Après Shopping
by Keiko Kirin

The passenger seat of the Ferrari barely held the spoils of Danny's latest conquests: several shopping bags, two garment bags, two shoe boxes, and a cluster of smaller bags. Too bad there hadn't been room for the adorable little shop assistant from that last place, Danny mused, draping the garment bags over his arm. He could use the extra pair of hands right now. Somehow he got everything into his arms, bumped his hip against the car door to close it, and carried his precarious load up the steps. No way to fish out his key without upsetting the delicate balance. He muttered in frustration, peering over the bags and boxes for a convenient passer-by, when the front door swung open. Danny took a staggering step backwards, nearly losing the lot, saved by Brett's quick grab at his wrists.

"Hey, that's good timing, I'll tell ya," Danny said, carefully conveying the tower of bags and boxes inside. "You going out?"

"No, I saw you from the window," Brett said. "Allow me to help." He took one of the bags from Danny's arms and climbed upstairs. Danny slowly followed until Brett's hand on his back guided him through the door and into the flat. Danny carried the teetering pile through the living room, deftly avoiding the obstacles of the coffee table, sofa, and chair, and into the bedroom, where he dropped everything onto Brett's large, neatly made bed.

Brett held out the bag he had taken. Danny took it and tossed it with the others.

"What is all of this?" Brett asked, gesturing at the jumble of bags and boxes on his bed. "I thought you were going out to buy a new watch."

Danny took off his jacket and waved him off. "They didn't have any I liked." He unzipped one of the garment bags and held up a honey-colored waist-length leather jacket. "But this. This I liked." He shrugged it on, took Brett's hand, and placed it on his arm. "Feel that? Soft as butter. And take a whiff, go on," he urged, breathing in deeply himself. "Mmmmm. That new leather smell."

Brett leaned in and sniffed and rolled his eyes, but Danny was already sliding out of this jacket and into another, this one dark blue velvet with a waist that tapered and flared out over the hips. He spun around for Brett to show it off before sidling close and rubbing one velvet-covered shoulder against Brett's tie.

"Now feel that. Rich, I tell ya." He ran his hands over his velvet arms. "So soft. I couldn't resist."

Brett patted his shoulder and rubbed it a few times. "Mm, so I see. And the rest of this?" His hand meandered from Danny's shoulder to rest on Danny's hip.

Danny plucked off his loose tie and unbuttoned his shirt, shedding it with the velvet jacket onto the bed. He rifled through the shopping bags and pulled out a silk shirt and slipped it on. "And this, oooo, wait 'til you feel this. Like this color? They call it bamboo green. It fit so nice and felt so good, I got one in every color: lacquer brown, mosaic blue..."

Brett reached to button the shirt for him, but his fingers faltered on the soft material and he slid his hands over the silk, caressing Danny's chest.

"See? What did I tell ya?" Danny moved closer and tugged Brett's tie loose while Brett was occupied with sliding the silk over Danny's skin. Careful not to pull away from Brett's hands, Danny reached for a small bag and fished out a colorful scarf.

"And I got this for you, sweetheart," he said, draping it around Brett's neck but leaving it unknotted.

"Thank you, Daniel," Brett said distractedly, running his hands down the slippery silk on Danny's arms. He murmured, "What else did you buy?"

Danny lazily smiled up at him. "Oh, lots of things. But to show it all off, I'd have to get out of these clothes."

Brett slid his arms around Danny's waist and pressed him close, lazily smiling back. He kissed Danny softly. "Mmmmm, I was just thinking the same thing."

The End

December 2007
originally written as Yuletide treat for Dorinda in the 2007 Yuletide challenge