, yeah, but we have good moments..."

Josh didn't seem so convinced. After a few moments of silence, he fell back into a chair and buried his face in his hands.

"Who am I kidding? She hasn't been my friend in a long time."

"How do you feel about that?" you asked.

"A few months ago I would have been devastated, but I think I've seen this coming for a while. I just didn't want to admit it. All she does now is make me feel terrible no matter what I do."

"So what do you want to do about it?" Tyler asked.

"I need to tell her that I can't do this anymore," he sighed. "I just don't know how."

"I think you need to be honest," you said. "Tell her that you can't handle the manipulation and lies anymore. Lay it all out on the table."

Josh took his hat off and ran his hands through his hair.

"I don't know if I can."

"It's that or letting yourselves naturally drift apart. The problem is that she still might try to guilt you into coming back if you fo that," Tyler chimed in.

"You're right. I just need a moment to think." Josh leaned against the back of the chair and closed his eyes.

"Ok."

You got up and took a seat on the edge of Josh's armchair. To show him you were there, you gently reached down and grabbed his hand, pulling it up to rest on your legs. He opened his eyes and looked up at you, allowing himself a small smile. You returned it and started to rub your thumb along the back of his hand.

The three of you stayed quiet while Josh thought. After nearly ten minutes, he stood up and clapped his hands against his legs.

"I'm doing it," he said. "I'm going to call her."

"Now?" Tyler asked. You shared a panicked look with him.

"Why not? Everything is fresh in my mind, you two are here for support, and I don't want to spend another day letting her make me feel guilty. This ends now."

Josh started to walk away, but you caught his arm. He turned to face you with raised eyebrows.

"Are you sure you want to do this right now?" you asked. "You're already upset and who knows what she might say to you."

Josh breathed deeply and nodded. "I'm sure. Trust me, I've been thinking about this before tonight. It's not as rash of a decision as it seems."

"Ok," you said, giving him what was supposed to be a reassuring smile.

"We'll be here," Tyler added.

"Thanks."

Josh grabbed his phone from where he had tossed it on the couch and walked off to Tyler's spare bedroom. Once he was gone, you got off the armchair and joined Tyler on the couch once again. He was rubbing a hand along his forehead.

"I really hope this goes ok," Tyler whispered. "She can be really nasty."

"I know, but Josh is a tough guy. And if she says anything really upsetting, you and I are here."

"You're right."

"How long do you think they'll talk?"

Tyler's eyes went wide. "Who knows."

Before you had a chance to say anything else, the sound of Josh's muffled yelling came through the walls. You were able to decipher fragments.

"Are you kidding? ...my fault? You...every week..."

"Yeah, it's going to be awhile," Tyler said, shrinking down further into the couch.

"Want to play some Uno?"

*     *     *

Josh finally came back an hour and a half later. His face was read and you could tell he had been crying. You and Tyler set down your Uno cards and stood to greet him.

"How did it go?" you asked, resting on his arm.

"She said she was never going to talk to me again and then followed that up with telling me every little thing about me that she hates."

"Oh, Josh." You wrapped your arms around him and pulled him into a hug.

"It's ok," he sniffled, using one arm to hug you back and the other to wipe away tears. "I'll be ok. It just hurt that she would stoop so low."

"It's over now," Tyler said. "That was the last time you had to deal with her."

"I hope so," he said."

"We'll be here if you do," you added.

"Thanks, guys," Josh said. "For helping me and showing me what real friends are like."

You hugged him a little tighter.