When he was out in the world as a relatively normal person, it was a whole lot harder. Gabriel was so exactly Reid’s type that it almost hurt.
Obviously, he was straight, but that didn’t change much except Reid’s chances. Which were zero, because Gabriel was a patient.
Reid worked quietly on Gabriel’s other arm, mindful of the soft sighs and pained sounds he was making as he touched him. This was obviously helping, but it wasn’t a perfect solution.
“You do seem to have a little more muscle tone than last time,” Reid said as he finished up with Gabriel’s arm. “Lie down for me.”
Gabriel obeyed, groaning as he settled himself back.
“More muscle tone is good, right?”
“Right, yeah. That’s what we’re aiming at,” Reid said. “So you’re getting better already, like I promised you would.”
“I don’t feel better right now,” Gabriel responded, wriggling his toes as Reid started working on his legs. “I feel weak, sore, and stupid.”
“Two out of three of those will pass. And you're not stupid. Not really. Everyone screws up, and you're not gonna do it again, are you?”
“Oh hell no. I never want to experience this again,” Gabriel said.
“So you've learned from your mistakes,” Reid said. “Which means you're not stupid. Besides, stupid people don't build rockets.”
Gabriel clearly valued being seen as intelligent, so Reid was happy to reassure him that this wasn't about intelligence.
Besides, smart guys were hot. Reid was used to dealing with them, because he liked to be around them.
Gabriel was a pretty typical smart guy, aside from the space thing.
“You're very nice to me,” Gabriel said. “Aside from when you're teasing.”
“I tease because I like you,” Reid admitted. “Besides, you like it.”
“I do,” Gabriel admitted. “Most people don't know how to handle me. I guess I'm intimidating, but I don't really understand why.”
“You're not my first genius,” Reid said. “And you won't be my last.”
Not if he had any say in it, anyway. Things had been intense for a while, but he was stepping back his work hours now, looking for a balance. Considering how eager he was to be around Gabriel, it was probably time he started dating again. He was ready.
“I'm starting to think you know how to handle me because if you wanted to build rockets, you could,” Gabriel said. “They have standards in pre-law. Stricter standards than engineering, even. Your charming smile doesn't fool me.”
Reid couldn't stop himself from smiling at that. “I suck at math,” he said, which was true. He’d only ever been good enough at it to pass what he needed to, in contrast to most other subjects.
“Don’t tell anyone I said so, but it is possible to be very smart and still terrible at math.”
“I don’t think you admit that often, and I appreciate it,” Reid said. “How’s the pain?”
“Better,” Gabriel admitted, letting his head fall back onto the table. “You’re very good at this.”
“Thank you,” Reid said, blushing at the compliment. He knew he was good at his job, but it was still nice to hear.
Gabriel went quiet as Reid worked on the second leg, the occasional soft sound of discomfort escaping him. He’d recover, though. Once he learned his lesson about his body having limits, he’d be okay in no time.
“I’m gonna send you home with a magnesium supplement sample pack. You shouldn’t need them long-term, but they’re a good gentle muscle relaxant. Take one if you’re sore, and you’ll sleep like the dead.”
Gabriel sighed, wriggling his toes again. “Does that mean I can get dressed now?”
“Knock yourself out,” Reid said, stepping away to get the supplement pack as promised. He kept his eyes firmly on his desk, instead of on Gabriel as he pulled his clothes back on.
It was easy enough to be professional, but he didn’t need to make it harder on himself all the same.
Not that it was necessarily Gabriel’s body he was attracted to, though once he recovered, Reid could see that he’d look great naked.
But what Reid wanted was Gabriel’s mind, and his tiny, wry smiles, and the way he accepted Reid’s gentle teasing and gave as good as he got.
None of which mattered, because Gabriel was his patient. He just had to keep reminding himself of that.
“Do you need anything else?” Reid asked. He had other patients, but some small part of him didn’t want Gabriel to leave just yet.
He felt ridiculous for even entertaining that thought, but he couldn’t help it.
“I think I’m okay,” Gabriel said, shrugging his jacket back on and stuffing his hands in the pockets. “When do I come back?”
“I’d like to check in on you in two or three weeks, since aside from today you seem to be making progress. But if you have any questions or concerns before then, you’re always welcome here.”
“I’ll try not to break myself before then,” Gabriel said. “Thank you for everything.”
“No problem.” Reid smiled waving after him as he slipped out of the office and then closing Gabriel’s case file.
He’d be over his dumb crush in two or three weeks.
Chapter Seven
Gabriel moaned as soon as the hot spray of the shower hit his back, biting down on his lip as warmth flowed through him. He rested his forehead against the cool tiles, letting the heat and water pressure soothe sore, abused muscles.
Sometimes he hated that he was overpaying for his crappy apartment, but having great water pressure was worth any price right now. It was almost as good as getting a second massage.
Almost.
Nothing would have been quite as good as that, despite the fact that Gabriel hated himself a little for enjoying it as much as he had.
Reid’s hands had felt so good on him, strong and warm, his touch confident, his experience shining through. Every touch had been a new kind of bliss, Reid’s fingers working all the pain and frustration of the day out as though he was rearranging Gabriel at an atomic level, fixing everything that was wrong with him.
Every knot he’d worked out had sent sparks of pleasure through his body, pooling deep in his stomach.
For the second time this afternoon, arousal welled up in Gabriel’s gut, making it feel hot and tight. He bit his lip, moving his feet further apart for balance.
Gabriel had tried to tell himself that getting aroused while Reid touched him was just a combination of gratitude and relief, a reaction to being soothed after a long day of misery. Reid really knew what he was doing.
Any other embarrassing reactions were just… the result of not having had any human contact in a while. That was all, and he was fairly sure Reid hadn't noticed anything.
If he had, he’d been extremely professional about it. Gabriel appreciated that.
But now, thinking about Reid’s hands on him, his cock was stirring again. He was really glad Reid hadn’t noticed that the first time, and extra glad that his jeans were currently about a size too big. If they’d fitted properly, he would have been busted.
He wasn’t sure he could face that.
The thought of Reid noticing, catching him out, sent a dark shiver of arousal down Gabriel’s spine. He wouldn’t have actually wanted it to happen, but the possibility was still sticking in his mind, leading him down the path of imagining where it would have gone.
Maybe it was just the heat of the shower and the relief from being in pain all day. Not being in pain was one of the sexiest things Gabriel could imagine right now.
He’d feel better if he got off. Endorphins were the best painkiller available.
Gabriel trailed his hand down his stomach, closing his eyes and putting most of his weight on his free hand, leaning heavily against the tiles. He needed to relax.
He hadn't touched himself since before he’d left Earth. There was no masturbating on a space shuttle, and even if there was a way to do that without disaster, there wa
s no privacy.
When he’d gotten back, he hadn't been in the mood.
Not until now.
He didn’t want to think about why that was. Not too closely. He needed to have this, guilt and anxiety free.
He hissed as he wrapped his fingers around his oversensitive cock, already hard and eager. He moaned at the contact, closing his eyes tight as his cock pulsed in his hand, his thighs tensing up, the dull ache amplifying the sharp pleasure of touching himself. The sensitivity faded to comfortable levels after a moment, desperation falling a notch as Gabriel stroked himself, giving his body what it wanted.
He rarely listened to his body. He remembered Reid telling him he had to with a chuckle.
He was listening now, but he was fairly sure this wasn't what Reid meant.
Although, they did end up talking about sex a lot.
Gabriel was always the one who brought it up. He didn’t want to think too hard about that, either.
He’d been so sure it was just a stupid teenage phase. His hormones had been going nuts, and the kindest people in his life, the ones who’d taken him most seriously, had been older men.
It made sense that he got attached back then, but…
It was probably just that Reid kept touching him when no one else had in a long time. Gabriel’s sex-starved mind didn't bother to distinguish between one kind of touch and another.
Not when Reid had a firm grip on his thighs, not when his fingers were skimming along all his most sensitive places.
Not when he knelt in front of Gabriel, long eyelashes dark against his cheeks, soft lips moving temptingly as he talked, pink, clever tongue peeking out between his teeth.
Gabriel gasped as he realized that he was jerking himself off while he thought about Reid, but he was too deep into the fantasy to care.
It wasn’t as if Reid ever had to know. This was all happening in the privacy of Gabriel’s own shower.
Reid had been so close to him, close enough for Gabriel to feel his breath warming him, even through his clothes. Maybe he'd imagined that.
Either way, it was one hell of a turn on, and there was no point in fighting it. He was allowed to think about whatever he wanted while he masturbated.
What he wanted just happened to be Reid’s soft, delicate lips wrapped around his cock. He had to know what he was doing. Reid was a beautiful man—even Gabriel was aware of that—and so warm and generous that he had to know how to take care of a partner.
Gabriel imagined running his fingers through Reid’s short hair, letting them tangle in it, stroking circles into his scalp and staring into his pretty green eyes while Reid sucked on his cock.
He could imagine the perfect warmth and pressure of Reid’s mouth, the way he’d use his tongue to tease Gabriel’s cock as ruthlessly as he teased the rest of him during their appointments.
Gabriel bit down on his lip, the imagined sound of Reid moaning around him filling his mind. His mouth was so pretty, so perfect, everything Gabriel wanted and more.
His breathing sped up, his heart pounding in his chest as he stroked himself, faster and harder. Gabriel paused for a half second to spit on his hand, precome not enough to slick the way, not when he needed this so badly.
He hadn't come in over a month, and he could feel the pressure building inside him. The need to come was almost overwhelming, frustration welling up in his chest as nothing he did was quite enough to tip him over the edge.
Gabriel dove back into his mind, into the fantasy of having his cock sucked by the most beautiful man he’d ever seen. Reid’s hair was so soft, and his mouth was so warm, and the tiny, needy sounds Gabriel just knew he’d make as he swirled his tongue around the head of Gabriel’s cock were so good.
All of it felt so good, so perfect. He was going to come in Reid’s mouth, all over his pretty pink tongue and soft lips. The image went on forever, Gabriel’s head spinning as he gripped his cock harder, squeezed it tight, jerked it hard and fast, desperate to come now.
His guts twisted with arousal, need, urgency as he sped toward the edge, his heart pounding in his ears, the deafening rush of blood drowning out everything except the version of Reid in his mind telling him to come for him.
Gabriel groaned, a sound that started in the pit of his stomach and ripped its way up through his chest, his cock pulsing in his hand as his orgasm finally hit, forcing him to lean all of his weight against the tiles in front of him.
His head spun as he felt himself spill all over his hand for what felt like an eternity, the intensity of it making the base of his skull pound, his heartbeat deafening in his ears.
He moaned as he stroked himself through it, his cock getting oversensitive before he was done, his balls aching from the force of coming for the first time after so long.
Tears pricked at his eyes over how damned good it felt, how badly he’d needed it.
Whimpering, Gabriel let his hand fall away, rocking his hips slowly into the air in front of him as he rode out the aftershocks, his already sore and abused muscles screaming at him for standing in one place for too long.
He stepped under the spray of the shower, wiping himself clean before shutting off the water and stepping out.
Gabriel barely took the time to towel himself off before crossing to his bed and collapsing on it, absolutely spent.
It was only through sheer willpower and post-orgasm endorphins that he hadn't collapsed on the shower floor. He’d never felt so wrung out in his life.
He’d just come thinking about Reid’s mouth.
That was… unexpected. Something he hadn’t done—hadn’t allowed himself to do—since he was still a teenager.
It was just because it was the most human contact he’d had in a long time. Gabriel was smart enough to know that he was lonely, affection-starved, and clinging to someone who was being nice to him.
Besides, he’d just been through a life-altering event. It was okay if his brain wasn't entirely back to normal yet.
Reid never had to know.
Chapter Eight
“So, uh… can I get you to check when Gabriel Vaughn’s next appointment is?” Reid asked, hoping Carrie—the receptionist—wouldn’t ask him why he wanted to know.
“I think he had to push it back another few days. Hold on,” Carrie said, tapping away at her keyboard.
So far, so good.
Reid had checked his notes earlier, and it had been three weeks to the day since Gabriel’s last appointment. He seemed like a punctual kind of guy, so that felt a little weird.
He was just worried that something had happened to him. That was all.
He definitely didn’t miss him.
“Looks like he’s coming in Thursday, right after lunch. Do you need me to get in touch with him?”
Reid shook his head. “No, I was just… wondering,” he finished, knowing he was giving himself away.
Carrie’s immediate smile confirmed it. “Someone’s got a little crush on the cute astronaut,” she said.
Reid blushed all the way down his neck. “He says he’s not an astronaut.”
“But you do have a crush on him. And you didn’t deny that he’s cute.” Carrie grinned. “I get it, he’s got that kinda… adorable nerd who’s probably into the weird stuff vibe.”
“I don’t think you’re supposed to talk about a patient like that,” Reid said, although he was aware that he was throwing stones in a glass house.
He hadn’t considered whether or not Gabriel was into anything weird. He did remember that conversation they’d had about sex, though.
And the obvious lack thereof that Gabriel was having.
Which, honestly, made two of them. Reid might have entertained a fleeting fantasy about helping him out, making sure he was comfortable and still managed to get off, even if he didn’t have a lot of energy.
It had just been a thought.
A thought he’d jerked off to and then felt guilty about after.
Gabriel was quickly becoming a problem, but he wasn’t a
problem Reid wanted to get rid of just yet. Especially since he was still in recovery.
“Says the guy with a huge crush on one of his own patients,” Carried pointed out.
Reid couldn’t argue with that. He couldn’t take the moral high ground, here.
“I guess it’s fine if I never act on it?” Reid tried. “I mean, I can’t help being attracted to people. That’s kinda built in.”
“Hey, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with it.” Carrie shrugged, wheeling her chair away from her desk and standing. Reid was keeping her back, and he didn’t want to do that.
“I know it’s unprofessional,” Reid said.
“It’s not unprofessional to have feelings,” Carrie said. “It’s normal, and it’s what makes you good at your job. Quit beating yourself up about it.”
Reid laughed at that, looking down at his feet for a moment. “I knew there was a reason I hired you.”
“I’m an enabler,” Carrie agreed. “For the record, I don’t think you should do anything while he’s still a patient. But… he won’t always be a patient.”
“You are an enabler.” Reid smiled. “I’ll get over it. It’s dumb, and he’s straight anyway.”
“So’s spaghetti.”
Reid raised an eyebrow. “I’m pretty sure I’m not supposed to boil my patients.”
“How should I know? I’m just a receptionist,” Carrie said, throwing her coat over her shoulders and grabbing her purse.
“You’re not just anything. You’re a lifesaver and the reason I’m still in business.”
“Well, if you’re not calling dibs on the cute astronaut, I’m taking him out for a spin,” she said, heading for the door.
“I’m calling dibs,” Reid responded automatically, cursing himself as he heard Carrie laughing on her way out. “And he’s a rocket scientist,” he added, figuring that he couldn’t really pretend not to care anymore.
He’d been telling himself he’d get over it for a while now, and he really did have to.
Maybe not straight away, though. Maybe he could enjoy Gabriel’s company and leave it at that.
It was unprofessional, but how the hell else was he supposed to meet cute rocket scientists?
The Boyfriend Experiment Page 4