A Wall Between

Chapter 38

It was date night for Ellie and Abra, so Sasha had taken the opportunity to watch some TV in the living room while there were fewer people to share it with. He was still getting used to existing around these new people. He never wanted to impose or get in the way, especially when they were all much busier than he was.

Cooper had come in smelling of grass clippings, kissed Sasha on the forehead, and headed to the bathroom for a shower.

Only a couple of minutes had passed when Cooper reappeared from down the hallway, shirt off, a towel wrapped around his waist, and hair still dry. As Sasha's gaze lingered on him, he went to retrieve a bottle of shampoo from the kitchen counter.

Cooper waggled the bottle at Sasha. "Forgot this."

Sasha nodded, his eyes lingering on Cooper's body. That towel was hanging awfully low on his hips. Sasha found himself reaching a hand out to Cooper, beckoning him closer, without any clear plan in mind.

When Cooper came over to him, though, he immediately knew what to do. He touched the tummy.

Cooper laughed and shied away, his stomach jumping. He grabbed the end of the towel and tucked it back in when it started to come loose.

"You know, if you'd like to join me..." Cooper offered. "Or not. Up to you."

Sasha patted Cooper's tummy again, but Cooper was ready this time and didn't flinch away. He did laugh, but Sasha got the feeling that this time it was just because he thought it was funny.

"Or you can pat my belly," Cooper said. 'That's fun too."

"Hmm... yes," Sasha said. "I want to join you."

Sasha took Cooper's hand and together they headed towards the bathroom, Sasha patting his hand against Cooper's bare back along the way. Bare flesh was so fun to touch, but almost always not okay to touch. Well, unless you were dating someone, like Sasha was, and the person you were dating was someone like Cooper who always seemed to be happy to be touched.

Once they were in the bathroom, Sasha pulled off his shirt and tugged off the sweatpants he was wearing, but he hesitated over his boxer briefs. It felt like a lot all at once to just suddenly be naked. Maybe not to Cooper, though. If he'd done things with strangers at parties, he probably wasn't so shy.

"Can we, um..." Sasha patted his hands against where his boxer briefs covered his hips.

"You want to keep them on?" Cooper asked.

Sasha nodded.

"Yeah, of course." Cooper walked over to where he'd left his clothes and dropped his towel, giving Sasha a flash of bare ass, and then he pulled his boxers back on. He turned back around. "Good?"

Sasha nodded. "I'm not scared. It's just... weird. I'm not used to people seeing me naked."

"I get that," Cooper said. "You spend your whole life being taught that your body is private, so when you start wanting to get close to someone and you have to learn new rules, it feels a little weird at first. Just let me know what you want, okay?"

Sasha patted his hands against Cooper's exposed stomach. "Tummy."

Cooper laughed. "You have one too."

"Yes, but if you touch it I will bite you," Sasha said. "Not literally, I guess, but I don't like things that tickle."

"Noted," Cooper said. "What else is bad?"

"Armpits. Sides. Feet. Um... that bit under your knee?"

"Don't put thoughts into my head about why I might be touching you there."