Work Text:
February 2026
It's 2 weeks until they kick off their headline festival run with Innings festival and Josh and Tyler are trying to nail down the set list, it has, as it always has been a carefully crafted choice. A well planned mix of old and new. Huddled on the couch in Tyler's studio they check it over a few more times. Opening with Overcompensate, obviously, and closing with Trees, that went without saying.
'Are we sure about Center Mass over Rawfear for the opening? I know we have it further down but it worked so well for Breach.' Tyler asks as he leans forward staring more intently at the laptop screen. He highlights the song a few times with the cursor in nervous energy.
Josh leans forward to match Tyler's position glancing at the side of the other man's furrowed face before reading over the set list for maybe the 100th time in the last 2 hours. He never gets frustrated with his lead singer though, in fact he admires how passionate and dedicated Tyler is to creating the perfect show every damn time. One of the things out of a very long list that he loves about Tyler Joseph.
'No, I'm definitely sure. Debuting a new song third in the set will set the crowd on fire.' Josh says as he gently closes his hand over Tyler's to steady the anxious clicking.
Tyler lets out a long sigh as he slouches back onto the couch cushions dramatically signalling he was done pouring over their songs. Josh was right, of course he was. Gazing at the back of his drummers head he lets out a gentle chuckle and grabs Josh by the arm and pulls him backwards until they're face to face. Tyler studies Josh's patient face like he didn't already have every curl, freckle and piercing committed to his memory. He reaches up and caresses the other man's cheek and Josh leans into his touch placing a gentle kiss on the inside of Tyler's palm.
'I don't know how you've put up with me and my crazy all these years.' Tyler says quietly as he continues to search Josh's eyes for a hint of annoyance but he found none, he never did.
A slow smile creeps onto Josh's face at the worried look on the singers face. After 15 years you'd think that Tyler would have gotten the picture that Josh wasn't going anywhere but he never minded reassuring him.
'When have I ever complained about making sure a show is perfect? This is how we work and it's not let us down so far so I will continue to 'put up with your crazy' until there are no shows left to play, okay?' Josh replied, grabbing the other man's hands and holding them to his chest.
'I think the set list is great. I think the new songs are perfectly placed and I can't wait to play another show with you.' he continues as he pulls Tyler into him and places a kiss on top of his soft brown hair.
Tyler sags into Josh's chest as he lets himself be held by his best friend, his drummer and the love of his life. It hasn't always been easy being in love with his bandmate having to hide it away from the fans and the media but it has always been easy when it's just the two of them. The good far out weighed the bad when it came to their relationship. It got easier to navigate as they got older and settled into a comfortable rhythm of working together both in front of the public eye and away from it.
Tyler feels Josh gently peppering his head with more kisses which forms a happy bloom across his chest.
'Are we done here? I'm not rushing you but if we are can we order food I'm starving.' he hears Josh mumble into his hair.
Tyler pulls back and kisses the tip of Josh's nose, takes one last look over the set list and shuts the laptop. 'Yes we're done, let's eat.'
-
Josh finds himself full of restless energy and excitement the night before rehearsals start. Tomorrow they'll put their plan in motion for the show. There's nothing that Josh Dun loves more in this world than performing on stage with Tyler in their band. Too late in the night to expel some of the energy drumming so he opts to go for a quick run on the treadmill before at least attempting to get some sleep. Grabbing water from the fridge and a towel he makes his way down to the gym and gets himself set up.
The next hurdle is music but Josh isn't quite sure what he's in the mood for. He scrolls quickly through his playlists but nothing is catching his eye, his usual gym playlist? No, too energetic. Pre pre-show playlist, too heavy. The drummer groans and sends the playlists scrolling fast on his phone screen until it lands on one titled 'on the road 2014'.
'I suppose this is as good as any.' he says to himself as he hits play and starts his workout.
The nostalgia waves over Josh with each passing song. Until he's transported back in time to 2014 when he and Tyler had made the playlist. They had had a busy year planned and they'd been spending as much time as they could together at home before they had to head out on the road. Being on the road back then was so different. The whole crew plus the two of them all in one tour bus crammed in bunks and sofas. Not like now when they afforded themselves hotels, comfort and more importantly privacy. It wasn't that he missed that it was more that he could picture it so clearly like it was yesterday despite being 12 years ago.
Each song's lyrics rotated through his mind as his feet hit the treadmill with the beat. Every one hand picked by a 25 year old Tyler and Josh. Josh closes his eyes and vividly recalls their younger selves. He'd had green hair back then and Tyler had the same mop of brown hair but he always wore fluffed up on the top. A warm contentment settles over Josh's chest at the memory of a younger Tyler. He'd loved that boy much as he loved him now but it was newer, fresher. Now there was a calm comfortable understanding of shared love that had culminated over years of friendship and working together. It was a little messier then, loving Tyler, often reduced to rushed moments between shows, brief touches on stage or stolen glances and cheeky grins.
A chuckle escapes Josh remembering their on stage antics. Of course they'd still kept up the silly bits on stage but they were more reserved now. Well he was, he thought to himself, sometimes there was no telling what Tyler would get up to even now. But they always managed to make a moment just for them, choreography that brought them closer together, something secret hidden within the set. The fans could guess and they often did but it didn't really matter and Tyler always delighted in showing him the theories and freak outs online afterwards.
Josh stays wrapped in memories for the rest of the treadmill cycle. By the time he was finished the anticipation for tomorrow's rehearsals had only grown but he knew if he wanted to be on his best form it was time to give in. He takes out his phone and pins the playlist to the top of his music and hits the shower.
When he's done he pads quietly into the bedroom still drying his curls with a towel and his eyes fall on a sleeping Tyler nestled under the covers. He stops for a moment to take the sleeping man in. It was still the same Tyler, his Tyler, just a few more lines on his face and the edges of his hair beginning to grey. Tyler stirs slightly and turns to face Josh through blurry eyes and still half asleep he surveys the man standing in front of him still a little damp from a shower clad only in his boxers.
‘Hey’. Tyler murmurs with an edge of flirtiness to his tone as he forces his eyes into focus.
‘Hey’ Josh whispers back with a lop sided grin knowing all too well of the other man's intentions. He gently climbs in beside him. ‘Come here’ he opens an arm up to allow Tyler to curl into his side. Tyler obliges, running his hand over Josh's bare torso, feeling each ripple of muscle strong under his palm before lazily flopping his arm over his chest. Pressing kisses into the side of his chest before resting his head on Josh's chest battling his heavy eyelids.
‘Go back to sleep Ty, big day tomorrow’ a grinning Josh whispers again but his efforts are for nothing as he can already hear Tyler's breathing level out as he falls back to sleep. Josh lays his head back and closes his eyes with one arm tucked behind his head and one arm tucked over his already sleeping singer and drifts off to sleep.
-
February 2014
They were due to start their own European tour in a few days. They'd not long returned home from supporting a tour in Australia and a few shows closer to home before having a week off to themselves. Their calendar for the year was busting at the seams with shows, festivals and support slots. But for now they have a few days of calm to relax together before the whirlwind starts again.
Tyler nibbles on his bottom lip absently as he flicks through his music library while sprawled out face down on the bed. His tour bus playlist needed a refresh before the next leg and as with every decision Tyler makes it needed to be perfect. He hears movement behind him and turns to face Josh leant against the door frame watching him with a smile on his face.
‘What are you working on?’ Josh asks, pushing himself off the door frame and moving towards Tyler.
‘Just the new bus playlist. I'm getting bored of the old one and new year new playlist and all that.’ the singer responds, throwing a giant grin at his best friend. ‘You got any suggestions?’
‘Move up let me see’ Josh says, shuffling Tyler up to fit in next to him. ‘What do you have already?’
‘Hmm I've got a couple of GROUPLOVE songs, Capital Cities new song and some Death Cab. Obviously.’ Tyler responds, turning the screen to show Josh.
‘Obviously.’ Josh affirms, he quickly takes the phone and types in a song and adds it to the playlist before handing it back over.
‘You Got Me by the Generationals?’ Tyler grins, a giddy flush blooming over his cheeks.
‘Yeah makes me think of you every time I hear it’ Josh responds bashfully.
Tyler pushes Josh over onto his back before launching himself on top of him. Laughter escapes both of them as Josh tries to wriggle free underneath a gleeful Tyler who resists Josh's protests.
‘So you do like me.’ Tyler teases.
‘Of course I like you, Tyler, I love you in fact.’ Josh says between laughs.
‘Oh!’ Tyler responds in fake surprise, ‘Well that's good then because I love you too.’ he presses a quick kiss to the other man's lips.
‘That works out well doesn’t it’ Josh says staring up at Tyler taking him all in, eyes darting over the younger man's face.
‘What are you looking at me like that for?’ Tyler giggles out.
‘I’m just making sure I remember this for when we're apart later, stop wiggling, I want to see your pretty face.’ Josh says, still smiling as he reaches up to hold Tyler's arms, urging him still.
A fresh blush appears over Tyler's cheeks as he lets himself be stared at. He stares back at Josh trying not to think about how little time they'd get to spend together like this once they were back out on the road. The thought threatens to dampen the mood so he springs back into action and starts resisting being stilled.
‘Okay, okay you can stop now, you see me everyday Josh.’ Tyler says still with a teasing edge to his voice breaking free of Josh's light hold.
‘It's not my fault you're so beautiful I can't help it.’ Josh says, pushing a stray lock of hair from Tyler’s forehead. He throws the other man a wink and grabs Tyler's phone to look back at the music. ‘Which ones for me then?’
‘You’re the worst’, Tyler retorts in mock annoyance. He leans forward to see the screen and points to a song. ‘This one actually.’
‘Safe and Sound by Capital Cities? I'll take it.’ Josh says, smiling up at Tyler once again. He pauses for a minute and adds ‘If this one is for me and this one for you we need one for both of us’
‘We do.’ Tyler agrees, draping himself down on Josh's body. Josh wraps his arm around Tyler angling the phone so both of them could see the screen.
‘What about this?’ Tyler reaches over and pushes play on Stolen Dance by Milky Chance. They lay wrapped in each other listening to the song until it finishes.
‘I like the beat but isn't it kind of sad lyric wise?’ Josh pouts looking over at Tyler.
‘It’s not sad he's saying he wants the person despite it all and the time they're apart.’ Tyler says. ‘Like when we're on tour and we can't be together like this, I'll always want you even when I can't have you.’
It's Josh's turn to feel the pang of sadness of having to be apart so much once they're launched back into shows. Performing together was the joy of his life and Tyler's. They were doing what they always dreamed of. There were no regrets for the life they had chosen together but it was not without a few drawbacks. They'd chosen to keep their relationship between them once they'd signed to a label so the focus was solely on their music which is what it and they deserved. And with that it meant maintaining a certain distance out in public. Not that they were very good at it, Josh thought to himself.
He decided to not linger on it and instead flips himself and Tyler over so he's now caging the singer below him. He dips down and connects their lips in a slow deep kiss.
‘Maybe I'll just keep you here like this forever instead.’ Josh teases looking down into Tyler's big brown eyes.
‘But you'd never see me dance on stage again.’ Tyler responds, narrowing his eyes at Josh watching him ponder over the implications.
‘In that case I suppose I'll have to let you go because I'll never deprive myself of seeing you move like that.’ he retorts in all seriousness.
With that Josh springs from the bed and holds one hand out to Tyler and resumes the playlist on Tyler's phone.
‘May I steal this dance Mr Joseph?’ Josh asks, bowing down with an air of exaggerated theatrics.
‘You can steal all my dances Mr Dun.’ Tyler says grinning, joining Josh on the ‘dance floor’.
They dance around to the music laughing and stealing kisses when they pass closely a mess of failing limbs and jumps before collapsing into each other out of breath and delirious. They pause for a few minutes to catch their breaths in quiet comfort as the music continues to play on around them.
Josh grabs Tyler's hand and twirls him around under his arm and grabs his waist from behind when their bodies meet shuffling Tyler towards the door.
‘Where are we going?’ A still giddy Tyler questions.
‘Well I have all your dances and now I want all your Mario Kart games too. Let's go.’ Josh says.
‘Okay, okay but be prepared to get beaten on that front too!’ Tyler teases and sprints off into the sitting room with Josh still close behind.