Steve looked out of his bedroom window at the sound of the lawn mower starting. As with a lot of people, he'd moved back home with his parents when the pandemic hit, and despite things opening back up, he hadn't yet re-flown the nest. Neither had he returned to the office, continuing to work from home.
Which definitely had its advantages, he smiled to himself as the source of the lawnmower stepped into view. Whilst Steve was perfectly capable of mowing their lawns, his dad had started to pay their neighbours son to do it when Steve had left home, and it seemed unfair to take away this source of income for the young man.
James was only 18, heading off to university at the end of the summer. When Steve was last at home, he had been a gangly awkward young teen. All that had changed whilst he had been away. He'd grown up, his lean body having that energy that all young adults seemed to have. And what a body, Steve smiled to himself as he watched James pushing the mower back and forth across their half acre back lawn. The summer sun was beating down, and James had decided to forego any top. His skin shone in the sun, the sweat that was beading on his tanned torso reflecting the rays. As he turned, Steve saw the tight abs stretching as he manhandled the heavy mower around, before trudging on again.
His legs pushed against the ground, driving him on. They were clad in loose shorts, their strong muscular forms showing the power that lay within them. He had a pair of earphones on to cancel the noise, pushing down on his short blonde hair. If they lived anywhere near the coast, he would have been mistaken for a typical surfer dude.
Work was forgotten now as Steve tried to discretely watch James over the top of his laptop. He wasn't in bad shape himself, being massively active and taking part in lots of sports, but being the wrong side of 30, he found it harder to resist snacking, and easier to skip the workouts. He looked down at his own body, a slight belly showing beneath his short-sleeved work shirt, and for the hundredth time, vowed to cut down on the snacking. His own legs poked out of loose shorts, another perk of working from home.
By now James had finished the lawn and out of Steve's view the engine cut off. A couple of minutes later Steve heard a knock on the front door. For a moment Steve ignored it, his parents would deal with it, but then he realised that they were out for the day, and so he pushed up from his office chair and made his way down the stairs. His breath increased as he could see the outline of James's body through the door, and he steadied himself for a moment before opening the door. The warmth hit him as he opened the door, and the sun dazzled him for a moment.
"Hey," James said, smiling, hardly seeming out of breath from the hour of work he'd done. Steve had to stop from staring as he watched a bead of sweat trickle down the perfect torso.
"Hey," Steve managed to reply, before realising James had come to get paid. "Come in," he added turning to find the money his parents had left.
James pushed his trainers off, and stepped into the hallway, following Steve.
"Here you go," Steve said, handing James the note he'd found on the table.
"Cheers," James said, putting the note into his pocket, before adding, "so did you enjoy the show?"
"Huh?" Steve replied, momentary confused.
"I saw you, watching me work," James replied, smiling at the look of horror that crossed Steve's face, "and I have one question for you."
"What's that?" Steve asked in a quiet voice, his heart beating fast.
"What are you going to do about it?" James said stepping closer to Steve.
It took Steve a moment to realise what James was meaning, and when he did, he stepped close and pulled James close. Their lips met, and immediately James's mouth gently parted, allowing Steve to push his tongue in, running it over his lips, tasting the salty sweat on the young man's skin.
