[ Just hearing that Clive has echoed his own words makes Joshua's smile all the brighter. They both emulate each other in certain situations, he's found. They are each other's strength.

And hearing Luca's sentiment makes him laugh, softly, kindly. ]

Ah, then I have primed him well for you. As a child, I used to lament that everyone looked to me as the Phoenix, not as myself. Clive was one of the few who ever saw me as Joshua, not just as a Dominant to be praised and protected.

[ But he shakes his head, still smiling. ]

But no, I jest. I truly had no part in priming him for anything - that is just the sort of person he has always been. My brother is possessed of a truly kind heart. Not a cruel bone in his body, despite having every right to with all that he's been through.

[ His tea has steeped enough. He pauses, just for a moment, to remove the bag and set it gently into the sink. ]

I have no doubt that he will hold your hand through anything.