A/N: Well, it's here guys. It's finally here. The weekend has come to an end, and it seems that Maddie is unconvinced that Joshua can pull it together. Is she right, do you guys think? Or is there hope for him yet?
I don't know if this will be the final installment of the story. I guess it all depends on whether I decide as the author to do more, or get swamped with demands from you, the fans, to continue. Either way, it's been so much fun providing this for you.
If you're reading this days or months or even years after I've first posted this story, just know how insanely happy I am you have found it, and hope this is the kind of story you can read over and over and over again.
Three amazing days have passed already, but the journey feels like one the largest and most important that I've ever been on. This last chapter took a very long time to put together. Here is the final product, made just for you.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have blisters on my fingers to attend to.
Sit back, relax, and grab a snack and a friend, because the story is about to start.
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
Maddie awoke to the delicious smell of bacon frying and eggs cooking. She looked beside her and saw no signs of Joshua, but from the smells wafting from the kitchen, he was either down there making food or a robber had broken in and decided to make a homecook meal for them. She decided on the latter, and walked sleepily toward the stairs.
On the final three steps, she had a clear look at the kitchen, and watched as Josh emptied bottle after bottle of the toxic liquid that had had him so completely hooked for so long into the sink. There were three boxes, each full of glass bottles and marked as Recycling and there were three other empty ones, waiting to be filled. Josh had gathered up every bottle of alcohol in the house and was dumping all of it away. He cursed and rushed to the stove, pulling the bacon off just in time. He listened to it sizzle. It struck into her like a wrecking ball that Josh had once been an excellent breakfast cook, his masterpiece was bacon.
"Mmmmm," Maddie said appreciatively, loud enough to be heard. Joshua's head snapped up and he smiled brightly at her, gesturing to the meal he'd placed on the table, "Eat up!"
The grin on his face and the bounce in his step was so jarring, because it was exactly how he'd been before the accident. There was still the shadow of pain, and the gait was uneven; the doctors informed him he'd always have a limp, because of how close he'd come to hitting the femeral artery. In spite of this, his eyes were bright and full of life.
"You...made this for me?" Maddie asked with a smile; her food was arranged like a jack-o-lantern, as Josh had cut the French toast in half, using it as two closed eyes and the bacon for a smile. Taking a bite, she realized just how delicious it all truly was.
Josh nodded, leaning on the counter from the other side, "Yeah, I did. I wanted to bring it up while you were still asleep, but you woke up earlier than I expected."
"Speaking of being up early, what're you doing up so early? You're never up this early," Maddie reminded him, and he nodded with a smile.
"Never had a reason to before," he said. The twinkle was back in his eyes, and Maddie gestured to the countless bottles stacked on the counter.
"Is that...?" she began, but was interrupted by Josh.
"Every bottle of vodka in the house?" As Maddie widened her eyes and finished scarfing her breakfast, he grinned and put a hand over her own, "You said you wanted me sober. Well, I want to be sober too. I want to be someone deserving of Adam's admiration, someone deserving of Liz's love, and," Josh took Maddie's hands and pulled her close to him, stepping around the counter to do so and invading her personal space while he was at it, "someone deserving of you, Mads."
Josh reached over and touched my cheek gently, his hand no longer shaky with fear or intoxication. Shifting his toes against the ground and going up on his tip-toes to cover the height distance between us, he pressed his lips against hers. His other arm slipped around my neck as he pulled the kiss deeper, the heat of honesty trapped in their mouths and shared so intimately. Maddie closed her eyes to feel him there before her, around her, against her.
This kiss was different from the one we shared less than two days ago. This one was not aggressive or forceful, nor did he try to wrestle with her tongue, though she would not have minded so much. He did not taste like vodka, there was no haze over his eyes, and Maddie was not quite so terribly surprised. It was perfect and passionate and simple. She wouldn't even hesitate to say she enjoyed it.
Maddie raised her hands to place them on or around him, but she wasn't certain if that was all right. After all, Josh had just began to recover, and she should not tamper with that. Despite her own urges, be they formerly unknown to her, she reluctantly held herself back and only allowed herself to move her lips against his.
Maddie was reminded of something she'd thought of before this crazy weekend started. She thought of it as he stood in her arms and she in his, she was in love with this man. She was, she really and truly was. She could feel her heart fluttering and her mood skyrocketing through the roof. It was not something she had dreamed of but never0 considered would actually happen before, especially when Josh had been dealing with such substantial issues, but now it stood before her plain as day just the way Josh himself did. The kiss, however, did not seem to last long enough, but in its brevity sparked some indulgent desire to press on or chase him.
His lips released her, but he did not pull away or move from their embrace. She could feel him there, barely an inch apart from her, and she knew without even looking that he was smiling at her. Maddie couldn't help such a thing herself, and as if on cue the two of them opened their eyes and saw each other. Josh huffed a quick pleased sound as his eyes traced Maddie's expression, and he bit at his now rosy lips.
"Stay," a word escaped him, and though it was so quiet and gentle it struck her to hear.
Maddie opened her mouth to say something, before she realized that she had no idea what to say. She wanted to stay, she really did, but that was not something that she could promise him. This weekend had been life-altering for the both of them, but as it ended she remembered that she had obligations, had responsibilities. Maddie felt Josh's body in her drumming fingers, and had not remembered when she rested her hands on his waist.
"I-I can't," Maddie eventually stuttered out, though it was painful to say. Josh did not take it as an answer, though.
"Just for today. You can miss school once, can't you?" He asked me carefully, raising an eyebrow daringly as sh chewed it over.
"Well," Maddie stifled a groan as she felt his arms rest around her neck, his chest brushing against hers in an oddly appealing way, "You always did tell me to loosen up about that stuff."
"Hell yeah!" Josh cheerily agreed, teetering on his heels and his toes, shifting around in the embrace like he wanted to feel it all over her, "You really know how to make a guy happy."
"Don't go there," Maddie grumbled with a chuckle, turning the conversation back at him, "I think you're just a bad influence."
"Mhmm, maybe so," he smiled and agreed, spinning the two of them around so his back was to the foyer before he started pulling her after him, "So, how does this sound: you, me, a little ice cream, a little nostalgia, and maybe, if you're lucky," Josh licked his lips as his eyes looked at Maddie up and down, "A little something else."
"I don't even wanna know what you're thinkin' right now," Maddie told him as she shook him off, playing coy as she walked around the couch and sat down into that same spot she spent most of the previous day lounging in, "But if you mean a little work around the house, getting the cobwebs outta the corners, screwing in a few of those loose handles on your cabinets, then yeah, count me in."
"That's a horrible way to spend an afternoon of playing hookey, you're a workaholic—like, physically ill, you know that?" Josh told her as he flopped down after her, slinging his arm over the back of the couch and around her shoulders.
"Oh, y'love me anyway," Maddie smirked as he forced a sarcastic laugh, sitting up to grab one of the controllers from the coffee table he then tossed into her lap.
"Here, let me show you a little something about skipping school, mkay?" He shook his own controller at Maddie and winked as he reached out and poked the power button on the television remote, bringing it to life.
Josh sure did know how to waste a morning, I'll give him that much. I suppose all his hanging around here for the past year had something to do with that. For once, I did not feel guilty about avoiding my responsibilities, he made me feel better than classes or work ever did.
We played several of his video games, and I think he even let me win a few times, not that he'd admit it directly. As the fragments of dulled sun finally stretched across the living room floor, permitted to do so since he himself had pulled the curtains back to let it in, the morning had entirely escaped us. We got around to watching a bit of television while we ate some of that promised ice cream, which was freezer burnt and awfully sweet, but seemed to do the trick.
I managed to convince him to help me fix up a few things around the house, including some squeaky hinges that had been bothering me since I arrived. He whined for awhile, but whether he meant it or not he kept by my side, complaints and all. We finished gathering up all the empty bottles and stacking the boxes by the door, which I promised to help him take out to the recycling depot sometime soon. Now the front door seemed rather cluttered, what with the dining room chair and all those boxes stuffed with things he no longer needed.
I lingered on the sight of that front door as Josh took our dirtied dishes to the kitchen. It seemed so strange to me then, that I might have thought for a moment I had to force myself to stay here. Now the weekend was over, and I could easily move that chair from in front of the door, but I didn't want to. I did, however, find myself checking my watch a few too many times, and it seemed, now that he was free from the vodka's haze, his sharp mind took notice.
"Late for something?" Josh asked as he leaned against the door frame between the foyer and the living room, raising an eyebrow and casting a smug expression over at me.
"Not yet," I told him, and he silently questioned what that could have meant, "Listen honey, I can skip school, sure, but I did make a promise to be somewhere shortly."
"And where might that be?" He wondered, though he didn't seem as interested in where as he did in why. Perhaps, more so, why it was more important than hanging around here.
"This Monday is the only day that the whole gang has a few hours to see each other," I explained to him as I stood up, and he nodded as he understood, though it made him a bit uncomfortable to hear, "And this Monday's gonna be quite special, actually."
"Oh?" Josh leaned back and tilted his head to me as I approached him.
"Yeah. See, this Monday, I'm bringin' a guest, a very special guest," I hinted with a smile, and his confidence immediately melted away to make room for uneasiness as he understood what I intended.
"No way, Madison. No freaking way," he denied with certainty, pushing off the wall and walking over to the door, eyeing the chair that still rested under the door knob, "I am not some charity case to show off, you know."
"Where'd y'get that idea?" I wondered seriously as he drifted away from me, crossing his arms and rubbing his elbows a bit, "I don't think of you that way, believe me. I just thought maybe you'd wanna see everybody, I mean, they missed you. We all did."
"The only person I see standing here is you, Mads, looks more like you're the only one who really missed me," he turned around sharply and glared at me, though his anger was not with me.
"You're gonna have to see them eventually," I reminded him as I put my hands on my hips, looking blankly at his childish display, "Besides, it's best to get you outta here for awhile."
"I am not going," he spoke defiantly, and I sighed slowly as our gazes clashed between us.
"Alright," I raised my hands passively as I let him have his way, pushing past him as I went over to the door, "But I am. I guess I'll see you later, then."
"Wait," Josh raced around me and got in front of me, standing between me and the door, "I don't want you to go."
"I don't belong to you," I reminded him coolly as I tried to get past him, but he moved in front of me again, his reflexes sharpened by sobriety. I grunted as he did it once more; he was not one to give up so easily, it seemed.
I went to grab the chair, but he knocked my hand away, hurrying to make it impossible for me to move it. He plopped down right on top of the leaning wooden thing, despite how it creaked a bit with the pressure of his weight on only two old legs. I gave him an incredulous stare and shook my head, though he responded by sticking his tongue out at me and crossing his arms once again. I clapped my hands against the sides of my jeans and narrowed my eyes at him.
"What in the hell are you doing?" I asked monotonously, watching as he kept his balance quite well.
"I don't know. Probably acting selfish and ridiculous. I just want you here, with me," he chewed at his cheeks inside his mouth as the words came out, "They don't deserve you as a friend, you know that?"
"What's that supposed to mean? Of course they do, you lunatic, they're our best friends. Just 'cause they aren't good with serious stuff doesn't mean they aren't good friends," I tried to explain as I leaned down over him, watching him pout.
"But," Josh shifted, and the chair beneath him groaned a bit, "What if they don't want to see me? What if I make them uncomfortable? I mean, look at me, I'm a mess."
"We all get a little messy sometimes," I smiled as I started, reminding him of little facts about those very friends, "Like when Zack forgets to do any of his work because of his obsession with that darn flute, like when Gregory loses his drumsticks and assume the world is ending, like when Fiona breaks a guitar string and calls literally everyone to the school for an emergency meeting, or like when Emily has to socialize with people outside of her 'circle.' Like me, when I try and do a whole harvest alone, or like you, whenever you encounter a problem you can't explain with science or reason."
"Yeah, I guess none of us are so well-adjusted," Josh nodded and snickered a bit.
"So get off your butt already," I held my hand out between us, offering him help up from that odd, tipped back position that seemed uncomfortable and dangerous.
He returned my warm smile and clapped his hand against mine, clasping it as he moved to get up. However, that chair was not quite so well-adjusted either, it seemed, because as soon as he tried to get up off of it, the old thing creaked and slipped against the floor. It fell out from under the door knob and plummeted to the ground, the back cracking against it as the legs knocked up from underneath it.
As it fell, I quickly lifted Josh off the dangerous thing and completely forgot he was a bit heavier than I was. We fell over backward, but I managed to turn us so we crashed on our sides, not on my back.
Our surprised expressions mirrored each other, and in unison we looked back at the now fractured object behind us. The back of the chair had split through, and there was a scratch on the door from where it had fallen. We both huffed a few wary laughs as we stood up shakily.
"I guess we couldn't stay locked in here forever," Josh muttered with a small smile as we leaned the chair against the wall, and for some reason it seemed that both of us regarded the object with some kind of reverence.
"Nah, I suppose not," I agreed with a nod, my eyes trailing that old dining chair affectionately, "Alright, you go get dressed while I pack up the truck."
"Aye-aye," he gave me a lazy salute as he went up to her bedroom to get socks or shoes or whatever he needed.
I pried that front door open at last, but instead of being blinded by the sun as I would expect from a summer day, I was greeted with a warm summer rain. Not that it bothered me, seeing as how my wide-brimmed hat kept it out of my eyes. I loved this old hat. It was something Josh had gotten me so long ago, when my big brother handed me the responsibility of working the farm right alongside him. To celebrate, Josh had bought me a Stetson and a cute little air freshener, after Mark presented me with the truck.
I hoisted up a few of those boxes and carried them on out anyway. The empty bottles made small specks of musical notes as the rain hit them, and I found it oddly charming. It only took a couple trips to get all of the boxes, and I returned once more to grab my dufflebag, which I shoved back behind my seat.
By the time I returned to the house, Joshua Berkeley was coming down the stairs. He had put on his old gray hooded jacket, something he used to be known for wearing when he wasn't in his athletic gear. He was also wearing a pair of dark gray jeans. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs in the foyer and looked out the front door, noticing the rain. By then, I was already damp from the trips to and from the truck, but I realized then that the last time he was in the rain, he'd gone to see where his family had been torn apart.
Joshua Berkeley used to love the rain, it never troubled him one bit. He'd always run right out there, telling me he was looking for the rainbows. Josh always said that you couldn't peg that kind of natural beauty to science; a far cry from his other beliefs revolving around science. Now though, he just stared at it and kept his hands in the pockets of his undone jacket.
"It's raining," he told me dully, as if I didn't notice. I smirked a bit as I stood on the mat just outside the front of the door.
"Y'know? I think you're right," I said sarcastically as I raised my hand as if to catch the falling drops.
"Smart ass," he scoffed at my remark, moving another few paces until he was just inside the doorway, though he looked uneasy about going any further, "I don't know about this, Mads," he tried to make excuses, but I was not about to take any.
"Come on, honey, I'm right here," I stepped one foot into the doorway and extended my hand to him once more. He looked at it for a moment like he was trying to figure it out, which only brought an adoring smile to my face, "I can wait all day, unless you want me to carry you outta there."
Josh sighed inaudibly as he made up his mind, and grabbed the door knob in his hand as he took the last step. His hand landed in mine, which was damp and flushed from the rain and exertion. I led him out the door, which he pulled shut behind him as he willingly followed me. The slight overhang from the roof above him was short, and he walked out from underneath it hesitantly, blinking a bit as the rain touched his face. I smiled as I dragged him faster, pulling us into a jog towards the truck.
Leaning his head back, he looked up at the overcast skies, rain tapping against his cheeks and lips all the while. Gradually, I saw that same old endearing grin slide across his face; as if his lips were made of sugar and rainwater knew best how to melt them. Josh left everything else behind in that dark old house for me, for me and this magic in the air, be it rain or something less scientific.
I pulled the passenger's side door open for him and helped him in, closing it up after him before going around to my own side. I jumped up the foot or two distance the truck had above the ground, and landed in my seat. It all fell quieter as I closed my own door, and the rain danced around us making images and tunes on the wind shield. He still seemed rather out of his comfort zone as he adjusted in the seat, avoiding my eye line. I suppose being in a vehicle again after what happened, and after spending the past several months indoors, it was a little unnerving. And he'd not exactly been in the best place the last time I'd helped him into my truck. I don't know if would ever forget that day.
"Hey," I spoke as I reached over and put my hand on his thigh, commanding her attention, "Relax, I thought that was what you're best at?"
"Maybe this wasn't a great idea," Josh argued, though he did not seem invested in one side or the other. The more he thought about it, looking around the truck and the big wide spaces around him, the more uneasy he got. His hands fidgeted in his lap, and he shifted around in his seat several times before his voice cracked out in a higher pitch than usual, "I can't do this."
"Yes, you can! Here," I said back, leaning over and pressing down the lock in the door, watching his eyes widen with mild fear or shock. I climbed further over him, grabbing the seatbelt from behind his shoulder and pulling it across his body, clicking it into the buckle, "Now stay put."
"Are you kidnapping me?" He asked in disbelief as I turned on the truck, which roared and shook beneath our seats.
"I reckon I just might be," I affirmed as I put it into gear, driving us away from that familiar house that had kept him captive long before I arrived.
"Are you going to drive me to some vacant lot and rape me too?" Josh growled, though it seemed like he was being more playful than aggressive.
"It isn't rape if you beg me for it first," I smirked as I crossed my hands over each other two or three times to get a full turn around the block.
"Oh, listen to you with the jokes!" He cried as he threw his hands up before sinking into his seat. Josh did not seem angry with me though, as he looked back over and seemed to trace me with his eyes.
I knew that he was the kind of person who needed a bit of a push once in a while, and it seemed I was right. The further we went, the less uncomfortable he became. I reached over and touched his shoulder, squeezing it supportively as he nuzzled me in acceptance. I couldn't do it for long of course, as the manual transmission called for my commands loudly. Due to the old truck's heaving, each time I changed the gears we both shifted a bit in our seats, which felt almost intimate between us.
Josh sat up a bit when he caught sight of himself in the side mirror, and cranked his arm around as he rolled down his window to get the rain water off of it. He leaned closer as he reached out and knocked some drops of water off the mirror itself, staring at his reflection all the while. He reached up and touched his once shorter and shinier hair, something entirely unique about him that he seemed to have let slide. Now his hair was longer and as such lost some of its golden shine, and it bothered him again.
"Jeez, I can only imagine what everyone is going to say about this," Josh furrowed his eyebrows as he ran his fingers through it with dissatisfaction.
I watched him carefully as he seemed so upset about it, when I was struck with an idea. I reached up and grabbed the brim of my Stetson, which was only slightly damp as it was good in rainy weather, and picked it up. I leaned closer to him and pulled it over his head, knocking it right over his eyes as I did. He was surprised as he pushed it back up, looking over at me with grateful eyes.
"Now no one can see you've lost that golden sheen of yours," I told him passively as I glanced at him, before checking my rear-view for passing cars, which reminded me of something that dangled right in front of our faces, "Besides, you match my air freshener."
"Your-?" He started to ask, but the memory came back to him as he noticed it hanging there, and this great big smile spread across his face as he did, "You still have that thing?"
"Of course. It's cute, isn't it?" I asked as I flicked it, sending it spinning around in front of us, "And it reminds me of a certain someone."
"You think I'm cute?" Josh asked deviously as his grin spread, and he leaned closer to see the blush on my face.
"That isn't what I meant!" I denied as I watched the road, squeezing my hands on the steering wheel until he stopped snickering. I shook my head back and forth as I released a small smile, loving our familiar banter.
It wasn't a particularly long drive to where I was meeting the gang, which was in the parking lot behind the library on campus. Granted, not all of us went to that college, but it was an adequate meeting spot regardless. I was surprised that I had got in at all honestly, my grades were nothing to write home about, unlike Josh's had been, but I was a hard worker.
Josh kicked his feet up onto the dashboard despite my blank and irritable expression, and tipped that hat of mine over his eyes. He did look pretty sharp all dressed up in his jacket and those ripped jeans, I hadn't seen him so confident in a good long time. I actually had to force myself to look away from him to keep focused on the road. He glanced over at me from under the brim and got the nerve to strike up conversation.
"Your radio broken, Mads?" Josh asked as he gestured at the console in my truck. Honestly, it was not in the best shape, nothing in this old rust bucket was.
"Like everythin' else," I told him as I changed lanes, checking my mirrors through the slowly passing rain.
I could tell he did have something to say, from the way he kept sucking on his words, but I waited patiently until he found that they tasted good enough to share, "So, you're coming over on Friday, right?"
"Yeah, I told you I would. Every week, remember?" I agreed as I saw the sign for the college on the lawn in front of the entrance, which I turned towards.
"Good," he nodded slowly as he watched the scenery pass us by through the much clearer windows, as there was no longer rain pounding on them. His voice came again though, "Maybe we can do some more work around the house. There's a lot that needs fixing up."
"Alright, now why're you the one mentioning house work?" I asked skeptically as I cast him a glance before pulling onto the main road around the campus.
"Well, to be honest? I'm selling the place, Maddie," Josh revealed, and I was surprised to hear such a thing. He knocked his feet off of the dashboard as he sat up and spoke seriously, "I can't live there any more, it's too quiet, too stuffed up with memories. You know?"
"Yeah, I understand," I agreed with a few nods, hoping the subject was not too sensitive.
"In fact...Maddie, I remember hearing a long time ago about this place for people like me. A...a camp, I think. A camp where demigods can be safe, and their family members can be safe. It's only for the summer, though, from what I remember. During the off time I may get an apartment, and put the rest of the stuff into storage," he told me as he leaned his cheek on his hand, looking out the window instead of at me.
I played with my cheek between my teeth as I tried to work up the courage to speak again, and found myself glancing over at him incessantly until I did, "Well, you could always," I swallowed my stomach which had jumped up into my throat, or so it felt, "You could always stay with me."
Josh's attention darted over to me, and his eyes grabbed mine forcefully. At first, I couldn't really tell if he was angry or hesitant or what, seeing as how I had to focus on finding my way into the parking lot. His voice called to me though, "What?"
"I mean, just for a while, just during the summer until you sell the house, or find a place, or," I glanced into his eyes apprehensively, "Until you wanna leave."
He stared at me as I pulled up into the parking lot, though my attention was more on him than the drive. Finally, some kind of joy tugged at his lips and pulled them up into a smile, "I think I'd like that."
"Yeah, me too," I agreed even though I tried to hide the reflective smile that graced my own features.
As the car came to a halt, Josh caught sight of Zack, sitting on a bench and too caught up on a piece of sheet music and playing that flute to notice us. His hair stuck up straight despite the rain we'd just encountered, and now Josh started getting apprehensive.
"Alright honey, here we are," I told him as if he couldn't tell, and he just sort of nodded slowly, "Now, I know you ain't the shy type. Come on," I reached over and unlocked his door, letting him undo his seatbelt for himself. Still though, he just sat there uncertainly, "He isn't gonna bite you."
I kicked open my own door and hopped out, stepping my trusted cowboy boots onto the cool, wet pavement. I came around the truck to Josh's side, and still Zack didn't even bother to look up from whatever had peaked his interest this time. Josh let out a shaky breath as I pulled the door open and leaned into the open window, watching him shuffle out of the seat.
He stepped onto the concrete and tested each foot against the hard ground, his feet not quite accustomed to shoes any more. He didn't say anything or move to follow me to greet our friend, instead he waited for confirmation or something. I crossed my arms over the door as I stood on my tip toes, leaning through the window to get nice and close to him.
"You aren't scared, are you?" I teased him, and he immediately got defensive.
"No!" He argued defiantly as he pouted out his bottom lip, shielding himself behind the open passenger's door, "I just, look, I haven't been outside my house much in the last few months and now I'm all the way across town with you and, and sober, and going to have to try and be civil and normal and, and whatever."
"Normal? Who said y'gotta be normal?" I asked him as I raised an eyebrow, and he looked away from me as his hands played in his pockets, "There was a time that me, you, and all of our friends hung out together without even considering it might be uncomfortable. In that way, nothin's really changed. Why y'gotta make this out to be a big deal?"
"I just don't feel all that close to them any more," he admitted with a sigh, his eyes coming back to mine as they always did.
"Maddie!" We both flinched as my name was called out, and I looked over my shoulder to see Zack closing up the flute case and getting to his feet, waving at me. It seemed that he had not even noticed Josh, seeing as how he was standing directly behind me and the truck door.
"Look, just be yourself, alright? They already like you; they were your friends, Joshua. They are your friends." I reminded him in a whisper as I heard Zack approaching us.
"I was beginning to think you weren't coming, you're never late. Well, regardless, Emily should be here with the the loons in a few minutes," Zack kept speaking as he came up to me, and I looked back at him once more. He stopped a few feet behind me with a questioning gaze, and he tilted his head as he asked, "Why are you standing there by the door?"
"Hey Zack," I greeted him and pulled back off of the door, "You remember Joshua Berkeley, don'tcha?"
I moved out of the way so that they could see each other, and the two of them just stood there in silence for a moment. Josh seemed most uncomfortable, as he shifted around until I closed the passenger's side door. His eyes hit mine pleadingly, and I smiled warmly before he removed his hand from his pocket, taking mine in his own as if searching for support. I tugged him after me as I stepped over to Zack, who seemed completely surprised by his appearance.
I nudged Josh, and through his nervously faked smile, he managed to speak, "S'up?"
"Joshua?" Zack's voice rang out in shock as he looked at him, shaking his head in disbelief, "Is that you? Well, of course it's you, I mean, why are you, how did—?"
"And here I thought you were the smart one," Josh remarked teasingly, and Zack's face lit up at the familiar hazing.
"I'm so glad to see you!" The buff flutist nearly shouted, and Josh blinked and tensed his shoulders up as he kept going, "I can't believe you're here, I haven't seen you in, in months!"
"Yeah, it's been a while," Josh agreed anxiously as his fingers moved in mine, and I could feel his palm sweating. I squeezed a little harder until he relaxed, and Zack's expression shifted to curiosity.
"So," his eyes ran along between us as he noticed the hat on Josh's head, and his hand in my own. He smiled a bit as it kind of came together, "I guess a lot happened over the last few days." Unbeknownst to the two of us at the time, Zack and all of our other friends had long ago decided to sit back and wait for us to realize our true feelings for each other.
"Yeah, Mads here locked me in my own house and tried to kidnap me," Josh explained with a smirk, leaning against me as he spoke of it.
"Doesn't look like you minded too much," Zack added, and Josh opened his mouth to make a snotty remark, but found nothing except the rosiness of his own cheeks.
"No, I guess I was just a bit difficult," Josh admitted as he seemed to become more comfortable in the company, "Like that's anything new."
"Well, how are you feeling? I don't mean to pry or anything, but, are you okay?" Zack asked nervously. Josh didn't mind though.
"I'm a lot better now, thanks to Maddie," he swung my hand in his own and brought back that trademark smirk, though his honesty spilled out once more, "I feel like, like I just woke up. Like everything in the past year, and maybe before then, like all of that was some fuzzy dream or nightmare. You know?"
"That's good to hear," Zack agreed with a few nods, clutching flute case tightly. His eyes shifted from us to the parking lot, which we had our backs to, "Oh, there's Emily."
Zack raised his hand to wave to the vehicle that pulled up a little ways away from my own. Josh and myself turned around and peered back, recognizing the vehicle as Emily's and the occupants as our remaining friends. Josh squeezed my hand in anticipation, but I just continued to supportively hold it in my own. One of the doors burst open before the car came to a full stop, and I swear I could hear Emily squealing from inside about how dangerous that was.
"JOSHIE!?" A boisterous and flamboyant voice called, and both of us winced to hear it. We knew what was coming next. "Oh my gosh!"
"Crap," Josh muttered as he recognized the girl who leapt from Emily's car, a certain bubbly, electric blue-haired girl who stood at about 5 feet evenly and who, for a girl who was carrying around a few extra pounds, cleared the distance between them in quick strides, "Nice knowing you."
Our blue-haired friend nearly toppled poor Josh over in her bounding hug, and I could almost hear his spine crack under the pressure. I let his hand go as I covered my mouth to keep from chuckling, but he did not seem quite as pleased. His eyes met mine over our friend's shoulder, and I could see just how uncomfortable he was in the embrace, if his tense body language didn't give that away already.
"How 'bout giving the guy a little room to breathe, Fi?" I asked politely as Josh flashed me a very grateful expression.
"I'm sorry, Joshie!" Fiona pulled away and checked on the choking man, who pushed her away, "I'm just so excited to see you! I cannot believe - you're wearing Maddie's hat?" She interrupted her own sentence with a different question, and we both just laughed nervously.
"Fiona, darling, really," Emily's voice chimed in as she and Gregory came over to us. Emily locked her car doors with the press of a button over her shoulder as she went on, "You're going to scare him off doing things like that."
"I said I was sorry!" Fiona finally stepped away and Josh scurried back to my side, wiping his jacket off as if Fiona had left cooties on it.
"Well, it certainly is a surprise to have you grace us with your presence," Emily beamed as she joined our little circle, her eyes on my still grouchy and uncertain best friend, "It really has been too long, my dear."
"Yeah, guess I took things a little far with the brooding, didn't I?" He shook his head and forced a laugh.
"Nonsense, darling, I won't hear a word of that. It's all to be expected," Emily shut that down quickly, and I slipped my arm around his shoulders, holding him tight for a comforting, one-armed hug. He smiled against me as he enjoyed it, and as I released him, his attention turned to the quietest of the group as he looked like he was trying to speak.
"I missed you, Buddy," Gregory nearly whispered, but Josh just smiled and put him at ease. Gregory was a bit different since the two men had last seen each other. It was made blatantly clear that Greg's outgoing and wild behavior that led him to be picked as drummer for the band he and Fiona had started, was all due to Joshua's influence.
"You too, Greg. But don't worry, I'm back for good now. Maddie gave me a good hard smack to set me straight," Josh nudged me as I frowned.
"I did no such thing!" I argued defensively as the rest of them laughed a bit. Perhaps we were not the only ones who missed our playful bickering.
Still, Josh's curious gaze lingered on that now meek guy, who played with his fingers a bit and avoided the gaze. With a loud sigh, Josh slung his arm over my shoulders, forcing me to lean down a bit to his height. He nodded a gesture to the rest of them, albeit somewhat reluctantly.
"All right, bring it in," Josh told everyone, and immediately they all rushed in. No one ever had to tell this group twice when a group hug was initiated.
The gang all closed in on us and threw their arms around each other, burying the two of us in the embrace. But even through the mass of musings, cheers and arms, Josh's gaze was on me, and he even so much as cracked a smile. His arm squeezed me tighter as he leaned against me, and I could feel the heat of his body even though others were so near.
I realized it then, the position he had put me in. Here I was on his arm, the same way that Adam had once began to draw us. It made me somewhat sad, but seeing his pleasant expression strangled that uncertainty. I mean, Adam had seen something between us that he liked, that he liked so much he wanted to express to the rest of the world. He just wanted his older brother to be happy, the way he was in that half-colored sketch. And here was Josh, and it had taken him over two years to give Adam exactly what it was that he wanted from him, some joy and self-contentment.
The rest of the gang pulled away before the two of us did, and it seemed in our shared gaze that he knew exactly what I was thinking about. Finally, his arm slipped down my back, running along my spine until he swung it back to himself. I dipped my hands into my rear pockets and swayed on my boots, trying to hide the cheeky, jubilant smile that tried to dare display.
"Well, I suppose a little celebration is in order, then," Emily mentioned as she looked around the group, finding us all in our best moods, "How does dinner sound? All of us together at last."
"I guess I can't get a ride with you this time, Maddie," Zack noticed as he remembered that my truck only sat two, "Do you have room for me, Emily?"
"I'm sure you can squeeze in beside us, Zack. I won't mind Madison stick-shifting between my legs for a little while," Joshua grinned deviously as I stammered and tried to get the blush in my cheeks under control.
"Oh hush, y'little pervert," I told him off, but could not stop the smile that was plastered all over my face.
"Yes, I have room, Zack. Where shall we go, then?" Emily asked, and for a moment, everyone went quiet. I suppose going out for drinks was out of the question, as this was Joshua's first day sober. As usual, Fiona was the first one to screech out an answer.
"Burgers!" She shouted as we flinched, and Josh clicked his jaw like he was trying to pop his ears.
"Meet us there?" Emily agreed as she clapped, nodding as she started stepping towards her car, ushering the others after her.
"The old joint on fourth?" I called after them, and they all agreed readily. It had been one of our favourite places to eat when we used to go to high school together, in fact, it was pretty near to the school itself, "Burgers work for you, honey?" I asked as I put my arm around Josh and led him the very few paces back to the truck.
"Yeah, burgers sound awesome," Josh agreed as he looked up at me with those adorably enticing gray eyes, finally displaying some hope and admiration. He grinned as another few words slipped out, and he nudged against me playfully, "Just promise me your onions and pickles, Maddie."
I pulled him close and kissed him on the cheek, letting my lips linger on his cool skin, which for the first time in months was also graced by the peeking beams of sunlight creeping out from those clouds he must have thought hung above his head, "Always."
It was truly remarkable all that we had put each other through over one measly weekend, which was such an insignificant amount of time compared to our entire relationship together. Joshua Berkeley was far from fixed, but that did not mean he was not better. I may have had to force him into it, but it was clear to me that he was becoming someone stronger than who he once was, even though I thought such a thing was impossible.
He had been so very afraid of changing, maybe because it felt like he would be leaving behind the people who had been the pillars of his life. Well, three of the five. I mean, he had lost his younger brother, his older sister, his father, and, in a very sad way, his twin brother, but I was still right there beside him. And sure, maybe the structure had fallen apart around him, but I was still standing there. And I suppose that was enough.
Something enough to lean on, something enough to support him, something enough to keep him sober. And that was worth every bottle of vodka in the world.
A/N: Wow, guys. I don't think I could have ended this on any better of a note. I absolutely adore this story. I absolutely adored everything about it.