Chapter Text
Josh met Tyler during the summer before his last year of high school. Well, it wasn’t really the first time he’d seen him, of course, because Tyler was the most popular person to walk through the corridors of that school. Josh was, precisely, the exact opposite. Everyone knew who Tyler was, but Josh? He wasn’t exactly big news. You could mention the name ‘Josh Dun’ to most people in his year and they’d ask who he was, that’s how unknown he was. That’s why Tyler Joseph didn’t recognise him after he had thrown a basketball at him.
It was the middle of June when the incident happened. Josh usually wasn’t one for visiting parks, especially ones packed with people sunbathing and basking in the summer heat. His parents has forced him to go outside, really, because apparently he wasn’t being healthy by staying inside in 93 degree heat. They made him wear shorts too, because jeans would “give him heat stroke” and “make him pass out” if he went out wearing them. So he listened, naturally, and to the park he went wearing shorts and a tank top that showed off his pale arms.
That’s when it hit him. Literally.
Walking along, as you do, he took in the sights and sounds of the park. The birds, the barbeques, the chit chat of people commenting on the weather. He was knocked right off his feet by the ball, and it took him a while to realise that the boy Josh almost feared was standing over him with a hand extended, offering him help.
“Shit, dude, I am so sorry,” Tyler helped Josh back to his feet and left his ball to apologise. “I was aiming for the tree, there’s a hoop up there, I don’t know why I didn’t check- anyway.” He took a breath before smiling.
Josh was pretty speechless. With no friends around, he didn’t seem so intimidating. His eyes were a warm brown that reminded Josh of autumn and hot chocolate, with bonfires and oversized sweaters, the sun setting early and longer nights. He was still afraid to talk to him, regardless, but he couldn’t help but realise how friendly his features seemed when he wasn’t surrounded by even more unnerving people.
“Can I get your name?”
Josh’s heart stopped for a split second. He never usually cared for the popular crowds, but something’s up when Tyler Joseph asks for your name. He clearly had no idea that Josh went to his school, or maybe Josh was doing a pretty decent job at pretending not to know who he was.
“Josh. Josh Dun.” Josh took his hand away from his head to look at Tyler again. “And yours?”
Tyler cocked his head for a second. Okay, maybe Josh wasn’t doing too great a job at pretending he didn’t know who Tyler was. He must’ve expected him to know, with the way he was looking at Josh.
“I- Tyler. My name’s Tyler. You’re not from around here?” He let out a nervous laugh, rubbing his jaw.
Josh let his shoulders rise and fall, biting his cheeks and praying Tyler wouldn’t by any chance recognise him. Tyler nodded and apologised again for hitting Josh with the ball, which Josh assured him was fine and he’d get over it. Tyler peered at the watch on his wrist and bit his lip for a second.
“You wouldn’t want to hang out for a while? As long as you’re not an old man that looks like a eighteen year old boy, right?” He threw the basketball at the tree again, hitting the old hoop that’d been screwed into the tree. It bounced along the grass. “I mean, you don’t have to, just all my friends are all either on vacation or getting ready for a party tonight, I guess.”
“Not usually one for hanging out with strangers who hit me in the head with basketballs, but I think I’m free for a couple hours.”
Tyler ushered for him to sit on the grass, and they talked about each other for a little while, Tyler talked about the area he lived in, oblivious to the fact Josh has been also living there for eighteen years. He talked about basketball, and it surprised Josh that he didn’t even mention that he was the most known teenager in the whole school and neighbourhood, and that not many people around the area didn’t know who he was. Then he looked to Josh and flashed him a million dollar Tyler Joseph™ smile.
“Tell me more about you, Josh Dun.”