Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He looked outside at the rain pelting down onto the record shop door. Probably good, since the windows needed a clean, and Josh didn’t feel like doing it himself, that was for sure. They hadn’t had any customers at all that day, which was good in a sense that it let him get on with the kit that someone had brought in last week for him to fix. He laced his way through the shop to squeeze himself behind the small counter and sprawling across it to turn the store music system down enough to pick up the phone. Record Store Day was coming up that weekend, and it was no doubt stressing everyone out. The store was littered up to his waist of boxes and boxes of vinyls, which he was meant to be sorting out and stacking up, but he would much rather be fixing bass pedals and patching up kick drums. The sheer amount of phone calls about Saturday though was unreal…he tried his best to be polite to everyone, not like some of his other colleagues that really didn’t care. Most people assume Josh to be the most antisocial or rude, but he just guessed that came with being and all-black wearing punk. That Saturday they would have a few different acts come to perform in the shop, but none that Josh had ever heard the name of. It was the idea of the incredible shaped and coloured limited edition vinyls that excited him really – the acts tended to be old folk singers who he really didn’t fit in with, with his shaved sides and mess of – at the moment – bubblegum blue hair, and colourful sleeve tattoos.

“Hello, Music Records! How can I help?” He gently pushed himself back from the counter and flopped down into the office chair that was kept in the corner. The line was quiet, and Josh absentmindedly picked up a drumstick and rapped it against the wood of the desk before trying again.

“Um…Hello, Music-“ “Yo man! Sorry about that, bad signal...oOOft fu- sorry just dropped my phone. I’m actually one of the acts for Saturday, can you just check out what time I’m meant to be there?” Josh chuckled slightly at the mans clumsiness before asking his name. “Oh uh yeah! Sorry man, I’m Tyler. Joseph. Tyler joseph. Sorry.” He yanked the folder of times out from under the desk and checked the time. “Sure! Okay you’re on last so around 4. I’m Josh Dun by the way, just come find me before that and I’ll get you kitted up!” Tyler thanked him for helping out “No problem man. Sick, I’ll see you then.!”

Josh sprawled over the counter again to hang up the phone and grinned to himself. From his voice, it sounded like Tyler would be roughly his age, so at least it wasn’t ALL old geezers.  He took a last look around the store before letting out a deep sigh and starting the massive job of unpacking all the boxes.

It was later than usual that he finally finished work. He normally finishes at 5, but he didn’t leave until 7 that day, and still had only managed to unpack a third of the boxes.  Not that he minded – His flat was shared with 2 other guys, all of whom took girls home very often, and none of them appreciated Josh’s style, often laughing whenever he dyed his hair or painted his nails. It was a dingy little flat that barely fit the 3 of them, so until Josh made enough money to get a slightly bigger place, he was without his most prized possession – His own drum kit. His boss had been really gracious to let him keep in the back of the store, and Josh often stayed behind to clean it and make sure it was still in a good state, but he still felt lost without it, hands always itching to pick up his drumsticks and tap against anything and everything, something that his roommates got really fed up with. When he did get home, he found that it was the couch he would be sleeping on, since one of the guys had decided that Josh’s room would be a better place to take his new found girlfriend than his own. He sighed and made a mental note to make sure the sheets were changed before he went back in.

Record Store Day came around quicker than he had hoped. He was at the shop at 4am, starting to get ready to open at 8. There was already a queue about an hour long to get hold of all the best copies when it opened. Josh busied himself with the last bit of unpacking, before going into the back to put his store uniform on, which only was ever really worn on record store day. It didn't bother him though, the black t-shirt and black skinny jeans were very similar to his own everyday clothes really. Soon enough the two other people working that day turned up, tired and yawning, but ready to go. He really liked those two, Brendon was part of a band, and had offered that Josh could be the drummer, which was very nice of them but he had his own dreams, thank you, and his mum would kill him for quitting college early. Debby was by no doubt his best friend. She had been since they were very young, and it wasn't strange to see the two of them walking down the street holding hands. It was his Boss Josh didn't like, who had appeared to have taken the busiest day of the year off. Great.

The three of them managed to get everything sorted and done  by the doors opening at 8, which was good. Everything ran smoothly – the first and second acts were on and off again by 1, and got a huge applause, even though Josh was completely right – Old folk singers. Brendon was behind the counter all day, and Josh and Debby were in charge of keeping everything to plan, which, so far, wasn’t particularly needed, so they stood just inside the door chatting, occasionally directing people in the right direction. At around 2, Josh spotted a fairly young guy, ridiculously dressed in black skinny jeans pulled down pretty low, and floral shoes and shirt, matched with blue circular sunglasses that he chewed the end of in his mouth. He was good looking, brown coffee coloured hair stuck up in cute directions and he had a smile that lit up his face. He grinned as a couple of girls came up to compliment him and get his autograph, but then looked just as awkward as he did before as soon as they left. Josh smirked, figuring that the poor guy was probably lost, and fiddled with his ear tunnel before telling Debby he would be right back.

“Hey man! You look lost, you need some help?” He called out, as he walked up to the man, who awkwardly smiled in reply. “Uh yeah, actually. Do you know where I can find..uh..” He glanced at a smudge on ink hastily written on his hand “ uh…Josh Dun? He works here I think.” Josh grinned and pointed at himself. “In the flesh. What can I do for you?” The man looked at him expectantly before prompting him. “I talked to you on the phone… I’m Tyler.” Suddenly it clicked. “Oh of course! My bad, man. Follow me!” Tyler visibly relaxed, and followed Josh around the back of the store and into the back room.

Tyler’s eyes grew massive as he took in all the dusty kit in the back room, and carefully ran his hand across Josh’s drums, who was watching him from the door. He coughed slightly, motioning to the drums. “They’re mine” He smiled. Tyler yanked his hand back, and pulled a face that made Josh laugh. “It’s no problem man! Don’t worry. Do you play?” Tyler smiled again, relieved. The lit up smile returned to his face and Josh noticed how nice it was for the second time that day. “No. I would like to be able to, but all I gots my voice, my piano, and this.” Josh hadn’t noticed that he had a small case in his left hand, which he motioned to. He assumed it was a ukulele. “Sick. Anyway, lets get you kitted up.”

It didn’t take them long to set Tyler’s stuff up – all he had was his ukulele, and a mic, so there was no need for a lot of tech. But, even though it wasn’t long, He noticed a lot of things about Tyler. He had assumed he was a bit…gentle, which turned out to be a wrong assumption. He had a quite high voice, both deep and light brown eyes, depending on which way the light hit him, at one point he rolled his sleeves up to his elbow, where Josh noticed 3 thin tattooed bands around his wrist and one thicker band just below his elbow. His tattoos were nothing like josh’s which were all flowing lines, curving together on a colourful sleeve that part of matched his hair colour at that point. They were simple bands and when Josh finally plucked up the courage to ask if he had any others, Tyler explained that he had two bands above that elbow, a tattoo on his shoulder, 4 symbols on his other forearm, and two on his chest. He explained that they were all simple, made out of black lines, or black boxes. Somehow Josh knew that there was so much more to Tyler, and maybe, he hoped, he would find it out one day.

When it was time for the set, Josh decided that he would listen to it, and, much to Brendon’s protests, hopped up to sit on the counter. He felt like it was only going to be the same as all the rest, but he was hopeful that it may be a little different for once.

Apparently Tyler was a little unorganised, Josh noticed, as he seemed to have forgotten to retune his Ukulele. Josh laughed, and flashed the nervous boy an encouraging smile. As always, His drumsticks were sat on the far edge of the counter, and he absentmindedly picked them up and started to twirl them through his fingers as he waited. A loud but hesitant voice broke him out of his trance, and he just settled to tapping away gently as he listened to Tyler sing.

She asked me son, “When I grow old

Will you buy me a house of gold?

And when your father turns to stone

Will you take care of me?”

Josh sat up straight. It was different, all right. Still not his type, but different. He tried to catch Tyler’s eye, to give him a smile, but the boy was completely contented in his music, oblivious to the world around him, all traces of nervousness gone from his voice. Josh sat quietly, and listened to the music, silent except to answer a few customers’ questions. He was still tapping away with his drumsticks by the time the next song had started, using all the objects around him to make something that went with the music. This time, Tyler had some backing music, obviously all loop recorded at home, but it was his voice that made Josh’s hands freeze in awe, which was not easily done.

I wake up fine and dandy

But by the time I find it handy

To rip my heart apart and start

Planning my crash landing

I go up up up up to the ceiling

Then I feel my soul start leaving

Like an old man’s hair receding

I'm pleading please, oh please

On my knees repeatedly asking why

It's got to be like this

Is this living free?

Josh stared. His mouth hung open in awe as the boy in front of him suddenly turned completely into another person. It was incredible to watch – Tyler rapped like there was no tomorrow, and like it wrenched his heart and his body with every word he said, moving his body at alarming rates in every direction, twisting and twitching like he was trying to escape. It wasn’t just music, the show was art. By then Josh had forgotten about his drumsticks, but when he caught the deep hazel brown eyes of Tyler, who motioned his hands drumming against an imaginary instrument, Josh picked them up again.  He smiled as he started tapping, getting lost in the rhythm of Tyler’s music himself, and becoming part of the music as Tyler launched into the chorus and another verse before ending the song.

Maybe Josh was a punk. Maybe Josh was a poor, feisty, college student working in a dusty record shop and maybe he was an always-trouble-making Punk who listened to “Way too much bad guitar playing” in the form of the Sex Pistols, but whatever type of music Tyler plays, He likes it. A lot.

And, at the end of the set, when Tyler came over to compliment him, and to thank him for his drumming input, he may have blushed a bit. And when it came to saying goodbye, and when he noticed the smile Tyler flashed at Debby, he may have felt a tiny bit jealous.

Which is strange, because Josh Dun does not get jealous, and he definitely doesn't blush.

Chapter Text

“PINK?!” Josh’s hair was probably the first thing Debby must have noticed when he got to work the week after Record Store Day, and a week before college starting again. He had dyed it candyfloss pink on his day off, and had reshaved the sides. He was fairly happy with it, and had specifically dressed head to toe in black to show it off. That was a lie - he always dressed in black, really. He grinned dorkily back at Debby, who’s mouth was hanging open and hands were outstretched to ruffle his hair.

“Hell yeah! Pinks an awesome colour, don’t diss” he laughed, dodging her grabby hands and turning around to gently jab her sides. All he got in reply was a very obscene gesture. He stuck his tongue out at his best friend before turning on his heel to disappear to the metal section to “restock” and check out the new copies they had in to see if there’s any worth putting in the back so he would be able to get them at the end of the day.

Josh spent most of the day in the back of the shop, humming whole albums to himself as he worked. His tough hands, roughed from weekends of restringing guitars and hour of fixing beaten up drum kits, skimmed over the shelves, fixing up this and that, electric blue nail polish chipping off on screws and instruments scattered around. It wasn’t until lunch time the next time he talked to Debby, not because he didn’t want to, just down to the fact that they felt each other’s silence comfortable. A loud scuffling caught his attention, and he turned to see Debby up to her elbows, rummaging around in her backpack for her lunch. She stood up and grinned with triumph as she held up two sandwiches. Her hair was mussed up, and her fringe sat over one eye. Josh grinned at the sight of her and reached out to grab his sandwich from her. “You’re my favourite, you know that right Debs?” she laughed and threw a breakfast bar at him, narrowly missing his head, and Josh let out a yelp. “Well, you don’t eat anything even vaguely healthy if I don’t bring you food, so…” she drifted off, as Josh attempted to stuff the sandwich in his mouth in one. It was really quiet in the shop, so Josh and Debby sat in the back eating their sandwiches in contented silence. They had carefully wedged a clarinet case in the doorway so they could see if anyone came in to the shop, but no one did.

To be completely honest, Josh had almost forgotten about Tyler. Tyler with the ukulele, Tyler with the florals, Tyler with the strange sunglasses, Tyler with the voice. It had been a whole week after RSD, and Josh had forgotten him. He had convinced himself it was a good thing that he probably would never talk to him again, that he already had enough on his hands. He had forgotten him, until Debby decided to bring him up again.

She stopped eating for a minute, jaw stilled as she searched her pockets for her phone. Mumbling something about about leaving it on the desk, she turned to Josh with her mouth still semi-full. “I forgot to tell you!” Her eyes lit up and Josh opened his mouth to ask what she hadn’t told him. “Tyler texted me! He’s staying just out of town, and I think he’s going to the same college as you! Shut your mouth, dumbass.” She grinned at him, then turned her attention back to her sandwich, as if she hadn’t just both ruined and made Josh’s world better in one sentence. He stared at her, incredulous, and not listening to the last part of what she said, mouth still hung open. She had been talking to him? Texting?

Josh grimaced as he felt a familiar pang of jealousy. His mouth filled up with so many questions to ask her, but instead he hopped down from where he was sat, startling Debby so much she nearly fell off her own seat, and walked through to the shop. He kicked the clarinet case out in the process, muttering excuses. Josh didn’t speak to Debby again for the rest of the day, and even that was only a small goodnight and a kiss on the cheek. The mention of Tyler had unsettled him, and he had no idea why.

College couldn’t have come around fast enough – Josh was losing his mind cooped up in the record store every day, and he needed some distraction. He liked the dark, and often went for 1am walks around the city, but even that had stopped calming him down. Usually his college friends would come with him, and they would walk and make late night music, Josh drumming his sticks on any surface, Dallon shuffling and kicking his feet, and Patrick or Hayley coming up with lyrics on the spot and singing gently. That was by no doubt his favourite thing to do, but no one was around, and it was never the same by himself. Instead, all he could do was to put in headphones and block everyone out until college came around.

It was still dark out when Josh left the flat – he had decided the walk to the other side of the city was better than the bus, but it did mean that he had to get up a good hour earlier. He really didn’t mind though - the cold woke him up and the breeze blew his pink hair up into candyfloss tufts. His idea for that day would be to take it slow, laugh a lot and catch up with his friends. And maybe avoid Tyler Joseph…if he could.

His morning classes dragged on - he was never any good at arithmetic, yet they still made him take it for some strange reason. At lunch, his friends found him in the drum room, headphones on and battering away at an electric kit. He clearly hadn’t heard the bell for lunch, and Frank grinned evilly as he motioned for Dallon to tap the back of his neck. Josh jumped, and spun around on the chair to glare at Dallon, who was laughing so hard all he could do was point to frank who was purposefully ignoring his glare. He rolled his eyes and got up, grinning and laughing as he fist bumped everyone, mistakenly Hayley as well, who happened to be wearing rings. They crowded out the room in a group and headed to the lunch hall, swapping stories of bad roommates (Mikey was stuck with Andy, who’s nice enough, until he talks about cross fit) and great roommates (Frank was dormed with several guys who were also musical…they were now a band, called Pencey Prep, if Josh had heard right), summer crushes, and bad jobs. Josh really loved his friend group – they were made up of outcasts and punks, and it was fair to say that not many other people talked to them, but it didn’t matter to Josh, because they all had each other.

The second time he saw Tyler Joseph he was sat in the lunch hall at the back, surrounded in conversation, and an argument whose music was better – Franks or Ryan’s – and Tyler Joseph was lying on the floor with his bag contents everywhere. At least, Josh was pretty sure it was Tyler – the florals gave it away really, and the circular sunglasses that had skidded across the floor and came to a rest right next to Josh’s feet. He stared at them, his hands nervously intertwined together. He didn’t want to catch Tyler’s eye – it was bad enough blushing in front of Debby, but his friends was another matter. He would never hear the end of it. He felt Mikey reach across him and pick the glasses up as Tyler scramble back to his feet. He hissed at Mikey to just give them back and sit down again but all Mikey did was grin down at him. Josh sneaked a glace back over to Tyler who had just finished clearing his stuff up and now had his attention turned to Mikey. He could see that Tyler was scared – Mikey is really intimidating if you don’t know him, dressed all in black with jeans that had hundreds of patches all over them, a leather jacket worn and stripped down, and dyed blonde hair pushed back from his face. Even Josh had found him terrifying when they first met, Mikey always stood with his chin tipped slightly up, because he knew it made him look taller. And he knew that moment that Mikey was not going to give up the sunglasses easily. Not out of spite, but just for a bit of fun, teasing the new kid, things that Josh would usually join in on.

Josh let out a frustrated growl before running his hand through his hair and standing up abruptly, his chair fallen on the ground behind him. He turned to face Mikey, who studies his face apprehensively and raised an eyebrow. As he stood up he noticed Tyler watching him closely. He had been biting his lip and shuffling his feet out of nervousness and seemed to be very uncomfortable with the attention Mikey was drawing to him, but his face cleared even just a little bit, when he realised Josh was there – someone who he could say he (almost) knew. Josh tensed his jaw subconsciously and reached out to grab the sunglasses from Mikeys hand. He quickly glanced around the lunch hall before walking out of the hall, handing Tyler his glasses on his way out without a word.

Tyler had no idea what had just happened. First he was on the floor and being teased and mocked…then the record store guy had stood up. Tyler couldn’t quite remember His name, but he could never forget His face, not really. He had a cotton candy coloured mess of hair, and brown eyes that were full of every emotion to exist. He seemed to have an incredible aura around Him, one that Tyler couldn’t quite pinpoint, but everyone seemed to notice. As he had been handed his glasses back, he had hoped to say something to the Boy, talk to Him, but the boy didn’t stop. He seemed so nice at the store, and when he had found out that they would be going to the same college from texting Debby, he had hoped that they could have maybe been friends.

For a moment after He left, the lunch hall stayed silent before breaking out in loud and busy chatter yet again. The Boy’s friends hadn’t looked at him since He left, and only one thought ran through Tyler’s mind - Go find Him.

“FU-“ Josh yelped as the breath was knocked out of him and he fell chin first to the floor. He groaned and turned over to look up and see what the heck just happened. His vision was slightly blurry, but he sat up slowly and felt his chin. Nope, all good. “Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!” Josh flinched at the sudden fast voice next to him. He assumed it belonged to the same person who had their hands on his shoulder and his waist, supporting him gently. “Are you okay? You’re not okay. What do we do? Can you stand up okay? I was actually just coming to fi-“ Josh laughed slightly as he realised who it was, cutting him off. “Tyler, I’m fine. Really!” Josh wheezed slightly, picking himself back up with Tyler’s help. He couldn’t help but dissolve into laughter again when he saw the other boy’s face – His eyes huge with concern, brows furrowed.

Josh straightened up once he regained composure. After a quick glance either way down the hallway, he smiled at Tyler again, who smiled hesitantly back. “Let’s go somewhere else – I think we’ve missed the bell and I don’t want to go to class…?” Josh phrased it as a question – he didn’t want to make Tyler skip a class if he didn’t want to. Tyler nodded vigorously in reply, and Josh grinned. “First day and you’re already skipping class. I’m a bad influence. Anyway, give me a hand here, my stomach still hurts a bit.” He said, slinging his arm around Tyler’s neck, who already had his arm around Josh’s waist to keep him steady. Josh bit his lip – this was totally out of the plan, he was meant to be avoiding Tyler, not have his arm around him! Still, he couldn’t help but feel a little flutter in his stomach.

“Where are we?” Tyler questioned quietly when Josh opened a door far away from the part of the college that Tyler knew. He gasped, taking in the sight. The room was full of pristine musical instruments, obviously owned by the college. He slowly walked around the room, feeling and running his fingers along everything he saw. It was stunning – his heaven. His parents had told him not to take music in college, and had made him take athletics instead, because music was “Just a past-time” and he “could be professional” at basketball, but Tyler felt so much more at home surrounded by music than he ever did in a Gym.

 A grand piano in the corner called out to him, and as he stood in front of it, he looked back at Josh who was sat on a table watching every step Tyler made around the room. Josh nodded in approval, and Tyler sat down and played. He played three songs twice over, yet josh seemed just as amazed as he did the time before. When he had finished, he ran his hand along the top, gently wiping away the miniscule layer of dust there.

“Sick.” Josh breathed. It was so incredible to hear Tyler play. Tyler’s head whipped up at his voice, his face confused. “Did you just say…Sick?” he asked. Josh nodded and spoke louder. “Sick. Sick as Frick.” He grinned. For the first time that Josh had heard, Tyler laughed. It was a bubbly and high laugh, one that was infectious and made Josh not be able to contain his own laughter.

That was it. Just a laugh and Josh was in love.

Chapter Text

That day Josh had walked home faster, with a new name in his phone and someone to add on Facebook. Sure, Tyler had seemed more interested in Debby - who wouldn't be? She was beautiful, and if Josh hadn't grown up with her as almost a sister he was sure he would be just as smitten with her as everyone else seemed to be. Tyler had even been texting her when they were in the music, every so often glancing up in Josh's direction guiltily.

Tyler walked home slower, but with the same happy bounce that Josh had in his step. They lived in completely opposite directions, and he lived much further away from the college than Josh did. He had moved close to Debby and her best friend Jenna though, so he walked home with them, listening to their fast and loud chatter and occasionally pitching in when the conversation turned to guys or nail varnish.

Jenna thought Tyler dressed weird. That was definite. The next day, when Tyler had dropped by Jenna's house with Debby already by his side, she opened the door with a confused smile. She hooked her arm around her bag strap and locked the door behind her before joining the other two at the end of her path.

"Hey, Ty, what's up with the whole..." she questioned nicely, gesturing to his body as they walked. He looked down at his skeleton jacket and hands that had black ink smeared across the knuckles and the back of his hand. He looked back up at her and shrugged.

"I don't know. It's how I felt this morning I guess" he said quietly, and Jenna nodded, though obviously still not understanding. He didn't think Debby really understood either, but it didn't matter.

Getting to first period was just as much of a nightmare as first period itself. He was bumped and bounced in the corridor, people either not paying any attention to him at all and pretending he didn't exist, or people paying too much attention to him, annoyingly stealing his basketball kit and lobbing it up the hallway or making the odd pathetic joke about skeletons or satanism. He stood silently in the corner, willing his panic to evaporate, picturing trees in his mind to calm himself. He was 10 minutes late to class. And of course, he was lost.

Josh legged it down the hallway as fast as he could. He was late, and desperately attempting not to get detention yet again. He slowed when he saw Tyler though, looking hopelessly lost. Josh's stomach twisted. Tyler looked so confused and cute, but if Josh was too late no doubt he would get a double dose of detention and grounding. He groaned - he had to help, he couldn't leave Tyler lost.

Cupping his hands around his mouth, he yelled to get Tylers attention. "EXCUSE ME SIR ARE YOU LOOOST!" He laughed quietly as Tyler looked up hastily and grinned at him in relief. Josh tried not to spend too much time marvelling at the boys smile, and instead jogged over to him.

Tyler placed his hand over his heart and smiled at Josh. "Yes!" he smiled. "I am so lost. Where are the English rooms? Room 17" Josh noticed a smudge of what looked like black ink across the back of Tylers hand. He made a mental note to ask him about it later. "Same room as me!" Josh said, delighted. "Come on, we're late." Before he could stop himself, he grabbed Tylers hand in his own and pulled him along to match his own jogging stride.

Tyler focused on Josh's face instead of the staring classroom as the sidled into class 20 minutes late. He noticed that Josh had plastered a sickly sweet smile on his face, directed at the more than unhappy teacher. He had small indents in his cheeks when he smiled, and his deep brown eyes were barely visible when his eyes squinted into happy half-moons, decorated with smile lines around the edges.

"Sorry Miss, Tyler's new, and he got lost" Tyler looked round at the mention of his name in a voice he didn't recognise. Josh's voice was more high and gentle than he had heard before, and was as smooth as silk. It was obviously one he had used before in this circumstance. The teacher eyed them both before ordering Josh to sit down. Tyler hadn't noticed they had still been holding hands until he felt Josh's hand slip free as he walked away to the back of the room to sit at a desk near his friends from lunch the day before. Suddenly, Tyler felt less secure, and missed the warm contact.

The teacher told the class to get on with work as she led Tyler to an empty desk at the side of the class. The wall next to him was painted a sunny yellow, and felt blinding. He twisted his hands below the desk as the teacher leaned far too close to him as Tyler would have appreciated. The black on his hands felt more relevant than ever.

He knew the teacher was just trying to be nice, but she looked him in the eye. "Look, stay away from Joshua. He's a...troubled kid." It was whispered gently, but the sentence felt more like a threat.