steaks are done if you're ready." Thomas rolled his eyes as he caught sight of the state of his house guests. "Been having fun?" he asked mildly. "Guess you'll be needing some more clothes, then."
Eric looked up at him and Thomas' face changed as he caught sight of Eric's expression.
"Come on," he said. "Don't think now. You're fine, the dogs are fine. Just eat and sleep." He held out a hand and Eric allowed himself to be pulled up, Thomas placing a hand in the small of his back. It rested there, warm and comforting, as they walked back to the house, the dogs walking soberly on either side of them.
As they arrived on the front doorstep Thomas looked at his guests and gave a short bark of laughter. "There's no way you're coming in my house in that state." At Eric's dismayed look he said, "'Round the back to the kitchen, all of you."
Eric and the dogs followed the path around the back of the house and found a well-worn wooden door, open, with Thomas holding two large towels in his hand. He handed one to Eric and they rubbed the worst of the muck and water off the dogs.
"They're going to need a bath," Eric said mournfully, thinking of his steak getting cold.
"Yeah," agreed Thomas, "but you need to eat first. We'll do it later. They can stay in here while we eat."
Eric got to his feet and looked at the mud and sand adorning his own clothes. "I don't think I'm any cleaner than the dogs," he admitted.
Thomas paused for a minute. "Stay there." He left the kitchen only to return a couple of minutes later with a bathrobe. "Take those wet clothes off. I'll put them straight into the washing machine. Your own clothes are still damp so you can wear the robe while we eat dinner and then shower after the dogs are bathed."
He seemed to be waiting for Eric to strip so he could hand him the robe. Eric bit his lip as he thought of taking his clothes off in front of Thomas.
"Do you want me to turn around?" The older man had obviously noticed his hesitation.
Hearing the amusement in Thomas' voice, Eric flushed and pulled off the wet clothes, grimacing at the slightly acrid smell of the lake water. He got slightly tangled up in the t-shirt, which had been a little tight, and by the time he'd pulled it over his head Eric discovered Thomas was openly
appraising his body. It was Thomas' turn to blush when he realized he'd been caught ogling for the second time that day.
"Like what you see?" Eric asked, reveling in his turn to be amused but secretly rather turned on by Thomas' open admiration. Turned on and willing it not to show as he got out of the sweats.
"Yeah," Thomas admitted honestly, his voice a little gruff.
They stared at each other for a few minutes. Eric licked his lips, his mouth suddenly dry. Thomas' eyes followed the movement. Neither man seemed willing to make a move. In the end, Eric was just about to take a step forward to bridge the distance between them when his stomach did its customary rumbling. It was proving to be an effective cockblock. Thomas grinned, though. Eric wasn't sure from his expression whether he was relieved or disappointed but the noise broke the tension.
"Put this on," Thomas held out the robe.
Eric looked down at himself; he was half hard, standing almost naked and barefoot on the stone flagstones. He grabbed at the robe, trying to cover himself up before Thomas noticed but by the glazed look he saw in Thomas' dark eyes, he realized he'd been unsuccessful.
Thomas turned away as Eric wrapped the robe around his body. "Come and eat your dinner before you pass out." Using oven mitts, he retrieved two plates from the range and placed them on the pine table that had already been laid with knives and forks.
"Don't touch the plates because they're really hot."
Sitting down where Thomas indicated, Eric looked at the plate full of food. His stomach rumbled again at the delicious smell rising from the plate. "This is amazing…" he began.
Thomas gave him a slightly shy grin at the praise. "Don't say that
Eric looked up at him and Thomas' face changed as he caught sight of Eric's expression.
"Come on," he said. "Don't think now. You're fine, the dogs are fine. Just eat and sleep." He held out a hand and Eric allowed himself to be pulled up, Thomas placing a hand in the small of his back. It rested there, warm and comforting, as they walked back to the house, the dogs walking soberly on either side of them.
As they arrived on the front doorstep Thomas looked at his guests and gave a short bark of laughter. "There's no way you're coming in my house in that state." At Eric's dismayed look he said, "'Round the back to the kitchen, all of you."
Eric and the dogs followed the path around the back of the house and found a well-worn wooden door, open, with Thomas holding two large towels in his hand. He handed one to Eric and they rubbed the worst of the muck and water off the dogs.
"They're going to need a bath," Eric said mournfully, thinking of his steak getting cold.
"Yeah," agreed Thomas, "but you need to eat first. We'll do it later. They can stay in here while we eat."
Eric got to his feet and looked at the mud and sand adorning his own clothes. "I don't think I'm any cleaner than the dogs," he admitted.
Thomas paused for a minute. "Stay there." He left the kitchen only to return a couple of minutes later with a bathrobe. "Take those wet clothes off. I'll put them straight into the washing machine. Your own clothes are still damp so you can wear the robe while we eat dinner and then shower after the dogs are bathed."
He seemed to be waiting for Eric to strip so he could hand him the robe. Eric bit his lip as he thought of taking his clothes off in front of Thomas.
"Do you want me to turn around?" The older man had obviously noticed his hesitation.
Hearing the amusement in Thomas' voice, Eric flushed and pulled off the wet clothes, grimacing at the slightly acrid smell of the lake water. He got slightly tangled up in the t-shirt, which had been a little tight, and by the time he'd pulled it over his head Eric discovered Thomas was openly
appraising his body. It was Thomas' turn to blush when he realized he'd been caught ogling for the second time that day.
"Like what you see?" Eric asked, reveling in his turn to be amused but secretly rather turned on by Thomas' open admiration. Turned on and willing it not to show as he got out of the sweats.
"Yeah," Thomas admitted honestly, his voice a little gruff.
They stared at each other for a few minutes. Eric licked his lips, his mouth suddenly dry. Thomas' eyes followed the movement. Neither man seemed willing to make a move. In the end, Eric was just about to take a step forward to bridge the distance between them when his stomach did its customary rumbling. It was proving to be an effective cockblock. Thomas grinned, though. Eric wasn't sure from his expression whether he was relieved or disappointed but the noise broke the tension.
"Put this on," Thomas held out the robe.
Eric looked down at himself; he was half hard, standing almost naked and barefoot on the stone flagstones. He grabbed at the robe, trying to cover himself up before Thomas noticed but by the glazed look he saw in Thomas' dark eyes, he realized he'd been unsuccessful.
Thomas turned away as Eric wrapped the robe around his body. "Come and eat your dinner before you pass out." Using oven mitts, he retrieved two plates from the range and placed them on the pine table that had already been laid with knives and forks.
"Don't touch the plates because they're really hot."
Sitting down where Thomas indicated, Eric looked at the plate full of food. His stomach rumbled again at the delicious smell rising from the plate. "This is amazing…" he began.
Thomas gave him a slightly shy grin at the praise. "Don't say that
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