Chapter 55 (reuploaded)

"This smoking habit is getting a little too bad, don't you think?"

Ramy's words made Joshua and Henry turn around, their faces screaming disappointment in themselves. Of course, they were more than aware of it.

While they had originally gone to eat while avoiding their guests, the men had unfortunately found themselves on the steps of the back door, smoking through a pack together. Why? Because Joshua suddenly was hit by jitters from nicotine withdrawal and looking at him made Henry realise he had been grinding his teeth for some time now. Neither had been heavy smokers before, but now it would be difficult for them to deny the fact that they were heavily dependent on the nicotine. It did not help that they quite liked the taste of tobacco.

Dropping his head onto his knees, with arms out in front of him, Joshua whined, "We know. But quitting is another story."

With a sigh, the Reyes's PA dropped down just behind them. "Eh, who am I to preach? I only brought it up because Marcus is getting worried about how many you smoke a day. Have any to spare?"

Joshua sat up and pulled out an almost empty carton from his pocket, handing it back in silence, regretfully taking another drag. Henry, on the other hand, whipped his head back, face covered in shock.

"Y-you smoke!"

"Once in a while, I quit back in school when it started getting too expensive. But one cigarette here and there with others is alright. You, on the other hand, were the shocking one, but then again, there is a decent amount of stuff you keep from us."

Ramy was not as disillusioned as his employers, well aware that Henry was unlikely to be the same, obedient son he played out to be to his family, even if it was probably true at heart. However, he understood this sort of privacy. Even if he had gotten into this job young in order to support his family, it did not mean he was as filial as he made out. If Caroline or Marcus were to ever confront him on his own dark past outside work, he feels he would die of embarrassment. He could only imagine that Henry would be the same considering how he would recount his university experience to his family.

Although sometimes the PA did wonder if the other side of Henry could be considered an embarrassment since there was no way he could ever live up to the first son's university life. Just remembering what he had accidentally dug out made him shiver, the fact that Samuel could face it with zero shame was perhaps scarier than the findings themselves.

But either way, the young man would definitely not intrude the other's privacy and was perfectly content leaving it like that for the moment.

Henry sighed at the state of himself.

"I did smoke while I was abroad, but socially at most. I have never built a dependency before. I have no idea where it came from to be honest." Which was true. It was like that random urge for nicotine he had been hit with after the matchmaking craziness, he was unaware of why that was his instinctive reaction to the sudden stress. "But we definitely need to quit at some point. It's already starting to affect my general energy levels."

"You did that to yourself by overworking, don't put that to the cigarettes," Joshua bitterly murmured, still not letting go at the sorry start Henry had driven himself to the previous night. "It's not like the nicotine told you that you could survive on almost no food and sugar free energy drinks."

"How long are you going to hold that against me?"

"For as long as I need to before you change your ways. No wonder your family baby you so much, even I feel compelled to after seeing what you do to yourself when busy."

Not being able to say anything back in response, mostly because he was too bitter over how right Joshua was. Barely anyone knew about his unhealthy work ethic, he had only fallen that deep on a couple occasions before.

Ramy sighed, deciding that half the cigarette he had bummed off the couple was more than enough for him. He also did not want to sit there as a third wheel. As he put out the cigarette against the concrete steps.

"God, the two of you already bicker like an old married couple. Enough of that and put them out. I grabbed some nicotine patches." The PA reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a slim, blue box made of card. He put it down between the two sitting in front of him. "They only had 4-hour patches at the closest convenience store, but they should at least help you two keep in check of most of the evening. Dinner will be served in 10 minutes so try to be in ASAP." Relaying all the information he was instructed to by Caroline, he stood up and went to go back inside, pausing just before the door.

Turning back, he decided to be nice and warn them beforehand. "Oh, and don't be surprised when your mothers' come at the two of you with going cold turkey. There is no chance they are letting the habit go on until the wedding."

As they heard the receding footsteps, the two men looked at each other and shared a trouble sigh. Things looked like they were only going to get harder from this point on.

The pair stayed in a comfortable silence, finishing their current smokes before opening the patches.

Joshua had no problem with applying his, unbuttoning a couple buttons of his shirt and reaching in to stick it on his side, near the bottom of his ribcage. The entire sequence was smooth, as if it was just muscle memory, it would have been impossible for anyone to guess that it was the man's first ever time using a patch. The extent of his knowledge was knowing it had to be applied to a patch of near-hairless skin, close to the centre of the body. Him executing the action perfectly on his first try was simply down to what made him famous as Joshua Lore.

Unfortunately for Henry, it was not so easy. On any normal day, he would have been fine, managing with the same ease as the older man. But there was something that was currently getting in the way: his injuries. It had been just over ten days since the falling debacle, so most of his smaller cuts had healed and faded for the most parts. However, there were two key areas that were still injured, the slice on his palm and the larger, deeper cuts along the opposite side of his ribcage. That with tired fingers and a tender shoulder from how tense his body had been, the young man was struggling to even open the patch properly. Joshua could see him struggling as he buttoned his own shirt and straightened up.

Slowly taking the patch out of the other man's hands, he got up and crouched down in front of Henry.

"I, I can do it myself…" Henry was quick to realise what was happening, quickly going red with embarrassment. He was starting to feel like a child with how often he needed Joshua's help for simple things. Much to his dismay, Joshua ignored him, leaving the young man to look down and watch as he was tended to.

Unbuttoning Henry's shirt, Joshua opened the patch and reached in to paste it onto the other man's stomach, slightly more towards the uninjured side. Once attached, he smoothed it on with his palm, his fingertips grazing against the younger man's warm skin.

The sudden sensation of ice-cold fingers lightly dragging along his side made Henry shiver slightly. "Why is your hand so cold?"

Joshua shrugged, done with the patch and bringing his hand back out, closing up the front of Henry's shirt. He then straightened the tie and made sure everything was neat. It was not until he was done with all that, did he look up at Henry. His sandy hair was still neatly in place, the only difference to before being the residual blush on his cheeks. He suddenly felt a little annoyed at himself, he had missed the chance to tease his embarrassment.

"My hands have always run a little cold," Joshua finally answered. "But at the same time, you have a slight fever. Make sure to get proper rest after tonight."

"Tch, what are you, my mother?" Despite the smartass response, Henry felt quite touched at the concern. If only the man stopped bringing up his bad habits, then they could get along much better.

With a sigh, Henry stood up, putting the remaining box into his pocket. No words needed exchanging, both silently making their way back inside for dinner, neither prepared for how their mellow mood would once again be disrupted.