What Matters Most (25 page)

WHAT MATTERS MOST

Bailey Bradford

150

Josh trudged up the steps to his apartment, beat from working a double shift. He imagined even the penguins on his newly patched up pink scrubs were exhausted. A nasty upper respiratory virus was tearing through the town, and the hospital staff were dropping like flies, almost literally since they were all working long hours and were days past being tired, their immune systems compromised by their efforts to treat all the sick and wounded.

Nick had told him he would probably be in tomorrow evening, so Josh figured it would be just his luck to catch whatever it was going around and be sick as a dog by then.

Speaking of which…
Josh stopped at his door and set his gym bag on the railing so he could unzip and dig out the B12. Maybe it wouldn’t help, but it couldn’t hurt. Although, B12

usually gave him a boost, and he really should just crash for a while. Except his apartment was kind of a mess. He hadn’t been home enough, or awake when he was home, to do much more than shower, drink a cup or two of coffee and grab a granola bar on the way back out.

Josh took his dose then zipped his bag back up before unlocking the door. He groaned when he stepped into the living room. Normally he wasn’t such a slob, but there were scrubs in piles where he’d just stood and stripped and a couple of coffee mugs were on the coffee table, one with something funky floating in the dark liquid. Josh leaned over and squealed when he spotted the antennae, straightening so fast he stumbled over some clothes behind him and promptly ass planted on the floor.

“
Oomph!
Ouch.” Josh sat stunned for a few seconds while his backside throbbed from the impact. “Well if the B12 didn’t wake me up, that sure did.” He gave himself a minute to just sit then gingerly pushed himself up. Surveying the room, he decided to shower after cleaning—no sense in handling those germ covered scrubs after scrubbing himself down. But maybe he should start in the bedroom, strip the sheets and slap on some new ones, get that particular room ready for tomorrow.

It probably wouldn’t hurt to put the bland beige sheets and comforter on the bed, either. Nick would look amazing spread out on the pink ones, but they needed a wash, and Nick would probably have something sarcastic to say about them. Josh didn’t want to waste any time tomorrow bandying about insults on his decorating skills. At least he had some.

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“Pink, penguins, and penises, the three best P’s in life,” Josh murmured. Of course, pink wasn’t just a colour, it was also the name of his favourite singer, so there were four P’s Josh loved. But maybe he should make penis singular, because he really only wanted one, and it was attached to the man he loved. “Right, then. Pink, pink, penguins and Nick’s penis—and that’s definitely not in preferential order.” Josh shuddered as he pictured Nick’s fat cock. He couldn’t wait to feel that slab of meat reaming his ass tomorrow night.

“God. Damn,” Josh grumbled, reaching into his briefs to reposition his erection. He couldn’t resist pressing his thumb to the slit and swiping at the pre-cum there. It was tempting to jerk off, but Josh knew if he did he’d just curl up on his dirty sheets and go to sleep afterwards. Then when would he clean? He had an early shift tomorrow, but there was no telling what time Nick would get in, and Josh didn’t want his lover arriving to a messy apartment.

That settled, he wiped his thumb on his top which he then took off and tossed in the hamper. The blanket and sheets followed shortly thereafter. Josh opened the miniscule closet and grabbed the boring beige bed set. He made the bed then tidied the room. Snatching the iPod off his dresser on the way out, he gave the room one last glance. The walls were still hideously orange and the carpet was quite possibly a living thing, but he’d done the best he could.

Josh put the ear buds in and turned on his iPod. Cranking the volume up until his body vibrated with the music, Josh proceeded to pick up the living room. At least the kitchen wasn’t bad. He hadn’t been home enough to dirty more than a few dishes. The bathroom however could probably use a good scrubbing, and he knew he’d left a couple of towels on the floor in there.

“Let’s do this,” Josh nodded, bobbing his head in time with the opening beat of
Ave
Mary A.
Just listening to Pink made him grin, which made the whole cleaning thing not so hellacious.

Within half an hour, Josh had danced and sang and dusted as well as picked up his clothes. The hamper was near to overflowing with dirty laundry but that would have to wait.

Sitting at the dingy, creepy Laundromat facilities offered by the apartment complex was not something he wanted to do until he had no other option. All he had left to do was clean the bathroom…right after he got rid of the coffee cup with the suicidal roach in it. Josh made a mental note to call the property manager and complain about the ineffectiveness of the WHAT MATTERS MOST

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monthly exterminator’s visits. Not that Josh had ever actually
seen
an exterminator around here, but his lease clearly said there was one and the fees for the service were included in his rent.

Steeling himself against a round of dry heaves or another squeal, Josh picked up the cup, singing along with
Raise Your Glass.
Despite his best attempt not to, Josh found himself peeking at the contents of the cup.

“Grossgrossgross!” Josh looked towards the kitchen. He
could
wash the cup out and run it through the rickety dishwasher. “Nah.” He made a beeline to the front door. “
Slam
slam, oh hot damn, what part of party don’t you understand, wish you’d just freak out—”
Josh shimmied and shook as much as he could without dumping coffee soaked bug on himself.

He tossed the cup, coffee, bug and all—into the kitchen trash then took the almost-full trash bag from the can. He’d rather take the whole damn thing down to the big dumpster than risk that roach having a miraculous recovery in the apartment. He slapped another liner in the can then trotted with the garbage to the front door.

Then he unlocked the door and opened it and screeched so loud it drowned out Pink’s voice in his ears.

After having knocked at the door for several minutes, and trying the handle only to find it was locked, Nick had leaned up against the wall beside the door frame and waited.

He’d figured, judging by the volume of Josh’s voice and the lack of actual music, that the man must have his ear buds in. Nick had entertained himself with images of Josh inside, dancing and singing carelessly. That was something he’d love to see, and Nick determined right then to sneak up on Josh some time, once they’d got settled together, just so he could watch the careless abandon he was sure Josh must be exhibiting, judging by the singing.

The locks being turned were all the warning Nick got, but it was enough. He dropped his bag and stepped up to the door, hoping Josh didn’t think to peer out the peephole. He didn’t. The door swing open and a trash bag caught Nick in the stomach as Josh shrieked, his green eyes widening so much they seemed too large for his face.
He looks like one of those
cartoons
. The air gushed from Nick’s lungs, not all due to the impact of the garbage, either.

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Josh was shirtless, his sculpted torso glistening with a sheen of sweat that begged to be licked off.

Nick ignored the fact that he couldn’t breathe and shoved at the bag between them.

Josh’s expression shifted from scared to joyous in a heartbeat as he jerked the ear buds out.

“You’re really here. God, Nick!”

“Yeah, baby. Drove straight through. I couldn’t stand being away from you any

longer.” Josh gave him a radiant smile that lit a thousand flames inside Nick. He slid his arms around the younger man’s waist and gripped two handfuls of that fine plump ass, lifting as he pulled Josh forward, then Nick was doing what he’d dreamed of for over a week, what had spurred him on to drive nonstop despite being exhausted and more than a little scared of what he’d face making a new life here in Texas. Josh’s full lips were already parted when Nick sealed his over them. Twin moans rumbled from on to another as he plundered Josh’s mouth, savouring the man’s taste. The flesh under his hands quivered and flexed as Josh struggled to get closer. Nick tugged and Josh got the message, dropping the trash to lock his arms around Nick’s neck even as Josh wound his legs around Nick’s hips.

It was perfect, more perfect than Nick had remembered it being, holding this man in his arms. The fear that had lingered once Josh left evaporated as Josh gave himself to Nick.

Whatever happened with the other people in Josh’s life, Nick would make it work. He’d do anything for his lover, and right now his formerly worn out body and mind were pinging with endorphins that threatened to have him stripping those hot pink penguin covered scrubs off Josh’s fine ass right here outside Josh’s door.

“Inside,” Nick murmured against Josh’s kiss-swollen lips. “’Less you want me to fuck you right here where all your neighbours can watch.”

“Oh.” Josh made that one word sound like vocal sex, drawing the one syllable out into several as he ground his hard dick against Nick’s stomach. Nick smirked as he realised his hot little man had a bit of an exhibitionist in him. More than a bit, maybe, and Nick didn’t feel like ending back up in jail with that gorilla dressed as a cop glaring at him.

“Inside,” Nick said, grudgingly releasing Josh’s ass so he could unwind from Nick’s body. Josh grumbled but did as ordered, making sure to rub against Nick in such a way Nick almost said ‘Fuck it’. The only reason he didn’t bend Josh over the railing and fuck him until they both screamed was because he wasn’t sure the railing would hold.

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Josh palmed his cock, squeezing Nick hard until Nick shuddered and thrust against the touch, then the younger man winked cheekily and picked up the trash bag. Nick bent and found the straps for his duffle, his eyes drawn to Josh’s pink-clad ass as the other man turned and strode inside. Nick didn’t miss the extra sway to his hips or the silent promise the move conveyed. He picked up his bag and stepped inside, slamming the door behind him. Josh set the trash down and turned, pulling off the band that held his iPod strapped to one nicely muscled bicep. He dropped the whole thing on the couch and Nick dropped his duffle and pounced, grabbing Josh’s wrist.

A dip and a tug and Nick had josh over his shoulder. He clamped one hand onto the mound of Josh’s ass as his lover yelped. Nick drew in a deep breath as he pressed his nose to Josh’s ribs. The scent of sweat and man rushed straight to Nick’s balls, threatening to make him spurt then and there. “Jesus, baby, you smell so fucking good.” Nick licked a strip of sweaty skin, moaning at the salty tang as he squeezed a handful of ass.

Josh huffed a shaky laugh, his hands coasting over Nick’s lower back before latching onto his butt. “I smell like a stinky guy who needs a shower.”

Nick was already striding towards the bedroom, anticipation setting his nerves to jangling. “No, you smell like a man who needs a through fucking.” Nick shouldered the bedroom door open. “And I’ve been driving for almost thirty hours, so—what the hell?”

Nick glared at the bed.

Josh squirmed on his shoulder. “What? What’s wrong?”

Nick felt positively offended as he looked at the beige atrocity. Sure, it went with the orange walls better, kind of… Well, as much as anything could, but—

“Where’s the pink sheets? The pink penguin blanket?” Nick eased Josh down in front of him, still glaring at the bed. “Do you know how much I’ve thought about fucking you there, your skin against those sheets, the way your hair would set that pink off, the contrast of the two? And I get…this?” Nick waved at the colourless mess, chiding himself mentally as he did so. Here he finally had his man, and he was bitching about the colour of the bedding?

Fuck. He was an idiot.

Josh’s cheeks were flushed as pink as the missing sheets when Nick glanced at him.

The younger man nibbled on his bottom lip before releasing it. Nick couldn’t look away from the swollen spit slicked flesh. “I thought…they needed a wash and I thought you wouldn’t like them, so—”

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“Right.” Nick nodded, finally looking into those worried eyes. “Let me clarify

something for you, Josh.” He closed the slight space between them and hooked his fingers in Josh’s waistband. Josh’s skin sprouted goose bumps as he lowered his lids and his breathing sped up. Nick dipped his head and licked the shell of Josh’s ear as he spoke. “I love you, pink, penguins and all. Those are things that are yours, and I want to share them all. I don’t want you to change—unless it’s the bedding back to what it should be.” Nick lifted his head and glared over Josh’s shoulder at all that beige. “I can’t believe you even have something so fucking bland.”

“Justin bought it for me when I moved in,” Josh said, digging his fingers into Nick’s hips. “I never used it before, but the sheets really do need to be washed, so—”

“So trash these after tonight. I’ll buy you as many pink sheets as you want.” As far as Nick was concerned it was settled. Josh was bright colours and sunlit laughter, not this godawful dull crap his brother had picked out.

Josh grinned and nodded. “So can we fuck now?”

Like Nick was going to be dumb enough to waste any more time than he already had.

He’d just have to make Josh flush until his skin was as pink as the sheets should be. Nick swatted him on one taut butt cheek, smirking when Josh jumped and squeaked. “Yeah. Strip and get out what we need.”

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Josh turned his back to Nick and slowly pulled down his scrubs and underwear,