GALEN WATCHED Shane sleep.
It was the first time since their trip to the beach that there had been no weirdness. No awkwardness.
If he could just learn to keep his goddamned mouth shut, maybe things would go better. Fucking accusing Shane of shooting up. That had never been Shane’s thing, and he knew it. No, all that shit came from his own issues. Galen sighed, glancing at the clock. Maybe he should get up. Go clean the kitchen or something. Stop thinking. He sure wasn’t gonna sleep.
Shane’s eyes popped open, baby blues just staring him down. “Galen?”
“Hey, darlin’.” He let himself smile, for real, loving the way Shane woke up all rumpled and blinky. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“’S okay. You good?” Shane reached for him, just petting away, loving on him.
“Yeah. Yeah, I was just having trouble sleeping.” He put his hand over Shane’s, holding it against his belly. “I was fixing to go clean the kitchen.”
“I can help.” Shane blinked slow, leaning into him, cuddling a little. “You unhappy, Galen?”
“No. I’m glad to be home and tickled as fuck to have you here. I’m just worried I’m fucking it up.” Three in the morning seemed a lot easier than sundown on the beach to say shit like that.
“I’m sorry.” Shane sighed some, cheek on his shoulder.
“Why? What I did back in the bad old days isn’t your problem. That’s mine. You’re not me, darlin’. I just need to remember that.” That and the fact that no matter what Shane might have done, Galen loved him.
“No, I’m not. I was just goofing with the guys. Playing.”
“Yeah.” Sliding on the sheets, Galen slipped back down into bed, snuggling up to Shane’s side. “Sometimes I just get diarrhea of the mouth.”
“Shh.” Shane patted his hand, easing him some. Easing him down.
Snuggling in, Galen nuzzled against Shane’s throat, trying to ignore the big old voice of guilt eating at him. “Sorry, darlin’.”
“Let it go, Galen. We’re okay. Get some sleep.”
“Yeah? Okay.” He wanted to be better than that, but they’d been apart a good bit. Hell, Shane had said himself that he’d had a whole other life. Which kinda pissed Galen off, because he hadn’t. Not really. He’d worked, and he’d worked out, and he’d dreamed of Shane.
Shane’d been partying and making friends and getting ink and shit and not even letting him know.
His fingers automatically found that ink, tracing the twined letters of their names. At least it meant Shane had been thinking of him. But damn, he wished he’d been there.
“I wanted something that I could feel, you know? Something that wouldn’t fade.”
“I’m not sure I do know. But I like it.” Galen just…. He hated it. Not the tat. The fact that Shane had been so unsure.
“Cool.” Shane nuzzled, took a deep breath. “You smell good.”
“Mmm. I probably smell like water rot.” They were still mopping water out of the weirdest places. “You good?”
“Nah, you smell like home.” Shane was blinking, nice and slow.
Home. Yeah. They could work with that. Galen relaxed, his tense muscles easing slow but sure. “Love you, darlin’.”
“You do. I know.” Shane hummed, nodded. “Love.”
Well, at least Shane knew that much.
The rest of the cleanup could wait until tomorrow. At least.