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gvbejvmes · 4 years ago

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Drabble: The Present

Title: Fridays with CeCe Rating: PG-13 Characters: Gabriel James-Michaels, Bella James-Michaels, Constance James, Miss Alison, Andrew James, Maxxie Turner, Jonathan James-Michaels (mentioned), Velvet Starr (mentioned), Tommy “Kid” Kidderro (mentioned) Relationship: Implied Gabriel James-Michaels/Jonathan James-Michaels, Andrew James/Maxxie Turner, past Andrew James/Velvet Starr Warnings: Implied drug use and child endangerment, mentions of canon murder and incorrect medical diagnoses Summary: Twice a month Bella had a playdate at social services.

Twice a month Bella had a playdate at social services. She called it her ‘CeCe Day.’ He or Jay would take her down there, and she would bounce excitedly in their arms as she told them about all the things she wanted to do while she was there. It was always on a Friday, and it was always four hours in the morning. When they picked her up, she would either chatter on and on at 100mph about what she and her CeCe had done or she would be mopey because her CeCe showed up late or forgot about their playdate. Mostly she loved Playdate Days. Gabe, on the other hand, despised them.

While he and Johnny called them ‘Playdate Days,’ they’d never actually explained to Bella what they were. They would when she was older, but for now, she was too young to understand. All she knew was that her Mommy’s name was CeCe (well, Constance, but she chose to call her CeCe), and she had a standing playdate with her every other Friday. She never asked why it was always in the same room. And she never asked why Miss Alison, their caseworker, was always there. She only knew that she only got to see CeCe in a certain place at a certain time - the specifics didn’t bother her yet. Bella was three months old when Gabe got the call from social services asking if he could take custody of his granddaughter; she didn’t know any other life than this one.

Like most ‘Playdate Days,’ Gabe arrived a half hour early to pick Bella up. He didn’t know why he did it. Sometimes it was because he was already in the area and didn’t want to stray too far away. Other times it was because he had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Today it was a combination of the two. He still needed to go to the art store to pick up a couple of brushes he had custom ordered, but something in his gut had told him to stop by the social services building first.

Instead of going in right away and sitting in the waiting room, he went around to the back of the building to the designated smoking area first - and that was when he saw her.

Constance James was skinny in a way that didn’t look natural. She had definition around her collarbone and chest that reminded Gabe of bird bones. It was like her body didn’t know how to retain fat or muscle tissue on that part of her body. She almost looked concave, but Gabe wouldn’t go quite that far. Her skin didn’t sit quite right on her bones - like she’d lost weight too quickly and her skin tried to conform to her body, but failed. It didn’t hang, but it didn’t look entirely normal either.

Her long blonde hair was streaked with black dye and was pulled back into a severe ponytail at the crown of her head. A cigarette was dangling from her lips as she texted rapidly on her phone. Her nails were short, and the cuticles looked picked at. Chipped nail polish caught the sunlight as her fingers moved across the screen.

She must have seen him approach because she suddenly groaned and put her phone away. “Did they call you?” She asked as she pulled the cigarette out of her mouth. Her foot was pressed against the side of the building, which made Gabe think of a flamingo for some reason.

“Should they have called me, Connie?” He asked his daughter as he pulled out his own cigarette and lit up. He leaned against the wall near her, knowing better by now than to try to have direct eye contact with his estranged daughter.

She shrugged and took a long drag of her cigarette. She looked better than the last time he had seen her. A lot of the time she ducked out before Gabe could get a good look at her. Today she was wearing jeans that actually fit without falling off her hips, and a thick gray sweater that fell off her shoulder, but that looked like it was the style and not the size. She looked healthier than the last time he’d seen her. Of all the things to have inherited, she inherited her mother’s terrible parenting and her grandfather’s temper and addiction.

“I dunno. They always seem to call you when I fuck up.” She admitted. “Ari kicked me out of the room.”

That was going to be a fun conversation with the case worker. He nodded and took a drag, using the time to think about what to say to that. “She prefers being called Bella.” He finally settled on.

Connie finished her cigarette and dropped the butt onto the ground before pushing off the wall. “No, you prefer Bella. She’s three. She’ll answer to any name I call her.” And with that his daughter started walking back towards the street. “I’ll see you when I see you.”

He watched his daughter walk away before finishing his cigarette and sanitizing his hands. There were so many things he wanted to say to her, but they both knew she wouldn’t listen. Pushing all thoughts of his daughter away, he went inside to pick up Bella. And sure enough, as soon as he walked into the waiting room, the receptionist led him into a conference room to wait for the caseworker.

“Mr. James-Michaels.” Miss Alison greeted him. And it was Miss Alison. He’d tried just calling her Alison once and she nearly bit his head off. His husband said it was a Child Services/Social Worker thing and to just roll with it.

“Miss Alison.” He greeted in return, watching as she sat down at the table across from him. “I ran into Connie outside.”

The younger woman’s face paled. “Did she tell you what happened?” She pulled out her tablet and Gabe knew from experience that she was pulling up their file.

“Just that Bella threw her out of the room. And that she’s trying to make ‘Ari’ happen.”

Miss Alison sighed. “I put in a call to the judge. We may have to terminate her visitation for a couple of weeks.” It looked like she was looking for the best way to explain to Gabe what happened. Technically there was video footage, but Gabe hated watching it and Miss Alison knew that.

“Miss James has once again refused to follow the rules of visitation. She was thirty minutes late, she insisted on referring to Bella as Ari, even after both myself and Bella asked her to refrain, and she once again told Bella she was going to buy a house and take her away from you. It was at that point that Bella screamed and asked her to go away. We escorted Miss James out immediately. It’s become very clear that the current arrangement is not conducive to Bella’s wellbeing. You and your husband will likely get a summons within the next week or so with a court date to meet with Judge Murphy again.”

Before Gabe could respond, there was a knock on the door, and one of the assistants popped their head into the room. “Sorry, Bella kept asking me to call you. When I let her know you were already here, she demanded to see you because and I quote ‘the connatution says so.’” And he looked like he was trying so hard not to laugh.

Gabe rolled his eyes. “That she definitely got from my husband.” He dug around in his satchel and pulled out a package of freeze dried apple slices and tossed them at the assistant before pulling off his beanie and tossing that to him as well. “Those should tide her over until I’m done in here.” He promised. “I have to go over my and my husband’s availability for the next couple of weeks with Miss Alison.”

By the time Gabe finished his conversation and went to the other room to collect Bella, she was standing by the door, coat on and his beanie shoved down over her wild hair. “Took you long enough, GG.” She complained as he signed her out and carried her out of the building. “You dunno what I had to deal with today.”

His granddaughter was definitely three going on forty-seven.

After going to pick up his custom brushes, they headed over to the Collective so they could drop them off in his studio and because there were some orders he apparently needed to authorize. As soon as they walked inside, Bella told him she wanted to watch ‘the spinning’. He had no idea what she was talking about, until they walked to the classroom and he saw Maxxie running his beginning pottery class. Bella scampered off to sit near Maxxie and watch him move his clay around. Somehow he had a feeling she was going to wind up covered in clay - again. Shaking his head, he walked out of the classroom to find Andrew James sitting at the reception desk.

His son was twenty-six years old and all dark hair and tan skin. There was something about his hair that reminded Gabe of how his hair had been when he was his age. It was long and hung in his eyes - all the damn time. He was broad-shouldered, but was constantly hunching in on himself. It was like he was trying to make himself smaller everywhere he went. If he had to describe his son in one word, it would be skittish.

He spent years on medication he didn’t need after he claimed that he saw aliens take his aunt away. It wasn’t until he was older that he finally saw a therapist who saw his story for what it was: a way for his brain to comprehend a horrible thing he’d witnessed. Unfortunately by that time, he’d already spent years on medication he never needed and the side effects were irreversible. Thankfully the worst of it was memory loss and shaky hands.

“What are you doing working today?” He asked curiously as he gestured for his son to let him onto the computer. His son had been working at the Collective since he moved to New York. He’d made it clear he didn’t want any handouts, but he’d connected so well with the others at the Collective that it was strange to think about him working anywhere else. “I thought you refused to work on days Maxxie and Velvet were working.”

He’d dated both Velvet and Maxxie and now tried to avoid both of them whenever he could. His relationship with Velvet hadn’t been all that serious. As soon as he found out Velvet slept in a coffin, he was out. Maxxie, on the other hand, had been very serious. They’d dated for six months, which was the longest he’d ever seen his friend in a relationship. It had ended badly, to say the very least. He wasn’t entirely sure what happened between them, but fire had been involved somehow.

Drew made a face as he perched on the desk, shoulders hunched over and ankles crossed. “That’s not true.” He lied. “I traded shifts with Kid. He had his first GED prep class today.”

Gabe smiled at that. It had taken Tommy long enough. He pulled up the order he needed to review. There were still things he needed to do up in his office, but knowing that his son was working made him want to stay downstairs with him for as long as he could get away with it.

“CJ texted me.” Drew said after a long moment. “She wanted me to talk some ‘sense’ into you.”

He rolled his eyes. “And how’s that going for you?” While Connie didn’t talk to him, she still talked to her brother, but mostly only when she needed something. Drew, for his part, didn’t take sides. He loved his sister despite her faults, but he also knew how she was and what was best for his niece.

Before Drew could respond, Maxxie’s voice came from the classroom. “Pookie! Can you come get your little sister?! She’s throwing clay on the ground.” And nothing about that surprised him except for…

“Pookie?” He mouthed at his son, eyebrow raised. Maybe there was more to Drew working today than just taking Tommy’s shift.

His son blushed as he hopped off the desk. “That’s the part you’re focusing on? Not the fact that he keeps calling my niece my sister?” He grumbled out. “I’ll watch Bella; just go work.” He waved a hand in his dad’s direction.

As his son disappeared into the classroom and he could hear Bella squealing in delight, he couldn’t help but to mouth out again: “Pookie?”

#drabble #pairing: Gabe/Johnny #pairing: Drew/Maxxie

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gvbejvmes · 4 years ago

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Drabble: The Past

Title: August 15, 2002 Rating: PG-13 Characters: Gabriel James (or Michaels), Andrew James, Constance James, Nancy James (or Conrad), Georgiana Adams (or James) Relationship: Implied Gabriel James/Nancy James Warnings: Canon murder, canon attempted murder, infidelity, graphic description of a murder scene, visual blood imagery, homophobic language Summary: It was two in the morning, and Gabe had been expecting to come home to a dark house.

“The alien came and took her away. The alien came and took her away. The alien came and took her away.” Eight year old Andrew James was sitting on the floor, his back pressed against the living room wall. He was rocking back and forth and his hands were moving in front of him, as though he was pushing around something in the air. “They’re going to come back. They’re going to come back for me, too.”

It was two in the morning, and Gabe had been expecting to come home to a dark house. He’d been out at the gay bar two towns over again under the premise of doing inventory at the store. His family should have been asleep and yet here was his eight year old still awake and talking to himself. “DJ,” Gabe began slowly as he dropped down to his knees in front of his son.

The buzz from the bar and from his hook-up was fading quickly. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong, but he wasn’t sober enough quite yet to figure out what was going on. “Buddy, what happened?”

Drew’s eyes went wide. “There was a bright light.” He told Gabe, suddenly launching himself into his lap. His little hands latched onto Gabe’s cheeks - little hands that were tacky wet. “It woke me up. The aliens came for Aunt G. Mom tried to fight them off, but it was too late. The aliens got her. The aliens got Aunt G.”

Gabe swallowed and gently removed his son’s hands from his face. He was pretty sure he’d figured out what his hands were covered in. He was also pretty sure that if he thought about what was one his face, he’d throw up. “Drew, where were the aliens at?” His voice broke halfway through. Did he even want to know?

“The backyard. The aliens are on the patio.”

Slowly he stood up, picking up his son in the process. He carried him into the kitchen, and froze when he got a good look at him under the fluorescent light. His son was covered in blood. Setting him down on a kitchen chair, he immediately started searching his son for wounds. “Are you hurt?” He sounded frantic and yeah - definitely sober.

“Dad, dad, I’m fine.” Drew batted his hands away. “It’s just the fluid the aliens left behind.”

He looked at his son before glancing towards the sliding glass door. “Stay here.” He walked outside and tried the light switch for the patio light - broken. It was dark outside, but he stepped outside anyway and stepped immediately into something wet and sticky.

There was a flash of ember from the planter, and he squinted in the darkness to find his wife sitting on the stone bench in front of the planter, smoking a cigarette. “I wouldn’t look down if I were you.” And her voice sounded cold.

Before he could say anything to that, there was a shrill scream. He spun around to find his four year old daughter, Constance, standing in the doorway, her little Barbie flashlight in hand. And her light was shining on the dead body of his little sister. She screamed again and that was when Gabe realized he was covered in his sister’s blood.

“Connie,” He started out slowly, but it was too late. The little girl ran into the house and he knew she was calling the police. He knew it with every fiber of his being. They had raised their children right; it was what they had taught them to do.

As he stood on the dark patio, his wife chuckled darkly. “If you had answered your phone earlier, you wouldn’t be wearing Georgie’s blood right now.”

He should have followed after his daughter or checked on his son, but instead all he could focus on was his wife. Something snapped. He was across the patio in two large strides, and as sirens echoed in the distance his hands clamped down on his wife’s neck. He was going to kill her; he had enough time. He was going to do it. This was her fault.

Her cigarette burned into his flesh as he strangled her. As much as she tried to fight, he was bigger than she was. He could see the moment the light was about to leave her eyes when he was struck with a stupid thought: if he killed her, she would be with Georgie. He would be alone and his wife would be with Georgie. Fuck that. He let go of her.

Nancy gave a raspy laugh as she fell to her knees. “You’re fucking weak, Gabriel.” She pushed her hair out of her face. “You really thought I believed you were at the store? You’re a shitty liar. I thought if you could just get it out of your system you’d be fine, but no. You’re a fucking f-g.” She looked at him and he could see the purple marks from his hands around her neck. “A fucking f-g who was looking into divorce. If we’re going to get divorced it’s going to be on my terms.”

Yep. He should have killed her. He was on her again, hands digging into her windpipe. And that was when the cops arrived.

#drabble #pairing: Gabe/Nancy

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gvbejvmes · 4 years ago

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I believe in absolute honesty and sensible social lies. I believe in a woman's right to choose, a baby's right to live, that while all human life is sacred there's nothing wrong with the death penalty if you can trust the legal system implicitly, and that no one but a moron would ever trust the legal system. I believe that life is a game, that life is a cruel joke, and that life is what happens when you're alive and that you might as well lie back and enjoy it.

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gvbejvmes · 4 years ago

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Drabble: The Kale Chronicles

Title: The Kale Chronicles (2010) Rating: PG-13 Characters: Gabriel James-Michaels, Jonathan James-Michaels, Kaleidoscope Johnson, Zacarias Fawkes Relationships: Gabe/Johnny, Kale/Zach, Gabe & Kale Summary: Did he tell you? Did he tell you we were best friends now?

2010 “Is this your first gala?” The voice surprises Gabe and he almost dumps his glass of champagne all over the man next to him. As far as Gabe can tell he’s ten, maybe fifteen years older than him. He’s caramel skin and deep brown eyes that are dragged down by wrinkles and dark circles. Gabe’s sure that in his heyday he was handsome and had his pick of partners. Now he looked sick and frail, like one wrong breath will knock him over. The wheelchair probably added to that illusion, too. And the fact that he was leaning towards one side, brightly colored pillows keeping him propped up. “Am I that obvious?” He asked with a chuckle. Being invited to the MET was one thing. Being invited to the MET Gala because you were a finalist for a permanent installation piece? That was a whole different ballgame, and Gabe had been antsy as hell since they got there. His husband had gotten pulled away by someone he knew from school almost right away, which left Gabe to be sucked into the art crowd. It wasn’t that the art crowd was a bad place to be. These were his people, after all, but he felt like an interloper. They hadn’t been in New York for very long; it didn’t feel like his scene quite yet. The man laughed. “It’s just that no one has sunk their claws into you yet. You’re Gabreel, right?” He offered his hand up for Gabe to shake. “I’m Zach. Zacarias, but don't call me that. Call me Zach. Also, I’m dying. AIDS. Well, HIV, but it’s the same difference in the end, isn’t it?” And he spoke so quickly that Gabe had a hard time keeping up with him. His accent made Gabe think of New Orleans - maybe Creole? There was a cadence to the way he spoke. The consonants and vowels didn’t line up quite the same as Gabe’s own laidback West Coast pronunciation. “I guess.” He said with a shrug. “You’re one of the other finalists, right? You made the see-through hospital bed.” Zach nodded. “Scope - that’s my partner - he said it’s a little too on the nose, but he’s bitter right now.” The other man picked at the seam on his armrest. It seemed like this was probably a point of contention between Zach and his partner. “He likes to bury his head in the sand when things get a little too tough. Anyway, he didn’t see the point in coming tonight. Said you were going to win.” That took Gabe by surprise. “Your partner doesn’t think you’re going to win? Your piece is beautiful.” And he meant it. After seeing the art he was competing against, Gabe had no idea why he was even selected. Everyone was just so talented, and his piece… Well, his piece was different than the others. They had made sculptures. Gorgeous pieces made of metals Gabe wasn’t sure how they were able to afford, and his piece was… Well, it was a prison cell with malleable bars and a painted sky. He didn’t feel like he was on the same level as the others. He shrugged. “Naw, but that’s Scope. He always tells it like it is.” The look on Zach’s face made it seem like that was his favorite thing about him. “C’mon. Come sit with me until it’s time to find out who won.” And oversharer or not, Gabe found himself following after him. A Month Later “Gabreel,” Zach was bundled under three blankets as Gabe pushed him through the walking path at the hospital. It was only in the high 60s, but Zach was freezing. His nasal cannula was pushed out of his nose. He wanted to breathe fresh air - not bottled air. The doctors hadn’t even wanted Zach out of bed, but the older man had insisted and well, he had a way about always getting his way. “Did you know Scope and I have been together almost twenty years?” That made Gabe pause for a moment as he processed that. He’d barely been married in comparison. He couldn’t imagine being with someone for 20 years. Especially as a gay man in New York in the 90s. It amazed him they were together for this long. And he wasn’t even factoring in all the stories he’d heard about Scope. “You must have been babies when you got together.” He said finally, continuing their walk. Zach nodded - or at least Gabe thought it was a nod; it could have been a cough. “Scope was barely 18. I was 29, you know. I was a very bad boy. I was ready to settle down. And Scope? Well, I think he just looked at me and thought: this one is mine now.” This time Zach did cough, and he pulled the cannula back into his nose for a bit before he was able to talk again. “Scope broke up with me last week. Think he thought it would be easier - not to watch me die.” He didn’t know how to respond to that. “Zach…” And what was he going to say? That he wasn’t dying? He was. That Scope was being a chicken? He probably would have done the same. He couldn’t fault him, but he also couldn’t comprehend breaking up with someone you loved so deeply. “Don’t try, Gabreel.” Zach murmured out as he fiddled with one of his blankets. “This hasn’t been easy for him. We didn’t know my status until much later into our relationship. We’ve had more scares than you know. I ate clean, did what I could to stay healthy, but our friends? Their luck weren’t so great. They died one after the other. And I… I just didn’t. For a while I think he just thought it was a false positive and then this year…” He gave a dry sounding laugh. “This year it reared its ugly head with a vengeance. I’ll be gone by Christmas - don’t try to argue. We both know it’s true. And I need you to promise me something.” And he knew - he knew what the promise was going to be. He knew it wasn’t going to be easy, and yet he still found himself saying: “Anything.” A few months later “Kaleidoscope? It’s Gabriel. We’ve met a couple of times at the hospital? I’m Zach’s friend. I’ve been taking him to his appointments for that study he was participating in.” Gabe wasn’t sure what he would be walking into. From what Zach had told him during their brief friendship, Kaleidoscope had run away to the city at a young age, and their friend group had been… wild. Other than a woman named Katie, Zach and Kaleidoscope were the last ones standing. Drugs and HIV had wiped out the rest. And now? Now it was just Kaleidoscope. The entire condo was pitch black. As Gabe traversed further inside, he turned on lights and opened windows to air the place out. It smelled like the other man had been in mourning for a lot longer than the week Zach had been gone. Zach had warned Gabe that Kaleidoscope could come off as being… a lot. He had a big personality, but a lot of it was manufactured. It had been created to deal with his many losses, and Zach had begged Gabe to see through him. And Gabe’s plan was to hold true to that promise. When it came to promises to the dead, Gabe was a sucker. “Scope, I know you’re home.” He called out, walking until he found the kitchen. Once it was aired out, he grabbed a trash bag to conquer the living room. “And I know you know what today is. And we both know you’re going today.” He poked at a congealed mess stuck to some magazines and just tossed the entire thing into the garbage bag. Room accomplished, he set the bag out in the hallway for now before making his way deeper into the condo. “I’m coming in.” He all but kicked the door open to find Kaleidoscope half-dressed and lying in the middle of the bed. “I finally understand what the point of that stupid Jonathan Larsen musical is now.” He said apropos to nothing. “I am now the only one to survive.” “On a scale of 1-5, how stoned are you right now?” Gabe asked as he approached the bed and got Kaleidoscope into a sitting position. “Yeah, you’re going to need to shower.” As he shifted Kaleidoscope to his feet, the other man grabbed Gabe’s wrist. “He said he picked you out for me.” And great. He was drunk and stoned. The perfect combination for a funeral. “He said you were lonely, too. You lost everyone, too. He said we would be best friends. Did he tell you? Did he tell you we were best friends now?” And he hadn’t, but that made sense. He had been dying and he just wanted to make sure his partner was taken care of. “Yeah, Scope.” He conceded. “We’re best friends now.” And it would be one of the last times he’d call him that. The name would remind both of them too much of Zach. But in that moment Gabe knew it was true - they were going to be best friends whether Gabe liked it or not. Towards the end of the year When Gabe got the invitation to attend the dinner party at Kaledescope’s place, he had a moment where he wasn’t sure if it was a good idea. First, it was his first party since his partner passed away, and second, it was Jay’s first social event with the Collective. It wasn’t like he was hiding his husband from them. It was more like… he knew how his friends were, and he knew how his husband was. They were completely different personalities and he didn’t know how well they were going to mesh, but he figured he could only put it off for so long. They had barely walked into the condo when Katie grabbed him. “You need to talk to your friend.” Katie had known Kaleidoscope longer, but she never actually considered them friends. He was her big brother’s friend - that was how she told it. “He’s lost his mind.” All he can do is shoot Jay an apologetic look before he’s pulled deeper into the condo. Although condo is a loose term. One of four units on the floor of a luxury building is a better word. And she’s not wrong. The condo was huge, and yet there seemed to be people everywhere. This was definitely not the quiet dinner party he had been promised. It was like the other man had switched from being in mourning to being a party animal overnight. He honestly didn’t know how he had turned into Kaleidoscope’s keeper. He’d barely known the man when he had decided they were best friends, and word had spread to everyone else they knew. Apparently Gabe was the only person remotely capable of dealing with Kaleidoscope’s mood swings. Or maybe it was because everyone else they knew had only known Kaleidoscope when it was Zach + Scope. They didn’t know how to deal with a man who was spiraling out of control now that he was alone. Gabe had only known Zach for a brief period of time, but the version of Scope that Gabe had met was the one who was slowly going crazy from loss. And that was how Gabe found himself walking into Kaleidoscope's bedroom - where he was in the middle of a threesome with two blonde tan men. He’s not sure where it comes from, but he slammed the door shut and closed his eyes. “Ken Doll 1 and Ken Doll 2 - beat it.” It must be the tone of his voice - or maybe they were startled by the slamming of the door. Either way the two men all but scrambled out of the bed and into their clothes. Neither of them looked at Gabe before leaving him alone with Kaleidoscope. “I didn’t think you would be a spoil sport.” Kaleidoscope grumbled out - and there was the sound of him putting his clothes back on. “Weren’t you the one who said I shouldn’t be holing myself up in here? That it’s been six months since Zach died and I needed to get out and re-embrace the world?” It was physically taking everything in him to not open his eyes. “I didn’t mean to throw keggers and have orgies.” He defended before deciding to finally open his eyes. “I meant taking walks or opening your art software and painting again. Scope.” “Don’t call me that.” And it was a growl more than anything else. “I’m rebranding. I’m now just Kaleidoscope. You can call me Kale.” And it sounded like he had just decided that part. “My friends can call me Kale. Where’s your wife?” Gabe couldn’t help but to stare at him. “My ex-wife?” He tried to clarify - not fully able to keep up with the sudden change in conversation. “She’s in Roswell with my kids?” Kale sighed dramatically. “No. Your new wife.” He waved an impatient hand at Gabe. “You said you were married.” It took him a moment to realize where the confusion was coming from. Same-sex partnerships were legal in New York, but marriage licenses weren’t being issued yet. Same-sex marriages from other states, however, were still being recognized in New York. “Yes.” He said slowly, mostly because he didn’t know what Kale’s reaction was going to be. “I am married, but I don’t have a wife. I have a husband, and he’s with Katie I think.” And all that fake bravado and the new personality fell off his face for a moment. “You married your partner.” And he sounded small. He’d been with the same man for 20 years, but marriage… that had been off the table for them. “What’s his name?” The question was strange, but he found himself answering anyway. “Johnny. Well, Jonathan.” And he didn’t know why Kale needed to know, but he felt like it was part of his coping process. Kale nodded and then as suddenly as it had left, the fake persona was back. “Let’s go meet your Jonathan.”

#drabble #pairing: Gabe/Johnny #relationship: Gabe & Kale

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gvbejvmes · 4 years ago

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Drabble: Pretty (Wo)Man

Title: Pretty (Wo)Man Rating: R Pairing: Gabriel/Jonathan Summary: Pretty Woman AU

The coffee shop is full of people. That was why Gabriel had chosen it after all. Large crowded places kept his potential clients from trying anything stupid. Over the years he’d learned that the best way to fly under the radar was to make sure he didn’t stand out. No one was going to pay any mind to an artist discussing a potential commission - no matter how wealthy the client was. Especially in a coffee shop where no one could hear themselves think. Now, the fact that Gabriel being an artist had mostly nothing to do with these transactions? Well, that was another beast all together. “Relax.” Gabriel shot the man a warm smile as he picked up his cup of tea and took a careful sip. “We’re just two men discussing a potential art commission.” And technically they were; it just wasn’t the important bit. He gestured to his sketchbook on the table between them. "Feel free to flip through some of my mock ups.” He slid the coffee cup away from the other man. “And maybe I should have ordered you decaf. You’re too wound up for coffee.” The man, Mr. Michaels, shot him a peculiar look before taking the proffered sketchbook and opening the first page. Gabriel understood his confusion. Art wasn’t actually what they were there to discuss, but Gabriel always threw in an actual painting. It made the money exchanged legal, and when Gabriel filed his taxes, he listed everything he was paid as part of his commission fee. Everything was by the book, at least on paper. He was an artist who just had a really bad habit of falling into bed with his clients. And he had the receipts to prove it. They bought a painting. Everything else just sort of… happened. “These are…” Mr. Michaels looked up at him. “Really good.” Gabriel smiled. He knew he was talented. The problem was that art didn’t pay the bills - not when he had three children to feed. He would much rather get paid all the time for his art, but he was a single parent. He didn’t have time to be pounding the streets and hosting shows in galleries that barely paid what he’d invested. Trying to break into the art scene took years, and constant effort. As much as he loved art, it didn’t make sense to waste his time working the scene. Not when he could get pounded instead and make enough in a couple nights work to keep his family fed for a month. “Aw, fvck, I didn’t mean.” And the other man looked embarrassed. He really was uncomfortable with the entire situation, which made no sense to Gabriel. Why set up a meeting with an escort when it obviously was the last place in the world he wanted to be? Gabriel laughed, and laid a hand over Mr. Michaels’ hand. “I know what you meant.” He assured him, giving his hand a squeeze before settling back into his seat. “It’s a large investment, and it’s probably more than you’ve ever spent on a piece of art before.” He gave the other man a significant look. Surely, he hadn’t thought that Gabriel would openly call what they were doing a date out in public. “But I assure you, every transaction is safe, curated to the buyer, and designed to fit your needs. It’s a hefty sum, but Mr. Michaels, I do not skimp on my materials. It will be everything you need for your lifestyle.” The other man seemed to be absorbing this. “Now, what is it that you’re looking for?” Mr. Michaels didn’t answer right away, but Gabriel wasn’t expecting him to. This was a delicate transaction and most of Gabriel’s clients weren’t the type who usually needed to buy company. They hired Gabriel because they were in a situation they couldn’t handle alone: weddings of ex-lovers, fundraisers, extended trips with families - places where a date was necessary but not just any date, one that would leave them better from their company. That’s where he came in. Before Mr. Michaels could say anything, Gabriel’s phone rang, and he swore under his breath at the ringtone. “Just a moment.” He pulled out his phone and turned slightly away from his potential client. “DJ, I’m in the middle of a meeting.” He listened for a moment before rolling his eyes. “No, I don’t know when I’m going to be home. You knew I had work today. That’s what the schedule is for, kiddo. If you want to go out with your girlfriend, bring the kids with you.” He rolled his eyes again. “No, you can’t just leave them alone. They’re too young to stay home alone. Have your girlfriend come over. End of discussion.” After ending the call, he turned back to face his client who once again was giving him a strange look. This man was making his head spin, and it had been a long time since any man gave him whiplash like this: client or not. “I have three kids.” He offered before the other man could ask. There was no shame in the way he provided for his children, but he’d learned pretty early on to keep things on his terms. When things were on his terms, nothing could be used against him. “Two girls and a boy. Now, what were you looking for?” Mr. Michaels swallowed for a moment before sliding the sketchbook back to him. “I like this style.” The page he left open was one of his sketches that was filled in with shades of blue watercolor. When Gabriel didn’t say anything, he kept talking. “My ex-boyfriend just got engaged. And…” He seemed to be looking for the right words. “I don’t care he's engaged. We broke up a month ago so the timing is suspicious, and annoying. Our families had always assumed we would get married.” A bitter look passed over his features. “The engagement party is this weekend and I have to attend. There’s no choice in the matter. Our families have owned their own firm for decades. I’ve never done anything like-” He waved a hand between them. “This before. Not that there’s anything wrong with you or what you do.” He sighed and looked somewhat frustrated with himself. Gabriel got the feeling he was trying not to judge him, but just didn’t know how to phrase what he was trying to say. “I just can’t go by myself.” Gabriel nodded. “Okay.” And those were the types of dates he preferred. They were playing a part, a role, and he was keeping him from doing something stupid. That he could do. “Now, let’s discuss exactly what you want.” - “Dilute the blue.” Delilah suggested from where she was laying on the couch doing her homework. She was supposed to be watching her younger siblings, but she apparently needed a break from supervising. “Or add some white but like not bright white.” Gabe pressed his lips together as he took in his daughter’s critique. His oldest child had inherited his art skills, unlike his other two children. “Tried that. It’s gonna whitewash it too much. Dark blue, maybe?” He shot back, taking a step back as he studied his work. Ten year old Cordelia chose that moment to come streaking into the living room, followed very closely by six year old, Knox. “You didn’t ask!” Knox screamed as he continued to chase Cordelia around. “Dad said you have to ask first.” He didn’t get a chance to ask them what they were fighting about before they continued their chase into the kitchen and out into the backyard. “Are you going to give him that before or after you let him take you away for the weekend?” Delilah asked. There was no judgement. He was pretty sure his oldest daughter figured out what he did to provide for them long ago, but she never outright asked him about it. The life they had in New Mexico had been hard; this life was easier. “Turn around is too tight.” He admitted. “We leave on Thursday. I should be back on Sunday.” Delilah nodded as she put her homework away. Apparently she knew she was going to have to wait until after dinner to attempt to get any more of her homework done. “And then next weekend I’ll get to hang out with my friends?” She asked hopefully. Gabe smiled at his daughter. “Definitely.” He agreed. “Once the commission is done, you’ll have your free time back until the next one.” “And I get the new Sailor Moon DVD set.” She added, immediately jumping up when Cordelia screamed outside. “I’ll go check on them. They’re gonna be p!ssed when they find out they’re stuck with me all weekend.” He sighed as he went back to painting. His daughter was definitely right. She dealt with a lot, but in terms of balance, even she knew that they were only living a good life because he spent time on his back. She chipped in as much as she did because she understood his sacrifices. She was the only person who would probably ever get it. - Jonathan, Mr. Michaels, is a mess of nerves, which Gabriel is beginning to associate with this client. They’ve been at the location of the engagement party (weekend event?) for about five minutes, but Jonathan hadn’t made a move to get out of the car yet. He’s having second thoughts, but Gabriel would have been surprised if he wasn’t having second thoughts. The other man didn’t want to be here, and Gabriel understood that. If the other man decided this was it, then Gabriel wouldn’t object. After all, he was getting paid either way and Gabriel was a last resort; he understood that in a very deep down sort of way. “Gabriel?” And that was one of Gabriel’s things, he supposed. He always gave his real name because in the end, the real goods were his paintings. The dates, well, Gabriel got something out of them, too. A sense of purpose mostly, but it was nice when he got to get off, too. This was not one of those dates. Jonathan made it very clear that he only wanted the boyfriend experience; he didn’t want any of the ‘extra perks’. And he got it, he did. At least, he was pretty sure that he did. He was going to respond, going to tell him that it was okay to just leave when he realized that someone was heading in their direction. “Jonathan?” He slid a hand around the back of his neck and pulled him towards him, not stopping until their foreheads were pressed together. “Just breathe. It’s going to be fine, baby. Just breathe.” There was a look of confusion on Jonathan’s face, but he didn’t stop him when he kissed him. After all, this was what he was paying for - sort of. Or he was just really surprised - he wasn’t sure which. The sound of tapping on the window was what had Jonathan pulling away from him. He glanced towards the sound, and then groaned. Without a word to Gabriel, he got out of the car. Shrugging, Gabriel got out of the car, too, carefully running a hand down the slacks of his linen suit. This weekend was one of those weekends. Tonight was an informal c*cktail mixer at the estate. Tomorrow had something to do about sailing. The actual engagement party was Saturday. It was a lot, and as old family friends, apparently they were staying at the estate where everything was being hosted. He didn’t blame Jonathan for not wanting to be alone. There was nowhere to escape. “Mother, this is Gabriel.” Ah, well, that explained that reaction. “Gabriel, this is Virginia Matthews.” He overemphasized her name like it was supposed to mean something to him; it didn’t. He smiled his most charming smile, not fazed when there were suddenly house staff taking their bags out of the car. God, rich people events were the worst. “Jay, you didn’t tell me your mother was so good looking.” He linked their arms together like he’d known Virginia for years. “I think I chose the wrong date.” There was a pained sound as Gabriel and Virginia walked down towards the c*cktail party, but if Virginia didn’t comment on it, that meant he was doing his job right and it was an expected Jonathan reaction. Almost immediately he could feel the other man hurrying to catch up to them. “What do you do, Gabriel?” And he knew it would be an interview; talking to rich people always felt like an interview. That’s why he told Jonathan they would tell the truth - just slanted. “I work from home. I have three kids, two of which are still in elementary school. Their mother is out of the picture, so I do what I can to be around as much as possible.” Virginia seemed to assess this, and stopped them before they took the stairs that would lead them down to the party. She studied him for a long moment. He had no idea what she was looking for, but he had a feeling that nothing other than the truth would suffice. “And how did you and John meet?” He couldn’t help but to turn around and mouth ‘John?’ at him before turning to face Virginia again. That seemed like the appropriate reaction because Virginia’s intense gaze softened slightly. “A mutual acquaintance gave him my number.” He admitted. “I’m an artist. Commission pieces mostly, but I do take illustration freelance from a children’s publisher to supplement income when necessary. Jay was looking for something that now that I think about it, may have been a gift for you, but when we met to discuss details, I decided I’d rather ride him instead.” There was a scandalized sound behind them. “BRIEL.” And Jonathan sounded absolutely mortified . They hadn’t planned any shortening of names, but he supposed it was probably best for their story that they came naturally. Now Virginia’s eyes seemed to be sparkling with mirth. “Oh, John, I like this one.” And with that, she led them down into the party. - Somewhere along the line, Gabriel and Jonathan had gotten separated, which wasn’t at all surprising. There was a reason why he was able to charge as much as he did, and none of it had to do with how good he was on his back. Sure, he was good - obviously he needed to be, but he also knew how to work a party and blend in. This crowd, however, wasn’t just the run of the mill rich people, it was a political breeding ground, old money - which was an entirely different thing altogether. He was an outsider, which meant he was stuck to people-watching unless someone took pity on him. “Hey, you’re Gabe, right?” A pretty blonde woman asked him. She was tall, thin, and wore a very tight dress. Somehow he got the feeling that she wasn’t part of the old money crowd either. “I’m Madison, and I think you’re part of our crowd.” Before he could say anything, she hooked her arm through his and guided him over to a table where three other women already sat. “Ladies, this is Gabe. He’s the guy who showed up with John Michaels.” He wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, but he sat at the table anyway. It seemed that he didn’t need to talk much - these ladies were more than happy to do the talking for him. Or rather Madison seemed to be content to do all the talking. “So, I’m Governor White’s third wife.” She waved a hand towards a brunette woman on Gabriel’s left. “Sofia used to be a nanny for the Crawford family. Now she’s Senator Crawford’s second wife.” Sofia rolled her eyes. “I was an au pair, thank you.” She leaned in close to Gabriel. “Don’t let her fool you; she was a stripper before she got married.” Madison shrugged. “I never said I wasn’t.” Then she turned back to her introductions, and waved a hand at a redhead. “Carli was Miss Rhode Island. Her fiancé was on the same rowing team as Jesse.” At Gabe’s confused look, she continued on. “John Michael’s ex? The reason we’re all here today.” She supplemented before turning to the third woman, a blonde who definitely had plastic surgery. “And this is Nikki. She used to be a playmate.” Gabriel blinked for a moment, as he tried to process all the information they had just given him. He tried to figure out why he thought he was part of their crowd. A second wife, a third wife, a playmate, and pageant queen. Where did he fit in there? He was none of those things. Although he was pretty similar in occupation to the former stripper. “We call ourselves the Trophies.” Carli smiled widely at him as she passed him a drink. “We’re the ones the WASPs gossip about at their weekly DAR meetings and charity fundraisers. We like it better than what they call us: social climbers. We’re not - for the record. Well, except for Madison.” The woman in question rolled her eyes. “Screw you.” She shot back, but she didn’t deny it and there was no heat to her words. “We didn’t mean to assume.” She started. “But you’re new.” “And pretty.” “And you look younger than John Michaels.” “And he keeps looking for you like he’s worried you won’t fit in.” And these women… they just looked so hopeful to have another person in their little group. And the thing was that they weren’t wrong. He probably did fit in with them a hell of a lot better than he did with the women that gossiped when he walked by. “Single father.” He said, offering them his own designation. “And artist.” Almost immediately the women started asking him about the kids, and he let himself get sucked into their world, if only for a moment. - The party was winding down. He still hadn’t met the groom-to-be in question, and he’d lost track of the Trophies. Not all of them were staying at the house. Carli was, but she and her fiancé had already wandered inside. The other women had left with their significant others to go to the hotel until tomorrow’s activities. He’d caught up with Jonathan, and the other man had asked for him to wait by the bar. Apparently he needed to talk to his father before they went up to their room. He was alone for less than five minutes when someone approached him. He’d been texting DJ to make sure the littles had actually gone to bed when he heard the male voice. “What’s a guy like you doing all alone?” The tone was smarmy, and he knew without looking up that this man was trying to chat him up. “Thanks for your concern, but I’m here with someone.” He dismissed, still not giving him any attention. There was a chuckle. “Oh, I know you are, but I know a nice, quiet spot where we could chat. No one would need to know.” And with that, the stranger grabbed his ass. Gabriel’s head shot up, and he narrowed his gaze at the muscular, sandy-haired man in front of him. “I don’t remember giving you permission to touch me.” He growled out as he slapped the man’s hand away from him. “A pretty thing like you. I’m sure you get around.” He was seething. Who did this asshole think he was? Before he could respond, he could feel Jonathan next to him. He didn’t know how he knew it was Jonathan, but he just knew. The other man wrapped an arm around his waist, which must have meant that… “Gabriel, I see you’ve met Jesse.” And Jonathan’s tone was downright cold. He glanced between the two of them. It was like a game was going on between them, but Gabriel wasn’t privy to the rules. “Jay?” And he disregarded Jesse totally. “Can we go to bed now?” - Jonathan didn’t say anything the entire trip up to their room. Although, rooms was probably a better term. There was a small sitting room, a bedroom, and an attached 4 piece bathroom. It was definitely a showy room. Gabriel had no idea why he was suddenly acting strange. They’d been fine all evening. Things were going smoothly, and now the other man wouldn’t even look at him. Their ground rules had been set from the beginning. The only thing Gabriel could think of was that the bed sharing bothered him? Maybe he’d been expecting two beds? All he knew was that Jonathan was in the sitting room fuming over something. Pushing his client’s weirdness to the back of his mind, he showered and got ready for bed. The other man still hadn’t moved. He tried to get his attention, but when there was no response, Gabriel rolled his eyes and turned off the light. He was almost asleep when the bed dipped. “Gabriel?” And it sounded like this was the thing that had been bothering him. “Have you ever been on a date with Jesse?” And now he was awake. Gabriel flipped on the light and sat up. “What?” Jonathan wouldn’t look at him. “You guys looked pretty cozy earlier.” He said. And that was it. Gabriel got out of bed. “You mean when I told him to fvck off and he grabbed my ass anyway?” He hissed out, grabbing a pillow. “Just because I work on commission doesn’t mean I fvck everyone that propositions me.” He took the comforter for good measure before stalking towards the sitting room. “And for the record - no. I haven’t been on a date with anyone here except for you.” And with that he pulled the sitting room door closed and curled up on the couch to sleep. About five minutes later, the door opened, and Jonathan was standing behind the couch. “Gabriel,” And he wasn’t sure if he’d come to apologize or if he was there to continue their conversation. Somehow he didn’t think Jonathan was the type to apologize. “Come sleep on the bed. I’ll sleep in here.” He kept his eyes closed and didn’t move. It was petty, and the bed was definitely more comfortable, but he just didn’t want to see the other man right now. Sure, he was paying him, but there was something about the other man accusing him of being the whore he was that didn’t sit right with him. Jonathan came around and straightened the blanket over him so it would cover him better before disappearing back into the room, not closing the door behind him. Gabriel tried not to think about what that meant. - “I’ve never been on a boat before.” Gabe admitted the next morning at breakfast. He’d gotten dressed when Jonathan was in the shower and went down to the patio where Carli was eating alone. Within minutes, someone from the house asked him how he took his eggs and if he wanted coffee. Carli had merely watched with amusement as he was brought scrambled eggs, fruit and a cup of Earl Grey. Carli raised an eyebrow at him. “How have you never been on a boat?” She asked him before popping a grape into her mouth. “Your man owns a yacht.” He wasn’t sure how being someone’s date had turned into everyone thinking they were a very committed couple, but he wasn’t correcting them either. “Men are easily distractible.” He offered. “And it’s easy to come up with excuses, too.” His new friend’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Gabe,” And all of the girls had just started calling him Gabe off the bat, which was actually kind of nice. “Are you afraid of boats?” Gabriel couldn’t help but to make a face at her. “Boats are fine. When they’re on land. When I’m not stranded out in the middle of black nothing waiting for a shark to eat me.” He grumbled out. Carli outright laughed. “Did Jaws scar you for life or something?” She shook her head. “We’re not going to be in open water. We’ll be on the lake. Gators are what you really should be worrying about.” He looked at her in absolute horror. “Please tell me you’re kidding.” He asked, the piece of fruit he’d speared falling off his fork. Before he could answer her, someone pressed a kiss to the side of his head and sat down next to him. Immediately he knew it was Jonathan. And he had a feeling he'd greeted him like that so he wouldn’t jump out of his skin at the sudden presence next to him. He also couldn’t help but to feel like it was an apology for their fight. “Who’s kidding about what?” Johnny already had a plate of food in hand, which made sense considering he was more familiar with the house. He also had a half-filled cup of coffee. His plate had bacon, of which Gabriel immediately snagged a piece. “Your boyfriend thinks he’s going to die in a tragic yachting accident today.” Carli tattled. Gabriel groaned. “I told you that in confidence.” He huffed out while Jonathan and Carli laughed at him. “But wait. You were kidding about the gators, right?” - He didn’t know what he was expecting, but it wasn’t this. The night before had probably set an assumption in his head. He wasn’t expecting a lazy day out on the lake. Everyone was more mellow, but that probably had a lot to do with the fact that the older generation had stayed back at the estate. That didn’t mean that social groups hadn’t formed like the night before, but unlike the night before, they were naturally forming. Once again, Gabriel and Jonathan had been separated. He was with a group of people he had gone to prep school with, and Gabriel was laying on a raft in the water with the Trophies. It made him wonder why Jonathan had even hired him. He seemed to be handling things well enough on his own. Then the other man would catch his eye and Gabriel would forget why it even mattered in the first place. For once during a job, he was actually having a really good time. The Trophies (and he wondered what it meant that he just so easily considered himself part of their group) were all lying face down on the raft when it happened. One minute the girls were giving Gabriel a rundown on all the drama within that social group, and the next they were all in the water. He sputtered for a moment as he let himself sink beneath the water. His very first thought was: they weren’t teasing about the gators? But when he resurfaced, he could tell by the laughter that Carli’s fiancé had swum underneath the raft and flipped it over. Gabriel tread water for a couple of moments as he tried to figure out how to either get back to the raft or to make it back to the yacht. It wasn’t that he didn’t know how to swim. Theoretically he did, but swimming was definitely not a strength of his. Growing up he had lived in the water, or at least he had until his father caught him kissing another boy at the pool, and well… he didn’t do much swimming after that. He stopped thinking when he realized that Jonathan was swimming towards him. A stupid smile slid across his features before he could stop it. Realistically he knew he was on the clock, but watching as Jonathan swam effortlessly over to him, he forgot. The entire day so far had made it easy to pretend they were on a real date, that they were really a couple. It was so easy to forget they were both playing parts so Gabriel let himself slip further into the fantasy. He reached for Jonathan’s hands, and used the other man as leverage to kick his way back to the boat. Sure, he probably looked like a five year old at their first swimming lesson, but with the way Jonathan was grinning stupidly at him, he didn’t care. “If you didn’t know how to swim why did you go into the water in the first place?” The other man was laughing now, but Gabriel got the feeling that it wasn’t mean laughter. It was more like he couldn’t comprehend why he would try to do something he didn’t know how to do. Gabriel let go of one of Jonathan’s hands to splash water at him. “I can swim.” He tried to argue before rolling his eyes at the look on the other man’s face. “Fine. I forgot how to swim.” He immediately forgot why he was holding onto him in the first place and slipped under water for a second before Jonathan pulled him back up. The other man wrapped both arms around his waist. “You’re insane.” He laughed out and for the first time since he met him, he didn’t see the wound tight lawyer who had hired him. No, he saw a thirty-something just hanging out at the lake. There was something about the moment. Both of them in the water. The other man’s friends on their boats. The sound of other people splashing in the water. There was something important about that moment. So, Gabe kissed him. At first Jonathan froze. They’d talked about kissing when they met to discuss details. And he’d seemed okay the night before. At the time he had said he was okay with displays of affection, but that he drew the line at sex. Even after Gabriel had pointed out that he was, technically, a sex worker the other man had still balked at the idea - even though it was included in the overall sum he had paid up front. It didn’t stop Gabriel from giving him a safe word anyway - Roswell. The other man had raised an eyebrow, but had told him if he changed his mind he’d remember the word. But now, feeling how the other man tensed against him, he realized that maybe even kissing wasn’t on the table. He started to pull away, to apologize if he crossed a line, when Jonathan reeled him back in, and kissed him. It was… unexpected and intense. It was like he was trying to tell him something, but Gabriel had no idea what. Before he could think too much about it, a beach ball hit them smack in the face. Laughing, he pulled away, but kept an arm on Jonathan for balance. “Gabe!” Madison called out to him, and she was laughing from the yacht she was standing up on. “Stop sucking face and come take shots with us.” - For it supposedly being a weekend to celebrate Jesse’s engagement, he’d only actually seen the man when he groped him. He didn’t know if he’d skipped out on the lake or if Gabriel hadn’t noticed him before, but now that it was evening and everyone was back at the estate, it was like he was putting on a show. There was a bonfire cackling down near the shoreline, and they were all scattered around it. Somehow, Gabriel had wound up in a beach chair with Jonathan, his back to his date’s chest. At some point they’d eaten, but now Gabriel was just sipping at a glass of wine while he listened to some elaborate story Jesse was telling everyone about how he met his fiancé. The fiancé was blushing furiously, and Gabe couldn’t help but to think that their marriage wasn’t going to work out. He pushed that thought aside, and instead curled further into Jonathan, who was absently brushing his fingers through Gabe’s hair. It could have been the effect of being out in the sun or all the alcohol he’d consumed or maybe it was just Jonathan’s gentle strokes. All Gabe knew was that he fell asleep in the middle of the story. “Briel?” Jonathan was standing over him now, and pulling him to his feet. At least an hour must have passed. There were a couple of people still out by the bonfire, but it looked like most had either left for their hotels or already went up to bed. “C’mon, baby, let’s go to bed.” He was sleepy and compliant. “To Roswell?” He asked with a yawn, as he shuffled underneath Jonathan’s arm. The line was fuzzy again. Was he working or was this something real? He kept forgetting. Jonathan laughed. “Are you trying to get me into bed?” His voice sounded teasing, and Gabe couldn’t help but to wonder if he forgot, too. “Maybe.” Gabe admitted as he nuzzled against him for warmth. “Wanna take me to bed, Jay?” And much to his surprise - he actually did. - When he woke up the next morning, he was alone. He touched the space where Johnny had been sleeping, and it was cool to the touch. It was a sobering wake-up call, and it reminded him he was nothing but a paid good time. For all the pretending he had been doing, it didn’t change the fact that he was nothing but an escort. He felt sick, and was on his way to the bathroom, naked as the day he was born when Johnny walked in from the sitting room. “You’re up.” Johnny had a shy look on his face. It took a long moment for Gabe to realize that he was carrying a tray of food. Suddenly the sick feeling disappeared. He smiled back at him. “So are you.” And he shot him a wink before disappearing into the bathroom to take a p!ss and brush his teeth. When he came back into the room, Johnny threw a pair of boxers at him, which he automatically slipped on before crawling back into bed, next to Johnny. He looked at the tray of food, and couldn’t stop the grin that erupted across his face when he saw the cup of tea. “I asked the cook what you got yesterday and-” Gabe shut him up with a kiss. The silence was comfortable as they ate. There was something about it that just felt normal - like they did this every day. There was a little bit of talking, comments about today’s schedule of events, but it was nice. Whatever this was, it was nice. It was normal. Johnny’s phone went off, and as he went to take a call in the sitting room, Gabe set the tray off to the side and rummaged around until he found his travel sketchbook. He settled back against the headboard and opened to a blank page. It was a fairly blank book and he allowed himself to get lost in his own sketching. - Everything was going too smoothly. That should have been Gabriel’s first warning that something was going to happen. The party had started out nicely. He spent a good majority of the afternoon alternating between chatting with Virginia about art, and getting gossip from the Trophies. His defenses were completely down, and he was having a good time. And then, he got pulled out onto the dance floor. It was fine - dancing with Johnny, dancing with the Trophies. Everything was going well until a smarmy voice asked: “Do you mind if I cut in?” It was Jesse. Gabriel started to move away, assuming he wanted to dance with Nikki, but instead Jesse pulled him into his arms. Nikki laughed, making a light-hearted comment about how her assets were wasted on the gays before leaving Gabriel with Jesse. He narrowed his eyes at the blonde man. “If your hands drop below my waist, I’ll scream.” Gabe threatened. All Jesse did was laugh. “I’ll behave myself.” He promised as he led Gabe across the dance floor. For one brief moment, Gabriel thought this was the other man’s way of apologizing for his behavior on Thursday, but it was a short-lived thought. “So, how much is John paying you?” Gabe went still in his arms. “Excuse me?” He managed out, a chill running through his body. The other man continued to pull him across the dance floor. “For the commission piece you’re working on for him.” He clarified, not even commenting on Gabe’s reaction. It wasn’t until Gabe had relaxed slightly when he continued on. “Do you keep in touch with Paul Milner? I loved the piece you did for him.” He swallowed and met Jesse’s eyes. The other man knew. “You know, I didn’t recognize you at first. I guess you dress up to fit the part, right?” And he continued on as though Gabe had answered him. “We met a couple of years ago at a fundraiser. You probably don’t even remember me. You only had eyes for Paul, but the way you looked at Paul? You don’t look at John that way.” Gabe licked his lips as though it would buy him time. “What do you want?” He asked quietly, and in that moment he would give Jesse anything he wanted, even if it meant himself. All he wanted to do was to keep Johnny from getting embarrassed or worse. “At first I thought it was funny. I thought, wow. John must have been really upset if he needed to sink to hiring someone like you.” Jesse continued, his voice maintaining that calm, smooth tone as he spoke. “But then I saw how he looked at you when he thought you weren’t looking. I’ve never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you.” He really didn’t like the way this conversation was going. “What do you want?” He tried again. “After the party, you’re going to go home and John is never going to see you again.” Jesse told him calmly. “Our families sacrificed everything to create the firm, and I’ll be damned if I let him ruin everything for a pretty face and a mediocre ass.” Gabe glared at him. “And if I don’t leave?” He asked, offended that he thought his ass was mediocre. “Then I’d hate to think what would happen to your children when CPS takes custody of them after you're picked up for solicitation. I hear they like to break siblings up.” And that was the fatal blow. “If I leave tonight, you’ll leave my kids out of this?” He asked in a small voice. “You’ll never even see me again.” He promised. Gabe nodded. “Okay.” - The rest of the day felt bittersweet, and he couldn’t help but to try to savor everything just a little bit more. Every dance, every word. He didn’t know how a job had turned into this. How being around a man for one weekend felt like he’d known him his entire life. It felt dangerously unfair that he had to give him up, but this was the wake-up call Gabe needed. His kids were the only thing that mattered. After the party, he let Johnny take him to bed again, but it was different than the night before had been. He kissed him just a little bit longer. He rode him just a little bit slower. He savored every last moment with Johnny. Because that’s what this was: the last time he’d ever see Johnny. He stayed awake long after Johnny had fallen asleep, and Gabe knew he was trying to commit the other man to his memory. Once he was sure he was truly asleep, he crawled out of bed and got dressed. He took out the money from his “commission” and tucked it into his sketchbook before leaving both items on the nightstand for Johnny. And after one last look, he picked up his bag and left. A month later: It was a quiet Saturday morning. Delilah was still asleep. Cordelia was at a sleepover. Knox was watching a cartoon in the living room. Gabe had turned half the living room into his work space. After he’d gotten back from the incident he was calling The Final Date, Gabe had cut off all ties to his commission business. He changed his number, updated his work address, and accepted the offer from the children’s publisher to become a full time illustrator. It didn’t may as much as his previous job, and he wouldn’t have much time to work on his own art, but he still made more than enough to give his children a good life. And his kids? Well, they seemed thrilled that he was around more on the weekends. Knox was practically glued to his hips these days. He was sitting at his drafting table, multiple storyboards tacked up on the wall in front of him. A deadline was coming up soon, and the current author he was designing for wanted to see different styles of the same scene. It was driving him insane, but he was more than aware of how lucky he was to get to work while Knox offered helpful suggestions about what he liked best about different animals. The knock on the door startled him. “Oh, no, Knoxxy. Don’t bother getting up.” He commented drily as he wandered to the door. When he swung it open, he froze. There, standing on the other side, was Johnny. He swallowed, but found that he couldn’t get any words out. “You’re a hard man to track down.” Johnny told him, and when Gabe didn’t say anything further, Johnny looked past him. “Can I come in?” And when Gabe didn’t say anything or move aside, Johnny sighed. “The least you can do is talk to me after the way you left.” When he still didn’t move, Johnny rolled his eyes. “I talked to Jesse, Gabriel.” Gabe closed his eyes for a moment, and nodded. “Okay.” He stepped aside so Johnny could come into the house. Almost immediately, he walked into a sleepy Delilah who looked like she had just been woken up by Knox. “Do you want coffee?” And she was definitely looking around her father and at Johnny. The other man seemed startled, and Gabe couldn’t help but to wonder if he had forgotten about the children. “Oh. Yeah. Sure.” Emboldened by his sister, Knox looked at Johnny. “Do you want cereal?” He asked hopefully. Gabe rolled his eyes. “Delilah?” He asked, and his daughter ushered her brother into the kitchen. “Sorry about them. We don’t get a lot of visitors.” He led Johnny into the living room. “Where’s the other one?” He asked, as though he was expecting Cordelia to drop down from the ceiling. So maybe he hadn’t forgotten about the children after all. He gave Johnny a weird look, watching as the other man immediately was drawn towards the unfinished painting in the corner. It was the piece Gabe had been working on before their trip. The piece he had been working on for him. Gabe’s storyboards. “At a sleepover. Well, she was last night. Eventually I have to pick her up.” He studied Johnny for a long moment. “What are you doing here?” Johnny finally looked at him. “I have no idea.” He admitted. “I just wanted to see you. I’ve had your address for a couple of weeks, but I…” He just shrugged as he trailed off. And as the kids wandered back into the room with coffee, tea, and cereal, Gabe couldn’t help but to think that this was the beginning of something good.

#drabble #pairing: Gabe/Johnny

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gvbejvmes · 4 years ago

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Drabble: K to T

Title: K to T Rating: PG Genre: Slice of Life Characters: Gabriel James-Michaels, Thomas “Kid” Kidderro, Isabella James, Jonathan James-Michaels, Abby Smith (mentioned), Velvet Starr (mentioned)

Relationships: Implied Gabe/Johnny, pre-Tommy/Abby

Summary: It was a lot of trust that Kid had just placed in him.

8:30am

“Maybe we should cancel class today.” Kid mused from his perch at the reception desk at the Collective. “It’s starting to really come down out there.” The teenager was still printing the sign in sheets, but he didn’t sound like he was too convinced that it was a good idea. Gabe didn’t know too much about the teenager’s past. He didn’t talk about it, and Gabe had never asked, but he always seemed to get a little weird when it was snowing. It made him think that something must have happened when he was younger.

Gabe shrugged from where he was setting up the classroom. He knew that the cameras were already on, even though they weren’t recording, and that Kid would be able to see him in the monitors at the reception desk. There was only a thin wall separating them, so they could hear each other pretty easily. “It’s only supposed to come down for about an hour, and we still have live stream class scheduled. If it’s online only, oh well.” He popped his head out of the classroom to get a look at Kid.

The young man nodded slowly before running a hand through his long hair. “Okay.” He cast a nervous glance towards the window again. “Can I go into your studio and bring down the kurig and stuff for when people come in cold?”

It definitely sounded like he was looking for something to do to keep himself busy, but Gabe was okay with that. Plus, it sounded like a good idea to him. He tossed him a key. “The pods in the holder are fine to bring down. Grab the half-n-half and the white and blue mugs - not the paper cups. The black container is the one with the guest tea and hot chocolate. Stop trying to give away my fancy tea.”

10:30am

The morning class had a total of four in-person participants, but they were definitely more than happy that Kid had set out warm drinks for them. And apparently was offered to hang all the coats for they would dry. It was a sign of how much he trusted Kid that he didn't even question it. There was definitely a story about him and the snow.

“It’s still snowing.” Kid sounded absolutely beside himself with that information. Gabe was waiting for him to start wringing his hands at this point. “And it’s coming down hard.”

Gabe sighed. “It’s too late to cancel the eleven, Kid. I’m going to call Abby and Velvet and let them know we’re cancelling their classes. Clean-up the used stations. I’ll double-check that no one is upstairs, and send out the blast text to our students to tell them to stay home.”

He’d barely made it to the stairs when he heard Kid ask, “Do you really have to go upstairs? It's too creepy in here today.” Sometimes he forgot that Kid was only seventeen years old.

“I’ll call and text them from the reception computer if you can take care of the classroom. I’ll see you on the camera.”

The relief was more than obvious on Kid’s face. “Thank you.

11:15am

The snow hadn’t stopped. It was still coming down pretty damn hard, and no students showed up in person for the 11 o’clock class. After jumping onto the stream to let the students know they would reschedule the class, he went back to Kid. “Alright, go pack a bag and find Gremlin. I’ll lock up out here, and put my stuff back in my studio. I’ll double-check the other studios to make sure we’re alone. If we’re getting snowed in like the alert on our iPhones just said, there is no way in hell we’re getting snowed in here.”

Kid froze. “What do you mean ‘pack a bag’?” And once again Gabe had to remember that he should be in high school - not a street kid who now worked at the Collective in exchange for room and board. “You don’t mean… Gabe, I’m not going outside.” He looked terrified. This was a teenager who wanted nothing to do with the snow. At all.

Gabe studied him for a moment before making a decision. Self-emancipated or not, he was still a minor under Gabe’s care. Sure, he slept here alone at night, but they had video cameras, and security, and he was literally only alone for maybe 8 hours. With the news reports Gabe had found, it was now going to snow for a couple of days. There was no way in hell that he was leaving him alone in the Collective for days. His eyes narrowed.

“Young man, you must not have heard me. So I’m going to repeat myself one time and one time only. You will go upstairs, pack a bag to stay at my house for a couple of days, and find the damn cat. Are we clear, Thomas?”

He’d never seen a teenager run up the stairs so fast.

12:30pm

The usual 20 minute drive home from the Collective was now up to almost an hour. Snow was still coming down hard, and despite his windshield wipers being on the highest setting, he could barely see. The Collective had lost power just as they were leaving, which made Gabe feel better about not leaving Kid alone in the building. He didn’t care that was where he usually slept.

Speaking of Kid, the teenager was curled under the comforter from his bed, blanket pulled over his face. He’d been silent the entire drive. It had been a fight to even get him into the car. In the end, Gabe had thrown him over his shoulder and buckled him into the car like he was one of his grandkids. Gremlin was somewhere under the blanket with him.

“We’re a mile out, Tommy. That could mean anther hour or it could mean fifteen minutes. I honestly don’t know.”

He pulled his head out from underneath the comforter. The boy had been acting differently ever since Gabe had full-named him. He didn’t know if it was because everyone except for Abby called him Kid, or if it was because Gabe had never once called him Thomas or Tommy before. All he knew was that the name held some sort of power over him. Or maybe it was the snow that did that.

“Thank you.”

And Gabe didn’t know what Kid was thanking him for, but it sounded like he wasn’t done speaking. Not knowing what else to do, he just continued to watch the road.

“Did Abby tell you how I wound up in New York?” Kid’s voice was soft. “I ran away from foster care. My parents…” There was a pause. “I used to live in Utah. There was a storm, and we were driving home… we hit black ice and…” Another pause. “I was in a coma for a week and my parents… they both… You know.”

Died. That was the word he wouldn’t say. His parents died.

“I lasted a week in foster care before I jumped a bus to New York. That was two years ago. I still hate the snow.”

Gabe swallowed. He didn’t know how to respond to that. “You don’t have to look at the snow. You can cover your face back up with the blanket. I’ll let you know when we get to the house.” It was a lot of trust that Kid had just placed in him.

A hand slipped between his seat and the door, and patted his side. Gabe reached down and gave the teenager’s hand a quick squeeze.

2pm

“Oh thank God! We’ve been worried sick!” Bella’s little voice greeted them as soon as Kid and Gabe stepped into the mudroom. The toddler must have been sitting by the door waiting for them. “Who’s this guy?” And when the hell did his four-year-old granddaughter start talking like his husband?

Gabe sighed as he set down the squirmy mass that was Gremlin and let him streak into the house to terrorize Buffy, Max, and Binx. “Bella, you’ve met Tommy before. Many times.” And he had no idea why Bella seemed to dislike him, other than the fact he would be taking over the space that had become hers when Juliet moved in. Or maybe it was just pure jealousy. He could never tell with her.

Bella’s eyes narrowed in a perfect mimic of his own. She was literally just taking on everyone's mannerisms as her own.��“That wasn’t his name last time.” She accused.

He took his jacket off and sat down to toe off his boots. “Isabella ‘GB’ James, may I formally introduce you to Thomas ‘Kid’ Kidderro. He doesn’t mind Tommy. That’s what his girlfriend calls him.”

Tommy froze from where he had been hanging up his jacket. “ABBYISNOTMYGIRLFRIEND.” He managed out, his face immediately turning red. “We’re just friends.” And the way he flipped his hair to hide his face made him feel like they weren’t really ‘just friends’.

Gabe sniggered. “My apologies. His not girlfriend calls him Tommy, but God forbid anyone else call him Tommy.” He made a face when he realized his socks were wet and took those off.

“You can call me Tommy, too.” He mumbled out, blowing his hair out of his face.

Bella tapped her foot and rolled her eyes. “Whatever.” And God she’d been spending far too much time with Juliet. Far too much time. “Do you wanna see your room or what?” And with that the toddler sashayed out of the room.

Tommy glanced at him. “I’ve never been in your house before.” And he looked nervous.

“C’MON, SLOWPOKE.”

He pushed the teenager out of the room, and all he could hear was Bella talking at Tommy. “You get my room, but don’t touch my pony sheets. Those are mine. And don’t touch my bed. You get to sleep on the pretend bed.”

Shaking his head he walked out of the room, and right into his husband’s arms. He nuzzled his face into the crook of his neck. He knew that if Bella was right at the door, Johnny couldn’t have been too far behind her. “I don’t wanna drive for a week.” He mumbled out against his neck. “Sorry I didn’t warn you about Tommy.”

Johnny ran a hand through Gabe’s hair. “I’m assuming that’s the Kid’s real name?” He asked before slipping out of Gabe’s arms. “C’mon. I made you tea.”

“Fvck, I love you.”

Suddenly there was a streak of orange fur being chased by a flash of gray. “Gabriel, why the hell do we have Kaledescope’s cat?”

#drabble days #drabble #repost

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gvbejvmes · 4 years ago

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Task: Love Song Drabble

Title: #1 Crush Rating: Varies. Let’s go with R to be safe Characters: Mostly just Gabriel James-Michaels and Jonathan James-Michaels Pairings: Gabe/Johnny, vague Johnny/Joan Warnings: References child abuse, assault, murder, suicidal ideation Summary: To be a part of you 'cause I believe in you. Song Inspiration: #1 Crush by Garbage Notes: Behold my latest insanity. 12 drabblettes based on different lyrics from #1 Crush. These are not interconnected. And each section stands alone.

I would die for you

It’s not very often that Gabe goes to the courthouse. With all the time he spent in and out of court it’s put a bad taste in his mouth. Sometimes though, when it’s been a tough trial, he’ll meet Johnny and drag him off to dinner. This case was particularly bad, and he isn’t entirely surprised that the steps surrounding the courthouse are packed. There’s media coverage, protestors, and people just trying to figure out what’s going on. It’s absolute chaos and for a moment he thinks about maybe waiting until his husband makes it to the car. He doesn’t though.

He finds his husband easily enough, and his security detail lets him through. It’s when he’s standing next to Johnny that he sees what’s going to happen. There was a gap in security. Something that was missed among the crowd of people. If it wasn’t for the way the muzzle caught the reflection of the late afternoon sun he wouldn’t have noticed. All he knows is that it makes perfect sense to step in front of the bullet intended for his husband.

Pure madness erupts around him. There’s screaming and just so much noise. The only thing Gabe really has the ability to process is that the front of his shirt is soaked in blood. Somehow he winds up on the ground of the courthouse steps, his head cradled in his husband’s lap. Everything becomes white noise, and all he can focus on in Johnny trying to talk to him. He has no idea what he’s trying to tell him, but it’s nice just being able to see his face as the world fades away.

I’ve been dying just to feel you by my side; to know that you’re mine.

Gabe can barely breathe, but it doesn’t matter. He just needs to make it until Mr. Michaels gets there. He’s not an idiot. He knows that he’s not going to survive. At this point he’s too far gone. It had been an ambush. The shiv had hit him just right and, well, an inmate dying in prison wasn’t an unusual tale.

The people around him keep trying to tell him that it’ll be okay if he passes before Mr. Michaels gets there, but it won’t be. He needs to see his lawyer one last time. It’s the only thing he can say; it’s the only thing he can think about. They’re trying to make him comfortable in the prison infirmary and all he wants is to see his lawyer one last time.

He didn’t get to tell him before, and now it’s almost too late. He needs to say it before he passes; he doesn’t want to be a ghost. He can’t die until Mr. Michaels knows he’s in love with him. It’s the only thing he needs to do; he feels it in his bones.

And when his lawyer flies into the room, looking wild and not like himself, it’s with his last breath that Gabe says, “God, I love the fuck out of you.” Vaguely he can hear Mr. Michaels screaming his name, but that’s okay. It just means that he heard his last words.

I will cry for you.

This is his routine: he gets up, makes a cup of tea, lets the dogs outside and makes breakfast. Some days he drags himself into the shower; most days he doesn’t. He dresses in a sweatshirt that still faintly smells like his husband, and walks to the cemetery. He’s not supposed to be a widower. At least not at his age. He’s not even pushing fifty, and he’s alone. The kids say he still has plenty of life ahead of him yet, but they don’t understand it. Not really. He doesn’t have a life without Johnny in it.

The dirt is still fresh and there’s no headstone yet. There’s always flowers there, but he doesn’t know where they come from. They could be from one of the kids or they could be from one of his coworkers or friends. He’s never asked, but they’re always there, and they’re always fresh. He’s not the only one who has been visiting his husband’s grave.

He sits there for hours. Sometimes he sketches the scenery around him. It really is a pretty cemetery. Most of the time he cries for a love that was taken from him too soon. He never remembers how he gets home, but he always wakes up in his own bed, an empty bottle of whiskey next to him. And then he starts the cycle all over.

I will pray for you

He’s sitting in the ‘chapel’ of the hospital. It’s really just a small room labeled ‘chapel.’ It feels like any of the other waiting rooms. The only difference is that this room has pictures representing the different religions, and the lighting is turned down low. He’s sitting in what he supposes is supposed to be the Christian side. There’s a picture of who he assumes is Jesus and one of those kneelers he’s always seen in Catholic churches. He kneels down gingerly.

“Me and you.” And he feels stupid as hell for praying, but Johnny was in surgery, and the doctor didn’t sound very optimistic about his husband’s outcome. “We’ve never gotten along. Mom believes in you, but you never gave me a reason. I used to think that if you were real you would have saved me from my dad. Now, I don’t know what I think.” He closes his eyes. “Give me a reason to believe in you. Save him. I’ll never want anything else from you. I promise. Just save him. Please.”

I will sell my soul for something pure and true; someone like you.

It’s a no-brainer. Five years of happiness with his husband or watch as his husband slowly withered away from cancer. He doesn’t know if he can handle watching him die. At least this way they can have five good years. It’s probably a chicken shit thing to do, but Gabe thinks it’s practical. This is the best option for both of them to be happy and healthy.

That’s what brings him to the crossroads. And when the demon appears, he doesn’t hesitate to seal the deal with a kiss. He never saw himself as the type of person who would sell his soul, but everything has its time and place. And saving his husband’s life? His soul is the least he can pay.

See your face every place that I walk in.

The first time he sees the blue-eyed guy, Gabe walks into a trash can. He’s the most beautiful man he’s ever seen. He tries to catch up with him, but he walks so quickly that Gabe loses sight of him. It’s such a huge college campus, and he already knows he’s not in any of his classes. He has no hope of seeing him again, except… he sees him over and over again. And every damn time he sees him, he can’t keep up with his fast-walking ass.

He sees him in the dining hall, but by the time Gabe makes his way over to where he is: he’s already gone. One time he sees him in his residence hall at the end of the hallway, but slips into a room before he can reach him. He swore he saw him in the library once, but he got distracted by Velvet and when he looked up again, he was gone. One time when he was sneaking out of a sorority house, he saw him as he slid off the roof.

The guy moved so fucking fast that he was never able to catch up with him, and then one day fate intervened. He was looking for a seat in the dining hall, and there he was! Immediately he sat down across from him. “Why the fuck do walk so fast?” He asked in greeting.

Obviously startled, the other guy looked up at him. “What?” And he was just staring at him.

“I’ve been trying to talk to you for like a month.”

He blinked at him. “Why?” And he didn’t look like he believed Gabe.

“Because you’re hot as fuck.” Gabe enjoyed the way the other man’s face flushed. “And being able to talk to you is the fucking highlight of my day.”

I will burn for you.

He can’t see; tears are blurring his vision but he doesn’t give a fuck. He’s heartbroken as stares into the bonfire. This was supposed to be it. This was supposed to be his final relationship. This was the man he was supposed to grow old with, and yet the love of his life was having a kid with someone else.

It’s enough to break him. Johnny had tried to explain what happened, but he couldn’t listen to him. He just needed to get the fuck away from him, which was what led him here to the fire. Everything Johnny had ever given to him, every picture, every letter, every stolen sweatshirt - he’s throwing all of them into the fire. He doesn’t want any memory of this man. If he wants to have a baby with someone else, then he doesn’t need Gabe in his life.

And it’s that thought that has him putting his hand into the fire. If he’s burning everything that’s Johnny’s, he might as well burn himself, too. Not that he makes it far. He barely feels the stingy heat when suddenly a pair of strong and familiar arms pull him away from the fire and into his chest.

Vaguely he can hear Johnny ask him what he thinks he’s doing, but all Gabe can manage is: “I hate you. I hate you. I hate you.” He thrashes against his (ex?)boyfriend, trying to get away from him so he can throw himself into the fire like the dramatic bitch he can be.

And still, Johnny holds onto him as he screams and cries until he can’t speak any more. Somehow they both wind up on the ground, Gabe in Johnny’s lap. His face is buried in the crook of his neck, and someone must have called the cops on them because he can hear the sound of sirens. And the thing is he’s absolutely furious with him, and yet he knows that in spite of everything, he’s still stupid in love with him.

Feel pain for you.

“Where is he?” Gabriel ignores the question and instead focuses on being anywhere but his current situation. As terrible as it was to think about, his childhood had prepared him for this moment.

He didn’t need training to know how to withstand torture. His whole life had been leading up to this moment. He sure as hell doesn’t know who these guys are, but he knows two things. One, his dad could give these guys lessons on true torture. And two, it didn’t matter what they did. There was no way he was giving up Johnny’s location. He’d rather die than give him up.

I will lie for you.

He doesn’t know why he does it. All he knows is that this guy looks really uncomfortable. A blonde woman seems to be trying to chat him up, but he is not into it. And the woman? She was definitely not understanding the word no. So, Gabe walked through the crowded bar, up to the man, and kissed him in greeting. “Hey, baby. Sorry I’m late. Who’s your friend?”

The man just looked at him not in disgust, but in surprise and a little bit of wonder. The woman suddenly looked embarrassed as all hell. “Oh my God. You’re gay. I am so sorry.” And with that she scurried away, off to find her next victim.

“Sorry about that.” He tried, but the other man was still just looking at him. It was like he was trying to figure him out. It’s that look that has Gabe tagging on. “I shoulda bought you a drink first. Can I buy you a drink?”

A smile slid onto the stranger’s face. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

I can steal for you

Gabe is nervous as fuck as Johnny opens the gift he got him. He knew it was something the other boy wanted. That wasn’t what he was worried about. He was more worried about what reaction he was going to get when his boyfriend saw what it was, and realized just what Gabe had done to get it for him.

And sure, enough, Johnny likes it. It’s a leather braided bracelet with silver wound throughout. And it was expensive as hell. His boyfriend had looked at it in a store at the mall, but when he saw the price tag he’d put it back. They were fresh out of college. They could barely afford beer let alone an expensive birthday gift.

“Did you sell a painting?” And Gabe’s face must have given away how he had gotten it because suddenly Johnny looked disappointed. “Briel, you didn’t.” And he’s shaking his head. “I can’t keep this. You know that.”

He nodded. “But tonight, let’s just pretend that you can. Okay?”

His boyfriend kissed him softly. “Okay.”

I would die for you.

They’re walking down the street. It’s late at night, and they probably should have taken a cab, but the weather is mild and they felt like walking.

He hears the car before he sees it, but he’s so detached from his past life that he’s not prepared for what happens next. He hears: “Yo, James! This is for Lefty.”

And then there’s bullets everywhere. As the car peels away, he’s able to process what happened. He’s on the ground and Johnny is on top of him. He’d jumped in front of him when the gun was pulled

“Jay?” And he’s shaking his husband but there’s no response. There’s a hell of a lot of blood, but no response. “JAY!”

I'd do time for you.

“I’m going to New York next week.”

Sitting on this side of the glass partition was a little weird. Gabe had wanted to talk to his husband in the private visitation room, but there wasn’t an accessible path of travel from the visitors' side. It had been a month since Gabe was beaten and assaulted within an inch of his life, but he still couldn’t walk for long distances. He was a free man, but his freedom had cost his husband his. At one point Gabe’s heart had stopped, and Johnny had… reacted. The people involved in Gabe’s attack were now all dead, allegedly due to a hit his lawyer husband had put out. Which meant that for the second time during the length of their marriage one of them was going on trial for murder.

“My doctor has finally cleared me to fly.”

Johnny didn’t say anything, he was too busy studying Gabe. Every time he came to visit, it was like he was drinking the sight of Gabe in. The first time he visited, he offered to get their marriage annulled since he was going to be in prison indefinitely. He’d shut that down real quick. It wasn’t like being separated by bars was anything new; this was fine - for now.

Since then, he’d taken to studying Gabe as though he was visually checking that his wounds were finally healing. Mostly he seemed to get stuck on his ear more so than his wheelchair, most likely because the wheelchair was only temporary. He’d never get full function of his right leg back and he’d always have to wear a brace to support his left hand (his motor function was never coming back there), but his ear was what Johnny always fixated on. He’d never get his hearing back in his left ear, and his cauliflower ear was permanent.

“Baby, are you even listening to me?” Gabe asked with a wry smile. “The guards feel bad for me so they let me stay longer than they’re supposed to, but they’re eventually going to wheel me out.”

His husband at least had the decency to look embarrassed. “Sorry.” And then he blinked as Gabe’s sentence hit him. “I’m sorry, did you say you’re going to New York? Why?”

Gabe grinned at him. “Because your mother is a terrifying human.” He admitted. “She doesn’t like the idea of me living alone while you’re here. She thinks the doctors are better in New York, and she thinks I’ll be safer living with her and your dad. She’s almost giddy. I’m actually really terrified of her, but she said this will also give me a chance to get a home all set up for us so that when you’re out all you have to do is come home.”

Johnny just stared at him. “You’re moving in with my parents.” He sounded like he was in total disbelief, but there was also something else in his voice he couldn’t quite place. It was… relief? “I’m going to have to give you a list of places my mother isn’t allowed to take you to. They’re places I want to show you.”

He couldn’t help but to nod. “You’re not mad that I’m leaving? She thinks I should stay out there until the trial, and I won’t be able to visit you and-” His husband put his hand against the glass. It was enough to distract Gabe, who pressed his own hand against his husband’s.

“It’s like she said. You’ll be safer there. And it’s only temporary.”

Gabe grinned. “Don’t worry. I still know a few guards that owe me favors. I’ll send you naked pictures.”

A laugh was startled out of his husband. “Briel…”

#CJ tasks #drabble

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gvbejvmes · 4 years ago

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Task: Valentine Drabble

Title: Valentine’s Shenanigans Rating: PG-13 Genre: AU Characters: Gabriel James, Georgiana James, Jonathan Michaels Relationship: Gabe/Johnny Warnings: References to Gabe’s shitty childhood, including homophobia and child abuse. Summary: Why are all the boyfriend cards so fucking girly?

Alternate Universe, 1989

Going to the store was one of Gabriel’s least favorite things to do. It was crowded, even more so with Valentine’s Day in two days. There were people in all the aisles that he needed to go down. This wouldn’t have been a problem except that Gabe and Georgie were on a very secret mission. If anyone their parents knew saw them loitering near the Valentine’s Day aisles, well… their friends tended to talk. And he didn’t need his parents knowing that he was smitten (his sister’s word, not his). They would ask him who he was buying a valentine for, and he would have to lie. And it would be a big mess. No, it was better they not know.

“Fuck…” He told his sister as they finally stood in front of the cards. “Why are all the boyfriend ones so fucking girly?” He murmured out quietly enough that only his sister could heart him as he picked one up and made a face. “I don’t want to, like, pour out my undying love for him. I just want to give him something that doesn’t make me want to barf.” He put the original one back and picked up another one and showed it to his sister. “Why is Cupid on so many of them? Like… does no one know that cupid was a dick and only visited the woman he was in love with at night because he had serious mommy issues?”

Georgie made a face and took the card from him. “Not that one, then.” She said before her eyes went wide. “John is here.” She whispered out frantically.

Gabriel turned to see where his sister was looking, but it was too late. Johnny had already seen him and was coming over towards them. He wanted to run and hide just in case they ran into someone else they knew, but… well, seeing Johnny always made him want to do stupid stuff that would get him in trouble with his parents. Like hold his hand, and kiss him, and see what color underwear he was wearing. It was a problem. He’d never felt this way about anyone before. When he was with Johnny, he felt invincible.

The other boy flushed slightly when he saw them, and rubbed at the back of his neck. “Hi, Briel. Georgie.” He gave them both a nod. While he was somewhat out, he understood that Gabriel wasn’t. Of course, he didn’t know the depth of the situation. His father had almost killed him for kissing a boy once. If he knew what he and Johnny got up to when they were alone… well, Gabriel knew that it wouldn’t be an almost situation. His father would actually kill him. “Why do you have a basket full of candy hearts?”

For a moment Gabe totally forgot why he was nervous in the first place. “I have this idea for a picture made entirely out of candy hearts. They’re pretty easy to shave down. And the colors that don’t match right I can paint. Carrie - the art teacher, I don’t think we’re supposed to call her by her first name, but she told us to, thinks I slack off on assignments and do my own shit. So she keeps giving me side assignments. I’m actually getting a couple of extra slots for the art show next month. I think this piece could be my best one.” And when he finished talking both Georgie and Johnny were staring at him.

“You’re weird.” “You’re so cute.”

Gabriel blushed immediately.

Georgie sighed dramatically. “Go make out in the car behind the store.” She complained, sounding even more thirteen than usual. “I’ll finish picking up the things for mom. Just stop being gross around me.”

And even though Gabe almost wanted to say something else, one look at Johnny’s face told him that making out in the car was a much better idea.

#drabble #CJ tasks #pairing: Gabe/Johnny

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gvbejvmes · 4 years ago

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“You're the one freaky thing in my freaky world that still makes sense to me.”

#CJ tasks #moodboard

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gvbejvmes · 4 years ago

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Task: If your dreams don’t scare you....

Title: Courtroom Dreams Rating: PG Characters: Gabriel James-Michaels, Jonathan James-Michaels, Nancy Scott (Conrad or James) Relationships: Background Gabriel James-Michaels and Jonathan James-Michaels, implied past Gabriel James/Nancy James Warnings: Mentions of canonical death, and false imprisonment Summary: When Gabriel thinks about what he wants for the future, he doesn’t dream about the same kind of things that people would assume.

Sometime in the future (Gabe hopes...)

“I can’t go in there.” Gabe whispered, sitting on the bench outside of the courtroom. His hands are clasped between his knees, and he’s hunched over, like he doesn’t even want to see the doorway in front of him. Johnny sits down next to him, but he doesn’t say anything. Instead he just takes one of Gabe’s hands and they sit there for a couple of minutes. “I know I have to go in there, but…” He sighed as he searched for the right words. “I haven’t been in a courtroom since…” He couldn’t finish the sentence.

Johnny let go of his hand, and instead wrapped an arm around Gabe’s shoulders. Almost instantly, Gabe sagged into him. “I know.” And he did know. Johnny knew more about his legal battles than Gabe himself did. “But Briel, this isn’t like that. This is a sentence hearing. Yes, you’re going on the stand, but you’re going up there as a character witness for the state. The judge made it very clear that neither side is allowed to bring up your wrongful conviction. You can talk about it, but they can’t use it against you. This is all about giving a victim impact statement.”

He closed his eyes for a moment as he processed his husband’s words. All week he’d been on edge. Just being in New Mexico had shot his anxiety through the roof, but Johnny had been there every step of the way. He knew that just being back in his home state was hard, but what he was about to do? That was going to be even more difficult. “And you’re allowed to be in there with me right?” And he hated how small his voice sounded.

His husband pressed a kiss to the side of his head. “No, baby.” He reminded him. And it was like it was 2008 again and he was preparing him for his trial. “They’re only allowing people directly related to the case inside. I’ll be right out here waiting for you, though.” He promised. “Just do it like we practiced.”

“Mr. James-Michaels?” A bailiff walked into the hallway. “We’re ready for you now.”

Gabe nodded, and leaned into Johnny for a moment longer before standing up and brushing the wrinkles out of his suit. He paused to give Johnny a quick peck before following the bailiff into the courtroom.

As he walked, he made a point of only looking straight ahead. He didn’t look at the defendants table, and he didn’t look at the state’s table. No, he focused directly on the judge and making it to the front of the room without tripping over his own feet. He could feel the once familiar gaze on him, though. Her eyes were boring into the side of his face, but he wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of turning around. It wasn’t until he was seated in the witness box that he even cast a look in Nancy’s direction.

He didn’t know what he was expecting to see on her face, but seeing the look of pure boredom on her features reminded him exactly why he was here in New Mexico in the first place. A jury of her peers had found her guilty of Georgie’s murder.

It was a murder that would have been written off as manslaughter had she not gone to the lengths she had to cover it up; if she hadn’t ruined as many lives as she had in the process.

Today was the sentencing hearing for Nancy Scott, nee James, nee Conrad, and Gabe’s testimony would determine how severe her sentence would be - a complete reversal to Gabe’s own hearing.

Fate was a funny thing, and Gabe couldn’t be happier.

#CJ tasks #drabble #pairing: Gabe/Johnny

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gvbejvmes · 4 years ago

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Drabble: Johnny the Vampire Slayer

Title: Johnny the Vampire Slayer Alternate Title: Johnny the Vampire Layer Rating: PG-13 Genre: BtVS AU Relationships: Gabriel James/Jonathan Michaels, Gabriel James & Georgiana James Spoilers: A reimaging of season 1 of Buffy with parts of season 2 thrown in Trigger warnings: General vampire blood and gore. The general age difference between a vampire and the Slayer, but no underage. Notes: Will I write more in this particular AU? You betcha.

1632

A loud laugh erupted from Gabriel as he threw an arm around his brother. The tavern was packed with patrons and Gabriel and Elijah were probably the loudest two in the entire establishment. They’d just gotten back from a successful hunting trip and their excitement was contagious. There’s a large group around them listening to the outlandish story Gabriel was telling. At some point he’d acquired a large breasted woman who was perched on his knee as he spoke. The attention was addicting and Gabriel found himself adding more and more to the story while his brother kept refilling his glass of ale.

“I gotta take a piss.” He all but pushed the woman off his lap before stumbling outside into the cold night air. He’d just finished pissing and was tucking himself back into his breeches when he heard: “Gabriel Anthony, is that you?” And that voice? He fucking knew that voice, but it couldn’t be possible. She’d died a fortnight prior to the hunting trip. He’d buried her body himself.

It took everything in him not to turn around. He wasn’t foolish. He’d been raised on tales of the little people, and banshees. If someone dead was talking to you, it wasn’t a good idea to turn around. You weren’t going to like what you see.

“Gabriel Anthony, I’ve been lookin’ for you. Ain’t you gonna give your baby sister a kiss hello? I haven’t seen you for a month. The least you can do is turn around and look at me.” And the voice. It sounded just like Georgiana, but it couldn’t be her; it couldn’t.

A laced glove settled onto his shoulder, and he couldn’t help but to lean into her touch. He’d missed her, but even as drunk as he was, it couldn’t be her. Still, when she pushed at his shoulder to turn him around, he let himself be turned. “Look at you, Gabriel Anthony. You’re the picture of a perfect mess. Drunk as a skunk, too, I presume.” And it was Georgiana’s voice. Her face. Her mannerisms. Everything about her was his sister - except for her eyes. There was something off about her eyes. Usually so warm and full of life, they looked as dead as she was supposed to be.

“I have to go now, Georgiana.” Gabriel said before stumbling out of the grasp of the creature that looked like his sister. “Elijah’s waitin’ for me inside, and if I don’t keep an eye on him he’ll wind up buying some lady’s company. He needs me ta look after him.”

Georgiana grabbed his hand. “He don’t need you, Gabriel Anthony. I need you though.” She promised, and before Gabriel could do or say anything else, her fangs sunk into his neck.

1910

A laugh bubbled up from Briel’s lips as he crawled across the bed to where his wife lay, blonde hair splayed against the pillow. They’d only been in Romania a couple of weeks, but Briiel was in love with the country. He knew they couldn’t stay in town for too much longer, but that didn’t stop Briel from wanting to stay. The people were welcoming, the wine was strong, and the people tasted delicious. It was everything a vampire could ask for.

“You shoulda gone out with us, Nancy. We danced with the locals, and there was an orgy. Then we killed everyone. You would have loved it.” He nuzzled at the bite mark he’d bestowed upon her nearly fifty years prior. “Why’d you have to stay in and play with the bellboy anyway?” He asked in a whine.

His wife laughed as she ran sharp nails through his hair. “You’re too easily amused, Briel.” She chastised, pushing him away from her. “Can you dispose of his body? I’m tired now.”

Before he could say anything, the door to their room swung upon. “Briel, we have to go.” Georgiana looked wild-eyed. “Derrick is collecting the carriage. Don’t take anything. We have to leave right now.”

It was instinct to listen to his sister. They’d been joined at the hip for over 300 years. If his sister said it was time to go, it was time to go. He was already pulling his boots back on to leave when Nancy’s voice echoed through the room. “No. We’re staying.”

And Briel froze. It wasn’t as though he wasn’t used to his wife and sister fighting, but it was the first time they had fought over something that could be considered life or death.

“What do you mean, no?” And Georgiana was furious he could see it in her face. “I’m the matriarch of this family. When I say leave, we leave.”

Nancy slinked out of the bed, naked as the day she was born. “And I’m Briel’s wife. If I say we’re staying, then we’re staying.” She drawled out.

It was going to dissolve into a physical altercation, Briel could feel it in his bones. “Georgiana, go.” He instructed. “Nancy and I will leave later. Just go.”

His sister looked torn, but if she had to choose between saving her life and saving her brother, he knew she would choose herself. That’s what happens when you didn’t have a soul. “You know the plan, Briel. You know how to find us again.” And with a quick kiss to his forehead, his sister was gone.

Not even an hour later, their room was swarmed by the leftover members of the clan he, Georgie, and Derrick had visited. Everything happened so quickly. One minute he was in bed with Nancy and the next she was nothing but ash next to him. Then there was Romanian being spoken and when all the smoke cleared Briel was still undead, but… he had a soul. A very human soul in the body of someone who had killed so many for so long. It was the fitting punishment for the monster who had killed the clan leader’s daughter.

1992

Most days Gabriel didn’t leave his house. He spent his days sleeping, and his nights painting or reading. Sometimes he went out, but feeding wasn’t as fun as it had been when he had no soul. Sure, there were vampire worshipers he could feed off, but letting someone know what he was? After Romania, he didn’t like people knowing that he was a vampire.

So, yeah. He didn’t tend to go out, but he didn’t need to go out. Somehow he’d accidentally befriended a teenaged Latino boy who ran errands for him. Occasionally he got Gabriel out of the house, but most days, he just brought the animal blood from his brother’s butcher shop or art supplies that Gabriel asked for. He supposed they were friends - as strange as that sounded.

“Yo, Gabe. You still sleeping?” Cesar’s voice echoed through the large house. “I know it’s only three, but I also know you’ve gotten sucked into daytime TV lately.”

He couldn’t help but to grin at the teen as he slunk into the kitchen. “You’re just bitter you already missed General Hospital.” He pointed out, causing the boy to jump.

“Don’t do that!” He whined. “I got stuff from the shop, including that gross cereal you like to mix into your blood. I also picked up more cat food for your damn cats. I thought cats were supposed to stay away from dead things.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes. “Just because it happened in a movie doesn’t mean it’s real life.” He remembers the day they met clearly. It had been the day his older sister, the Slayer at the time, had died protecting Cesar. And Gabriel, well, he’d been in the area at the time and he’d in turn rescued Cesar and brought the body back to the family. After that, the family made sure Gabriel was taken care of since according to them, he was the only vampire worth saving. The only problem was that the family still kept in touch with Rocio’s Watcher.

“You smell like Andrew.” He knew Cesar hated when he did that, but sometimes that was the only way to get him to talk.

“A new slayer was called.” He admitted as he hopped up on the counter, watching as Gabe moved around the kitchen making them tea. “The one that replaced Rocio didn’t last long.” He tugged at the hem of his sleeve. “What do you know about a prophecy-”

He didn’t let him finish. “About a vampire with a soul and the male slayer? How their love will keep the Hell Mouth from opening and prevent the apocalypse?” He couldn’t help but to roll his eyes. “It’s a load of bullshit. Slayers are always female.”

Cesar was quiet for a very long moment. “The new Slayer’s name is Jonathan.”

The tea kettle fell from Gabriel’s hands with a loud crash.

He likes watching him. Not in a creepy way, more in a general way. He likes the way Johnny moves. How he’s methodical. He plans out his attacks before dispatching vampires. Gabriel has seen Slayers before, and he’s different. It’s not like he’s dancing. He doesn’t toy with his victims. It’s more like he plots out what he’s going to do five moves before he does it. There’s something about it that’s mesmerizing.

Gabriel packed up and moved from Los Angeles to New York because of a prophecy. And yet, he never planned to actually speak to Johnny. His plan was to stay in the shadows. If Johnny needed help, he’d help him, but he never actually wanted to be seen. Their fates may have been tied together, but he wasn’t about to let a prophecy rule his life. And then Johnny miscalculated.

One minute the teenager had the upper hand, and the next it looked like he was going to be somebody’s dinner. He’s on the ground within seconds, staking Johnny’s would be killer before he even had time to think about it. “Are you okay?” He asked as he pulled Johnny to his feet.

“I definitely had him.” The blue-eyed teen announced as he pulled away from Gabriel.

A smile twisted onto Gabriel’s face as he leaned against the wall of the alley they were currently in, and took out a cigarette. “Oh, I’m sure you did.” He drawled out as he lit up and took a drag. “But it doesn’t hurt to have a friend.”

Johnny looked like he was trying to figure him out. “Thanks for the assist, but I don’t need anymore friends.” He called out before leaving Gabriel alone in the alley.

“That’s what you think.”

The next time he talks to him, they’re in a cemetery. And Johnny’s outnumbered. Once again, his body reacts before his brain can sort things through. He’s back-to-back with the Slayer as a group of vampires surround them. “If you were trying to test whether or not I’m a figment of your imagination, hey guess what, you passed.” He all but hissed out.

He knew Johnny had to be rolling his eyes. “Yes, because I planned to be ambushed.” And though he can still feel Johnny’s tension, it isn’t quite as strong as it had been before he appeared. “Good thing you’re stalking me.”

Gabriel was bouncing on the balls of his feet, waiting for the first vampire to attack. “You call it stalking; I call it being your guardian angel.” He sassed back. “At the rate you’re going, you need one.”

It was quiet, but he knew the Slayer was calculating their odds. “Let’s split it even. You take those five. I’ll take these eight.” And then - they were off.

A part of him couldn’t help but to be reminded of his sister. She was the last person he’d tag-teamed killing with. It had been decades since the last time he saw her. She wasn’t a fan of his soul, and he wasn’t a fan of her murdering hundreds for sport. Still, they had worked together well, but he and Johnny? They worked together better.

It was silent as they moved about each other, taking out the vampires surrounding them - helping to cover the other. A part of Gabriel almost felt like they were reading each other’s minds, but he knew better. They just worked together well.

By the time they were done, they were both breathing heavy - Johnny because he needed to and Gabriel because his lungs were filled with vampire dust that he needed to get out of his dead lungs. “Who are you?” Johnny finally managed out.

“I told you.” Gabe coughed up more ash. “I’m your guardian angel.”

The teenager was staring at him. “You’re not human.” It wasn’t a question.

“Nope.” Gabe made sure to pop the ‘p.’ “I have a soul though; you can hurt my feelings.”

Johnny rolled his eyes. “Why are you following me?” He asked, sounding defensive.

“Boredom? Because no one should go hunting alone?” Gabriel suggested with a light shrug.

The Slayer didn’t seem convinced. “And does my guardian angel have a name?”

He smirked. “Nope.”

“You’re a VAMPIRE?” Johnny is swinging at him, and Gabriel is blocking each punch as they come his way. If he really wanted to hurt him, he’d have a stake out. No, this is one pissed off teenage boy. He wants to hit him because he knows Gabriel can take it. “Briel. Part of the Scourge of Europe.”

He couldn’t help the wince as he continued blocking Johnny’s punches. “No one has called me Briel in 70 years.” Gabriel all but hissed out as he pinned Johnny against the wall. “And you never asked. You knew I wasn’t human, but you didn’t ask.”

There was a sense of trust. Prophecy be damned, he knew in his soul that Johnny wouldn’t stake him. Even as pissed off as he currently was, he wasn’t going to stake him. That was the only reason why he let Johnny reverse their positions and pin him against the wall.

“You purposely didn’t tell me what you were. You had to act all mysterious and leave me guessing.” And he was so close to him. His lips were right there. He only needed to move and they’d be touching, but… he was an old man and Johnny was just so young compared to him - barely even legal. Regardless, when Johnny leaned in, he didn’t stop him until…

“Get the fuck away from my brother, Slayer.” He’s not sure who was more surprised - Johnny or himself.

Gabriel slipped out of Johnny’s grasp and towards the creature that once upon a time had been his sister. “Georgie?” And she was with a group of ten vampires. Glancing over his shoulder, Johnny looked confused, but Gabriel could tell he was already calculating their odds. He had a habit of that.

His sister’s lips curled up. “Briel.” She greeted with a curt nod. “Come along. The Master wants to see you.” Now, that was a name he hadn’t heard in awhile. The Master was the vampire who had made Georgie into the monster she became. And if Gabe had to bet the prophecy had to be about him. He had to be the one trying to end the world.

He turned and looked back at Johnny. “Be seeing you.” It was the last time Gabe would see him alive.

He’s too late. The prophecy was already happening, and Gabriel was too late. Leaving with Georgie had been a trap. He was locked away while The Master lured Johnny into a trap. There were only two options - let Johnny die or kill his captors. He never once thought he’d have to stake his own sister. And yet… he did it for him -- for Johnny. Except… he was too late.

When he gets to the place the Master had lured Johnny to, he’s laying face down in a pool of water. He doesn’t know where the Master is, but he knows two things for sure. The first was that the Master was definitely gone, and the second was that Johnny no longer had a heartbeat. “Fuck that.” He was in the pool of water pulling Johnny out before he could even think about what he was doing.

Sure, he wasn’t exactly a living creature, but he had the basic functions. And it wasn’t like he’d ever needed to do mouth to mouth before, but he theoretically knew how it worked. Once Johnny was on the ground, he pushed his head back and pressed his lips against his. He wasn’t even sure if he was even doing it correctly until Johnny pushed him away.

With a sigh of relief, Gabriel sat back on his haunches as Johnny turned his head to the side and coughed up the water. He was alive again. Thank fuck. He was alive.

For the first time in his unlife, Gabriel was actually happy for the damn fucking prophecy. He pulled Johnny against him, and they sat that in the old crypt.

“I have to kill him.” Johnny rasped out.

Gabriel nodded. “We will.” He promised. “But for now, just sit here and hold my hand.”

And there were things to do. The Master needed to be taken care of. Johnny was supposed to be at his Prom and yet... the Slayer and his vampire sat in a crypt holding hands until his Watcher arrived.

#drabble #BTVS AU #pairing: Gabe/Johnny #relationship: Gabe & Georgie

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gvbejvmes · 4 years ago

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Drabble Days 10

Title: Forgetting Albert Rating: PG-13 Characters: Gabriel James-Michaels, Abby Smith Relationships: Gabriel James-Michaels & Abby Smith Trigger warnings for: Homophobia, transphobia, child abuse, forced regendering, mentions of drug abuse. Summary: It’s not the kind of text one would expect to get at eight in the morning. It’s more of the type of text he’s used to getting from one of the kids at two in the morning.

Gabe is in the process of dropping Bella off at pre-k when he gets the text. It’s not the kind of text one would expect to get at eight in the morning. It’s more of the type of text he’s used to getting from one of the kids at two in the morning. Can you pick me up? No explanation. Not even an address. Just the simple question. And the weirdest part? It’s from Abby, the Collective’s intern. It’s not that he and Abby don’t get along. They get along fine. She’s a great kid, and she’s a hard worker. He and Kale had already spoken about hiring her on permanently once she was finished with school. It was more that they just didn’t really talk to each other. She didn’t really care for large crowds, and tended to keep to herself more often than not. When she was with someone else it was always Kid or Destiny. So getting a text from her? It definitely didn’t sit right with him. Something was wrong. Of course. Shoot me the address. The response is almost instantaneous. It’s an address out in Jersey. A part of him wonders if he was her first text or her twentieth text, but it doesn’t really matter. He’d made it clear from the beginning that if anyone in the Collective ever needed help he’d be there - no questions asked. She’s not the first member to take him up on his offer, but it does surprise him. More than he thought it would. Due to morning traffic, it takes almost two hours to get to the address Abby sent him. When he gets there, he’s not sure why he’s surprised that he’s in suburbia. That uncomfortable feeling settles in the pit of his stomach again. The house looks picturesque - neatly trimmed yard, despite it being winter, cleaned out gutters. It looks nothing like the house he grew up in, but there’s something about it that reminds him of his childhood home. He swallows, but forces himself up the walk and rings the doorbell. At the same time, he sends Abby a text, letting her know that he’s there. It takes a couple of minutes before a stern-looking man answers the door. He’s dressed in a severe-looking grey suit, and stands in a stiff sort of way, like he learned how to stand from watching the Munsters or something. “We don’t want whatever you’re selling.” And with that the man attempts to close the door on Gabe. Pure instinct is what has Gabe sticking his foot onto the threshold of the door, keeping the man from closing the door on him. He doesn’t entirely know why, but again, he gets this reminder of his father. Suddenly he just wants Abby out of this house. “I’m here to pick up Abby. She didn’t show up for her shift this morning.” It’s a lie. A blatant lie. Abby doesn’t work on Mondays, but he gets the feeling that this man wouldn’t know that. “There’s no one named Abby at this address.” Even if Gabe didn’t have the address in his phone, he wouldn’t have believed him. The way he said it reminded Gabe of the way Francis would tell Gabe’s teachers that his latest bruise was from falling down the stairs. He pushes past the man and into the house. It’s a total timewarp. Everything about this place reminds him of growing up in the 80’s. “Abby.” He bellows. “Let’s hit the road, sweetheart.” The man rounds on him and slams him into a wall. “There’s no Abby here. How many times do I have to tell you people that there is no Abby.” And his breath reeks of alcohol. A half memory pops into Gabe’s mind then. He remembers a conversation with Kid, and an off-handed comment about the only family Abby having was an aunt who understood her. Immediately he knows this man has to be her father. That’s why he was getting the Francis vibes. He was her phobic father. He shoves the man off him, and doesn’t wait before running up the stairs. He doesn’t know why he does it; he’s never been in this house before. It’s pure adrenaline and instinct that’s driving him forward. All he knows is that he needs to get Abby out of this house. There’s a door with one of those souvenir vanity plates that says Albert. And he knows - he just knows that he’s not going to like what he sees when he opens the door. Abby looks drugged out of her mind. She’s handcuffed to the bed, and well… her hair had been buzzed. The girl, who usually wore brightly colored dresses and rompers, was dressed in jeans and a NY Giants shirt. Everything about the scene in front of him made him want to throw up. He’s across the room in two long strides. “Abby, you with me?” He’s next to her now, checking for a pulse. Her cell phone is still in her hand, and she’s conscious - just not in this reality with him. Her pulse is slow and reminds him of the time Maxxie OD’ed on Ketamine. The man is behind him, but he doesn’t jump Gabe like he thought he would. When he glances back, the man is wringing his hands and looks out of sorts. “I’m just trying to fix him. I just want my son back.” And he’s muttering to himself and looking all sorts of broken. He probably hadn’t meant to give her as much as he had. “You never had a son. You always had a daughter. She was just born in the wrong packaging.” And Abby makes a feeble sound, which makes Gabe think that she can hear them - even in this state. “Uncuff her now. I’m taking her home.” Now the man yanks Gabe up to his feet. “No! This is his home.” He growls out. “The city is what brain-washed him. The city is what made him think he’s something he’s not. This is where he belongs.” Gabe knows his type. He knows that he won’t call the cops because of whatever drugs he used to keep Abby sedated over the weekend she apparently went to visit her father. It’s this thought that has him punching the man as hard as he can, watching impassively as he hits the ground. Once he’s sure he’s out cold, he rummages through his pockets and finds the key. That done, he pocket’s Abby’s phone before unlocking her and hoisting her over his shoulder. “I hope you have everything you need because we’re not going back there.” He murmurs out softly before settling her in the back of his car and getting the hell out of dodge. Instead of driving back towards lower Manhattan, he drives in the direction of the Estate. He understands now why she chose him to come get her; he would get it in a way the others wouldn’t. It’s early evening by the time they make it to the Estate. Abby is still pretty out of it, but she was at least able to use the restroom by herself when they stopped for a break, which had calmed Gabe the hell down. He wasn’t sure how he would have handled that. As soon as they’re at the estate, he passes her off to Mrs. H before heading into town. He’s not entirely sure what she needs, but he just grabs the things his daughters have sent him out for in the past: body wash, moisturizer, powder smelling deodorant, shampoo with very specific instructions, matching conditioner which will never stop being weird to him, mousse since she’s going to have to rock short hair for awhile, clear lip gloss and mascara. He doesn’t attempt any more make-up than that. The clothes are harder, but he figures they’ll only be up at the estate for a couple of days. So he grabs a couple of pairs of fleece-lined leggings and long sleeved dresses, a pair of pjs, and a night dress. He’s not even going to attempt to figure out her shoe or bra size right now so he skips that, and instead grabs a couple of packages of underwear in different sizes. It’s easier than dwelling on the fact that he’s buying his intern underwear. As soon as he’s back at the estate, he passes off the items for Mrs. H to wash. She doesn’t even laugh at him - just makes a comment that she’ll put the too large items in the storage closet of extras for Kale’s overnight guests. He takes the bag of hygiene products up to the guest room Abby’s in. When he gets there, she’s in the ensuite in a tub filled with so much bubble bath that he can barely make out her head. “I’ll come back.” He promised. “I should probably check-in with Jay. I just wanted to leave you these. I picked up some clothes for you, too. They’re probably too big, but I figure it’s better than what I brought you in wearing. Mrs. H is washing them for you.” He set the bag on the vanity and made to run out of the room. He doesn’t make it far. “Mr. Michaels?” And it’s always been Mr. James or Mr. Michaels and Mr. Johnson. No matter how many times they tell her otherwise, she insists on calling them by their last names. He forgets sometimes that she’s not even 21. “Thank you.” His eyes close. He hates how small she sounds right now. And in the end, that’s his problem, isn’t it? He adopts any stray who wanders into his life without even thinking about it. He didn’t know why he thought having an intern would be any different. “Don’t mention it.” He swallows for a moment, but doesn’t look back in her direction. “I’ll see you in about an hour for dinner.” Later they’ll have to come up with a story to tell the others. And later he’ll have to call Kale to have him take his classes tomorrow. But for now things are calm, and that’s all Gabe needs.

#drabble #drabble days #repost #The Collective #relationship: Gabe & Abby

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gvbejvmes · 4 years ago

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Drabble Days 9

Title: What a Way to Go Rating: PG-13 Characters: Gabriel James, Jonathan Michaels Relationships: pre-Gabriel James/Jonathan Michaels Summary: It’s his favorite day of the week.

North County Correctional Facility - 2007

It’s his favorite part of the week - the thing he looks forward to the most. He would sacrifice anything and everything if it meant he still got to meet with his lawyer, with Jonathan. Hell, he did sacrifice everything in order to keep his visitation rights. It was the thing that gave him a reason for living - for not giving up when he had nothing good left in his life. The gang wars, the beatings, the stunts in solitary, the injuries — he would take it all if it meant getting to see Jonathan. Fuck, he had taken it all, and if his lawyer was his reward for everything he’d needed to put up with… then he’d take it a hundred times over. He feels like a junkie waiting for his next hit. It’s been s i x days since he’s seen him last, but who’s counting? Not him, even if his cellmate says differently. He knows it’s not conventional, and he knows it’s not healthy. This is someone who has power over him. This is a man who literally has his fate in the palms of his hands. This man can make or break him and Gabe pays him to do so. He pays for his time, for his attention, for him. He feels like a john waiting to meet with his legal prostitute. The ridiculousness of his thoughts send him over the edge - into a fit of giggles. He’s in the yard, a cigarette burning to the filter, and he’s giggling. Fuck, he’s a mess. He’s jittery - a combination of withdrawal and excitement. His foot is tapping, like it has a mind of its own. He can’t sit still. He keeps moving. Moving. M o v i n g. “James!” He jumps and drops the remnants of his cigarette onto the concrete. It’s then that he realizes the cigarette had been burning his fingers. He stares down, blinking at his red fingertips. He hadn’t even felt it, and he’d like to say it was the first time something like that had happened. It wasn’t. At this point, it was becoming a recurring habit. His head was always in the clouds when they were apart. It was like he only felt like himself when they were together. The rest of the time he was a ghost in his own life. “Your lawyer is here.” He can’t breathe. He’s walking to the meeting room, and he can’t breathe. He knows what’s going to happen. He knows who he’s about to see and it takes his breath away. It’s okay. He doesn’t need to breathe - his body knows who he’s about to see. The door closes and he’s alone in the room. Alone with Jonathan. He stands and so does Jonathan. He doesn’t know who moves first, but suddenly he’s in his lawyer’s arms. His arms tighten around him, and he buries his face into the crook of his neck and just breathes. He’s alive again. He’s not a ghost, not incapable of breath. He’s alive. For the next hour, he gets to live. Once he leaves this room, he’ll go back to being a ghost but isn’t that what poison does? It kills you. If Jonathan is the thing that kills him, he’ll die a very happy man. Besides, as far as he can tell there's different types of death and if Jonathan kills the person he used to be. Well... there's nothing wrong with that. Nothing at all.

#drabble #drabble days #repost #pairing: Gabe/Johnny

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gvbejvmes · 4 years ago

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Task: Adjective

Title: Artistic Rating: PG-13 Characters: Gabriel James-Michaels, Francis James, Nancy Conrad/James/Scott, Georgiana James Adams, Cesar “Flaco” Rodriguez, Bella James, Jonathan James-Michaels, Other family referenced Pairings: Implied Gabriel James/Nancy Conrad, Gabriel James-Michaels Warnings: The usual Francis James warnings for child abuse/endangerment and homophobia. Summary: 5 times someone saw the artistic side of Gabriel, and 1 time he saw himself as artistic.

Artistic [ahr-tis-tik], adj: 1) conforming to the standards of art; satisfying aesthetic requirements, 2) showing skill or excellence in execution, 3) exhibiting an involvement in or appreciation of art, especially the fine arts, 4) of art or artists, 5) of, like, or thought of as characteristic of an artist.

1980

This was the last place in the world Francis James wanted to be. Needing to close the store early to go to the elementary school was pretty low down on his list of priorities, but it wasn’t like he had a choice in the matter. The school had insisted on this parent/teacher conference, and there was no way in hell Maria was going. She was pregnant and had a two year old to take care of; home was where she belonged. Besides, if he sent Maria to this meeting, she was likely to miss something important. His wife was an above average homemaker, but she wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. This was something he needed to do, and if it was important, he’d tell Maria about it later.

“Gabriel is a very special boy.” The kindergarten teacher began. She’d told him her name at some point, but Francis couldn’t be bothered to remember it. Anyone who taught kindergarten wasn’t a real teacher anyway; they were a glorified babysitter. He didn’t like the way she talked about his son. Sure, his son was a bit on the special side, his bizarre relationship with his sister being a contributing factor, but who was this woman, this stranger to call his son special? He knew what that meant from the way she phrased it.

When it was clear she wasn’t able to figure out what to say next, Francis decided to take pity on her. “Are you trying to tell me that my boy’s r***rded?” That wasn’t something Francis would have guessed. He was a bit of a sissy, but that was his mother’s doing. She babied him and allowed him to get away with bullshit like playing with her make up. It was behavior that could be corrected with a good belt. He wouldn’t consider being a pansy the same as being a r***rd.

The teacher seemed flustered all of a sudden. “No! I didn’t mean special like that Mr. James.” She tried to soothe over, looking as out of place as Frances felt. “What I should have said was that Gabriel sees the world differently than the other students in my class.” The teacher continued on before pulling out a couple of what he assumed were his son’s drawings.

One of them was a coloring sheet with the outline of an apple. It was only half-filled, the color only filling the edges. The other drawing was black crayon with white circles pressed into it.

“Gabriel hasn’t been able to complete a single one of our art assignments. And when it’s time for art to finish, he refuses to stop. This piece-” She gestured to the apple. “Took the entirety of art. When I asked him why he didn’t finish coloring it in, he told me that apples are many colors and that he was trying to get the reds just right. And this one-” She gestured to the black drawing. “Was supposed to be a star. We were practicing our shapes, but he didn’t want to draw a ‘fake’ star. He only wanted to draw what they really looked like. Mr. James, have you thought perhaps about homeschooling Gabriel? There are plenty of art classes where his talents will be fostered.”

And there it was again. This art bullshit. It was the constant scribbling and coloring he insisted on doing. Boys weren’t supposed to be artistic. They were supposed to be strong and masculine. His son was supposed to be playing sports and playing in the mud. This shit was not what little boys were supposed to do.

“I’ll take care of Gabriel.” Francis promised. “Don’t worry about him.”

1990

“Is it just me or did Gabriel James get hot over the summer?” It was the first day of school and Nancy Conrad was taking inventory of how summer treated everyone. If she wanted to continue to give the senior girls a run for their money, she needed to know everything about everyone in the junior class. There were a couple of girls she needed to keep an eye out for. Girls who left sophomore year with no boobs and who were entering junior year with boobs. There was a chance they could try to compete with her, and she was not going to allow that to happen.

She leaned against the bank of lockers as Rachel Gilroy stuck pictures up. To their right, Tiffany Owens leaned against the lockers as she filed her nails. These were her girls. They made the cheerleading team together, and next year they would absolutely be the girls ruling that squad. There was no one Nancy trusted more in the world than Rachel and Tiffany. They’d been friends since they were kids and would continue to be friends; Nancy just knew it.

Tiffany made a dismissive sound. “I think you’re barking up the wrong tree there, Nanc. I don’t think you’re his type.” She continued shaping her nail for a moment, but Nancy was convinced that Tiffany was just leaving her to stew. “I sat next to him in English. He’s… artistic. He spent the whole time doodling.”

Rachel closed her locker and shot Tiffany a confused look. “What’s wrong with that? I doodle in my English notebook, too.” And it was more or less along the lines of what Nancy was thinking.

The sound of the nail file stopped, and Tiffany looked at both of them. She looked frustrated, like Nancy and Rachel weren’t getting what she was trying to say. “No, I mean he’s artistic. You know, like… artistic.” When it became very clear that Nancy and Rachel still didn’t understand, Tiffany rolled her eyes. “I think he’s a f*g.”

Nancy froze. She’d never met anyone who was gay before, but she’d seen movies. She knew what gay was supposed to look like, but Gabriel didn’t fit that stereotype. He was hot, and he played Varsity baseball. If Tiffany thought he was gay, well, then, maybe that wasn’t a friend she needed in her life after all.

“I bet you he’s not.” She smirked at her friend. “I can guarantee that by the time I’m through with him, there won’t be an artistic bone in his body left.”

2000

There was something about watching G paint that had always been mesmerizing to Georgie. It was like he went off to another place every time. The new No Doubt CD echoed throughout the garage as G knelt on the ground, pouring melted crayon onto a canvas. He worked quickly, moving the colors around before they set. When a color set too soon, he would stop, hold his lighter over the spot, and move the wax around until it did what he wanted. He was so focused when he worked, and it was like watching someone dance with the way his arms moved about the canvas.

CJ was hitched up on her hip, watching as her dad worked. The toddler was quiet, watching G with the same intensity as she watched Beauty and the Beast with her sister. They were supposed to be calling him in for lunch, but it was hard to interrupt him when he was in the zone like this. A part of Georgie couldn’t help but to wonder if this was how people felt when they watched Picasso or Michelangelo work. Her brother was going to be a big name one day. She just knew it. With his talent, he deserved so much more than the life he’d been given.

“Are you guys just going to hover or did you want to see what I’m working on?” And G always did seem to know where his kids were whenever they were in the same room. He always seemed to know where Georgie was, too, but she pushed that thought aside and instead brought her niece closer to where her brother was working.

She blinked as she finally was able to get a better look at what he was working on. It wasn’t a canvas like she had thought. It looked like he was using the easel DJ had broken last week as a canvas. He’d sanded it down and it was the easel that he was pouring the paint onto. She’d never seen anything like it before, and she swore one of the figures he was creating almost looked like -

“Aunt G, it’s you!” CJ screamed out in absolute delight. She touched the melted crayon, and G let her, using his daughter’s pudgy fingers to pat down the wax just right. “Daddy, you draw me, too?”

G laughed as he put his tools off to the side. “Not today, princess. Another time.” He promised before scooping CJ out of Georgie’s arms. “Is it time for lunch?”

CJ nodded. “YES! Grilled cheeses!” And she announced it like it was the best food ever.

As they retreated back into the house, Georgie continued to stare at the painting. Her fingers lightly traced the outline of her own face. She would never understand the language her brothers seemed to be able to speak - Eli with his machines and G with his ability to turn normal objects into, well, this. She didn’t understand how they could just look at something and know what it could be. It wasn’t a skill she had been gifted like them.

“You’re not supposed to touch art, you know.” G drawled from where he was leaning against the doorjamb, CJ no longer in sight. “Do you like it?” He asked softly as he wandered back over to the painting. Next to the figure of Georgie, another figure was in the early stages of being sketched out.

She nodded slowly, her fingers never leaving the canvas. “You see me differently than I see me.” Georgie’s voice was soft. “You see something feminine and I see something that’s not.”

G’s hand slipped into hers. “Georgie…” He started out, but she shook her head - stopping him.

“I know what you’re going to say. It’s the same damn thing the doctor said, and D said. Being infertile doesn’t make me any less of a woman. Yeah, yeah yeah.” She huffed out a harsh breath. “Men can procreate. Even Satan herself can have kids and I’m just… broken.”

It was quiet. G was either waiting for her to say something or he just didn’t know what to say. With him, it could be either. She couldn’t always read him.

“Who are you going to put here?” She slipped her hand out of her brother’s and instead stepped even closer to the drawing, trying to make out what his stray marks meant. The bodies looked like they were coming from the same crayon, from the same body. Like they were born the same. “Not D.”

G shrugged. “I haven’t really planned that far ahead. I’m just letting it happen.”

Georgie nodded. “That explains all the marks. You’ve always hated painting yourself. This is how you see me, right?” She took a step back. “Paint you like I see you.”

2010

“I don’t get it, man.” Of all the places Cesar had wanted to go while he was in New York, the MET had not been on his list of priority sites. He wanted to go to all the baseball stadiums near the city, and to Coney Island, and to Ellis Island, but a museum hadn’t been on his list of places he wanted to go. Hell, he wouldn’t have even known about the MET if Michaels hadn’t told him about it. It had taken a lot of pushing to get James to bring him to the MET, and when he did it was kind of scary. The staff acted almost like they were afraid of him, and they roped off the section of the museum Cesar had wanted to see .And it wasn’t like James was being a bitch. He was nice; they just knew who he was and wanted to be accommodating. It was insane.

There were other pieces in the room they were in, but not many. Cesar’s only focus was on the metal structure in the center of the room anyway. He walked around the cage, a replica of the cell they’d shared when they’d been incarcerated. “Why would you want to be reminded of that shit? The second I was out, I pretended like it never happened.” Sure, his wife brought it up from time to time when he was bugging her too much, but he didn’t give prison a second thought.

James pushed on a bar which gave way, allowing for Cesar to climb inside. “Lay down. If it makes you feel any better, I’ll get in there with you and we can pretend it’s old times.” He sounded sarcastic about it, but Cesar knew it was a real offer.

As soon as he laid down and looked up at the ceiling, he couldn’t help but to stare. He’d slept on the top bunk and had spent many nights counting the cracks in the cement. This was definitely an upgrade. The way James had painted it, he felt like he was outside. Not laying in a replica of a cell he’d once shared. “James… Hot damn.”

The other man laughed, and squatted down to his level. He didn’t crawl into the cell with him, but Cesar figured it would always be more difficult for James than it was for him. “It’s not about remembering where we were, Flaco. It’s about seeing the possibility - even in the worst places.”

He didn’t know if it was what he said or if it was how he said it. All he knew was that it had him laughing his ass off. “I thought you were gay in LA. Dude, New York has made you extra gay.” He managed out between laughs.

“Guess I’m not showing you where Dodgers stadium used to be then. No Ebbets Field for you.” James managed out, pulling a face.

Cesar scrambled out of the cage, still laughing. “Don’t you dare. It’s the Mecca man. Holy ground. I need to take some dirt back to Mama.” He said, before sobering up. “James… how come you didn’t want me to know that you made it? You’re a fixture at a world famous museum. Why aren’t you screaming it from the Empire State?”

His friend shrugged. “It just happened. It’s not a big deal.” But he could tell from his face that it was definitely a big deal.

“We are very different people.” Cesar said with a shake of his head. “Very different people.”

2020

Bella James mostly liked going to school. She liked the days she got to go to art school with GG best. Even if he was the teacher and she had to share him with the class. Regular school was okay, too. She guessed. They got to play a lot and sing. She liked to sing. It reminded her of Mommy. And it was the same as her cousins. And sometimes they did art too. She didn’t like that art as much. It wasn’t as fun as GG’s art. The teachers didn’t like when she said that though.

Today was a day they had art, and she was coloring and coloring. Daddy’s Day was coming up and they were supposed to draw a picture of their daddies for a present. She didn’t have a Daddy to draw anymore, but she had a GG. And his real name was Dad so he definitely counted as a Daddy.

The white piece of construction paper sitting in front of her was perfect for what she wanted to do. She picked up a blue crayon and started coloring. She tried to do big swooshy lines like one of GG’s pictures. After the blue, she added green swooshes before picking up a black crayon and drawing a box around her swooshes. Her tongue stuck out of her mouth as she evaluated her work.

Drawing GG was always the hard part. Sometimes he had hair; sometimes he cut it all off. Sometimes he had whiskers; sometimes his face had a big beard like Santa. Even still, sometimes his face felt like skin. That one was weird; she didn’t like that one. Right now he had hair and some whiskers, but not a Santa beard.

With a nod she started drawing his head first. Black hair. Then gray over top. Gold eyes. A nose. A mouth with his ciggy pop. Then she did a black shirt and drew jeans. No shoes. GG didn’t like shoes either. Then, his arms. His arms were hard to color. He had too many pictures on his arms.

Once she was done, she smiled. GG was going to like it. She just knew it. The teacher didn’t seem to like her drawing, but she knew GG would. It was him and one of his own pictures. If Billy could draw his Daddy riding a bike, then she could draw her GG making art. She couldn’t very well draw him making kissy faces with Grandpa Jay. That would be weird. And he only ever did two things.

When she gave the picture to him later he really liked it and even said the words Mommy said she wasn’t supposed to copy. He even hung it up in the room where he made art. He said art should be surrounded by art before tickling Bella’s face with whisker kisses. She liked when GG was happy. It made her happy, too.

Present Day

Currently there was a bridge in Gabe’s home studio. It wasn’t like it was permanent or anything. Just semi-permanent he supposed. It had wheels that locked in place when he needed them to. It was high enough where he could sit above large pieces for better coverage, but low enough that he was actually able to work from it. Usually he used it for pour pieces, or if he was building something and needed a little extra height. Today he wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing.

He was laying on his stomach, hovering over his current project which had accidentally taken up most of his studio. It was so large that he was going to have to figure out how he was eventually going to get it out of his studio, but that was a problem for another day. A large piece of plywood was on the floor, pieces of wood lining the edges, like he was pouring concrete. On top of it was a six foot by six foot canvas (okay, a couple of smaller canvases carefully superglued together) lay in the middle of the room. On the bridge with him, he had a container with carefully layered acrylic paint, a container of an oil and additive mixture, a container of white paint, and a container of bleach.

The corners had been where he started. He saturated the canvas in bleach, wanting to see how it would affect the next step. Then he had poured the oil. He wasn’t sure how well the oil would do, even with the additives. The goal was for something solid, but translucent. After the oil, he poured the paint mixture. The colors had spread nicely, and he was sure that when he looked at the cameras mounted in the corners of the room, he would have some good shots for YouTube and TikTok.

Now, he was pouring white paint into the spots where paint hadn’t settled yet. Currently it was just a wet mess, but there was potential. If his drying experiment worked, it could turn out nice.

As he worked a white light began to flash by the door. It had been a compromise for having his home studio in the house. A light in the studio was rigged to flash one color when someone rang the house doorbell, and another color when someone hit the buzzer outside the studio door. It was the only way he wouldn’t be scared out of his fucking mind when someone was trying to get his attention. He’d destroyed more than a couple potential pieces due to getting so caught up in his work and not realizing someone was there. This system worked better than anything else they’d found. He’d always responded better to light than sounds anyway.

He probably looked insane. His hair was sticking in every direction. His glasses were in his hair somewhere. The parts of his face not covered by his respirator were dotted in paint. Hell, his respirator had more paint on it than was probably healthy, too. He was wearing pink dish washing gloves, but his arms were still covered in paint, as were his ancient jeans, and his bare feet. He probably should have put on his coveralls on, but he actually hadn’t realized how messy this project was really going to be.

“Wear a mask if you’re coming in. The paint fumes are pretty bad. The additives attached to the paint molecules and it’s pretty toxic up in here.” He warned. Due to the materials he worked with, the studio door was always locked when he was in here. If it was Bella at the door, she would have an adult with her, but she knew if the door was closed, she wasn’t supposed to bother him anyway.

A couple of minutes later, his husband walked into the room, snapping the baby gate in place behind him. Bella knew not to come into the room, but if the door was open, the dogs would try. The baby gate had definitely helped with that.

“You were not kidding about the smell. How are your eyes not watering?” Jay blinked a couple of times before coming over to the bridge to get a better look at what Gave was working on. “Is it bonding?” He slid his hands up the back of his thighs as he stared at the paint for a couple of minutes.

“No.” Gabe admitted, sounding too sullen for his own good. More often than not his art experiments didn’t work, but he had done a few smaller test pieces and thought this one would work. Maybe the canvas and plywood combination wasn’t strong enough for all the paint. “I have a combination of sealer and resin I’m going to pour, but I think it needs to set before I try that.”

There was a quick swat to his ass as his husband pulled away from him. “Good. The girls made dinner.” He must have pulled a face because Jay continued on. “It is, unfortunately, inedible. Juliet just got back with pizza.”

He wanted to be surprised that he lost six hours, but it happened when he got pulled into a project. “Oh thank fuck.” He sat up and pulled his gloves off, dropping them onto the bridge before shimmying onto the ground. “I’m starved.”

His husband didn’t respond. The other man was watching the colors shift under the soft light lamp in the room. It didn’t surprise Gabe at all. He could always tell if a piece was worth continuing by the look on Jay’s face. All the critics in the world could fuck off. The only reaction and feedback he ever needed was from Jay. He swore that he could live off his reactions to his art alone.

Setting his glasses down on one of his work stations, he picked up another piece of plywood. “Help me put this over the frame? Juliet’s asshole cat keeps figuring out how to get in here.” He’s pretty sure it wasn’t until he moved around that Jay noticed the state he was currently in.

“Yeah, you’re going to need to shower before you come anywhere near the dining room.”

Gabe laughed. “You gonna come in with me and make sure I get all the paint off?” He wagged his eyebrows at him.

“Briel, the girls are right outside.” His husband replied, but he could see the amusement on his features.

He huffed, but he probably would have been more surprised if he’d said yes. Grabbing his paint splattered phone, he started towards the door that led into the wet room, instead of the door Johnny had come in through. “Hey, Jay?” The second his husband looked in his direction, he snapped a quick photo. “For the reference folder.”

As he closed the door to the wet room, he heard two things. The first was his husband muttering something about him being incorrigible. The other was the sound of the wood being shifted. It was the last sound that put the smile on Gabe’s face.

Even if he couldn’t get the paint to set, this piece was a winner.

#drabble #CJ tasks #pairing: Gabe/Johnny #pairing: Gabe/Nancy

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