He realized that he was staring at Jack’s crotch, and he dragged his gaze upward to find Jack watching him.
Gabriel looked at him: Jack’s face was etched in desire, and kindness, and patience. I could fall in love with you, Gabriel thought. He would cross that bridge when he came to it, though. For now, he wanted Jack, and that was more than enough. He moved forward, closing the distance between them, and Jack met his kiss eagerly. I can’t tell you how much I love your mouth, Gabriel thought, with a rush of heady pleasure at the idea.
He reached for Jack’s elastic waistband, determined to put his mouth to good use; if Jack thought he was a good kisser, then Gabriel was confident he could make use of that skill in other ways, and he wanted nothing more than to watch—and feel—Jack come undone.
Jack had other ideas, though. Gabriel was surprised when Jack turned him, steering him backward toward the bed and pushing him gently down onto the sheets. “Scoot up,” Jack said quietly, and Gabriel obediently pulled himself up until his head was on the pillow. Jack knelt on the bed and crawled up the length of his body to kiss his lips. Gabriel shifted beneath him, tugging at his hips to bring their bodies together.
“Jack,” he said against the other man’s lips.
Jack lifted his head. “Make sure you’re comfortable,” he said in a low voice. “No strain on your neck—move the pillow if you need. Tell me if you need a pillow for your back or hips.”
“I—” Gabriel stopped and swallowed. “Okay,” he said. He wanted to get his mouth on Jack’s body, but he also wanted Jack’s mouth on him, more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life, and he was helpless to do anything but watch as Jack slowly shifted himself backward, keeping his eyes on Gabriel’s face.
“The key is comfort,” Jack said, still speaking softly. “For starters, anyway,” he added with a smile and a quick wink. He moved further back until his elbows were at either side of Gabriel’s waist. “You want to plan on settling in for a long time, just in case,” he said. He touched his hands to Gabriel’s sides and dipped his head to kiss his stomach. Gabriel twitched beneath him, barely suppressing a groan. “You want to support yourself on your elbows, like this. Lie pretty flat—don’t try kneeling with your head down, at least not until you know your body’s limitations. You could hurt your neck or back and you’re gonna tire yourself out. Just relax into it, like this,” he said, and Gabriel could feel Jack’s body settling against his thighs. “Find an angle that feels right for you so you don’t have to be on your knees or have half your body hanging off the bed.”
Gabriel realized that his own hands were gripping fistfuls of the sheet, but he couldn’t loosen his fingers. All he could do was stare at Jack, hypnotized, his body on fire with anticipation.
Jack slipped his fingers into the waistband of Gabriel’s underwear. “May I show you?” he asked softly.
Gabriel swallowed and felt his throat click. He nodded against the pillow, his eyelids drooping halfway closed as Jack bent his head and pressed his lips to the cotton over Gabriel’s erection.
Jack tugged the underwear down, freeing him. He looked up at Gabriel’s face again, as he wrapped his fingers lightly around Gabriel’s shaft. Gabriel twitched in his hand. “Don’t choke yourself. More is not always more,” Jack said with another smile. “You’ll learn what you can take and, more importantly, what you want to take. Until then, use your hand as an extension of your mouth,” he said, tightening his fist to demonstrate. Gabriel tensed his muscles to keep from thrusting upward. “And be aware of that,” Jack said, tapping his free hand lightly against Gabriel’s hip. “Your partner’s body. That reaction you just had? If I’m in your mouth and can’t stop myself from thrusting, I could hurt you. Keep your hand here, this’ll keep me from accidentally breaking your throat.”
Gabriel laughed, but the sound was close to a whimper.
“If I can wax poetic for a second, wetter is better,” Jack said, grinning up at him, and Gabriel laughed again, closing his eyes. He wasn’t sure how much more of this his body could stand. “But be aware of your breathing and swallowing so you don’t aspirate. I’ll tell you when I’m close, and whether or not I come in your mouth is your choice.” Gabriel opened his eyes to meet Jack’s stare. “Don’t feel like that’s something you have to be willing to do. It can be an acquired taste—and texture.”
“I didn’t—” Gabriel’s voice was hoarse, thick with desire, and he cleared his throat. “I didn’t like it but I didn’t really have much choice,” he said. Jack rubbed at his hip in a comforting gesture. “This is different,” Gabriel said. “I want…everything, with you.” He hadn’t meant to admit so much, and he was relieved to see Jack’s gentle smile.
“You’ll be able to decide in the moment,” Jack said softly. “And you can change your mind. If you spit it back at me after the fact, I promise not to be offended. As for the rest,” he said, dropping his gaze to his hand, “if it feels good to you, it’ll almost certainly feel good to me.” He ran the pad of his thumb over the head of Gabriel’s erection in demonstration, and Gabriel’s hips bucked in response.
“Jesus.”
Jack slipped his other hand between Gabriel’s legs, fingering gently beneath his heavy testicles. “But if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. Or concerns,” Jack added. “Do you have concerns, Gabe?”
“Only that I’m going to embarrass myself here in a few seconds,” Gabriel answered with a groan.
Jack chuckled. “Nah,” he said. “You’ve got a few minutes in you, trust me. But don’t be embarrassed if you finish faster than you plan. That just means I’m good at my job,” he said with another wink. “Or you’re super into me.”
Gabriel shifted his shoulders on the pillow, forcing his hands to relax on the sheet because his fingers were already sore. “Or both,” he said, holding Jack’s gaze.
“You can hold onto my hair if you want,” Jack said. “And unless you tell me to stop, you will be finishing in my mouth. So don’t feel like you need to hold back. Be careful you don’t let your feet cramp up because I’m definitely going to make your toes curl,” he added with a grin.
Gabriel started to laugh, but the sound was cut off abruptly when Jack ducked his head and took him into his mouth.
Gabriel tried to concentrate on what the other man was doing, tried to make mental notes for when their positions were reversed, but Jack quickly drove all rational thought from Gabriel’s mind. In just a couple of minutes, his whole body was trembling, and he was gripping Jack’s hair with one hand; he hadn’t meant to, hadn’t even been aware of snaking his fingers into Jack’s sweat-dampened locks.
Jack’s mouth was gentle but relentless.
“Jack,” Gabriel gasped, clutching the other man’s hair. “I—I’m—”
“Mmhmm,” Jack answered. His mouth tightened.
Gabriel’s hips bucked upward. He cried out—something he’d never done before—and then he was emptying himself in Jack’s throat. He felt Jack swallowing, and he shuddered, his hips twitching again. Jack continued to suck for a few moments longer before releasing him, and Gabriel sank into the mattress with a sound of relief, dropping his hands to his sides.
Jack pulled Gabriel’s underwear back into place and pushed himself up to look at the other man’s face. “Okay?”
Gabriel grabbed Jack’s head with a shaky hand, pulling his face down for a kiss. Jack laughed against his mouth. Gabriel was breathing heavily beneath him, and Jack settled his body against the other man’s, riding the rise and fall of his breaths.
“Your turn,” Gabriel said after a few seconds.
Jack smiled, running his fingers along Gabriel’s jaw. “Take your time to recover,” he murmured.
Gabriel pushed him up, rolling over on top of him, and shifted downward. His muscles felt a little trembly, but he was recovered enough. He positioned himself as Jack had instructed, wiggling a bit until the angle felt natural. He looked up at Jack’s face.
“Ready?” he asked.
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Jack’s lips curved into a smile. “I’m ready,” he said softly, watching as Gabriel drew his shorts down his thighs.
Gabriel looked up again. “Asombroso,” he murmured. Before Jack could answer, Gabriel took him in hand and lowered his head.
***
“You know how you said you’ve never lived alone?” Jack asked quietly. He was lying on his back with an arm beneath Gabriel’s head, and Gabriel was curled against his side with one knee over Jack’s thighs. They were covered in blankets up to their chests, wearing their underwear; the sweat had dried on their bodies, leaving them warm and comfortable. “I wanted to say, me too, but I was afraid to tell you too much. To open up so soon. I guess if I had, we might’ve figured out that you were my son’s teacher a little bit sooner,” he added with a small smile, running his fingers lightly up and down Gabriel’s back.
“If I’d known you had a teenage son, I might’ve put the pieces together. But then again, we could’ve met any time in the last few years. This is a pretty small town. I ran into Jeff a few times, in the grocery store, around town. But you? I’ve taught Alex since eighth grade and our paths never crossed.”
“Maybe there’s a reason for that,” Jack murmured, looking up at the ceiling. “Other than me being a negligent father,” he said. “I don’t know. Maybe we met when we needed to.” He sighed softly. “I’m not usually so…philosophical,” he said. “Look what your mouth does to me.”
Gabriel picked up the blanket and sheet, peeking beneath, and Jack laughed. Gabriel, grinning, dropped the blankets back into place and said, “You and Jeff met pretty young—you had Alex pretty young. I always assumed Jeff was his biological father because they looked so much alike, but now that I’ve met you, I see a lot of similarities to you. Maybe it’s just from growing up with you, mannerisms and stuff…”
“It’s sort of…complicated,” Jack said. “Jeff grew up rich, and his parents, they didn’t care about him being gay, they gave him everything, let him do anything, he was an only child and he had access to houses and cars and boats and tickets around the world, anything he wanted. But all he really wanted was a family. I’m not saying he didn’t party, because he tore it up for a while. But he wanted a family. We didn’t know if we’d ever be able to adopt, we didn’t know if we’d ever be able to get married. We talked about surrogacy, and he could afford it, but he wanted…we wanted…”
“You don’t have to talk about it,” Gabriel said quietly, tipping his head to look at Jack’s face.
“I’m not ready to talk about Jeff,” Jack said. “I’ll tell you everything, Gabe, if…you can just give me some time. It’s more than not ever having lived alone. I still have trouble sleeping at night without him beside me and even though our situations are different, I think you can understand that feeling. This, right here and now with you, this is a big step. And it means more than I can say. I understand if it’s not enough for you—”
“I’m a patient guy, Jack,” Gabriel interrupted softly. “And I’m willing to go as slowly as both of us need, because I think it’s important to see what could be. But if this doesn’t go any further, if you decide you’re not interested—”
“I don’t think that’ll happen.”
“—then that’s okay, too,” Gabriel said. “That night I met you, I wasn’t sure, but now I think I finally believe that it’ll be okay.”
“You deserve someone who can give you the world,” Jack said.
“You’ve already given me a world I didn’t know was possible,” Gabriel answered. “But enough of this sappiness and chatter. Let’s make out some more.”
“Make out?” Jack laughed.
“I think I’m getting the hang of it,” Gabriel said, grinning at him.
“You weren’t lying about being a quick study.”
Gabriel laughed, and said, “If and when the time comes that you’re ready for more, I’m looking forward to learning a lot of other tricks from you. But until then, we can work on what you’ve taught me so far.” He slid a hand onto Jack’s stomach beneath the blanket. “I think I can do a better job this time.”
“Oh, I think you did a very good job the first time,” Jack laughed. “And you didn’t seem at all squeamish.” He tipped his head to the side so he could better see Gabriel’s face. “How was it, though?” he asked, serious now. “You don’t have to—”
“Hmm, it might take some getting used to,” Gabriel said, sliding his hand lower. “Not my favorite thing in the world, to be honest, but not unbearable, and well worth it to hear you whimpering.”
“I don’t whimper,” Jack objected. A second later, as Gabriel’s fingers slipped further down, he made a choked sound. “Okay, maybe a whimper or two,” he allowed, earning himself a smirk and a gentle caress. “Gabe, I…” He hesitated, and Gabriel, sensing his seriousness, pulled his hand back and propped himself up on an elbow. “You called me ‘baby,’ once,” Jack said. He was uncomfortable, and he watched his own fingers playing over Gabriel’s shoulder for a few seconds.
“I’m sorry if—I mean, I’m not entirely sure what all I said or even in what language, if I made you uncomfortable—”
“It’s not—” Jack broke off and met Gabriel’s eyes, taking a breath. “You can call me literally anything you want, good or bad,” he said, managing a small smile. “Just…not that one, okay?”
“Okay,” Gabriel agreed, and he could sense Jack’s relief. Gabriel pushed himself up and kissed Jack’s lips, murmuring against his mouth, “How about Sugarlips?”
Jack laughed. “That’s you,” he said. “Sugarlips Santiago.”
Gabriel drew back and peered at him through narrowed eyes. “Fine, then since you stuck your tongue in my ear, you’re Wet Willie Windsor.”
Jack snorted. “You’d be amazed what I’m able—and willing—to do with my tongue,” he said.
Gabriel kissed him again, plunging his own tongue into Jack’s mouth. After a few seconds, Jack made an involuntary sound, clutching at Gabriel’s arms, and when Gabriel broke away from his mouth, Jack’s lips followed his, searching for more.
“I know some things,” Gabriel said, smirking again.
“Sugarlips doesn’t do you justice,” Jack muttered huskily. “Maybe…Magic Mouth, or something.”
Gabriel laughed, once more slipping his hand down Jack’s body. “Where were we? Oh yeah, we were going to see how much I’ve learned.”
“If you think you’re up for it,” Jack said with a smirk of his own.
“Put me in, coach.” Gabriel grinned. “I’m ready to play.”
***
When Jack woke in the morning, he was pressed against Gabriel’s back, wrapped around him, their naked skin stuck together beneath the blankets. He stayed that way for a minute, feeling the steady rhythm of Gabriel’s breaths, and his comforting warmth.
Everything about Gabriel was comforting. He was equal parts strength and softness, self-confidence and shyness, eagerness and patience. Jack kissed his shoulder, and Gabriel made a humming sound in his sleep. Jack smiled and kissed him again.
Gabriel stirred, unintentionally pressing himself into Jack, and Jack’s body immediately responded. Gabriel, half-awake, stilled in his arms. For a moment, neither of them moved or spoke.
Then Gabriel tipped his chin up to look over his shoulder at Jack and said, with his voice gravelly from sleep, “Good morning.”
Jack leaned forward to find Gabriel’s lips with his own, but he kept the kiss chaste. He was well-aware of the fact that he needed to brush his teeth. “Morning,” he murmured in response, settling back onto his pillow and loosening his arms around Gabriel.
Gabriel shifted forward and then rolled onto his back beside Jack, turning his head on the pillow to look at him. He searched Jack’s face, taking in the messy hair, the stubbled jaw, the bright eyes, and said, “I warned you what would happen if I woke up next to you looking like this.”
Jack’s lips tipped into a sleepy smile. He lifted a hand and gestured to
ward Gabriel’s face. “You didn’t warn me about this, though,” he said. “We might never get out of here.”
“I look old and tired in the morning,” Gabriel said.
Looking him over, Jack spoke softly: “No, that’s not what I’m seeing.” He reached out and smoothed his fingers over Gabriel’s forehead, and down his cheek to his gray stubble. “I don’t suppose you have an extra toothbrush?”
Gabriel smiled. “I barely have my toothbrush, but you can use it if you want. Although the concerns seem a little odd, considering?” he added, cocking an eyebrow.
Jack laughed, but grimaced as he said, “Maybe, but still. My tongue feels gross, there’s no way I’m sticking it in your mouth.”
Gabriel tipped his head back into the pillow, closing his eyes as he laughed. Jack pounced on the opportunity to lean over and kiss his exposed throat, sucking lightly at the stubble-roughened skin there. Gabriel hissed in a breath, lifting a hand to the back of Jack’s head.
Jack nipped at the hollow of Gabriel’s shoulder and then ran his tongue over the pink mark he’d made. “Sorry,” he murmured, his lips soft against Gabriel’s skin. “That one might last a little while.”
“Make as many marks as you want,” Gabriel said, holding Jack’s hair in a loose fist. He gasped as Jack sucked at the offended area, darkening it. “Suck your name into my skin, if you want,” he breathed, and Jack laughed, shifting down to flick his tongue over Gabriel’s nipple. “Jack,” he said, tugging gently at the other man’s hair. When Jack looked up at him, Gabriel grimaced and said, “While I really don’t want to ruin the mood, here, I do need to, uh…”
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