Archive of Our Own ^beta

“How long do you think I could hold my breath underwater for?” Tyler always has something to fill the silence with. It’s usually something dumb, with no real thought or intention behind any of it. 

Like right now, they’re sitting by the indoor pool at the hotel they’re staying at for the night. The lighting is dim and fuzzy. It doesn’t stop Tyler from wearing sunglasses inside like it isn’t the middle of the night. 

Josh shakes his head with a cutoff laugh. “Not long, less than a minute I’d guess.” It’s the first sentence he said in hours.

He’s exhausted from their show, brain buzzing and sleepy. They haven’t really spoken since Tyler followed him into his hotel room sweaty, wired, and hopped up on post-show adrenaline and asked him “Wanna go swim?” 

Josh really didn’t want to, but he’s stupid for Tyler and will do anything he asks. It’s a quiet kind of compliance. He yawns and nods while Tyler rips open their suitcases and pulls their swim trunks out. 

He follows Tyler like a lost puppy the whole way to the pool, listens to him talk about nonsense in the elevator, and hum along to a song Josh can’t really make out while they set their stuff down by a pool chair.

Josh gets like this sometimes and doesn’t know why. He needs quiet and space for his brain to turn off and return to normal. Tyler doesn’t apply to the rule though, Josh will listen to whatever bullshit he has to say. Tyler gets it, he always just gets it.

Tyler also never fucking stops talking.

“You think so? I think I could do like maybe two minutes. Maybe two and a half.” Tyler flashes him this stupid grin like he knows he’s being annoying. “What do you think Josh?”

“I think if you try your theory out you’ll get taken out in a body bag,” Josh tells him. “Don’t try it, I need my lead singer.”

Tyler abruptly stands up, pushes his sunglasses up to the top of his head, and gives Josh a look that says watch me.

“Tyler.” Josh reaches out to grab onto his hip exasperated. This is the usual routine with them lately, Tyler riling him up at the most inopportune times, Tyler just being a general public menace.

“Come swim with me then.” He brushes a palm over a stretch of freckles on Josh’s shoulder. “You can be my lifeguard, make sure I don’t drown.”

Josh sighs and shuts his eyes. He’s tired, so fucking tired.

“Josh please.” He says it in that voice that always gets him what he wants. Josh hates it. He needs to be a man and grow a backbone.

He gives in. 

Obviously.

Tyler's laughter echoes off the tiled walls when he stands up from the chair. “I knew you would. I knew you would. You love me don’t you Josh?”

Josh nudges him out of the way with a shy smile. He’s got it bad, it’s hardly a secret. 

“You’re okay.” He tells Tyler as he steps into the pool. “Just okay.”

Tyler’s not far behind with a hand on his back and wobbly legs from sitting too long, his legs prickling with pins and needles. “Is it cold?” Always touchy-feely, always. Josh loves it.

Josh gets in until the water is up to his hips. It’s nice, lukewarm. It actually kind of does make him feel better. “It’s pretty warm actually.” He floats on his back and lets his eyes close. 

Tyler jumps in the rest of the way. Josh startles at the sound, water splashing him a moment later. He never gets any peace anymore. “God, Tyler.”

He ends up at Josh’s side smiling, his face wet and hair matted down to his forehead. “Don’t use the lord's name in vain Josh.” He presses in close until they’re skin to skin, Josh shivering at the water droplets rolling off Tyler’s forehead. “Isn’t it crazy how there’s nobody else in this pool right now?” 

“Yeah, real crazy Tyler.” He’s not giving in this time.

“Like for real Josh. Not a soul. It’s probably super dangerous how there’s nobody else here, someone could do something really weird in here without any supervision.” His voice is wavering like he’s about to laugh and he’s having trouble holding it back.

“Good thing we’re upstanding members of society and won’t be causing any trouble tonight.” It’s Josh’s turn to laugh out loud at the following silence, Tyler’s glaring at him when he turns to look. It’s the quietest he’s been all week.

“You’re horrible,” Tyler tells him with no hint of venom. “Awful boyfriend, awful drummer, terrible band mate. I should get a refund for all the money I’ve spent on you over the years. I’m cancelling the tour, we’re all going home.” 

Josh stands upright, gets a tattooed arm around Tyler’s shoulder, and squeezes. “I’m awful? You’re ruining my peace and quiet with your perverted thoughts.”

“Josh please.” He rolls his head back onto Josh’s arm and sighs. “I deserve it.”

“Yeah? Why.” He moves a lock of hair out of Tyler’s forehead. Tyler blinks rapidly at him, his eyes wide and lashes wet and clumpy from pool water. 

He always catches Josh off guard.

“Cus I want it.” Tyler tells him with a smirk. “and you’ll always give me what I want, because you like when I tell you what to do, and you like giving it to me and doing whatever I say.”

It knocks the wind out of Josh, he flushes and freezes. Tyler’s cocking his head at him like he knows he’s won. 

Nobody’s here, it’s the middle of the night. The odds of anyone walking in there are so low that Josh weighs the pros and cons. He does like it when Tyler tells him what to do, he likes giving whatever he has and letting Tyler take and take and take and take.

Josh pushes him back against the pool wall on a whim, Tyler’s shoulders bumping up against the concrete ledge. “I’m not fucking you.” He whispers. His hands are in Tyler’s hair suddenly, pulling his legs apart and dipping down the front of his swim trunks. 

Tyler gasps, he latches onto the meat of Josh’s bicep with blunt nails when Josh thumbs around his clit. “I didn’t ask you to, I didn’t ask you- shit.”

Josh groans and shakes his head. “Tyler please shut up.” It’s meaner than he meant it to be, Tyler flinches and whimpers at the harsh tone of his voice before curling in on himself. “Sit up, sit on the ledge. Just be good, be quiet, I know you can.” 

Josh is genuinely exhausted from Tyler’s never-ending energy and the constant sleep deprivation from being on the road. His hands come up to grab at Tyler’s waist, his hips. He’s losing his patience fast.

Tyler gets pulled up onto the side of the pool until his legs are level with Josh’s face. Water rushes around him, cascading back down into the pool. He’s shaking, pulling at all the blue curls on Josh’s head, and already panting. 

Josh almost never gets like this, Tyler can count on one hand the number of times Josh has been dominant, and taken the lead. It’s usually Tyler pushing and pulling and getting on his nerves, Josh is always more than happy to fall all over him and do whatever he wants. 

It’s almost always when Josh needs to level him out. Tyler’s been dialed to a hundred lately, too much energy, too much emotion. Josh is gentle and sweet, he doesn’t really have it in him to scream at Tyler or tell him to shut the fuck up when he needs to. 

This is their unspoken compromise instead of fighting – Josh pinning him down in a motel bed and fucking him so rough and so deep that he screams and cries until he loses his voice, suffocating Tyler on his cock in truck stop bathrooms when he picks a fight on the road, Josh edging him until Tyler’s begging and begging and begging and finally apologizing.

It doesn’t happen often, but right now, they’re tip-toeing into dangerous territory.

Josh starts yanking down his swim trunks and murmuring to himself. Tyler’s almost scared to speak, almost. “You’re really gonna make me get my bare ass on the pool deck? What if I get a disease or something.”

It doesn’t get a reaction out of Josh this time, the swim trunks come off and wade around his ankles in the water. Tyler’s hit with a wave of second thoughts and keeps checking the door to see if anybody’s walking by. His heart beats out of his chest, anxiety over taking anything else.

Josh presses a cheek to his knee, breaking Tyler out of his thoughts. “This is what you wanted though, right? This is why you’ve been bugging me all night?” He presses a kiss to the inside of Tyler’s thigh and starts to bite his way up, his canines catching on the skin and making Tyler squirm.

Tyler tugs at Josh’s head and pulls him in closer with a cutoff gasp. “Yeah, ‘s what I wanted.” Josh pulls him to the very edge of the pool, just barely balancing on the ledge. His legs dangle over Josh’s shoulders, shaking. “Josh please, c’mon, please touch me, I need it, need you.”

Tyler makes almost no noise when Josh finally leans forward and takes him into his mouth, just a sharp gasp, his nails scraping against the cement pool deck in surprise when Josh kitten licks over his clit. 

Josh’s eyes are knit shut, lost in whatever spell Tyler has forced him into this time. Sometimes, Tyler wonders what Josh thinks about when he gets like this. Maybe he fantasizes about hitting him, finally yelling at him like Tyler knows he wants to. 

It’s not quite as rough as Josh can get sometimes, but it’s not the docile and obedient headspace Tyler can get him into just by asking nicely. It’s somewhere in between, Josh looking up at him through heavy eyelids in frustration, shivering and moaning weakly when Tyler stares at him open-mouthed in awe and grinds his hips against his face. 

Josh’s fingertips dig into the meat of his thighs, blunt nails nearly piercing the skin and anchoring Tyler there when he shakes.

His stubble stings the inside of Tyler’s thighs, rubbing him raw and sensitive, and Tyler can already feel the burn that’s blooming there – knowing that tomorrow he’ll be sore and sensitive, that the show they’ll play together the following night will have him aching by the end from the friction, and that Josh will let himself get pulled into a hotel room after they step off stage and let Tyler climb on top without a word, ride his face so they can do it again and again and again and again.

The thought has Tyler shivering, hips twitching in Josh’s hold while he leaks all over his tongue. Josh is just always so willing, even when he’s mean accidentally-on purpose, and never cares about anything but making Tyler feel good. He knows when Tyler needs it too, when Tyler wants it to hurt, or when he wants it slow and sweet.

“Josh, baby,” he murmurs.

Josh’s eyes are fluttering back open at his name, tasting earth and sweat, chlorine, and Tyler. He hums lowly and misses the hitch in Tyler’s breath from the rumble. He looks like he might cry almost, face flushed and eyes watery while he laps at Tyler’s puffy cunt.

The sight of Josh between his legs isn’t new, by any means. It hasn’t been for a long while, but the glaze over Josh’s face while he buries himself between his thighs with a little moan knocks the wind out of him. Tyler crumples, seizes up, and clamps his thighs around Josh’s head with a shrill whine that echoes off the tiled walls.

“Oh my fucking god,” Tyler whimpers, “Josh, need you, need you.” He’s begging for nothing, Tyler has him right where he needs him. He always does.

He worries momentarily that Josh can’t breathe, that he’s going to suffocate and die between his legs, but then Josh drops one of his thighs back onto his shoulder and dips his hand beneath the water out of sight with a breathy whine. Tyler nearly falls over and has to brace his palms behind him to hold himself up. Josh’s mouth is so warm and wet that his head lolls back on a moan, his hips moving and twitching on their own accord while he rides Josh’s tongue lazily. 

“Want you to fuck me, ‘s not enough” Tyler babbles, “want it so bad, Josh, please.” 

He doesn’t realize he’s burst into tears, he sniffles and hiccups a moan when Josh huffs a laugh into the inside of his thigh. Josh is smirking when he looks down, suckling and drooling on his dick. The sight has Tyler squirming and whimpering nonsense, mouthing ‘please? please?’

Josh pulls off for a moment, rubbing tiny circles into his clit with his thumb instead. A strand of spit connects them when Josh settles his forehead against Tyler's thigh, it lingers for a long moment before Josh licks it away mindlessly.

“No,” Josh whispers, “This is it, take it.”

He’s back on Tyler in an instant, humming and drawing little shivers out of Tyler with his tongue. 

“I’m sorry for being annoying, I’ll stop, I promise.” Tyler sobs, “I’ll be good, I’ll be good.”

The last bit is a last resort, he’s playing dirty. It’s one of those things that gets Josh going, Josh doesn’t even know why. Tyler never behaves, not even when Josh is scratching, biting, or folding him in half and pressing in so deep it’s almost painful. The haze that comes over Josh when Tyler says it speaks for itself though – Tyler’s winning.

“Josh, I'll be good,” Tyler whispers with a pout, barely audible. He reaches over to scratch at the back of Josh’s head like a dog, smiling to himself when Josh finally relaxes and whines weakly.

Josh gives him no warning before he sinks two fingers inside him, crooks them just right, and has Tyler doubling over with a yelp. The angle is already weird and the way Tyler keeps clenching and straining, hot and tight around him doesn’t help him keep his composure. 

Josh groans in frustration and tries to control his breathing and relax, but he can’t. Tyler’s dripping all over his hand, twitching on his tongue all warm and sweet, and whimpering ‘fuck me fuck me fuck me, please.’

He wants to hop out of the pool and yank Tyler down, fuck him on his hand and knees until Tyler’s skin is bruised and bleeding from the concrete, sobbing and dripping on his cock. He just has no energy, there’s no fight left in him after tonight. Josh closes his eyes, trembles, and fantasizes about it instead. 

Tyler wraps a wet pastel ringlet around his finger, rolls it around on the pad of his thumb, and coos at the small, soft sound it draws from Josh. It’s like a flip has been switched, suddenly and unexpectedly when fondness spreads throughout his chest. “I love you,” Tyler breathes out softly, “you’re my baby, my good boy.”

Josh’s resounding moan sets him off, his stomach twists and he doubles over, clenching around Josh’s fingers and drenching his face with slick. Josh works him through it, sighing and shaking while Tyler curses and cries, drooling all over himself. Josh holds him in place while he rabbits his hips in small circles, bruising his hips with his thumbs when Tyler gets too sensitive and tries to escape.

He’s overstimulated, twitching and whimpering when Josh latches onto his clit and takes it between his lips. “Josh, ohmygod, stop, stop.” 

Tyler flails and heaves, ripping at the blue curls on his head in tears and kicking until water splashes Josh in the face and he finally pulls off with a laugh. 

“Fucking mean,” Tyler accuses out of breath, dizzy and boneless. “Asshole.” 

He kind of wants to pick a fight, just to see if he can get Josh to go again – but Josh only shushes him and pulls himself up to kiss him properly. Tyler’s shivering and cold when Josh pulls away. He’s antsy and empty, still aching.

This is all usually build-up. Usually, Tyler will collapse on all fours, pin Josh down and ride him until they’re both crying, until Josh fills him until he’s dripping. Sometimes it’s the opposite, where they’re both so tired Tyler doesn’t have to beg or even ask, when Josh rests him on his back and melts into him, fucks him so slow and deep that Tyler forgets how to breathe.

Tyler thinks about it while he floats, Josh kisses all over his tummy and whispers little affirmations into his navel.

He looks debauched. There’s slick all over his face and chin, his lips red and shiny and swollen. His hair is drying and sticking up in all the wrong places from Tyler’s pulling. He’s so fucking cute that a soft laugh bubbles out of Tyler’s chest.

“Pretty.” Tyler teases. He leans down to lick himself off of Josh’s lips, humming at the little displeased sound Josh lets out.

“Dramatic.” Tyler croaks out. “You’re in a public pool, the water is probably 50% pee dude.” He can’t help but laugh at Josh’s following grimace. 

“Gross.” Josh murmurs. “You’re supposed to be quiet, you promised.”

Tyler knows he’s not being honest in the sake of being stubborn, he’s lost count of how many times they’ve done this and Josh has curled in on himself after and shoved a hand into his boxers after Tyler comes on his face.

Josh nuzzles his head against Tyler’s thigh, whimpers into the skin, and looks up at him with these wide puppy dog eyes that make Tyler’s chest swell. He pats the side of Josh’s face like he’s a wounded animal and plays with his cheek, so filled with adoration he thinks he might get sick. “I love you, you big baby.”

Tyler can feel the drawn-out “Tylerrrr.” mouthed into his hip in frustration. 

Tyler gets it. He relents, he’ll be quiet.

Josh gets them out of the pool safely, Tyler figures if their career goes south then Josh will make a fine lifeguard. He’s half asleep though, he basically looks like he’s sleepwalking while he helps Tyler get dressed and look presentable for the walk back to their room. And in all honesty, Tyler feels bad. Josh is obviously still hard, his eyes lidded and sleepy while he fights to stay awake. He yawns while he digs through their beach bag, quiet and content, nearly unaffected.

“Do you want me to get you off?” Tyler whispers, “I don’t mind.”

But Josh shakes his head and pulls Tyler in close by his shoulder, kisses the top of his head and brushes his cheek against the mess of wet hair. Tyler knows what it means, it’s all too much right now, but I love you.

Tyler bumps him out of the way to take over and presses a small kiss to his shoulder in passing. Josh knows what he means too, it’s an I know, I know, I’m sorry and I love you too.

He starts rifling through the bag to pull out their towels and huffs when he comes up short. “Dude, we only brought one towel.”

Josh throws his head back and groans.

“You can have it but like-” Tyler sighs dramatically, his chest rising and falling from the deep breath. “It’s just, I’m really cold Josh.”

To neither of their surprise, they walk back to their room with Tyler bundled up in the towel and Josh avoiding eye contact with anybody who walks by.