Terry stood still, licking his lips and smiling nervously. "Um...I...um."

"McGinnis...are you losing your nerve"

"Me? I...no...I..."

Bruce's hand ran up under the front of Terry's shirt and brushed lightly against the younger man's stomach. Terry shivered, closing his eyes. Bruce watched him quietly and explored higher, smiling when Terry gasped.

"We could...do this here. I could just...talk to me, Terry. Tell me what you want me to do."

Terry opened his eyes. "Tell me about the shirt I found in your closet."

Bruce closed his eyes but didn't take back his hand. "You left it here."

"I got that. But...um."

Bruce opened his eyes, raising an eyebrow. "You can't tell me you don't know. You know, McGinnis. It's fairly obvious, with the...touching...and everything."

Terry smiled. "I got that. I...I just...why? Why did...what did you need it for"

Bruce licked his lips and paused, trying to think.

"Bruce"

He shook his head. "I...alright, you left it behind one night after a storm. And I kept it because..."

"Bruce."

Bruce shook his head again, smiling. "I kept it because it reminded me of how you looked in it, soaking wet and smiling at me from beneath a towel. I just..."

He was blushing.

Terry grinned. "You're so...I didn't know you were so..."

He put a hand on both sides of Bruce's face and kissed him softly, grinning against his mouth when they pulled apart. Bruce tried to stop smiling but couldn't help himself. "So...what"

Terry blushed, not looking him in the eye. "Sentimental, I guess. You just seem a little cold, most of the time."

Bruce squeezed on his arms where he held them, trying to make Terry meet his eyes. "I'm sorry. I never meant to..."

Terry shook his head. "No, I...it's fine. It's past tense, you know"

He licked his lips and watched Bruce do the same.

They stared silently at each other and Bruce ran a hand through Terry's hair. "You should grow it long. Tie it back and I could..." Terry listened to him with his mouth hanging open just slightly, falling into an almost daze. He sighed and Bruce continued"...run my fingers through it when I...Terry. Terry, look at me."

Bruce put his hand under the younger man's chin and smiled. "Do you want to go upstairs"

Terry shook his head, swallowing. "Um...we...um...there's a couch...in here."

Bruce grinned and Terry felt his legs trembling. "There is, yes."

Terry looked down at his feet, blushing. "We could use...that."

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "We could."

Before Terry could get down on his knees and actually beg to use the couch Bruce's hands were up under his shirt and pulling slowly, silently urging him to raise his arms. He complied and nearly threw his arms around Bruce's neck after he was shirtless, but was pushed back and Bruce shook his head. "No, just, let me."

Terry frowned but didn't move when roaming hands found the zipper of his jeans, and nearly whimpered when Bruce whispered"Lift your legs."

"Um."

"I'm not...trust me, Terry."

They locked eyes for a minute and Terry smiled, lifting his hips in the air.

He was in only a shirt and boxers and Bruce smiled, tugging a little at his shirt and whispering"Tell me to stop."

Terry was silent and kept his eyes open, unblinking at the eyes in front of him.

Bruce sighed and Terry felt him shaking. "Bruce."

"Shh. Just...shh."

"Bruce you..."

Bruce smiled then, nearly laughing. "You think I'm afraid."

Terry frowned. "I...you're...you're shaking and..."

Bruce leaned down and tore Terry's shirt in half from the bottom, causing his eyes to widen.

"I'm not afraid..." Terry's mouth hung open and Bruce smiled, tracing his lips with a finger and whispering"...for me."

Terry swallowed hard, whispering"Oh."

Bruce smiled widely and Terry sucked in a breath, seeing Bruce as he had probably been twenty years ago.

"Do you trust me"

"I told you I did. I..."

Bruce toned his grin down a little and Terry let out a breath, relaxing. Bruce ran a hand over his bare chest and whispered"Close you eyes, Terry."

He did, and felt Bruce's mouth on his stomach, causing shivers down his spine.

Bruce continued down, whispering words Terry couldn't hear but guessed were probably more important than they should be.

The last words Terry heard before he zoned were"Thank you."

The phone rang and Bruce answered it with a smile. "Hello"

There was a pause and breathing. "Um...is Terry there"

Bruce leaned back on his chair, grinning and looking over at the sleeping form across the room.

"He's asleep, Max."

Another pause. "Oh."

"He'll call you when he's awake. He...he had a...we had a training session. It took a lot out of him."

"Oh. I...I"ll...nevermind. It's not important."

"Goodbye Max."

She hung up without a goodbye and Bruce just continued to smile, lifting his legs up onto his desk and not caring at the strain.

He licked his lips once, watching the muscles in Terry's back move as he tried to get comfortable on the couch.

His jaw ached and he knew he should take a shower, but there was no one else he wanted to be.

Besides upstairs in his own bed, with the sleeping creature that trusted him more than he trusted himself, and could get under his skin better than anyone ever could.

He turned his chair and looked out the window at the snow, which was slowly turning into rain, sticking to the pane and blurring the vision from his side.

"Bruce"

He turned and Terry was sitting up, his legs firmly on the floor and his hair all messed.

Terry smiled. "Hi."

Bruce smiled. "Hi. You slept long."

Terry yawned, looking at the window. "It's dark out."

"Yes. That's what happens when one sleeps for hours, leaving a poor, defenseless old man to himself."

Terry grinned. "Defenseless? Yeah, right. I think I know the truth on that one."

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "Oh"

Terry stood and stretched, causing Bruce to watch him move without comment, enjoying the view.

He grinned over his shoulder. "See somethin' you like"

"If I said I did"

"It might get me upstairs sooner."

Bruce smiled. "Well then, I do see something I like."

Terry nodded seriously. "Well, then I guess..." he looked at Bruce and smiled"...it' s time to go upstairs."

Bruce watched him walk to the door and waited for him to turn, anticipated the smirk and the way his eyes.

"Are you comin'"

Bruce stood and walked around his desk. He was halfway to the door when he stopped.

"Terry."

Terry froze, eyes wide and his face a lot paler.

"Terry, what about Dana"

Terry let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, and grinned. "Dana who"

Bruce smiled, shaking his head and trying not to laugh.

That was all the answer he needed.