The Gutter and the Stars

Riley took the lube from Alex’s hand, slicking their fingers. They reached between Alex’s legs, teasing at their entrance. Alex moaned, spreading their legs wider.

Riley worked them open slowly, carefully, watching Alex’s face for any sign of discomfort. Alex took them easily though, their body welcoming Riley in. When Riley slid a third finger inside, Alex groaned, their head falling back.

“Now, Riley,” they begged. “Please, now.”

Riley nodded, withdrawing their fingers and reaching for the condom. They rolled it on with shaking hands, slicking themselves with more lube. Alex lifted their hips, wrapping their legs around Riley’s waist.

Riley notched themselves against Alex’s entrance, pushing in slowly. They watched Alex’s face as they entered them, marveling at the way their expression softened, their eyes falling closed in pleasure. Alex felt perfect around them, hot and tight and so, so good.

They bottomed out, their hips flush against Alex’s ass. They stayed like that for a moment, letting Alex adjust, dropping soft kisses across their face and neck.

“Move,” Alex whispered, canting their hips. “Please, Riley, move.”

Riley did, pulling out slowly before thrusting back in. They set a steady pace, not too fast, not too slow, just enough to make Alex writhe and moan beneath them. Alex met them thrust for thrust, their hands roaming Riley’s back, their nails digging in.

They moved together like that for what felt like hours, losing themselves in the feel of each other. The room was silent except for the slap of skin on skin, the catch of their breath, the soft, needy sounds they made.

Riley could feel their orgasm building, a tight, hot coil in the pit of their stomach. They reached between them, wrapping their hand around Alex’s cock. Alex cried out, their hips stuttering.

“Come for me,” Riley murmured, their thrusts speeding up. “Come on my cock.”

Alex came with a shout, spilling over Riley’s fist, their body clenching around Riley. The feeling of Alex coming undone sent Riley over the edge. They thrust in deep, their own orgasm crashing over them, filling the condom.

They collapsed together, a panting, sweaty tangle. Riley dealt with the condom, tying it off and tossing it into the trash, before pulling Alex into their arms. Alex went willingly, tucking their head under Riley’s chin, their leg thrown over Riley’s hip.

Riley reached for the thermos on the nightstand, unscrewing the cap and taking a long drink. They passed it to Alex, who did the same, a contented smile on their face.

They lay like that for a long time, talking softly, touching idly. They talked about nothing and everything, their hopes and dreams, their fears and insecurities. They laughed and kissed, their bodies still entwined.

As the night wore on, Alex’s words slowed, their eyes fluttering shut. Riley smiled, pulling the blankets up over them both.

“Sleep, love,” they murmured, pressing a kiss to Alex’s hair. “I’ve got you.”

Alex smiled, already half-asleep. “Love you,” they mumbled.

Riley’s heart clenched, warmth spreading through their chest. They held Alex closer, savoring the weight of them in their arms.

“I love you too,” they whispered, but Alex was already asleep.

Riley lay awake for a while longer, watching Alex sleep, marveling at the turn their life had taken. They’d started this job resentful and angry, ready to do battle with the haughty astronomer who’d taken over their site. They’d never expected to find this. To find Alex.

They’d never expected to fall in love.

But they had. And it was better than anything they could have imagined.

They fell asleep with a smile on their face, Alex held safe in their arms.

Riley woke to the sound of Alex’s phone buzzing insistently on the nightstand. They groaned, burying their face in their pillow. “Make it stop,” they mumbled.

Alex chuckled, reaching over them to grab the phone. “I have to get that. It could be about the inspection.”

Riley grumbled but let them go, watching blearily as Alex sat up, the sheet pooling around their waist. Alex’s brow furrowed as they listened to the voicemail, their expression growing more and more concerned.

“What is it?” Riley asked, sitting up, the last vestiges of sleep vanishing. “What’s wrong?”

Alex lowered the phone, their face pale. “That was Dr. Aris Thorne. My… my former colleague. They’re on the inspection committee.”

Riley’s gut clenched. They didn’t know much about Alex’s past, but they knew it wasn’t all rosy. And the way Alex said Thorne’s name… “Former colleague? You mean your rival?”

Alex nodded, running a hand through their hair. “Yeah. We… we didn’t part on good terms. They’ve always been jealous of my work. Of the opportunities I’ve gotten.”

Riley frowned. “What did they want?”

“They said they found some discrepancies in the observatory’s data. That they needed to do an emergency inspection before the final walkthrough tomorrow.”

Riley’s frown deepened. “Discrepancies? What kind of discrepancies?”

“I don’t know,” Alex said, throwing back the covers and getting out of bed. “But I intend to find out.”

Riley watched them get dressed, their mind racing. Something about this didn’t sit right. Why would Thorne call Alex personally? Why not go through official channels?

They got out of bed, pulling on their own clothes. “I’m coming with you,” they said, grabbing their keys.

Alex looked at them, surprised. “You don’t have to do that. I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding.”

Riley shook their head. “I don’t think it is. And I’m not letting you face this alone.”

Alex’s expression softened. They crossed the room, pulling Riley into a quick, hard kiss. “Thank you,” they murmured.

They drove to the observatory in tense silence, Riley’s gut churning with every mile. When they arrived, Thorne was already there, a smug smile on their face.

“Alex,” they said, their voice dripping with false sincerity. “So good to see you again.”

Alex ignored them, turning to the observatory control panel. “What seems to be the problem?”

Thorne gestured to the main display. “The data from the past week. It’s… inconsistent. Almost as if someone’s been tampering with it.”

Alex’s face paled. “That’s impossible. The system is secure.”

“One would think,” Thorne said, their tone suggesting otherwise. “But the evidence speaks for itself.”

Riley watched the exchange, their eyes narrowing. Thorne was up to something. They could feel it in their bones.

They stepped forward, inserting themselves between Alex and Thorne. “Why don’t you show us this evidence?” they said, their voice calm but firm.

Thorne blinked, clearly not expecting Riley to speak up. “I don’t see how this concerns you,” they said, their lip curling. “This is a matter for the astronomical community.”

“It concerns me because I care about Alex,” Riley said flatly. “And I don’t trust you.”

Thorne sputtered, their face flushing. “How dare you!”

“How dare you,” Riley shot back. “Coming here with your vague accusations and smug smiles. If you have proof, show it. Otherwise, get the hell out of here.”

Thorne glared at them, but reached for the tablet in their bag. They pulled up a series of graphs, pointing to a few data points. “See? These readings are all over the place. There’s no way they’re accurate.”

Riley leaned in, studying the graphs. They didn’t know much about astronomy, but they knew a thing or two about data. And something about these graphs wasn’t adding up.

They turned to Alex. “Do you have the raw data? The unprocessed stuff?”

Alex nodded, already moving to another console. They pulled up a new set of graphs, cleaner and more consistent than the ones Thorne had shown.

Riley compared the two, their eyes flicking back and forth. “There,” they said, pointing to a cluster of data points. “That’s not in the raw data. Someone added it in post-processing.”

Alex leaned in, their eyes widening. “You’re right. That’s not possible. That data doesn’t exist.”

They turned to Thorne, their expression hard. “You did this. You tampered with the data to make it look like there was a problem.”

Thorne’s face twisted. “You can’t prove that.”

“I don’t need to,” Alex said coldly. “The raw data is timestamped and encrypted. It’s impossible to alter without leaving a trail. And your little additions don’t have that trail.”

Thorne opened their mouth to retort, but Riley cut them off. “I think it’s time for you to leave. Before we call the police and have you arrested for trespassing and attempted sabotage.”

Thorne hesitated, clearly realizing they were beaten. With a final glare, they turned on their heel and stalked out.

Alex sagged against the console, their face buried in their hands. “I can’t believe they’d stoop so low.”

Riley rubbed their back soothingly. “I can. Some people will do anything to get ahead.”

Alex looked up, their expression wrecked. “This could have ruined me. If you hadn’t been here…”

Riley squeezed their shoulder. “But I was. And we stopped them.”

Alex nodded, taking a deep breath. “We did. Thanks to you.”