17 - Sweater

                                    

                                          
Credits for this chapter idea go to @n0b0dyfl0w3r 
This chapter is basically one big song reference. Comment if you get it! (Hint: it has to do with the date)
 
Friday, December 3rd:
The rest of November passed by quickly, with Josh continuing to attend Tyler's games, and Tyler continuing to avoid his team. Josh felt guilty about Tyler's social descent, but Tyler didn't seem to care.
Josh still thought about Tyler's words. "You mean the world to me, Josh."
He couldn't stop thinking about them for weeks. Ever since, they'd gone on, continuing to hang out and do their project together, but Josh was wondering if something between them could happen. If, by some miracle, Tyler felt the same. 
That night, the two were just finishing measuring their project at eight. It was snowing and freezing cold, already pitch black out. They had to measure it late now because of Tyler's practices, but Josh didn't mind. As long as he got to see the other boy, he didn't mind.
"I don't wanna go home," Josh told Tyler once they had finished writing in their numbers. 
"Then don't. Let's go for a walk."
Josh shrugged. "Alright." 
And the two began their walk, enjoying the light snow that was falling, their breaths coming out in puffs of steam. 
"So, how's the Maxx situation going?" Josh asked. It had been plaguing his mind for weeks, and he hadn't heard nor seen anything about it lately. Tyler ate lunch with him now, and that was about it. He barely saw the two interact anymore, but he knew that they must, seeing as they have basketball practice together nearly every day.
"Well, he's actually been pretty decent. You were right about him not wanting to pick a fight with me," Tyler reported. "Honestly, I've just been avoiding him, which is working well enough. He keeps following me around and trying to talk to me, which is kind of annoying, but at least he's not antagonizing me or anything."
Josh just watched Tyler as he spoke, watching the small flakes land in his fluffy brown hair, seeing his face lit up by street lights. He looked ethereal to Josh. 
That's when the older boy noticed the shivering. Tyler was in a short sleeved shirt, something he had failed to notice before, and he was shaking, his teeth chattering slightly. 
"Are you cold?" Josh asked. 
"A little," Tyler admitted, and Josh didn't hesitate before he pulled his sweater that he was wearing over his head, handing it to Tyler. 
"Here."
Tyler hesitated before taking the sweater, still warm with Josh's body heat, into his hands. 
"Are you sure?" he questioned, seeming uncertain. "I don't want you to get cold."
"I'll be fine," Josh assured him, and Tyler slipped it on over his head. And Josh thought he looked adorable, with it slightly too big on him. It was already an oversized sweater, so it now went over Tyler's hands a bit, and it made Josh smile widely.
"It looks better on you, anyway," he said, and watched Tyler's cheeks, already pink from the cold, darken even more. It gave Josh a level of satisfaction, and he wondered once again if there could be something more between them, given how much Tyler blushed at his comments. 
But then he reminded himself that Tyler was already ruining his reputation to be friends with Josh. Dating him probably wouldn't even cross Tyler's mind, as that would just ruin him more. And, as much as Tyler assured him that it didn't, Josh knew it bothered him.
The two walked along, talking about their tree. Both had concerns about it in the cold and snow, as it was beginning to snow harder, but they had covered it before they left, so they agreed that it should be fine. 
Josh felt the cold bite at his arms, but he didn't want to show any signs that he was freezing to Tyler, so he forced himself to stay quiet and not shiver. He found that the other boy's well-being was more important to him than his own, at this point.
When Tyler said that Josh meant the world to him, Josh didn't say it back, but he knew that Tyler meant the world to him, too. Tyler was his world.
They lapsed into silence once they finished talking about their tree, content smiles on both of their faces. Josh thought Tyler looked perfect, with the boy wearing his sweater and the flakes catching in his hair and a smile on his face. Josh just wanted to kiss him. 
Of course, he didn't, but he desperately wanted to.
They eventually looped back around and went to Tyler's house again, bidding each other goodnight, Josh sharing a lovesick smile. Tyler was smiling at him the same way, and somewhere inside him, Josh knew that, but he chose to call himself crazy for thinking it.
He began to walk to his car when Tyler's voice called out, "Wait!"
He turned around, and Tyler walked towards him, handing him the sweater. 
"Thanks for letting me borrow it," he said bashfully, not looking Josh in the eye. Josh couldn't tell if he was blushing or if his cheeks were pink from the cold, or both. 
"Of course." Josh smiled at him. "Goodnight, Ty."
"Goodnight, Josh."
The two parted ways for the night, Josh getting in his car. Before he started it, however, he looked at the sweater and smiled. It smelled like Tyler now. It became his favorite piece of clothing he owned now, just because the other boy had worn it.
He then drove away, back to his house, feeling elated. Tyler just made him feel that way.
When he got inside, he was greeted by his mom, who kissed his snow-covered hair. 
"How was your night?" she asked.
"It was great," he said with a smile. 
She gave him a knowing look. "Great because of anything in particular, or just because you spent it with Tyler?"
He felt his cheeks heat up. "Because I was with Tyler," he mumbled, slightly embarrassed. His mom laughed a little. 
"When's the wedding?" she joked.
"It's not like he feels that way about me, mom."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that." When Josh gave her a skeptical look, she pushed on. "I'm just saying, I saw the way he looked at you on Halloween. I don't think that boy thinks of you as just a friend."
Josh scoffed in disbelief. "You're just trying to get my hopes up."
"I'm just trying to get you to see that maybe you aren't such a lost cause," she told him. His brain wandered back to all the times Tyler had blushed at his comments, had smiled and laughed and just how comfortable he seemed around Josh.
But then Josh shook his head. "No. It wouldn't work out."
"Why not?"
"Because, mom! He's popular. He has all these friends that hate me. I wouldn't want to do that to him," Josh explained.
"Do what to him, exactly?" his mom questioned.
"To ruin his reputation more than I already have!" 
His mom looked at him for a moment before sighing. 
"Josh, if he wants to be with you, then you can't change that. You can either reject it or embrace it. And, judging from how you came home all giddy, I'd suggest embracing it."
Josh stared at her, trying to formulate some sort of response, before he just groaned in frustration.
"This is all hypothetical, anyway. Because he doesn't want to be with me," he said with an annoyed sigh. 
His mom grabbed his hand gently. "Whatever you say, hon." She smiled at him a moment before letting go of his hand and sitting down at the table. "Now, tell me about your night," she said, patting the chair next to her. 
Reluctantly, still put off by their conversation, Josh sat down and began recalling the night, omitting the part about the sweater. He didn't want his mom to get his hopes up more than she already had.