bambi 🦌 tysh

two

"wait!!" tyler shouts, following the boy quickly. his steps don't seem short of enthusiastic, his heart racing. his head running marathons of questions and curiosity.

the small boy turns suddenly, his little pail dropped in the dirt is the first thing he sees. slowly, he walks to pick it up. he seems to calm himself, and takes a few deep breaths.

"what's your name?" tyler mumbles his question, worried he'll run again.

"wh-why?" the boy questions. he shudders, scared. the brunette moves carefully closer, reaching out to him.

"it's okay," tyler continues, "my name is tyler, if it makes you feel safer. i'm sixteen, and i have a friend named brendon."

he seems relieved, but only slightly. he puts his hand as if to high five the other. tyler tilts his head in confusion at the boy's strange movements.

"no, silly, hand hug. not high five." when tyler doesn't move, josh sighs and grabs his hand.

he wraps their pinkies and thumbs together. "hand hug," he repeats.

"i'm josh," tyler smiles a little.

▪▪▪

"dude, there was not a person there," brendon mocks. the other rolls his eyes.

"b, i saw him! i talked with him!" tyler tries to reason.
"mhm, sure" the raven haired boy says sarcastically.

"wanna smoke a cig?"

the two boys go out to the courtyard, like always, they never get caught. the school is afraid of them. they have a bad history.

his fingertips reach his face with a candied cancerous stick. he inhales.
"when was the last time you smiled? not gonna lie you look like shit, man."

tyler shrugs, "when i'm with him." he makes a pity smile for himself. "i've only seen him once but, b, he's magical."

brendon pulls back a little bit, "are you gay?" the question comes out harshly.

"a little," he takes a drag, "just for him."

"what kind of fairy tale bullshit-"

"b." tyler stomps his cigarette. sometimes brendon forgets he can be a little too harsh.

"i'm sorry tyler."

"whatever, let's get out of here."

▪▪▪

tyler enters the small white cottage. he smiles to himself, thinking of josh. it's early, too early for him, and he's tired. it's about six in the morning.

"tyler!! hi!!" the boy exclaims, enthused. he bounced into the room tyler was in as soon as he heard his footsteps.

"hi josh!!" he tries to sound just as enthusiastic, but falls short of a yawn.

"i was just gonna go water my tulips, wanna come!!?" josh's warm smile could nurture all the flowers in the world. there's a reason he's so excited, no one has probably talked to him in years. they all make jokes about his old house.

"hell yes!"

"ah, no-no word, mister tyler!"

"er, sorry uh- heck-uh- heck yes!"

"better," josh's grin widens if even more possible. they go to the backyard and the little bluebird is not seen yet. the flowers and herbs are flourishing.

"where's your lil bluebird friend, joshie?"

josh ponders for a second, "it's time for her to eat! she's probably getting ready to get the early grub!"

the brunette smiles, just ever so slightly, "you're so adorable." the boy develops rose colored cheeks, and holds his hands to touch them.

"you've made them warm; my cheeks."

"that's called blushing, joshie boy." tyler smiles fully, feeling close to him. he's so innocent.

"you make me blush a lot, mister tyler," josh smiles, rolls his eyes, and continues watering his garden.

a little squeak of a noise is heard. a little blue bird comes down from the sky.

"blue bird!! hello friend!! meet my new friend, tyler!!"

the boy's strange enthusiasm and energy is contagious. "hello blue bird!" tyler says, and if he's crazy, the bird squawks at him.

"come here!" josh grabs his hand and drags him to his house.

their steps exceed the creaking wooden stairs. "woah!" tyler almost falls.

"this is my room! do you like it?!" the room is pink, it has patterns of crowns and fairies. "it was my baby sister's," he sighs, "that's why its so- its so, girly. if you- if you were wondering."

there's a small pink desk, it has a picture frame with a few people and a younger josh. beside it is flowers, violets. tyler grabs one, without breaking it, and puts it behind the boy's ear.

he touches it, smiles weakly, and looks at the brunette. "thank you for not breaking it." the water droplets slither down josh's neck, and it causes him to shiver.

"hug?"

tyler smiles, "okay."

he isn't one for hugs, or showing affection, but he decides to hug the boy. seeing him sad makes tyler sad.

"what do you do for fun around here? play games?"

"what's a game?" josh asks, seriously. tyler's jaw drops.

"you haven't even heard of leapfrog?" he shakes his head. "scrabble? pictionary? monopoly? hopscotch?"

he is disappointed at the reaction. "we're playing leapfrog, come here, outside."

tyler demonstrates the rules for leapfrog, "ready?"

"what if i break you?"

the duo laugh, "you won't," tyler says. "you're perfect, c'mon."

"you're silly!"

he stops, "how am i silly?" josh ponders, "you wear darkness! you come here! silly boy!"

"i have many things to show you," tyler laughs.

▪▪▪

"do you wanna come with me sometime?" he asks. brendon scoffs, ever since he's been there it's all the boy can talk about. it's been about a month.

their shoes skid across the concrete sidewalk in a ignorance. "bro, are you two dating?"

"no- no!" he is quick to defence.

"he's all you eber talk about, i guess i better see him. but if he's just your imagination, i'm calling the ward."

tyler shudders; they're on their way.