JOSH DUN VS THE WORLD ✓

CHAPTER TWELVE: I FORGOT YOU DON'T HAVE THOSE IN CANADA

SAVING...

SAVING...

SAVING...

SAVING COMPLETE!

"Wait, you can't leave me hanging like that," Josh says, grabbing Tyler's arm. "You can't just say I died and block me out."

Tyler looks over his shoulder with a cool expression, mouth snarled. "If you had to tell your boyfriend he died and was reliving his life to just so he could get back together with you, you'd be a little apprehensive too."

Josh blanks on what to say in response to that.

He decides to stare at the ceiling, thinking about what Tyler said as he turns back around. There's no way he died. That's not possible. Most people that die stay dead. And he was pretty sure he would remember dying. People don't come back and relive their day to day like a video game character.

But it does explain why he feels like they've known each other for a lifetime.

"Wait a minute..." Josh shoots up in bed, a grin slowly growing across his face.

"What now?" Tyler groans, throwing a pillow at him with dangerously good accuracy.

"You called me your boyfriend."

He sits up beside Josh, glaring. "Jesus, dude, seriously? I wasn't taking about you. It was- okay, I was talking about you, but not you you. Like, other world you. A parallel dimension."

Josh stares at him. "A what."

"You know. One of those pocket worlds connected by the subspace highway." Tyler laughs. "I forgot you don't have those in Canada."

Josh, who has no clue what he's talking about but is just happy with the fact that he's not ignoring him, nuzzles Tyler's neck. He loves the way Tyler rests his chin on top of his head despite trying his effort to stay cryptic and distant. "If you really did date some alternate reality me, you need to prove it."

"Really?"

"Really."

Tyler groans loudly, Josh feeling the vibration in his throat. "Fine. Your full name is Joshua William Dun, your birthday is June 18th, your favorite movie is Rent, and you used to have blue hair. You actually dyed it yellow before you kicked the bucket."

His jaw drops, but he knows Tyler can't see it from that angle. "How the hell- nobody except for Hayley knows about the blue hair."

He feels Tyler smirk. "I told you."

"I'm still going to need more proof than that, but I believe you. So, if I'm not the same Josh that you know, does that mean you don't want to date this version of me?" He asks in a playful tone, tracing his fingers down his side.

"Of course I want to date you. Why else would I bring a total stranger who looks like my dead boyfriend from a different timeline home?"

His brows are furrowed and he's staring at something past Josh's face, almost reminiscing something that he can't have again. Josh almost believes that he died after seeing the sincere sadness in his eyes.

"I can feel a but coming," Josh says.

Tyler lets his head rest against Josh's chest. "But you're not him. He was different. He was awkward and overconfident and still dating that blue haired girl when we got together."

"Wait, I cheated on you?"

"Yeah. It was a dick move, but you ended up staying with her after everything happened. You still loved her after all, and you weren't ready to embrace your gayness yet. I don't blame you. I'm not a catch."

Josh scoffs. "Dude, I almost crapped my pants the first time I saw you. You're like, the second hottest person I've ever seen."

"Second?"

"Second only to me, of course."

Tyler rolls his eyes but combs his fingers through Josh's hair, his body easing into comfort. "I guess you made the right choice this time, breaking up with her first."

"I'm sorry." Josh means it, but Tyler doesn't look convinced. "About other me being a dick."

"Yeah, you were. Until my ex stabbed you in the chest with a giant flaming sword and made you explode into a bunch of nickels."

He can't tell if he's joking, but he assumes he's being serious. "Nickels? Not even quarters?"

Tyler smiles. "He would've said that too." He turns his body completely now and kisses Josh gingerly, fingers snaking around his neck.

Josh pulls him down to his level as Tyler relaxes from the kiss, turning so they're facing each other again. He sticks his leg between Josh's. "Is it too late to fall asleep?"

"Baby, it's never too late."