Clouds and Rain

get around much. It‟s a great help.”
    The lightning outside lit up the entire room for a split second, plunging them into darkness right after. Gable turned to face Flynn now that he felt protected by the dark.
    “Lots of thunderstorms and lightning in this area,” Flynn stated with a sigh.
    “The clouds get trapped here by the mountains,” Gable replied.
    “The horses aren‟t too crazy about the lightning and thunder, but they love the rain, because lots of rain means lots of nice soft grass to eat.
    And I don‟t mind the clouds and rain.”
    “I‟m sure you don‟t,” Flynn chuckled.
    “Oh?” Gable didn‟t have a clue what Flynn meant by that.
    “„Clouds and Rain‟ is a Chinese euphemism for sex. „The Bringer of Clouds and Rain‟ is a lady of the night, a prostitute,” Flynn lectured.
    “Clouds are thought to be the blending of the male and female, the sky and the earth, and the rain, the climax of the union. It comes from an old Chinese creation story in which heaven or sky, the Great Father, and earth, the Great Mother, are thought of as a conjugal couple engaged in never-ending intercourse.”
    “You know a lot about this?” Gable fished, hoping to keep Flynn talking so they wouldn‟t end up with their uncomfortable silences.
    “Sex?”
    Gable chuckled. “Chinese.”

    50

    Clouds and Rain

    Now it was Flynn‟s turn to smile. “Back in the city, I lived in Chinatown for a while and tried to study Chinese. I saw it as a way out, a way to get as far away from my father as I could, but it didn‟t work out that way. Although it was fascinating to read about, the culture isn‟t very open to someone like me, so I decided to stay here and study other stuff.”
    “Animal husbandry and cooking?” Gable suggested.
    “The cooking I already knew, and I perfected it on the road.
    Sometimes being a short-order cook pays better than being a farmhand or a supermarket grocery stacker.”
    “I‟m glad you decided to come work for me here,” Gable said softly. His eyes were slowly adjusting to the dark, but he was momentarily blinded by a flash of lightning when he felt Flynn‟s lips against his.
    “I‟m glad I came here too.”
    “I‟m….” Gable hesitated. “I‟m not very good at this… this….”
    “So you keep telling me.” Flynn cut him off. “I don‟t mind.” He moved closer to Gable and Gable could feel the heat radiating off Flynn‟s skin, yet their bodies barely touched. Only Flynn‟s hand lightly caressed Gable‟s jaw.
    Flynn kissed him again, the kiss light and non-intrusive. “We can get used to it together. Unless you want me to stop, and then you just have to tell me,” Flynn continued, paraphrasing the words Gable had used in the barn earlier.
    “Grant and I. We….” Gable didn‟t know how to tell Flynn or even if he wanted to tell Flynn about the nature of his relationship with Grant.

    FLYNN was relieved to hear that Gable was scared and unsure. Not that it was how he wanted Gable to feel, but it was nice to know they shared the feeling. It meant that, together, they could make it work.

    51

    Zahra Owens

    Hearing Gable talk about Grant felt good too. Gable never talked about himself, and even less about his past, but after Hunter‟s visit, Flynn had grown quite curious to learn about Gable‟s ex-lover.
    “Tell me about Grant?” Flynn asked softly.
    Gable shivered, as if he were cold.
    “I know,” Flynn suggested. “Why don‟t you turn around and I can keep you warm?”
    “You mean turn my back on you? While we‟re talking?” Flynn nodded. “Sometimes it‟s easier to talk that way.” Gable turned around quite hesitantly and Flynn gave him some time to get comfortable, knowing he would need to be careful of his leg. He put his hand on Gable‟s back and caressed his shoulder blade, then his shoulder.
    “Don‟t jump, okay?” Flynn asked gently before moving forward even more until he was spooning Gable. He placed his hand over Gable‟s stomach and pulled him closer to his chest, then felt Gable almost shiver with tension. “Relax, Gable. Nothing will happen unless you want it.”
    “I‟m not worried about your reactions; it‟s mine I might not be able to control,” Gable admitted, clearing his throat halfway through the sentence.
    Slowly Flynn moved his hand to Gable‟s stomach. Gable‟s T-shirt was still preventing Flynn‟s hand from making direct contact with Gable‟s skin, so their caress was intimate, but not too