Please Love Me (Climbing class/Josh x Chris)

3 Years Ago

"Oh fuck you!" 15 year old Chris laughed as the stuffed animal Josh had so cleverly caught in a prize claw dropped down the chute. They had gone to get ice cream but the place they went to had newly installed a few machines that you could play on. Before getting their ice cream, Chris told Josh that he had seen a black bird plushy he thought was really cute. Being careful to save enough money for ice cream, Chris repeated failed to get said plushy. Ironically, Josh gave it a try and got it first go. "I call hacks," Chris chuckled as Josh took the bird from the opening in the machine. "It's not my fault you suck," Josh teased. Chris pretended to look offended. Which didn't last for long. "Here you go cochise," Josh smiled, handing the plushy to his best friend. Chris's eyes lit up. "Wait, really?" He asked, taking it in his hands. "Yeah. You've always seemed to have a fascination with birds and I'm not really interested in them," he replied. "Thanks Josh!" Chris grinned, giving him a hug. Fortunately, he didn't notice the light blush on the shorter's face. "N-no problem," He stuttered. "Now let's get some ice cream, shall we?" he asked, regaining his composure as Chris let go. "Alright. What are you getting?" Chris answered, walking with him to the counter. "Chocolate, obviously," Josh scoffed lightly, pretending to be hurt that Chris didn't know. "I knew that already. Stop being such a drama queen!" Chris laughed. Josh chuckled lightly. "Well how about we stop arguing like a married couple and actually get some ice cream?" He said. "Alrighty," Chris agreed, taking out his money.

-About an Hour Later-

"Oh come on!" Josh groaned as he watched his game character die after falling into a pit of spiders. Before she and Hannah left for New York to visit their relatives, Beth had given him a platformer game called Sticky where you had to get your little slime mutant through a maze of puzzles and different monsters. Because it allowed multiplayer, Josh had asked Chris if he wanted to go over to his house and play it. Chris being the nerd that he is, agreed. "You had to run and sprint to avoid that you dummy," Chris mumbled, already close to the end. After a few attempts later, Josh finally made it over the pit. To find himself face to face with a weird caterpillar thing that pushed him back in. "God shit," Josh sighed. "Hurry up, I'm already at the end you doofus," Chris laughed. "Alright then, if your so smart, you do it!" Josh said, shoving the controller into the younger's hand. "Gonna be better than watching you struggle for nine hours," he teased. After a few more levels, Chris's mom called him and said that he had to come home. "I'll see you later Josh!" Chris smiled as he waved, running down the street. They lived fairly close to each other and usually never had to ask if they wanted to go to each other's houses. "Bye!" Josh yelled after him, closing the door. "Thank god he's left..." Josh murmured to himself as he walked upstairs to his bedroom. Not that he hated Chris, that wasn't the case at all. He actually had quite the crush on the taller blonde, ever since third grade. Chris and Josh were actually a bit of a thing back then. They weren't boyfriends, not by a long shot. But they did give each other hugs and cheek kisses. Unfortunately, that had ended after a few years. Mostly because Chris had fallen for Ashley, who they had met in 6th grade. Josh, who still had feelings for Chris, got jealous but decided to live with it. The massive dork still has a crush on him but he's been to shy to say so. As soon as he got to his room, he heard laughing. "Hiya Joshy! Have a fun time today?" A shadowy black figure with wings asked, smiling with glowing white eyes and teeth. "Hey Stephen," Josh greeted his hallucination. He was schizophrenic and random shadow figures always popped up (as well as a few graphic scenes such as blood and gore). Stephen was a regular though and unlike most of them, he could speak and was actually really nice. "I guess you could say that," Josh sighed, lying flat on his bed. "What's wrong?" Stephen asked. "Nothing. Just a bunch of things going through my mind right now," He vaguely explained. "Alrighty then... Say, Chris came over today right? Did ya tell him?" The black angel smiled. "Nope. We just hung out," Chris replied. "Ah cmon, you've been crushing on him for years! Just tell him!" Stephen persisted. "It's not that easy Steph..." Josh mumbled. "Well, are you going to go to sleep today?" Stephen asked. "Doubt it," Joh said unhappily. "Aw cheer up Joshy! Are you by yourself tonight?" Stephen asked, wings flapping ever so slightly. "Yup. Mom and dad are making some movie in India or something. They won't be back for a couple months. Hannah and Beth are in New York visiting some relatives I don't know," The 14 year old explained. "Ok. I'll stay with you tonight and try to keep the nightmares away. Just promise me you'll try to go to sleep?" Stephen asked. ".....Alright," Was Josh's hesitant response. "Yaaaay! Thanks Joshy!" Stephen smiled, giving the human a hug. Josh smiled a little bit and hugged back. Stephen's presence always made him feel alright, knowing that somehow, if he was in the room, he wouldn't have as many night terrors as he usually did. "Well I'm going to get something to eat from the kitchen. You coming?" Josh asked, standing up. The shadow nodded. Josh made his way down, Stephen flying above him. He always found it amusing to watch him do tricks in the air. As he walked into the kitchen, he got a text. Curious, he opened his phone to find out it was Hannah.

Hannahdigo: Hi Josh! Are you holding up alright? -message sent at 7:51-

Josh chuckled at the nick name he had given his sister, based on one of her favorite horror movies that had these things called wendigos. He replied.

Pretty good. I'm downstairs with Stephen. -message sent at 7:52-

Hannahdigo: Ok. Remember to call me or Beth if something goes wrong alright? -message sent at 7:52-

Mkay Love you. -message sent at 7:52-

Hannahdigo: Love you too! :D -message sent at 7:53-

Josh turned his phone off and slipped it in his pocket. Now was the time to see what there was to eat.

-

FIRST CHAPTER, AW YE.