Gabe really didn’t want to move. He wanted to cling on to the moment. But his cock was softening and the mess between them was cooling and becoming uncomfortable. So he slid out of Joey as carefully as he could, kissing his check then hastily disposing of the condom and grabbing them both some tissues.

Once drier, he pulled the comforter up over them, lying beside a sleepy Joey as their post-orgasm-high faded. Gabe was inordinately pleased when Joey cuddled up to him, tucking his head down on Gabe’s chest.

His first coherent thought was that he’d just had sex with someone that wasn’t Lewis. It was strange how okay that felt. He and Lew had been sharing this bed up until a month ago. They’d not been intimate since the start of the year though, when things between them seemed to pass the point of no return.

Lewis was a lot like him physically; big and confident in bed. They’d switched positions a lot, their lovemaking often more like a tousle than anything gentle.

Joey had been so different. Not meek, but the way he’d begged Gabe to take him, the way he’d surrendered himself to Gabe, had been deeply touching. The level of trust he’d shown Gabe when they didn’t know each other all that well, was very moving.

Plus Joey was just hot. He was slim and lean but still muscled, with a beautiful face, stunning smile and sparkling eyes. His curly hair was soft as Gabe gently ran his fingers through it.

His tattoos were interesting as well, and plentiful. Even in the gloom last night Gabe had been able to see there were many of them, but in the morning sunshine he was able to appreciate that they were dotted all over his body.

Most of his skin was hidden under the comforter, and when they’d been fucking Gabe had been slightly distracted. But now he was able to see the edges of quotes in elaborate calligraphy, the tips of wings, a series of rings, rays of sunlight. Each image must have had a story behind it. Gabe would have loved to ask more.

In that moment though it was enough to simply lie there together. The fact Joey hadn’t immediately run off was better than Gabe had expected. Not that he’d expected anything. This was the last thing he thought he’d wake up to when he’d gone to bed the night before.

Joey stirred up a powerful protective urge in Gabe. He wanted to ask him to stay the day, stay until he was on his feet again. Gabe wanted to keep him away from his damaging family, let him have a chance to breathe in a place where he wasn’t on edge all the time. Where he’d have a proper bed.

But he had a feeling after their conversation the previous night that offering kindness and stability might have the opposite effect on Joey and make him bolt. He seemed so dead set on managing on his own, letting himself get swallowed up by a big city so he wouldn’t have to rely on his neighbors.

Gabe couldn’t really wrap his head around that. His natural instinct was always to help, to bond, to become part of the bigger whole that his community offered. But the way Joey had talked about his experiences growing up, it was clear he didn’t feel the same way.

He’d sounded lonely. Gabe hated that.

“Are you all right?” he murmured.

As much as he’d rather leave it, he had to pop their little bubble and ask. He also had to consider if he was all right. He never tumbled into bed with anyone. Especially not so soon after the longest relationship of his life.

What he and Joey had just experienced together had obviously been tangled up in a lot of emotions. Maybe Gabe was just rebounding, and that wasn’t fair on Joey. Maybe Joey was taking his anger and frustrations out in bed. Or, perhaps he’d just taken the first bit of kindness and comfort that had been offered his way.

Either way, it probably wasn’t the healthiest of motivations. But Gabe cared about Joey, that much he knew. It could be that they’d regret what they’d done in the heat of the moment. At least they’d used protection.

What Gabe could do now though was continue to look after Joey. Not because he was obliged to, but because he wanted to. Even if this was his heart just trying to move on from the void Lewis had left, he’d very much enjoyed making love with Joey. That didn’t stop after the orgasm.

“Do you want breakfast?” he prompted when Joey chewed on his lip.

When he raised his green eyes to look at Gabe, there was apprehension there. Gabe might have even gone so far as to say fear. He rubbed his hand up and down Joey’s arm.

“Um,” Gabe said awkwardly. “I feel like you’re expecting me to propose or something, and you’re working out how fast you can scale the drainpipe.”

Joey snorted, the laughter apparently startling him. Good, that was good.

“This was great. Lovely, actually,” Gabe said truthfully. “But we don’t really know each other. It doesn’t have to be anything more if we don’t feel it, but I’d still like to make you some eggs.”

He was surprised how his own words disappointed him. He’d have been pretty keen if Joey had turned around in his arms and said he’d like to spend more time together. For a fleeting second Gabe pictured taking him out on a date later. It was Saturday after all.

But Joey gave him a small, relieved smile. “Thanks,” he said. He laid his head back on Gabe’s chest, not looking him in the eye. “Breakfast would be nice,” he said slowly. “And, um, yeah. That was nice too. Really nice.”

Gabe waited to see if there would be anything else, but it appeared that was all Joey was able to say for now. Gabe didn’t mind. It didn’t take a genius to see that Joey had a whole lot churning around in his head. So Gabe would take ‘nice’ for the compliment it was.

He kissed the top of Joey’s curls, enjoying the cuddle for another few moments. But then Joey excused himself to use the bathroom, sheepishly scooping up his underwear as he went, and Gabe thought it best to give him some space.

He donned his robe and trotted down to the kitchen. There was no sign of Duchess, but her food bowl was empty. Gabe chuckled to himself and filled it up again before getting started on his and Joey’s breakfast. At least he knew his cat wasn’t starving, even if she was too scared to come out when he was there.

Some minutes later he had bacon frying in a pan, along with eggs and tomatoes, bread in the toaster and coffee in the pot. This was nice, in that mildly terrifying but also exciting way when you were taking baby steps to get to know someone. Gabe caught himself smiling as he flipped the rashers.

“I got the part.”

He turned around. Joey was dressed and staring at his phone. The look of disbelief on his face matched the incredulous tone of his voice.

“What?” Gabe asked. He’d heard Joey just fine, but he wanted to make sure. Excitement already bubbled in him, which was kind of silly. But he couldn’t help but feel happy. Joey needed some good news, and Gabe felt irrationally proud that he was getting to share this moment with him.

“I got that part in the play,” Joey said. His face split into a wide grin and when he looked up his eyes were filled with unshed tears. “Oh my god.”

Gabe let out a cry and punched the air with his spatula. “Yes, dude! Well done.”

Joey didn’t seem to know what to do. Gabe followed his instinct though and crossed the few steps between them to pull him into a quick hug. He didn’t want to smother Joey; he wasn’t his boyfriend. But in that moment Gabe could certainly picture what it might be like if they were dating.

Instead, he gave those pretty curls another swift kiss and let him go on the pretext of tending to the frying pan. “When do you start rehearsals?”

Joey shook himself and scrolled through the email or text he’d received. “Monday,” he said. He bit his lip, and Gabe could guess what was worrying him.

“In New York?” he asked. That would mean train tickets. Joey had said that the cash that had been stolen from him was all he had. Gabe wasn’t exactly rich, but he couldn’t imagine not having a cent to his name.

Joey nodded. Gabe knew he was about to overstep his boundaries and probably wreck what little trust he had built up between them. But there was no way he couldn’t offer.

“If you need something to help you,” he said. “Until you next get a paycheck, I can give you a loan. Just a small one.”

Joey looked up at him. First his eyes were wide, then they narrowed with wariness. “Why?”

He shouldn’t, but Gabe smirked. He tried to cover it up by fussing over the food he was plating up. But that was exactly the kind of response he’d come to expect from Joey now. Like the concept of simply being kind, or having kindness offered to him, what entirely alien.

It wasn’t funny though; it was deeply sad. “Because we’re friends, or at least I’d hope we are?” He raised an eyebrow at Joey. Joey shrugged, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Gabe took that as a yes. “And after the trouble you had last night, I’d hate to see that stand in the way of an opportunity.”

Joey watched him as he put the two plates on the table. “That’s really nice of you,” he said slowly.

Gabe didn’t want him to think he was pitying him though. “When would you get paid?” he asked as he indicated for Joey to sit. “You could pay me back in a couple of installments, if you wanted?”

Joey’s face darkened at that, and Gabe could have kicked himself. But there wasn’t much getting around the fact that Joey was in financial trouble. Gabe wasn’t saying this to humiliate him. Sometimes, everyone needed a little helping hand.

Joey still hadn’t sat and Gabe was starting to feel he’d really fucked things up. But then Joey’s expression totally changed. “Hang on,” he said. He dropped into the seat by Gabe and began flicking through his phone. “It’s the twentieth, right?” Gabe nodded, confirming the date. “Then that means…”

Gabe waited while he scrawled through whatever he was looking at. The food was getting cold, but it seemed rude to interrupt. Especially if it was going to douse that spark of excitement in Joey’s eyes.

“Yes!” he cried in delight. He looked up at Gabe, smiling, and Gabe couldn’t help but reciprocate. “Normally my royalty payments are peanuts these days. But one of our songs was featured on a commercial a couple of months ago. We got a decent check for that, and a bump in sales.” The relief in his voice was clear. That should be in my account any day now.”

“That’s wonderful,” said Gabe genuinely.

Joey nodded. “If I can ask for an advance on the first couple of days from the play, that’ll tide me over until the royalty money’s in my account. I won’t have to borrow from anyone.”

Gabe wanted to insist that it wouldn’t have been any trouble to give him a loan. But this was obviously the better solution. Selfishly though, he knew a loan would mean that he and Joey would have had something tethering them together for longer than it took for the eggs he’d made to go rubbery.

Joey only seemed to just notice that he’d been given food. “Oh,” he said apprehensively. “And you made breakfast.”

“I said I would,” Gabe told him kindly. But it was obvious to see that Joey was tallying up all the things Gabe was doing for him.

It was frustrating. Gabe wasn’t doing anything here for a reward. But the way Joey had spoken of his involvement in the community, it was clear to see that he might not feel the same way.

“I should go,” said Joey, as if to prove his point. His gaze was lingering on the bacon though, and he licked his pretty lips. “I’ve bothered you enough.”

“Joey,” said Gabe, mustering the last of his patience. “You’ve not bothered me at all. I’ve enjoyed your company and the food will only go in the trash if you don’t eat it. Please don’t rush off.” He wanted to say ‘don’t run away,’ but he feared that might have been too blunt.

Joey appeared to respond better to the straight talking though. He nodded and took a grateful bite of eggs. “I just hate not having anything to give back,” he muttered once he swallowed.

Gabe softened a bit and squeezed his hand, just briefly. “I hate eating alone,” Gabe said truthfully. “So consider me repaid.”

Joey gave him another tight smile, then devoured the rest of his breakfast.

Gabe could only keep him there a matter of time though, that much was obvious. Joey kept checking his phone and bouncing his knee. Gabe didn’t try and engage him in conversation as he flitted back and forth between his emails, bank app and a calculator.

“Do you need me to drive you anywhere?” he asked when Joey crossed his knife and fork. The question seemed to surprise him.

“Oh, no,” Joey said guiltily. “I’ll stay and do the dishes though. It’s only fair.”

Gabe smiled warmly at him. “I can tell you’ve got things to do,” he said, careful to keep the regret out of his voice. This was for the best. Gabe couldn’t go jumping in headfirst for heaven’s sake. They needed a bit of space after rushing into bed like they had.

“I-” said Joey. Then he smiled and his relief was clear. Gabe refused to let it hurt. At least, he tried. “Thanks, but I can walk.”

It was all Gabe could do to escort him to the door. If something more was going to happen between them, he couldn’t press it. Shouldn’t. He had to protect his own heart as well. Joey obviously wasn’t looking to settle down here after all, and Gabe was still finding the occasional thing of Lewis’s lying around the house.

“Drop me a text if you need anything,” Gabe said. Or even if you don’t, he added mentally.

Joey at least smiled and allowed himself to be hugged. “I will. Thank you for…everything.”

And with that, he was gone.