The more Gabe spoke, the tighter Niles gripped the young man's thigh. There had been a time, when such words would have left him flustered and blushing. It was certainly the sort of things that dominated his thoughts as a young teenager, imagining what Gabe and Connor might be doing to one another. And it almost had that same effect on him now. But there were words in there that raked at him, like claws across his chest.

Pinned. Grappling. Dominance.

Each one dragged a flash of something unpleasant across his mind. Too brief to see, just enough to feel. And that grip suddenly felt as though he were holding a lifeline while that repeated word threatened to drag him down and drown him in the memory he so desperately didn't want.

"I'm serious..." he tried to sound firm, but there was a quiver of fear in his voice. His gaze flicked up to Gabe's face, but only briefly. "Why won't you just tell me?"