Chapter Text
The water from the shower head practically hisses as it hits Gabriel’s skin, the only thing really keeping him… present in all of this. He feels a little numb, a little like a pawn in someone’s chess game that he had no wish to be a part of. Sure, he and Isabella have been… dating for a little over a year. If ‘dating’ is what you really want to call it. He was kind of attracted to her in the beginning. She’s objectively pretty, nice enough, and not completely unpleasant to be around. It’s just everything since his mother’s death has been terrible and exhausting and life draining. And he’s just tired.
Gabe finishes his shower, stepping onto the tiled floor wet with condensation from the steam. The lawyers have made getting what’s rightfully his an absolute nightmare. The legacy his mother so carefully crafted, now in the hands of men who only care about making money. His phone rings, startling him out of his spiraling thoughts.
Dad
The sigh he lets out deflates his entire chest before he’s plastering a fake smile on his face and letting his voice take a cheery tone, “Hey Dad,” he says, tying a towel around his waist as he holds the phone between his cheek and shoulder, “Yeah, I’ll be down in the garden in a minute. Don’t worry, I’m not gonna keep Isabella waiting,” he pauses, biting out around a bitter smile, “It’s our wedding day.”
His father makes a few grunts that Gabriel really has no idea what to make of, possibly something about the way he dresses? “Yeah. I gotta look sharp for her.” He replies, hanging up the phone before he decides to say screw them all and disappear off the face of the earth. He reaches for the door handle to the closet his suit is hanging in, trying not to feel like he’s about to sign his life away.
Gabriel’s heart jumps into his throat as a man is revealed in his closet, “What the fuck- Who are you?! What are you doing in my closet?!” He splutters, heart pounding in his chest. The man looks to be around his age and isn’t saying anything, only staring at him with some sense of recognition. “Who the hell are you?” Gabe tries again, studying the man’s face. His hair is black and looks a little wild, as if he’s been running from someone. He has light stubble across his jaw and around his parted lips. Gabe flicks his eyes back up to the man’s dark brown ones, “Are you a thief? A perv?” He snaps, impatience lacing his tone.
The man still isn’t saying anything, just staring at him with wide eyes.
“Hello! I’m talking to you!” Gabe snaps his fingers in front of his face, “Either way, I’m calling the police.”
The room door handle wiggles, the click of the lock retreating capturing both of their attentions. Gabe furrows his brows, is his dad really that impatient? It’s had to have been one minute since he hung up the phone, max. He opens his mouth to ask who’s there when a hand is grabbing him by his waist and pulling him into the closet.
The man pulls him against his chest and covers Gabe’s mouth with his hand, eyes looking wild and panicked. Gabe hears the door open and tries to free himself from this whole situation, his voiced grievances only sounding muffled against the man’s hand.
“Quiet!” The man hisses, looking at the closed closet door with apprehension.
Shuffling comes from the other side, two pairs of footsteps and giggling sounding as well. Gabe stills, brows furrowing deeper.
“Gabriel will never know I booked this room just for you, babe.” An all too familiar female voice says.
Isabella?!
“Isabella?!” He tries to say, his voice still muffled.
“You’re quite the little devil, fucking me the day you’re supposed to be marrying my little brother.” Chad replies.
Gabe struggles against the man’s restraint, “Let go of me!” He hisses, only met with a stern shush.
Isabella and Chad’s voices float to them through the door, but Gabe is still trying to get free, “My fiancé is screwing someone out there!” He finally says, pushing the man off him and barging through the door.
“Isabella! Chad! What the fuck is going on?!” He cries, watching as they jump apart. Honestly, he’s not sure if he’s angry or… a little relieved, “On the day of our wedding?” He asks incredulously, watching as Chad rebuttons his shirt, cursing softly under his breath.
Isabella looks at a loss for words, starting and abruptly ending a few sentences before she huffs and glares at him, “Well, I wasn’t expecting you to be in here!” She cries, as if it’s his fault he caught them cheating.
He scoffs, “Yeah, clearly!”
She grabs the ridiculous ruffles and layers of fabric on her dress and steps in front of him, “Aren’t you supposed to be with the guests in the garden?”
Gabriel shakes his head, letting out an astonished laugh, “So it’s my fault that I caught you cheating?! How could you do this on the day of our wedding? With my step brother!” The anger in his veins is forced. Sure, he’s angry about being humiliated, but there’s this… calm that he feels about it. Relief.
“Hey, I tried to call it off, but she just couldn’t resist.” Chad says, winking at her and giving him a sickening grin.
“Cheating?” Isabella scoffs, “This is an arranged marriage! You’re only marrying me for the inheritance.”
Well, she’s not exactly wrong. He was specifically looking for a girl to date and then marry to gain his inheritance, but he was also looking for a life partner. Not necessarily romantic, but someone he wouldn’t mind spending time with. Isabella had been the least awful option. She’d been pleasant, for the most part, up until this moment. He could have learned to love her, “Isabella, we’ve been together for a year . If you wanted me gone, you could have just said something! You didn’t have to humiliate me like this!” Gabe turns to his dick of a step brother, sneering at him, “And you, my dearest step brother , how could you fuck my fiancé?!” The more this goes on, he’s finding it harder and harder to pretend to care. The ever looming dark cloud he’s been dreading is starting to dissipate, some hope shines through.
“It’s not my fault you couldn’t satisfy her, baby bro, I was just trying to help you out.” Chad snickers, puffing out his chest.
Years of pent up anger course through Gabriel’s veins, his fists clenching and body moving faster than he can process. His fist collides with Chad’s cheek, the force of the punch sending him stumbling away and leaving Gabriel’s knuckles stinging.
Isabella gasps in shock, stepping forwards and striking him across the face with her palm. Gabriel winces as pain sparks from the sharp connection. He quickly recovers, glaring down at her.
“How dare you hit him!” She cries, raising her hand again.
Gabe barely has any time to react before the man from his closet is stepping in front of her, grabbing her wrist to stop the incoming blow, “Enough!” He says, expression stoic and hard.
Isabella stares at him in utter shock, anger quickly becoming apparent on her face as she struggles to get out of his grip. Chad breaks the hold the man has on her and pushes him back, grabbing his buttoned shirt and snarling down at him, “Who the fuck are you?” Chad turns to Gabriel, one eyebrow raised as he asks incredulously, “Did you sneak a man into your closet?”
Gabe really has no idea what to say to that, because he has no idea who the fuck this guy is either. And the fact they were in his closet together is pretty weird and damning evidence. The man has one black eyebrow raised, gaze jumping between the three people in the room.
“Wait,” Isabella says, brows furrowed as she looks from the man to Gabriel, “is this why you wouldn’t sleep with me?! Because you fuck men?!” She cries, mouth agape.
Still at a loss for words, Gabriel grinds his teeth, trying to figure out the warring feelings inside of him. He’s angry and pissed, but he’s also a little relieved. And he’s really not sure what to do with any of that at this moment. Leaving it for later, when he’s hopefully a lot less sober, is his plan.
“You’re gay, and still got engaged to me! Oh, you lying asshole!” Isabella stomps her foot to punctuate her words. Ironic that he’s the lying asshole. Especially considering the fact, he’s not gay.
Gabriel shakes his head, done with this conversation, “I have nothing more to say to you two cheating scumbags, get the fuck out of my room.” He nearly shouts, dearly needing time to figure out what the hell is going on and what his next moves should be.
Isabella lets out a cold hearted laugh, stepping closer to him as an evil grin spreads across her face, “Nuh-uh. You’re still getting married to me,” She says, her tone laced with venom, “You turn twenty-five tomorrow, and without a legal partner, you won’t be able to inherit your mother’s shares in the company.”
A stupid, bullshit rule the lawyers had put in. Gabriel feels the anger overpower the relief, his blood boiling hotter as Chad steps forwards, fixing the collar to his shirt, “Get yourself dressed. We’ll be waiting for you downstairs. You can fuck your boy toy some time else, okay?” He grins, leading Isabella out of the room.
Gabriel watches the door close, blunt nails digging into his palms almost hard enough to draw blood. Everything is shit and the man is laughing! He looks at the closed door, shoulders shaking a little as he turns to Gabe with a mirthful smile on his face. It instantly drops when he takes in Gabriel’s hard and unamused expression, “Uh, sorry.” He says, holding up Gabriel’s shirt.
Gabe snatches the shirt away from him, staring at his face momentarily before realization of everything that just happened washes over him, “What are you still doing here? Go!” He stammers, pushing the man towards the door, “Get lost before I call the police!”
The man stumbles towards the door, left hand pressing up against his abdomen. Gabe sees the flash of dark red seeping around the fabric before the door is slammed shut. What?
“He’s bleeding?” He mutters, standing in the middle of his hotel room. This has been too much, what the fuck just happened? He asks himself, throwing off the towel before he’s quickly getting into his tux. Little alarm bells start going off in his head as he remembers all the offhand comments Isabella made about his inheritance, the ‘late nights’ at her friends' houses that obviously meant she was with Chad. And, okay, so he never loved her, and, yes, it’s a shitty thing to be trapped in a loveless relationship where you’re not valued or taken care of. So, he can’t really blame her all that much for finding comfort with Chad. It’s still a douche move to cheat on someone, considering they were in an actual relationship.
Gabriel shakes his head, shutting the hotel room door as he makes his way down to the gardens. It becomes abundantly clear, the more he thinks about it, that Isabella has just been after his inheritance this entire time. He chews on his lip, eyes squinting to block the sun as he walks into the decorated gardens. Isabella walks up to him, giving him a pretty smile and interlocking their arms. Gabriel shakes her off, glaring.
She huffs, grabbing the ridiculous fabric of her dress to make it easier for her to walk, “What was that for?” She has the audacity to ask, “Remember, you need your mother’s shares.”
He hates her because she’s right. He opens his mouth, not sure what he’s going to say, when Chad grabs them both by the shoulders, sneering, “Don’t be an idiot, okay? Tomorrow’s your 25th birthday, same day your dead mother’s will takes effect.”
Gabriel is sick of everyone reminding him of this, of everyone trying to use him. He glowers at Chad, “Exactly. Which is why I won’t be marrying your mistress.”
“What? You’re calling off the wedding?” Isabella scoffs, “Who the hell gave you the right, loser?”
Childish insults? Really? Gabriel rolls his eyes, turning to the guests in the garden and clapping his hands together once to get their attention. He watches as his father and Samantha walk towards them. His father’s eyes are burning with fury as Gabriel begins to speak, “Ladies and gentlemen, I’m sorry to announce that the wedding is-” His words are abruptly cut off as his father slaps him across the face. Pain explodes from his cheek outwards, the ring on his dad’s finger nearly splitting skin.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” He snaps, distaste evident on his face.
Gabriel feels like a child all over again, his nose flares as his own anger threatens to spill over, “Dad, you don’t understand, Isabella and Chad, They’re having an a-” He starts, sentence cut off once again, only this time, Isabella has shoved him backwards. Gabriel loses his footing, his mouth open in a startled cry as he falls into the pool. Water starts filling his lungs, the burning sensation sending panic through his entire body. His arms flail outwards, trying to propel himself upwards. It’s to no avail, the tuxedo becoming laden with water, weighing him down as his vision starts to go black. Gabriel tries with all his might to get himself to the surface, the water burning his lungs until he’s barely hanging onto consciousness.
Suddenly, strong arms are hauling him upwards towards the surface. Gabriel tries to look at his savior, however his vision is spotty, darkness still creeping inwards from the corners of his eyes. He’s barely aware of the hands repeatedly hitting his stomach, the force helping him cough up the absurd amount of water in his lungs and stomach. The last thing he sees before falling completely unconscious, are bright brown eyes staring down at him worriedly.
Then, darkness.
Bright light shines through Gabriel’s eyelids, he flutters them open, blinking the grogginess away. His lungs feel sore and irritated, something he never really thought possible. He looks around, eyeing the blue curtain blocking his view. There’s an IV fluids bag next to him, the line hooking into his arm and a couple patches on his chest leading to an ECG. He watches his increased heart beat for a moment, trying to slow it before giving up as it just quickens.
His attention is grabbed by the doctor speaking behind the curtain, “With a wound that bad, you still jumped in the water to save someone. Are you crazy?” Gabriel furrows his brows, is that the person who saved him? Also, who the hell talks to their patients that way? He watches as the curtain is pulled back, the doctor stepping away to leave. Gabriel watches the doctor leave before turning his attention to the patient in the next bed over.
No. Way.
The man on the bed next to him is the same man from his room… closet… earlier. He has his right arm above his head and looks utterly bored.
“What the fuck?” Gabriel mutters, eyebrows furrowing deeper. The man looks over at him, the look of shock mirrored on his own face. Gabe opens and closes his mouth a few times before finally asking, “Did you… did you save me?” His voice comes out a little hoarse,
The smile on his face is blinding, eyes brightening as he takes in Gabriel’s face, “Yes,” he laughs, gesturing with his hand like he’s a prince bowing, “I am your saviour.” Gabriel finds himself laughing too, feeling a little giddy. For some reason. The man props himself up on his side, grinning, “How are you gonna thank me?”
Gabriel watches his grin, his brown eyes sparkling with excitement, “Thank you.” He says, finding he has his own grin plastered on his face. The sudden memory of the man’s injury makes his grin drop, brows furrowing as his expression becomes concerned, “Is your wound okay? It didn’t get infected after being in the water, did it?”
The man's eyes darken, brows creasing in pain as he grabs his side, letting out a sharp, pained groan. Gabriel feels his heart jump into his throat, sitting up so fast that blood rushes to his head, making him break into a dry coughing fit. He grimaces as the coughs grate against his airways, irritating them so much he can’t help but keep coughing.
The man is instantly by his side, looking panicked, “Oh shit, I was just messing with you,” He says, grabbing a glass of water and shoving it into Gabriel’s hands, “I’m so sorry.”
Gabriel downs half of the glass, sighing as the liquid soothes his irritated throat. He smiles up at the man, taking a couple deep, shaky breaths, “You’ve saved me once again.”
The man lets out a relieved laugh, sitting back down on his own bed, “Nearly gave me a heart attack.”
“Could have said the same about you.” Gabriel laughs, taking another sip, “Hey, so, who are you? And why were you wounded? And what were you doing in my closet?” He asks, squinting his eyes and cocking his head to the side.
The man hesitates for a moment, looking away before he says, “I’m Sebastian, and… uhm,”
Sebastian is cut off from finishing his sentence as heavy, telltale footsteps sound in the hallway. Gabriel feels a little bit of panic rise in his gut. Like when he was a kid and his dad would come home drunk, march his way down the hallway and take all of his troubles out on him. He can feel his face pale, fists clenching in anticipation.
Gabriel feels his shoulders relax as two strangers dressed in black and leather jackets rush in. They’re staring at Sebastian worriedly, “Boss, you all right?” One of them asks.
‘Boss?’
“So sorry, boss. We’re late again.” The other one says.
Gabriel looks between the men and then back at Sebastian confusedly, “‘Boss’? What do you do for work, Sebastian?” He feels his blood pressure rise as a chill runs down his spine, “What, are you like, in the mafia or something?” He tries to pass the question off as a joke, but the words taste bitter on his tongue.
Sebastian quickly blurts out no, stumbling over the words a little as he looks at his… employees? “They were in a movie… set… playing extras. They were playing gangsters! On a movie set!” He clarifies, smiling somewhat nervously at Gabriel. Gabriel just raises one of his eyebrows, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling in his gut. Sebastian glares at the men, “What are you two doing here? Who’s watching the auto shop?!”
The auto shop? Gabriel is beyond confused.
“I’m fine! Go!” He urges, glaring at them until they’ve left the room. Sebastian turns back to him, “They both work at my auto shop, and business has been slow, so I let them take some extra side-gigs and stuff.”
Well… that seems like a logical enough answer. Gabriel gives him a relieved smile, “That’s good to know. I absolutely despise the mafia. I mean, who doesn’t despise the mafia? But that’s not the point.” He sighs, relaxing back into the pillows, one hand coming up to rub at his sore throat.
Sebastian is silent for a moment, eyeing him with a questioning look, “Mind telling me why?” He asks.
Gabriel feels his blood go cold, the monitor beeping faster as his heart rate rises. He can hear the high pitched ringing signaling a panic attack reverberate in his ears. He opens his mouth, unable to really form a sentence when high heels clicking against the floor capture their attention. The ringing in his ears only gets worse as Isabella is standing there, no longer in her wedding dress. How long has he been unconscious for?
“Feeling better, my dear soon-to-be husband?” She croons, putting on a fake smile.
“Get out of my face. We’re done.” He glares, feeling the tickle in his throat start again. He grimaces, trying to keep it down, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes.
Isabella sneers, “You’re breaking up with me? Don’t forget, if you don’t marry me, you don’t get your mother’s company.”
“How can I forget? Everyone keeps reminding me every fucking second!” He snaps, raising his arm to cover his mouth as an ugly cough rips out of him. Gabriel grabs for the water glass on his bedside table, taking a large gulp and a deep breath, trying to calm his raised heart rate.
“Why so angry, bro?” Chad asks, stepping up next to her. He’s still in his suit so he hasn’t been out long, “Look, marry Isabella, get the company, I’ll take her off your hands for you, and then you get to be with your little boyfriend over there.” He says the word ‘boyfriend’ like it’s a slur. It makes Gabriel’s skin crawl, “It’s perfect.” He snickers.
Gabriel is finding it hard to take another deep breath. His chest feels too small for his lungs.
“Bravo!” Sebastian suddenly says, moving to the edge of his bed, “That is truly shameless, bro.” His tone is light and disarming, but his eyes say try me.
“How dare you mock me, you fucking fruitcake!” Chad shouts, surging towards Sebastian with his fist clenched.
Gabriel scrambles out of his bed, the catheter getting ripped out of his arm as he intercepts Chad’s punch, grabbing his arm and yelling, “Hey! Shut your fucking mouth. Get out and take your hooker with you.” He feels a little uneasy on his feet, another coughing fit attempting to take hold, “I will never marry a cheater.”
He pauses, holding onto the edge of Sebastian’s bed to keep himself steady. Who knew almost drowning would take a toll on your body? The gears in his brain are turning, he won’t marry a cheater… but maybe he can still marry someone. He looks back at Sebastian and then back at Isabella and Chad, “I’d rather marry a dude.” He says, surprising himself just a little.
“What the hell did you just say?” The last voice he wants to hear asks.
Gabriel hears the heart monitor speed up again and mentally curses it, hoping the rising panic attack will decide it’s not worth it.
“Are you out of your fucking mind?! Marrying a gigolo?!” His father shouts, pointing an accusatory finger at Sebastian.
The blood in his veins is hot, the anger burns in his chest.
“Your precious little son, embarrassing you at every turn.” Samantha mocks, clutching onto his dad’s arms like the vulture she is.
“Yeah, no shit!” His dad replies immediately, “I can’t believe he’s a son of mine. If it wasn’t for his mother’s inheritance, I would have disowned him a fuck-long time ago.”
Gabriel is seething with rage, nose flared and fists clenched. Every second spent with this so-called family is insufferable. But, if he just leaves, he’s ruining his mother’s legacy. One of the only things he has left of her. He turns to Sebastian, well, it’s now or never, “Will you be my bride?”
Sebastian squints up at him, mouth opening questioningly.
“Sorry, will you be my groom?” He stutters, picking up Sebastian’s hand, “Husband? Please?” The silence hangs in the air, every single one of them holding their breath in anticipation.
A slow, incredulous smile spreads across Sebastian’s face, his brown eyes staring up at Gabriel’s hopeful face. He laughs, shaking his head in disbelief, “What the hell, sure.”
The uproar his answer causes in the room is sufficiently squashed by a very intimidating nurse yelling at everyone except patients to get the hell out. Their conversation is put on hold as the nurse takes his vitals and clears him to leave. She then does the same with Sebastian, giving them each their stuff back.
Gabriel waits until she’s gone before turning back to him, clearing his throat a little awkwardly, “First of all, I’m not gay,” He says, feeling a little bad for some reason, “and I’m not interested in you like that.”
Sebastian looks a little taken aback before he’s shaking his head and smiling, “Alright. Thanks for the clarification.”
“But, I really need your help. You’ve obviously probably gathered some of my situation from… everything that happened today.” He continues, nervously fidgeting with his nails.
“Yeah, you were in need of a bride, and now you will settle for a husband.” His smile is cheeky and makes Gabriel smile as well, warmth spreading outwards from his gut.
“I’ll pay you $5,000 a month, just while I get my inheritance sorted at the company, and then we can get divorced.” Gabriel adds, hoping it’ll sweeten the insane request he’s making of literally a total stranger.
Sebastian shrugs, “Okay. Let’s get married.” He gives him another smile, starting to dig in his bag for his clothes and other items.
Gabriel blinks in surprise, “You’re agreeing? Just like that? You don’t have any questions for me?” There has to be a catch. No one just agrees to something without getting something big in return.
Sebastian turns back to him, “Nope. Because I trust you, Gabe.”
“How…?” He starts, not remembering giving him his name at any point.
“I don’t think you remember, but you saved me once. In an alleyway.” Sebastian tells him, smiling softly.
His face finally rings a ginormous bell in his mind, realization washing over him, “That was you!” He exclaims, “The heartbroken boy.” He regrets the words as soon as they leave his mouth, internally cringing at the way it sounds.
Sebastian raises one of his eyebrows, laughing a little as he replies, “Yeah. That was me. So, we getting married, or what?”
Gabe smiles, rummaging in his bag to find his phone, “Give me your number?” he asks, handing his phone to Sebastian. He takes it, typing in his name and number on the screen before handing it back, “So, meet me at this address at six, and we’ll, uh, get married!”
“Sounds like a plan, I’ll see you then.” Sebastian grins, winking at him, before exiting the room.
Gabe feels giddy, and relieved. The fucking nightmare that’s his family is almost out of his life. God, he’s never felt happier. He’s standing in front of the courthouse, rubbing a little uncomfortably at his neck again. He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes momentarily. The sound of footsteps captures his attention. Gabe opens his eyes, glancing to his right. Sebastian is walking towards him, a charming smile spread across his face. He’s in a blue tux, his black hair wavy and perfectly styled.
Gabe struggles a little to get his words out, smiling, “Thanks for actually showing up.” He pauses, trying to find a way to say Sebastian looks good without making it sound like he’s flirting with him. Because he’s not! He’s definitely not. He pats his shoulder in what he hopes is a friendly way, “You, uh, you look… dashing! In a suit,” Sebastian grins, eyebrows raising inquisitively. Gabe clears his throat, returning his gaze to the courthouse door, “I guess.”
Sebastian bursts out laughing and Gabe just has to look. His smile is blinding and he chuckles, “I can’t let you lose two fiances in a row. I’m here for you.”
The warm and fluttery feeling in his gut is completely and utterly ignored as they walk into the building, heading straight for an open clerk.
“Good evening! What can I do for you two?” The woman asks, smiling brightly up at them both.
“We’re here to get married.” Gabe answers, grinning widely.
“Oh! Well aren’t you two just a beautiful couple!” She croons, typing on her computer until she brings up paperwork for them to both fill out. They thank her, both for the compliment and the paperwork. Gabe can feel his hand shaking slightly, the cold of the pen biting into his skin. His father’s voice keeps ringing in his ears, the clear hatred on his face when he said he was going to marry a man is haunting him.
“Hey, I’m here for you, okay?” Sebastian murmurs, placing his hand on Gabe’s. The simple touch sends waves of comfort through him. He looks down at Sebastian, thanking every possible force in the universe for sending this man into his closet.
Gabe signs his name, a little thrill going through his body as he returns the paperwork to the clerk. Sebastian turns his paperwork as well, the two of them waiting with tense anticipation. The clerk’s face falls, brows raising in surprise as the computer beeps, “I’m sorry, I can’t proceed with your registration. There’s been a report of fraudulent intent regarding this marriage.”
Gabriel’s blood runs cold, “What? That’s nonsense.” Realization dawns on him, this must have been Chad. God, he is going to- His train of thought is interrupted by Sebastian grabbing the side of his neck and pulling him in. Sebastian’s lips press against Gabe’s, his hand warm against his jaw. The kiss is electrifying, it’s like a system reboot in his brain.
Sebastian breaks it off, his hand leaving the side of his face. Gabe opens his eyes, not quite remembering when he closed them. His body is frozen as his mind tries to make sense of everything. Sebastian is already talking with the clerk again, he quickly turns his attention to her as well, trying to regain his composure.
“There’s no way a lovely pair like you is fake! I’ll get this processed right away.” She says, typing away on her computer again. Gabe chews on his bottom lip, eyes lighting up as their, now framed, marriage license is handed back to them. “You two have a wonderful honeymoon.” The clerk tells them, waving cheerly.
Sebastian thanks her, taking Gabe’s hand in his and leading them out of the courthouse. His brain is bouncing around in his brain like a chihuahua who just drank a redbull, the only thing he can think of to say is, “Thanks, bro,” Bro? “Good thing, you’re, uh, a quick thinker.” He stutters, punching him playfully on the arm like… bros… do. Or something.
Sebastian’s expression is all kinds of mischievous, eyebrows raising, “Guess I’m a pretty good kisser, huh? I saw you close your eyes.”
What.
Gabe feels his mouth hang open, words, questions and any semblance of noise dying on its way out. The only thing he can manage is a strangled, “Huh?”
Sebastian shrugs, rocking back on his feet and looking up, “Guess I’m a… pretty good one.”
What’s he supposed to say, that he is? It’s not the point that that was actually the be-
“Relax, I’m just messing with you.” Sebastian grins, staring up at him like he’s hung the fucking moon.
Gabe swallows, trying to get his brain to connect to his vocal cords so he can actually string together a coherent sentence, “Dinner!” He blurts, feeling his cheeks heat the slightest as Sebastian raises one eyebrow in amusement, “What do you say I take you out to dinner? To thank you for saving me, and to celebrate our ‘marria-” He’s cut off as Sebastian grabs his neck again, pulling him down into a forceful kiss. Gabe blinks in surprise, arm instinctively wrapping around his neck. This kiss is longer, he can feel Sebastian’s stubble against his lips and is a little surprised to find… he doesn’t mind it. Sebastian yanks his suit jacket, Gabe stumbling into his warm and muscled body.
“Oh, you love birds,” The clerk’s voice says from behind them, giggling, “Get a room!” She jokes.
Sebastian slowly steps back, eyes trained on the clerk behind Gabe. And just as soon as Gabe found his ability to speak, it’s lost again. It’s shock. Just shock, that’s the only reason he’s been left speechless by Sebastian kissing him. Twice.
“What were you saying about dinner?” Sebastian asks as if nothing just happened. Gabe can do that, he can definitely pretend nothing just happened.
“Uh, y-yes, yes. L-Let’s go… to dinner.” He nods, patting Sebastian on the shoulder with the hand he realizes in a panic that he left there. Gabe turns away before he can embarrass himself further, walking down the steps of the courthouse.
What the hell has he gotten himself into?
Gabe watches in anticipation as Sebastian digs into the food, taking a bite of the beef quesadilla. He groans in satisfaction at the taste, eyes closing briefly, “Oh my god , this is so good.” He says, stuffing more of it into his mouth.
It satisfies something deep inside him to see Sebastian enjoying his meal. Gabe feels the tickle in his throat return. He tries to clear it, grabbing the small box from his pocket he grabbed on the way to the courthouse, “Hey, uhm, it’s totally cool if you don’t want to, I mean, I’ve asked so much of you already, but,” he places the box on the table, sliding it over to Sebastian, clearing his throat a little more forcefully to get the tickle out, “Just to sell it more, I uh, well I got you a ring.”
The corners of Sebastian’s mouth raise in an almost questioning smile, “You know, the ring usually comes before the marriage.” He jokes, opening the box and slipping the ring on without any further comment. Gabe finds himself giggling a little, nervously picking at his own food.
“Sebastian! Surprised to see you here.” A man with a British accent says. Gabe looks up, cocking his head to the side inquisitively. There’s an older couple standing there, arm in arm, smiling down at Sebastian.
“We just left your casino, it was a blast.” The woman, presumably his wife, says.
“Casino?” Gabe asks, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.
“Latino!” Sebastian suddenly corrects, “Latino restaurant, that I recommended!” He clarifies, smiling up at the couple charmingly.
“Yes! We absolutely love those Latino restaurants.” The man says, nodding at Gabe.
There’s that funny feeling in his stomach again.
“Yeah, we’re here because we were craving some more Latino food.” He nods, gesturing at the restaurant around them.
“Well, enjoy your Latino meal.” Sebastian tells them, giving a slightly uncomfortable smile.
Gabe raises his left eyebrow, chuckling half-heartedly. He can hear the high pitched ringing in his ears start again. The memory of his father blowing all his mother’s money at a mafia casino eats at him, the anxiety and fear bubbles into his stomach until Sebastian is covering Gabe’s hand with his own, “Hey, you okay?” His voice is soft, and soothing. Safe.
He releases a shaky breath, looking down at his untouched tamales before looking back into Sebastian’s open brown eyes, “My mother immigrated to New York from Mexico when she had me. We were very poor, so she started a food truck to support us all on her own. One day…” he trails off, taking a deep breath as he continues, “One day, some mafia assholes came around, started kicking chairs and tables around. Scaring away the customers we had. Mama stood up to them, saying that if they didn’t leave she’d call the police.” Gabe shakes his head, “One of the men just laughed, telling her that she could tell the police about my father’s gambling debts at their casino. He threw an envelope at her, a bill. He was $10.5k in debt. We didn’t have that type of money, we barely had enough to get by on a month of rent.
“Mama said there’s no way he could have done this. You’ve met the man, of course he did something like that. One of the men slaps her and she falls to the ground. I tell them to back off, unfortunately, I was… 10 at the time, and about a third of the size I am now, I wasn’t intimidating in the slightest.” Gabe tries to laugh lightly, but it comes out more like a sad sigh, “The other man pushes me to the ground. My mom… Well, she does what any good mother does. She protects me. She tells them she’ll pay the money back.” He takes a large swig of wine from his wine glass, wishing it was something harder, “My mother was a natural talent. It’s how she was able to pay off that debt, and start this restaurant chain.”
Sebastian’s eyes are full of sorrow, his fingers run soothing circles on the back of Gabe’s knuckles, “I’m so sorry to hear that, Gabe.” He murmurs, brows furrowing upwards.
Gabe stares at where their hands are touching and suddenly feels too much, too overstimulated. He moves his hands so they’re tucked into himself, arms crossed on the table, “What’s worse… I’m almost one hundred percent certain that they orchestrated the accident that killed my mother. I just don’t have any proof.”
Sebastian’s face drops, he looks a little sick, voice deepening a few octaves, “What? Are you saying that the Brooklyn Mafia killed your mother?”
“Both the driver and the passenger escaped,” Gabe says, his tone becoming defensive, no matter how calm he’s trying to stay, “Turned out the driver had been paid off, and the license for the car… was registered to the mafia. But the police still ruled it an accident, which I think is bullshit.” His fists are clenched again, nails digging into his palms for the millionth time that day.
Sebastian is silent for a moment before he starts speaking, voice stern, “Can you tell me the exact time and location of the accident?”
Gabe squints at him, leaning forwards a bit, “Why are you asking me to tell you that? Do you know someone who could help me?”
“Yeah, I have a friend in the force.” Sebastian clarifies, smiling warmly.
“You just can’t stop saving me, huh, Seb?” The nickname catches the both of them off guard, “Can I call you that? Can I call you Seb?” Gabe quickly asks, fighting the flush in his cheeks.
Sebastian looks a little distracted as he responds, “Yeah, of course, Gabe.”
“All right, let me send you some photos related to the accident.” Gabe says, taking his phone out of his pocket. The absolute absurdity of all of this hits him as he stares at his lockscreen. He met this man this morning! Granted, Seb’s saved his life about four times since 8am, but holy hell, this is quite literally the craziest thing he’s ever done in his life. He sends the photos over, frowning as his dad starts calling him. Gabe rolls his eyes, sighing heavily as he answers the phone, “Hey dad.”
“You idiot!” Is the shouted greeting he gets in return, the volume making him wince and jerk his head away, “Did you really marry that boy toy?! You get your ass home now and explain yourself!”
Well, that went well. Gabe rolls his eyes, ending the call and sighing heavily.
“Everything okay? Anything I can do to help?” Seb asks, because he’s quite literally a prince charming.
Gabe shakes his head, “Nah, this is something I gotta handle on my own.”
Sebastian suddenly reaches out, “Oh, wait…” he leans in and Gabe feels frozen, heart starting a marathon in his chest. Is Seb going to kiss him again? He can hear the blood rushing in his veins, eyes suddenly narrowing in on the napkin he’s holding. Seb wipes at the corner of his mouth before sitting back and smiling. Gabe just stares at him, trying to figure out what the fuck is happening.
“What? What’s wrong? Is there something on my face?” Seb asks, reaching for his napkin.
He shakes his head, stumbling over his words a little, “Nothing! No, no, I was jus- I was just… uhm, it’s nothing.” Smooth. So, so smooth.
Sebastian begins to laugh, “You’re so cute when you’re flustered.”
Oh. Okay.
Gabriel decides to pointedly ignore everything that just happened and drops a couple twenty dollar bills on the table, “I gotta go.” His voice does not crack.
“Call me if you need anything, okay?” Seb asks. He nods in reply, worried he’s going to butcher the next sentence he tries.
Gabe walks out onto the street, watching the sky and taking a moment to just forget everything. His lungs inflate with the cool evening air, calming the persistent tickle in his throat. He grabs a cab with a wave of his hand, telling the driver the address for his house.
The cab ride is quiet and calm. He looks down at the framed marriage license, breathing out a long breath. Gabe pays the driver, stepping out of the cab and walking up the stairs to his house. The door squeaks open as he opens it, the air heavy with apprehension. He walks into the living room, tightening the grip he has on the license.
His dad’s eyes light up with anger, he rears up, throwing the glass he’s holding directly at Gabe’s head. Gabe narrowly dodges, heart pounding in his chest as he hears the glass shatter on the floor of the house. His nose flares, the only sign of the fear he feels.
“Is this how badly you want the company?” His dad asks, tone dripping the disdain, “That you’re gonna marry a gay guy? You married a gay guy!” He turns to Samantha, “You know what they call them, I think? Boy toys!” Gabe tightens his jaw, nostrils flaring again, this time in anger, “You’re fucking disgusting!” His father shouts at him.
Gabriel takes a breath, calmly replying, “Yeah, I married him, but he’s not a boy toy. He has a name,” his voice is much more steady than he feels, “He’s Sebastian. He owns an auto shop.”
Samantha jumps up from her spot next to his father and reaches for the frame, “Let me see that.” She snaps. Gabe shields it away from her, biting back the chuckle as she continues to reach for it, ending with him holding it up above his own head, out of arm's length.
Her gaze is furious as she steps back, nose flaring in annoyance, “Why are you always so disrespectful?! Ugh!” She turns dramatically towards his father, sitting next to him and pouting, “Bernie, you need to teach your son a lesson.”
His father smiles ruthlessly, “I agree.”
Gabe barely holds back the eye roll when Chad’s irritating voice catches his attention, “Auto shop?” He turns towards him, mentally preparing himself for the insensitive comment he’s inevitably going to make, “So you guys fuck on motorbikes, huh? Kinky.” Aaaand, there it is.
All he can do is laugh, because if he doesn’t laugh, he’s going to set this house on fire, “Look who’s disrespectful now, with their disgusting fucking mouth? Why don’t you put a leash on your kid, Samantha?”
His dad stands up slowly, grabbing his face with his left hand, squeezing his face little by little, “How many times do I have to tell you? You show respect for Samantha.” His voice is low and dangerous, “Your father’s wife.” Gabe can feel his dad’s nails digging into his skin, “My wife.”
“Your ‘wife’?” Gabe asks, “You mean the side piece you picked up three days after my mother’s funeral? I guess grieving is not really your style.” He sneers, keeping his jaw shut as his dad grabs his throat with his other hand, choking him.
“You son of a bitch! How could I raise such a disrespectful cocksucker?!”
Gabe can’t help himself, he really, he just can’t, “I haven’t sucked a cock yet, but, you know, I’ll keep you updated.” He replies, gripping his dad’s arm and attempting to push him off. Their staring contest goes on for a moment longer before his dad releases him, pushing him backwards.
He tries not to gasp for breath, the urgent need to cough making his eyes prickle. Samantha barges back into the room, the maids following her with two of his bags, throwing them at his feet as she snaps, “Get out. You are not welcome here.”
Gabe scoffs, “Are you crazy? This is my mother’s house!”
Chad shoots up, punching him in the face, “How dare you disrespect my mom.” He spits, grabbing the collar of his jacket, “This house isn’t yours or your dead mother’s. Get that through your fucking head.”
Gabriel stumbles back as Chad shoves him towards the front door, nearly tripping over the entryway. The look his father gives him is scathing, pure hatred. It scares him, just a little bit. He’s never been looked at with such malice, even from his own father. The door slams in his face, the loud, abrupt noise making him jump. Gabe’s lungs heave again, the cough bringing tears to the corners of his eyes. He grabs his bags and stumbles away from the front door, nausea swirling in his stomach.
Gabe can feel the very little food he ate at the restaurant make a valiant attempt to resurface. He makes it out of the ridiculously long driveway and heaves his guts up in one of the bushes outside. Sweat is beading on his forehead, his cheeks feel flushed, and the cough returns with full force. Fuck, he’s a mess. His phone is cold in his pocket as he fishes it out, fumbling with it for a moment before he hits the call button.
The line rings for a moment before Sebastian answers, “Gabe?”
Gabe swallows thickly, “Can you pick me up?”