[for Josh] - backdated to early Jan.

[theirlawyer]

Ainsley had resolved to do one thing right and she could do many, many things properly, she just wanted to make sure this didn't crash and horribly, horribly burn before she even had a chance with things. This all meant that she had to talk to Josh and pray this didn't turn into some kind of fight, seeing as it apparently only ever took a spark to ignite them into a fire of bickering and shouting.

Which meant talking to Josh calmly.

If such a thing were possible. She took a deep breath and lightly knocked on his doorframe. "Josh?"

Comments

[playingstupid.livejournal.com]

"Mmmmm?" Josh looked up from the book he had been reading, half his mind still in the paragraph. He looked down again, stuck a bookmark in the page, and dropped the book on the bed beside him before swinging his legs over the edge of the bed.

He scrubbed a hand over his face. "Hey, Ains."

[playingtheenemy.livejournal.com]

She leaned in the door with a half-there smile. "Incredible," she observed dryly. "Josh Lyman is actually doing some reading. I almost feel bad now about interrupting." She made her way inside to sit on the bed, giving him a warm smile.

[playingstupid.livejournal.com]

"It's been known to happen." He smiled up at her, glad for the interruption. "What can I say, I'm a man of many interests."

He cocked his head forward to look sideways at her. "You're a welcome interruption, believe me."

[playingtheenemy.livejournal.com]

Okay, now she was going to feel bad, but definitely had to keep going, giving him her best smile. "I like to hear that," she admitted. "I wanted to talk. But not if you're busy or anything."

[playingstupid.livejournal.com]

Talk. This didn't sound like a good, casual, hanging out talk. It sounded like a Talk. Shit. He wracked his brain, trying to figure out what he'd done that would upset her, and came up blank. Double shit.

"Of course." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and turning his head to look at her. "Shoot."

[playingtheenemy.livejournal.com]

Ainsley was fidgeting with Josh's book, having taken it into her lap to just eye the content, because she still wanted to know everything. "Happy New Year, first," she offered warmly. "Did you enjoy the party?"

[playingstupid.livejournal.com]

Josh raised an eyebrow. Happy New Year first? Well, crap again. "Yes. There was booze, and friends, and new friends, and music. It was a party, Ains." He put his hand over hers on the cover of the book (American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic (http://www.amazon.com/American-Creation-Triumphs-Tragedies-Founding/dp/030726369X/ref=pd_sim_b_title_2)), and looked up at her, his brow furrowed. "Ains-- what's going on?"

[playingtheenemy.livejournal.com]

Ainsley didn't want this to go too badly, what with their friendship and the fact that she only had Josh and Toby from back home anymore. "I was thinking that maybe we should put us on hold for a little while."

[playingstupid.livejournal.com]

Josh stared at her for a moment. "Really." They hadn't been all that serious, in Josh's mind. Surely friends, with benefits here and there, and a few emotions thrown in the mix. Nothing... really serious. Really.

He pulled his hand back and fidgeted a little, picking at his fingers. "Any particular reason?" You think I'm gay as a maypole and think you're just a beard and I don't actually care about you or are attracted to you or some other lame. ass. excuse. He took a slow breath and tried to slow down his brain. Maybe it wasn't that. Maybe it wasn't all about that.

[playingtheenemy.livejournal.com]

Now this was the hard part, where she had to just suck it up and be a woman about it and if she was going to do this, there would be no tiptoeing. She was going to do it. "I've met a man," she said, searching Josh's face while she spoke. "And I owe it to him to give him a proper chance."

[playingstupid.livejournal.com]

"Oh." He raised his eyebrows sky-high. "A proper chance?" He nodded, leaning back a bit before rising to the bait. It wasn't really bait so much as that Josh couldn't resist. "And I don't get a proper chance?" He leaned forward, leaning on his elbows again, before closing his eyes and raising a hand to silence her. "No, Ains, sorry, that was harsh." He paused, looking down at his hands. "You deserve a proper chance, too." His voice was low and calm, and he was talking to his fingers now, not looking at the woman at his side.

[playingtheenemy.livejournal.com]

"I want to date him," she snapped at him, staring almost coolly, because he had fired the first shot at her and now she had to return it. At least, so she thought. "We're friends with an extra physical perk. He and I...it's new. It's very new, yet."

[playingstupid.livejournal.com]

Josh nodded quietly to himself, staring at his fingers. He heaved a sigh and straightened up, turning to look at Ainsley. "Yeah." He smiled fondly, wanting to reach out and touch her, just a little contact, but... not sure how. "You deserve a real chance." He cocked his head to the side and smiled crookedly, somewhat sadly. "It's been fun, though."

[playingtheenemy.livejournal.com]

"Josh," she said, stern as she could get, which was fairly stern. "Don't even think this means you're getting out of being my friend," she informed him, giving his chest a light poke with her pinky as she stared down at her lap. "I just need to try this. You know? Give him a chance without having a safety net beneath me."

[playingstupid.livejournal.com]

Josh's crooked smile spread, showing his dimples. "Same t'you." He jutted his chin out, grinning. "And hey. Knowing my luck with women, I'll probably still be your safety net if you get sick of this new guy." He chuckled to himself softly.

[playingtheenemy.livejournal.com]

At the same time as liking the sound of that, she really hoped it didn't happen. "Well, then," she said, sticking out her hand, like a businesswoman. "Here's to making a deal."

[playingstupid.livejournal.com]

Josh looked down at her hand, his eyebrows raised. "To friends." He shook her hand, then pulled it to his lips for a kiss. "So." He felt like a damn girl. "Who's the guy?"

[playingtheenemy.livejournal.com]

"Are we gossipping?" she wondered bluntly, staring at Josh curiously, as if trying to sift through the meaning. "I mean, do you really want to know or are we just talking, because I'm glad to tell you that his name is Shadow and we're having dinner."

[playingstupid.livejournal.com]

"Nah, it's not gossip if you're involved in it. Then it's personal." He grinned. "Shadow. Huh. I don't think I've met him." He paused, smiling. "Good luck, I guess."

[playingtheenemy.livejournal.com]

"Thank you," she said in return, genuinely grateful as she gave a nod, blushing so girlishly and stupidly. "I'm hoping it goes well."

[playingstupid.livejournal.com]

Josh shoved his shoulder lightly against hers. That blush was just so damn cute. Especially after she sealed the deal on their friendship with a handshake. "You'll have to tell me all about it." Hrm. "Well. Maybe not all about it."

[playingtheenemy.livejournal.com]

And now the blush turned into grave humiliation and she closed her eyes. "Josh, I don't think I'm even going to get close to that. Really." For some reason, Shadow just didn't strike her as that kind of type.

[playingstupid.livejournal.com]

Josh's eyes blew wide, pretending to look appalled. "What! I just meant that you'll have to tell me how it goes." He shrugged. "Y'know. Like friends do." He smiled warmly. "I wanna know if this guy is good for you." He held up a hand preventatively. "I know, I know, it's none of my business. But, as a friend, I insist on being someone you can talk to about this stuff." If he was gonna do this, he was gonna do it right.

[playingtheenemy.livejournal.com]

"Well, maybe," she conceded, giving Josh her most stern, completely serious look. "You are one hundred percent not allowed to say a word of it to anyone after. Got it?"

[playingstupid.livejournal.com]

"Ooooh, secrets." He grinned impishly. "Do we pinkie swear?" He held up his pinky, ready. He couldn't help it. Being a friend to Ainsley was... fun. Cute. Normal. It felt right. He had no idea if he'd miss the other part of their relationship, but for now, he was happy just to be with her without snapping.