Looking For Space // Josh Kiszka

XIII

I was really waiting to use this beautiful edit by @ageofgvf on tumblr for later on but with the song being released and my heart swelling with love every time I look at it, I'm using it now.

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"What's all this?" Josh asked, smiling, as he looked over the meager picnic I had set up for the two of us in the small patch of yard behind my apartment. It really wasn't anything special--a blanket; wine; sandwiches and fruit, including a copious amount of the apples given to me; store-bought pastries. I certainly hadn't had the energy to even try and make anything from scratch.

"Isn't it obvious?" I replied, kneeling on the blanket and grabbing the corkscrew to open the bottle of wine. "I'm trying to woo you."

Josh sat down next to me. "'Woo' me?" He looked adorable, a few white feathers hanging by his ears.

I struggled a little getting the cork out but it finally popped. "Yes, woo you." I poured each of us a glass.

Josh took it and sipped it, then popped an apple slice into his mouth. "What's the occasion?"

Our contact with one another had been lacking since the night at the bar and, as we settled onto the blanket, I wanted nothing more than to envelop him in my arms and kiss his face. Still, I was just glad that there wasn't any tension now that we were together again--I had no idea what Josh had been thinking over the past few days but I saw no animosity in his face, heard no disdain in his voice.

"I feel like I need to explain myself," I said and took a gulp of the wine, tempted to finish the whole glass but I restrained myself.

"I want to apologize," Josh interrupted. "I drunkenly accosted you before--I'm sorry. It wasn't right."

I took another sip of wine. "No--I didn't appreciate it," I admitted. "But I think I understand why you said the things you said."

Josh shook his head, the feathers swaying. "I shouldn't have pressured you, you know?"

"That's one of the things I love about you," I said, reaching into my back pocket. "You don't ever pressure me to do something I don't want to. So please don't think that you did." I unfolded the piece of paper in my hands, them shaking a little, the naked vulnerability that was about to be put on display terrifying. But I had to continue.

"I want to show you this," I said, handing Josh the paper.

He looked down at it and smiled. "A poem?" He looked back up at me. "'Prince?'"

I chuckled, still crawling with nerves. "Read it."

I watched as he did so, his eyes scanning down the page, and tried to take mental snapshots of his facial expressions as he did so, the smile growing on his face. When he got to the end he went back up to the first line and read it again.

"Is this about me?" Josh asked, biting his lip as he smiled. "I'm the prince?"

"Yes, Josh, you're the prince," I assured him, the tension in my body slowly softening. I took his hand and moved closer to him, sitting at his side, and nuzzled his neck, the feathers tickling my face. "I love you, Josh."

"I thought you couldn't stand me," he replied, laughing gently underneath me.

"You just ruined such a nice moment," I said, laughing too. I turned his face to meet mine, lifting my chin off his shoulder. "I love you. I do."

"I love you too," Josh said and wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tightly. "And I love that poem. It's incredible."

I ran my fingers over the feathers as we loosened our embrace. "Thank you. I was scared to show it to you."