The Correlation Between Salvation and Love

Sian walked quietly behind Max and Elissa as they carried Josh up the hallway of Elissa’s apartment complex. Elissa glanced back at her, looking worried for the first time that night, “Can you be a dear and fish out my keys love?”

“I got it,” Nikita’s voice came from the other end of the hall, making Sian jump a bit. She was extremely skittish, looking around every chance she could to avoid looking at everyone else. Nikita ran down the hall, Matt trailing behind her and looking worried as he did. Nikita rushed by to their door, unlocking it and opening it as wide as she could. She held the door open as they carried Josh in, closing it softly behind everyone. Sian went straight to the kitchen, tossing out the bloodied towel as quickly as she could. Elissa and Max carried Josh over to the couch, sitting him down even though he groaned in protest.

Sian moved about with a sandwich bag in hand she got from on top of the fridge, filling it with ice from Elissa’s freezer. She grabbed a clean towel, wetting it with hot water to use to clean off the blood that dried up on Josh’s face. Making her way to the couch, she took as seat next to him as Elissa and Max stepped back to let her help. She took the warm towel, dabbing at Josh’s nose first, followed by his lip and chin. He winced in pain a few times and each time he did so, Sian apologized quietly to him. Elissa, Max, Nikita, and Matt headed out on to the balcony to let Sian have a moment to help him, all talking to each other quietly.

Sian placed the ice pack on Josh’s swelling left eye, smiling sadly down at him, “Quite the mess you made huh?”

“Shut up you,” Josh smiled over at her as she continued to get the blood off his chin, “There, all better.”

“Thanks love.”

“Better now?”

“Much.”

“Are you sure?”

“Mmmm c’mere.” Josh pulled her close to him with one arm, his other hand holding the ice pack to his eye gingerly. Sian sighed at him, allowing him to arrange her so that her legs draped across his lap and she was curled into his side. Sian set her head on his shoulder, rubbing her hand up and down his arm as he wrapped it delicately around her waist, “I’m honestly fine love. It’s gonna be alright. I’ll have the lads take me home tonight and all will be well.”

“Your parents will not freak out?”

“I’ll handle them.”

“I can talk to them for you,” Sian paused as she made this offer, smiling softly up at Josh again. Josh looked down at her curiously, trying to urge her to continue. He squeezed her side softly, attempting to get her to finish her thought. He gave her a pointed look as she looked up at him confused. Sighing, Sian rolling her eyes at him, “I am good with parents, and we both know this.”

“Point. Well, later on when the lads take me you can come.”

“Should we just go now?”

“Honestly? I just want to sit here with ya for a moment if that’s quite alright.”

Sian couldn’t help but blush as she nodded against his shoulder.



When Max and Matt knocked on Josh’s door an hour later, Sian took the liberty to stand in front of him as his friends supported him behind her. Sian glanced back at them with a small smile as they all stared her down nervously. The door opened slowly, revealing a man and a woman standing there and looking rather worried. Sian smiled kindly at them, motioning behind her to the three boys, “Did Elissa speak to you about them yet?”

“We heard about some fight, that was all…”

“Josh got attacked this evening,” Sian paused as Josh’s mother gasped a little, stepping back to allow the boys to carry Josh in. Josh’s parents both watched on as Max and Matt carried their son with a black eye and swollen cheek into their home. Sian watched them go by and up the stairs before turning her attention back to Josh’s parents who both were now staring her down waiting for an explanation. She gave them both a small smile, shutting the door behind her as she stepped into their home, “I am Sian, by the way. Your son…c’est mon ami.”

“Parlez-vous français?” Josh’s father got a wide grin, offering her a hand, “Welcome to our home then!”

Sian laughed airily, blushing at the warm welcome, “I dabble. I have actually been tutoring your son since we share the class. He is such a gentleman.”

“Oh Josh,” His mother smiled and Sian, leading them into the kitchen with her as she began to run around grabbing ice and an icepack, “That boy worries me so much sometimes, drives me bloody mad. Then stuff like this happens and I almost feel justified.”

“Oh, but he is such a fine young man! So much more polite than any of the other young me I have met! He has helped me so much with my transition to the schools here from America! Only got attacked tonight because of this horrible young woman Frankie,” Sian smiled again at his parents as they both began to beam proudly at the news of their son. At the mention of Frankie, they both let their smiles fade into a darker look. Josh’s mother returned with an icepack, offering it to Sian quickly. Sian took the icepack his mother offered with a nod, curtsying gracefully after she did, “Thank you so much. I fear he needs my assistance now though. Poor man had two boys attack him at once. Which, I believe is completely unfair in my humble opinion.”

“Quite unfair indeed!” Josh’s father exclaimed, frowning at Sian as he took a seat at the kitchen table. Sian nodded to them both, smiling sadly as she did, “Thank god we got to them in time, right? But enough about that awful situation! He is alive, well, and safe thanks to his friends. It was such a pleasure meeting you both however! He is quite alright, just has a few bruises here and there. You have a true gentleman for a son though and should be extremely proud!”

She hurried out of the room before his parents could speak again, already feeling overly uncomfortable even though she never showed it. She passed Max and Matt on their way back down to the kitchen, shooting them both a look as she did, “I talked them down, but I can only do so much you know.”

“S’okay love, I’ll take it from here,” Max gave her a comforting grin, wrapping her in his arms tightly for a moment as a thank you, “You did good little Dove. Now go help out the lad upstairs.”

Sian nodded again, taking off for the upstairs area as she heard Max loudly greet Josh’s parents with a ‘Mister and Missus Franceschi!’ at the top of his lungs. She glanced into two vacant rooms before finding Josh’s finally down the hall. He was laid out in his bed, breathing shallowly as she entered. His shirt still had a bloody stain, making Sian grimace at him. Sian kicked off her healed shoes quickly, making her way over to the bed with the icepack in hand. Josh heard her coming and peaked at her with one eye, the other closed tightly, as he reached up for the icepack, “You’re amazing love, thanks.”

“You were so skittish like a little rabbit. Your parents are amazing Josh!”

“I know, just make me nervous lettin’ em down is all…”

“By defending yourself, Rabbit? Hardly,” Sian climbed into the bed next to him, curling up into his side as she laid her head on his shoulder, “You could not disappoint them if you tried, trust me. They adore you.”

“Don’t bloody call me Rabbit. And, who bloody knows why they do…”

“Because you are fantastic and absolutely amazing, that’s why,” Sian leaned up, kissing Josh’s cheek softly before placing her head on his shoulder again. Josh blushed deeply as she kissed him, unable to form a response and opting for just staying silent instead. He smiled brightly though, wrapping his arm around her tightly and holding her close to him as he iced his black eye to prevent swelling. Sian sighed as Josh held onto her tightly, closing her eyes and enjoying the moment, “You scared me so bad at that club Rabbit.”

“Sorry love,” Josh kissed the top of her head, making Sian blush, “Seriously, no Rabbit though. When I was a little one they used that to make fun of me cause of me teeth. And tonight, I really did not mean to scare you love. I just had to defend myself and you as well.”

“Me?”

“Slags were talkin’ about you, that’s how it all got started,” Sian sat up, letting Josh’s arm fall to her waist as she stared at him in shock over the new piece to the story. Josh smiled shyly, looking down to avoid letting Sian see him blush, “They were talking about you in very bad ways, especially that one chap Frankie is seeing, Michael. I couldn’t well let them just talk about you like that. Kept sayin’ you were a slut and had everyone fooled with your fake manners. They said that you were a fake and plastic American whore with a need for attention. I couldn’t just sit there and listen so I made a comment and they attacked me for supposedly cheatin’ on that stupid slag Frankie.”

“Josh…”

“S’not right. Just cause you’re a good person doesn’t mean they have a right to slander you!”

“Josh I…Thank you. So much.” Sian leaned in to kiss him on the cheek again, only to have Josh move his head to attempt to look at her as she did. Their lips met softly, making Sian squeak out in surprise. Josh sighed softly however through his nose, removing the icepack and setting it off to the side. He pressed his lips to hers harder, his cold hand reaching up to cup her blushing red cheek. Sian imitated what Josh did, praying she was doing it right as she did. Her eyes slipped shut far after Josh’s, letting her body react however it chose to instead of thinking too much about it for once.

Josh used his hands to adjust her body, making her sit straddling his thighs rather than next to him. He reached up, cupping her cheeks with both hands as he moved his lips against hers lazily. Sian absent-mindedly let her mouth drop open slightly, her teeth catching his lip as she moved to shut it again. As she bit down lightly on his lower lip, Josh groaned and pulled back to catch his breath. He leaned his forehead against hers as he breathed in and out deeply. Sian did the same, smiling to herself as she tried to catch her breath and felt his own ghosting over her lips. She leaned in once more, kissing him softer and pulling back almost instantly as she did with a small smile. Josh returned it, wrapping his arms lazily around her waist, “Bloody. Incredible.”

“Really? I have never…I mean…that was…”

“Love,” Josh smiled at how red her cheeks were, “Tell me, was that your first kiss ever?”

“I…well…maybe…”

“S’an honor than that I was the gent you allowed that,” Josh leaned in again, kissing her once more as she sighed through her nose in pure bliss, “Mmmm I hope you know I’ll be doin’ that more often love.”

“I may be totally okay with that Josh. Completely and utterly okay with that notion.”

“How lame will I sound if I ask to rest because love I hurt everywhere now.”

“I can rest here for a while with you but I have to leave for home by four-thirty because my mom showers at five in the morning exactly every day and that is my ten minute window to get up to my room after Liam drops me.”

“I’d appreciate that love.” Josh pulled her close, burying his nose in the curve of her neck and kissing the side of her neck as he did, “More than you could understand.”