The General and the Horse-Lord by Sarah Black

out, wrapped his hands in the top edge of the towel Gabriel was wearing. The damp hair on his chest was the same sable brown it had been twenty-five years before, still thick and lush where it trailed down his belly. John pulled the towel free, and Gabriel reached for him until they were belly to belly, mouth to mouth. It felt like it took twenty-five years for Gabriel’s mouth to reach down and touch his. Then Gabriel spun him around, pressed John’s back against his chest until they could see themselves in the long bathroom mirror. “Look at us.” He moved his hands down John’s chest, slid his fingers through the hair on his chest until he could move his fingers over a bright pink nipple, then reached down and unsnapped the waistband of John’s trousers. “Look at the two of us together.”
    His legs were long, the line of his thigh and hip strong and golden brown in the evening light. Gabriel pushed the trousers down and John stepped out of them, then stepped out of his boxers until he stood naked in front of the mirror. John leaned back against him, rested his head on Gabriel’s shoulder. His skin was paler than Gabriel’s, his hair lighter brown, his eyes gray and quiet as a winter sky. Just an ordinary man, nothing special to look at, until Gabriel looked at him.
    Gabriel’s hands moved down John’s chest, down his belly, moving between his legs until he wrapped his hand around John’s cock, heavy and thick in his fist. “Why shouldn’t we be able to look at ourselves in the mirror every night? Every morning? John, haven’t we given enough? Worked hard enough? Fuck it, what if Kim’s right? Why can’t we have this one small thing?”
    John turned into his arms, felt the smooth skin and strong shoulders slide around him, buried his face in Gabriel’s neck until he was surrounded by his smell, sweat and spice and dark wood. Gabriel smelled like something precious and rare, and he lifted John in his big arms. “Just this one thing,” he said, mouth moving across John’s nipple. “Is that asking too much?”
    John wrapped one leg around Gabriel’s hip, let their heavy cocks slide against each other. “We can have this. Take anything you want. Just don’t….”
    “What?”
    “I can’t stand to see sorrow in your eyes. It tears me up.”
    “I miss you, you know. Every minute when we’re apart. Always have. Sometimes I think I’m going crazy with missing you.”
    “Yeah. Me too, Gabriel. Can you stay with me tonight? Can you tell Martha…?”
    “I can stay.”

Chapter 5

     
     
    G ABRIEL in the morning was a beautiful thing, lying on his belly, long legs sprawled across the bed, face shoved down into the pillow. John slid his hand in silky dark hair. Gabriel groaned, shielded his eyes from the morning sun. And well he should, John thought, studying the level of Patron Silver left in the bottle.
    Kim burst through the door, carrying a cup of coffee, and he reared back like a spooked horse at the sight of two naked men where there should only have been one. “Whoa! TMI, Uncles, TMI!”
    Gabriel shoved the pillow over his head. John threw the sheet over his fine bare butt and pointed toward the door. “Out.”
    Kim turned to the door, eyes pinging like pinballs, biting on his lower lip to keep from grinning.
    “Wait a minute. Leave the coffee. Is it hot?”
    “Yeah. I made it in the Mr. Coffee. That new machine takes too long, and the French press doesn’t keep it hot long enough.”
    “I told you that when you set it up.” John took the cup, gestured toward the door with his chin. “So go get another cup!”
    Kim came back with two cups, handed one to Gabriel, who had dragged himself up against the headboard. “So! Now you’re both awake, can I run something by you?” He settled himself cross-legged on the end of the bed, grinning.
    Gabriel turned to John. “Does he do this all the time? I mean, it’s just after six, right? I never pictured him as a bright and early sort of