Fear - 58

"Dirty dishes I can deal with, the music, not so much so. There are lots of adjustments two people have to make and if we jump in feet first and one or both of us can't deal with adjusting, well…" Gene pulled Shawn tighter to him, saying softly, "We both know how that can turn out."

Shawn nodded. "Still, you're not Jared, as you keep pointing out, and I'm not the guy who hurt you."

"You're definitely not him, but you get the picture. Slow and easy until we're sure we're right for each other and not just looking for someone because we're lonely and want a warm body in bed to keep us company."

Shawn looked up at him and grinned. "Oh I definitely want a warm body in my bed. Your warm body. But I get what you're saying. You told me, once, that you weren't rebound material." He wrinkled his nose. "Weird way of putting it, by the way, but I got what you meant." Tracing a finger over Gene's lips, he said, "I like you because you're you, not because I'm rebounding. Hell, when you think about it, I should be running scared from the idea of getting into another relationship. I probably would be too, if I hadn't met you. So"—his lips quirked up—"put that in your pipe and smoke it, as my dad used to say to make his point."

"Yes, sir." Gene gave him a mock salute before planting a kiss on Shawn's lips.

The kiss turned heated, then exploratory, when they opened to each other. Shawn tugged Gene's shirt loose, running his hands up Gene's back then down to the waistband of his jeans, sliding his fingers under it in a way that made Gene wish they were anywhere but in his car. Not that things couldn't have progressed further even there, and might have if Shawn hadn't suddenly yelped.

"What's wrong?" Gene asked, pulling away quickly.

"You ever have a door handle stab you in the spine? It hurts." Shawn leaned forward enough to rub his back then turned to glare at the offending handle. "You need to get a new car. One without these damned things."

"But a new one would have a console, which could be worse," Gene replied with a grin, relieved in a way at what had happened since it had managed to cool their ardor for the moment.

"True that, but still…" Shawn sighed. "I suppose this ended our make-out session for tonight."

"I'm afraid so, since we both…"

"Have to work tomorrow. Yeah, yeah, heard that one time too often," Shawn said, pouting. "But there will be a time when the stars are in the right conjunction and the moon in the right house, and we will take this to its foreordained conclusion."

Gene snorted in amusement. "Been hanging out at Cheryl's Celestial Shop?"

Shawn nodded, looking a bit embarrassed. "I stopped by one day during lunch and got hooked. She's got some weird, interesting things there."

"That she does. Not my thing but fun to look at. And we're off topic again."

"Meaning I should get out so you can go home." Wrapping his arms around Gene's neck, Shawn kissed him. "I had fun tonight. More fun than I've had in a long time."

"Me too." Gene kissed him back. "Maybe we should do it again sometime."

"No 'maybe' about it. We're going to. So put that in…"

"My pipe and smoke it."

They broke out in laughter, shared a fairly chaste kiss, and Shawn got out of the car, heading to the house. When he got to the porch, he turned and waved. Gene waved back before starting the car. It was a good night. And we will have to do it again.