Gabriel Bradshaw
Bio
I've been dating for twenty years, and I have some insane stories to share. Join me on my quest of love: romantic love and the love of labels. The dating world is savage, but I won't give up until I get what I want.
Stories (21)
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The Boy Who Cried Love. Content Warning.
After Terrence ghosted me, it took me awhile to move on. I was well aware that we hadn't been dating, but after three months of 'hanging out' and being intimate, it seemed like we were at the very least, on the road to dating. I couldn't understand how he could just cut me out of his life so callously, how he could live with himself knowing the pain and distress that he was causing me. It wasn't until the following spring that I even started to seriously talk to guys again.
By Gabriel Bradshaw 5 days ago in Humans
Fingering It Out. Content Warning.
It's not uncommon to develop feelings for someone after sleeping with them. I'm usually pretty good at remaining detached after sex, but after Zane and I slept together - after our first official date - I couldn't help but admit that while I wasn't in love with him, I was warming up to the idea of having him in my life. There weren't any guarantees that it would progress to a relationship, but I felt more comfortable with him - sexually - than I did with most guys, which I took as a good sign.
By Gabriel Bradshaw 12 days ago in Humans
Skate Date. Content Warning.
The morning of my first official date with Zane I woke up to bad omens. As soon as my alarm went off, I went to rub the sleep from my eyes and got jolted awake as something inside my eye scratched across my cornea. I felt my eye water profusely, already knowing that it would be bloodshot. I tried flushing it with water, and while it helped ease the discomfort, it did not remove the foreign object; occasionally I still felt it scratching around in there as I got ready. This is not an uncommon experience for me, as I have what one optometrist at Walmart described as a 'lazy blink.' My eyelids don't meet when I blink or close my eyes - unless I squeeze them tightly shut, so it's not uncommon for cat hair and dander to get in my eyes while I sleep.
By Gabriel Bradshaw 19 days ago in Humans
Rule of Tongue. Content Warning.
It is generally considered bad form to have any sort of sexual relations with someone if you have any hopes of having an actual relationship with them. I generally follow this rule, after all, why would someone 'cuff' you if they know they can get the goods for free, with zero commitment and absolutely obligation? Still, sometimes things happen and rules get broken.
By Gabriel Bradshaw 26 days ago in Filthy
Cell Block(ed) Tango. Content Warning.
About a month after Max and I called it quits I started to feel that familiar itch; to find someone to give me the things I need - time, attention, cuddles. Sure, I had never fully logged off of Grindr or the other apps, but I've just been killing time looking for the more seductive instant gratification. Why be sad and lonely when you can half-assed scroll through dating sites and hookup apps? And why bother worrying about feelings when you can just live more freely unattached? When I'm in one of these slumps I love to find a hot guy - more than likely not a top choice, but higher on the scale than most - to talk and flirt with. I get the rush of adrenaline when things heat up and the flood of dopamine after it's done; and as an added bonus I don't have to worry about boyfriend stuff. Even if I didn't make it abundantly clear that I'm only looking for something casual - as casual as casual can be, preferably - my cold demeanor and air of peculiarity certainly dispel anyone from the notion of getting to know me better.
By Gabriel Bradshaw about a month ago in Filthy
To Feet or Not to Feet. Content Warning.
There are a wide variety of kinks out there, from tickling and humiliation to scat and water sports; I try to be open-minded and not judge most of the time, but one that particularly makes me uncomfortable is a foot fetish. I recently watched the television adaption of Fellow Travelers; as hot as I find Jonathan Bailey to be, the scene where he was sucking on Matt Bomer's toes irked me. I'd sooner die than have anyone's toes in my mouth; I've been skeeved out by feet for as long as I can remember, possibly because in the seventh grade, we were having a discussion in science class and someone said that no matter how much you wash your feet, they inherently carry bacteria, yeast, and fungi. A study from the BBC found that people who washed their feet twice daily had an estimated 8,800 bacteria living in every square centimeter of their skin; that is far too many bacteria for me to even be willing to consider making contact with my mouth or hands. I wouldn't say that I am a full-fledged germaphobe, after all, I live with a clowder of cats; I allow them to sleep in my bed and on my pillows, I give them kisses and hold them in my lap. I convince myself that as long as I'm not making direct mouth-to-mouth contact with my cats - absolutely no sharing of food - then I'm avoiding the most disgusting, devious germs.
By Gabriel Bradshaw about a month ago in Filthy
Hell Hath No Furry. Content Warning.
Have you ever met someone out in the real world who was weird, but then the more you encounter them the more open they get? I've had an experience with that over the past seven months that still leaves me baffled and shaking my head. I'm sure it's far from over, but even so, it still makes an interesting story to tell.
By Gabriel Bradshaw 2 months ago in Filthy
Bro Jobs and Hand Jobs. Content Warning.
I had assumed that after my straight friend, James, and I had hooked up, that our friendship would dissolve, or, at the very least, grow strained. It's not every day that a straight guy lets his gay friend suck him off, after all. In my experience, it was very rare that introducing sex into a platonic friendship had no consequences.
By Gabriel Bradshaw 2 months ago in Filthy
The Longest Night. Content Warning.
About a month after Max and I called it quits he visited me in a dream. We had not had any contact since that last day in the gas station, and I tried my best to focus on other things, but as more time went by, I found myself missing him. I didn't miss jumping through hoops to get a response from him, but I did miss how it felt when we cuddled, the way his face would light up when he spotted me, how he'd grin when I choked him during intimate moments. This was most likely the reason for his appearance in my dream rather than anything more cosmic or romantic, but in the dream he came into my work and surprised me with lunch. He told me he really wanted to see me when I got out; intuitively I knew that he wanted to win me back. When I awoke to reality, I was disappointed that it had just been a dream.
By Gabriel Bradshaw 2 months ago in Filthy
Bon App(s)etit. Content Warning.
As someone who has been on the journey to find a partner for over twenty years -- with no luck -- I often wonder how different my life would be if I'd been born in a different era. Being thirty-five in the age of social media, it feels like an already miniscule pond is even smaller. It doesn't help that the area I live in far from a gay metropolis. Sure, the surrounding areas -- Saginaw, Midland, Flint -- have a bigger gay community, but since I'm pretty much a hermit, it doesn't benefit me much. Two years ago, I went to Pride in Bay City hoping that I'd meet some guys, if not get a few phone numbers, but was disappointed when no one really batted an eye at me.
By Gabriel Bradshaw 2 months ago in Humans
Late Night Rendezvous. Content Warning.
A month or two BC (before Covid) I started talking to a guy on Grindr. His name was Santiago; I learned that he had a young son and that he was straight but curious. He told me that he had fallen asleep on his brother's couch one day, when his brother's friend had started touching his dick. Santiago had woken up but pretended to still be asleep; surprisingly he had kind of liked it, making him curious about being with a guy.
By Gabriel Bradshaw 2 months ago in Filthy
The Aftermath: Labels of Love. Content Warning.
The end of a relationship -- no matter how early -- is always disappointing. While I had managed to maintain my own sense of self separate from being with Max, I had started to grow accustomed to his presence in my life. I had looked forward to getting to know his boys better, meeting his sister -- officially -- and getting to tell his mom that she reminded me of a slightly thick, gothic Laura Prepon, at least in the pictures I'd seen of her. I had even gone so far as to gear myself up to battle the baby mamas if need be. As soon as I'd processed that Kimber -- Vaughn's mom -- had not seen him in three years and yet had the audacity to accuse Max of influencing him to cross dress, I decided that should Max and I work out, I would not put up with her ignorance.
By Gabriel Bradshaw 3 months ago in Humans
