“Honey, I’m home!”

Classical music was playing in the kitchen, a little too loud. Orion laughed under his breath. Gabriel seemed to like that stuff, and it was cute.

He grinned and took a deep breath to repeat himself, but louder. Then, the mouthwatering smell made him forget what he was about to say. Whoa. Is that his doing?

Gabriel finally popped his head out of the kitchen. “Oh, good. Supper is still warm. Hey,” he grinned. Orion couldn’t help noticing that he looked good. The stress lines along his face and tension in his shoulders had vanished.

Orion had half-expected him to be a wreck, waiting for Orion to finish up tonight’s chores so they could drive over and take care of the rest of his belongings and his car.

Instead, he was… well… perky?

Orion shook his head slightly. “Hey. Uh, you cooked?”

“Of course. Saves me sitting around wringing my hands,” Gabriel said with a chuckle. “Besides, your kitchen is awesome.”

Orion wanted to correct that to “our kitchen” now that Gabriel was staying with him, but it seemed like a reminder of what they were about to go and do. He smiled instead and walked over to Gabriel for a quick hug. “Thank you. I could get used to that.”

Gabriel pulled away after a brief, tight squeeze. “Don’t thank me ’til you’ve tried it.”

“Oh, you did just fine last time you said that.”

Orion tried to ignore the ache in his chest at the lost contact. It was just one hug. Was he growing that attached to Gabriel that he needed to cuddle? Goddamn it, this man was throwing him headlong into new experiences.

“Why, thank you. Compliments to the chef accepted.” Gabriel winked and waved him to the table, which was already set. Before Orion could even grab a beer, Gabriel handed him one.

“I should be spoiling you,” Orion protested and laughed.

“I don’t have a lot of talents in a relationship. I’m making the kitchen department mine,” Gabriel said firmly.

“And the bedroom.” Orion’s cheeks were hot, his chest tight with a strange mix of anxiety and hope at the word relationship.

“Even more compliments.” Gabriel pretended to fan his cheeks with the oven mitts. “My ego… it grows.”

This unreserved, playful side of Gabriel made Orion happy to the bone. Just watching him sashay around the kitchen, joking and flirting the whole time, lifted Orion’s spirits sky-high.

Even over supper, Gabriel’s mood seemed high, and Orion didn’t breathe a word about Chad or their evening plans. No way was he deflating that balloon.

“So, I have a project for you. Or should I say, a collaboration,” Gabriel told him when they were nearly done their dinner—all of it tasty, just as Orion had predicted. Even roast and mashed potatoes with greens and creamed corn was no trouble for Gabriel. Orion was starting to suspect him of numerous hidden talents.

Orion hummed. “You’re breaking the news alongside delicious food. I’m suspicious.”

“With Cora’s blessing.”

“Which means her marching orders,” Orion laughed. “Okay, shoot.”

“Landscaping, with my help. And directions. That means I’m in charge, doesn’t it? I’ll be a forgiving and lenient boss,” Gabriel teased.

Orion laughed. This attitude of Gabriel’s was almost like the way he interacted at his market stall. Maybe it wasn’t a show after all, and his shy demeanor had been. Or maybe he was using this attitude to maintain his defenses until he was truly clear of that shitty living situation. Either way, he liked seeing Gabriel looking happier. “I’ll be a very good employee. Or a bad one, if you prefer,” he growled playfully in return.

“Oh, yes, please,” Gabriel smirked. Then, he shook his head with a laugh. “Hold on. Before I drag you to bed, the project.” He rose and beckoned Orion out of the kitchen.

“Right. Go ahead.” Orion resisted the urge to tell Gabriel he’d be good for now, but he couldn’t quite resist a glance at Gabriel’s cute little ass leading him on to the living room.

His appetite—for Gabriel and supper—had distracted him from looking around the living room when he’d headed through it. Now, he noticed the sketchbooks and books spread across the coffee table.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t seen them before. Gabriel always seemed to have pencils in his hand, so Orion had assumed he was sketching some kind of art. He’d never dream of invading Gabriel’s privacy by asking to see his work.

Gabriel gestured for him to sit down, and he noticed the titles of the books. Just like the shelves at his home, they were books on plants.

Orion put two and two together, but he waited for Gabriel to speak.

“So, Cora wanted her yard redone. I… design landscapes, as a hobby.” He wasn’t meeting Orion’s eyes, and his cheeks had bright red spots of color. “Uh. Kind of my own fantasy worlds. All kinds of gardens and stuff.”

“That’s really cool,” Orion said, and he meant it. He wasn’t sure he could draw a straight line or circle without a ruler or glass. The imagination required to visualize a flat design, let alone translate it to paper? It was impressive to a guy who spent his days watching people.

“Really? I was nervous to show you, in case you thought… I don’t know. It seemed geeky,” Gabriel said with a sheepish smile.

“I don’t know. I’m growing more concerned, though.” Orion gave Gabriel a mock-serious look. “If you keep pulling talents out of your sleeve, I’m going to have to up my personal development game.”

Gabriel’s laugh released the tense lines of his body again, and he was back to himself, beaming as he flipped open the book.

Orion could barely keep track of what the symbols tucked into squares of the grid paper meant, but the silhouetted sketches of plants did catch his eye. Top-down was too hard to visualize, but the cross-sections were easy. Some pages were collections of sketches that gave him a hint of Gabriel’s imagination.

There were hidden gardens tucked behind old, crumbling stone walls. Fairytale cottage front yards with rambling paths. Clean, minimalist backyards with cactus gardens. Terraced gardens with water features.

Just watching Gabriel’s face as he explained the gardens Orion couldn’t understand from the graph paper full of scrawled numbers and plant names, Orion’s heart felt full enough to burst.

He’s happy, and… I’d do anything to keep him that way. He was smiling so much his cheeks hurt.

“So, um. I’m trying to make this a career,” Gabriel finally said, giving him a nervous glance. “Do you think I have a chance?”

“Baby, you’re gonna go far.” The words spilled out before Orion could stop them, and he reached out to pull Gabriel against him for a tight hug.

If only Gabriel could see himself the way Orion saw him, he’d believe in himself.

Gabriel’s hug was just as tight. He nestled into Orion, tucking his chin against his shoulder and nuzzling him gently. “You think?” he murmured, his voice breathy in Orion’s ear.

“I know it.” Orion rubbed Gabriel’s back slowly. “Just hearing you talk… I didn’t understand a word of that, but you could talk about it all day and I’d be interested. You love it. You know your shit.”

“And I don’t have much other choice,” Gabriel admitted, pulling back from the hug. Their thighs still touched, and Orion kept an arm around his shoulder. “I need a real job. I love the farm stand—I really do—but once I move…”

“Of course. You can’t exactly find another farm in Houston to continue your burgeoning career,” Orion said and smiled. “This sounds like a great idea. So… Gramma’s yard is practice?”

“Bingo. She said she’d hire me to do it, and we’ll work together since you wanted to do it up for her anyway.”

“Perfect.” Orion shook his head. “I didn’t have any real ideas yet. But the land on that side of the house is barely used. The farm’s all on the other side. I want something for her—something to keep her busy, you know? But a place she can relax instead of having to do upkeep all the time.”

“Right. After I get the rest of my books from home… I mean, from Art’s place…” Gabriel swiped a hand over his face as if clearing the negative thoughts and cleared his throat. “After that, I’ll start coming up with ideas. I’ll need to get a copy of the land survey and property lines.”

“I can get that for you,” Orion promised. “In fact, if you don’t want to go back to Art’s place… I can get all that for you, too.”

Gabriel shook his head. “It’ll go faster with two people. And I’m not running away. I mean, I’ll have to face them both sometime in this goddamn town. I’m not hiding.”

“I get it.” Orion rubbed his shoulder gently. “Just do me one favor, hm? I’ll keep the cops on speed-dial. If I call them, don’t try to argue with me. I won’t do it unless we’re in danger.”

Gabriel’s face clouded over, and Orion understood. It was hard to contemplate turning in your own relatives or ex-partners, but it was also hard to judge the risk in a situation when you were personally involved.

Then, Gabriel nodded slowly. “I get it. I appreciate your expertise. You’re deferring to mine in,” he gestured at the papers, “all this. I’ll defer to yours. If I’d listened to you…” he trailed off and sighed.

“No sense regretting anything,” Orion said simply.

Gabriel’s hand ran down Orion’s back slowly. “I don’t regret this. I can already tell. Thank you for taking the chance on me.”

Orion squeezed Gabriel’s thigh lightly, trying to ignore the sensual slide of Gabriel’s palm against his lower back. “I can tell, too. You’re happy today. I’m just glad you trusted me enough to take the chance on me, too.”

Gabriel smiled, his other hand slowly running along Orion’s thigh and playing with the few stray threads in his jeans. Orion was finally breaking them in with hard work around the place. “I think I’m getting more out of the deal.”

“No,” Orion said bluntly. “I am. I’m still hiding this from everyone, you know? And you can’t tell me it’s just an experiment anymore.”

Gabriel hesitated. His hands stopped for a few moments, and then he rested his cheek on Orion’s shoulder, leaning into him. “It’s not,” he murmured. “I don’t want it to be, anyway. But we can’t change things.”

“We damn well can.” Orion gripped Gabriel’s hand. “That’s what I’m trying to show you. We can change whatever we want. If this is a relationship, then we can work with that.”

Gabriel pulled back, and they looked one another in the eye. They didn’t say a word, but Orion could read the hopeful expression without needing words. Orion leaned in to press a long kiss against Gabriel’s lips, then pulled back.

It’s in his hands now.

Finally, Gabriel smiled slightly, his expression becoming sad. “I wouldn’t turn down more of a label, but the distance. When you leave town, you know?”

It wouldn’t be fair to tell Gabriel that he was thinking of staying until he knew he could do it, but Orion ached to do so. He shook his head slightly. “Until you leave, too. Which you want to do as soon as possible. It’s not like the distance is a permanent situation. It might never happen, or it might be brief. Right?”

“Right,” Gabriel had to agree. He chuckled slightly. “That’s sounding awfully committed to this.”

Orion drew a breath and let it out, then nodded. “It is. I know long-distance would be hard, even briefly, and my living situation is unpredictable with my current job, but… those things can change. I care a lot about you.”

“I’ve gathered,” Gabriel whispered after a few moments, his gaze flickering down. There was the shy Gabriel again.

He doesn’t feel like he deserves it, Orion surmised. Or he’s guilty, or… resisting this somehow. Maybe wondering when a good thing will end. Gabriel wasn’t a hundred percent committed yet, but Orion was confident that would change.

He’d been waiting this long, and so far, he’d coaxed so much out of Gabriel: friendship, trust, the first blossom of romance. Gabriel wasn’t just a sexual experiment, and Orion never wanted him to think that he was.

After turning him down the first time, Orion was determined never to do that again. He never made the same mistake twice.

“You deserve it,” Orion said simply, cupping Gabriel’s cheek and tipping his head up. He leaned in for another kiss. This time, Gabriel met him halfway, leaning in toward him.

Their lips were soft and warm together, Gabriel’s hands tightening where they gripped Orion’s hip and shoulder.

They kissed for what felt like endless minutes, taking their time to explore one another’s bodies. Tongues ran across lips, teeth gently clicked, and they shared laughter at the awkward moments just as much as lust at the sexy ones.

It didn’t surprise Orion one bit when Gabriel shifted until he straddled his lap, and he leaned back for a good look, grinning his appreciation. “Sexy.”

Gabriel looked majestic straddling his lap, his hands running up Orion’s stomach and chest to his shoulders. “So’s my ride.”

“Oh,” Orion laughed. “I’ll give you a ride any day.” He slapped that sexy little ass and was rewarded with a moan, so he did it once more, then fumbled at the button of Gabriel’s jeans.

Gabriel laughed and pushed Orion’s hands away, taking over the job when he got too distracted palming the hard cock to focus on the fabric in the way. “All you had to do was ask.”

“That buttonhole needs enlarging,” Orion grumbled.

“My butthole sure does. Your cock should do the trick.” Gabriel grinned wickedly as he pulled his jeans down to his thighs, then kicked them off.

Orion’s cheeks flushed as he stared up at Gabriel. “Would you—I mean…”

“I want to fuck,” Gabriel told him simply, squeezing Orion’s shoulders again. “If you’d rather, we could do intercrural again…” He interpreted the confused expression and added, “Between the thighs.”

“Oh, that was hot,” Orion whispered, trying not to get distracted by the memory. Gabriel was rubbing his cock through his jeans now, though, and Orion lost his train of thought. “Huh? Oh. Sex. Yes.”

Gabriel popped the button and slid down the zipper. “You have lube around?”

“Upstairs. My room. Up?” Orion worked on making that into a sentence.

Gabriel saved him the trouble and stood up, cheekily flicking the zipper. “Hurry up, then.”

“I’ll hurry,” Orion growled and lunged to grab Gabriel around the waist.

Gabriel squeaked with surprise and danced out of reach toward the stairs. “You’re fast!”

Aside from it being his job, Orion always had been. “When I see something I like, I jump on it.” Orion tried for another grab, but Gabriel was already on the bottom stair.

“Come and get it, then.” Gabriel’s grin was broad and teasing. God, Gabriel was his match in every way.

Orion pushed aside the sentimental moment and chased Gabriel upstairs, playfully smacking his ass when he overtook him on the top step. “And my stamina is hard-earned.”

Gabriel gasped and moaned when Orion grabbed him around the waist and pulled him into his front, grinding hard against that cute little ass before he manhandled Gabriel into the bedroom.

Gabriel sank onto the bed and yanked the rest of his clothes off. “Naked, please.”

The adorable request made Orion laugh. He shimmied out of the rest of his clothes without hesitation, his cock standing tall and hard against his stomach by the time he was naked.

He was so turned on, almost without trying. Once again, it just felt right. When he slid over Gabriel, grinding their cocks together again the way Gabriel had shown him, it felt even better than right.

It was goddamn heaven. He would do anything to get to feel it every day. Maybe every few days, on busy weeks. Cuddling could suffice for those weeks. Orion grinned to himself at how far he’d come—from avoiding even the thought of dates to wanting to hold Gabriel all night.

“Hm?” Gabriel murmured.

Orion snapped back to attention and chuckled, wrapping a hand around their cocks. “Nothing. I was just… thinking how much I like this.”

“Good.” Gabriel grinned, his back arching as he thrust into Orion’s fist. “Come on. Let me get on top.”

“In a minute.” Orion loved that slide of hard skin on skin, the bump and ridge of the cock head against his own. He wasn’t sure he could ever give that up, too. It was so damn good.

“Unless you wanna make me come like this, because frot’s pretty damn good,” Gabriel giggled. “It’s my oasis sex act.”

Orion laughed richly at the way Gabriel put it. “Your… what?”

“Like one of those desert island thought-provoking questions. If I’m in a dry spell, I crave it first, like water.”

Orion snorted with laughter. “Nothing more disappointing than a frot mirage.”

“Especially when you wake up right as it’s getting good,” Gabriel sighed mournfully. “And you don’t have a gorgeous dick to tease awake to play with yours…”

Orion hummed, sliding off Gabriel to roll onto his back at last. “People have called me worse.”

It was Gabriel’s turn to laugh loudly. “No! You’re not—I’m not—oh, you know I wasn’t,” he scolded, flicking Orion’s nipple as he straddled him.

Orion laughed. “I just like seeing you get flustered.” He winked. “It’s maybe my third-favorite expression.”

“What are…” Gabriel trailed off, his brows furrowing.

Orion ran his hands slowly down Gabriel’s sides to his hips, rubbing his hipbones gently with his thumbs. “The way you laugh,” he answered. “And the way you look when you come.”

A blush flushed the skin deep pink from Gabriel’s neck clear up to his cheeks, rolling like a tide across his skin. “Ah. I. Um. Lube?”

Orion grinned and cupped his cheek for a moment, then relented. “Bedside drawer.”

Gabriel leaned over to fumble around and grab it. By the time he straightened up, the blush had mostly cleared and he looked ready for business again. “These condoms?” He had a couple in his hand.

“Yeah. Though, uh, I haven’t… well. It’s been a long drought before you,” Orion admitted. “And I got tested sometime that year.”

Gabriel nodded. “I haven’t been since the week after the breakup. We probably should’ve used condoms for blowjobs, huh? Chad said he hasn’t been with anyone else, but I find myself not trusting him now.”

Orion winced sympathetically and rubbed his thigh. “No regrets. I love seeing my hard work all over your tongue.”

“I think the hard work was mine there,” Gabriel smirked. “I’ll go to the clinic again when I have my car back.”

Orion grabbed a condom and rolled it on. “You definitely did the hard work. And I’m about to let you ride me, too. I feel so lazy.”

“Try catching me just lying around while you do it all.” Gabriel snorted. “That’d be boring.”

“I didn’t expect you to be such a spitfire,” Orion admitted. He grinned at Gabriel, watching Gabriel spread his knees on the bed and slide two fingers into himself, leaning forward onto his other hand. That gave him a good chance to lean up and kiss Gabriel.

Gabriel moaned into his mouth at whatever he was doing to himself. Orion gently tugged him down so their cocks were trapped between their bodies again, and Gabriel let him rock their bodies together. Gabriel’s cock twitched against Orion’s.

“I’m gonna love fucking you,” Orion whispered. “I can already tell.”

Gabriel smirked, swaying as he replaced his fingers with the tip of Orion’s cock against his hole. “You haven’t been wrong yet.”

“Neither have you, when you’ve shown me something new. Oh!” Orion groaned as the sudden ring of tightness squeezed him from tip to base. Slowly, inch by inch, Gabriel took him in.

The heat and slick tightness enveloping him was like nothing else. And, unlike the last few times he’d tried sex, there was no problem staying hard. This time, his only problem was trying not to come on the spot.

It was so damn hot watching Gabriel straighten up and sink down onto him, his expression taut with pleasure. Orion stayed carefully still to let Gabriel take it at his pace, his fingers curling into the bedspread.

“Good?” Gabriel whispered, his eyes flickering open to find Orion’s gaze and hold it. He rocked his body up and down, putting his thigh muscles to good use.

Watching his own cock disappearing into that sexy little ass while Gabriel’s expression was fixed on his own made Orion self-conscious for a second. He rubbed his face, then gripped Gabriel’s hips as he nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, it’s… it’s. Well. Wow.”

With his approval, Gabriel was off to the races, his pace picking up. His nails dug into Orion’s shoulders as he enveloped him with each quick, hard thrust of his body. “Good. ’Cause I love… fucking you,” Gabriel breathed out, his expression hazy.

Before today, Orion would have said that whoever was the top did the fucking, but there was no question that Gabriel was in charge right now. Gabriel was undoubtedly fucking him, and Orion loved it. He was happy to let Gabriel fuck him from the bottom any day. Or would that be on top of him? Whatever the word, he wanted more of it.

“You’re so good,” Orion moaned, his head rolling back against the pillow when his body tightened in pleasure. His balls were tighter, his toes curling into the sheets. He burned with the need to kiss Gabriel.

As if reading his mind, Gabriel shifted his position to brace himself on his forearms and kissed him hard. Between kisses, he panted against Orion’s lips, the exertion making sweat bead against his forehead. “So good. Ryan. Orion. I’m so hard,” he whispered.

“I love this,” Orion whispered to the soundtrack of Gabriel’s moans.

Gabriel’s rhythm faltered for a moment, and then he found his balance again, their gazes locking. “Love you, too.”

Orion’s jaw almost dropped, his cheeks flushing with heat. Gabriel had heard wrong, hadn’t he? His tongue hadn’t slipped? He’d been so careful when speaking.

But… could he correct him? Hell, no. Orion did love Gabriel. God only knew how or why, but from the moment he’d walked up the driveway to that stand, the universe had pointed at Gabriel, as if saying to him, this is the one.

The sweet, sexy, smart man on top of him had always been himself, unlike Orion. He hadn’t changed a bit in all these years away. Orion had just changed enough to see what he’d been missing out on all this time.

He’d always been willing to go an extra mile for Gabriel, but not quite far enough. Now? He would fight heaven and earth for Gabriel.

“I love you, baby,” he whispered, tangling his hands in Gabriel’s hair and pulling him down for kiss after kiss. “Love you. Come for me. Ride me as hard as you need to. I love being fucked by you—fucking you—anything I do with you.”

Gabriel shifted quickly to get a hand between them, jerking himself off fast and hard as he moved. His forehead was damp with sweat, his cheeks flushed as he pressed his face into Orion’s neck. His moans were quick, sharp, urgent. Finally, Gabriel managed to whisper, around his gasps, “I’m gonna come.”

And then he did, tightening around Orion in shivers of pleasure as he spilled his load across them both. Their bodies rubbed together hard and fast as he rode his pleasure out.

The orgasm hit Orion out of the blue, uncontrollable pleasure burning through him. He thrust up into Gabriel in quick, needy thrusts. “Gabe,” Orion barely managed to gasp, his hands on Gabriel’s shoulder blades to keep their bodies pressed together as tight as he could manage.

They collapsed together, out of breath, still twitching and shivering together. Finally, Orion started to come around at nearly the same time as Gabriel, both of them shifting and chuckling at nothing in particular.

“Wow,” Orion murmured, rolling onto his side slowly and kissing Gabriel once or twice as he pulled the condom off. He grabbed tissues to wipe Gabriel clean, then handed him another to take care of himself.

By the time that was done, Orion turned back to Gabriel to find the man smiling at him like he was… well, like something precious. “Yeah,” Gabriel murmured. “Wow.”

Orion’s cheeks heated up under the gaze, and he cleared his throat. He felt weirdly guilty for a moment, having something so new and fresh and exciting despite everything melting down for people around him. From the chaos at the farm to his family’s personal lives, and even Gabriel’s life changing completely, Orion was probably in the least precarious position of them all.

Yet Gabriel loved him, took the time to make him feel good, in the middle of all this?

No wonder he loved Gabe.

Orion took a deep breath and shook his head. “That’s… just… yeah.”

“Such fancy big city words,” Gabriel teased.

Orion laughed and smacked Gabriel’s chest lightly. “Jerk.”

“Oh, don’t start that. I’ll fight back,” Gabriel warned, getting his hands around Orion’s sides for a good tickle.

Orion thrashed and laughed, trying to hide under the covers, but they were tucked in too tightly. “Mercy! I give up!”

Gabriel sat on top of him again, grinning down at him. Orion just shook his head at that expression.

This was a taste at a life together that he’d never known possible. Now that he did, he couldn’t let go.

Maybe by each other’s side, they could be brave enough to face the storms ahead. Starting with the trip back to Gabriel’s house.

“I hate to break the mood, but…”

“I’m ready,” was all Gabriel said. He arched his brow as he grabbed his clothes. “I’d like to see them stop me now.”

Gabriel was standing tall. Confidence was half the battle, and Gabriel seemed to have it in spades today. Even more now than he had before their… half-accidental confessions.

Orion beamed. “I’m proud of you.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Gabriel winked. “It’s all your doing.”

Orion grinned and shook his head. “No. You’re in the driver’s seat. I’m just here to help you with… anything you need.”

“And if that’s you?” Gabriel sat on the edge of the bed and tugged on his jeans as he looked over at Orion. “You’re ready?”

Was he ready for Gabriel to need him? Hell, yes. Orion pushed himself to sit up, then scooted behind him to rest his hand on Gabriel’s back. “I hope it will be. I hope I will be. I’m trying.”

Gabriel buttoned up his jeans, then cupped his cheek and kissed him. “And I’m proud of you for it. Come on. Let’s kick some ass. Without physical conflict, if possible.”

Orion grinned and patted Gabriel’s ass as he stood up. “Aye aye, sir. They deserve worse, but… if you say so.”

Gabriel leaned in and kissed him, then tossed Orion’s jeans toward him. As Orion caught them, Gabriel winked, and that contagious smile crept back onto his lips. “Then we’re going to go be better than them, no matter what they say,” Gabriel said.

Man. Gabriel could sweep him off his feet any damn day, but today, the chemistry between them seemed especially potent.

Being by Gabriel’s side was like having a partner in crime, but the crime was being happy together. Forever. The thought gave Orion a rush of joy so powerful he felt himself reflecting Gabriel’s smile, but even stronger.

The possibility of them sprawled in front of Orion like the Texan farmland he’d grown up on, green and bursting with life and utterly impossible to ever fully tame.

“Let’s go.”