Lee tried to unglue his eyelids, but they fought his attempts. He gave up, rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. The need to pee felt too urgent. Grumbling, he sat up, waiting a moment before standing, fumbling in the general direction of the door.

He bumped into the wall and, turning away, caught his toe on the one piece of furniture he'd placed there. He'd bought himself a desk and a chair. The only other items were a bed and a clothes rail. None of this fully registered, his need prevailing and this foot now throbbing. Finding the handle, Lee opened the door, and then made his way along the hall, blinking, still trying to open his eyes and locate a light switch. He gave up, making his way in the gloom.

Relieved, Lee flushed, remembered to wash his hands, surprised to find a clean towel on the rail before stumbling back out and down the hall. Sudden light blinded him.

"Whaaa ..." He held up a hand in front of his face, blinking fiercely, finally focusing, entering a kind of fear and flight mode when he made out the figure of a man two doors down wearing ... a dressing gown? Lee's flat might not be pleasant, one room with a cooker in it, but had its own small bathroom. What was a strange man doing ...

Oh hell! He wasn't at the flat anymore. He'd moved. This, his first night in Robert Dee's house, and here he stood ... naked in front of his boss. Lee's face grew warm at the same time an answering flush passed through Robert's face. Anger or embarrassment?

"I'm sorry," Rob said, surprising Lee as he'd been about to say the same thing. "I heard a disturbance, and it didn't compute it was you. I guess I'm not used to having someone else to share my space."

"My fault," Lee replied, trying to look nonchalant and to cover his groin with his hands at the same time. "I forgot where I was. I should have put a light on, and ..." He glanced down. "I'll make sure I wear something to bed in the future."

"It's your bed. What you wear is up to you." Robert turned back to his room before pausing in the doorway. "Just try to go to the bathroom quietly."

"Will do," Lee muttered, waiting while Robert closed his bedroom door before hurrying past it to his own room. Inside, he leaned against the wall. He must have woken Robert with all that banging about when he'd stubbed his toe and then stumbled down the hall.

This was a good start to his stay here… not! He should have realised where he was from the furniture in the room. Robert had insisted he wouldn't take rent, but Lee shared the bills. The only things he needed, Robert had instructed, were a bed and somewhere to hang his clothes, suggesting Lee buy cheap stuff he'd be happy to throw, or better eventually to take with him. Lee had chosen a good bed -- a double, much to Robert's apparent amusement -- but otherwise picked cheap things that would do for now. The small bedside cabinet and lamp were on loan from Robert.

As Lee sat down on his bed, he reached out and switched on the lamp, staring at the closed bedroom door. He drew up his legs, hugging his knees, ashamed to admit he was now rock hard with the thought of Robert so near, the man having seen Lee naked. Had he got a hard-on even as Robert gazed at him? Lee rather thought he might have. He only hoped Robert hadn't noticed, or took as one of those things a man couldn't control.

Lee sat, torn between a strange excitement such a good-looking, nice man lay in a bed a few yards away, and shame to repay Robert's kindness this way. The man deserved better than his lustful thoughts. Robert had entered his life and changed his luck for him. He couldn't repay Robert's kindness by beating off with his image in his head and his name on his lips. No matter how much he wanted to do so.