toothache
Mohinder clicked the front door shut behind him as quietly as he could. It was one am and his cellphone battery had died a few hours ago without him noticing. He had been due back at 6 for dinner and really didn’t want to know what Gabriel’s reaction was going to be. He slipped off his shoes and crept along the hall hoping that Gabriel would be asleep and he could stave off the ranting until the following morning.
He glanced in on Noah and was surprised to see Gabriel asleep on his bed, cuddling their son with the nightlight burning brightly. He went into the room and saw tears dried on Noah’s face, junior calpol on the nightstand. Forgetting his imminent punishment he shook Gabriel awake and ran his hand through his hair. Gabriel stood up and settled Noah onto the pillow, kissing his head as he went. Mohinder did the same and then was summoned out with a nod of Gabriel’s head. Once they were in their bedroom Gabriel pulled Mohinder into his arms, groaning.
“Where have you been? He’s had toothache all night, he’s been crying and crying. Nothing can console him. He’s been asleep for literally twenty minutes.”
Mohinder stroked his back, kissing him gently on the cheek. “I’m sorry darling, I really am. My cell battery went and…oh I should have called, I’m so sorry. Is he okay?”
Gabriel extricated himself, pulling off his tshirt as he walked to the bed. “He’s in a lot of pain but I couldn’t get him a dentist’s appointment until tomorrow at 11. Poor little guy doesn’t understand why I can’t make it stop.” Gabriel pushed down his jeans and stretched up, aching from sleeping in an awkward position in the child’s bed. Mohinder moved behind him, circling his waist with his arms and kissing him on the back of the neck. “Lie down, you look exhausted.”
Gabriel lay down on his stomach, sighing at the coldness of the satin bedspread on his skin. Mohinder undressed and flung his clothes onto a chair, clicking on the bedside lamp and turning off the main lights. Gabriel was just drifting off when he felt Mohinder’s thumbs pushing on the knotted muscles of his upper back, just below his shoulders. He moaned as gentle fingers loosened his flesh and moved lower, easing his tension. “Is that good?” Mohinder whispered. Gabriel just hummed, breathing deeper and beginning to drift off.
Mohinder moved down the bed, curling up next to Gabriel’s legs and forming circles of pressure on the backs of his thighs. This time Gabriel moaned louder, the effort of keeping his long legs on Noah’s four foot bed had pulled his muscles tight and the relief of the aching was bliss. Mohinder trailed soft kisses along Gabriel’s side, moving his hands down to his calves. He massaged a line down to his ankles and back up to the knees, concentrating on the tendons which he could feel relaxing under his fingertips.
Gabriel sighed as Mohinder’s fingertips put pressure under his left heel, pushing firmly into the instep and travelling down, making tight circles on the ball of his foot. He methodically moved to the right foot, repeating the movements as Gabriel moaned softly, relaxing completely under his lover’s touch. When Mohinder’s hands left his body, Gabriel gently opened his eyes and saw him climb into bed next to him. The bedside lamp went off and Mohinder nudged him up off the top of the bedspread, waiting until Gabriel was underneath before wrapping the quilt around him and pulling him into an embrace. Gabriel settled his head on Mohinder’s shoulder. “I love you.” He whispered as the tiredness overtook him and he drifted into sleep. Mohinder held him, breathing deeply to take in the scent of his hair and replying “I love you too darling.” He would take the day off tomorrow and take Noah to the dentist while Gabriel had a lie in, he decided. And he would definitely remember the recipe for getting away with coming in from work seven hours late.