Friday morning, Declan woke once again to the sounds of cleaning. But unlike the day before, these sounds came from inside the house. He opened his eyes and looked around the room. It took him a moment to place himself; this wasn't the cottage he'd rented for the week. Then he remembered he'd spent the night with Shane.
It was a mistake. Maybe. Declan couldn't decide. He and Shane had been lovers for ten years before separating six years earlier. Shane had moved away to take a new job; Declan, happily ensconced as a university art instructor, had refused to accompany him. They'd kept in touch, but by all appearances Shane had moved on, finding a new lover with whom he'd gone so far as to buy a house.
This summer, Declan had rented a cottage in a seaside town for a week of painting and relaxation. Every year, he tried to spend at least a day or two somewhere quiet, working on the landscapes that earned his living nowadays. He hadn't realized that the town where he was staying was where Shane lived; Shane's letters came with the return address of his workplace. But when the storm had come three days earlier, heavy winds and rain that caused the evacuation of most of the town, Declan and Shane had found each other at the local high school, which was used as an emergency shelter. And they had discovered there that their feelings for each other were as strong as ever, despite their years apart.
Which was why spending the night with Shane might have been a mistake. Shane had made it clear that he wanted to get back together with Declan. Declan wasn't averse to the idea, but he thought Shane was pushing things a bit too far by asking him to move in when the cottage rental ended on Saturday. It had been too long since he and Shane had separated; Declan was used to living alone, and he wasn't ready to move in with Shane again. But spending the night with Shane might have given Shane the wrong impression.
Declan got out of bed and pulled on the shorts and T-shirt he'd been wearing since two nights before. He desperately needed a shower; the electricity had gone out during the storm, and with no way to heat water he hadn't been able to take a shower since returning to the cottage two days before. And he hadn't been willing to take a shower at the shelter. A glance at the electric clock radio on the nightstand showed that the power was back on now, so Declan headed in the direction of the cleaning noises to ask Shane if he could use the shower.
Shane was in the kitchen in nothing but a pair of boxers, sweeping the floor. Declan didn't speak for a moment, admiring Shane's body. The physical attraction between them definitely hadn't dissipated. After a moment, Shane turned and saw him. "Good morning," he said. "Did you sleep all right?"
"Yes," Declan replied. "For some reason, I was tired last night."
Shane grinned. "Yeah, I can't imagine why. It was good to have you here, Declan. It felt right waking up beside you."
"Which doesn't mean it will happen every morning. Do you mind if I use your shower?"
"No problem. I already took one; the hot water's working fine."
"When did the power come back on, do you know?"
"It was on when I got up. Good thing; I need to do some vacuuming to make sure we got all the broken glass yesterday."
"I'll help after I shower."
Shane scrutinized Declan's clothes. "Showering isn't going to do you much good if you have to wear those things. I'll bring you some of my clothes."
"All right. Thank you. Where can I find a towel?"
"Linen cupboard right inside the bathroom. Be careful turning on the shower; it takes a few minutes for the hot water to come up, but when it does, it's scalding."
"Thanks for the warning."
Declan went into the bathroom, turned on the water, and stripped off his shorts and shirt. While he waited for the water to warm up, he located a towel, soap, and shampoo. When he finally stepped into the shower, the water was warmer than he generally liked, but not unpleasantly so. It felt good on his skin.
Usually, Declan took his showers as quickly as possible, not wanting to waste valuable painting time. But today, because he had gone so long without one, he lingered, making sure every last bit of sweat and grime was washed from his body.
He was rinsing his hair for the second time when he heard the bathroom door open. Expecting Shane to put the clothes down and leave the room, Declan was surprised when the shower door slid open and Shane, naked, got in beside him. "I thought you already took your shower," Declan said.
"You can never be too clean." Shane wrapped his arms around Declan. "Besides, showering's more fun with company."
He pressed his lips against Declan's in a sweet kiss that quickly grew passionate. Declan's cock stiffened, and he felt Shane's hard shaft against him. Shane's hands moved down Declan's back to his ass, which he caressed. "I want you," Shane said hoarsely.
"Didn't you get enough last night?" Declan teased.
"I can never get enough of you."
Declan took Shane's cock in his hand. "This certainly seems to need some attention."
"Then give it some."
Declan knelt and licked Shane's shaft before plunging his mouth down on it. "God, Declan!" Shane cried. "That's so fucking good!"
After only a minute or two before Shane said, "Stop. Don't make me come yet."
Standing, Declan said, "When do you want to come?"
"When I'm inside you." Shane took a small bottle from the shelf built along the back wall of the shower. "Waterproof lube," he said. "Bend over, baby."
Declan bent, facing away from the stream of water. He felt Shane's fingers probing his asshole, spreading the lube but also slipping inside. Declan relaxed, allowing Shane's fingers entry, preparing himself for Shane's cock.
When he felt Shane's dick pressing against his ass, Declan took a deep breath and relaxed further. Slowly, Shane eased inside. "You feel so good," Shane whispered.
