Joshua has a million things to say and none of his words feel right, each of his statements colliding in his head before they leave his lips. But he says all he can when he reaches up to lightly touch Sandy's face.
Sandy is still just watching him, his expression open. "You once told me love was the greatest lesson God could teach us."
"I know," Joshua sighs. "But it is a lesson I have difficulty imagining Him thinking I deserve to be taught."
Sandy's silent for a moment, before he takes Joshua's hand in his practiced gentle hold and presses a kiss against his fingertips. "I can't claim to know what God thinks. Still kinda trynna wrap my head around Him. Still don't make much sense to me. But I know how I feel about you, and I know that I'm here with you. That makes sense to me."
His lips brush Joshua's fingers once more and he closes his eyes. "Now, you got a world of faith in Him," Sandy says. "I don't think he'll mind if you spare a little for me."
He releases the hand and settles back, laying down once more and rolling onto his side. Joshua shifts, carefully wrapping one arm around Sandy's waist and resting his forehead against his shoulder.
Ruth noses at his hand and squirms her way under it, and Joshua feels Sandy's chest shake with silent laughter, and something inside of him relents. Accepts that he's done plenty of fighting. He doesn't need to fight this any longer.
He's living proof that men can change. They both are, in their own ways.
He falls asleep with his arm around Sandy's solid waist, his fingertips in Ruth's fur.
M!Courier/Joshua Graham - What the Fire Gave Us [3b/3]
Sandy is still just watching him, his expression open. "You once told me love was the greatest lesson God could teach us."
"I know," Joshua sighs. "But it is a lesson I have difficulty imagining Him thinking I deserve to be taught."
Sandy's silent for a moment, before he takes Joshua's hand in his practiced gentle hold and presses a kiss against his fingertips. "I can't claim to know what God thinks. Still kinda trynna wrap my head around Him. Still don't make much sense to me. But I know how I feel about you, and I know that I'm here with you. That makes sense to me."
His lips brush Joshua's fingers once more and he closes his eyes. "Now, you got a world of faith in Him," Sandy says. "I don't think he'll mind if you spare a little for me."
He releases the hand and settles back, laying down once more and rolling onto his side. Joshua shifts, carefully wrapping one arm around Sandy's waist and resting his forehead against his shoulder.
Ruth noses at his hand and squirms her way under it, and Joshua feels Sandy's chest shake with silent laughter, and something inside of him relents. Accepts that he's done plenty of fighting. He doesn't need to fight this any longer.
He's living proof that men can change. They both are, in their own ways.
He falls asleep with his arm around Sandy's solid waist, his fingertips in Ruth's fur.
-fin.