Blake buried his face in the crook of Nick's neck as Nick carried him down the hallway. He almost turned right to his own bedroom, but remembered at the last moment Blake had specifically asked to go to his bedroom. Nick sincerely hoped that was because Blake had remembered to buy condoms and other things they'd need depending how far they'd take this.

"Hey, Nick?" Blake murmured the moment Nick reached his door. "Maybe a shower wouldn't be a bad idea after all."

Nick stopped in his tracks. "...Uh okay, sure."

Nick expected Blake to let go of him and head into the bathroom. But he didn't, so Nick kept his arms wrapped around Blake as he turned to the bathroom door. They stood there together for a few seconds, Blake still in Nick's arms, and then it suddenly occurred to Nick that Blake wasn't expecting them to go showering separately.

"Oh," Nick brought out.

Blake lifted his head up from Nick's neck and smiled at him. Nick tried to return the gesture, but his skin prickled with nerves and that feeling seeped into his smile. Blake was probably right to not leave him alone too long with his thoughts. Nick was always nervous with a new partner and this wasn't an entirely normal situation either...No, it was. In essence this was not different than any other new partner. Except that it was Blake, and Nick had never wanted anyone to like him more than he did Blake. And now they were here, on their way to shower together. No pressure whatsoever.

Nick's heart hammered in his throat as he opened the bathroom door. Once they were both inside, Blake lowered his feet to the floor and Nick let go of his waist. Blake walked to the closet, grabbed two clean towels—very on-brand for him they were flaming red and fluffy— and placed them on the laundry basket for them take after they were done showering. Then, he very deliberately manoeuvred himself in-between Nick and the shower.

Nick's eyes automatically followed the movement of Blake's hands as he reached for the hem of his shirt. But the moment Blake slowly started lifting his hands and his bellybutton and skin came peeking out from under the fabric, Nick's cheeks burned and his gaze automatically shot up to Blake's face.

Looking at Blake's face did nothing but make Nick blush even harder, however. Blake challenged Nick with his eyes and raised a brow as he continued pulling his shirt up. Nick had already had a good idea of what Blake looked like—the tank tops clinging to his skin left little to the imagination. It wasn't seeing Blake without his shirt on that made Nick's nerves skyrocket. It was seeing him and knowing he would be touching him everywhere. And being reminded there were parts of Blake that he hadn't seen yet as Blake's thumbs teasingly dipped below his waistband.

Blake stopped moving. He smirked at Nick. "Your turn first."

"Uh, right," Nick stammered.

He pulled his shirt over his head before he could hesitate. Nick wasn't insecure about his body, but he knew he had looked better in high school, especially near the end in his senior year. Now he cursed himself for skipping so many of his exercises the past week.

Blake didn't seem to mind at all that Nick wasn't in the best shape of his life, however. He unabashedly stared at Nick's chest and abs, slowly letting his eyes glide down as if taking a mental picture. Nick would've felt awkward being stared at like this, and fair enough he kind of did feel awkward, but Blake looked at him in a way he hadn't been looked at before by anyone. Not even by his ex-girlfriend. There was a hunger in his gaze. Blake wanted him, and wasn't shy about it.

Nick waited for Blake to reach out and touch him like he obviously wanted. Instead, Blake pushed his pants down and stepped out of them, leaving him only in his boxers. The boxers were cute; green with flowers on them. But the bulge inside the boxers made Nick's stomach flip.

Nick had been showering with other guys ever since he was small and started playing football. Of course, there were the occasional curious glances, mostly to compare. But the way dicks looked wasn't something that had ever interested Nick in particular. Then again, neither had vaginas. Nick had always found himself being more attracted to certain body types and faces. And only now that he was standing in front of Blake, staring at him, did it fully hit Nick that it really didn't matter who had those features or what gender they were. A flush of warmth spread from his groin as he took in the small curve between Blake's hips and waist, his flat stomach, long eyelashes, and full lips.

How could he have ever been scared he wouldn't be turned on?

Knowing Blake was waiting for him, Nick undid his jeans and shimmied out of them. They were now only wearing their boxers, and even without the shower being on, Nick wouldn't be surprised if the mirror and shower stall would spontaneously fog up. Especially when a slow, sultry smile spread on Blake's face.

"Well?" he said with a quirked brow. "I went first the other two times, Nick. Now you can go first."

"R-really?"

Nick's face burned, he searched Blake's expression for whether he was serious or not, but it seemed he was.

"Okay, I will go first then," Nick said, also trying to convince himself. He breathed in and out deeply, and finally lowered his boxers, revealing himself to Blake fully.

Nick couldn't bring himself to look at Blake's face to see his reaction, and Blake didn't say anything. He only responded by stepping out of his boxers too so they were both naked. Nick only darted a glance at Blake's entire body, noting they were both visibly turned on, before finally daring to look him in the eyes.

Blake was blushing. He still didn't speak, but without breaking eye contact, he started stepping backwards towards the shower. Then he reached behind him and turned the shower on. Water clattered on the floor and a thin mist started spreading from the shower, slowly filling the room.

"Well?" Blake extended a hand to Nick and cocked his head to the side. Despite sounding sure of himself, he didn't look entirely as confident as usual. "Are you coming?"

Nick glanced at Blake's hand and took it.

Getting in the shower cabin together meant getting very up personal and close. It caught Nick by surprise how much that thought affected him. He wanted Blake to touch him. Badly. The fluttering in his chest almost hurt as he followed Blake and they got into the cabin together. They fit in there without having to literally stand against each other, but it was tight.

Blake had positioned them so that Nick was the one with the water from the shower head spattering against his back, shoulders, and chest. The ulterior motive for that was immediately clear. Blake bit his lip as his eyes travelled down to Nick's wet body. He reached up and pressed the palm of his hand to Nick's chest. Nick shivered. A sigh escaped his mouth as Blake's hand smoothy slid down to his abs and lingered there.

"I have to admit: I was a little worried," Blake murmured.

Nick released a shuddering breath as Blake's thumb playfully started rubbing circles around his belly button. "About what?"

"That you only liked kissing me, but wouldn't be attracted to me when I took my boxers off. Now I clearly see I don't have to worry about that."

Nick could've replied he hadn't been sure either right up until the point where they took their clothes off. That he wasn't necessarily attracted to what was inside Blake's underwear, but the whole of him. He decided not to. There was a thing as too honest and right now, he was lightheadedly, palpitatingly, stupidly, into it and near pleading for Blake to touch him just a little lower than his abs.

"No," Nick breathed. "There's no need to worry."

"I don't know. I may need just a little more convincing, Nick."

With a smile dangling from the corners of his lips, Blake moved his hand down. Nick gasped in surprise as Blake's fingers brushed against him, and that was the end of any remaining doubt for both of them. There was no room for doubt when the world outside the shower cabin didn't exist and there was only them. Blake touching Nick, kissing him, pressing up against him. And Nick devoting himself to convincing Blake, with all he had, just how much he wanted this.