The Merger – 46

 

Mike decided that looking for a house was twice as difficult as setting up a wedding. Part of that, of course, was the fact they'd decided to get married in front of a Justice of the Peace.

"With the number of friends we have—or don't have," Mike said wryly, "why go for the whole church and reception thing?"

When they figured it out, the only people they wanted to invite, aside from their families, were Rosie and her husband, George Stanton and some of the people that Josh knew who worked for him, Detectives King and Irvine—"Because without them, we might not be alive to do this" as Mike had put it—and a few of their regular clients at the agency.

The wedding went off without a hitch, two weeks after the proposal. The celebratory dinner afterward was filled with love and laughter by all concerned.

And Josh and Mike still hadn't decided which house they wanted to buy. When they first started searching, they'd made of list of what they were looking for.

"One story, probably," Josh had said. "Two bedrooms, definitely."

"Planning on guests?" Mike had asked.

"We both have families, so yeah."

"Not too close to neighbors," had been one of Mike's prerequisites. "I had enough of that living in an apartment." Josh had agreed wholeheartedly.

So they started by looking on realty websites. It was easy to eliminate at least half of them by price alone, as they'd decided they didn't want to be in debt up to their ears, paying off a mortgage.

Next, they checked the kitchens to make certain they were large enough for two men to work together fixing meals without bumping into each other. That got rid of approximately half of the ones they had left.

"What's with tiny kitchens?" Josh had grumbled at one point.

"The houses were built by people who think only the wife will use it," Mike suggested, "so why take up space that can be utilized for the husband's media room?"

"If you say so."

By the time they'd finished and looked at the houses in question, they'd brought the number down to three they would consider. Each of them had homes on either side, but the yards for two of the three were large enough that they wouldn't feel as if they didn't have any privacy—especially since there were trees between the houses.

"I love the deck on this one," Josh said, "but the unfinished basement?"

"Will give us something to do in our spare time," Mike replied. "The basement in this one—" he tapped the pictures on the website, "—is finished, and you can get to the back yard from it."

"True. And there are two full bathrooms, which is a plus."

The debate raged on, to the point that Mike wondered if the Realtor was going to throw up her hands in disgust when they asked her, yet again, if they could visit one or another of the houses.

Finally, on the first of November, they made their choice, settling on the one with the fully finished basement, two baths, and a kitchen large enough to have an island to one side that they'd use for all but the most formal meals, as Josh put it. Then, of course, there was the long wait for all the paperwork to be completed.

"This is going to drive me around the bend," Mike complained, as he and Josh began packing up their apartments in preparation for the move he was beginning to think would never actually happen. In the interim, between the wedding and the closing on the house, they had been living at his apartment but hadn't bothered to consolidate their things.

"After all," Josh had pointed out. "Why move my stuff, other than my clothes, more than once?"

At last, a week before Christmas, the house was theirs. As busy as they were with work, the move was done in the evenings, a few steps at a time. Then, the Saturday before the holiday, everything they owned was in place in their new home—furniture, clothes, books, kitchenware, etcetera—where they wanted them to be.

Sunday, since running wasn't an option with six inches of fresh snow on the ground, they spent the morning looking for the perfect Christmas tree.

"How about that one?" Josh asked, pointing to a tree in the center of the lot.

Mike just shook his head, replying, "Why do you go for the ones that would be perfect—if we owned a mansion?"

"I like big and sexy. That's why I married you."

With a snort of amusement, Mike said, "I don't think a tree can be sexy."

"Well…"

Eventually, they settled on a reasonably sized one that wouldn't overpower the living room. When they got it home and set up in one corner, they realized that even between them, they didn't have all that many ornaments to decorate it.

"The last tree I had," Mike said in way of explanation, "sat on my dining room table, and there was still room to eat there."

"It's been years since I had one," Josh told him. "It was too much trouble when I didn't have anyone to celebrate with. Now, I do." He gave Mike a hug. "My wonderful, very sexy husband."

"I'm not…"

"You are, so shush." After kissing him, Josh stepped back to survey the tree. "Tinsel, a couple of strings of lights, and we're good."

Mike agreed, so they took a quick trip to the nearby drugstore, which they figured wouldn't be too crammed with last-minute shoppers. It wasn't, although it obviously had been hit up for decorations. They snagged the last box of tinsel and found one string of lights. "Next year…" Mike said, getting a grin and a nod from Josh.

*****

Christmas morning was bright and sunny, with a fluttering of snow to make it festive, not that Mike and Josh saw that until well after ten when they finally crawled out of bed after a very satisfying bout of making love. Donning bathrobes, briefs, and nothing else, they wandered out of the bedroom, heading for the kitchen.

Mike stopped when he saw the tree. "Looks like Santa paid a visit."

"I'd say so," Josh agreed. He'd snuck out of their bedroom late the previous evening when he'd thought Mike was asleep to put the few presents he'd bought him under the tree. Apparently Mike had done the same after him, because there were more than when he'd last looked. "Breakfast first, though."

"And coffee!" Mike declared.

They made both, eating in the kitchen. Then, with fresh coffee in hand, they returned to the living room to open their presents. Most of them consisted of books and new clothes—what Josh deemed things men buy for men. He was amused when he opened one box to find a new pair of running shoes moments after Mike had opened the one Josh had given him containing the same thing.

"Now, if it would stop snowing so we can use them," Josh commented.

"It will, eventually."

Mike's eyes gleamed with anticipation when he handed Josh his last present, saying, "We have wedding rings, but I never got you one of these."

Josh knew instantly what was inside. Opening it, he slid the engagement ring onto his finger—and the second one the box contained onto Mike's. "Now I guess we're officially, officially married," he said as he wrapped his arms around his husband then gave him a slow, passionate kiss.

"Now and forever," Mike whispered against Josh's lips.

"And I wouldn't have it any other way."

 

The End