Josh chuckled at that, pulling me into a crushing embrace. �Can� I don�t know� can I just� hold you?� he asked, unsure if his request was way out of line.
�You never have to ask, Joshua,� I replied, pressing my lips to the curve of his neck. �I�m going to get changed. Why don�t you get ready out here? I�ll be quick, I promise,� In continued, the last part added when I saw a shadow of fear come over his face. Josh nodded and I grabbed a light tank top and a pair of boxers before sliding into the bathroom to change and take care of my usual bedtime rituals.
When I returned Josh was sitting on the edge of the bed in his boxers. Tears were streaming down his cheeks as he stared at his watch, rubbing his thumb over the face tenderly. �Josh?� I ventured.
�He gave this to me� after his first heart attack. He made a joke about you not always being around to keep me on time, especially since you were going to be off work for a few months,� Josh explained, wiping away his tears with the back of his hand. �He said that you were right, that my watched sucked, and that with him gone and you out and all the work that was going to fall on my shoulders until the President got a chance to replace him I would need a watch that worked.
That sounded like Leo. Too bad no watch could keep Joshua Lyman on time. �It�s a nice watch,� I said.
�Didn�t help keep me on time,� Josh said.
I smiled. Our connection had slowly but surely been coming back to us as we worked together again. It was nice to have that psychic connection thing back. �Even I couldn�t do that half the time,� I reminded him. �It looks old,� I commented, turning my attention back to the watch.
�It was his brother�s. Patrick. He was older than Leo� three years older, I think. They both flew plans in the war� Patrick was shot down two days before his tour was over.�
�The flag Leo had in his office?� I asked. I had often wondered about that flag.