Anger

Chapter Text

Gabriel snarled at the computer screen and leaped to his feet, pacing angrily. His fists clenched and unclenched in tension. Foster looked up at him, but said nothing. Gabriel caught the look and hesitated, then took one fast step towards Foster, almost like he was going to attack him. He pulled up short, his lids giving a twitch and his eyes a jerk as though he came to back to reality suddenly. He turned away instead and stood there stiffly.

After a beat, Foster asked, "What was that?"

"What was what?" Gabriel said, his voice dull and devoid of inflection.

"What were you about to do?"

Gabriel took a breath and released it, relaxing a little. He did it again, then a third time with a much deeper breath. He blinked several times and turned back to Foster. "I know… you'll let me do things to you – things you might not like, but you'd let me do them." He shook his head. "You deserve better than that from me." Foster swiveled his chair a little to face him, not saying anything.

Gabriel went on, reaching down to brush his knuckles across the back of Foster's forearm. "I wanted to grab your wrist." He slipped his hand softly around Foster's. "I wanted to yank you out of that chair." He gave a tiny tug, lifting slightly. Foster took the hint, standing. "And pull you against me." His voice was full of emotion by now, no longer blank. His hand slipped from Foster's wrist to his side and around to his back. With only the pressure of his fingertips, he urged Foster closer and his lover cooperated. "As hard as I could." Foster smiled a little, realizing how at odds with Gabriel's words his actions were, which was probably the point.

"I wanted to crush my lips against yours." Gabriel leaned forward and brushed his lips on Foster's, pulling back when Foster tried to kiss him. "I wanted to swallow you down, consume you, make you mine, remind myself that there was someone who I controlled utterly, whom I could do that to without complaint or resistance." He kissed Foster now, very softly, very gently, and Foster matched his tone with a cautious, careful exploration of Gabriel's lips and teeth with his tongue. Gabriel opened before him and sagged a little, letting Foster take the lead.

Foster did, bringing one hand up Gabriel's arm to his shoulder, then winding it around the back of his neck to bury it in Gabriel's hair. The other came to the side of Gabriel's face and caressed it, fingertips stroking the sensitive skin, trailing into the fine hair at his temple, curling around his ear and following the line of his jaw to his neck, then circling back up to his cheek and past that to his forehead, mussing his brow along the way just to do it.

Foster was distantly aware of a presence. He opened his eyes and turned slightly to see his mother standing in the entry of the dining room where they'd been working, a set of papers in her hand. She looked at them long enough for the scrutiny to be creepy before saying, "I'll come back when you're done," and walking off.

Gabriel started to turn and break away, but Foster tightened his hand in his hair and pulled him to himself more firmly. Gabriel made a soft moan in his throat and Foster growled into his mouth. Gabriel's hands were on Foster's hips, slowly inching around his waist towards his back, letting Foster direct him, hold him, and set how close they were. Foster turned his head so he could tongue Gabriel more deeply, eliciting another moan, not nearly so soft or quiet now. Foster dropped his hand from Gabriel's hair and curled it around his back, between his shoulder blades, pressing them together. Gabriel brought his hands fully around Foster's waist, so they touched at the small of Foster's back.

Breathing hard, they finally parted. Foster smiled, trying to drive off thoughts of doing something a lot more active and penetrative and stimulating right here on his parent's dining room table. Or going elsewhere to do it. He swallowed and got himself under control. His father had become a lot more accepting lately, but it was still a very good thing that it was his mother who had happened to walk in on them and not him.

"I love you," Foster whispered.

"Mm. And so," Gabriel continued from before, which seemed like hours ago, although it was likely only minutes, "even if you would let me do any of that, I shouldn't. Because you don't like it rough."

"God, I like this," Foster said with emphasis. "But if you want it rougher, you can have me that way. It's okay."

Gabriel shrugged. They remained standing pressed against each other, both very happy to be touching.

Foster said, "Listen, being together is about compromise. If you want something, take it. If I can't handle it, I'll tell you. Okay?" Foster leaned up to kiss Gabriel's chin and the skin under his mouth. Gabriel pulled his head back, ducked down and turned to deny Foster that act and instead did the same thing in return. It was a submissive body language and Foster reflected he'd paired it badly by giving directions first. Remembering how inconvenient it had been for a taller partner to do what Gabriel was doing to him now, Foster leaned his head back a little and stood straighter. Gabriel made a small sound and stroked his side briefly, letting his know his efforts were appreciated.

When the other man stepped back, Foster said, "You have the most beautiful mouth, Gabriel. There's that little bitty space there where your lips don't meet. I love that space."

Gabriel raised his brows, which looked a little comical. Foster rarely complimented him directly. "Yours isn't so bad itself." He raised his hand to trace the nerve-damaged right side with his thumb. "You could fix this."

Foster smiled a little. "I know."

Gabriel smiled and leaned in to steal a quick smooch. "Thank you for calming me down."

"What were you pissed about?" Foster reached up to smooth out Gabriel's brow, the left corner of his mouth still quirked up as he did it.

"I have no idea." He smiled. "And that's exactly what I wanted from you."

Gabriel