EXTRACT FOR
Darkness Falls
(Jamie Lynn Miller)

Matthew reached out and took his friend by his wrist, pulling him closer, guiding him to stand between Matthew's widespread legs.



Matthew took a second, and a breath, as his heart jumped a bit, having Daniel so close, naked from the waist up. He closed his legs, until they were just barely brushing Daniel's, and he felt as if that drew Daniel even closer to him. Matthew swallowed, reluctant to release Daniel's wrist, the skin of it so warm under his fingers.



"Hey, everything okay?"



Daniel's quiet question broke Matthew out of the moment and he blinked, letting go of his friend's arm.



"Umm, yeah, sorry," Matthew stammered, and he turned his upper body toward the sink on his right, twisting on the taps. He adjusted the temperature just this side of too hot and soaked the washcloth, before handing it to Daniel.



Daniel wet down his face and neck with the cloth as Matthew first pulled up the stopper in the sink, then flipped open the cap on the shaving cream.



Face thoroughly damp, Daniel handed the washcloth back to Matthew, who laid it next to him on the counter, then turned off the taps on the sink. He squirted a small amount of shaving cream onto the fingers of his right hand, set the can down and rubbed the cream onto his left hand as well.



Reaching out, he slowly smoothed the cream onto Daniel's face ??" under his cheekbones, above his upper lip, across and back on the sides of his face, over and under his chin, then a short way down his neck. He felt Daniel release a small sigh and saw his shoulders relax.



The water running in the bathtub was the only sound in the room as Matthew picked up the razor and began carefully shaving his friend. A slow swipe down, a rinse in the sink...repeat...repeat...repeat. It was sensual, almost hypnotic, as more and more of Daniel's skin was revealed with each pass of the razor.



Matthew felt Daniel's hand touch his leg, slide up, until his palm was resting high up on his thigh. Matthew breathed in at the touch, breathed in the warm steam enveloping them, felt his legs close a fraction more.



One last pass with the razor and Matthew was finished, Daniel's skin pink and smooth once more. Eyes never leaving Daniel's face, Matthew set the razor down on the counter. There was a spot of shaving cream on Daniel's left cheekbone and Matthew reached up, palm resting against the side of his friend's face, fingers curling around behind Daniel's ear, his thumb sliding over Daniel's cheek, clearing the shaving cream away.



Time seemed to freeze, catching the two men in the moment as Matthew felt his chest tighten, his heart pound, and he couldn't breathe, felt lightheaded.



And this.



This feeling.



This is why he left his three-year relationship with his boyfriend Colin nearly four months ago. When he no longer got this feeling being around him, but around his best friend instead.



When he realized he was falling in love with Daniel.



His thumb caressed Daniel's cheek again and Matthew desperately wished that he could see Daniel's eyes, to see what he was feeling. God, was he alone in this madness? He needed to know...



Matthew felt Daniel sway towards him, his waist pressing against Matthew's groin, his fingers flexing on Matthew's thigh, and Matthew's throat went dry.



Daniel's voice was barely a whisper. "Matt?"