My Darling Lies Over the Ocean (YouTubers AU)

6. Both partners deserve to have their ideas heard.

Ethan pulls off the shiny gold wedding band from his slender finger, placing it on the nightstand. Walking into the bathroom, he intents to take a long shower to ease his nerves. Turning on the hot water, he hums the last song that he heard in the buffet hall as he undresses. The light, floral material of his button-up shirt makes a soft sound on the tiled floor as he steps out of this blue jeans, only in bright red compression socks and boxers.

He walks over to the toilet and after he closes the lid, sits onto the cold surface, his boxers leaving much of his thighs exposed. He takes time pulling off each sock, as carefully as he can. They were a gift from Mark to help his aching muscles. Having recently started his first year of clinicals, in junior year of his degree, he must deal with the new pains of standing and walking as a future nurse.

He pauses before stepping to the shower, feeling a bit bolder with the rock of the boat beneath his feet. Poking his head out of the bathroom, he smiles at his husband Mark sitting on the balcony. The older man, his black hair messy from the ocean breeze, is adjusting his glasses as he looks thoughtfully at the small leaflet that the excitable hostess had given them earlier.

"Marky?" Ethan calls out softly, his desire to have some company in the shower making his heart beat sharp in his narrow chest.

"Hmm?" Mark replies, not looking up from the pamphlet in his tan and muscled hand.

"Are you busy?" Ethan asks sheepishly, watching as his husband's dark brown eyes examine a page of the pamphlet.

"A bit," Mark replies simply, eyes still refusing to meet the blue ones peering from the bathroom. "You need something?"

Ethan sighs deeply, and shakes his head. "Nothing, never mind," he says, feeling like rejection isn't something that he could deal with again. The last time he had asked for Mark to shower with him ended with Mark camping out on the couch and Ethan crying himself to sleep.

It was only with a lot of begging that Mark had agreed to take this cruise at all. Great excuses were always a talent that Mark possessed, but crying had worked on him this time, and here they were.

Ethan pulls himself away from the doorway, pulling off his boxers before stepping into the shower. His blue eyes heavy with tears again, he lets the spray of warm water wash them away. No wonder Mark can't take anything he says to seriously. He always ends up crying. He washes himself gently, scrubbing away the day of stress.

When he is finished, he pulls a fresh towel from the towel rack. Drying himself quickly, he steps out of the shower, his bare feet hit the blue tile of the bathroom floor. He takes a moment to appreciate the blue and white seashell pattern underneath his toes. Another reason he wishes Mark was here in the bathroom with him. This pattern is just the one he wants for the bathroom upstairs.

Pulling on the bright red silk boxer shorts, Ethan's mind drifts back to last Valentine's Day, when Mark surprised him with them. He recalls that night and a soft smile forms on his narrow lips. The way Mark gripped at his hair as he came inside him, the moment even now sending chills down his slender spine.

Ethan looks at himself in the mirror, smoothing his dark brown hair and fretting over a couple of small bumps on the left side of his face. The shower was by himself, but maybe he could throw out a few signs for an intimate night. It has been a long time since they've had sex, but maybe these boxers could work their magic a second time.

Mark was already in bed by the time Ethan walks out of the bathroom, dark eyes still scanning the leaflet. He's sprawled across his own side of the bed, his thick muscular legs over the covers in tight fitting underwear and his toned chest covered only by a thin red tank top. Ethan feels his loins lurch as he looks over him. Mark has always been exceptionally handsome, and Ethan sometimes wonders how in the world he ended up with such a catch.

"You left your wedding band on the nightstand," Mark says, looking over at Ethan with slight disappointment. "You need to be careful, Eth. That's how you lost the first two. We had an agreement, remember? You leave it on the counter when you shower and put it right back on when you get out."

Ethan feels his momentary grin become heavy on his face. Not even the first night can be without Mark babying him about something.

Mark adjusts his glasses again, grabbing a pen from his nightstand and gently patting the spot next to him. The bed falls at the slight weight change when Ethan climbs in next to him, sitting closer than necessary just to enjoy his husband's warmth. Ethan plucks his ring from the nightstand before settling in completely. Mark's heart feels a little lighter as he watches the younger man slide the gold band back on his left ring finger and shuffle under the covers.

"I think we should pick our session for at least tomorrow," Mark offers gently, holding the pamphlets out for them both to see.

Ethan nods, not incredibly interested. He already knows how this will go. Mark has a procedure for these decisions, and even though it may work wonders when he's in the office, it really only annoys his husband.

"Okay," Mark smiles, using the pen to point at specific sessions. "I think a good start to the day would be Communicating Trust at nine thirty. Then I think we should go to Loving Yourself and Your Partner at eleven. Then I thought we could grab lunch. But I think we should be ready for Bridging the Age Gap at two. Then The Challenges of the Early Years of Marriage at three thirty. After that, we should be ready for dinner. What were you thinking?"

Ethan frowns, eyes drifting across the session titles. He wants to pick a good one, resigning himself to only attempt to disagree with a single one of Mark's choices. It's easier on his heart to limit himself.

"I think I would like to go to Communication: Leveling the Playing Field," Ethan offers, pointing to a title on the brochure in Mark's hand.

The raven face doesn't change as he quickly reads the description. He gives a small hum before his eyes turn back to Ethan. The small brunette cannot dare to meet his gaze, afraid of disapproval in the brown of his irises.

"I think Loving Yourself and Your Partner would be a better choice for the eleven o'clock hour," Mark decides.

He takes Ethan's hand when he sees his husband's shoulder drop, squeezing it softly. Thumb running against it, Ethan leans into Mark, meeting his eyes in hopes of more attention.

"I think you could really use a bit of a confidence boost, Eth," Mark explains. "I don't want you to have to be so shy anymore. I want to know how to help you through it."

Ethan nods. "You're completely right."

The corners of Mark's mouth turn up, and Ethan's heart flutters. A flood of joy rushes through him as he cherish the smile, as it was for him.

"Marky?" Ethan asks softly, forcing himself to not hide beneath the covers. "Could I ask you for something?"

"No need to ask," Mark chuckles. "I already know what you want, and of course, Eth. Any time."

Ethan's heart jumps at the approval, almost baffled at how smooth their conversation went. Mark hasn't wanted sex in so many weeks. He always seems to have different ideas when Ethan indirectly approaches the subject. He thinks Ethan is implying he wants a bubble bath or a candle lit dinner. And, Ethan is far too shy to say what he means, especially when it means denying Mark's thoughtful gifts. They fooled around often, Mark especially fond of using hands or mouth. But, it's not sex, and it can never quite scratched the itch beneath Ethan's skin.

Finally, after so much waiting, Ethan can finally feel Mark again, truly and fully. Maybe it's the sway of the boat that put him in the mood. Or maybe Ethan has been getting better at communication. Or maybe these boxers are magic after all. Whichever, anticipation settles heavy in Ethan's belly as he waits for Mark to make the first move.

Ethan is a bit confused when Mark slides down the the end of the bed. His eyebrow quirks when Mark only removes the comforter from his feet. The raven starts a slow foot massage, focusing on working the muscles. So much so that he doesn't even notice the brunette's confused expression.

"I know clinicals have been hard on you, Eth," Mark coos softly, gently pressing his fingertips into the arch of Ethan's foot. "I promise it will get easier. You'll just need to give your body a bit longer to adjust. Until then, I'll give you all the foot massages you want, okay?"

Ethan's heart drops, but he forged a smile. "Thanks, Marky. You always know exactly what I need."