Page 11 of Unicorn Unashamed

“Sorry,” he said finally, once he realized that the blocker he was looking for was probably still sitting on his bathroom counter. “Will… will my scent really bother you?”

“You want to exercise like this?” Raymond asked, looking thunderstruck.

Josh sighed, eyebrow raising despite himself. He wasn’t annoyed with Raymond, but he was definitely annoyed. “Raymond, my virile period happens like every other month. I see you three times a week. There has been no point in time since I’ve known you that I haven’t exercised while at some stage of my virile period. It’s not a big deal.”

“I… you’re not on suppressants or anything?”

Josh frowned, annoyance increasing. He was uncomfortable and distracted and horny, and he wanted to both kiss Raymond and also climb him like a tree. Since he could do neither of those things, he really just wanted to get to his workout and exhaust himself. “Um, no? My periods last, like, three days, and they don’t bother me. Not that it’s really any of your business.”

It could be, part of him said. It could be your business. Please want it to be your business.

He ruthlessly struck those thoughts down and just hoped the want and desire didn’t show on his face.

Raymond only ducked his head, chagrined. “Sorry, I—you’re right, not my business. Um. I just…”

When he made no move to finish that sentence, Josh blew out a breath and shoved the deodorant into his bag with probably more force than was necessary. It was hard not to feel hurt. “Look, it’s fine if you can’t handle it.” If you think I really smell that awful. “I should’ve made sure I’d brought the right stuff with me. I’ll, um, I’ll see you Friday?”

“Sure, yeah. Sorry.” Raymond swallowed and took a step back. “Friday.”

“Okay,” Josh said, heading back to the entryway to grab his shoes. He hoped that Raymond didn’t pick up on the dejected slope of his shoulders. All Josh had wanted was a way to get out his energy while spending time with Raymond. And now he got to go home still wound up and frustrated, but also with a fresh rejection in his brain. Raymond didn’t want him. Raymond didn’t like his scent. Josh liked Raymond so fucking much, but Raymond would rather Josh spend his virile period alone.

He knew Raymond didn’t mean it that way at all, but there it was. Stupid pheromones.

He’d just finished yanking on his sodden sneakers when Raymond took a hurried step forward, sounding panicked. “Wait.”

Josh stood up to look at him. “What? What’s wrong?” What now?

“You walked here,” Raymond said, eyes tracking fast.

“Yeah.” Josh was aware. It was why he was in this whole mess in the first place. “So?”

“Let me take you home.”

“That’s okay,” Josh said quickly. He could stand some more rain. It would add to the ambience of how miserable things currently seemed. “Don’t worry about it. It’s probably worse to drive in than to walk in, anyway.

“Josh, please. Please let me drive you home.”

Raymond sounded so close to begging that Josh fully focused on him again, baffled. “Why?”

Raymond had his hands clasped behind his back. He was also ducking his head and hunching his shoulders in a clear attempt to try to make himself smaller, sending out every single “I’m not a threat” signal he possibly could. On closer inspection, Josh realized that Raymond was breathing through his mouth.

“Because you smell really good,” Raymond mumbled after a long pause, gaze firmly fixed on the floor. “I’d worry.”

Josh blinked at him, thoroughly taken aback. He’d been told by multiple people for multiple years that his scent didn’t leave much to be desired, and that his virile scent was no different. He’d even been told that his scent was unappealing. At best, his scent was “fine.”

Unobtrusive.

He’d never had anyone say he smelled genuinely good, before.

And Raymond thinking he smelled good enough to worry about being in danger or something? That was all levels of weird.

It didn’t at all make his stomach flutter.

“I guess if you really want to,” Josh heard himself say. “But it’s not like anyone else is going to be out there.” It was still torrential.

“Thanks,” was all Raymond said. “Let me go get my keys.”

“Okay,” Josh said, kind of at a loss.

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