[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

[playingtheenemy.livejournal.com]

"I think Sam takes it upon himself to defend anyone's honor," she said, very evenly. "Because a day later, he was basically fighting for me as if he'd put on armor that morning instead of a suit."

[playingstupid.livejournal.com]

Josh snorted, leaning back on the bed, his palms pressed into the cover. "God, that does sound like him." He stared off to the side, smiling fondly.

As if he'd put on armor that morning instead of a suit. He could swear, in that moment, his heart literally hurt. He took a slow breath in and out through his nose, trying to make it stop.

[playingtheenemy.livejournal.com]

"You miss him?" Ainsley asked quietly, watching Josh's reaction with intrigue and sympathy all at once, definitely along with the feeling that she had no clue how to deal with this.

[playingstupid.livejournal.com]

Josh blinked, looking back at Ainsley, as if suddenly remembering she was still there. He leaned forward again, his eyes skittering from the wall to his hands and back up to Ainsley, suddenly at a loss.

"Yeah." His voice was lower and rougher than he'd like, but it's not like he could really stop it. "He was my best friend." He stared down at his hands, suddenly missing Sam like a limb.

[playingtheenemy.livejournal.com]

Ainsley couldn't solve this. She definitely didn't have an easy band-aid or quick-patch or anything resembling something that could cheer Josh up and she frowned, not sure what she was supposed to say. "You could do something to honor him?" she suggested. "Write something, maybe?"

[playingstupid.livejournal.com]

Josh snorted and looked up at her. "Me? Write something for Sam?" He shook his head. "Nah, I'm more likely to go out and get a black eye in his honor than to write anything worth keeping." He shrugged. "I write laws, not prose. That was all Sam." He could still hear Sam's words from the President's mouth. He heaved a sigh, smiling at her. "Remembering him is enough, for now."

[playingtheenemy.livejournal.com]

"I'll help when I can," Ainsley promised, because she might have only known Sam for a short while, but he was a good man in the time she had known him. His actions had solidified him as a person worth knowing.

[playingstupid.livejournal.com]

Josh nodded, smiling. He was lucky to have Ainsley. Even if sometimes, she really was a Republican. "Thanks, Ains."

[playingtheenemy.livejournal.com]

"No problem, Josh," she promised, and she meant it, resting her head on his shoulder as she stared out at the wall. "I am going to miss this."

[playingstupid.livejournal.com]

Josh raised his eyebrows, tucking his head against hers. "Miss what?" Was she planning on going somewhere. Unbidden, his heart pounded in his chest, and he struggled to keep his breath even. He didn't want to think about the idea of her leaving. No. She's not. She can't. I mean, she won't. Right?

[playingtheenemy.livejournal.com]

"This," she said, confining herself to one word and being extraordinarily proud of herself for it. "I mean, this thing which we had, this liaison," she added, unable to help the additional words.

[playingstupid.livejournal.com]

Liason. Oh, Ainsley. He smiled fondly, turning his head to plant a kiss firmly on the top of her head. "Yeah." His voice was rough but happy. He was glad he still had her, however things turned out. "I'm not going anywhere."