It's later at night when I get the call. My ringtone goes off and I quickly pick up the phone. It's Josh. If anything, I thought I would call first.
I swipe my finger across the screen and hold it to my ear. "Hello?"
"Um hi Tyler", his voice is cracking. "I was wondering if you could come over. I was having some trouble with my head. I just, got angry and broke some things"
The worry immediately wells up in me and I answer, "Yes of course, I'll be there soon." With that I hang up and quickly grab a jacket and head out the door. He seemed so normal today at the art shop. I don't know what possibly could have set him off.
Before I know it, I'm at his apartments and knocking at the door. It takes awhile for him to answer and I consider knocking down the door before he finally opens it.
He peeks out like the day I brought April and I notice his bloodshot eyes. He opens the door further and I notice he's only wearing boxers. I try not to stare at his body. It isn't what he needs right now with whatever is wrong with him.
"Come in, Tyler." He steps back from the door and I walk into his apartment. A broken snow globe lies on the ground with half a globe of water left in it. The armless statue is now headless and a broken paintbrush is lying next to a blank canvas on his coffee table.
"Oh Josh. What did you do?" The concern in my voice is obvious.
"I dropped m-my mother's snow globe that she gave me and I got sad I guess." He sounds broken as he looks forlornly at his arms that are curled around his stomach insecurely.
I walk over to the snow globe with cautious tread and pick it up. "Well, we can water your flowers with it" I say before pouring the water into the pot of dead flowers. I walk back to him and set the empty snow globe on the coffee table before grabbing the head of the statue and setting it back on the body.
He leans into my shoulder and sighs, "I'm sorry I asked you to come over. It's probably a waste of your time. You can go if you want."
His voice is pleading and I know he doesn't want me to leave. So I'll stay. "Why don't you try to sleep. I'll stay with you tonight, Josh."
His eyes light up which makes me smile. He goes to lay down and I spread a blanket over his semi naked form. I quickly walk to his room and pull April off the bed as he protests. I walk over to Josh and place April on him. Josh smiles with his eyes closed. Cats have always been calming for me and I'm not even that much of a cat person. I grab my own blanket and sit in the recliner next to the couch.
The next morning, I woke up before him. I watched him for awhile. One arm was under his head the the other was placed on the couch in front of his bare chest.
The blanket is slipping lower down his body and just barely making it over his hips. I wish I was lying next to him. I wish I could hold him. I wish I could be there for him all the time.
He stirs in his sleep and nuzzles his head deeper into his arms. He goes back to sleep as the blanket falls off his body completely and rests on the floor. His body is fully visible now except for what his underwear covers.
Feeling guilty for staring at Josh in his vulnerable state, I get up from my recliner and walk over to the sleeping beauty. I pull the blanket off the ground and spread it over him.
His now pink hair is falling in his eyes and I reach my right hand down to brush it away. My hand stays on his face and migrates down to his cheek. It has slight stubble but it looks good on him. I trail my hands down to his parted lips and feel warm drafts of air being blown through by his lungs.
Suddenly, the lips I'm silently worshipping move and I pull my hand away.
"I missed your skin after you left." I open my mouth in shock. His eyes open and his lips form a grin.
I attempt at answering back to his poetic utterance, "Just click your heels anytime and I'll be here."
He smiles and I turn around to go back to my recliner. I sit down and play with the hem of my shirt.
"So, pink. What does that mean?" I don't have to specify because he knows what I'm talking about.
"I'll tell you soon." He smiles while he speaks and it makes his words sound joyful. Like how you can tell someone is smiling while they sing in a song.
"Okay. I'll wait." I smile at him.
He shuffles around on the couch to the other side that's puts his head closer to me. "I'm going back to bed. Good morning, Tyler."
"Good morning, Josh."
