bsumone | ❝ Nobody knows where you’re going ❞

Look, he can’t help himself from taking a peek. Given how attractive he found Gabriel and already knowing he’s in good shape since that first time he saw the man without his shirt on… It wasn’t surprising that the rest of him looked strong and healthy, too. Oh, sure, he’s seen plenty of those guys who look great from the waist up but very clearly skip leg day. It didn’t seem like Gabriel was that sort at all.

He perked up at the thought of learning a way to take care of his boyfriend. “Please!” he practically chirped in excitement. Dal’s never had a beard – lack of interest in having one, himself. People wanted him to be pretty, so he leaned into that. And, well, in truth, he didn’t think he’d be able to grow a decent one even if he tried. He didn’t have to shave very often. It worked out well for him. As such, he didn’t know the first thing about caring for one and he was eager to learn from Gabriel.

Dal didn’t have any specific shower routine. Wash, shampoo, condition. Most, if not all, of his skincare regimen came after. And he didn’t do as much to care for his hair as he should, evidenced by the damage to it. That could be fixed with time and effort. And maybe a little less bleach. Maybe. Dal didn’t care for his hair when it was dark.

Following Gabriel into the shower, Dal took just a moment to admire him further. His tanned skin, his muscular frame that wasn’t bulky. Everything about him so different from Dal. Ah, but wasn’t that just another thing for Dal to find appealing? His personality was so patient and warm and Gabriel was good-looking on top that that? Dal certainly lucked out! But would he find Gabriel’s looks nearly as good if he wasn’t also just so kind and loving?

Please don’t mind him staring.

Realizing that he was being watched, he looked back to Dal and then laughed softly. Pushing his fingers through his hair, Gabriel gave him a warm smile before pulling him close to him. Gently, he pressed a kiss to his lips then tilted his head to the side. Just to admire him for a moment, enjoy that he finally was able to have moments like this without a case getting in the way of their growing feelings.

"You're very beautiful, Dal. I hope I don't disappoint you in return." Oh Gabriel knew he wasn't unfortunate to look at, he did try to keep himself maintained and in shape. But there was something about Dal that was just so unearthly in his beauty. He knew he didn't compare to that.

He didn't even want to try to.

"Though, I imagine with how you're enjoying the view that I must appeal to you," he said with a little laugh.

When Gabriel pulled him close, Dal rested his hands against his chest and melted into his arms. And also into that warm kiss. It was such a strange and wonderful thing! A lot of people didn’t want to kiss him and the ones who did, well, it was usually heated and with expectation. There was none of that from Gabriel. Only affection, which is what made it so different, so very welcome.

It almost made him feel shy. To be seen as a person, to be admired like that! It was all so amazing!

Sliding his hands up over Gabriel’s chest, along the sides of his neck, Dal cupped his face and smiled at him so fondly. “Nothin’ about you disappoints me.” How could it? Gabriel’s so kind and loving and so very, very handsome. It’s all Dal can do to keep from swooning everytime he sees him.

“You’re so special to me, Gabriel. I hope ya know that.”

"I'm really glad because you are so special to me too, Dal."

He smiled warmly at him and pressed a kiss to his lips again then stepped back to guide them more under the spray. "Show me how to take care of you and then I'll show you how to take care of my facial hair."

To start with though, he carefully moved his fingers through that hair to ensure that he started to get it wet. That would have to be the first step, he was sure of it. "I did wash your hair last night if that helps you any."

A quiet little hum met Gabriel’s next kiss, Dal smiling into it. He quickly decided he liked kiss Gabriel – or, in this case, being kissed by Gabriel. Each time their lips met, Dal felt a rush of warmth and an inward satisfaction that every kiss was just as gentle and loving as the man himself.

“I can tell,” Dal answered with a fond smile. He probably washed his hair too often, but he hated the way it felt in the morning after a night of sweating and johns’ hands in it. “Right now, I think just getting’ it wet’s fine.” That’s enough for him to work the waves out of it when they get out of the shower.

“I don’t do anythin’ special in the shower: shampoo, condition, wash.” In the morning, he only washed his face with water. It was the very last thing he’d do in the shower. Everything else came after, once he was clean and dry. So with no atypical routine in the shower for him, Dal reached up to trail his fingers along Gabriel’s jaw. “What d’ya do for this?”

"We can put some conditioner in maybe?" That way it could get some extra moisture in it even if they weren't washing it again. Then he could start doing some research on brands that would be helpful for Dal. He knew he hadn't been able to afford a lot of stuff before but they could change that now.

"My beard I usually give a small trim while I'm in the shower and then when I'm out I do the detail work in a mirror while I can see." He pointed to the trimmer and how it had a guard on it already. "I clean it after I use it, of course. But the shower makes it easier to just go over it."

Dal should’ve taken better care of his hair. He acknowledged that. All that bleaching and coloring he did on his own definitely hadn’t been good for it. Neither had the heat of the hair dryer and flat iron. And he’d done little to protect it. It’s not like johns cared much how his hair felt. They weren’t prone to noticing the frayed ends or complaining about its lack of softness. Little did he know that his poor eating habits contributed to his hair being brittle, too.

“Okay,” Dal agreed. At least he could begin taking better care of his hair now. Among other things.

But his focus sharpened when Gabriel started explaining his routine. That he did any work at all on his facial hair without a mirror was downright amazing to Dal. It showed in the way his eyes slightly widened and intently followed where Gabriel gestured when he pointed to the trimmer.

“Show me?”

Nodding, he took the trimmer and showed how there was a guard on it by taking it off then clipping it back on. Then, he turned it on. It made a vibrating sound and he moved it over his beard to just take off the very tip, feeling with his hand for anything that might be a little longer.

"Truthfully, this might be an easier task for you because you can actually see me," he noted with a laugh before turning it off. Handing it over to him, he grinned a little. "You're welcome to try. Go slow if you're unsure but you won't do anything wrong."

Dal watched closely, a little amazed by how easy it seemed. He rarely had to shave and has only ever done so with a disposable safety razor. But this looked safe. It had the guard and everything. He inspected it quickly when Gabriel handed the trimmer to him. If all he had to do was switch it on, that didn’t seem difficult. With a little nod to himself, Dal switched the trimmer on, lips pressed together in determination, and he moved the device slowly over Gabriel’s beard. He eventually lifted his free hand to guide Gabriel to turn his head this way or that until he was satisfied that he’d covered the whole beard.

And he smiled brightly when he was done. “That wasn’t so hard.”

Gabriel let Dal move him this way and that while he allowed him to get used to the trimmer. A good start for anyone who wasn't used to something like shaving. The next part would be more...complicated. But only because he was sure that Dal would be nervous about having a blade in his hands which would be held against the skin of someone he cared about. They'd go slow with that.

"When we get out of the shower I'll show you how to do the detail work. But for cleaning this? You push this little button here and it lets the top pop off." He showed him where all the little hair was captured. "I just throw that away after my shower."

Dal's eyes widened a little when Gabriel showed him more of the hidden magic of the trimmer. This part, at least, seemed easy enough. Gabriel's right in thinking the rest will leave Dal feeling nervous. Practice and time will alleviate that.

"Do ya do this every day?"

He wondered if this was part of Gabriel's daily routine – like Dal's skincare regimen was for him. It felt strange to wonder about such a mundane thing as how often Gabriel groomed his beard. But it was a nice sort of strange, the sort that left a feeling of warmth behind. Learning these little mundane details felt important, even special!

"When I'm not working I'll usually let it go for a bit. But I tend to try to keep it looking nice so it doesn't get overgrown."

Reaching for the conditioner now, he poured a little onto his hand so he could gently work it through Dal's hair. He would help him get whatever hair products he needed to help his hair out in the future but for now they could use this cheaper stuff. Just to help him out a bit.

"I will let you know that I use a old fashioned razor for detail work because I like how it looks. I'll show you what to do but just take your time. It will probably seem scary until you get used to it."

Dal was sure Gabriel would be handsome even if he let it go for a little while. Well, he would find Gabriel handsome regardless. Full bushy beard, well-groomed beard, no beard at all. Gabriel would be handsome to him no matter what. Maybe because his looks weren’t the main thing about Gabriel that Dal was attracted to.

When Gabriel’s fingers combed carefully through Dal’s hair, his eyes fell closed and he let out a quiet, contented sigh. He felt so spoiled, but in a good way. In the way that said Gabriel cared for him and wanted to take care of him. It was so pleasant he could barely remember why he ended up in Gabriel’s house in the first place, if only for a moment.

His lips bowed into a curious pout and one eye cracked open to look at him. “Ya mean the ones that look like weird knives?”

"It does. But I'll show you how to use it correctly."

Dal was understandably nervous but Gabriel believed in him. And he knew that with enough practice and trust from him that his boyfriend could gain a lot of confidence in this. So he just smiled at him and helped him to rinse the product out of his hair.

"I trust you."

Maybe he could practice on something not alive to get better once Gabriel showed him how to do it. He thought of balloons, but if they popped... No, he wouldn't like that. But Gabriel gave him confidence. He squared his shoulders and nodded.

"I'll learn it. I know you'll teach me how."

Dal pressed his lips together then smiled. "C'mon, let's hurry. I wanna meet her!" Mama Moreno. He was nervous but eager. She was so special to Gabriel and Dal felt like they might be kindred spirits due to their similar backgrounds.

Gabriel laughed then turned the water off. "Let's leave detail work for tomorrow. That way you can focus on meeting mama."

Ushering him out of the shower, he grabbed a towel to start gently drying off his sweet boyfriend, unable to stop smiling the entire way through. Dal was just too sweet for him to resist and he loved that a great deal.

"She'll be happy you're excited to meet her."

"I'm nervous, too," he admitted. He's certain he didn't need to be, but feelings didn't always follow along with what he knew in his mind. That's not how feelings worked. "Feels important, ya know?" Dal wanted to make a good first impression, but there he was, all waifish and bruised.

What if she thought he only liked Gabriel because Gabriel's helped him so much? What if his shirt collar didn't cover the marks on his neck well enough and she asked what happened? What if...

Dal gave his head a little shake in an effort to clear away those kind of anxieties.

"This feels familiar," he finally murmured in a quieter, thoughtful voice. Perhaps he was remembering impressions from the night before.

"This conversation? Or me drying you off?"

He smiled fondly at him and cupped his face to give him a soft kiss. "Just remember that she understands you. She's been in your shoes before. All she wants to do is love you."

"Dryin'," he answered. Even if it was vaguely familiar, it still felt really nice to be pampered like this. Almost dizzying, actually. Feeling so much love and care, it was strange for Dal.

And maybe that's part of why he's nervous, too. He's just accustomed to receiving love. If his own parents couldn't love him, how could anyone else? And yet Gabriel's mom, who hasn't even met him, wants to do just that.

Dal reached up to lay his hand over Gabriel's, just taking a moment to bask in his gentle affection. He finally broke out into a smile and ducked his head to let out a small laugh. "I'm still surprised ya told her about me before."

Taking ahold of Gabriel's hand, he gave his boyfriend -- that was such a warm thought! -- a light tug toward the bathroom counter where all the lotions and potions he used on his face and skin sat. "Want me to just show ya and explain 'em today?"

"Of course. I tell her about everything that's important to me." So why wouldn't he tell her all about Dal? Someone so very special to him that his heart leapt just thinking about him? He gave him a little grin and then gently ruffled his hair before drying off as he followed him to the sink.

"Go ahead and explain while you do your routine. I'll watch."

That way he could get to know what things were and why they were used rather quickly.

It was quite a process. Eight steps in total (and that was just for the morning!), but also not every item was for everyday use. Those spindly fingers picked up each jar or bottle and explained which was what. Toner, essence, ampoule, serum, eye cream, moisturizer, sunscreen. Dal only washed his face with water in the mornings. He took his time so Gabriel could see what each item was used for.

Once all that was done, it was time for makeup. Once again, he picked up each container to show them to Gabriel and tell him a little about what each one did. Primer, foundation, concealer, contour kit, blush, various eye elements for brows, lids, and lashes, his favorite tinted lip balm, and the setting spray. Then, just as with the skincare regimen, Dal begin to apply each item in its turn, going slower than he normally would so Gabriel could see how it went on.

When he was done, aside from being undressed and his hair still being wet, Dal looked like he usually did. "We can practice when ya have time," he said with a smile. For today? He wanted to make sure he looked perfect to meet Gabriel's mom. "It's a lot, I know."

Gabriel listened quietly, asking questions when he needed to. He'd watched his mother get ready as a child so he remembered some of this. Enough so that he wasn't surprised by it. It would take practice but he didn't mind that. He wanted to put in that work for him.

When Dal was done, he cupped his chin to look at him then smiled. "Beautiful."

A quick kiss and he stepped in. "Let me show you the detail work for my beard then we'll finish getting ready. I don't want you going out with wet hair, after all."

There was no doubt in Dal's mind that Gabriel would catch on quickly. Gabriel's a clever guy, Dal knew that. The compliment, though? That was enough to bring some extra color to his cheeks and prompted Dal to lower his eyes. So many times he's heard things like that. Pretty, sexy, beautiful. But never with any real sincerity. Nothing beyond the hollow flattery of someone who only cared that he was sticking his dick in someone aesthetically appealing.

Gabriel never sounded like them. Not ever.

That kiss left a soft, almost giddy smile in its wake and Dal immediately nodded. Just as Gabriel wanted to learn his grooming routines, Dal wanted to learn Gabriel's too.

"Can I just watch this time? I wanna see what you do before I try."

"Of course."

Going through the motions, he showed him how he got his face damp with warm water then put a little of the gel on the edges of his facial hair. Opening the razor, he put a new blade in to show how to do that then slowly cleaned the edges of his beard and mustache, keeping the blade flat against his skin.

"I don't tend to take much off like this. Just enough to get smaller hairs..."

He watched closely, leaning for a better look without getting in the way. One thing Dal could say for himself was that he had a good memory. He only needed to see this once or twice to remember the process, in general.

After Gabriel finished, Dal inspected his work, then graced him with a curious look. He knew Gabriel’s dad hadn’t been around so…

“How’d ya learn that?”

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