Fic: Booty and the Best, Part 3 (Joe/Nick, NC-17, WIP)
Part One
Part Two
* * *
The dress is ridiculous, Joe is aware. But Macy’s seems to specialize in ridiculous, over-blown party dresses, and it had barely cost anything, and actually, the particular shade of goldenrod is quite fetching when contrasted with Joe’s darker complexion. Plus, it has a long, ample skirt that swishes when he walks, and it’s maybe a little fun. It reminds him of when they were younger, and they used to root around in mom’s closet for dress-up costumes and props.
When he enters the downstairs playroom, Nick is standing with his back to the door, bent over the old record player, Chicago’s Greatest Hits in his hand. Even from the back (especially from the back) Joe can appreciate how perfectly the suit fits Nick. The fabric is taut across his strong shoulders, but not straining. The back nips in at Nick’s athletic waist, emphasizing the y-shape of his torso. The pants skim the line of his thighs, sleek but not tight. As Nick flips through the albums Joe can see the flash of his Rolex on his wrist and he smiles. Nick even put on his good watch.
"Mmm, good choice," Joe says quietly. Nick turns with his mouth open, ready with a response, surely, but he seems to lose it somewhere in the process. "Put on Love Me Tomorrow?"
"Good lord," Nick breathes out, letting the album clatter to the floor. "What in the world are you doing?"
Joe feels his cheeks burn but he keeps his eyes on Nick’s. "Helping you rehearse for your big date," he says simply. "And I can already tell you you’re going to need a better opening line."
Nick is rooted to the ground, statue-still. "Y-you-" he stutters out, gesturing stupidly at Joe.
"-look lovely tonight?" Joe supplies, one eyebrow raised.
Nick just gapes, tiny frown creasing his forehead. "But you’re wearing-"
"-the most gorgeous dress two hundred and ninety-nine dollars can buy?"
"Joe, what-? Why?"
"We’re rehearsing, remember? I’m going to show you how to treat a lady. A lady who is, in this case, me."
Nick sucks in a breath, shocked. "B-but you’re-"
"-your date," Joe says. "I’m your date, Nicholas." When Nick doesn’t respond, Joe slumps a little. "Look," he says, tossing his clutch onto the pool table, "it’s just for tonight, okay? I just want to do this with y-I mean, for you, just for one night."
A pained expression flashes across Nick’s face and Joe feels awful. He didn’t realize this would be such an unpleasant experience for Nick.
"I know you don’t want to come to the wedding," he blurts out. "I know you think I’m making a mistake and you’re going to be sulking the whole time and you’d probably rather jab forks into your eyeballs than be there, but you will be there, all because I’ve asked you to. And I just want you to maybe, possibly have a good time, even though you think-"
He trails off when he hears music. Nick’s stepping away from the record player, Love Me Tomorrow playing softly.
"I just want you to be happy," Joe finishes lamely.
Nick swallows visibly, then holds out a hand to Joe. "I’m a lucky guy," he says hoarsely. He’s blushing, but he’s not shying away. "I’ve got the prettiest date in the world."
There’s something decidedly genuine at the way Joe’s heart speeds up at that moment. Sure, he means Sam, but the way Nick is looking at him makes him go inexplicably hot inside.
"Better," Joe says, taking Nick’s hand. "Now what’s your next move?"
"You tell me," Nick says, voice low. He laces their fingers together and pulls Joe closer.
"Offer me a drink, big boy," Joe says, teasing.
Nick doesn’t hesitate. "Can I get you something to drink?"
His voice is tentative, and he still looks like he feels a little silly doing this, but Joe is determined to make this work.
"Why that would be delightful," he says, pitching his voice high. "I’ll take a bit of bubbly, if you don’t mind."
"Joe," Nick groans. "I’ll do this, but please stop with the accent, okay? She doesn’t even sound like that. Just use your normal voice."
"Fine. Spoilsport," Joe says, although he’s more than a little relieved. He clears his throat and says, "I’d love a glass of champagne."
Nick looks around helplessly. "Uh, am I supposed to-"
Just then, Big Rob opens the door, carrying a chilled bottle of champagne and two flutes. "’Sup," he says, nodding at both boys. "Lookin’ good, Joe," he says, without even a second glance.
Joe beams. "Aw, this old thing?" he says, swishing the skirt around. "You like it?"
Big Rob shakes his head. "Still think the pink one would’ve been better. Where you want this?" He looks at Nick because even though Joe planned this whole night, Nick's still the boss.
"Over there, on the coffee table."
Rob puts the drinks down and then bows with a dramatic flourish. "Dinner will be served at eight. Don’t be late, punks."
Nick huffs out a laugh, then presses his mouth into a line. "Thank you," he says politely. "I’ll be sure to have the lady there on time."
"Good," Rob says. "Peace."
They end up finishing the bottle of champagne just in time for dinner, flushed and a little giddy from the alcohol. Nick offers Joe his hand as he stands, pulling Joe to his feet. For a moment, they knock together, chest to chest, and Joe giggles. "Oops," he says, resting his hand on Nick’s shoulder. "Mmm, so strong," he says flirtatiously, giving Nick’s bicep a squeeze.
Nick’s hand slips down around Joe’s waist. Joe can feel the heat from Nick’s palm through the cheap material of the dress. Nick leans forward, nudges Joe’s neck with his nose and breathes in. "You smell really nice."
They stay like that for a long moment, breathing together, heat spiking between them until Joe says, "See now that’s exactly how you compliment a girl on her perfume."
They meander through dinner, drawing it out so that Joe can teach Nick all of secrets of courtship. He shifts his seat nearer and nearer to Nick, and Nick must do the same, because by the time dessert comes they're nearly on top of each other.
"The one thing I'm not sure about," Nick says, leaning forward on the table, "is how to make sure I'm getting my point across, you know?"
Joe is barely paying attention, a little dazed by how close Nick is, how handsome he looks, how spicy-clean he smells. "Mmm?"
Nick smiles then, ducks his head a little for a second but then looks up, right into Joe's eyes. "I want to be clear that I'm-" He pauses, eyes sparkling in the candlelight. "Interested."
"Interested?" Joe's paying attention now. It's progress; it's the first time Nick's admitted interest in Samantha, and that's- good, right? It's good.
Nick smiles softly, almost like a smirk except that it's so genuine. "Very," he says.
Oh. Well then.
"Touch me," Joe says breathlessly. Then he coughs and corrects himself. "I mean, you should touch her occasionally. Like, put your hand on her back or on her waist or-"
"Or her leg, maybe," Nick murmurs, sliding closer to Joe and putting a warm hand on Joe’s knee, over the dress.
"The leg is daring," Joe says, voice sticking a bit in his throat. Nick squeezes his knee gently, stroking one finger back and forth on the silky fabric. "But if you’re feeling it, then, yeah, I guess. Go for it."
Nick is watching him intently, so Joe tries not to look so ruffled. He fusses with the little handbag he’d bought to match the dress, opens it up and pulls out a compact and some lipgloss. He eyes himself critically in the mirror and then dips a finger in the pot of gloss and smoothes it onto his mouth.
Nick chuckles. "You really got into this whole thing, didn’t you?"
Joe feels his cheeks burn, but he’s unapologetic about it. Nick is not around girls enough to be comfortable with all of the accessories that girls come with. He needs to learn to pay attention to all of her little details, if he wants to win her over. Girls really like that.
And, okay. Joe got kind of into it.
He gives Nick a side-eye until Nick smiles and says, "What I mean to say is that you look amazing." He tucks one hand up into Joe’s hair and pushes it back, letting his fingers trail down the nape of Joe’s neck. His expression is strange, a weird combination of amused and kind of sad-looking. "Your dress, your face, your- all of it - it’s perfect. You’re perfect."
Joe blushes even more, because he knows that even though Nick is just practicing, it feels pretty real, like that was real praise for Joe. He has to shake himself a little to snap out of it.
"Don’t say perfect," Joe says, shaking his head. "It’s over-used, and anyway, girls don’t want to be perfect. They want to be gorgeous and sexy and enticing but ‘perfect’, much like ‘awesome’, can be a turn-off."
Nick grins and leans closer, knocking his head against Joe’s. "How about you’re perfect for me?"
Joe swallows and stutters, "Well I guess that could-"
"How about you’re everything I want?" Nick sways closer, eyes zeroed in on Joe’s mouth. "How about I can’t stop thinking about you? How about-?" He looks up, like he's going to catch the words out of the air, the way he looks when he's writing a song, when he's remembering his blessings. "How about you should be mine?" His eyes flick up to Joe's and catch there, suddenly intense and serious. "You should be mine," he says resolutely. "And if you were, I’d spend every day and night making you feel so good."
"That works," Joe croaks. "I mean, it might be overkill, but if you’re sure that’s how you feel-"
"Oh I’m sure," Nick says right away.
The tone of his voice is low and husky, and just the sound of it makes Joe’s dick start to fatten up under the dress. He feels himself start to sweat, body going over-hot with arousal. All he can think about is how Nick is with him when they fool around, how ravenous he is, how hot he gets and how fast.
"So you’re going to be putting on some serious moves then," Joe rasps. It’s meant to be a question, but it sort of comes out all breathy and hopeful.
"I might," Nick says, eyes locked on Joe’s. "If the interest is mutual."
Joe’s heart is pounding and he feels a little drunk, feverish with want for his brother. "You should go for it," he says, hoarse. "Take a chance."
"Like this?" Nick asks, quiet, like there's anyone around to hear them. He slides his hand up from Joe's knee, pushing up the fabric of his dress and dipping his thick fingers down, down towards the inside of Joe's thigh. The move is awkward, unpracticed, the opposite of subtle. A real girl would probably slap Nick for it, but weirdly enough it makes Joe's stomach clench, makes him want to squeeze his legs together so that Nick's hand will slip up further.
"Um-" Joe starts, but his voice doesn't really work properly. He takes a shaky breath and looks up, focusing on his brother's face, a sight that should be familiar but is now so... so changed. So... gorgeous. And so intent; all that freakish focus all centered on Joe.
"Um, yeah," Joe says when he finds his voice. "That works." He steadies his breathing, reminding himself what they're doing, why they're doing this. Nick's concentrating on him so hard, like there's a way to win at this, like he's memorizing everything about how this should go. For a moment, Joe worries that Nick is taking this too literally. Like he won't be able to adapt and think on the fly if even one small detail is changed.
"I mean," Joe says, shrugging a little. "You won't be sitting like this," he says, gesturing between them. "You'll probably be, ah, kissing or something."
Nick leans closer, eyes dropping to Joe's mouth and catching there. "Yeah?" His voice is rough, and when he presses closer, his hand shoves down deeper in between Joe's legs and he tugs, pulling his thighs apart slightly. "I- can I-I think I might need to practice kissing. A little."
“Oh,” Joe says, voice barely a whisper. “O-okay.” His stomach flips like wet laundry and he waits, licking his lips.
Nick’s eyes go dark but his face is still so soft, so Nick. He leans in slowly, brushes his hand behind Joe’s ear and slides his thumb down Joe’s jaw, anchoring him. “God, Joe,” he sighs, eyes fluttering closed as he fits their mouths together in a lingering kiss.
Their lips catch and slide, pressing and pushing and sucking gently and it’s really, really good. It feels different this time somehow, like it’s more than just fooling around, more than just Nick being pent up and Joe helping him out.
Nick kisses him with intent, starting out slow but gradually working them both up, turning the kiss into something almost aggressive when he pulls Joe in and up, onto his lap. His tongue goes from soft, kittenish licks into purposeful pushes in, purposeful little thrusts of tongue into Joe’s mouth like he’s fucking it, like he knows how. Joe starts to suck on Nick’s tongue, wanting to hold it inside his mouth and whimpering when Nick slicks back out. It makes Joe shake with how hot it gets him.
"I think," Joe gasps, feeling dizzy with how fast all of the blood in his body has rushed to his dick. "I think you’re all set with kissing."
"Mmm, no," Nick murmurs. "More practice." He slips his hands down to cup Joe’s hips, then his ass, lifting him and pulling him closer, kissing him breathless.
Nick’s hands are relentless, roving and kneading all over Joe’s body from his throat to his chest to his thighs and butt. His mouth is similarly enthusiastic, sucking and nipping at all the skin he can uncover. They kiss until Joe is groaning with how good it is, surprised at how expertly Nick is working Joe's hips, rolling them in tight little circles against his dick. His tie is askew, face flushed, and Joe’s never seen him more beautiful. He can’t catch his breath from looking at Nick, kissing Nick, being manhandled by Nick, Nick, Nick, Nick.
When Nick ducks down and bites at his throat, wiggling his hands up the skirt of Joe's dress, Joe spreads his thighs wider and thinks, fuck me fuck me fuck me like a chant in his brain.
Nick's digs his fingers in to the meat of Joe's ass and bucks up hard, nearly unseating Joe. The plates and glassware on the table rattle with the impact. "W-what?" he pants. "What did you say?"
"Hmm?" Joe wants more kissing, less talking, so he dips down and takes Nick's mouth, kisses him until Nick bites his lip with a sharp little nip.
"Say it again," Nick says, looking feverish.
"Say wha-oh. Oh." Joe replays the past few seconds worth of conversation in his head and then panics, tries to figure out how to take it back. "Oh, yeah. Well, she might-if you're fooling around and it gets-she might say things like-"
"You want me to-" Nick presses his hot face against Joe's so that they're cheek to cheek. He drops his voice to a heated whisper, breathing into Joe's neck, "You want me to fuck you?"
Joe's heart is pounding like a fist punching at his ribs. He can't answer, can't do anything but whimper when Nick hooks his fingers behind Joe's knee and tugs, hitching Joe's leg up high on his hip.
"Huh? Is that what you said?" Nick's fingers are wrapping around the backs of Joe's thighs, inching upwards and spreading Joe open as they go. The way he’s holding Joe has them rubbing right up against each other, cock to cock. They’re both so hard, and all Joe can think about is how wet Nick gets, how he’s probably soaked through his briefs and his nice new wool pants with all of that precome.
"You think about that," Nick breathes, clutching at Joe frantically as he ruts up against him. "You want that. Oh God."
Joe manages to shake his head as Nick thumps him up against the table. "No, I-"
"Don't-" Nick pants fiercely. "Don't you lie to me."
Joe swallows back whatever nonsense he had been about to say, because god damn he does want that. He wants to feel Nick shaking and shuddering on top of him, wants Nick to push him down onto the dessert plates and rough him up the way he had started doing that night in the Mustang after the hockey game. He wants to feel Nick go wild on him, and all of a sudden that doesn't seem so horrifying. It definitely doesn't feel unattainable.
"Pretend I'm her," Joe finally says, voice a hoarse whisper. "P-unnh practice on me."
Nick groans and buries his face into Joe's neck, nuzzling and suckling as his hips rock up into Joe's, knocking Joe against the table and making the silverware clank and clatter.
"That's it," Joe sighs, stroking his shaky hands through Nick's messy curls. He leans down, kisses at Nick's temple, at the shell of his hot little ear. "You can have whatever you want," he whispers. He's not even sure why he says it, but it's true. He'll give Nick anything. Everything.
"Jesus," Nick whines. "You can't- you can't say stuff like that-"
Nick's trying to be judgmental, working so hard to be appalled at what Joe's offering him, but it's clear that it's just riling him up further.
"Yeah I can," Joe breathes out. "I can do whatever I want. We can do-" he pauses and grips at Nick's hair, pulling his face up so that he's looking right into Joe's eyes. "-whatever we want."
Nick's eyes flutter closed and he stills for a moment, breathing hard.
"C'mon, Nick," Joe starts, but Nick shushes him urgently.
"Shhh, God," Nick hisses, shoving Joe back against the table and holding him there with one hand. "Stop talking. Stop- stop making me-"
Joe worries for a moment that he may have pushed too hard, but then he feels Nick's other hand fumbling desperately at Joe's skirt, pushing it up, up and getting his hand right on Joe's dick. "Oh man," Joe says, surprised.
Nick shoves at the fabric until it's all bunched up around Joe's waist, then tugs at Joe's underwear until his dick pops free, arrowing up fat and flushed against his belly. "See what you-" Nick is mumbling. "Oh. Oh Joe," he breathes out, like he's shocked to see how hard Joe is. "You're so-"
Before Joe can even point out that Nick's hard too, the rigid jut of his dick pressing against the placket of his suit pants, Nick gets a firm hand on him, gives him a few good pumps that take his breath away.
Nick's just staring down at Joe's dick in his hand like he's never seen a dick before in his life. He's licking his lips and man all Joe can think about is how plush Nick's mouth is, how good it would be to get inside-
"Wish you would suck me," Joe breathes out. "God I want you to suck me off-"
Nick groans and speeds up his fist, never taking his eyes away. "S-shut up," he hisses.
"I'll do it to you," Joe offers shakily, trying to stay in control as Nick strokes him off. "I want to."
Nick grunts and squeezes at Joe's hip hard enough to make Joe wince. "Stop- just shut up."
The friction on his dick is excruciatingly perfect, and the way they're sitting, it looks like Nick is jerking himself off, so even Joe's view is fantastic. "I'm gonna come," he says quickly. It's coming on too fast now, can't be stopped. "I'm gonna come now, Nick. Gonna-"
He goes off before he can say it again. His orgasm beats through him hard, like it only does on those most perfect occasions when he has time to draw it out, make it really good. He creams up Nick's fist, his wrist, his clothes in stomach-clenching pulses.
"Jesus, Joe!" Nick groans, shoving Joe back and staring down at where Joe's come is sliding down his shirt in thick, creamy globs. "You got it all over me!"
Joe can't help but grin. "Yeah I did. All over you," he parrots softly. When he looks up, Nick is staring at him, eyes hot and wild. "You can do me," Joe offers, reaching out and dragging a finger through the slick patches on Nick's stomach. "If you want?"
Nick doesn't waste any time, knocking Joe back onto the table and standing, shoving himself between Joe's thighs and getting his dick out. He pumps it in quick, uneven little jerks, like he's already too worked up to make it last.
Joe smiles up at him lazily. "Yeah, that's it. You're going to shoot all over my pretty dress, aren't you?"
Nick sucks in a noisy breath between his teeth and tilts his head back, like he can't bear to look at Joe any longer or he'll lose it. Joe drags himself upright, wraps his arms around Nick's strong neck like they're slow dancing.
"You gonna get me all messy with it?" he whispers against Nick's ear. He squeezes at Nick's hips with his thighs, pulling Nick in closer, so that Nick's fist is knocking right up against Joe's softening dick as he strokes himself in a punishing rhythm. "Get me all wet in between my legs, huh. Get me all slick like a girl?"
"God, Joe," Nick whimpers.
"C'mon do it," Joe pleads. "Get me all wet and then you can fuck me like a girl. Just like-"
Mnnnnn, Nick whines again and again as his orgasm hits him. He falls forward, hand still clasped loosely around his dick as it flexes and spurts, spattering cream all over Joe's dick and inner-thighs.
The feeling of Nick's come sliding down his leg is hotter than Joe would have guessed. He lets his worn out little brother lean into him, catch his breath. Joe strokes at Nick's shoulders, soothing him.
"That was so good, Nick," Joe murmurs, lips pressed right up against the pink shell of Nick's ear. He shudders out a shaky breath and starts to say, "Sam-"
"Screw Sam," Nick grumbles into Joe's hair.
Joe flashes back wildly to the night Nick had brought her home, taken her to his room, and he wonders suddenly if Nick did screw her, if he brought her home, giggling and blushing and took her up to his room and put it to her. Maybe Nick's finally gotten his dick wet, Joe thinks. Maybe this whole 'practice' date has been for nothing.
The spike of jealousy shocks him with how deep he feels it. All of a sudden he feels ridiculous in this dumb dress, pretending to be Nick's girl, when Nick has surely had her on his lap already, boobs bouncing every time Nick jostled her with his hips. Samantha has almost certainly kissed Nick and done it better than Joe ever could, been sweet and feminine and not engaged to someone else and not his brother in a way that Joe can't ever hope to be.
It hits him like a punch to the gut, how silly he's been. Pretending he's doing all of this for Nick, when really he just wants to be the one Nick kisses like that, touches like that, looks at like that. It's enough to make him ashamed of himself for being so indulgent. So selfish.
"She's a lucky girl," Joe breathes as Nick sucks and licks at the bite mark he's left on Joe's skin. "I'm pretty jealous," he says earnestly, because there's no point in pretending otherwise. "Of her," he clarifies.
Nick slumps forward, burying his head on Joe's shoulder and heaves, makes these weird noises like he can't breathe or something, like he's having some kind of attack. Joe pulls back, grasps his face in concern until he realizes Nick is laughing.
"What's so funny?"
Not for nothing, but there had been some pretty heavy petting going on, and Joe wasn't really planning on it ending so abruptly. Or with Nick laughing at him.
"Just," Nick gasps, still giggling a little hysterically, wiping at his eyes. "You're jealous."
Joe pouts, shifting back on Nick's lap to put some distance between them. "You don't have to-"
"And so you just- tell me," Nick says, incredulous. "You just say, 'I'm pretty jealous of that girl you're with.' Just like that."
Joe looks at his brother, confused. "Well, yeah. What else would I do?"
Nick looks up at the ceiling and sighs shakily. "I can't imagine," he says faintly.
* * *
Nick's messing around on the piano when Joe joins him in the beatlab after dinner a few nights later. He's the kind of happy-satisfied-exhausted that comes from spending a couple of hours in the gym with Nick, trying to out-do his little brother on the weight bench, and then cooking up a big meal for the two of them. Joe's feeling particularly proud of himself for having made a dish with brussels sprouts that Nick actually liked. He loves cooking for Nick, loves seeing how Nick's belly goes all rounded and soft after a good meal.
It's one of the ways that Joe can still take care of Nick that's less...complicated.
"I hope that's a song about how awesome dinner was," he says, sitting next to Nick on the piano bench.
Nick smiles down at the keys, plays a string of melody and says, "It actually is." He looks up at Joe, eyes twinkling, and Joe has to look away. Lately Nick is too-too everything for him.
"You're spoiling me," Nick says quietly, nudging his shoulder against Joe's. "I like it."
Joe tickles his fingers against Nick's distended tummy. "I can tell." Nick frowns and squirms, batting Joe's hand away until Joe says, "Looks good on you, bro." His voice comes out rough and Nick stills, lets Joe rub at his belly until the silence between them starts to feel loaded.
Joe's not sure when or how it happened, exactly, but somehow even the most casual moments between them have become charged. It started out combative, but now it's just gone all sweet and hot between them. The way Nick looks at him is- it's like Nick wants to kiss him forever.
Joe's pretty sure he's wearing the exact same expression.
"This-this has been nice," Nick says, like he’s struggling with his words a little. "Having you here with me."
"Mmm," Joe agrees, resting his chin on Nick's shoulder and rubbing his fingers in slow circles on Nick's skin.
"It's-" Nick swallows hard. "I'm gonna miss it."
Joe's stomach clenches. "Hey, we've still got time."
"Not enough," Nick says seriously, looking away.
He's right, but Joe can't afford to think like that. "Well at least you've learned a lesson, right? It's nice to have company. Human interaction is good," he teases, jostling Nick gently.
Nick doesn't smile. He sighs, melancholy, then heads over to the soft brown couch.
"C'mon, chin up," Joe tries. He's not sure if he can do this, convince Nick that everything is for the best when he's starting to doubt it himself. But he can't let Nick be sad either. "Hey, I have a good feeling about you and Sam," he tries. "Pretty soon you'll have a love nest of your own. She'll cook, you'll complain. It'll be just like this."
Nick clenches his jaw, nods slowly. He's quiet for awhile, so Joe gets up, joins him on the couch. He slips his arms around Nick's chest, cuddles him into a hug.
"Is this how it is?" Nick's voice is shaky and soft when he asks. "For you guys? Is it like this?"
For the first time he's not attacking, not judging. He doesn't sound angry, only a little sad.
"It's- it's kind of like this," Joe answers honestly. "I mean. We eat meals together." After that he struggles to think of any other way in which living with Ashley is like living with Nick. "We talk. Sometimes."
He looks over at Nick, and his heart starts to ache. Nick looks so unhappy and Joe can't stand that.
"She doesn't give me nearly as hard of a time as you do," he jokes. He immediately regrets it when Nick's face falls even further. "I mean. On the other hand, she doesn't make me-"
He has to cut himself off when he realizes he's about to say happy. He chokes a little, shocked at the realization.
"Shrimp and cheese spaghetti?" Nick offers, and Joe wants to hug him.
"That's right," Joe says softly. "She doesn't make me shrimp and cheese spaghetti. So there's that."
Nick leans forward, rests his elbows on his knees and blows out a shuddery breath. Joe doesn't understand why everyone has to feel bad in this situation, especially Nick.
"So tomorrow I was thinking of making meatloaf with actual meat."
"Don't do that," Nick says. "You don't have to change the subject when you-we don't have to avoid talking about Ashley."
It jars Joe, because it's the first time in months he's heard Nick say Ashley's name. He usually just refers to her as 'her' or 'she' - like saying her name is giving her too much credence.
"Okay," Joe says quietly. "Let's talk about Ashley."
It turns out Nick has a ton of questions about Ashley, and about Joe's relationship with her. Apparently they've all been building up while he's been trying to not-talk about her this whole time. Some of his questions make Joe smile, like whether or not he leaves the bathroom door open when he goes to the bathroom (he doesn't), or if he's ever had to buy her tampons (he has.) Other questions make his chest hurt, like whether Joe likes her family as much as theirs (not even close) and if Joe has thought about names for their future children (he hasn't.)
They stay on the couch late into the night; Nick asking questions that Joe tries to answer as honestly as possible. He tries to find out a little about Nick in the process, tries to uncover some of that heartbreak that Nick's never told him about. Nick stays tight-lipped on the subject, shifting around awkwardly every time Joe even skirts the issue.
It's around one in the morning when Nick starts to quiet down. He's got his head in Joe's lap, Joe's fingers stroking through his curls. Nick's hands are tucked loosely under Joe's knee, elbows splayed out to the side and his bare feet are propped up on the far arm of the sofa. He doesn't look as upset as he did when they'd first started talking. Joe thinks maybe he's finally starting to understand, or at the very least, he's relaxing.
And the irony of the situation is that somewhere along the line of Nick's relentless curiosity and questioning Joe managed to lose some of his own convictions. He's never felt less sure of his choices than the way he feels tonight.
Looking down at Nick, at the line of nose, the smooth softness of his skin, Joe can't imagine being part of any other family. He cringes at the thought, but if he's honest with himself, he knows Ashley doesn't stand a chance of competing with the love he feels for his brothers.
Brother.
It's quiet for awhile, until Nick clears his throat and asks, "What about sex?"
Joe blinks down at him, takes in Nick's pink cheeks and the way he's chewing on his lips. "Uh, yes please," Joe says with a grin.
Nick grins crookedly, forgetting to cover up his wonky teeth. “No, like-you two-”
Joe’s really not sure he wants to go there with Nick, but he scritches at Nick’s scalp, smiles a little helplessly at the way Nick’s eyelids go heavy, and prompts, “What do you wanna know?”
“Uh, well- have you- uh, you’ve done like, everything, right?” Joe offers a half-shrug, half-nod in response and Nick goes on, his dark eyes almost too intent on Joe’s face. “What’s it like?”
So huh, there it is. Nick hasn't- Not ever. And now he's looking up at Joe in a way that makes him seem so young all of a sudden.
“It’s good.” Joe sighs. “It's intimate, I guess."
Nick narrows his eyes a little. "No, I mean. I know that. What's it feel like though? Inside?"
Joe's pulse starts to kick up. He licks his lips, purses them in a little soundless oh. "I know you’ve gotten girls hot, felt how slick they can get with your fingers, just...” He thumbs at Nick’s lower lip and Nick’s mouth closes on him, instinctively suckling. He shakes his head, forces himself to focus. Girls. Right. “Just imagine all of that slippery-wet around your dick, squeezing and taking, holding you.”
Nick shifts and Joe notices the way he’s chubbed up in his pants, this perfectly distracting little tent. Joe’s body goes hot and he pushes his thumb further into Nick’s mouth. He meets Nick’s gaze again, starts pumping his thumb in and out, whispers, “Feels kind of like your mouth, actually."
Nick's eyes flutter closed and his tongue flickers against Joe's thumb. "Yeah," Joe whispers. "God, I could fuck your mouth right now." He says it without even thinking, just feeling how warm and wet Nick's mouth is, how sweet and slick his tongue feels.
Nick's hand scrabbles down in between his legs, holding at the lump of his dick.
"Take care of yourself," Joe whispers, nodding down at Nick.
Nick moans around Joe's thumb and kneads at his dick through his pants.
"No, no," Joe says. "Show me. I wanna see you."
Nick blinks up at him slowly, cheeks flushing pink and splotchy. He nods and wiggles out of his pants, pushing them down to his ankles. His dick is fat already, starting to poke up slightly.
Joe slides one hand out of Nick's hair and slips it down to push under Nick's thin t-shirt, cup at Nick's rounded little belly. "That's my boy," he croons.
Nick's eyes go thin as he gives Joe's thumb a needy suck, and God, everything about Nick makes Joe impossibly crazy.
"Go slow," Joe says, rubbing at Nick's stomach softly. "You always go off so fast."
Nick frowns and squirms, but slows down, loosening his grip on his dick and making his strokes longer, lazier.
"Ever try fingering yourself while you do it?"
Nick pauses, grips his dick tighter. "N-no," he breathes out, pulling off of Joe's thumb and letting it trail slick and wet down his cheek. "You mean-?" He spreads his knees apart a little more and reaches down, fingers dipping low behind his balls.
"You should," Joe says, sounding a little breathless himself. "It's really good."
Nick whines and gives himself a couple of quick pumps, like he needs to relieve the pressure. "Y-you like that? Having something inside?"
"Mmm hmm," Joe murmurs. He's watching the way Nick's fingers twitch on his chubby cock, the way Nick is desperately holding back from jerking himself hard and fast. When he glances up at Nick's face, he's surprised to see how Nick is looking at him, wide, dark eyes gone hungry. "Usually just my fingers," he adds, testing.
Nick swallows thickly, Adam's apple bobbing in his throat. "More than one?"
"Sometimes."
Nick's breath is coming out in shuddery pants, keeping tempo as he tries to keep his strokes steady and slow. "And it feels- good?"
"Oh yeah," Joe says with a grin.
Nick squeezes his eyes shut and presses his cheek against Joe's thigh, seeking out his hand. Joe gives it to him, lets Nick find his index and middle fingers, suck them into his fat little mouth.
"Feel how big that is?" Joe breathes out. "Two fingers?"
Nick groans, lips buzzing against Joe's skin.
"Sometimes I think about getting something else up inside," Joe says, voice barely a whisper. "I bet your cock would feel so good-"
Nick cries out and bites down on his fingers suddenly. He's not even moving his hand, just holding on loosely as he pumps come all over his heaving belly.
After, Nick climbs up into Joe's lap and kisses him for hours. Joe knows they have bulldozed any semblance of boundaries but with Nick's soft mouth against his, he can't bring himself to feel bad about it.
* * *
The weekend before the wedding, Nick throws Joe a bachelor party. It starts with golf in the morning with Kevin and the guys from the band, and Joe is impressed when Ashley's brother shows up and joins him, Kevin and Nick to make a foursome. He's sure it cost Nick a fair amount of pride to include him, but Nick is gracious and polite the whole time, if a little smug after he kicks all of their asses on the course.
They have dinner at Garbo’s, play a couple of rounds of poker and then iPod karaoke with Joe's iPod; Joe’s had a couple of beers by the time Nick ends up singing When You Look Me in the Eyes to him, so he hardly even blushes. Joe’s really enjoying himself, but Hoffman and a couple of the other guys keep asking where the strippers are. Nick laughs them off, just keeps saying he has a surprise waiting for Joe at home.
Joe’s drowsy-buzzed when Nick takes him home, drags him upstairs and pushes him down on Nick’s bed. Joe falls back, flip-flop clad feet still flat on the carpet, only vaguely aware of Nick’s soft laughter.
“Hey!” He feels Nick lean over him and opens his eyes, blinking up at Nick when Nick cups a warm, calloused hand to his cheek. “Don’t fall asleep yet, it’s only 12:30. And besides, I have plans for you.”
Joe just stares at him for a long moment, caught up in how soft Nick is just then, face so open and young-looking, curls falling over his eyes, full mouth quirked in a cocky grin.
“Love you,” Joe whispers, helpless to it.
Nick’s grin disappears and he drops, kissing Joe, covering Joe all over in that way he has that makes Joe feel claimed. "You make me crazy," Nick whispers against Joe's mouth. "You make me crazy with- with how much I want you." He pushes Joe's arms over his head, pushing Joe’s wrists flat to the bed and runs his fingers down the underside of Joe's arms, sending jolts of electricity into Joe's skin, making him shiver. "You make me want things I never wanted before."
It feels like a confession, like Nick is finally just telling him things, rather than stomping around hoping that Joe's just going to get it, just going to understand what the real problem is when Nick loses his temper, just going to know what Nick wants somehow, maybe by being a better brother. Joe is willing to work at Nick like a math problem, always has been, but the temptation to hear it straight from Nick is too great.
"Like what?"
Nick keeps at him, pulling Joe's shirt off and sucking kisses into his skin everywhere. His mouth is so so soft and wet, unbelievably so, like nothing Joe's ever felt before from anyone else. And it's everywhere all at once, kissing at his throat, tonguing at his nipple, nipping at his shoulder. Nick's mouth moves over his body in a way that's tender and relentless, gentle but insistent, selfish.
"Man," Joe groans, unable to keep it in. "Your mouth-"
Nick smiles into his skin, nips a little with his teeth, and says, "Yeah? You want my mouth?"
Joe has to close his eyes, bring his arms down around his brother and pull him closer, fighting back the want that flares up inside him at the thought of Nick giving him that, of Nick sucking him off.
"You want me to-?" Nick asks again, hesitant this time, and while Joe knows he's never done that before, never had a dick in his mouth, he also knows Nick would do it for him right now, no questions asked, because he's the best brother and he wants Joe to have the best stag night ever.
"No no no," Joe moans, shaking his head as if to push away the temptation. "I mean, crap, Nick, yes, but-" He grabs Nick by the curls when he feels Nick sliding down, pulls him back up, kisses him pliant. "Tell me what you want," he says. "You never tell me-"
Nick smiles at him indulgently. "Nuh uh. Tonight is all about you."
Nick looks pleased with himself, like this has been his plan the whole night. The whole five months, maybe, everything leading up to this one moment when he can give Joe everything and have some flimsy excuse for it.
"Fine then," Joe says, seizing the opportunity. "Take your shirt off."
Nick does without hesitating; pulls his Henley up over his head and sits up so Joe can look. He's not shy about it; or rather, if he's uncomfortable with his bare skin on display he's being very brave about it.
"Beautiful," Joe whispers, because he is, says it quietly so that Nick doesn't go all bashful on him. "Now kiss me."
Nick's on him in a flash, kissing him thoroughly, like there's nothing else in the world he'd rather be doing. Joe groans into Nick's mouth, hands roaming all over Nick's body from shoulders to waist, touching at his throat and then trailing down to his soft, smooth belly.
"So good," Joe says, praising Nick when he pulls back to pepper little kisses down Joe's jaw, down his throat. He can feel Nick preening, knows that Nick wants to win at this, too. "Now tell me about the crazy things you want. The things you never wanted before, but do now. The things you think about when you get off. I want to know."
Nick groans and bites him, trying to keep quiet, but Joe wants this too badly to let up. He wants to know everything so he can give it to Nick.
"Tell me," Joe coaxes. He strokes Nick's sweaty curls away from his face. "You know there's nothing you could say that would scare me off, right? Nothing you could say that would make me judge you." He kisses up the side of Nick's neck, around his ear until Nick is whimpering against him, pained. "Nothing you could say that would make me want this any less."
"I- I want-"
"Tell me," Joe breathes. "Tell me and we can do it all."
"I-sometimes I want to tie you up," Nick admits, breathing hard against Joe's throat. He shakes his head, frustrated. "Not sometimes. All the time. I want to tie you up, keep you here, keep you in my bed forever."
Joe groans, eyes fluttering shut, letting Nick fill him with ideas.
"I just want you here all the time," Nick says, hips working slow and hard against Joe's. "I want you to be here and I want you to let me-"
"I will," Joe gasps, reaching down and squeezing Nick's hips hard, positioning him so that he can spread his legs wider, let Nick shove up against him so that they both feel how good it is.
"-whenever I want," Nick is still talking, helpless to it now. "Over and over," he growls, fucking up against Joe like he wants in, "again and again."
When Joe breathes out, "You can," Nick whines and drags his hands up, pinning them flat to the mattress again. Joe fists the comforter, holds on. He looks up at Nick, waits.
Nick groans and fumbles at Joe's pants. "I want-" he starts again, like the floodgates have opened. He paws at Joe's clothes, tugging until Joe's naked under him, vulnerable and wanting. "I want you to think of me when-" he pauses, shaking his head like it hurts to admit this, "-when you do it with her."
"I do," Joe says on a sigh, realizing the truth in his words. "God, I already do."
Nick grabs Joe's face roughly, kisses him with a ferocity that makes it impossible for Joe to do anything but take it.
"I want to fuck you," Nick says fiercely when he pulls back, leaving Joe pliant and needy below him. "Because I know she can't."
Joe stares at his brother, his crazy, beautiful genius of a brother, and nods.
TBC