To Save Our Families, Let's 'Marry' (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 17

The usual proceedings for the end of a press conference would have the panel leave first and the guests leave afterwards in waves to avoid a rush. However, that is not what happened this time. Ramy had kept an eye on Henry's condition – while he had never seen it before, he was well-informed being so close to the family – and decidedly change the order of things, only giving a small single to the four presidents that he was taking charge.

While the press left in their waves, the two families started to talk in a quiet, dignified manner, well that was how it seemed to the witnesses.

In reality, everyone was checking up on Henry, who did not appreciate the fuss one bit. Of course, their voices were all kept quiet and calmed, meaning he could get away with a few nods and smiles before using the man next to him to hide from the line of sight from the rest of his family. Internally, he felt like screaming, he had not had something like this happen to him in almost 10 years and of all times it had to happen, it was at a press conference, his first official press debut, in front of the Lore family, and of all things after the most embarrassing words had come out of his mouth in rage. What had he been thinking, let alone saying? It felt like he had lost his head and only just got it back.

As the blond man stewed in his embarrassment, the one sitting next to him found himself strangely amused. Over the past couple days, he had started the build an inferiority complex of sorts because of how exceptional Henry seemed to always be, but in the past couple hours he had seen the same man lose composure on multiple occasions; Joshua felt a little sadistic thinking of it this way but he really was glad to see that the too-perfect Henry also had faults.

Of course, to regular people, the idea that Joshua Lore had faults to start with would be preposterous.

Henry had quickly noticed the small smirk on the corner of the silent man's lips, only deepening his pit of shame.

Just as the last of the reporters were leaving, Henry snapped.

"Don't laugh at me!"

Everyone in an earshot did a double take, his own family included. Who would have ever thought that such a childish reaction would come from a member of a dignified family? But what shocked them more was the response: Joshua falling into laughter.

Those lucky enough to have still not left had all stopped, looking at the ever-composed man laughing, the scene almost sparkling. No one missed Henry's growingly red face either.

The two really did have good chemistry, is the thought that entered everyone's minds as they watched the unlikely scene.

Hanna, John and Archer were the most shocked of the bunch, unable to believe what was happening in front of them. Haerin was in a similar state, however, she was also in the perfect position to snap a pictured and send it to the missing family member. No one had seen Joshua like this before, it was like a completely new side of him had been unlocked.

However, that was not the truth.

With his friends when younger, of course he would laugh and act more playful than he did around his family, and it was the same when he was abroad. However, when here, not only did he feel like he was always being watched, but he felt self-conscious around his family, again for no reason apart from his own thin face. But with everything that had happened, he as almost freed of the latter worry – for the moment at least. His family had seen him act a mess over Penelope, found out he smoked, seen his atrocious form while initially speaking to the press, he had even agreed to lie to his own parents and pretend to be willingly in a relationship with a man; compared to all of this, laughing at Henry's embarrassment felt almost like nothing.

In a small part of his brain, Joshua was quite glad that he had gotten to the point where he felt comfortable laughing like this in front of people again, it meant he hadn't lost all his social skills.