by C. C. Dado
“No, I took a cab here. I’ll stick with public transportation for a while. My work is really close to here.”
“All right, man. Well, it’s a year lease, and I’ll need first and last, if that works for you. We’ll see you in two weeks.” Josh stuck his hand out toward Nathan.
It took Nathan a second to realize Josh was waiting for him to shake his hand. “Yeah, two weeks. Thanks, and sorry about what happened in there.” Nathan flushed again.
“Seriously don’t worry about it. We’re good. Did you need me to call you a cab?”
“I think I’m going to walk around the neighborhood a bit, but thanks,” Nathan said as he headed down the sidewalk, thinking that hadn’t gone as well as he hoped but still feeling good about moving here.
Chapter 2
The Proposal (Josh)
JOSH SAT across from Brandon, nervously tapping the table, running every possible outcome of the conversation through his head. He had spent the past two weeks trying to figure out a way to bring this up to Brandon, but no matter how many different ways he tried to spin it, it came out badly. There really was no good way to broach the subject of moving in together. Or more to the point, how the hell did one tell their boyfriend of eight months they were already living together, and he just didn’t know it yet?
Josh wasn’t sure why he didn’t tell Brandon when he snuck his meager belongings over a few months ago. It’s not like it would have come as a complete shock. Josh could count on one hand the number of times he had slept at his place since he and Brandon got together. Brandon would have noticed Josh’s stuff throughout his place by now if he weren’t such a hoarder of all things Martha Stewart. And in Josh’s defense, Brandon was the first actual “relationship” he had ever had. It’s not like he’d been given a guidebook, although he was pretty sure moving in without telling Brandon was probably covered in Chapter One under “Don’t Be a Jackass.”
He had tried to bring up the subject a few times, but his natural aversion to talking about his feelings always made him stop at the last minute. But tonight was the night. Nathan, the new tenant, was moving into his old place tomorrow. Josh thought he was going to be a good fit here, and his shy, awkward nature made Josh laugh. All he had to do was get through this without fucking everything up, and his world would be right again.
It was a nice night, so Josh convinced Brandon to have dinner and a drink up on the rooftop of their apartment building. He knew how much Brandon loved being up there surrounded by the garden sanctuary he’d created. Josh figured his chances of not messing things up completely were greater if Brandon was relaxed and in a good mood when he broke the news. This had to turn out okay. He’d never thought, in a million years, he would feel this way, had never really wanted to feel this, honestly. Like his world would end if this person wasn’t part of it. It had been consuming him lately, worrying if Brandon would be mad over the whole thing and kick him out. He knew Brandon loved him, but he also knew trust and honesty were huge with Brandon because of the type of guy Josh was when they’d met.
So here Josh sat, listening to Brandon talk about their upcoming weekend.
“There’s a new indie folk band playing at the bar on the corner Satur—” Brandon was saying as Josh cut him off.
“Fuck it! Let’s get married.” Josh verbally vomited all over Brandon. In the past Brandon had mentioned how much he adored what he called Josh’s “relationship Tourette’s.” The look on his handsome face right now spoke volumes of how not adorable he thought Josh was at the moment.
“Ummm, what did you just say?” Brandon asked, cocking his head to the side, looking at Josh like a hurt, confused dog. “Was that a proposal? Like what I have dreamt about since I met you proposal?” His brow creased in confusion as he continued, “What I have fought for the right to be able to do for the past three years proposal?”
Josh was not a religious man, but at that moment, he looked up at the stars, praying for some kind of global intervention, maybe lightning or thundershowers.
“‘Fuck it, let’s get married?’” Brandon continued. “That’s what you decided to go with? I mean, I jus’ wanna be clear before I give you an answer,” he said sarcastically, folding his arms across his burly chest.
Josh heard the edge of Brandon’s Southern accent cutting through his speech, and knew he was fucked. It only came out when Brandon was too drunk or too mad to mask it. “No. That’s not what I meant.” Josh ran his fingers through his hair, trying to control his frustration and fear he was losing this.
“So you don’t wanna marry me?” Brandon said, sounding even more hurt and irritated.
He could be so frustrating sometimes. It had taken Josh a while to adjust to how open Brandon was with his feelings and affection. He’d also learned the hard way, a few times, how easy it was to hurt someone when they wore their heart on their sleeve like Brandon did. Josh was not known for his sensitivity to other people’s feelings, especially when it came to guys he’d slept with, but when it came to Brandon, it was a whole new ball game. It was like he was Josh’s emotional kryptonite, his weakness.
Josh had tried to show Brandon how much he meant to him, but he had never actually come out and said the words. Josh got out of his chair and knelt in front of Brandon. Looking at him brought the last eight months rushing back. Brandon made him better.
“I’m sorry for saying it like that. I have been sitting here thinking about how much my life has changed in the past eight months. How much I’ve changed. I can’t imagine a life without you in it.” Josh rubbed his hands along the top of Brandon’s thighs, trying to soothe him.
“You can’t?” Brandon asked with a slight grin.
“No, so I brought you up here to ask if I could give up my place and we could officially move in together.” He’d decided now was not the right time to admit he had already rented his place out. Brandon deflated a bit when Josh mentioned moving in together. “But then I was looking at you and thinking I don’t want to be just roommates. I never want to go back to the person I was before I met you. I… love you, Brandon, so much.” Josh looked down at his hands holding on to Brandon’s thighs and tried to control his voice. “I want to spend my life showing you how much. I know I didn’t plan the proposal you deserve, but I mean it with every part of me. I belong to you whether you say yes or not.”
Josh started to get nervous when Brandon didn’t say anything right away. He looked up and saw Brandon’s blue eyes get glossy.
“Are you sure?” Brandon asked, and then hesitated. “Are you sure I will be enough for you five years from now?”
“Ah, baby.” Josh leaned forward and rested his forehead on Brandon’s. “You have no idea how much you mean to me. I know I wasn’t a saint before we got together, but none of that was real for me. I have never told anyone I love them before. Don’t ever doubt my feelings for you. This is it for me.”
“Yes,” Brandon said, placing his hand on the side of Josh’s neck, pulling him forward.
“Yes?” Josh smiled as he wiped the tear off Brandon’s cheek.
“Yes.” Brandon closed the last inch between them until their lips met.
There was something about the way Brandon kissed him that always took his breath away. Brandon was the other half of his soul; he felt it every time their lips touched.
“Would you mind if we got married up here?” Brandon asked, pulling back.
Brandon’s rooftop garden was a thing of beauty. People would pay big bucks to book a venue this magical.
“It’s perfect. Now I want to take you back downstairs so I can show you how happy you make me.
Two hours later….
“I’M STARVING, baby,” Josh said as he rolled over in bed.
“We left dinner up on the roof. I think it’s all ruined by now. If we had only celebrated our engagement one time, it would probably still be edible.”
“You’re welcome,” Josh said cockily.
“Gloating’s not attractive.” Brandon rested his
head on Josh’s shoulder.
“So if we get married up on the roof, when were you thinking? Like, this summer?” Josh asked, choosing to ignore his growling stomach because he loved it when Brandon cuddled up to him like this.
“I was actually thinking maybe the end of the month.” Josh tensed at Brandon’s suggested time frame.
“Now don’t freak out.” Brandon rubbed his hand across Josh’s chest. “I have already started some planning.”
“Really? In the last two hours? Maybe I wasn’t that impressive after all. I’m not sure which one of your comments I shouldn’t freak out about—the fact that you want to get married in two weeks or that you already planned the wedding.”
Brandon playfully punched Josh on the shoulder. “Stop it. It’s just that now that you’ve asked, I want to be married to you already. I don’t want to wait. My mom was planning to visit at the end of the month, so the timing would be perfect. And I’ve collected a few ideas over the years on planning weddings, so it won’t be hard to do.”
“Okay, what’s your idea?”
“Don’t laugh, okay?” Brandon leaned over the side of the bed, pulling a sketchbook out from under it.
“What’s that?” Josh asked.
“It’s where I put thoughts and ideas about things I have seen that I liked.”
“Is that your man-diary?” Josh laughed, trying to take the book away from Brandon.
“No! Now give it back. I don’t think I want you to see it now.” Brandon pouted.
Josh thought Brandon’s constant planning and need to take care of things was one of his most endearing qualities. “I’m sorry, baby. I won’t laugh, I swear. Show me what you got.”
“You’ll thank me for this later, mister, when I’m saving us thousands of dollars.”
Josh caressed Brandon’s back, watching the excitement cross his face as he flipped through the book and talked about his ideas. Josh was fascinated by the fact that Brandon was such a masculine bear on the outside and so sensitive and loving on the inside.
When Brandon was done, he looked over and caught Josh staring at him. “Were you even listening to anything I said?”
“Of course I was, baby, I was just wondering what else you have hidden under this bed that I should be concerned about.” Josh tried to play off his deeper thoughts, lunging to the side of the bed to look under it.
“Get back here,” Brandon said, grabbing Josh.
Josh rolled back over and snuggled up next to Brandon. “How big is this event you have planned, anyway?” Josh kissed Brandon’s shoulder. He wasn’t broke, but he definitely didn’t have a lot of savings to spend on a big wedding. And he didn’t have any family to help pay for it. “Do you have our bachelor party planned as well?”
“I was thinking intimate, just close friends and family. If we do it all here, we can have a joint bachelor party next weekend and get married the following weekend while my mom’s in town,” Brandon assured him.
Josh’s head was spinning, not that he was questioning marrying Brandon, but this was all a bit fast and overwhelming, and Brandon knew family was a tough subject for him. Brandon traced the magnolia tattoo Josh had added to his sleeve last month. It reminded him of Brandon. The flower was Brandon’s favorite from growing up down south. You would think the light-blooming flower would look odd against the dark symbols from Josh’s past, but it was a perfect visual for how Brandon had changed the darkness in his life. Brandon was his family now.
“You really are the best thing that has ever happened to me. You know that, right?” Josh said, staring into Brandon’s eyes before he leaned in and kissed him.
“Just for that, I’ll even throw in a stripper for the bachelor party. Now let’s go raid the fridge because I’m starving too. Someone owes me dinner,” Brandon said with a smirk, and walked out of the bedroom.
Chapter 3
Moving Day (Nathan)
TODAY’S THE day, Nathan thought, putting the last box in the back of the moving truck he had rented.
“I cannot believe you are actually going to do this,” his mother huffed behind him. “What am I supposed to tell people? You know what that area is known for.”
“Yes, Aurora, I do.” He chose not to talk about the neighborhood’s openly gay community with her.
“Well, don’t think you can waltz back in here when you realize how the other half lives.”
“Aurora,” his stepdad warned, trying to get her to be nice.
“It’s okay,” Nathan said, closing up the back of the mini U-Haul truck. He liked Keith; he would occasionally go to bat for him when he felt his mom was stepping over the line. “I need to do this, Mom.” Nathan saw the annoyed look, as he accidentally called her Mom. “I’ll call you when I get settled in.”
“Don’t bother,” she said, heading back into the house, her heels clicking across the paved driveway.
“She’ll get over it, Nathan. Just give her a few days,” his stepfather said, even though they both knew his mom didn’t get over anything unless it ended her way.
Nathan tilted his head in acknowledgment and hopped in the truck, started it up, and drove down the winding driveway and through the front gate.
Nathan was almost giddy with excitement as he made his way out of Madrona, like someone had lifted a heavy blanket off him that had been smothering him for years. He rolled down the window, feeling the fresh breeze across his face. His life was going to start today.
Chapter 4
Welcome to the neighborhood (Josh)
“WHAT’S ALL that noise?” Brandon asked from the kitchen.
Josh looked over the back of the couch and saw Brandon walk to the front door and look through the peephole. They had been sitting around, enjoying a lazy Saturday morning. When Brandon did a double take, he knew he was screwed. He forgot Nathan was moving his stuff in that day.
“Holy shit, Joshua!” Brandon bellowed, running into the kitchen. For a stocky guy, he was awfully fast. “You’re being robbed. Call the police. There’s a guy standing in your apartment rifling through a box,” he screeched, racing back, ready to go to war armed with a broom and a dustpan.
Josh jumped over the back of the couch and intercepted Brandon before he could attack their new neighbor. Apparently it was time to ’fess up.
“Hey, as adorable as it is seeing my burly guy defending my home with cleaning supplies, that’s not my home anymore.”
“But your stuff? It’s gone! We’re not just going to let them rob you.” Brandon’s breathing was heavy with adrenaline.
Josh grabbed Brandon’s shoulders to stop him from going any farther. “Baby, how many times have I spent the night at my place since we got together?”
“Two maybe,” he answered, looking confused and still trying to push past Josh.
“Yeah, once was when you were out of town at that gardening trade show, and the other when you got all mad and sent me home.”
“Okay, that doesn’t explain why you are not freaking out right now that your stuff is gone.” He almost hit Josh in the head as he gestured frantically with the broom.
“I don’t live there anymore. I rented it out to someone else,” Josh said, not meeting Brandon’s eyes.
“What are you talking about? Why? What? Where is all your stuff? What do you mean you rented your place out?”
“I didn’t see any point in keeping it since I never stayed there. I kept trying to talk to you about it, but relationship talks suck.” Josh sounded like a whiny teenager.
“So you thought it was a better idea to secretly move in with me?”
“Yes?” Josh answered, looking ashamed.
“And all your stuff?”
“It’s here already. I didn’t really have that much. I sublet my place furnished, and baby, you got so much crap in here, you didn’t even notice the things I did bring with me.”
“Did you just call all my furniture crap?” Brandon asked furiously.
“Oh, come on, you know I didn’t mean it like
that. You know I like your place. It’s all you: your books, your candles and matching towels, and those silly throw pillows. Everything about you makes this place a home. I hated the thought of ever going back to my place, so I guess it made me feel better to remove the option. I wanted my home to be with you.”
Brandon stood there for a minute, staring at Josh before he finally spoke. “I knew you were worth it.” He shook his head with a slight grin on his bearded face.
“What?” Josh asked, confused by Brandon’s response to his confession.
“All those times I saw you bring home randoms from the bar and heard you kick them out a few hours later.” Josh looked down at the floor, embarrassed Brandon was bringing up his past. “Your constant refusal to let me get close to you.” Brandon set the dustpan on the table and reached up to get Josh to look at him. “I knew deep down you were worth the effort. I am so lucky to have you, Joshua.”
Josh leaned in and gently touched his lips to Brandon’s, relieved Brandon finally knew everything and he hadn’t lost him.
“Come on, we have a big day ahead of us. Let’s go meet our new neighbor.”
“Oh, I met him the day he came to look at the apartment. It was actually kind of funny. I tried to hide him because you came home early, and he thought I was making a move on him and he tried making out with me. He’s a cute kid,” Josh said, chuckling as he turned to head toward the door.
“You seriously have no idea how relationships work, do you? Are you telling me our new neighbor kissed you, and you’re acting like it was nothing?” Brandon asked.
“It was nothing, baby. He was so embarrassed when I pushed him off me, I felt kind of bad for the guy. He’s an odd little duck. I didn’t get the impression that he hits on men very often, still a closemouthed kisser and all, but you know I’m irresistible.”