Title: Brightness
By: Fran Holland
Pairing: Gil/Nick
Rating: NC-17

The blue water of the pool sparkled in the afternoon sun, the man’s skin glistened and even the simple, gold band on his finger flashed in the bright light.  The corner of Gil’s mouth turned upwards because that is how he thought of Nick – the brightness in his life.

“Are you thinking dirty thoughts about my brother?”  The dark haired woman said.  Gil looked over at her and his mouth quirked.  She was just a few years younger than him, but her face remained unlined. 

“Not at this time.” 

She laughed softly and Gil saw so much of Nick in her, or vice versa, since she was the oldest of the Stokes children.

She turned from Gil and her eyes locked on Nick, floating on a bright yellow air mattress, asleep in the hot sunshine.  Without looking away from her brother, she said, “If you ever hurt him, I’ll kick your ass.”

With that, Gil chuckled.  She looked at him over her sunglasses.  “You think I’m joking?”

“No.  Not in the least.  It’s just that you are the fourth of the Stokes clan to tell me that same thing.”

It was her turn to chuckle.  “Yeah, well you haven’t met Susan yet.  She’ll threaten to kill you.  She’s always been the most violent.”

Gil knew that Susan was the youngest girl, closest in age to Nick’s own 39 years.  But Nick was still the baby and Gil found it endearing to see that the whole family treated him as such.  Nick put on a show about hating it, but Gil knew just how much it meant to him.  Not having any siblings, Gil enjoyed watching the closeness in the Stokes’ household.  From the Judge down to the housekeeper, Maria, everyone loved Nick and wanted him to be happy.  They had accepted Gil because they knew that it made Nick happy.

Susan was arriving tomorrow morning from Seattle, where she was doing a guest lecture for the law school.  Gil looked forward to meeting the last of the Stokes children.

“If you don’t tell him to turn over soon, he’ll burn and then the rest of your honeymoon with suck big time.”

“Well, we wouldn’t want that.”  Gil said, with a comical leer.  Becky groaned and shook her head.

In lieu of calling to Nick, who had fallen asleep ages ago, Gil reached over and picked up one of the water guns that was lying on a chaise lounge.  He had watched some of Nick’s nieces and nephews playing with it earlier.

“Oh no, you are so not going to do that.”  Becky leaned forward in anticipation.  “You may not get any tonight….I’m just saying…..”

“Your baby brother would not turn down sex, in fact he’s quite the….”

“TMI, TMI.  Ick, he’s my baby brother.”  She giggled, letting him know that he hadn’t offended her in the least.

With careful aim, Gil pulled the trigger and a large stream of water landed across Nick’s warm back.  His intake of breath was audible and he sat up quickly, not remembering where he was and flipped, very ungracefully, into the water.  A few seconds later, he was standing in chest high water, sputtering and glaring at Gil.

Gil was looking innocent, even though he still held the water gun, aptly named the Super Soaker.  Becky sat next to him, laughing so loud that she snorted.

“I cannot believe you.  You will pay for that.”  Nick said, making his way to the side of the pool.

“Gil said that you were a man whore and so hot for his body that he could do anything to you and you’d still give it up.”

It was Gil’s turn to sputter, his eyes wide in alarm.  “No, I didn’t….”

“Oh, yeah.  Really?”  Nick had reached the side and was hauling himself up and out, rivulets of water running down his smooth chest.

Gil stood and backed behind Becky’s chair.  “Nicky, I did not say that.  She’s making it up.”

Glowering, Nick took a menacing step towards Gil.  “Nick, you’ve got to believe me.”

Becky, who had been giggling like a school girl the entire time, turned to look over her shoulder at Gil.  “I may have exaggerated just a bit.”  Her eyes twinkling, Gil knew that he’d been had.

Nick reached out quickly and grabbed Becky by her wrists.  She squealed as Nick flipped her over his shoulder and dumped her into the pool.  Thinking he was next, Gil took a few more steps backwards and gauged the distance between him and the house, wondering if he could make it before Nick got him.  Meanwhile, Becky had come up shaking the water out of her eyes and swearing a blue streak.

“Rebecca Jane Stokes, you watch your mouth.  And what are you doing in the pool with your clothes on.”  Gil turned in time to see Gillian Stokes, Nick’s mother, come striding across the lawn towards them.

“Nick did it, Mama.  I was just sitting there and he threw me in.”

“Mama, she was….”

“Enough, both of you.  Gil is going to think he married into a family of heathens.”  Smiling warmly at Gil, Gillian continued.  “Gil, honey, I have been putting up with my children’s pranks and bad behavior since they all were toddlers.  You would think that at their ages, they could at least act like adults.”

“Mrs. Stokes, I think I may have caused it.”

In unison, Becky and Nick both said, “He did start it, Mama.”

Gillian sighed heavily and shook her head.  “I truly hoped that at least one of my children would marry someone mature, but no.  I am so disappointed in you, Gilbert.”

Without another word, Gillian walked back to the house and shut the French doors behind her. 

Gil watched her go and then glared at the two siblings as they burst into laughter.

“Gilbert’s in trouble.”  Nick laughed and Becky snorted.

With a wicked smile, Gil leaned forward.  “You will be using your hand the rest of our honeymoon, Sweetheart.”

The grin left Nick’s face.  “Come on, Babe, I was just playing around.  You can’t cut me off.”

“Watch me.”  Gil turned and followed Gillian into the house.  Neither saw the evil grin that Gil was wearing as he began to plot ways of getting back at them.  He knew he couldn’t do without sex, any more than Nick could, but it sure would be fun to watch Nick squirm for awhile.  As the doors shut behind him, he heard them arguing.

“This is all your fault.”

“My fault?  I’m not the one that started it.  Gil shot you with the water gun.”

“I bet you put him up to it.”

“Did not.”

“Did too.”

Gil shook his head and chuckled.  Gillian looked up from her newspaper.  “Welcome to the family, crazy as it is.”

Gil sat down across from her.  The sun streamed in through the French doors and he could still see Nick and Becky laughing.  Nick had helped Becky out of the pool and was holding out a towel to her.

“I think this family is wonderful.”  Gil said sincerely.

Gillian put her paper down and gave him a warm smile.  “When you and Nick began seeing each other after the…kidnapping, I admit I was a bit upset.  Not because he’s gay.  Not because you were ten years older.  But because you were his supervisor and I assumed wrongly, that this was hero worship on his part.”

Knowing she was going to continue, Gil did not speak.  “That first Christmas when we came to visit you after you had begun to live together, I saw how much you really loved him and how much he truly loved you.   Jim and I discussed you two all the way back to Texas and we concluded that our last child to settle down had picked well.  We’ve been lucky because none of our kids have gotten divorced.  Knock on wood.”  Gil smiled as she knocked on the table.

“Since you are an only child, I admit that I worried about how you would react to all this.”  Her hands swept the walls, covered with photographs of the Stokes family and extended family.  “You fit in here, Gil.  You make my baby boy happy and I love you for that.”

Gil felt his eyes tearing up and blinked quickly, but not before Gillian saw.  Her smile spoke volumes.  She stood and walked around the table, leaned down and put her arms around Gil.  After placing a light kiss on his forehead, she stepped over to the doors.  Becky and Nick were coming across the lawn towards the house.

“A piece of advice,” Gillian said and faced Gil again.

“Anything,” Gil said with a nod.

“My kids are all fun loving.  They love to tease each other, but would do anything for their brothers and sisters.  If you don’t fight back, they’ll eat you alive.” 

“Understood,” Gil said softly, as the door banged open.  Nick and Becky entered the room still wrapped in towels and laughing.

Meeting Gil’s eyes, Nick’s face lit up and he leaned down to kiss Gil.  He whispered, “I love you,” and straightened up.

“Come talk to me while I change.”

“Oh, ick.  That’s a euphemism for sex, isn’t it?” Becky said, making a face at her brother.

“No, it’s not.  If I want to have sex, I just say, ‘Gil, I want to….”

“Nicholas Stokes!  Don’t you dare,” Gillian shouted.  She looked at Gil.  “See what you married into?  I feel like a live in a circus.”

Gil grabbed Nick’s hand and pulled him from the room.  Once they were upstairs and in their room, Nick turned into Gil’s arms.

“Gil, I want to…”  His voice was cut off by Gil’s mouth on his.  He felt Gil’s hands forcing his shorts down his hips and his cock hardened. 

“Your skin is cold,” Gil said running one hand down the length of his shaft, while the other fingered his wet hair.

“So, warm it up,” Nick whispered.  He stepped out of the shorts and pulled Gil towards the bed.  Still holding Gil’s hand, Nick lay back and spread his legs slightly.  Gil gazed down at him.  Sunlight filtered through the blinds causing bright stripes of light on the bed. 

“Bright,” Gil said softly.

“Huh?”  Nick looked perplexed.

“While you were in the pool today, the water was sparkling, you were glistening and this,” Gil touched the ring, “was flashing in the sunlight.  I thought then that my life was so dark until you came and brightened it up.”

Nick didn’t speak, but his look spoke volumes.  A single tear rolled down the side of his face.  Gil leaned down and wiped it away.

“I guess I’m still a bit overdressed, huh?” 

Nick nodded and sat up.  He began to unbuckle Gil’s belt.  Gil pulled his polo shirt over his head and let it drop to the floor.  He sighed when he felt Nick’s hand stroking  him over his pants.  He backed away and quickly toed off his deck shoes.  Within seconds, his pants and boxers joined his shirt.

He knelt on the bed and straddled Nick’s hips.  Their cocks aligned and Gil began to move.  Nick moaned and used his hands to bring Gil’s face in for another kiss. 

“I want you inside me,” Gil whispered against Nick’s mouth.  Nick moved his hands so he could pinch Gil’s nipples gently.  Feeling his lover shiver, Nick applied a bit more pressure. 

“Please.  Please, Nicky.”  Gil fumbled under the pillow and pulled out a tube of warming lubricant.  While Nick continued to pull and pinch his sensitive nipples, Gil poured some into his hand and reached behind him.  He massaged the oily substance around his entrance and then pushed in a finger.

“Make yourself feel good, Babe,” Nick said as he leaned his head forward and took one of Gil’s nipples into his mouth.

Gil ‘s finger worked in and out, his leaking cock pushing steadily against Nick’s.  When he felt Nick’s teeth bite down, he grunted and pulled his finger out.  Lifting up, he wrapped his hand around Nick’s cock and pushed the head so that met the resistance of Gil’s still tight muscle.

“Now?”

“Please.”  Gil gasped as Nick thrust upward.  Then he allowed his hip to sink down, impaling himself until Nick’s cock was buried all the way inside of him.

“God, you feel good.  So fucking tight,” Nick said, gazing up into Gil’s blue eyes.

Gil stayed very still, letting his body adjust.  “You are so beautiful.”

Nick put his hands on Gil’s hips.  “Ride me, Gil.”

Using his strong thigh muscles, Gil began to lift himself up and back down, each time driving Nick’s cock deep inside, forcing the head of his cock against Gil’s prostate.  Nick watched Gil’s cock moving with each thrust, but knew if he touched it that Gil would come before he wanted him too.

Sweat glistened on Gil’s chest as he rode Nick.  “Feels so good,” he panted.  “Come inside me.  Please.”

Nick’s hips bucked beneath him and Gil squeezed tight.  “Fuck, gonna come.  God, Gil.”  Gil watched as Nick’s back arched.  He felt the throbbing and then the wetness and he let himself go.

Streams of cum pumped out of the end of his cock onto Nick’s chest and belly.  Gil felt lightheaded and his thighs were screaming in protest.  He lowered himself one last time and leaned down so his chest rested against Nick’s.

“I love you.  I love you so much,” Gil whispered.

Nick opened his eyes.  “I love you too.  More than you know.”

They lay quietly for awhile until their breathing was back to normal and Gil’s semen had begun to dry.

“I think we need a shower.”

“Probably,” Nick mumbled.  Gil shifted and Nick’s flaccid penis slipped out of him.  He stood and pulled Nick to his feet.

Muttering about wanting a nap, Nick allowed himself to led to the bathroom attached to their bedroom.  Nick leaned against the counter, while Gil adjusted the shower.

Once they were under the hot spray, Gil pulled Nick close and kissed him again.  “I know you are having a great time being with your family, so if you want to cancel the flight out Thursday, it’ll be fine.”

Nick’s eyes opened wide.  “Why would I want to cancel our honeymoon?  Don’t you want to go to Belize and lounge around on the beach and have wild monkey sex?”

Gil chuckled.  “I think I’m too old for wild monkey sex.  I just wanted you to know that I was okay with it if you wanted to stay with your family.”

“I love you.  Really.  But Jesus, Gil.  I can see my family anytime.  I want to spend the next week on the beach.  Drinking out of coconuts with little umbrellas sticking out of them.”

“Got it.  Monkey sex and coconuts.”  Gil smirked and began soaping up his young husband’s body, dreaming of his own tropical fantasies and they didn’t include coconuts.