Lullaby

In spite of the fact that they had more than a few drinks in them and they often tripped and stumbled down the street, Scarlett and Josh arrived at her apartment safe and sound. Scarlett was forlorn now that their walk was over, though she was oblivious to the reason why she felt that way. The two friends stood quietly at the doorstep, unsure of what to do next. She hesitated to say her goodbyes or begin to part ways, simply because she wanted to have a few more seconds to spend with Josh. The minute she walked away, she would be alone. Scarlett never trusted herself alone with her thoughts when she was a little tipsy.

Josh cleared his throat, breaking the heavy silence. "So…" He shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged his shoulders. It looked like he had as much of an idea of what to do as Scarlett did. She smirked at him and wrapped her arms around herself as the cold breeze hit her skin again.

"You're freezing, sweetheart. You should go inside," Josh commented when he noticed her shivering. Scarlett gave a small nod. There was her cue. There was nothing else she could do to stall him from leaving without telling him she didn't want to be alone and of course she wasn't going to do that. She wasn't a big fan of revealing her feelings, not even to Josh.

"I guess I should say goodnight then," she said softly, her voice cracking a couple of times. Why did she feel like she was like to burst into tears at any moment? Saying goodbye to Josh wasn't anything new, they had been in this exact situation hundreds of times. She cleared her throat to give off the impression she was simply losing her voice. Thankfully, Josh didn't seem to notice that she was on the brink of tears. Scarlett turned and began marching up the front steps. She froze when she felt Josh take a hold of her hand. A weight was lifted off of her heart.

"Do I get a hug?" Did he really have to ask? Josh gently pulled her down the stairs towards him, then enveloped her in his arms without waiting for her to answer. Her arms instantly locked around his neck. She pushed herself up onto the tips of her toes and rested her head on his shoulder. A deep and happy sigh escaped from her, along with her sadness. Who knew this was precisely what she needed? She certainly didn't know. Everyone needed a hug from their best friend sometimes, right? That had to be the only reason Scarlett couldn't bare the thought of going into her home without him. It had to be. But why did she suddenly want to stay in his arms forever?

Not wanting to overstay her welcome, Scarlett unwillingly dropped her arms from his neck and pulled her small frame away from Josh's embrace. But his arms remained wrapped around her. Her green eyes stared into his clear blue eyes. His gaze flickered from her eyes to her lips a few times. She waited for him to say something, anything, explaining why he hadn't let go of her, not that she was complaining about their current position.

"Come here," Josh groaned before tugging her body into his own. His lips crashed into hers and Scarlett gladly kissed him in return. Her arms found their way around Josh's neck once again and pulled him closer to her. She felt his arms give her a small squeeze. Their lips danced together as stood in the middle of the empty sidewalk, keeping each other warm.

"Josh," Scarlett breathed in between kisses. Upon opening her eyes after what felt like several minutes, she remembered that they were outside.

Josh parted his lips from hers just enough to speak. "Would you like some company?" He whispered, resting his forehead against hers and breathing heavily. The very thought of what he was asking her made her heart race. All Scarlett could manage was a nod. He smiled, then released her from his grasp.

The jingle of her keys rang loudly throughout the halls of the apartment building as she struggled to unlock her door. Josh's lips leaving a trail of kisses down her neck while he waited wasn't helping matters.

"Must you?" She asked, clearly annoyed. She felt his lips move against her while he nodded and moaned into her skin. A shiver traveled down her spine, this time it wasn't because she was chilly. When she finally opened the door, she grabbed his hand and dragged him into her apartment. "You little shit," she said before going back to their previous activity. Josh chuckled against her lips. He kicked the door shut with his foot and began softly pushing her towards her bedroom, keeping his lips attached to hers.

There was a moment when Scarlett wondered if she was making a big mistake. Josh was her best friend, someone she didn't know what she would do without. They both knew where this was heading. Was it worth the risk of losing him? The thought scared her, making her instantly pull away from their kiss, and stopping both of them in their tracks. Josh looked as if he had just been rejected by Britain's Next Top Model. His face softened when he noticed the visible fear in her eyes.

"Are you okay?" His voice was just above a whisper. Scarlett couldn't decipher whether he genuinely cared about her answer or if he was schmoozing her just so he could get laid. He was drunk after all, or so she thought. He tucked a piece of her long hair behind her ear. The thought of losing him, because of a foolish one night stand was awful. But she was missing the feeling of his arms wrapped her, his lips connected to her's, the excitement bubbling in her stomach. Her heart took over and she made herself ignore her thoughts. She stood on the tips of her toes and softly pressed her lips to his to let him know she was fine, and to maybe convince herself as well. Before she could give it another thought, her hand grasped his as she led him into the bedroom.