Joel had come to beg a kindness from his grandmother, a blood relation, and she hadn't afforded him even the slightest inkling of common decency. What he had gotten instead was the unsolicited kindness of a stranger. Joel was leery of Gabriel's intentions, though, because again, Joel’s family, the people who were supposed to help him, had abandoned him, and Joel couldn't understand why someone who wasn't beholden to him would do anything to benefit him.
He didn't know much about Gabriel, so Joel was having a hard time trying to figure out what his intentions toward him were. He knew Gabriel Hunter lived alone, had no cats, but did have amazing taste in music. He was handsome and he wanted to help Joel for unknown reasons.
Gabriel wanted him to stay.
And on top of all that, there was no mistaking the flare of lust Joel had seen in Gabriel's eyes this morning. Joel had tried to explain it away and convince himself he was imagining it. But after the way Gabriel had looked at him and spoken to him, Joel had to admit he'd seen genuine interest in Gabriel’s eyes, although he still didn't understand why it was there.
So what if he's interested? Joel's self-deprecating inner monologue chimed in. Even if he is now, he won't be once he gets to know you. You'll disappoint him too.
Yeah, well… that might or might not be true. But in the meantime, was there any harm in accepting Gabriel’s help? Even when he’d lived at home, he’d always been on his own. His stepdad and mom had made it abundantly clear they had no interest in raising a quiet, gay child. The two of them had been ready to flee to Maryland as soon as his mother stopped being legally responsible for Joel. When he thought back on it now, Joel was surprised he’d continued to grow through his teen years, almost surprised that he hadn’t physically wilted from the lack of love and attention. But he’d grown, and managed his life fine on his own with no help from anyone.
Maybe this time he could allow himself to take help that was offered. He needed to allow himself this help. Joel didn't have anything to offer Gabriel, but Gabriel hadn't asked for anything from Joel, had he? The only thing he'd asked for was for Joel to stay.
Joel pushed himself up to a sitting position. He needed to make the best of this. Reaching for his phone, he dialed Athena. It rang once before she picked up.
“Yes, Baby J. Fuck the handsome stranger. Love you, bye!” And the call clicked off.
Joel dialed again and the ring was cut off mid -tone as Athena answered again.
“Theenie, don't hang up on me!” he shouted at her.
“Get off the phone and fuck the guy, Baby J,” Athena countered.
“He's at work.”
“Would you fuck him if he wasn't?” Joel could hear Athena laughing.
“Of course not.”
“Why not? If you think he's handsome, why wouldn't you go for the gold? Get that one? Go for the gold. Like a condom wrapper. Gold wrappers. Big dicks.” Athena’s sentence dissolved into uncontrollable and unhelpful laughter.
“Athena. Be serious. Please.” Joel had a desperate edge to his voice that caused Athena to stop laughing.
“I am being serious, Joel.” Oh, now she was cutting out the nicknames. That meant she was being serious. “If you're attracted to him, pursue him. That's what people do. Literally almost everyone but you understands this. Having shitty parents doesn't mean you have to be emotionally alone forever and it especially doesn't mean you need to jerk off alone for the rest of your life.”
Joel was listening to what she was saying, but couldn't help the chuckle at the knowledge he didn't jerk off alone this morning. The thought of Gabriel watching him made his cock start to rise again. Fuck.
“Fuck?” Athena questioned him. Apparently he hadn't thought that last part after all.
Joel was silent.
“Baby J, listen to me. I'm being one hundred percent serious with you and then I'm going to hang up because you're seriously intruding on the ass I'm trying to get, okay? You are amazing, Joel. You are so, so cute, and you are smart and persistent and kind. One of my favorite things about you is that you collect those old Bibles, and I know you do it because no one else will so you want to be the one to do it. You take so much on yourself, and into your heart, and you force yourself into solitude, and it fucking kills me to see you do it. There is so much of you to love, and if you are so resistant to letting someone love you, then at least let them fuck you. You let me in. You're different with me, and I don't know why, but let someone else get to know the Joel I know some time, okay? Now go. I love you and I'll be home in three days.” With that, Athena hung up for the second time.
Joel looked at the call ending on his screen which then lit up with a text from… Davis? Before Joel could read it, the screen went black. He pressed the home button, trying to turn it back on, but it was useless. His phone chose that exact moment to stop working again. Joel sighed and threw the phone onto the bed.
Well. Davis. Maybe Davis was interested in him after all? If someone like Davis was interested, even after thinking Joel stood him up, maybe it wasn't so unreasonable to think Gabriel might be interested, too. Joel didn't want to think himself in circles over it all day, so he decided to bide his time until Gabriel got home and then maybe he’d see if the attraction was there, or whether he'd only imagined it. Then if it ended up going all tits up, Athena would be home in three days and he could crash with her. Joel reasoned he could survive anything for three days, even sleeping in his car.
He dumped everything in his duffel bag out onto the bed to see what he had packed. He didn't have anything nice-looking. Everything he had grabbed was his usual jeans and t-shirts, and they were all wrinkled from being thrown in so haphazardly. Joel picked out the shirt that was the least wrinkled and brought it with him into the bathroom, laying it over the towel rack. He turned the water in the shower to as hot as it would go and then pulled the bathroom door closed. It was a trick Athena had taught him, since neither of them had a washer or dryer in their apartments.
Heading to the kitchen, Joel opened the refrigerator door and saw it was fully stocked with a wide assortment of fresh groceries. He found some chicken breasts on the bottom shelf and he opened the crisper drawer and found a bag with pre-trimmed broccoli tops. Joel closed the fridge and opened a few cupboards until he found the pantry. It was as well stocked as the fridge, and Joel rifled through until he found some pasta and sauce. It wouldn't be anything fancy, but Joel wasn't anything fancy either. If what he could offer wasn't good enough for Gabriel, he wanted to know sooner rather than later.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Gabriel, Joel, and the Frottage
Gabriel opened the front door of his condo and was immediately overwhelmed by the most amazing smell of tomatoes, garlic, and chicken. He found Joel in his kitchen, standing in front of the stove, tongs held in one hand and a sharp knife in the other. Joel poked at whatever he had in the pan and then flipped it over, nodding his head.
“Joel?” Gabriel spoke, setting his keys down on the edge of the breakfast bar as Joel jumped.
“Shit. You’re home. I didn’t hear you. It’s not ready. Shit.” Joel turned briefly to look at Gabriel and then quickly returned his attention to the stove, fussing over whatever was in the pan while he muttered to himself.
“What’s wrong, Joel?” Gabriel asked, keeping one eye on his nervous house guest as he poured himself a glass of wine.
“I was making you dinner, making us dinner. Making dinner for us. But I didn’t think you’d be home so soon. It needs about five more minutes. I’m sorry.”
What on earth was Joel apologizing for? Gabriel couldn’t remember the last time someone had cooked for him. It was such a thoughtful gesture, and there were feelings swelling in Gabriel’s chest that he did his best to squash before he approached Joel at the stove. Gabriel sidled in close to Joel, deliberately pressing his chest against Joel’s back and looking over his shoulder to see what was going on in the pan.
“Did you make chicken parmigiana?” Gabriel questioned, moving in closer
as he leaned over Joel to smell the bubbling cheese and marinara sauce cooking on his stove. Joel nodded against him, and Gabriel was certain Joel shifted his weight back and leaned into his chest. Gabriel turned his head slightly, exhaling a breath into Joel’s neck.
“Thank you, Little Red. That’s very thoughtful of you. I’ll go change out of my work clothes while you finish up.” Gabriel forced himself away from Joel and headed to his bedroom to change. Stripping off his slacks, Gabriel pulled a pair of plaid pajama pants on and over his hardening cock, pressing down to alleviate the pressure formed between his legs by Joel looking so comfortable in his home. It was like every wet dream Gabriel ever had about Joel came to life in the last twenty-four hours and now someone had stuck a domestic little housewife cherry on top.
Gabriel heard plates clinking out of the cabinet and being set on the wood dining room table, so he returned to the kitchen. Returned to Joel. As Gabriel rounded the corner into the dining space, Joel looked up at him with a broad smile across his face and Gabriel’s chest tightened, as if the bones in his chest were contracting around his heart.
“Sit down?” Joel asked Gabriel, gesturing to the table. Gabriel couldn’t help but notice the question should have been a statement, and he softly chuckled at the tentative way Joel approached him. Gabriel pulled out the chair Joel indicated and sat down, noticing Joel had brought his glass of wine over. There was a glass of water with no ice on the placemat beside him, and Gabriel liked that Joel made the decision to sit near him on his own. Joel brought two plates over from the kitchen, placing one in front of Gabriel and the other beside him. Taking a seat, Joel looked up shyly and smiled, his gaze flitting down to the table.
“I hope you like it.” Joel’s voice was barely louder than a whisper. “I hope you like it, Gabriel.” The second time he spoke, Joel was louder and sounded more confident. Gabriel couldn’t help but love the way his name sounded rolling out of Joel’s mouth.
“I like it when you call me by my name,” Gabriel reflected, but then continued, “Thank you for dinner, Joel. I’m sure it’s wonderful. It’s been a very long time since someone has cooked for me.” Gabriel started to slice into the juicy, breaded chicken breast.
“How long?” Joel asked, cutting into his own chicken and putting a piece into his mouth.
Twenty years.
“A while now.” Gabriel shoved a bite of food into his mouth and chewed slowly, appreciating the meal Joel had made for him. Even if it had tasted awful, it would’ve still been the best meal of his life. “This is delicious, Joel. Thank you, truly.”
They ate dinner together in a companionable silence, sporadically peppered with questions from Joel about Gabriel’s day. On his second glass of wine by the time he had finished eating, Gabriel was sure Joel hadn’t cooked him dinner to be a courteous house guest. It was apparent he was trying to impress Gabriel. Joel had been subtly leaning closer to him through the entire meal, and making more eye contact in the last half hour than he had during the entire night before.
Deciding to test his theory, Gabriel placed his hand down on the table with his forearm resting near Joel and turned his body to speak. As Gabriel shifted his weight in the chair, he watched Joel shift his own arm closer so his fine arm hairs brushed against Gabriel's skin. They both shuddered and Gabriel's skin pricked with goosebumps. He wanted to ask, what is this? What are you doing, Joel? But he knew better and didn’t want to damage the tentative bridge Joel was building. Joel was a sad young man, so timid and beaten down by Gabriel’s shitty half-brother, and the fear of rejection practically rolled off Joel in waves. The dinner, the quiet questions. Gabriel almost immediately recognized what was happening. It was a fantasy he’d hoped for, but hadn’t anticipated it coming his way this easily. Gabriel took a deep breath and hoped he hadn’t been reading Joel’s signals wrong.
“Joel,” he all but whispered, and Joel turned his head to look him, bringing their faces closer together. Gabriel acknowledged a glimmer of lust radiating in the blue of Joel’s eyes and was almost certain it wasn't solely wishful thinking on his part. Leaning forward without hesitation, he pressed his lips to Joel’s mouth. Joel’s lips parted in a gasp before pushing back in reciprocation. Gabriel moved his hand from the table to cover Joel’s and brought the other hand up to grasp the tender skin on the side of Joel's neck. Gabriel flicked his tongue against Joel's lips, and like magic, they parted, letting him in.
He caressed the skin of Joel's cheek under his ear as he started an exploration of all the workings of Joel's mouth with his tongue. He licked against the back of Joel's teeth and the roof of his mouth, and he savored the movement of Joel's tongue dancing against his. Gabriel did everything he could not to eat the boy alive, pulling his mouth from Joel’s so he could take a much-needed breath. In that moment, the glimmer he had seen earlier in Joel's eyes ignited like a forest fire and Joel launched himself back at Gabriel, bridging the divide. Gabriel unlaced his fingers from Joel’s and held him against his mouth with one hand on either side of his face. Joel kissed Gabriel with a sense of urgency, and if it could speak it would have said, we need to hurry this up, before you change your mind.
Joel opened his mouth wider, pushing his teeth against Gabriel's so he could explore his mouth with the most thorough determination Gabriel had ever experienced from another man. Gabriel willingly allowed the exploration, kissing him back with as much gratitude as he could muster. He pushed his chair back from the table and Joel pushed his own body forward to climb over and straddle him. With a knee resting on each side of Gabriel's thighs, Joel ground his erection against Gabriel's belly and Gabriel tore their mouths apart, sucking in a deep breath.
“Joel,” he murmured, using his hands to turn Joel's face toward the ceiling so he could pepper kisses along his throat and jawline. As he pressed a kiss to Joel's Adam’s apple, Joel’s entire body trembled with a sigh. Gabriel stopped his kisses and dropped his head to Joel's shoulder, his body heaving as he tried to catch his breath. Kissing Joel was more than he’d ever imagined it would be. Joel tasted like everything Gabriel had ever wanted for himself. But there was a melancholy underneath it and Gabriel believed that even though Joel was here, in the moment, he was expecting this to disappear in the blink of an eye.
“Don't stop. Please,” Joel murmured, using his head to nudge Gabriel off his shoulder. “Please, Gabriel.”
Gabriel gripped Joel under his thighs and stood. Joel reflexively wrapped his legs around Gabriel's waist as Gabriel debated whether to take this to the couch or the bedroom. Joel sank his teeth into the lobe of Gabriel's ear and moaned, and Gabriel turned toward the couch–he’d never be able to make it down the hall. Fifteen steps into the living room, Gabriel lowered Joel down onto the couch, and thrust his hips down against Joel's denim-covered erection. Gabriel nuzzled against Joel and sucked a purple bruise onto the crook of his neck. Joel cried out and Gabriel reached a hand between them, fingering loose the button and zipper of Joel's jeans. Joel bucked up against Gabriel's hand, trying to force his cock between Gabriel's fingers.
“Touch me. Oh God, please, Gabriel.” Joel thrashed his head from side to side with his eyes closed. Gabriel reached up, grabbing Joel's cheeks with his hand.
“Open your eyes, Joel. Look at me.” Joel's eyes shot open and his mouth parted on a whimper as Gabriel reached into Joel's briefs and wrapped his fingers around his cock. With his other hand, Gabriel shifted his thumb and forced it between Joel's teeth, pushing it in and tilting Joel's head back. Joel nipped at Gabriel’s thumb with his teeth before licking a circle around it and sucking it inside. Gabriel stroked one hand up Joel's length, removing the other from Joel's mouth and rubbing it over Joel's lips.
Gabriel sucked in a breath as he coated Joel's lips with his own saliva and leaned down, pressing their mouths together again. The kiss grew with a fevered intensity, Joel fucking himself into Gabriel's hand with a renewed urgency, keeping his eyes open as Gabriel had instructed. Gabriel leaned back, pulling their mouths apa
rt, and he pulled his own cock free. Joel's eyes dipped to catch a look and his eyelids drooped as he watched Gabriel jerk both of their cocks together in one hand. Joel's eyes fluttered closed and Gabriel stopped the movement until Joel opened them again. The intense longing in Joel’s eyes took Gabriel’s breath away, and he resumed stroking his hand down Joel's length.
“Good boy. Keep looking at me. Do you see me, Joel?” Gabriel murmured, shifting his weight to expose their straining erections to Joel's stare. “Do you see this, Joel?”
“Oh God, Gabriel.” Joel arched up as Gabriel rubbed their dicks together in the confines of his large hand. Gabriel used his thumb to smear their pre-cum together, over the heads of their cocks, making the friction and slide feel even more delicious. Gabriel squeezed his hand, leaning down to nip at Joel's lower lip. As soon as he bit down, Joel cried out and came, letting loose a shot of cum that reached his chest. Gabriel gathered it on the fingertips of his free hand, and with his eyes locked on Joel's, he reached up and pressed his fingers against the gape of Joel's mouth. Joel opened and greedily sucked Gabriel's fingers, tasting himself. The sight was enough to push Gabriel over the edge.
Gabriel’s entire body shuddered and he fucked forward against Joel's softening cock one more time before he came, ribbons of his own release mixing with the residue on Joel's chest. Gabriel shuddered once more and pulled his fingers from Joel's mouth. Gabriel scooped his own cum off Joel and licked it from his fingers before leaning down and drawing Joel's sinful mouth in for another kiss.
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