“Yeah, you definitely need a shower,” He confirmed, pushing away a bit for emphasis though offered a smile nonetheless. “You get cleaned up and dressed and we can snuggle...” he confirmed before carefully getting up.

“Let me finish up with the client and it’ll be all good,” he decided before glancing over at Nyle. “No crazy partying for you, for a little while, yeah? Let’s just spend time together. I haven’t gotten much cuddling with you.”
 
"No crazy partying, but I need to go out if I want to do well at that job, right? I have a shift tonight. Hey, it's a good chance for people to like me, babe. Maybe they'll realise that I'm not that bad a guy," he grinned, pushing himself to his feet whilst narrowly avoiding the wooden beams above his head. One glance down at his muddied body was all he needed to convince him he needed that shower. He wanted to make a good impression at the pub later on, after all.

"....You could always come in the shower with me, you know? We don't do that sort of stuff a lot, Leo. It'd be nice to give it a go now and then."
 
“Oh? You... sure?” He whispered, his small blush now beetroot as he l nervously wrung his hands, his eyes avoiding the other’s as he quietly giggled. He could be explicit, not afraid to watch hardcore porn while alone, but something as minor explicit as sharing a shower only made him awkwardly giddy.

“Yeah!... yeah, that sounds cool,” he tried to coolly replied despite his childishly nervous babbling. “I mean, it... sounds fine. That’s what boyfriends do.”
 
"I mean, it's pretty small compared to what most boyfriends do, Leo. But that's cool, yeah? We don't really need to rush into anything. You're already pretty nervous about a fucking shower -which is kinda adorable, to be honest- so I guess sex is way off in the future. But hey, like I said, no need to rush," he casually remarked, far more relaxed about the situation that Leo clearly was. A shower with his boyfriend was hardly the sort of thing that made him anxious. He had done far more intimate things than that, after all, and above all else, he wanted to do something a little more than the frequent hugs and gentle kisses.

They were nice, obviously, but he wasn't going to pretend he didn't want more than that. Taking a small step like a shower with him was a good start.

"Don't be so nervous about it, it'll be fun. We're just showering, dude. I'm not gonna pounce on 'ya once we're in there, 'kay?"
 
Quickly nodding, Leo chose to purse his lips to hide back his conflicting emotions. On one hand, he was ecstatic. He was finally going to be more intimate, which he had silently been begging for since they were first official. He was still a virgin, even after why would technically put him at 30 years of being on the planet, and he wanted to change that as soon as possible. That being said, his low self-esteem and lack of experience made the whole thing way more terrifying than it should be. For starters, while he knew Nyle had technically seen him naked, it was in the bath where he could keep his knees hiding himself. He had been told that he was ugly and a weirdo throughout his time in school and it stuck with him, which also helped in aiding his agoraphobia.

He knew Nyle wouldn’t understand how big of a leap this was for him. If he said something, he knew he would get the typical “oh, you’re so insecure” spiel. One man trying to help recover him from years of trauma? It wasn’t nearly as easy as one would think.
 
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Nyle might be unaware of some things, but he could easily pick up on the ambivalence from Leo, addressing it before he got unchanged. Instead, after starting the shower to allow the water to warm up, he took a seat on the edge of the tub with a reassuring smile.

"Dude, we don't need to do this, yeah? I can get in the shower and you cat stay there, talking to me or something. We don't have to do this if it's moving to quickly for you or whatever. I'd love to... do more stuff with you, but a relationship is two people, ain't it? If you aren't happy with something, we don't do it. All about being comfortable, that's what I think," he shrugged, proceeding to undress. Even if Leo was hesitant, Nyle knew he needed a shower regardless. Whether Leo joined him or not was irrelevant. "Just stay and talk to me, that's cool too."
 
"No, no, this is good! It's... good to push yourself out of your comfort zone, right?" He countered as he began to undress as well, neatly folding the clothes on the sink. They technically weren't his clothes, having been wearing Nyle's shirt and cardigan with just a pair of boxers so he didn't really want to mess them up. It could be seen as creepy by some but wearing Nyle's clothes were a form of comfort for him.

Once undressed, he actively avoided matching eyes. If he was going to do this, he wanted to at least be a bit careful with it. Quickly slipping into the shower, he decided to grab the soap. There was no reason to clean himself on account that he didn't get dirty but if it made Nyle feel more comfortable, he'd do it. He cared about the human, after all, and it was the least he could do.
 
Even though he had never actually seen Leo's body in the bathtub, the very realisation that this was where his boyfriend had died did unnerve him. Hell, it even made him emotional every time he took a bath or shower. There was something incredibly dark to have a bath in the place Leo did, at least in his head. It was why he was thankful for Leo avoiding eye contact - it gave him some time to collect himself.

"See, this ain't so bad, is it?" He began with a wide grin. Leo might be awkward, but Nyle was clearly enjoying the intimacy that came with the shared shower. It was the furthest their relationship had gone so far, and it had been a long time coming.
 
“Nah, it isn’t too bad,” he agreed coolly as he, too, tried to gather his thoughts. He had grown indifferent to the fact that the tub was where he ended it all and instead took solace in it occasionally, sitting it beside Bitters on nights that he felt particularly lonely. After debating himself, he eventually did turn to face the other with rosy cheeks.

“See? Ah... I’m fine,” he insisted with a bashful laugh, hiding his smiling face with a hand. “Sorry. I know I... shouldn’t be so shy about this. This is just... the first time I’ve shared a shower with someone outside of gym class.”
 
"I'm not just anyone, I'm your boyfriend-- but hey, I get it. High school wasn't good for you, I get the nervousness and all that. But I'm your boyfriend, Leo. I'm fucking attracted to you, like, totally attracted to you. I just... sometimes forget that you had bad experiences. High school was pretty great for me," he admitted awkwardly, almost feeling guilty that he had been relatively popular back in school. It was extremely difficult for him to put himself in Leo's shoes, given how completely different their lives had been until now.

He realised that his solution of 'get over it' wasn't helpful, but when he couldn't empathise with Leo, he didn't quite know how else to help him.

"...How's the online therapy thing going? If it helps, I'm all for it," he finally grinned, brushing his wet hair away from his forehead. "I want you to feel happy, Leo-- I want you to be happy with me, obviously."
 
“I’m happy with you, of course I am,” he quickly responded before daring to press his head against the other’s shoulder, taking in that affection. If he focused on that, it was easy to ignore the fact that they were naked.

“I don’t know. The doctor I’m talking to seems nice, so that’s good. I don’t really trust her yet to help me, though, since I only really talk to her for a little bit a day and I’ve only started a little bit ago. Like I said, she’s nice, though. Kind of hard to explain my situation to her, though. If I say I can’t leave, she’ll just think I don’t want to.”
 
"I think it's important you keep it up, y'know? It's good for you to talk to someone who's not me. I'm not good at this stuff, you've probably guessed that. I know I come off as insensitive sometimes, Leo-- but I do care. If she helps, however minimal it is, I'm all for you messaging her all night and day if you have to," he grinned, silently watching as the other went to all lengths to try and forget that they were naked. He found it more adorable than anything else. Sure, he might have wanted this to be the start of something romantic, but he also knew it was too much to ask.

If Leo could barely look hi in the eye, the chances of a heated kiss in the shower was borderline impossible - and he was fine with that. Just being by Leo like this was a huge step forward in their relationship.

"You can talk to people on social networks too, right? So you'll always have something to do when I'm at work, or at Gigi's, or just... out somewhere. Not that I'll be at work every day. The guy said three times a week, which is decent, right? A few hours, three times a week. I won't be out the house too much."
 
“I’m not going to worry... unless you don’t text me at all during it. You should at least text me during your break?” He offered before taking Nyle’s hand in his own. He did offer a quick kiss, which was a big deal for someone like him.

“Yeah, I’ve been talking rock this girl on instagram. She likes a lot of my posts, though it’s mostly just of Bitters. People really like cats, which is good for me because I also like cats, yeah? I know I’m lame in real life but I’m pretty great online. It’s easier.”
 
"It is easier online, I guess-- I just like meeting people outside of it, too. Can't beat proper human interaction outside of screens. But I ain't judging. You can't exactly head out and meet people, so at least you're interacting online. That's good, yeah? People also like pictures of handsome guys with six-packs, Leo. You could post some of me if you wanted, it'd get you tons of likes. I'm talking at least 15, dude. Big numbers, hm?" Nyle grinned playfully, returning the kiss quickly. Holding back from doing anything more passionate was beyond difficult, though the jokey tone at least helped with that.

He wanted Leo to be as comfortable as possible, after all. Making jokes seemed to help lighten the awkwardness, at least a tad.
 
“No, no, no, you’re worth at least 50 likes,” he corrected. “That is, as long as I spam the picture with obnoxious tags and whatnot. “hot guy, muscles, daddy material, six pack, cutie, workout freak, taken,” blah blah blah. It’ll get you likes in minutes,” he explained, biting his lip.

“I mean, I think there’s an algorithm to it. I know it sounds super lame but I always like to hack the system. If I can find s way to eventually be the biggest Instagram... er... than maybe you could get a better job than just working at a bar? After all, you’re the most beautiful thing I post on there.”
 
"There ain't nothing wrong with working in a bar. Besides, if I'm so beautiful, I'll get plenty of tips and that'll be helpful for us, yeah? But hey, if you wanna fill your Instagram page with pics of me, go for it. I've never been the shy type," he grinned, despite knowing he didn't need to state that. The very first time he entered the town, he was wearing a mish-mash of colours and hadn't been particularly quiet in greeting every new face he walked past. Shyness and Nyle weren't often used in the same sentence, if at all.

"Besides, it's kinda an incentive to keep working out, ain't it? If you're gonna post pics of me, and if we're going to do this shower thing more often, I sort of need to keep in shape. It's a good thing, I think. I fucking hate eating all that green vegetable shit, but I'll do it if it means you get to show me on your Instagram page, hm~?"
 
“I would love you no matter what you looked at,” he reassured, though did shamelessly run his hands along the other’s abs, boring just how different their bodies were. He had gotten better about his body, realizing that even if he tried to gain or lose weight he would just be stuck in his current state. He was frozen in time, unable to really change, and he accepted that.

“That being said, it not saying that I don’t like the muscles,” he admitted with a bashful snort, his cheeks growing rosy as he smiled. “Now, I don’t want you to go around showing yourself off unless it’s for better tips, yeah?”
 
"Babe, I'll walk in there butt-naked if it means getting an extra $10. I can't leech off you forever. I want to make some of my own money, and hey, if I have to show off the goods, I will. Mind you, my personality is just as attractive, maybe people will just fall in love with me as soon as I open my mouth," he shrugged, knowing the likelihood of that was slim. If people hadn't enjoyed his personality all the months he had lived in the town, he wasn't clinging to the hope that they would suddenly find him charming. He hoped to reverse the judgement of him, but he was already bracing himself for a backlash of negativity - though, admittedly, the fact he even got the job gave him a little hope.

"It'll be fun for me, y'know? Talking to people, being social without being able to get drunk, then come back to a nice cooked meal by my cute boyfriend. It'll be awesome," he promised with an emphatic nod. "I'm not going to be in danger-- I can handle drunks if they get rowdy."
 
“If anything does happen, don’t be upset if you need to borrow money,” he insisted, pushing his messy black hat from his face once finally stepping into the water, pressing closer curiously. If questioned, he could blame that he, too, needed water.

Well, he didn’t actually need any water on an actual need standpoint. He didn’t get dirty, after all, so the whole situation was solely for Nyle’s sake, to make him more comfortable. After the awkward, guilty last few months what with Nyle being gone, he was willing to give up a lot for the other.
 
"I do get upset, dude. I want to make my own money, you know? Just... fine, if I need it, I'll ask-- but I'll always pay you back. That sounds fair," he eventually decided, knowing better than to get into another argument about money with Leo. He ought to be grateful his boyfriend was so generous, but he always felt guilty whenever he did need to borrow money from him. He came to the town to be independent, not to laze about using his boyfriend's cash to survive.

"...It'll be fine. I'll make enough to buy groceries and pay bills and all that."