USED TO KNOW YOU SO WELL && JOSH

Joshua blinked and looked over at his phone when he heard it ringing, not really sure whether or not he was in the mood to answer. In the end he just yawned and let it go to voicemail, not in the mood. I'll get it in a bit. He was lying on the couch and quite comfortable where he was, listening to music and relaxing his wrist. He'd injured it during a rough tennis match with his father where the two men had gotten a little intense. He was not competitive... until you matched him to the man who had raised him. They had discovered recently that tennis was a good way to settle an argument, as opposed to attacking one another like they'd used to. Joshua had gotten so involved that he'd broken his racket in the deciding serve of the match, and nearly broke his wrist as well in the process. They'd had a reluctant laugh about that when Donovan had been treating him back at the mansion. "At least I won," he'd said, and his father had given him an odd kind of smile. Strange a way as it was happening, it felt like he was reconnecting with the man. That was what he'd always wanted—to have a father that he could talk to and hang around with. He wanted the fun back in their relationship. And now it was, even if it took a pulled wrist to prove it. He wanted to work on his essay for school but typing with one hand had frustrated him and he was not as ambidextrous as he'd have liked. Being left-handed, he'd used his left hand to hold the racket, and thus it had been the one to suffer the damage.

After merely five minutes, Joshua's restlessness won over and he stood from the couch, cursing colourfully as he nudged his sprained wrist in the process. He'd have a fun time explaining this one to Nell when she got home, he was sure. And they'd need to be really careful when kissing or doing anything else, really, because he didn't want to make it worse or interrupt a heated moment with a string of cuss words. This is so inconvenient, he sighed to himself. He could take pain medication to try and nullify it but he preferred the feeling, just so he knew when he was in danger of making anything worse than it already was. He found a voicemail waiting for him and hit the button before he even checked to see who it was. His expression was surprised as he recognised Harley's voice on the other line but a light smile touched his lips. I'm glad to hear she's alright. He had been a little miffed when she'd dropped off the face of the Earth without so much as a text message to let him know she was leaving but he did not harbour any ill will. He expected she must have had a logical reason to leave, seeing as she hadn't been around at school. If she'd merely been ignoring him he doubted that she'd risk her education just to give him the cold shoulder. Realising that he'd be a little late thanks to waiting before he answered, Josh responded with voice-mail in kind. He normally would have texted her but his wrist was frustrating him. "Good to hear from you again, Harls. I'll be there in a bit—sorry, I didn't see you'd called."

He was not wearing a sling or any sort of gauze to protect his wrist and so the only indication that anything was wrong was the awkward way that he handled things with his right arm instead of his left. He gave the clerk an apologetic glance when she watched him patiently, finally extracting the correct change and handing it over to her. He carried his order—a large iced cappuchino—over to the table where his friend was waiting, sitting down and casting her a smile. "Sprained my wrist," he explained before she could ask, holding it up so she could see where it was swollen and slightly discoloured. Donovan had done what he could to put it right so that it would heal faster but time would be the only test now. "Tennis," he added after a pause for thought. He realised that Harley wasn't aware he played tennis but shrugged it off. Now she knew, right? Joshua was not what you could call 'open' with people but he was a little less mistrustful than he had been this time last year. Telling someone that you played tennis—sorry, telling a friend you played—was not the same as giving them your personal details. "Are you doing alright? Geez, it's been a while. Everything okay?" He tried to keep his tone smooth but he couldn't help a slight note of concern from creeping into his voice.

Joshua wasn't at all phased by her surprise—had expected it, even. There weren't a lot of people that knew he could play and that didn't bother him much. He'd learned back and forth between home and the country club that his parents had always dragged him off to when they needed to coexist with the other rich and over-privileged members of Maple Hollow's society. Unable to legally drink and not having many people around his age to talk to, Josh had taken to the tennis courts as a sort of escape from boredom. The Dale's also had a tennis court in the mansion and so he'd been able to take the sport to a new level when he'd developed a liking for it. "Eh, golf is alright," he shrugged. "A bit too mundane for me." He didn't like having to walk around huge areas of the course in order to chase the tiny white ball. Besides, it didn't cause much exertion. Tennis was good because it kept him fit and it strengthened the muscles in his arms, as well. Top that off with jogging and visits to the gym and it became clear that Joshua looked after his physical fitness. He had to, what with his love for sweets and eating food. He didn't like to eat as much as Nell did—that would take dedication—but he still liked it, so that meant staying in shape. He rested his hand on the table, only the slightest wince betraying the sharp pain that shot up it on occasion. Josh didn't like to show weakness, even in front of friends.

The delay before the answer unsettled him slightly, though he didn't express this to Harley. Was she hiding something from him? Was something seriously wrong? He cut off his train of thought before he could properly create scenarios. Joshua knew from many years of experience with his own mind that he'd only blow things out of proportion if he allowed himself to think too deeply about a subject. Instead he picked up his own drink and sipped it slowly, setting it down as she began to speak so that he could listen respectively. He tensed and his gray eyes widened slightly when Harley mentioned her grandmother's hospitalization, almost tempted to interrupt and ask what had happened to the old woman. Trying to be as polite and also aiming for sensitivity, however, he closed his mouth to spare her a slew of questions. Family matters were often tender wounds and he didn't want this to turn into a fight when they'd only patched up their relationship a few months ago. Dying? That word was never a good thing. Harley's grandmother was going to die. He was immediately struck with a sense of confusion and sympathy mixed together—he wanted to make his friend feel better but at the same time he was well aware that death was too permanent for that. They were both Fires, quite a proud group, and so he tried to avoid anything that sounded too much like pity. "Will you be able to take care of Kansas?" He asked a question rather than offering condolences. He was sure his friend knew that he felt for her and she didn't need to hear the words from his lips.

He had planned to let Harley know what had gone on in his life during her absence but he decided to put off sharing news of the engagement until they steered clear of these stormy waters. It seemed cruel even to Josh to spring the news of your happy engagement onto someone whose family member was dying and whose life would likely fall apart. How would Harley support them both? He worried about this but did not ask. Again, he was trying to avoid an absolute waterfall of questions. He knew from his own experience that people generally reacted negatively when you interrogated them. "And Samson?" he asked, even though he had a sort of resentment toward the Thunder. He'd treated Harley pretty badly in Josh's opinion but he knew that he had no say in the matter. "How are things with him?" Joshua did not appreciate when people challenged his love for Nell and so he figured Harley and Samson would have a similar connection. He knew he'd like to string anyone who insulted Nell from a tree and so he bit back any snide remarks about the Thunder that he may have had. He was the supportive best friend, not a nosy, interfering prick. No one liked to have their choices questioned. Heck, he didn't even know if they'd gotten back together. Last he'd heard was that Jolene had been taken out of the picture but he'd heard nothing about Harley and Samson, hence why he'd bothered asking in the first place.

His lips twitched in amusement. "I'd end up melting the rink." He figured that Harley knew what he meant by that. Fire elementals tended to burn things when they were upset and ice was rather susceptible to the effects of heat. One moment there would be an ice rink and the next a swimming pool. "I can't skate that well anyway. Can you?" He was curious to know whether Harley had any skating talents or not. Joshua knew how to skate and he wasn't so terrible that he was clinging to the wall the entire time but he definitely wasn't what could be called 'good'. He knew Harley was joking and so his responses were merely to milk that humour for all it was worth. He did not miss the fact that the mood turned solemn when Charlotte and Kansas were brought up. How could it not? Death was a terrible thing. Josh was lucky in that he'd not experienced too much of it but he had certainly lost people before. His grandmother, his friend. "You're right," he said. "It's better that you take her than the system." He had no experience with foster care but he knew from what others said that it was not a good place to be. It would split the sisters, as well, which wasn't something either of them probably wanted. "How is Kansas handling all of this?" He didn't know Harley's sister too well but he'd liked her what few times they'd met. She was sweet. He wouldn't wish death of a relative upon anyone but it seemed worse when it was his friends that suffered it.

He was not the most observant man in the world but neither was he the most oblivious. Joshua picked up on Harley's subtle reaction to the inquiry and wondered what she was thinking. I don't have ulterior motives, he thought, though he did not speak these words aloud. Does she trust me? Apparently so, for she answered his question after she took a sip of her drink. "It's good that you have his support." He gave her a long and silent look, trying to convey without words what he felt about the issue. He did not like Samson but Harley was one of his best friends. One of the people he felt he could trust. He did not want another fight and so he would refrain from taking jabs at her boyfriend. Would she have done it for me and Nell? He did not think Harley and Nell hated one another and so he supposed he would never know. "Neither did I and I don't hold it against you." Then again, it was a little different with relationships. He'd stopped talking to Nell for only a week and things had gotten tense between them. That was my own fault. He'd ignored her because he was too afraid to admit defeat. He regretted it now. "Circumstances, Harley. They matter." If she'd only ignored her boyfriend because she could then Josh figured he had every right to be upset. It was different when she returned bearing the news about a dying grandmother. She'd had other priorities to deal with. Then again, would I forgive if it was Nell? He couldn't answer that.

Speaking of Nell, Joshua arched an eyebrow when Harley asked after her. She was changing the subject but it didn't bother him and so he said, "I'm fine, apart from my wrist of course. Nell is alright, too." He hesitated internally, wondering whether or not to break the news. It seemed inconsiderate to mention how great his life had been going when his friend's seemed to be getting worse by the minute but she had asked after the couple. It's her own fault if she resents me. This thought in mind, he said, "We got engaged." He did not have a ring on his finger that people could notice and gasp over, demanding the details. Instead, it was left up to Joshua to disclose the news. He liked it that way, liked being able to confess his engagement to the Earth elemental. He was proud of Nell, proud of himself for sticking it out with her. "I would have told you but, well, you've been gone." His tone did not suggest bitterness. It was true, she'd left, but he did not hold it against her. He might have been a little upset at her absence when he was unaware of why she was ignoring him but now that they'd cleared that up he was only sympathetic to what she was going through.

It amused Josh to think that Harley had been so into sports when Joshua himself hadn't taken much of an interest. "Soccer and I had a brief relationship. We didn't work out." He had been talked into trying out for a team by his father, who'd wanted his son to get more active and focus on something to do with other people at the same time. He was a terrible team player, however. Joshua was meant to work on things by himself and not to rely on cooperation for success. He'd forgot to pass the ball at critical moments and had messed up a lot in practice. The coach had taken pity on him and tried to help him work things out but Joshua hadn't wanted to drag them down when they'd played against rival schools. Ultimately he'd resigned and he didn't think his team was unhappy to see the back of him. "I don't doubt that you would." Joshua could understand more than anyone how important one's sibling could be in their life. He loved Annabel dearly. His brother? Well, he tried not to think about him too much. "I can only imagine. She's got you there for her, though, and that's more than she could ask for." The support of close friends or family in the event of a tragedy was often important. He'd never lost anyone as close to him as Harley was to Charlotte but he could fathom a guess that it would be a deep, wrenching pain. He worried sometimes about his grandparents in Nova Scotia. He didn't give a fuck if Patrick died. Sometimes he realised how heartless that was and then found he didn't care. The old man was a terrible person.

He was in agreement with her there. He never tried to force Nell to do thing against her will, except in the case of prom when he'd known she'd probably thank him for it in the long run. If he'd heard that Samson was trying to fight against Harley somehow then he would likely have had something to say. Would he have said it to Harley? That much was debatable. Joshua was not hesitant or soft-spoken by any means. At the same time, he didn't know if he'd be willing to risk their friendship by getting in the way of her feelings for Samson. He understood that not all of his friends approved of Nell but he at least expected them to keep their mouths shut around him if this was the case. "Eh, none of us can help when life gets in the way." He doubted that Harley had wanted her grandmother to wind up in the hospital and so he did not think that she was to blame for it. He was respectful enough of her relationship to drop it there. Thankfully she didn't seem to dislike Nell as much as he did Samson. That would have made their situation more awkward than it already was. "Thank you. It took a lot of guts but I'm glad I asked her." He'd been worried that Nell would reject him or she would think he was rushing into things but now she was his fiancée and everything was well with the world. For now, anyway. Life had it's ways of disrupting the peaceful calm. "I'm glad you understand." He wouldn't have liked it had she freaked out on him for not telling him sooner.

His lips twitched at the words 'old man' as he imagined how Donovan would react to being called that. "Old? Joshua, I am not old. You'll have me in a wheelchair by fifty at this rate." Shaking his head and keeping his inner joke to himself, he said, "My father was happy for me. It was him I went to for advice." His mother, Patricia, had originally been a bit miffed that her husband was the first to know, but she'd gotten over it soon enough. Josh had always been more attached to Donovan than he had his mother. It was nothing personal but everyone had the parent they could go to more often in their times of need. Josh respected the opinion of his 'old man'. He respected his mother, too, but it was not the same. "We haven't got a clue when we're making it official but hell, I'm not rushing. I just wanted to... secure the future." He said the words slowly, tasting them on his tongue, then nodded. Yes, he liked the way that sounded. He was securing a thought of his future with Nell, making it so most people knew there was going to be one. It was no summer love, no simple fling. Him and Nell were really together. Ball and chain. It doesn't feel that way to me. Nell had never made him feel trapped or suffocated and for that he was glad. Joshua didn't think he could maintain a relationship he was not comfortable in. It was not the Fire graduate's style to inconvenience himself for the sake of others. "How'd you manage to get out of school for a few months?" he wondered as the thought crossed his mind.

[:\ Why anger issues? Why?]

Joshua's gray eyes flashed with hostility and anger when Harley fixed him with a sour look, entirely unaware of the situation with her parents or, indeed, that he'd said anything wrong at all. He'd merely mentioned a sport he'd once played and had dropped a long time ago, not something that was particularly offensive in his opinion. "What's your problem?" he challenged, narrowing his eyes in dislike. He tried to avoid fights with his friends but he could not help that his anger was sparked by certain things, unjustified glares being one of them. "The fuck was I suppose to know you didn't like soccer?" If he'd known that soccer had been the sport to essentially 'kill' her parents in Harley's eyes, he might have been a little less caustic and cold with his words. However, all he knew was that she'd apparently never played it since... since when? She hadn't even said. God, I can't open my mouth around people. He shook his head and took a long sip of his drink as if to calm himself. It did not do much good. The only thing that could calm his rage was time—time or Nell, and the latter wasn't here right now. Harley wasn't the only one he'd blown up at in a spur of the moment burst of anger. He'd shouted at Nell, snapped at Devin, challenged Lark. None of his friends were really safe from Josh's infamous temper.

Not wanting it to turn into another serious fight, he at least had the sense to close his mouth and end it there. He remembered how awkward it had been last time and it would be even worse, now. In their new alliance there were only three traitors and she was one of the two that could really understand how it felt to be the wolf among sheep. The Fire among the gentle pack of Earths. He was the volatile one, the loose cannon. He knew some of them feared him. Joshua arched an eyebrow at Harley, almost disbelieving. "What I want? Of course it's what I want." He never would have thought to propose if the thought of 'forever and always' with Nell frightened him. 'I do' meant a commitment that was much more lasting than a simple relationship and he was fine with that, welcomed it. She was the only one he cared about. He'd never cheated, never strayed. He'd thought about cheating in a moment of weakness, back when the relationship was new and her naivety prevented a certain level of seriousness to their connection, but that was over with now. "I'm certainly not waiting because I'm not sure of her." She's one of the things I'm absolutely positive about. There was an almost defensive note to his voice, a defiance. There was no anger but he felt the need to impress upon his friend how important Nell was to him.

He rolled his eyes when she mentioned her professors. "Assholes. Need help studying or anything?" Joshua was definitely what could be considered the 'go-to friend' when it came to study buddies. That had been the purpose of his connection to Nell before they'd become friends and it was a role he played for people who were his friends, too, if they wanted it. He was good at studying, at keeping organized, at maintaining focus. He wouldn't be the type to relent if a friend suggested ditching the books for video games or even something he enjoyed like drinking, gambling or chess. "Did they at least give you enough time? I'd hope so, given the situation." Unless she didn't explain it to them? He had taken a few weeks off school when he'd been attacked the second time but he'd been too proud to admit how bad it was, too ashamed to admit why he was skipping. It was only once he'd gotten a warning from the school and returned, despite being in a lot of pain, that his professors saw the damage that had been done. The bruises had faded but the awful scars took much longer to heal. They remained still, memories of his mistakes.