Only Wishful Thinking :: Josh

[DEVIN JAMES THATCHER]

Today, was a bro day. A time when Devin managed to be out with just the guys and have fun. Probably stupid fun, but fun none the less, and that excited him beyond comprehension. Even though the previous night had gone well into the early hours of the morning, he managed to wake up earlier than usual with a flutter of good anxiety in his chest. He was eager to go out and spend time with Josh, a few of their other buddies, and get their paintball game on. It was obvious, the excitement, because even Athena and Judith took notice of how jittery he was when he came bounding into the kitchen and threw himself into a chair for breakfast. The smile on Devin's face was not easy to miss. "What's got you all excited?" Athena asked with a hint of a laugh to her words. The boy was halfway through his breakfast already and nearly choked in attempts to speak. "We're--" He coughed. Athena waited patiently with a smile. "...god. Guess I should slow down! We're going to play paintball today. I've been waiting for this for a while. I'm so stoked!" He then continued to shovel his food. Judith merely shook her head and sipped at her coffee while she read an article in the paper. Athena leaned back in her chair and pouted.

"I wanna go with you," The girl pleaded, eyes round with hope. Devin shook his head immediately. "Nope, sorry. Guys only today." She huffed but did not say any more, knowing it would be futile. Instead he finished his food, took the few final swigs of his orange juice, and--after being scolded for abandoning his dishes on the table--he cleared away his mess before bolting back upstairs to get ready. He made sure to wear thick cargo pants and a long sleeved shirt so he wouldn't get torn up too bad.

When he arrived at the paintball arena, Devin felt the wave of anticipation hit him again. Guy time, guy time. It was much needed and he looked forward to a full day involving manly toughness. Well, sort of. He was sure he would wake up tomorrow with sore muscles and bruises but it would so be worth it. A few of the other guys had already shown up and made their way inside, while he decided to linger at the front door for Josh. He leaned against the wall, looking somewhat relaxed but his feet shifted around as he waited. When his best friend finally showed up, Devin nearly fell over himself pushing away from the wall. "Hey bro!" He greeted happily, offering a wave before said wave slowed to a halt. His hand was still in mid-air, eyes flicking from Josh's face to the bandaged hand. The smile was also gone, replaced with a concerned frown. "...uh.." The same frozen hand finally moved just enough to point at the cast, Devin's eyebrows arching upward as though silently questioning its existence before verbally pointing out the obvious. "You've got a cast. Why do you have a cast? What did you do? Did you fall?" He was a waterfall of questions at this point. The perverted part of him wanted to make a nasty joke about Josh going a bit rough with the hand jobs but his worry decided that now was not the right time.

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

He was stubborn. Too stubborn for his own good, really. So instead of asking for help with anything that came to his current injuries, Josh endured. He drove himself everywhere, he never asked people to be gentle around him to avoid jarring his ribs, he acted like his right arm was completely fine and functional. And he absolutely refused to cancel the paintball game that he'd scheduled a while back with his friends. With everyone holding down jobs or busy with schooling, it wasn't often that they could all take a day and get together for some guy time. He could hang out with them one on one whenever schedules didn't conflict but this was a special day. He was going to enjoy this and it was going to be fine. He was confident that he could still handle the gun decently well (his wrist was broken, not his fingers) and he had no issue with the pain of being shot by speeding balls of paint. He'd been through a lot worse. Besides, he'd played paintball plenty of times before. It was good fun.

What wasn't fun? Traffic. He frowned at the back-up of cars and sent a quick text to his buddies: Running a bit late, damn traffic. Should be there soon. It was not like Joshua to be late for anything but he was not omniscient. He'd had no way of knowing that the roads would be this tight around this time of day. He knew to avoid the common times when people got off of work but apart from that, it was up in the air. The traffic didn't hold him up for longer than five minutes but it was still enough that he figured his friends would be inside by the time he pulled his car into the parking lot. Devin was waiting for him outside of the place and he grinned broadly at him. "Hey, man, what's up?" He would have embraced him with a brotherly hug and maybe messed with him a little in the spirit of being a friendly dickhead if Devin hadn't taken the time to call out the plaster elephant in the room. He hadn't told most of the people he hadn't seen in person since the accident about it, figuring that it was best to pretend like he was totally fine. That was Joshua's way of doing things, after all.

His buddy was a fountain of questions and Josh laughed, waving his good hand as if to dismiss the concern. "Nah, I didn't fall. I'm not you, DJ." Ball-busting was a part of the day when you were friends with Josh. He did it out of love. "I just got into a bit of a wreck before the holidays, that's all. Some stupid idiot drank a bit too much on his way home. I'm getting it taken off next week, don't worry about it." It was a blatant lie but it was one that he told easily, not missing a beat. It was not uncommon for Joshua to be very brief when it came to talking about his personal life and so he was confident that Devin wouldn't question the fib or pry so deep into the situation that he uncovered some kind of a falsehood. That was why the Fire graduate couldn't stand nosy people. They thought it was their business to find out everything about you and what you'd been up to. He didn't share details with just anyone. Not even his best friend in this case. "Enough about me, though, how've you been? I've looked forward to this for ages!" He pulled Devin into that hug he'd been planned for, ignoring the ache in his ribs. "Should we head inside? I'm guessing the guys are already here." He didn't like being the last one to the party but it couldn't be helped.

[DEVIN JAMES THATCHER]

Devin forced out a small shrug at Josh's question, still a bit stunned--and bewildered--by the cast on the man's wrist. That meant something was broken or fractured, which meant whatever hit Josh's hand had been either really heavy or big or there was a lot of pressure put on it...so many possibilities and honestly it freaked the poor boy out a bit more than it should have. Years of friendship taught Devin that a lot of things were kept private but he simply could not refrain from asking questions. Josh's jab at his clumsiness drew a small pout but it at least distracted him from the initial panic welling up in his chest. "Ha-ha, very funny Josh. Don't be hating on my two left feet. You'll make them sad." He wiggled his feet back and forth, clacking the sides of the shoes together once or twice.

"A wreck?" Devin echoed, blinking. Well, at least that was definitely possible. Still the boy looked concerned and could not keep his blue eyes from drifting between the cast and his friend's face. "Drunk drivers. Feh. Why do people think they can get away with that stuff?" He loved alcohol. He enjoyed feeling a buzz and did not mind the party scene. Well less now that he was with Sandra. In fact he had not been to a party since he started dating her. Huh. He did not even really notice. Still, his affinity for alcoholic beverages did not exactly waver. He merely found different settings to drink it in. He nodded when Josh told him not to worry, though he did. It was his best buddy injured, after all. "You and me both!" The concern faded from his features and was replaced with something more boyish, excited. Like a kid on Christmas morning. He returned the hug; it was enough to make him feel so incredibly small. They were like an awkward dog duo: the rottweiler and the chihuahua. "I'm doing good! Just school, work, girlfriend and family. Not...necessarily in that order." He looked a bit sheepish, rubbing at the back of his neck as a chuckle passed his lips. Smart as Devin was, school was not his thing. He did try, though.

With a quick nod, he made a 'follow me' motion with his hand before opening the door and walking inside. "A couple of the guys couldn't make it because some stuff came up, be we have enough to keep the teams even." The other guys were already suited up with their vests, helmets, goggles and paintball guns. Some of them wore extra padding but most stuck with thick cargo pants, long sleeves and jackets. Devin stuck with his original outfit and slid the vest on. "This stuff is so heavy," The boy muttered as the helmet plopped down on his head. He was no weakling but the gym never really suited him. Once ready--and after splitting everyone up into teams--Devin glanced up at his friend with a bright smile. "You ready to kick some ass?" He asked. He asked for Josh to be on his team because one, they were buddies and he didn't want to shoot him, and two, he didn't want Josh to shoot him back. Sounded reasonable, right?

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

Injuries made him uncomfortable. The scar had been bad enough about calling attention to him and now he had a cast for everyone to ask about. Most of his friends had learned not to ask about the scar or even look at it for too long lest they risk upsetting him but this was fresh territory. Everyone asked. He could not blame them for their concern but he tired quickly of the lying. He was glad that he was able to divert Devin's attention away from it, smirking as Devin clicked his feet together. "Who are you, Dorothy?" His tone was mocking and his lips curled into a sneer. To any outsider it would appear that the Fire graduate was truly trying to insult his friend but he trusted Devin himself to know better. "Your feet can suck it." The incident with the mob had not changed him much. He was more jumpy and paranoid but that was something he tried his best to hide from everyone else. Apart from the cast, he was completely all right. That was what he wanted everyone to believe.

Though there was no indication of it, Joshua was nervous as he waited for his best friend's response. There was no reason for the Earth elemental to question his explanation but what if he did? What if there was something that made him doubt it? He resisted the urge to hold his breath and was relieved when Devin expressed his disgust. "Probably too drunk to care. I got lucky, though. It was a clean break." Clean because it had been made by someone bending his wrist back as far as it would go as opposed to a car crash. He relaxed upon seeing the concern fade from Devin's face. It was easier for him now that he didn't have to think up lies and excuses and it was also good to know that he'd been able to reassure his best buddy. Joshua was proud and he didn't like people to worry over him. He liked to be the solid rock in his group of friends, untouchable, invincible. "You and Sandy doing good, then?" He remembered the mess with Autumn and how glad he'd been when his friend had finally moved on. Sandra was a sweet girl. He was good friends with her brother Matt. "Ditto, though. Medical school's hard enough without the job." He chuckled. "Not that I'm complaining. It's been good, kept me busy." Devin would know as well as anyone that the Fire graduate strove to remain occupied. A job, medical school and a marriage all in one was enough to do the trick.

Josh made a face when Devin told him that some of their friends had been unable to make it, disappointed but not completely crushed. "Their loss." Life was a bitch with how easily it got in the way of things. He understood and didn't hold it against their friends. He donned the vest without complaint, making it look much easier than it was with one working hand. He'd gotten used to the cast getting in his way and had adapted as best he could. Shooting the gun was going to be harder, too, but it was a challenge he willingly embraced. He was ready to get back into his life full-swing. It was not like Josh to allow anything to keep him down for long. He hefted the gun in his grip with a frown, nodding to himself. Should be fine. He was confident. "But not your ass," he said with a cheeky grin. "Your feet have taken enough of a beating. Let's do this." He clapped Devin hard on the shoulder with his good hand and backed up so that he could find some cover. There was no worse way to start off than out in the open where everyone could pelt you relentlessly with balls of paint. "You take right, I'll take left?"

[I'll have him get hit a few more posts in xD]

[DEVIN JAMES THATCHER]

Well, at least despite the cast, Josh was still his normal self. Devin sometimes took his jokes seriously but over the years he attempted to spend a few extra moments deciding what was a joke and what was not. Instead of pouting or getting upset at being labeled a female with a black dog in a basket, the blonde looked down at his attire and tugged at the hem of his jeans in contemplation. "Do you think I could pull off the dress?" He asked seriously, allowing his hips to twist back and forth. "I don't know if I could handle the sparkly red shoes..." And that was Devin, running with Josh's comments quite easily. People insulted him quite a bit--at least those who liked to bully the non-aggressive Earth--so more often than not he responded with humor whether it was meant to be funny or not. There was a faint snort followed shortly after the 'suck it' comment and he rolled his eyes. "So cruel to my feet!" And now his toenails would weep little tears of sadness.

Lucky? It shouldn't be broken at all, in Devin's opinion. But drunk drivers were not exactly something you hoped or expected to run into on your drive to and from school or work. You knew they were out there but you did not get on the road feeling paranoid about every driver around you. Not normally, anyway. He nodded a little bit in agreement no matter how he felt about the situation, knowing full well how his best friend was. Discussing injuries made most people uncomfortable and Josh was no different. He recalled the time he attempted to make light of scars and inwardly shuddered. The awkward, unsure smile changed into something brighter, more cheerful as Sandra came into conversation. "Doing great! She's wonderful. Best thing that's happened to me in a long time." Devin rubbed at his arm and chuckled, blue eyes reflecting the happiness he felt. Girlfriends had come and gone in the past, but Sandra surpassed everyone.

"Busy is good! I'm glad that everything is going well for you. How long do you have for medical school?" Devin tilted his head with the inquiry, genuinely curious. He himself was not made for school, but for the sake of his aunt he decided to get a degree under his belt. She had done a lot for him and that was only fair. Josh was good with academics and liked the challenges. It gave Devin the boost he needed though. Seeing his best friend do well in school was good encouragement.

He nodded in agreement. Jobs and life loved to get in the way of hang-out time but it couldn't be helped. That was how it went in the real world, something Devin had yet to adjust to fully. He was going to ask after Josh's arm, ask if it was wise to play this game with a cast on, but held back for now. Josh was a stubborn man. He could hear the words 'I'm fine' or something along those lines if he asked. He laughed. "Yeah, let's leave my ass out of the equation! At least until later tonight." Devin eyed his best friend with a suggestive smile. Anyone else would probably think the comment to be serious. "But yeah! Let's do this." He raised his gun into the air, a sort of battle cry following shortly after. Some of his teammates joined in before the game began. The other team wandered off to the other side of the field, giving them plenty of time to hide and get situated. Devin glanced around. "Sounds good. But let's stay in sight of one another so we can be backup." Not to mention he could keep an eye on Josh in case his arm started to bother him. That was not the main reason, but it made the Earth feel better. He hunched over and kept his weapon close to his chest as he made way to a wall and leaned up against it as the first paintball shots echoed across the field. He winced but the smile of adrenaline was apparent as he turned a little to catch one of the other team players off guard with a paintball to the chest. "Score!"

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

Josh didn't bat a lash at Devin's comment, taking a step back and resting his good hand on his hip as he swept his gaze up and down his best friend's figure with a thoughtful frown. "Please, Dev. You'd look fabulous, I promise." He smiled but did not laugh. This was part of the day for them. "Red isn't really your colour but you can look good in anything." No one was around to witness their display but Josh would have spoke the words even if they were in the midst of a thick crowd. He had no shame.

His lip twitched as he watched Devin brighten at mention of Sandra. He'd been told by family and friends that he had the same reaction to his wife. He looks really happy. As his best friend, Josh had been by Devin's side through all the break-ups, make-ups and hard times. He'd watched as Autumn broke the Earth elemental's heart and now he was watching Sandra work her magic to repair it. It cheered him. "I can see it." The words were quiet and sincere, lips forming a soft smile before his expression returned to its neutral state. With his good hand he clapped Devin's shoulder. "She's a good catch, man. Good for you. Don't let her get away." It was not like the Fire elemental to be so heartfelt and serious around his best buddy but after the Autumn drama, he didn't want to see Devin go through that again. Sandra was a nice girl. Josh liked her. He'd liked Autumn, too, but that hadn't worked out. I hope this does. He wanted his friend to be as happy as he was with Nell.

School had always been an easy subject. Almost any subject was easy with Devin around but he appreciated the interest either way. "Four years. They stopped offering the double degree but I figured it was best to change my course instead of uprooting my life." There was a reason for that which he didn't mention aloud. I'm married now, it's not only about me. He was sure his friend understood. "Plus it means less time in school and more time as Dr. Dale, MD. God, I love the sound of that." He laughed and shook his head. His father was also Dr. Dale but the idea of it being applied to him, to Josh, was exhilarating. He could hardly wait and he was a pretty patient guy. "Have you decided your major yet? Second year and all." He knew that, despite his intelligence, Devin did not enjoy school like he did. He was proud of his friend's decision to pursue an education regardless and so he expressed his curiosity where appropriate.

The jokes didn't phase him. In fact, Joshua smirked and raised his brows. In front of all their friends who were well within hearing distance, he said, "So you're willing to experiment? I'm so proud of you, babe. I won't tell her, I swear." He wiggled the fingers of his left hand and then stepped forward to kiss his very heterosexual friend on the cheek. Turning to one of their friends who was watching, he slid an arm around Devin's waist. "What, are you jealous?" He couldn't hold back his laughter after that, slipping away from his friend and howling with mirth. "Your face." He ignored the irritated, "Shut up, man." and turned his attention back to getting ready for their match. That had been good fun.

He nodded curtly to show he'd heard, his game face settling over his expression. Gray eyes were hard and serious and his lips were set in a determined scowl. He took competitions very seriously. It was the reason he'd never really liked sports for anything other than a bit of fun. If there was something at stake, he could get downright nasty. He crept to one side, keeping Devin in his peripheral vision so he could tell if the Earth elemental needed any help. It didn't seem like it as his buddy shot one of the opposing team in the chest. Josh gave him a thumbs up, not wanting to reveal his position by shouting, then leaned out from his hiding place to fire a shot toward one of the enemies. It caught him in the arm and Josh resisted laughter as the guy swore and clutched it instinctively. Got 'em.

[I'll have him hit in my next post~]

[DEVIN JAMES THATCHER]

"Well..." He looked at himself thoughtfully, not even taking notice that Josh had a hand on his hip, assessing his best friend's figure with a less than manly comment on his wardrobe and color choices. Devin was as comfortable with his sexuality as Josh was and had no qualms with talking 'fashion' out in the open for other people to hear. What were they going to do other than give them weird stares? They both had girls to go home to in the end. "Aww, thanks man. Where would I be without you? I'd probably be fashionably lost!" He flailed his arms back and forth a little, smiling. A quirky, lame joke if you ever saw one but hey, he wasn't going for stand-up comedian of the year.

If anyone understood the turmoil Devin experienced with girls and girlfriends in the past, it was Josh. There had only been a handful of actual relationships and all of them ended for one reason or another, though Autumn had been the worst by far. His emotions quickly wrapped around the girl and as fast as he fell, the relationship fell apart. Luckily he had someone there to mend what had been broken. The Earth looked a little sheepish. "That obvious, huh?" He asked, glancing up at his friend with a half smile. He never really tried to hide it, of course, and was glad that his friend took notice of the happiness. Devin's form shook a little from the impact of the hand on his shoulder, but he was not phased by the movement. "I'm not going to, you can count on it. She's...something else." He felt that they were a good match and loved that they were similar yet different in a lot of ways. "It's nice to have someone who can rival me in an eating contest who isn't one of the guys," He added with a laugh. That girl could put down just as much food as he could.

School was never a top priority for him but Devin knew how much it meant to Josh and so he wanted to switch the conversation to show interest. He blinked and then shrugged; four years felt like a lot to him but he had to remind himself that he was not academically inclined. Of course it was not necessarily the four years that threw him off; it was the fact that Josh was interested in a double degree at the start. The Earth shook his head. "God, a double degree?" His mind could not even wrap around it. "But it's probably best you stick it out here, yeah? I'd be a wreck without you, you know." The spark in his eyes gave away that he was not serious. He would miss Josh if he left, of course, considering they had grown up together, but he knew the real reason. He would do the same for Sandra. "Dr. Dale does have a nice ring to it! You'll be the best doctor ever. Of all time." His hands spread out to show some half-assed representation of a timeline. Maybe now when he got himself into a scrape or fell down a flight of stairs he could go to Josh instead of a stranger. The question left him quiet, finger wrapping around his chin. Damn. Why did you have to ask me that? With a sigh, he conceded with, "I don't know for sure yet." Inwardly he cringed and awaited some sort of scathing look from his friend before continuing. "But I've been thinking on it, I have. I think I'm leaning towards something video game related." He would need to talk to his counselor and figure out what he needed to do for that but it seemed the best route. Something he was good at and enjoyed. It would seem less like a job that way. "Aunt Judith really wants me to get something so...even if it's not that, it'll be something." She had done far too much for him to just let her down. He couldn't handle the guilt.

In front of their friends and a few of the workers at the paintball arena, Devin received an affectionate kiss on the cheek by none other than his best guy friend. A married man. The sad part was that he was not the least bit bothered by it and instead of wiping his cheek and passing everyone apologetic stares he gave Josh a warning glare and said, "You better not, because I haven't told her yet! I have to wait for the right time, y'know?" His gaze flicked over towards their friends. That had to have been unexpected. He had a hard time keeping his laughter contained when Josh wrapped an arm around his waist, his head nestling easily into the taller man's underarm. "Bitches better be jealous." As soon as the laughter broke out, Devin followed suit and held his side. It hurt too much. The looks on their faces made it all worthwhile. Maybe they were far too comfortable with their sexuality, after all?

Devin's exclamation of triumph was short lived, for it wound up drawing the attention of the other team. Some of them were talking, voices growing closer. Fuck. He rolled off to the left and away from his friend, trying to find a different cover before they reached this side of the field. Protected or not, those little balls hurt like hell and he would avoid getting hit if at all possible. His body had found full cover just as a paintball whizzed right by his hiding spot, breath held tight as it passed. Close call... There was no way he would be safe here forever, though, and so he made an attempt to get back towards Josh while they were distracted with other people.

SMACK.

He yelped as paintball met hip mid-crawl, his body freezing up momentarily before falling over into the leaves. "Shit shit shit..." Devin muttered to himself before trying to get up to check himself. He looked at the mark where he had been hit; fortunately the ball did not break and, while it hurt, the mark was not nickel sized and thus he was not out. Yet. Quickly he shuffled behind a barricade. Elimination was just as intense as capture the flag. Maybe they could play that one next.

[I'm going to have Devin get eliminated when he goes to help Josh. <3 And don't mind the length.. >>]

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

Josh had always been driven, had always known what he wanted from life. Where the idea of eight years in school post-college would intimidate some, he had welcomed the idea as a chance to broaden his horizons and fulfil his goals. Life had different plans for him, apparently, but he embraced those with just as much enthusiasm. "Hey, who knows? Maybe it'll work out for the better. It'll mean I'm out of school sooner." He didn't add what he was really thinking. If I'm gonna be a father at some point, I don't want to be away from home all of the time. He thought about kids a lot, more than even his wife seemed to. He couldn't help subconsciously factoring them into his choices for the future. So much had changed since his youth. His lip twitched. "Glad you think so." He sounded casual, almost indifferent, but on the inside he was truly touched by Devin's confidence in him. Once upon a time, Joshua had been his only supporter. Me, myself and I. Now he had friends and family that stuck up for him, believed in him. It caused a tightness in his chest that he tried to ignore.

His look was not scathing, merely concerned. He judged Devin a bit for not having decided upon a major—come on, man, you don't have a whole lot of time left!—but it was more out of worry for his best buddy than anything else. Joshua had his life set on pretty steady tracks but that did not mean everyone else had to be like him. Though he didn't smile, he looked amused as Devin elaborated a small amount. "That's something," he said. "Do you know what you'd prefer? Like, are you talking programming or more of the design side of things? Or testing, maybe?" He remembered when they were younger and Devin had talked about skateboarding. When had things come so far? They were growing up. They'd started as naive children and now they were young men with partners, educations, a future to think about. It was almost dizzying. "I'm sure you'll figure it out, man. You've got time yet." He clapped a supportive hand on Devin's shoulder and offered him his signature lip-twitch smile.

His head snapped toward Devin when he heard the other boy's exclamation of pain. His narrowed gray eyes were intense as they locked onto their target, the snickering member of the opposing side that had shot Devin. A friend, one of the guys, but currently an enemy in the name of paintball war. Heads up, you little shit. He smirked and listened to the soft pfft of the ball as it sped toward its mark and collided. That smirk turned into a satisfied grin as the boy recoiled and clutched his arm. I got your back, bro, he thought, glancing at Devin and giving him a brief nod before he moved away behind another obstacle.

Someone must have spotted him while he was moving, however, for the next thing Josh knew was an eruption of sharp, white-hot pain in his ribs. He had high pain tolerance and a lot of pride but the pained gasp and hiss of, "Oh... fuck..." that escaped him were not able to be held back. The pain crippled him and he sank down to where he was on one knee, shoulders tense and fists clenched as he fought back the urge to swear profusely. God damn it, this hurts... He was shaking from the shock of the pain as he gingerly moved his arm and glanced at the spot where the paintball had made impact. Blue paint was splashed across his stomach and he knew that the impact must have bothered his damaged ribs. Why else would he be in this much pain? He could feel his eyes watering and so he ducked his head under his arm for a moment so that no one would notice as he brushed the stubborn moisture from his lids. I'm not gonna fucking cry. Breathing hurt. Moving hurt. Everything hurt. He didn't want to move. Well that's me fucked anyway. Ha. It wasn't funny even if he tried to laugh it off in his head.

[DEVIN JAMES THATCHER]

Sooner? The man had already spent four or so years in college as it was, and yet a few more didn't seem to bother him in the least. Devin simply couldn't handle that, but still admired Josh for being so dedicated to his studies. It took a special personality to do that, he supposed. There were the driven people and those directed more by what they wanted than what might be a long term benefit. He gave Josh a small smile and a shrug. Of course he thought so! Devin always thought highly of those he cared about and loved. "I really don't know yet," Devin admitted, tucking a cheek into his shoulder. While Josh had his life pretty much planned out, there he was two years into college and still unsure of what he truly wanted. Some of it required so much effort and frankly that was not appealing. "Testing sounds like something I could definitely enjoy doing. I mean, sitting around in their offices playing video games and recording a bunch of glitches and bugs all day? Doesn't sound all that bad." He had already looked up some of this stuff but decided to get through his basic college courses before making anything final. And then he put it off for a while, like usual. He chuckled nervously. "Yeah, I guess so." The encouragement was reassuring but he knew time was dwindling. He would start getting things sorted out this year.

Devin nodded to Josh when the paintball made contact with his attacker's arm, a smile of satisfaction written on his face. Justice had been served! That didn't remove the pain but at least one of their opponents was out. Dwindling down the numbers was key to the game, after all. The other player wandered off the playing field with wounded pride. Satisfied that they were at least making progress, he turned to see who all was left on his team while he found a place to hide.

Of course he glanced over just in time to see Josh get pegged with a paintball. Which would not have concerned the Earth in the least--since that was what they were supposed to do--except for the fact that instead of just clutching his side and hissing out some sort of profanity from the sting, his friend actually fell to one knee and looked to be in a great deal of pain. Feeling a sense of urgency to help, Devin relinquished shelter and took off to aid Josh, though that resulted in a good hit to the leg in the process. "Damn!" He yelped, hobbling the rest of the way towards his fallen comrade. Did the paintball really hurt that bad? Worry flashed in his blue eyes. "Josh! Josh are you okay?" It was about that time he heard one of the other team players shout out "You're out, Thatcher!" Before he turned to glare at them. Naturally not an angry person, it was a bit startling to see such a sour expression. They put up their hands and backed away, leaving them be. He placed a hand on Josh's shoulder. "What's wrong? Was the padding not thick enough? Or was it too close a range?" He asked a waterfall of questions, panicking over whether the injury was as bad as it seemed.

"C-come on, buddy. Let's get you off the field okay? You don't wanna get pegged again." Knowing that his best friend held a great amount of pride, he did not try and lift him up or coddle him too much. Instead he sat there and waited to see if Josh would make efforts to move himself. Devin couldn't help but worry and wished he knew how to help other than what he was doing now. He was, of course, oblivious to the injury that lay beneath the paint ball mark and vest.

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

Though he was a patient person, Joshua did not think he would be cut out for video game testing even if he liked gaming as a whole. The repetitive and no doubt frustrating process would likely bore and incense him after only a short time. He figured that his friend would have more of a tolerance than he did, though he felt the need to say, "Mm, but keep in mind it won't always be a triple A title that you're testing." Indie games had their faults too—usually a whole lot more of them. They had less testers to work out all the kinks and a much lower budget. He may not have been into the gaming industry but Joshua understood this. It was simply how the world worked. "You've gotta be prepared to replay some shitty, bugged levels over and over again as well as have a blast on those that aren't so bad." His lip twitched. "And, y'know, you want to go in with the confidence that it won't ruin your passion for gaming." A lot of people got sick and tired of something if they had to do it day in and day out. Turn a hobby into a job and that hobby could very well be ruined for the rest of your life.

The excruciating pain made it hard to concentrate, white hot like someone had shoved a knife through his ribcage. It was hard to hold back tears as he clenched his muscles and willed the pain to fade, to go away. He was conscious of the fact that he was in the middle of a hectic paint ball match and that his friends would all be able to see that he was down but he hurt too much at present to do anything about it. The proud part of him wanted to get up and walk it off, maybe laugh and be a good sport about being out so that they didn't think that anything was wrong. Heck, the rest of him wanted that too. The agony had a different idea. It hurts so bad... It brought him back to that day up on the mountainside when they'd kicked him while he was down, dealt the blows that had broken his ribs in the first place. It didn't make him feel any better. Shit...

And then Devin was there, his friend's voice unexpectedly loud in his ear. Joshua hadn't been expecting it as he'd been paying absolutely no attention to his surroundings. His eyes were shut tight so that he could only see blackness but he lifted his head and opened them to glance at Devin, gray eyes glazed with the pain he felt. His expression was taught and he managed to force out the word, "Idiot..." It was in reference to the fact that Devin had risked his own neck to come out here and check on him, getting himself taken out in the process. They only had one member left on their team and Josh hoped the guy would fight his hardest. Hurt as he was, the competitive part of him didn't want his team going down without a fight. Ignoring the question about padding, as it would require far too many words for his current tastes, he addressed the other instead. "Fine," he lied through gritted teeth, feeling the light weight of his friend's hand on his shoulder. He didn't like the feeling of being fussed over, worried about. He wanted to be the rock upon which everyone in his life counted, the steady and unyielding force. He did not want to feel as weak and injured as he did right now.

He was doing a pretty good job of hiding it, all things considered, but he definitely did not want to move from where he'd collapsed in pain. However, he also didn't want to give Devin any more reason to panic. I've got to make them think I'm all right. "Just... give me a sec," he said, wishing the pain didn't show through in his strained tone. Bracing himself, he pushed himself up with a noise in his throat that resembled a cross between a grunt and a gasp, muscles locking with tension. "I'm all right," he insisted almost angrily, frustrated, "I'm fine, let's just..." He shook his head and strode, hand clutched against his side, toward the door. Being outside in the cold air was much better than being inside and having to face the looks they were giving him.

[DEVIN JAMES THATCHER]

It was a good thing Devin had Josh in his life, someone who saw things objectively and remembered all the finer details. He liked to look at everything with as much optimism as possible and tended to ignore the negatives. He looked contemplative as he listened to his best friend and tilted his head back and forth as though weighing the options right then and there. Josh was right; he could very well ruin a favorite hobby by taking on this job. "True! But I'll never know if I don't jump in and try it out. If it doesn't pan out like I think it will then I'll go for something else. I don't really think dealing with bugged games will be too bad." Devin said this with a confident smile. His patience level was quite high and it would take a great deal of strain to upset him to the point of ruining the experience of gaming. But hey, the option to walk away from it existed.

Caught up in his panic, Devin ignored the pain in his leg and spent a great deal of time mentally worrying over Josh. He asked the questions he felt were necessary and stood over the man like a dog would protect its owner (though there wasn't much to be done but stand there and look like a babbling idiot), waiting to see if he could do anything to help. Anything at all. Such a worry wart. His blue eyes stayed focused on the hunched form and pulled his head back when he heard the 'fine', not really believing it. Yeah, perfectly fine, Devin thought to himself with a small sigh of exasperation. Really, how was this considered fine? Being crouched over and clutching at your side did not usually signify being fine. He reminded himself that pride probably played a factor in the response. "If you're sure..." He trailed off and worried at his lip. Did the paintball hit a soft spot in the vest or something? Or did it not break as easily as it was supposed to? There were possibilities like that he supposed and since he didn't know about his ribs that was all he could come up with.

"Okay," With a wince he stepped back and gave some space, adjusting his own vest and then glancing down at his leg. There would be a nice sized bruise there later for sure. He glanced back over his shoulder to see that there was one player left on their team, taking up everyone's slack and trying to get a win. As much as Devin would have liked to keep up the game, his best friend was of higher importance. He waited until Josh was ready to walk out of the building before following close behind, waving off his teammates and opponents before going outside. The cold air almost took his breath away but it wasn't so bad. "Are you...sure you're okay? I mean, I don't think a paintball should do that sort of damage. I can go and ask him how old they are.." If they were too old they might not break properly and hurt like a bitch. He rarely saw Josh like this and it was hard to come up with much to say. Prying too far could make him angry but not prying enough made him panic even more. "Is there something I can do? I can always take you home and when you're feeling better we can come back and get your car or something..." He really hated feeling helpless.

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

The cold air burned in his lungs as he staggered outside but it was far easier to ignore than the sharp pain in his side each time he drew a breath. His heart was racing and his breaths were quick and sharp, not a good combination with fractured ribs. The pain was written across his face as he leaned against the wall, still clutching the injured area as if the presence of his hand was going to make some kind of a difference. It did not, but he did not move from the position as he fought back the urge to swear, scream, sob. He was not used to pain of this intensity. It was nothing that he could handle. He liked to think that he could take on anything but everyone's tolerance had a limit. This was his.

"No," he snapped quickly when Devin suggested going in and talking to the owner of the paintball range. He didn't want anyone else brought into this. His pride had been damaged enough for the public display of weakness and he didn't want to make it worse, especially when he knew that it was not the paintballs that were at fault. He didn't want to tell his best friend about his ribs, it would be ten times worse if he had to explain it to everyone and their mother. "No," he repeated, a little less coldly this time. "It's fine." He was not fine on any level but he was ready to stop Devin if he took so much as a step toward the door. His mind was made up.

I'm going to have to tell him. The realisation was bitter and one that he did not want to come to terms with. He was stubborn and secretive, he didn't like letting people in on his pain. "Fine." He practically spat the word, not liking the way that Devin was fussing over him. He was like a wounded dog, baring his teeth at anyone that dared come within ten feet. "I just need a minute, back the fuck off and let me breathe." The rational part of him knew that he should not be treating Devin with such a nasty attitude but he did not discriminate between friend and foe when he was upset or tense. Everyone got a taste of his bark, it was the bite from which his friends were saved. Had Devin been a stranger, the Fire graduate might have already thrown a punch. He was not in the mood to be messed with. He also understood that his friend deserved an apology but that was something he would not get.

Josh did not apologise.

Exhaling slowly, he did not look at Devin but rather glowered at the ground as he said, "Look... I broke my ribs, all right?" There was an air of frustration in his tone, like it was somehow Devin's fault that he had to say this. There had been no such demands on the Earth's part but when he asked so many questions it saved Josh having to lie more than he already had about the situation. His friend was not an idiot. The reaction to being pegged with the ball of paint had not been typical. Devin knew his tolerance for pain. "I figured I could handle it so I didn't say anything." He would not admit vocally that he had been wrong but the entire situation spelled it out for them both. It made him bitter. He hated being wrong about anything.

[DEVIN JAMES THATCHER]

Devin flinched visibly at the snap, half expecting it but half hoping that Josh would just relent and allow someone to help him with whatever it was that needed to be dealt with. They had played paintball many times over the course of their friendship and this was not normal. Devin could be oblivious to a lot of things--and choose to be oblivious to others--but it was a bit difficult to ignore Josh's response to being hit. Instead of saying anything, he merely stood there, hands in his pockets and released a small sigh when his friend seemed to give a slightly calmer response. He felt bad for him. That looked like it really hurt. "Okay," He muttered, leaving that be. The last thing Devin wanted to do was make Josh upset.

Of course his worry seemed to be a bit overdone and again the Earth pulled back at the biting remark. He should have known but it was in his nature to ask the questions and be naggy to ensure they were, indeed, okay. Whoops. The infrequent frown continued to linger on his face, the concern lined in the wrinkles between his brows. "Alright, sorry," He mumbled the apology and took a few literal steps back in case that was actually necessary. The whole time his eyes remained focused on his friend.

"Oh..." Broke his ribs? But how, when, where, why? All of the questions raced to the forefront of his mind but he kept his mouth shut this time. Getting his head bitten off twice was enough to teach him to try and be less inquisitive until such a time where Josh wasn't in such severe pain. "I'm not surprised," He said gently. It was not said in a degrading tone; more just stating a fact. Pride and stubbornness could get in the way of a lot of things. He understood that. There were times Devin wished he was more stoic and prideful but it wasn't his nature. If there was an ounce of pain it was usually pretty evident, even if he attempted to brush it off. Attempted. "You don't think you damaged it further, do you?" The question was asked with a great amount of hesitation, but he felt it was necessary. At least he wasn't prying, right? "Maybe...maybe you should go and get it checked out just to be sure? You probably don't want to, but..." The Earth shrugged a little and glanced at his friend with a sort of hopeful look in his eyes. "I just don't want it to cause more damage or anything."

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

Joshua's expression twisted into a cruel grimace as he scoffed. Devin might not have meant for the comment to offend but in his current state the Fire graduate found everything offensive. He wanted to be left alone, in truth, but he was in no fit state to go storming off at the moment. So he stayed, glowering at his best friend as if the Earth had done something to wrong him.

His jaw shifted angrily. "The fuck do I know?" Leaning up against the wall, Joshua was still hunched over slightly with one arm cradling his side. It felt like there was a knife stuck between his ribs and his racing thoughts brought images to his mind that he did not want to consider. What if he punctured something important? There was a knot of panic in his throat but he refused to show fear in front of Devin. "No—I don't know." There was more tension than rage in his voice this time as he fought to keep the pain from registering. It was hard. Had he been alone, he would have been free to loosen the restraints he'd placed on himself and truly deal with the pain. He wasn't alone, however, and he hated that.

Though he had far too much pride, Joshua was not stupid. He would get antibiotics when he was sick and he would get treatment for his wounds when he was injured. Having grown up with his father in the medical field and having an aspiration to become a doctor himself, he understood the importance of one's own health. This was no different. You don't know what I want. The thought was more defensive than anything and he didn't vocalise it. "Yeah, and you think I do? I'm not stupid." His friend had not been insinuating stupidity but anger didn't care about the truth. When he was upset, everything was taken the wrong way and he was always in the right. Apologies were not given, guilt was not felt and his own feelings were the only one that mattered.

An angry breath was expelled from his nostrils, which flared in response. "Jesus Christ, I'm going to the fucking hospital all right?" The words were almost a growl. Devin only wanted to help. A small part of him knew this but refused to acknowledge it. "I'm in a bit of pain right now, if you hadn't noticed." Truth be told he didn't know if he trusted himself to move quite yet. Would that aggravate the pain more? He looked at his car, parked along the side of the road across from them, and then shifted his arm away from his ribs to fish car keys—or rather, buttons—from his pocket. His expression was taught with the pain he was holding in. "You feel like driving?" Angry and defensive as he was, this was a trust he would not place in many others. Harper was his baby and he'd usually much sooner take a cab than trust anyone else in her driver's seat. But he didn't want to leave his car behind and Devin... well, Devin was his best friend. His eyes narrowed for a moment. "And you'd better not tell the guys about this."

[I'm sorry he's an ass when he's angry ;.;]

[DEVIN JAMES THATCHER]

Devin's eyes instantly drew themselves towards the ground as Josh glowered at him, shuffling his foot and looking more like a lost, helpless puppy than anything else. He hated fights, or any form of confrontation, really, and dealing with the anger was not something he did well. In a way he felt bad that he didn't just leave well enough alone but he couldn't. He's just hurting, The Earth reminded himself, vowing to leave his answers short and simple from now on to avoid causing any more problems. God, he hated people being angry with him.

"Okay," He said for at least the third or fourth time in the past few minutes, feeling it was a safe but neutral place to be. Part of him wondered if Josh would get mad at him for that too. His eyes did not even drift up to look at his friend again. It was like a predator staring down an enemy, in some weird way. If they made eye contact they were asking for a fight, if they looked down and kept their distance the other would see submission. Devin was almost always the first to show his belly. He flinched again, still not looking at the Fire. "Sorry." Was yet another short reply. I know you aren't stupid. I never said you were. Would have been the alternative but somehow it didn't seem like the right time to say anything.

A faint sigh of relief passed through his nostrils when Josh conceded to going to the hospital, still not saying anything and instead giving a nod that he heard. "Yeah I kind of did." He replied to the biting remark about the pain. It was exceedingly obvious by this point that he was hurting. Part of Devin wanted to look up and tell him that, but again, the timing would have been horrible and he wanted to keep his head attached to his shoulders. He had been friends with Josh long enough to know how some things might go down. Taking this as a sign that he could actually speak, Devin nodded and said, "Sure, I can drive you. No problem." The boy took a step forward and let out a hand to take the keys. "You need help getting to the car or are you good," The question was so mellowed out that it didn't even come out as an inquiry. He stood there and waited for any sort of confirmation before getting in the car. The upholstery was nice and the feel of the car was definitely different but nothing he couldn't handle for the short jaunt to the hospital. Devin blinked but didn't even look at Josh as he got the car started. "Why would I do that? You should know by now that if it's not my business I don't talk about it." Which was true. He didn't go running around gabbing about everyone else's personal lives.

Without much of another word, Devin pulled away from the curb and onto the street towards the hospital, keeping both hands on the wheel and watching the road like a hawk stalking prey from above. This wasn't his car and as such he wanted to make sure they got from point A to point B without any problems. He took turns slow and stopped a lot sooner than normal to make sure he didn't jolt Josh around. When they reached the hospital he parked and let out a sigh. "Alright bud, let's go and get you patched up."

[And I'm sorry DJ didn't say much. :/ He's too submissive/passive for his own good.]