In Dreams He Came

by Trina Lane

  They made their way out to the starting blocks. The announcer’s voice reverberated in the arena as he introduced each swimmer through the PA system. Gabe took off his flip-flops and T-shirt, placing them in the basket held by the volunteer, along with his towel. He tuned out all the noise from the stands. He stared down at the water. The clear liquid called to him. It beckoned for Gabe to jump in and let all the stress and anxiety of the last couple days float to the surface while Gabe was held securely within the water’s embrace.

  The announcer told the finalists to take their positions. The abrasive surface of the cold wet starting block dug into the soles of Gabe’s feet. He took his starting position. Finger tips grazed the edge of the plastic, one foot back, the toes of the other even with the rim. Gabe tensed his muscles, preparing to launch himself into the water.

  The horn sounded, and muscle memory from years of competitions sent Gabe flying through the air before he consciously told his brain to leap. The water closed over Gabe’s head. He surfaced and quickly moved into a practiced rhythm. Working with Nick had eliminated the hitch on the back half of his stroke, and Gabe felt himself sliding through the water with ease. He reached the wall at the end of his first length and made the flip. The Arizona boys were ahead of him, but Gabe thought he was still within contention. His arms and legs pumped, sending Gabe down the lane. Drops of water made their way into his mouth with each breath. Gabe flipped again. One lap down, three to go. His brain emptied of everything but the movement of his arms, turn of his head, and the feel of the water as his hands pushed their way through the cool fluid.

  The depth of the pool made the water fast, but Gabe still fought against eight swimmers propelling their way to glory. When Gabe took his next breath, he caught a glance of the competition. He wasn’t first, but neither was he last. Only twenty-five yards to go. Gabe’s lungs were officially burning and his limbs had grown tired. He pictured Nick in his mind standing at the end of the pool, cheering, encouraging Gabe to not give up. Gabe dug deeper and strained for every millimeter of distance. He pulled almost even with the Arizona boys. He passed under the flags alerting the swimmers of the last five yards. Gabe ducked his head down and stretched, willing his fingernails to grow instantaneously so he could touch the wall that much sooner.

  It was over. Whatever the outcome, Gabe was finished. It was the last solo swim of his career. He sank beneath the water, relief mingled with a touch of sadness. He would miss competing, but Gabe knew he would never lose his love of the water. With Nick as a partner, he was all but guaranteed continued involvement in some way with the sport he loved. Gabe surfaced, and his senses opened to the world above his silent refuge. The noise in the aquatic center was almost deafening. Shrill whistles split the air, and thunderous shouts rained down from the crowd. Gabe lifted his goggles and blinked away the water dripping into his eyes. He squinted up at the scoreboard. Gabe shook his head and looked again. He half expected some of the numbers in the sequence to reverse order, but nothing changed. Gabe jerked as a heavy hand landed on his shoulder.

  “Damn, that was a hell of a race.”

  Gabe stared at the swimmer in lane five blankly. The man laughed and looked over Gabe’s shoulder.

  “I don’t think it’s quite set in yet.”

  Gabe spun in the water to see who the Arizona swimmer was talking to and met the wide smile of the man the board said placed second, earning his institution seventeen points.

  “Flipper!”

  Gabe heard Nick’s shout and looked around for his partner. The sea of faces lingering on the deck and in the stands made identifying a single person almost impossible.

  “Up here! Gabe!”

  Gabe looked up to see Nick in the stands next to his parents. Phil stood next to Will in front of the group, his blue and yellow CAL warm-up suit serving as a beacon in the crowded stands. They all held up their finger. Only one finger.

  Gabe couldn’t believe it.

  NICK and Gabe lay in the hotel room bed, snuggled together. Gabe’s head rested on Nick’s shoulder, and his body draped over his partner’s. Nick’s arm held Gabe close, and his long fingers absently caressed Gabe’s bare hip. The moisture from their most recent lovemaking slowly dried on their bodies, and Gabe’s eyes began to droop with exhaustion. It had been a long day, hell, it had been a long week, but unfortunately, they still had to deal with the backlash of Nick’s formal outing to the public.

  “You’re awfully quiet,” Nick said softly. His lips nuzzled Gabe’s head.

  “Hmm, I’ve been well loved, and I’m processing everything that’s happened.”

  When they’d gotten back to the hotel, Gabe had kicked Phil out of the room they shared. Phil had gotten the funniest disgruntled face and then asked them what he was supposed to do while Gabe and Nick went at it as if they were monkeys. Just before Nick slammed the door in Phil’s face, he’d told him that Will was waiting for him down in the bar. Gabe nearly busted a gut laughing so hard at how fast Phil ran down the hall.

  He and Nick had then proceeded to rip each other’s clothes off and converge on each other as if they’d been separated for months rather than the hours the clock showed. Gabe had ridden Nick into such throes of ecstasy that when he came, stars exploded behind his eyelids and his ears rang.

  Now they lay in silence beside one another. Gabe was still coming to terms with the fact that he’d actually won the NCAA championship two hundred yard freestyle event, not to mention won in a new pool record. Gabe had stood on the top spot of the podium, and along with the other finalists, had received a nice little trophy. The wooden arch had a wide round base with the gold NCAA seal imbedded at the top. A pane of glass filled the carved-out section, etched with championship title, the event name, and a swimming graphic. All four of Gabe’s trophies from the championship sat over on the dresser, but at the moment, his partner’s love-filled eyes captured his attention more than the little towers of accomplishment.

  “Did you think you could do it? Honestly?”

  Gabe shook his head. “I was hoping for a top five finish. Those two Arizona boys were insanely quick. I mean, I knew it would be a fast pace, but jeez. They do hail from the number one school for men’s swimming, so why that was such a shock once we hit the water I’m not sure. At the end, my arms hurt and my chest burned. I pictured you in my head waiting for me at the end, cheering. You kept yelling at me to push harder, kick faster. I couldn’t get you to shut up, so I just did what you said.” Gabe tilted his head up and smiled.

  Nick planted a kiss on Gabe’s lips, slipping his tongue in to tease for a second. They rolled so they were both on their sides, facing each other. Nick’s thumb traced Gabe’s lower lip, and the lingering tingle from the caress echoed in lower parts of Gabe’s body. He would have thought that after their most recent session, he couldn’t get hard again, but apparently his cock decided to make a valiant attempt.

  “So, what do we do now?” Gabe asked.

  “Dinner? Sleep?”

  Gabe shook his head. “You know what I mean. What’s the latest word from Greg?”

  Nick sighed and braced his elbow on the bed and his head in his hand. “He wants me to make a statement to the press tomorrow when we get back. He said that for the most part there’s been a flurry of excitement from media sources, but nothing unmanageable. Even though we had prepared a written statement for the press, he thinks a press conference, and maybe one or two select interviews wouldn’t be a bad idea. According to Greg, most of the requests are simply asking for some face time, none have sounded as though I’m being set up to be burned at the stake.”

  “You think that has something to do with the fact that swimming isn’t as huge as baseball or football in most Americans’ minds? Or due to the fact that it’s mostly an individual sport, despite the fact that we compete under a global team?”

  “I don’t know. Both maybe?”

  Gabe traced his finger over Nick’s smooth chest. He loved the silky texture beneath his hands as wa
rm muscles twitched beneath the tips of his fingers. The sensation of sliding against one another when they made love continued to be one of Gabe’s favorites. Right before they’d flown out for the championship, Nick and Gabe had waxed each other, as part of their regular maintenance. The experience had been so erotic that Gabe had come from the waxing alone.

  “Has Greg mentioned any problems with your sponsors and such?”

  Nick’s hand rested on the curve of Gabe’s waist. “No. So far they’ve all stuck to the agreement we’d written into the contracts. Funnily enough, though, Greg has gotten a couple calls from companies who actively support the LGBT community asking if we’d be interested in speaking to them about becoming a sponsor or even endorsing one of their products.”

  “That’s fantastic!”

  Nick nodded. “I know, and I really appreciate the support, but at the same time I don’t want to become this gay poster boy. I simply want to keep swimming.”

  “Well, like it or not, your status as a celebrity probably went up twenty percent in the last three days. You are a professional athlete, and press, both good and bad, comes with the territory. I understand you wanting to be known for your accomplishments in the pool rather than the bedroom, but how you and Greg decide to respond will set a precedent for future swimmers. Remember what Carmichael and Wilkins said about how they thought it would be cool to have an athlete who’s both proudly out and kicking ass?”

  Nick nodded. “I have no problem with that. I never have. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I don’t want to become the gay swimmer Nick Jackson.”

  “We don’t know what will happen when all the hubbub dies down. I think we should be thankful for any positive responses and take each negative one at a time.”

  Nick pulled Gabe beneath him and rubbed their bodies together. “You’re so smart. I’m sorry all this craziness overshadowed your meet. I know I’ve probably said it a hundred times over the last few days, but I’m so proud. You accomplished everything you set out to do.”

  Gabe pulled Nick’s head down for a long slow kiss. One of Nick’s hands cupped the back of Gabe’s head, and the other his jaw, holding Gabe’s head at an angle so the kiss deepened to Nick’s desire. Gabe lifted his hips, and his cock, which had woken from its exhausted slumber, rubbed against Nick’s steely erection. Gabe’s cock flexed and the muscles in his abdomen tensed. Nick slowed the kiss, and Gabe couldn’t stop the little moan that escaped at Nick’s withdrawal.

  Gabe kept thinking about how Nick had filled the empty spots in his life. Before Nick, all Gabe had thought about was school and the pool. Now he looked forward to some of the more simple things. Things that Phil had been trying to get Gabe to do for years, such as chilling on the sofa to watch a movie, or enjoying a walk around the city. Nick had taken Gabe across the bay to San Francisco several times. They’d spent hours exploring Chinatown and North Beach. They’d sipped Irish coffee down on the bay at Fisherman’s Wharf. They’d sat and watched the sun set behind the Golden Gate Bridge from the Marin Headlands. Nick had taken him up to Muir Woods, and they had stood together beneath the giant redwood trees. Gabe had stood there craning his head back in an effort to find the tops of the towering goliaths of nature. He lived in a city rich with so much history, right at his fingertips, and Gabe realized in four years at Berkeley he’d never taken the time to appreciate it.

  Gabe chuckled, his body shaking as the laughter took over.

  Nick nuzzled along Gabe’s neck. “What has my sweet prince found that amuses him so?”

  “I was thinking about how happy I am. How happy you’ve made me. And then that line from that stupid movie all those years ago popped into my head.”

  “There have been many stupid movies, sweetheart. Care to elaborate?”

  “You complete me.”

  “You had me at ‘You didn’t have to do that’.” Nick snorted and smiled down at Gabe. “Doesn’t have quite the same ring to it, does it?”

  Nick’s fingers plucked at Gabe’s nipples, and Gabe arched into the touch. His breath caught at the blissful sting when Nick bent his head and scrapped his teeth across the already tender buds.

  “N… no.”

  “Mmm, then it’s a good thing that I really started to fall in love with you the moment your eyes met mine across the dance floor. You had that bratty little twink in your arms, and it was everything I could do not to storm over there and rip his grabby hands away from you.”

  Gabe had no idea Nick even remembered that look. He remembered the flashing lights, pounding music, and the scents of male pheromones and sweat in the air. Gabe remembered Nick standing across the floor, the red light acting as a spotlight signaling to Gabe to look over there. Their eyes had met for only a few seconds, but that moment had changed Gabe’s life forever.

  “Love me, Nick.”

  “Forever and always, my sweet prince.”

  The time for words had come to an end. Nick’s erection nudged at Gabe's cock and balls, announcing its intention. “You’re so hard.” Harder than seemed reasonable, given their recent activities. The proof of Nick’s need, his desire to feel Gabe’s body surround him flared bright inside Gabe. “What are you going to do to me?”

  Nick captured Gabe’s wrists and pinned them to the mattress. “You’re going to leave your hands there. No touching.” Nick smiled as Gabe let out a little whimper. His hips made small movements, rubbing their cocks together. “I’m going to kiss every inch of your body. Bring every nerve ending to life with my teeth and tongue. You’re done swimming for a while. No more parading around the pool half naked in your tight suit, no more displaying what belongs to me. I’m going to mark you, Gabriel. The tender skin will remind you every second until it fades away that you are mine. And when that bruise heals, I’ll mark you again.”

  “Oh God.” Gabe couldn’t stop his moan. He’d wanted Nick’s mark for so long, but they couldn’t risk it. Too much exposure, too many potential questions. Gabe’s cock throbbed, and he rocked against Nick’s hips. “Please, Nick. I’ve wanted… so long I’ve wanted.”

  “I know, sweetheart. I wish you could do the same to me.” Nick held Gabe down by his wrists and kissed him deeply.

  Gabe reveled in the kiss and returned Nick’s passion with fervor. Their mouths opened wide and fed off each other. Their tongues twisted as their bodies slid together. Nick had never held Gabe down like this before. Gabe was surprised to find that he liked it. Liked this dominant side of his knight. Gabe panted between kisses, his cock was so hard it began to ache. The tip was slick, and he realized that the tiny noises in the room came from him.

  Nick pushed his weight onto Gabe wrists. “Leave them.” He braced his hands on either side of Gabe’s shoulders and lifted his torso a few inches, creating a space between their bodies that hadn’t existed before.

  Nick’s mouth started at the top of Gabe’s forehead. He kissed the skin where Gabe’s hairline ended, then moved down to Gabe’s temple. Nick repeated the caress to the other side. Gabe’s eyes closed, and the next kiss landed on his eyelids. Back and forth, first on one side and then the other, Nick kept his promise. When his lips landed on Gabe’s chest, directly above his heart, Gabe felt the first tug of suction. Nick was marking him, staking his claim on Gabe’s heart! It already symbolically belonged to Nick, but now Gabe would wear Nick’s brand. And even when that brand healed, its presence would be felt for a lifetime. Gabe’s hands fell and he held Nick’s head to his chest.

  Nick growled and moved Gabe’s hands back up beside his head. He looked down, and Nick’s fingertips grazed the dark blotch on Gabe’s chest. “Perfect.” He pressed and Gabe’s head turned to the side as he moaned. “My sweet prince. Mine now for the world to see.”

  Nick’s lips continued their journey down and across Gabe’s torso, hips, legs, and feet. Gabe writhed on the bed, begging and pleading for Nick to end his torment. Gabe cried out as Nick’s fingers sank inside him to test his readiness. Gabe realized he was still stretched from e
arlier. Nick added lube to his cock and then slid home. Gabe was so focused on the feel of Nick sliding each inch of his cock through the tunnel of his ass that his vision blurred, and his head began to buzz.

  “Sweetheart?”

  Gabe’s eyes fluttered. Nick blew gently on his face. His eyes opened and Nick’s wide chest swam in front of him.

  “Come on, baby. Breathe for me,” Nick said as he thrust home.

  It was as if the final push of Nick’s cock also forced air into Gabe’s lungs. He dragged in a large quantity of air, which caused him to cough.

  Nick moaned. “Oh Jesus, I felt that all over my cock. You’re so wonderfully tight, hot, and alive around me.”

  Gabe spread his legs wide and slid them over Nick’s arms. The position forced his pelvis to tilt, and Nick angled his hips and then pressed inward to the very root of his cock. The new direction forced the head of Nick’s cock in contact with Gabe’s prostate with every thrust. Higher and higher they climbed. Nick fucked Gabe as sweat dripped off his body, only to splash on Gabe’s abdomen.

  “Stroke yourself, sweetheart. Make yourself come.”

  Gabe’s hands fell, and he grasped his dick. He set a brutal pace, so desperate was he to reach that pinnacle of pleasure Nick had taught him about so well. A few pulls and Gabe was screaming his release. Seed jetted from his body to cover his stomach and hand. Nick’s rhythm faltered and with a low roar he plunged deep within Gabe’s channel one last time. Nick’s orgasm was so intense that Gabe felt the jerks of Nick’s cock even as it lay buried inside him.

  Gabe’s legs fell to the side and Nick collapsed on top of him. His arms automatically came up to hold Nick tight while they panted to catch their breath. Gabe eventually realized that the pounding didn’t come from within his head but on the other side of the wall behind them.