Toxic Valentine. (Fransykes)

Jack left as soon as Alex walked in, and the two remaining members of the band glanced at the lead singer long enough to leave, leaving the four people who knew the worst to sit with their yes never meeting. The youngest pulls his knees to his chest protectively, as if trying to distance himself, his heart and his emotions as far away from the Sheffield lad that stood before him. Kellin swallowed softly, watching the fear, longing and heartbreak that reflected in the cerulean eyes; suddenly he felt a little lost, like this was way out of his depth. He wasn't wrong either. Something had happened in this relationship that shouldn't have happened.

"Josh allowed himself to become dependent on you, you told him you loved him, told him you'd care for him," Alex explained in a soft, not angry, but firm voice. He sits down and gestures for the other two to do so. There was only so much background information he could offer on the shaking boy's behalf. "That night you told him that he was all yours, and immediately he felt bound to you knowing that he had a submissive complex, you led him to believe he wasn't allowed to have anyone else for years, he stayed loyal and betrayed to a man that lied to him," There was something neutral and yet aggressive about the way the Baltimore boy spoke, every careful word chosen with a little added sting to it. "You knew what would happen. You knew because he told you exactly how dependant he had become on those around him, you manipulated both his mental disorder and submissive complex to your favour didn't you?" Oli swallowed and Josh looked up, as if he didn't want to hear the answer. Neither did Kellin.

"I didn't do it intentionally, I wanted to come back, I was just scared, and then Hannah was complaining that I was so distant, I didn't know it'd go as far as it did," Josh knew that, he'd already been told that. "I loved...love...Josh," The tired eyes of the British men meet, looking as if they want everything over with. The way the Weybridge boy looked up to meet the other's eyes in surprise broke them both. "I did it at the time because I didn't want you to go off, I intended to tell her I didn't want her, to say it, but then I realised that it was so much bigger than that, after Hannah is my parents, friends, family, my band, management, I could lose my career, and I forget like that that this could hurt you too, I figured that it wasn't so extreme, that you wouldn't take it on so personally and I should've known better," He whispered. "Move your legs," Alex and Kellin blinked in surprise as, without hesitation, Josh dropped his knees away from his body, eyes wide and hands trembling against his own thighs.

"I love you,"

"I love you too, always have and always will," he replies softly. And although his anxiety no longer demanded he needed a crutch, he still reached out for Oli. "Please don't keep running away," The ebony haired boy who had remained uninvolved in the interaction suddenly looked more informed, lips hanging parted in a surprised expression and heart clenching. He promised himself that his emotional investment wouldn't stretch too far. But seeing the look on their faces caused a feeling of empathy to surge through him fast enough that tears sparked his eyes.

Alex sighed, glad nothing else was happening, no aggression, not even a raised voice, just simple open hearts on sleeves. "I want to sit down, talk this out with Hannah, but I need some time, space, I need a couple of months after this tour to get myself together, if that's ok, there's a greater picture than our relationship here," The topic of his drug addiction springs to mind, having been the primary reasons of his disappearance, coupled with his depression was suddenly not the best combination. "I'm not fit enough to be your..." He glances over at Kellin, who rolls his eyes in response to his hesitation "...Dom, at the moment, and I don't think you're ready to dive head first into this either, if we're going to do this we need to sort it out properly this time, no one nights stands, and complications as such, tone of his voice is firm, and for a moment even Alex feels light shivers down his spine.

"Ok,"
--
"I can't believe that's finally over with," Kellin muttered into the cold air, leaning against the tourbus, hair whipping around his pale porcelain cheeks, his eyes are on the sky and his heart is missing home, before he glances down at Alex. "The last three years it's all he's whined about, and to be honest I never really cared, he just hit the wrong fucking phone number one day I think," He sighed and reaches for a cigarette, neither of them smoke outside of social smoking, but both feel the need for a treat. "I never knew how deep it went, I don't think either of us do either," They sit on the steps and watch the sparkles of stars in the sky. "Do you believe Oli really purposefully manipulated him? Knowing that Josh wouldn't be able to pull away from it?"

"Oli loves Josh, I don't doubt that, I don't think Oli was intending to run away like that, but he knew that Josh was dependent on him as a friend anyway, he was depressed for years, it was unreal Kellin, I watched him try to swallow an entire packet of pills, once Oli was gone he genuinely believed he was worthless, he's promised to never go to anyone else but Oli, and now that he wasn't there he wouldn't speak to people, wouldn't open up to people, his disorder and then his complex combined was killing him," He watched the smoke decorate the sky "What happened won't define them, what matters now is that Oli straightens out and Josh gets help to make sure he doesn't become reliant on him, they'll both become better people and eventually they'll both get together, I trust them not to mess up this,"

"And what about you?" He finally asks, he doesn't make a habit of caring about anyone other than himself and his family, but it takes an idiot not to realise the broken look every time the name "Jack Barakat," is mentioned in front of Alex. "When are you and Jack going to have your turn?" For a second, the Essex born man doesn't respond, stepping on the cigarette as it fizzes out under his soles.

"Me and Jack are a little different, but less complicated, Oli doesn't love Hannah, he cares for her, but he doesn't want to marry her, I want to be married to Lisa, but I still love Jack nonetheless, so perhaps the answer is we've already had our time," He stands up. "Have a nice night anyway, say hi to Copeland and Katelynne, I'm sure they're missing you," As the door shuts behind him it occurs rather suddenly. He was more concerned about Kellin's family than his own. The entire tour he hadn't even called Lisa once. He closes his eyes, inhales deeply, and walks to his bunk.

His fate wasn't something that concerned their story.

Notes