Not in That Way

Chapter 8: Dustin and Gabe pick a new song

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Hey guys! Here's the final chapter of Not in That Way. I'm super thankful for all the comments and likes. I had a lot of fun with these characters and the way the story was set up. Here's a goodbye- for now. Let me know what you guys think!

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The next morning, I wake up in his arms. Gabe's territorial when he sleeps, and I can feel him clutching onto me as I open my eyes. I gently peel myself away, feeling the cool air hit my skin as I come out from his grasp. I swear his face pouts a bit in his sleep as I finally come undone. I quietly walk over to the bathroom and go through that morning routine- changed only by the fact that I'm at his place and not mine.

By the time I slip back into bed, Gabe moves his arm and welcomes me in as I feel his breath on my neck.

"How long have you been awake?" I ask blindly, knowing he's up.

"Long enough to know that you hum to yourself when you piss."

I laugh as I turn and face him. Gabe looks at me with his face covered in his curls and a sleepy grin on his face. "How do you look that good in the morning?" He asks as I settle beside him. I roll my eyes as he kisses at my cheek before hurrying off to the bathroom himself. He makes a show of loudly mocking my humming as he takes a piss, followed by a quick brushing of his teeth. He leaves the bathroom and leaps into bed, pinning me down as we laugh louder than any of his neighbors would want to hear at nine in the morning.

I manage to overpower him, and the once strong Gabriel Cruz is pinned beneath me, with nothing but his puppy dog eyes to save him. I lean down as if to kiss him and he even extends his lips, but I make a move for his side and feel him jerk around as I tickle him. He's laughing so hard and trying to stop me with all of his limbs flying around until finally I show him some mercy. He clearly wants revenge, but instead, he pulls my jaw close and finally gets that kiss he was promised. We pull off and lean against the headboard as we catch our breath.

"It's never been this easy with anyone else." He admits as he holds me.

"Well, it wasn't easy getting to this point." I correct.

He nods, "It wasn't." He looks back up, "But now that we're here, after all of that, it just feels like I don't have to think- I'm not stressing out about saying the wrong thing or you judging me for acting like an idiot. I'm just myself, and you're you, and somehow the universe made it so that's all we have to be for each other."

I sit on that for a bit- thinking about how much added stress we put on ourselves at the idea of us being together. But the reality is that Gabe and I work, and we always have. He brings out this playfulness and ease that I haven't seen with any other person I've been with. And it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see how happy he's been this past week- a small part of me can't help but feel responsible.

Once again, as I feel his arms around me and his lips at my neck, I can't help but remember how stupid we were for waiting.

Eventually the kisses turn intense to the point where I'm straddling Gabe's lap as he's sucking on the skin just above my collarbone. His hands dig into my waist and his cock is pressed just against my cheeks along with its wet tip.

We kiss some more and this time it's sloppy. I can feel him deep in my mouth as his hands scratch against my back. Gabe's impossibly hard and I can feel my own dick pressing against his stomach every time we make contact. I reach for the lube as Gabe presses a palm against my chest.

"You're gonna have to be extra slow. I'm pretty sore from yesterday." He admits as his cheeks blush a bit. Gabe was a fucking trooper last night, and the fact that he's even offering despite going several rounds yesterday just shows how badly we want each other.

I kiss him and shake my head, "I hate to ruin your plans, bottom boy, but I had something else in mind."

Gabe's eyes grow wide as he starts to catch my drift. He nuzzles into my chest before placing me in the middle of the bed. I move with him, letting him make all the decisions as he lives out whatever fantasy he's held for all these years.

My best friend towers over me, with eyes that look over every single inch of me. But he doesn't falter- he bites down on that lip with a sense of pride, the same way I looked at him yesterday before we crossed that line. I lift my legs up and see his jaw drop to the floor as he sinks down. Gabe's running fingers down my body and I breathe out at his soft touch. He eventually gets to my hole and I can feel it twitching as he rubs the pucker, teasing me slightly.

"Fucking hell, Dust." he says as he leans down and kisses at my inner thighs. He doesn't know how weak this gets me, how all this built up frustration culminates to his lips so close to my most sensitive spot and how his breath feels against my skin.

I grip onto his shoulder as he looks up from his trance, "Please" I beg, before he flashes me a wink and slips his tongue into my hole.

I shudder when I feel him. It's been way too fucking long since I've had this done and Gabe is treating me perfectly. His tongue laps against my walls and I can feel the stubble of his chin rub against my ass. His hand finds my dick and strokes me so fucking good that I'm left with my mouth wide open and seeing stars.

"You're. really. good. at. that." I say, with a breathy voice as he eats me out.

Gabe doesn't hold back when he rims me. Half the time, I'm watching with my mouth wide open as he dives into my ass, focused only on tasting me and getting his tongue so fucking deep inside my hole. The other half I'm spent with my hands covering my face as I lay through this out of body experience. Yeah- rimming is definitely something he's going to be doing a lot for me now.

He eventually comes up for air and I pull his face into mine, tasting my juices all over his lips as we kiss. "You, my friend, have an amazing ass" he says with a smirk as I'm left undone. Really there's only one thing left to check off the list, and based on the heat coming from his dick as it presses into me, it's a big one.

I reach for the lube and hand it to him as I keep my legs propped up. "Fuck me like this?" I ask, as he eyes me all over.

"I can't think of a better way to take you." He says as he undoes the cap and lubes me up.

If I thought Gabe looked good underneath me, he looks even better on top. Ever since I've known him, there's been this duality to him. He's rugged and masculine, but he's also sensitive and caring. In all the fantasies I've ever had about him, it's like this, with him towering over me as I give myself up. But in my dreams, I couldn't have pictured him being so gentle. They never included him kissing my neck or telling me how good I look, or being so concerned if his motions were hurting me.

Gabe's both sides of the same coin, and no matter which way I flip, I'm still winning in the end.

He pulls me out of my little daydream with the feeling of his wet tip against my hole. I feel his hands reach for mine, followed by fingers that interlock, keeping us together. Then he pushes, filling my hole with his dick and it's honestly the best feeling I've ever had. I'm full of such pleasure, feeling his flesh against mine and seeing his handsome face turned into a concentrated look as he eases himself in. He takes his time, but eventually I feel him bottom out and I release the most satisfying moan that my body can't help. He smiles big and comes down so our faces are close.

"Hey Dust, guess what?" He asks randomly.

"What?"

Gabe winks, "I'm inside you."

I try to keep it together but it's so out of pocket, I can't help but laugh. He holds onto my hands even harder and slowly starts pumping, filling the room with the sounds of his thrusts, my moans and a little laughter. I didn't know it could be this fun yet this intense.

Gabe's cock feels so good in me, and the whole process has my body extremely sensitive. I can feel his foreskin scraping against my walls, followed by the light scratching of his shaved pubes against my ass. Both of these are eclipsed by his head that hangs just above me and I'm constantly pulling him down for kisses because nothing has felt this good in a while.

We unhook our hands and Gabe grabs onto my waist as he really starts to pound into me. This is where my dreams take reality- when the muscled man I've lusted over for the better part of nine years takes me and uses me. I study his face that's turned almost into a scowl as he pumps me harder, broken only whenever i touch him, as the scowl turns into a wide smile. The pounding is intense and soon, Gabe is dripping in sweat that falls onto me every time I get greedy for a kiss. I'd be lying if I said he didn't taste good like this- that I wasn't lapping up his wet skin as his dick fucked into my second ring. Neither of us have inhibitions at this point, and we're playing a game of chicken to see where we draw the line.

Gabe slows his thrusts and tries to catch his breath, but my greedy lips won't let him. Eventually, he pulls away and takes my foot in his mouth- something I definitely hadn't experienced before. He kisses at my sole before taking my toes in his mouth and the whole thing has me moaning even harder. He does the same to my other foot and continues to fuck me as his curious tongue laps up every inch of skin that it can reach. He finally works his way up and settles back on my neck, sucking at that patch above my collarbone until he's sure is purple and bruised.

He pulls off and I wrap my arms around him, feeling impossibly close and so fucking ready to cum. I need to get this first load out, I tell myself, and then we can keep going all day until I pay back my debt from yesterday to him in full.

"Even in the middle of sex, you're still joking." I say as I hook onto his lips.

He shrugs, "You put me in the best mood" He says, mid-stroke, "no matter what we're doing."

I smile as he takes my dick in his hand and starts jerking me off. "You ready to cum, handsome?"

I nod as I wrap my legs around his back and feel him pump into me. It only takes a few strokes until I feel cum spraying out of my dick and all over him. Gabe's face gets excited as he watches me shoot. He must have been holding back for a while because when he finally cums, he roars out as he holds me in place, unloading into me.

I slam my head onto the pillow and feel the wave of euphoria hit my body. Gabe is panting on top of me and I can feel his sweat dripping on my skin. My dick is satisfied for now, but I know that it's only a matter of minutes before I'm hard again and wanting another round. Gabe has that wicked smile on his face as he looks down to see his body covered in my cum. He takes a cupped hand and scoops as much of it as he can before slurping it up. Even after everything yesterday, the move takes me by surprise as Gabe leans down to collect everything else he'd missed. I pull his face toward me and kiss him, tasting my load on his tongue.

"You taste really good, Dust" he says, proudly. I reach down and scoop up some of his cum that's started leaking out of me and give it a taste. It's sweet and strong and honestly addictive. Gabe loves the little show I put on as he buries his face in my chest while I rub his back.

Minutes later he props his head up, "Do you feel okay?"

I nod, "Honestly that's probably the best bottoming experience I've had."

He winces, "Were they all pretty bad?"

I shrug, "Some were okay, but it's such a mental hurdle, you know?" He nods. "I usually get in my head about everything that can go wrong before, then we do it and it's good, but once it's over, I'm quick to get dressed and move on."

"Post nut clarity." He corrects as I shake my head laughing.

"You're right though. I don't think as much when I'm with you."

He nods as he kisses at my cheek, "We're gonna have a serious problem though."

"What's that?"

"This felt really fucking good, but you giving it to me yesterday felt really good too." He fake pouts, "I don't know if I'd be able to pick one." He says to me, insincerely.

I roll my eyes as I cup his ass, "Looks like we're just gonna have to flip from now on."

Gabe snickers as he pulls me up to take a shower, "Dustin Green coming in clutch with the problem solving.:

***

Gabe and I are hanging out at his place one day- leisurely watching TV and trying to destress from this hellish workweek. I get up to grab some chips in the kitchen when I hear him calling out.

"Huh, that's weird,"

I come back and rip open the bag, "What's weird?"

"I just got a message on instagram from one of my cousins."

I look at him, puzzled, "I thought you didn't have any cousins."

He shakes his head, "Not on my mom's side, no. But there's a bunch on my dad's side."

I pause, prepping myself for whatever this may be. Whenever Gabe hears from that side of the family, it's never good news. I study him as he opens the message and reads it.

" It's Angelo- we met briefly at the funeral and he wants to come and talk to me."

Gabe shoots me a weird look as I rub his shoulders, "Are you gonna do it?"

He sighs, "I don't want to- I mean I barely know the kid." He reads it again, "But it sounds like he's freaked out about something."

"It's just weird, you know?"

I nod as he faces me, "I'm sure it is. But remember that, what happened between you and your dad and his sister- that's between you guys." I pause, "That doesn't mean you and your cousins have to be on bad terms."

"That's easy for you to say- I mean you and Grace get along so well."

I shrug, "It wasn't always like that. Before and even during high school, we couldn't stand each other. And all of our cousins lived on the East Coast and we didn't get to see them often." I look to see Gabe watching me, "We kinda just realized that we're all we had."

He nods and then lends in to kiss me. "Thank you." He says, as he starts to type out a message, "I wanna hear what he has to say."

"Will you come with me to meet him?"

I make a face, taken aback by his request. "Don't you think you'd want to talk to him on your own?"

Gabe shakes his head, "You're a big part of me finally being honest with myself. If the kid needs advice or help, I think of anyone better to have in my corner."

I nod, "Okay yeah." I see Gabe typing out a message, "When is he coming up?"

His phone lights up, "This afternoon, actually."

Gabe and I exchange a weird look before going to get ready. I can physically see Gabe lost in his thoughts, trying to determine what all of this is. Meanwhile, I'm keeping my mouth shut, not wanting to vocalize any apprehension in fear of him calling the whole thing off.

***

We decide to meet at the same restaurant and bar that we took Keith and the guys to- mostly because it's not too far away and because it's casual enough to help break any tension. Should things go south, we could always order some drinks and let them take care of our problems. Gabe gives Angelo the address and he replies with a thumbs up shortly after.

We take our time to get there, and when we finally walk through the door, we see a timid looking kid sitting at one of the tables at the end. Apart from the visibly nervous look, I can tell that's who we're meeting because I can see a vague resemblance of Gabe. He's told me that he was the only mixed one out of his cousins, so if anything, Angelo looks like a more Mexican version of his cousin.

I let Gabe lead the way, watching his motions for any sign of apprehension. The kid seems to be pretty concentrated too- almost like the both of them know the years of traumatic eggshells they're walking over just to meet.

"Angelo, right? We met uh-" Gabe pauses, "at the funeral."

He nods his head, "Yeah thanks for meeting with me." He says, cautiously.

Gabe steps to his left and gestures, "This is my boyfriend Dustin. I hope it's okay that I invited him."

I stop for a second, taking in the words. This is the first time he's referred to me as that- I mean someone other than a four year old. If I'm being honest, it's a lot like a new shirt that hasn't been washed yet. The name feels a bit uncomfortable and doesn't quite fit me in the right way, but I know that soon, it'll feel more worn in.

Angelo replies, "No yeah, of course.' He manages to chuckle, "Honestly, having someone else here kind of makes this less nerve racking." He sighs, "I know how complicated our family situation is."

Gabe nods as I slide into the booth and he follows. A server comes up a second later and takes our drinks. Gabe opts for an iced tea- a sign that maybe things aren't going to go south. We settle on a few appetizers, though I doubt that either of us are starving for anything other than clarity.

Once she leaves, Gabe folds his arms, "So what do you know about my-" he finds the word, "situation."

"Or rather, what have you been told?"

Angelo takes a sip as he chooses his words, "Well, growing up we always knew about you. Before she died, our grandma always told me and my siblings that Uncle Manny has a son." He paused, "Your dad never talked about it, and well, my mom I guess never wanted to upset him so she never brought it up."

Gabe takes that info like a shot, wincing from the sting before letting it trickle down his throat until he couldn't taste it anymore.

He continues, "I always just figured that your parents had a messy break up and that you chose to live with your mom." He shakes his head, "It wasn't until a few months ago that I had a hunch as to why."

I see Gabe peering his eyes, like he's trying to read him. "What do you mean?"

"Well a few months ago I came out to my mom." He sighed, "She didn't take it all that well- like sure he may have said she was okay but I could feel her acting differently, almost like she didn't know how to interact with me anymore."

Angelo nervously ran his fingers through his hair, "And then, one night, I heard her and your dad talking about it in Spanish downstairs, thinking that I couldn't understand. But it was pretty clear that your dad didn't approve, but he kept it tame, not wanting to upset my mom."

Gabe sighed, "Look man, if there's anyone who gets how you must feel, it's me. It took me a while to realize that our parents grew up in such different times than we have now." He shakes his head, "That's not an excuse for them, but that's just how it is. Do you think she'll come around?"

He nods, "In time, maybe. She's trying, but it feels like baby steps compared to what I need from her."

Gabe lets that sit for a minute. It's like, at that moment, we're all saying a silent prayer in hopes that she does.

"How about yours?"

I smile, "My parents may not have reacted as harshly as yours did" I say looking at both of them, "But it did take an adjustment."

I look over at Angelo who's trying his best to not throw himself a pity party, "Parents are complicated." I start out, "in some ways they're still trying to outrun the miles of expectations their own parents set for them. And then, they have kids and raise them and start to conjure up these lives for us that are far better than we could live up to."

Angelo's looking at me intently as I continue, "They've spent a long time thinking they've figured it out for us, and then we come out and suddenly things aren't so clear." I sigh, "Sometimes they're able to adapt and make new plans" I say to my new friend, "But other times they just can't, and we're forced to make our own plans without them."

Gabe hears this and interlocks our hands as he leans into me. It's heartfelt and romantic and if not for his estranged cousin sitting across from us, I'd probably be kissing him right now. But still, that little spiel is rewarded by an affirming nod from Angelo who seems to be at peace with this new knowledge.