S L O W T O W N

Teasing Tyler

Josh was curled up on himself with a pillow clutched to his chest, eyes glued to the TV screen as some sappy romance played across, Tyler on the other side of the couch, not focused on the movie at all, instead he was staring at his own feet, picking his nails, with a quick glance to Josh every once in awhile.

Eventually Josh grew tired of the staring game Tyler seemed to want to play, and with a stretch he let himself shift comfortably.

"What's up?" He looks over to Tyler who is still infatuated with his nails, but now awkward under Josh's hold.

"Nothing," Tyler's eyes lock with Josh's and again, Josh feels quite uncomfortable in his gaze, something not quiet right about it as his burning brown eyes scorched him with no emotion.

"You keep giving me these looks I just wanna know if you're okay,"

"I just, can't believe that you're real," Tyler sighs and Josh scrunches his face in confusion. "Like a really real person is actually wanting to spend time with me,"

"Tyler I'm not real?" Josh tilts his head slightly, face still confused. Tyler stops.

"...what?" He's just a little above silence when he questions Josh.

"I'm not real," Josh states again and Tyler begins to feel sick. Had he really become so lonely he had to imagine someone to make him less? Was Josh really not there?

His world started to feel a little dizzy and Tyler let his legs drop to the floor, now completely uninterested in his hands.

"Don't say that don't be stupid," Tyler stutters until he hears Josh laugh.

"It's a joke Tyler, of course I'm real," Josh giggles but Tyler does not.

"Some joke," he scoffs softly and folds his arms as angrily as he can.

"Oh shut up Ty!" Josh reaches over to push Tyler but as his hand nears, Tyler goes to slap it away. Josh instead grabs ahold of Tyler's shirt and pulls him across the lounge in one swift blow, tucking him under his arm like a bundle of sticks.

"What are you doing?" Tyler spits quickly, stiff and unsure. Josh pulls him a bit closer and closes his arm around Tyler's shoulders.

"If I'm not real, you wouldn't be able to cuddle me,"

"Oh," Tyler relaxes a bit, adjusting to snuggle up into Josh's side, one hand gripping the front of his shirt as tight as he can. He feels soft fingers run up and down his bicep, sometimes moving up the side of his neck to gently tug on Tyler's earlobe, sending shivers throughout his skin.

"You'll really like the city I promise, I'll look after you," Josh firmly commits his proposal with a soft squeeze on Tyler. Tyler just snuggles closer, his head now on Josh's chest, a soft thumping of a heartbeat in his ear.

"I had this dream, that some foreign space creature took me away to a place with bright lights that was so calming," Tyler starts after a long silence. "Maybe that was you," Tyler looks up to Josh, not pulling back but noticing how close his face was.

"Maybe," Josh replied, looking down to Tyler, noticing the soft pink splotches forming over his cheeks. Tyler's lips part slightly as his eyes wander down Josh's features and stop at his mouth.

He pulls back abruptly and curls into his old position on the other side of the lounge, face embarrassingly hot, he hides it behind the pillow he stole from Josh's lap.

Josh takes a moment to stare in confusion at Tyler, but not daring to ask what was wrong, so he focuses on the TV again, and tries to remain calm.