Power Swap: Idle Talk (Ben)

Getting the call from Josh had been weird. It was curt and sort of cryptic but with everything that was happening, Ben tried to let it go and meet up with Josh.

Adjusting to life with a not so affectionate Cobalt had been tough enough. Having had adapted to it, he thought it wasn't so bad. But now, everything is turned around on its heel once more and not only was he beginning to feel like a third wheel what with the connection Cobalt had with Sean, he was also beginning to feel like he no longer had Cobalt at all.

Like sharing him with Riley, Josh, Danny, Elaine and Morgan wasn't enough.

He arrived a little earlier than was scheduled but he already saw Josh at the table, who looked just as nervous and anxious as Ben was feeling.

"Hey Josh." He raised a hand up at the older man before approaching him with a forced smile on his face. Grabbing a seat across from Josh, Ben grabbed the menu just to keep his hands busy. "I'm glad you called. We...haven't had a chance to...talk since..." he left the sentence hanging with a lop-sided grin.

At least Josh was willing to get right down to business. No small talk, that was fine by Ben.

Ben put the menu down and looked at Josh with a tight-lipped smile. "I'm assuming you're talking about Cobalt and Sean?" He asked.

Of course Josh was talking about Cobalt and Sean. That was...possibly the only thing the attorney and the psychologist had in common.

When Josh came out and said his piece, Ben was left with his mouth agape.

Of all things he thought the older attorney would say, that had to be at the top of the list of "I did not see that coming".

He tried to form words for a while before he gave up and gave out a bark of surprised laughter, though surprise was definitely not what he was feeling.

"B...but Josh. I...what...they're...oh God, what?" He ran his fingers through his hair and looked at Josh like he was going senile. Could that be the case?

As Josh spoke, the realisation that this could possibly be what his future would be like, Ben frowned and looked away from Josh, wondering what in all the actuall hells was he getting into.

"You're trying to tell me that we don't have a say in this anymore? That...that we're going to be third wheels for the rest of our lives? Because I've already tried that and it sucked and I'm..." he paused and shook his head. This was not coming out the way he wanted it to.

"Sorry." Ben cleared his throat and straightened himself up. "What I meant to say was that...God, this is hard. I don't actually know what I meant to say. I'm just...couldn't we just get somewhere near? I can't encroach on your personal space. It's very generous of you but I can't... Am I being selfish?"

Ben had nothing else to say. Josh was right. But he just got Cobalt comfortable enough to smile when he made a joke, for God's sake. Now he had to share him with someone else. Someone he was tied to in every single way. Someone, not even a few weeks ago, was someone Cobalt was at odds with.

The psychologist cursed under his breath, wondering how he had gotten into this without even realising it.

"This is absurd." He said softly before looking up at Josh with a resigned look on his face. "What exactly would happen if they weren't close to each other...do you know?"

Ben was at a loss for words. He could see that Josh was resigned to the fact that he didn't have any control over this. Not that Cobalt and Sean had any.

The younger man fiddled with the menu in his hand, losing what little appetite he had coming here.

Sensing something behind the the napkin twisting, Ben looked up at Josh and analysed what he had just said. He wanted to ask more about it, force of habit, but he restrained. There had to be a reason why he didn't say anything else.

"So...you've decided on this then."