Clouds and Rain

fucked by him.
    Gable closed his eyes and took a deep breath at the same time that Flynn entered the bathroom again. Startled, Gable grabbed the discarded towel and covered his groin with it. His hopes that he‟d been quick enough to hide his bulge were dashed by Flynn‟s expression, which was a mix of surprise and unease. For a moment it looked like Flynn was going to say something, but then he didn‟t, and Gable was glad of that. The situation was awkward enough as it was.
    “You‟re still wearing wet clothes,” Flynn noticed. “Why don‟t I help you out of them and into the dry ones?” Gable quickly shook his head. “I‟m fine. I‟m used to doing this alone, I‟m sure I can manage.”
    “I know you can,” Flynn replied calmly. “But the thing is, you don‟t need to manage. It‟s not a crime to ask for help, Gable. I‟m here if you need me.”
    Gable didn‟t want to grow dependent on Flynn. He‟d managed all this time on his own and he‟d manage again when Flynn left. “I know, but I need to do this alone,” he eventually murmured.

    45

    Zahra Owens

    Flynn nodded and reluctantly left him. As soon as he‟d closed the door behind him, Gable felt abandoned. Yes, he‟d told Flynn to leave, but if he was honest with himself, he wanted Flynn to take care of him.
    He just felt that he couldn‟t afford to.
    Suddenly a violent shiver wracked his frame and he was reminded that the wet clothes were chilling him rapidly. Gable shook his head and decided to change his clothes before redressing his foot, hoping it would help him get warm. Getting up from where he was sitting and walking the two steps to the medicine cabinet behind the bathroom mirror made the pain shoot through his foot again, and Gable cursed his own stubbornness. He gritted his teeth and persevered, leaning on the bathroom sink so he wouldn‟t need to put a lot of weight on his injured leg. As he opened the cabinet to take out everything he needed to redress his foot, he noticed the condoms hidden behind his spare can of shaving cream. It was at that moment he realized that what had happened in the barn was far from safe sex. Flynn had fucked him without a condom and he could only hope that this wouldn‟t result in any unpleasantness. Gable tried to shake the unease, both at feeling scared that they could have passed something on to one another and at knowing he‟d need to bring it up with Flynn. Damn, he wasn‟t very good at these types of conversations.
    Dressed in the clothes Flynn had brought him and with his foot carefully bandaged again, Gable limped toward his bedroom. When he opened the door, he noticed his bed was made, the blanket and top sheet neatly folded back so he could step into it. He sighed. Flynn‟s urge to take care of him was both a blessing and a curse. Gable had to admit it felt good. In the few relationships he‟d had that went beyond one-night stands, he had always been the carer, the one who provided for his lover, never the other way around. Yet Flynn didn‟t seem to be able to help himself, and if anything, it was refreshing.
    As Gable sat down on the bed, he opened his nightstand drawer and was relieved to see the contents undisturbed. At least Flynn wasn‟t a snoop. It would have unsettled Gable more if Flynn had poked around in his private places and found God knows what embarrassing items.
    Still cold, Gable crawled under the covers and picked up his book, hoping he‟d feel warmer soon. He hadn‟t been reading long when a shy 46

    Clouds and Rain

    knock on the door made him look up. Before he could answer a more insistent one followed.
    “Flynn?”
    The door opened and Flynn walked in, carrying a tray, so Gable sat up, momentarily wondering if he should get out of bed. Flynn didn‟t give him time, though, as he walked to the unslept-in side and sat down, putting the tray between them.
    “I didn‟t have time to cook today.” A shy and slightly wicked smile spread around Flynn‟s mouth. “But there was soup left over from yesterday and that‟s sure to warm us up, so I thought I‟d bring some up to you.”
    “I don‟t deserve you,” Gable said under his breath, not looking at Flynn, who was sitting on his bed, fully clothed.
    “Sure you do,” Flynn answered with the same teasing smile. He handed Gable a steaming bowl of vegetable soup and a spoon, which Gable immediately put down again in favor of a chunk of bread he could dip into the liquid.
    “Maybe you should explain to me