The Forest Fic

1

"The rain," Tyler says.

Josh nods, slowly.

"It's like..." Tyler pauses, searching for the word.

"Crisper," Josh says.

"Exactly," Tyler says, nodding.

"Almost like..." Josh frowns, "red? Maybe?"

"Mostly," Tyler says. "With a hint of orange."

"Orange, right." Josh points at Tyler. "That's right. I keep forgetting that one."

"A lot of things are orange, though," Tyler says, frowning.

"Not where I'm from," Josh says darkly. "Everything's just blue-black there."

Tyler winces. "I can't even imagine that."

"Don't," Josh says firmly. He shakes his head. "Don't even try."

Tyler shudders a little. "Believe me, I don't want to."

Josh nods. "Good." He sits up straighter suddenly, cocking his head.

"My mom coming?" Tyler asks. Josh nods, standing up.

"Keep it short, yeah?" Josh asks as he closes the closet door.

"Okay," Tyler replies to the now-empty room.

There's a soft tap on the door before his mom pokes her head in.

"What are you doing, Tyler?" Tyler's mom asks, looking in.

"Talking to Josh," Tyler tells her. He immediately regrets saying anything.

"Tyler," his mom says, sighing. "Josh isn't real, remember? We've been over this before."

"Right, Mom," Tyler says, nodding. "I'm sorry."

"Tyler, I..." His mom pauses, looking unsure. "Don't apologize, okay? It's just that Josh doesn't exist."

"Okay," Tyler tells her, waiting for her to leave so Josh can come back.

His mom looks at him, something yellow-blue-red in her eyes. He forgets what other people call it. Josh would know.

"Tyler, you have an appointment tomorrow, remember?" Tyler's mom says. "With Dr. Paulson."

Dr. Paulson has lots of markers, a checkerboard, and a liberal use of a drawer full of candy so Tyler won't tell anyone about the one time everything tasted like metal and soap and magenta dipped in candle wax.

"Okay," Tyler says, nodding.

His mom bites her lip. "All right, Tyler," she says. "Remember to eat, okay?"

"Okay," Tyler echoes, and she closes the door.

Josh immediately opens the closet door.

"Dr. Paulson," he says with a tone of distaste.

"Why don't you like him?" Tyler asks as he watches Josh settle himself on Tyler's bookshelf.

"He sounds so..." Josh bites his lip, searching for the words. "I would say purple-green, but I'm missing something, aren't I?"

"Pink," Tyler says immediately.

"Right, right," Josh says. He makes a face. "I don't like it when you go there."

"Would you rather I go back to Dr. Craig?" Tyler offers.

Josh recoils the best he can while perched precariously on a bookshelf.

"No!" Josh exclaims. "No, no, never!"

"I was kidding," Tyler says as he sprawls back onto his bed.

"Some joke," Josh mutters, sounding irritated. "Don't kid about that, okay?"

"Okay," Tyler says, suddenly reminded by his conversations with his mother. The sound of butter being spread on toast, bland, and purple-red acceptance.

"No, really," Josh says, hopping off the bookshelf so he can grab Tyler's hand. "Don't joke about that. That was... bad."

"It was," Tyler allows, and Josh presses his lips to Tyler's hand.

"Please don't joke about that, Tyler," Josh murmurs.

And Tyler is so charmed by the way Josh's mouth forms his name that he agrees automatically.