Page 55 of Just Joshing
There was an uneasy silence as we watched each other.
"How old were you? Do you remember?"
"Fourteen. Or fifteen. I don’t know." He ran a hand through his hair, looking away.
"No… I mean… when you… I… Do you still feel like that?" I stuttered, watching him flinch.
He looked over at me, crooked smile in place. "Don't worry, Pecas. I haven’t spent the past fifteen years pining for you."
We were both silent for a moment.
I tilted my head, giving him a crooked smile. "You were my first kiss, you know?"
He grinned, "Oh, I know."
I gestured at the screen, "captured in technicolor brilliance."
"It was a killer first kiss."
I laughed. "True."
We continued the staring contest.
"You love me now?" I whispered.
"Maybe." His lips quirked up at the corners, and I easily read the truth on his face.
"How long?"
He hummed, "A while."
"How long?"
"Long."
"How long is long?"
"Long, long."
I poked him in the gut. "Joshua."
He captured my hand, raising it to his mouth and pressing a kiss to my palm as he whispered my name, "Maleficent."
"Please?"
He sighed, running a hand over his face. "You were three. You handed me your favorite toy and said you loved Oshie."
I blinked. "I… what?"
"I was your Oshie. From the day you could speak."
I remembered that, vaguely. The nickname anyway, not the handing over of toys.
"You loved me from the time I was a toddler?"
He shrugged. "You were adorable and looked at me like I hung the moon." He glanced away, letting out a frustrated sigh. "And then you started looking at Pete like he was the source of everything you loved." He looked back over, a small smile on his lips. "But you always looked at me like I could do anything."
"You can," I truly believed that. "What you’ve achieved? All that you are? Sure, Sam is there too, but he wouldn’t have done half as well without you. You’re driven, determined, focused. You're amazing, Josh." I bit my lip. "And knowing all that, I don't understand why you waited so long."
