teeth ↣ joshler ✓

39. Choice

"Okay," Josh replied quietly.

Tyler leaned in and kissed Josh so gently and so delicately that it filled his whole body with butterflies. He grabbed Josh's hands and intertwined their fingers together to form a sort of unity between them.

Josh let Tyler trail soft kisses down his jaw and by his ears before making his way down to his neck. Josh's grip on Tyler's hand tightened when he felt fangs sharply pierce his neck.

He tried to ignore the way Tyler sucked on it. It felt almost predatory despite the way he was using his other hand to supportively rub Josh's thigh.

Just when Josh thought he was going to pass out, Tyler pulled back and wiped his mouth. Josh watched his fangs retract. "I put the venom in when I pierced the skin. That's what Rylee said to do. I can't heal it or else the venom will just try to fight it and it'll hurt worse. The holes will close up on their own."

Josh nodded weakly. "I don't feel good," he blinked.

"Yeah," Tyler replied sadly. "You're gonna drift off in a few minutes."

Tyler situated then both so they were laying down and Tyler had his arms wrapped protectively around Josh.

"I love you," Josh mumbled out.

Tyler pressed a kiss to his head. "I hope you don't hate me."

"Could never. Mmm my choice;" Josh managed to add. That was the last thing he remembered before he fell asleep.

---

When Josh woke up again, Tyler was still laying with him. He blinked his eyes open and saw it was nearing 11. He had been asleep for three hours.

A moment later, however, nausea completely overcame him and he instantly jumped out of bed, running to the bathroom.

He barely got the toilet seat up before he was puking into it, emptying everything he had for dinner.

He felt a hand gently rubbing his back and knew it was Tyler.

"Fuck," Josh spoke once he was done, spitting one last time into the bowl. "Making fun of Jordan was shitty. That's the worst I've ever thrown up."

"Yeah," Tyler ran his other hand through Josh's hair. "It's just gonna last all night."

Josh groaned and went back to excessively puking.

It took him ten minutes before he could even get up and Tyler had to help him back to his room.

When he got back in, he noticed everyone was in there waiting for him. Jenna gently felt his forehead with the back of her hand and gave him a sad look. "Hey, tiger," she greeted.

Josh couldn't reply because he thought if he opened his mouth again he'd puke again so he just tried a weak smile.

"Do you regret this at all?" Tyler asked quietly, anxiously searching Josh's face for any newfound hatred towards him.

Josh shook his head. "No," he managed to get out, offering him a weak smile as well. "It'll be worth it."

He knew he talked too much when his stomach lurched again and he had to run back into the bathroom.

---

Eventually, Josh got to the point where he stopped throwing up but that wasn't until almost six in the morning.

Rylee, Jenna, and Tyler had all gotten the okay to stay the night, the first two having parents who knew the situation. Tyler's parents just figured he was spending the night with his boyfriend. Josh was grateful to have their support, even Rylee's.

Jordan stepped up and even sat with Josh when Tyler and Jenna eventually had to leave to go feed.

But now Tyler was laying with Josh again, all the blankets in the house on him as he shivered. "This fucking sucks ," he spoke, his teeth chattering. "My body feels like I set it on fire but it's all inside."

"Yeah. That's the venom, baby," Tyler spoke. "I told you. Not fun."

Jordan stuck a thermometer into Josh's mouth, taking it out when it beeped a few moments later. "82 degrees. It's still dropping."

Tyler kissed Josh's forehead. Josh, however, cold and in pain and annoyed, pushed him away and pulled the top blanket up further. He ignored to look of hurt on Tyler's face as a surge of pain went through his body.

"You were the same way, Ty," Jenna spoke. "He's not upset," she added reassuringly.

Josh let out a pained groan. "Fuck!"

"What can I do to help?" Tyler asked in a panicked voice.

"Nothing!" Josh spoke through clenched teeth as another wave of pain hit.

"That was probably your pancreas giving out," Jordan spoke. "The venom's in your abdomen."

"Thanks, Captain Obvious," Josh shot back.

He was once again too busy shivering but simultaneously being in immense pain to see how bothered Tyler looked.

He heard a sniffle and saw Jenna reach her hand out. "C'mon, Ty. Let's go talk in the hallway."

Josh felt Tyler get out of his bed and leave the room.

Josh wanted to say something but he was hit with a sudden wave of exhaustion and before he knew it he was out again.

---

It was Sunday night when Josh woke up again. He heard conversation but as soon as he began to stir it abruptly stopped.

He sat up and let out a yawn, running a hand through his dark curls as he looked around, disoriented.

He was about to say something when he realized he could hear his own heart beating. Suddenly, it just stopped. There was nothing.

"Oh my God," Josh's eyes widened as he looked at everyone. "I felt it."

The shock continued when he realized the top and bottom canines in his teeth were sharpened. He felt them with his tongue curiously, noticing how sharp they were.

Jordan grinned at him. "Welcome to the Dead Teenagers Club."