Clouds and Rain

why I deserve a really great horse wrangler and an exceptional cook when I haven‟t even paid you for what you‟ve done around this place,” Gable asked while he tried to get the dripping bread into his mouth without embarrassing himself.
    “Because you put up with me?” Flynn tried, spooning some soup into his mouth and almost burning his tongue.
    “Nothing to put up with,” Gable shrugged. Part of him was afraid to open up to Flynn, but then, so much had happened between them today. Gable didn‟t want him to leave too soon. “I like having you around.”
    Flynn nodded as he continued eating his soup, letting an uncomfortable silence fall between them. Gable wished they were outside on the porch again. There, it seemed, they could just sit together and enjoy each other‟s company without the need for conversation.
    Eventually, Flynn got up and put their empty bowls back on the tray. He seemed reluctant to leave, but there wasn‟t much else to do.
    Just before he lifted the tray from the bed, Gable covered Flynn‟s hand with his own.

    47

    Zahra Owens

    “Are you still hungry? I can make some hot cheese sandwiches if you like. Until Calley comes with groceries tomorrow, there‟s not much else left, I‟m afraid.”
    “I‟m fine. The soup was great.” Gable hesitated. Could he just blatantly ask Flynn to sleep with him tonight? Lord knows he wanted to. He wanted to feel that warm body close to him again. “Will you come back again when you‟re done downstairs?” Gable asked hesitantly, annoyed by his creaking voice. “I mean, in here,” he added to clarify. He wanted to add “if you want to” but he was too afraid Flynn wouldn‟t want to, so he left it unsaid.
    Flynn smiled a little and nodded. “Okay, I won‟t be long.” As Gable watched Flynn leave his bedroom, he realized he‟d never been this nervous in his life. When he heard a muffled “ Yes! ” outside on the landing, he couldn‟t help but chuckle. And his chuckle soon turned into an uncontrollable giggle.

    48

    Clouds and Rain

    Chapter 8

    GABLE stopped himself from fidgeting. Christ, it felt like he was going to lose his virginity all over again. Then again, he wasn‟t used to waiting for a lover to come upstairs, to lie next to him in his bed. He could make himself stop fidgeting, but he couldn‟t stop his heart from racing a mile a minute. Flynn took forever to come back upstairs. Gable wondered if he‟d changed his mind and was now in the kitchen, biding his time until Gable fell asleep. No, that couldn‟t be. Flynn would come and then…. Gable didn‟t know what was going to happen then. This was almost as bad as the first time he‟d really had sex, the first time he‟d gone further than just fooling around and copping a feel. Only this time it wasn‟t just some random guy; this time it was Flynn, and he‟d developed feelings for him he had never felt before. Was this what falling in love was all about?
    Gable heard a knock on the door and looked up. “Come in,” he said almost immediately, his anticipation for what was going to happen cranked up some more.
    Flynn peeked in and then opened the door further before stepping inside and carefully closing it, as if there was a reason to be quiet. For a moment he simply stood at the door, looking at Gable, but then he retraced his earlier steps and walked around the bed to the opposite side from where Gable was.
    “Okay if I crawl under the covers?” Flynn asked a little hesitantly.
    “Yeah, it‟s cold,” Gable nodded, noticing the goose bumps on Flynn‟s arms now he had changed into a T-shirt and boxers. “By all means.” The book Gable was reading lay facedown over his chest, and he held onto it as if it was a shield. Suddenly he realized how silly it looked, so he put it on his nightstand.

    49

    Zahra Owens

    Flynn had crawled under the covers, making himself comfortable on his side, facing Gable, and he seemed a lot less nervous than Gable was. Somehow this calmed Gable down. Maybe he should just let Flynn take the lead. Feeling Flynn‟s eyes on him didn‟t help, though.
    “How about I turn off the light?” Gable suggested nervously.
    “I‟ll do it,” Flynn offered, throwing the covers back.
    “No. No need to get out of bed,” Gable said, stopping Flynn with his hand. He reached up for a long cord hanging down over the headboard and pulled it, making the room go dark.
    “Nice gizmo,” Flynn chuckled.
    “Bill installed it when I couldn‟t