After that, he did manage to relax, his nerves floating away in the steam billowing up in the shower. Calix handed him the shower gel, and Rhett squeezed some into his hand. Surely, Calix had meant for Rhett to wash himself, but what if…? He had to ask it right away. Otherwise, he'd never have the nerve.
"C-can I wash you? Touch you?"
Calix's eyes lit up. "Yes. That's… Of course you can. You can touch me everywhere, sweetheart. Explore away."
Was it too intimate? Did it fall within the boundaries of whatever their relationship was? Too late now, so he'd better take advantage. Calix didn't seem to mind. More to be genuinely surprised.
He took a deep breath, then pushed Calix slightly backward until he was no longer under the water. He started with his chest, rubbing big circles with his soapy hands over his developed pecs and tight abdomen with clearly defined muscles. The bubbles glistened on Calix's furry chest. He couldn't be called a bear by any definition—he didn't even have the build of one—but Rhett found the soft curls very masculine.
"I always wanted chest hair," Rhett said. "It always looked so sexy to me, so manly. I waited forever in high school and college to grow hair, but to my disappointment, it never came."
"You look plenty sexy without it, sweetheart."
Calix's voice was low, almost a purr, and resonated deep inside Rhett. As if it pressed a button of want, of need. He was scared to examine it too closely. Nothing good could come from that.
Instead, he continued washing Calix, who obediently turned around so Rhett could scrub his back. He trailed his finger over the small scars he had felt for the first time when massaging his back. Were those from the bombing as well, like the ones on his shoulder and neck? He hadn't wanted to ask then, fearing Calix would tense up, but he could now, couldn't he? After all they had done. "What happened?"
"Spartan race. My first Beast. I was stupid and did a barbed wire crawl without wearing a shirt. I lost my balance and slid sideways to the edge of the obstacle where the barbed wire was much lower and cut my back open. Because I wanted to finish the race, I stupidly refused treatment. I should have at least gotten those butterfly stitches, but I'd waited too long. The wounds got dirty, and they couldn't even stitch them anymore."
"You take those races very seriously."
"I do. I'd never make that choice now, but back then, yeah… Not my finest moment."
Rhett's hands traveled lower, and he took a fortifying breath, then rubbed Calix's firm ass cheeks. "I-I really like your ass," he choked out.
"Hmm. Thank you. I'm quite partial to yours as well."
"You haven't even seen it."
Calix threw him a grin over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow. "So I've imagined all those times at work when I checked out your ass in those damn tight Dockers you wear?"
Rhett giggled. "Oh, I never noticed."
"But I'll make sure to perform a more thorough study later on, okay?"
Rhett smiled as he crouched to wash Calix's legs, finding more scars there. And then he was done, and Calix turned around, swinging his half-hard cock practically in Rhett's face. "Oh." Rhett swallowed and peeped up at Calix.
"Do you like the view?"
Rhett bobbed his head carefully. A too vigorous move would bring his mouth within kissing distance of the man's cock, and while that idea sounded appealing in theory, he wasn't quite ready for that. But he could look and touch—Calix had told him so—and so he held out a trembling finger and brushed down Calix's length. Rhett chuckled at the little jerk it gave.
How would it feel, another man's cock in his mouth? On his tongue? Emboldened by Calix's reactions so far, he whispered, "Will you teach me how to suck you off?"
Calix cleared his throat. "It would be my pleasure."
Rhett looked up at him again. "I want to get this right, become good at this. At sex."
"Follow your instincts. You're doing a great job so far."
"Yeah?"
"Do you see how hard I am again? That's all you. That one little finger of yours, your breath on my cock, your eyes devouring me…"
"Really?" Rhett found it difficult to believe such innocent things could have such an effect on Calix, but he wouldn't lie to him. Hell, his cock couldn't lie.
"Mmm. You're gorgeous, sweetheart."
Every time Calix said something like that, warm tingles swirled inside him. At least it wasn't only pity that had driven the man to do this, to spend time with him. To have sex with him. It mattered more than he had expected it to, the knowledge that Calix really was attracted to him. Aroused by him.
He studied Calix’s cock some more. Penises were kind of weird, weren't they? Especially up close. Calix's looked different from his own, though. "You're not circumcised."
"My parents were seventies hippies who didn't believe in mutilating their son's genitals—their words."
"Wow. That's quite the statement."
Calix shrugged. "Honestly, I don't blame them for their decision. They loved me, and they did what they thought was best. It's hard to get upset with that."
"True."
"Were you planning on just sitting there and observing my dick?"
"I don't know. Maybe. I kind of like the view."
"You're stinking adorable, but I'm turning into a prune here, so maybe explore a little further once we're dried off?"
Rhett nodded, almost disappointed. He quickly washed while Calix watched him with smoldering eyes, sending warm sparks through his belly. Then they dried themselves with fluffy gray towels. "What's…what do we do next?" Rhett asked. Should he get dressed or…?
"We eat."
"Eat?"
"This is a marathon, sweetheart, not a sprint. Fuel up before the next round."
The man had a point. "I could cook for us?" Rhett offered.
Calix walked over to him and kissed him softly on his lips, leaving them tingling. "Next time. I've got it covered for tonight. We're eating steak, the only food I can cook and not poison us."
Rhett laughed as he put on underwear, then followed Calix's example and pulled sweat pants from his overnight bag. When he wanted to put his T-shirt on, Calix grabbed his wrist. "No shirt."
"No shirt?"
"Let me look at you. It's been a while since I've had a sexy man in my house, and I haven't had my fill yet. I'll turn up the heat so you won't get cold."
How deeply pleasing that simple statement was, and he nodded. As he followed Calix into the kitchen, the man's words sank in. Next time. There would be a next time.
27
Calix was happy he'd succeeded in helping Rhett overcome his nerves. He was relaxed now, laughing and making jokes, giving back as good as he got. He was smart and quick-witted when he pushed through his initial shyness, and Calix found him utterly delightful.
Dinner was simple with juicy ribeyes from the grill, store-bought mashed potatoes, and grilled asparagus. They ate at the kitchen table, the conversation flowing easily. "I can't believe you liked Dances with Wolves," Calix said. "First of all, that movie is ancient, and second, it's slow as fuck. I fell asleep while watching it."