We tend to Die Young - 8/12
We Tend to Die Young
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 68,689 words • 5830 words this chapter
Warnings: Drug use, sex, swearing, death, violence
Main Pairings: Gabe/Brendon, Travis/William, Travis/Katy, William/Everyone
Background Pairings: William/Tom, William/Suarez, Ryan/Cassadee, Victoria/Leighton, Alicia/Mikey, Bert/Quinn, Jon/Spencer, Gabe/Pete
Disclaimer: All these characters are real life people and not my own. This entire story is fiction; a complete figment of my imagination and so I am not implying that none of this has ever or ever will happen.
Author Note:
Previous Parts: Click here (8/12)
Click the banner for a short synopsis/blurb/summary of the fic.
When the loft finally springs into view after they turn onto Jersey Street, Travis slows the car down enough to pull up outside. He flicks his cigarette out the window and Gabe does the same as they undo their belts and open up the car doors. "I'm beat," Travis announces as he stretches his arms out and even yawns a little. "I'm going to crash. It's freezing out here."
He starts towards the loft door, but after two steps William flings himself out of the car and runs over to him. Gabe isn't sure whether William is addicted to the second hand smoke lingering on Travis' skin and clothes, or if he's just apologising for the boy he sucked face with at the party, but it's sweet in a way when William wraps his arms around Travis' frame, stands on his tip-toes and kisses his bottom lip. Travis finally returns the hug and kisses him back, then drops his arm to hang around William's waist and lead him inside.
Gabe and Brendon get out of the car then, starting to walk towards the door, but Gabe stops when he doesn't hear another car door open. He pauses and looks back to see Pete sitting with his eyes closed in the car, still looking like he's trying to calm down, then turns to Brendon. "Go to bed," he says quietly, "I'll be up in a little bit. Leave the door unlocked for me."
Brendon hesitantly nods, but when he walks up to the apartment building entrance, he stops in the doorway to look back and see Gabe heading back to the car. Curiosity gets the better of him and he lingers, one hand on the door frame and his eyes squinting to try and see the two more clearly in the dark.
Gabe opens up the back car door, but doesn't say a word just yet. Pete looks up at him and Gabe nods his head, so finally, slowly, Pete hoists himself up and shuts the door. "C'mere," Gabe murmurs, resting a hand on Pete's shoulder and leading him back to sit down on the curb with him. Pete seems to hesitate, but finally drops down to sit by Gabe's side with barely an inch between them. "You alright?"
Pete shakes his head and rubs at his temples, still seeming to take a moment or so before he forms his words. "I'm not totally incapable of being around other people, you know. It was just a dorm party, it's not like I haven't been to one before," he mutters a little bitterly. Gabe can't help but feel skeptical though, mainly in the way Pete refuses to look at him. He's learnt a lot about body language, so it seems, and the way that Pete keeps his eyes down as he traces some of the stones of the asphalt gives Gabe the feeling he's keeping something to himself.
"I just know that a lot happened tonight, you seem more quiet than normal," Gabe points out, joining him in staring at the ground and tracing the stones. "I'm allowed to worry about you."
Pete frowns and shakes his head again, "Why don't you worry about Brendon or someone who deserves it," he grumbles.
Gabe straightens up, just a little but enough. "What?"
"Needs it," Pete says immediately, "I meant 'someone who needs it'."
For Brendon watching in the doorway, the silence that follows is more than suspenseful. It's torturous. It's a good minute or two before Gabe shuffles just a little closer and rests a hand on the concrete behind Pete's back to shift his weight, "I know what you said," he says quieter, "And I know what you mean. It's okay."
Pete shakes his head again, but it's only slight. Still, Gabe seems to smile. "It's late," he points out, "You missed your meds this morning and the one you were meant to take last night wasn't missing from your pill box. You should take one now so you'll be right to have another in the morning," he says, "You'll feel better."
Brendon is honestly surprised when he hears how much Gabe seems to know about it, about when Pete takes his pills and how he knows if he takes it at all. The bottom line? He's surprised how much Gabe seems to care. Especially for a guy who has lately been all about himself, who's been handing out 'fuck you's like candy and not even doing his job to uphold the family. If that's what they even are.
"I'll take you upstairs, you can take your pill and go to sleep and I promise you'll wake up and feel better, okay?" Gabe smiles just a little as he moves his arm to be around Pete's shoulders, and finally, finally, Pete nods just a bit and leans into the touch. He rests his head on Gabe's shoulder and continues to draw on the ground, but what Brendon can't see from standing behind them, is that he's smiling.
He takes that as his cue to get up and go, jogging as quietly as he can up the stairs so he can get to bed without Gabe knowing that he listened in to what seemed like a very serious conversation. He leaves the door open and heads straight for his bedroom, kicking off his shoes and shrugging his hoodie off once he's walking over to the bed. As he starts to wriggle down underneath the blankets he can hears the front door close and voices ring through the apartment.
"You tired enough to sleep or do you want to watch TV?" Gabe asks and opens up a cupboard, going through a few things that Brendon can only hear the rustling of.
"Tired," Pete says simply, but Brendon can't hear any specific movement. "I think I'll be able to go to bed."
"Have a night pill so you'll feel drowsy anyway," Gabe adds as he closes the cupboard again. There's a bit of a silence until Brendon hears the sink taps squeak from being turned on and then a glass being put down on the table. An extra silence follows before he finally hears the floorboards squeak and moving around in the bedroom next to his own.
When he thinks it's okay to relax in his bed and try to get some sleep, he hears another door open and looks up to see light flowing in through his now-open door. Gabe stands in the door frame with a half full glass of water and a little box in his other hand, trying his hardest to keep a half smile on his face.
"You didn't take these," he says as he walks in, so Brendon figures it's too late now to pretend he's asleep. He slowly sits up and leans his back against the wall as Gabe sits down on the edge of the bed and holds the glass out for Brendon to take. When he's free of it, he pops out one of the pills from a row, then takes another pill out of a second box that Brendon see him bring in. "You should have them now."
"That's Pete's," Brendon immediately says when he sees the Ativan pill in Gabe's hand. "I don't take anti-anxiety pills," he mumbles.
Gabe shrugs just a little as Brendon takes his antidepressant from his palm. "It can't hurt. Tonight's been a big night." Brendon actually half smiles as he pops the pill into his mouth and takes a sip to swallow it down with the water, then reluctantly takes the Ativan as well. He mutters a thank you but smiles as he does, which is fortunately contagious to Gabe. He reaches out to mess up Brendon's hair then leans forward to kiss his forehead, but then stands back up and walks out without another word.
Brendon can't bring himself to finish the water and instead rests the glass on the ground by his bedside as he lays back down and tries to get some sleep.
-~*~-
When the sun struggles to filter through the clouds outside, and even more so to get through the thick glass windows of the loft, Gabe surprises himself by already being out of bed. It's not that he couldn't sleep and stayed up all night, he just managed to wake up. And so being up, woken up enough and sitting on the sofa with a coffee and his feet up on the coffee table feels good, but as well as having everyone else awake? Well, there's something in the air.
None of them know what it is or whether they're the only ones feeling it, but it's the reason that William kisses Travis with a little extra passion, it's the reason that Travis doesn't take a single trip to the medicine cabinet and it's the reason that Gabe is smiling as he sips his drink. They don't know what it is, but they're not complaining.
Even though Brendon still doesn't want to school - because it's not like any of them are going to lecture him about it, pretty much all four dropped out of high school the minute they could - it's still nice when he wakes up a little later. To Gabe especially. He's not sure really why, maybe it's because Brendon is smiling as he trudges out of his bedroom, maybe it's because he willingly sits next to him on the couch, or maybe it's because for the first time in weeks, Brendon says good morning. What Gabe doesn't know or understand though, is that Brendon feels like he can respect Gabe just that little bit more.
Gabe finishes his coffee and just because he feels like it, he rests an arm around Brendon's shoulders. Gabe isn't the cuddling type, but it's sort-of really nice the way Brendon's smaller body fits up against his own without all that discomfort that a bony adult like William would give. They turn on the TV and watch cartoons that Gabe has grown to miss, but finally, the smilefest disappears when William walks into the living room with his cellphone to his ear, midway through a conversation with the boy he'd given his number to the night before.
"Hey, Gabe," he says, holding a hand over the mouthpiece, "You know that kid, Ryan?" Gabe nods. "Turns out after we left, someone had to take him to hospital."
At that, Pete, Brendon and Gabe all sit up a little straighter. "What happened?" Gabe asks.
William hesitates only for a moment, "He didn't make it. Apparently it was just too many drugs in his system."
Gabe goes quiet and Brendon seems to curl in on himself when Gabe's arm is taken away from around him. "'Bout time," he says a little bitterly, shrugging when William gives him a look. "You don't honestly expect a kid like that to be doing drugs that heavily all his life, do you?"
William shrugs in return and seems to linger just a moment longer in the living room before holding the phone back up to his ear. Gabe doesn't want to hear this conversation so he tries his hardest to focus on the TV instead, staring so hard that he doesn't even notice Brendon punch him in the arm. "What?"
"Don't think about it," he says, actually looking and sounding really wise with his words. Gabe can't help but shake his head and shrug though, but instead of protesting vocally, he just wraps his arm back around Brendon's frame and turns the volume on the TV back up.
Gabe doesn't know whether he should feel bad about not feeling bad for this kid. He's only met Ryan once before, he's only talked to him once before and he's only ever heard about him a day or two prior to that. So maybe he should feel a little bad about not doing a damn thing when the kid's nose started bleeding, but it's not like Gabe could save him. He sighs softly and tries to take Brendon's advice, but he's cut off from his own thoughts anyway when William calls from the kitchen.
"Well," he says, making them look over to see him tugging on his coat and shoving his cellphone in his pocket, "I'm going out for a bit, I'll see you guys maybe this afternoon some time." He smiles and goes to the door, but Gabe stops him just by standing up.
"C'mon, where you off to?" He asks, nearly a little too accusingly as he walks over and Brendon and Pete merely watch from their respective sofas.
"Just going out," William forces a smile, hand on the door knob again.
"Out?"
William rolls his eyes and lets go of the handle. He doesn't see Travis come out from his bedroom and neither does Gabe, but he lowers his voice a little anyway, "I'm just going out, okay?" he mutters, "To see Tom and, y'know, some friends. We're just having lunch later on."
Gabe chews his lip lightly but finally smiles, just a little, before nodding and letting William go. He leaves maybe just a little too fast but Gabe is more caught up in his own thoughts anyway.
"What was that all about?" Travis asks, maybe a little glumly as he walks over to Gabe's side and watches the closed door.
"Honestly?" Gabe chews his lip, "I think he's ashamed." Travis gives him a look but Gabe keeps his eyes on the door as well, "I think he and Tom have something. Maybe he's just not sure how we'll react if we find out."
He finally turns to Travis and is a little taken back by the slight glare his best friend is giving him. Instead of making a snarky remark or giving a sarcastic, "What?", he shakes his head as a feeble apology and watches Travis' back as he turns to walk away.
"I might go to Jeph's store today," he says, giving them both a little air with the topic change, "See what I can find, y'know?"
Gabe frowns when he realises what Travis has said, though, and walks around the kitchen's island unit to stand by him, "What d'you have to buy at Jeph's shop?" he asks, frowning harder as he leans back against a kitchen counter.
"Gun," Travis says bluntly, but Gabe had already figured that part out. "He sells guns, what else would I buy?"
Gabe shakes his head and reaches out to rest his hand on Travis' shoulder, "We don't need a gun," he says quietly.
"If you want to make any progress with this Singer guy then we will," Travis points out, "Even if you don't kill him with it, he sounds nasty. My knife 'aint gonna protect us, Gabanti."
Gabe smiles faintly at the old nickname but shakes his head. "Whatever, 'kay, buy whatever you want but leave enough money for us."
Travis finally turns around to walk to the door, but Gabe turns as well to stop him, "Hey, Trav'?" he tries, smiling just a little at his attempt at a joke, "Go for Russian-made. If it doesn't fire, you can always hit him with it."
Travis just grins and nods in reply. He grabs his coat from the coat rack and turns to give a wave before disappearing out the door and leaving the loft a lot emptier than it was to begin with. And yet despite this, Gabe turns to look at Pete and Brendon on the couch looking at him back and he smiles faintly.
"Brendon, get dressed."
Brendon frowns at that, but Gabe just walks into his bedroom. He hears the floorboards squeak as Brendon gets up and follows him, but Gabe has no issue with stripping of his shirt and getting changed into some decent clothes in front of him.
"What for?" Brendon asks, crossing his arms and pouting just a little as he watches Gabe's back as the man searches through his chest of drawers.
"School," Gabe says simply, his voice muffled as he tugs a shirt over his head, then messes up his hair, "I don't want you missing anymore school. I'm going out now to head down to that pharmacy and see if I can get a counter job, so I'm going to drop you off on the way. So go get your uniform on and get your books together."
Brendon huffs but leaves the bedroom nonetheless, and Gabe can only hope he's going to get dressed. He pulls on a pair of jeans and tugs a jacket on over his t-shirt before he leaves the bedroom hoping he looks half decent. He takes a look around and finds Brendon is still in his room, so thankfully it means he's willingly going to school. "Hey, Petey Pie," Gabe coos as he walks over to the living room where Pete is still watching TV, "Will you be alright on your own?"
Pete looks up at Gabe and smiles, giving him a nod as he does. It's not the smile itself that relieves Gabe, though, it's how genuine it is. Still, the fatherly instinct in Gabe is what makes him lean over, kiss Pete's forehead then mess up his hair just as Brendon walks out of his bedroom. Brendon seems a little glum but Gabe ignores it, instead wrapping an arm around his waist and giving Pete a good bye wave as he leaves.
The walk outside isn't long and it's lucky, too, for a little bit of snow is starting to fall from the clouded sky and forcing shivers down both men's spines. He drops Brendon off at the bus stop because he knows that Brendon knows how to get to school from there, and he trusts that he won't truant either. Gabe leaves the bus stop only when the bus arrives and he watches Brendon get on, before he heads the opposite way down the street to the closest pharmacy.
The whole way he feels an itching different to that of when he went to the pharmacy a few days prior. It's an itching of worry, not of guilt, just hoping and praying that Pete will be alright with no one home, but then he feels that slight pang of warmth in his gut that forces him to remind himself that Pete is an adult, and of course he can take care of himself.
Gabe's just one to worry.
At least being at the pharmacy is a distraction from his thoughts. He manages to clear his head enough to have a chat with the manager and sound like a sane, kind man, and even leaves his number and an apology for not having a resume with him; giving some bullshit reason that his printer ran out of ink. He gives that painfully fake grocery-store smile on his way out, deciding against swiping a box of pills. If he gets caught (not that Gabe ever has) then it'd be a total downer on his chances to get employed.
As Gabe walks back to the apartment, he's still got that itching feeling. He thinks about Travis; about whether their jobs will be enough, and about William; just worrying if he's going to hold out. Gabe would be lying if he said that it didn't bother him this morning when William was a little over-protective of his date - and, well, thinking about William going on dates is also scary. He knows that Tom has a liking for William, but he also has a feeling that if something happens and they were to break up, then William would be crushed nearly beyond repair.
But Gabe also thinks about Brendon. Both Brendon and Pete; with Pete's anxiety and depression it's hard to not worry, but over time it feels like Brendon has been getting worse off as well. He's never been properly diagnosed, and Brendon is a great boy to be around and know when he's on his medication, but seeing the boy without drugs is heart breaking. He mopes and cries and falls into a state that Gabe often worries could be permanent.
Though when Gabe walks up those apartment stairs and opens the door, some of those worries disappear, and some of them just get pushed away. He smiles when the first thing he sees is Pete - smiling, wide and genuine and even a little bubbly. Gabe grins in return as he shuts the door behind him, then walks over to the kitchen island so he can lean against the counter and watch Pete in the kitchen.
"I didn't burn the place down," Pete laughs as he puts a bowl down in front of Gabe and opens up a drawer to take out a fork. "And I cooked myself food." Gabe just can't believe how big that smile is, how proud of himself he looks, and to be honest, Gabe is proud too.
He then looks down at the bowl and frowns just a little as he moves it towards himself, "What's this?" he asks, "You made lasagne?" Pete just grins wider and nods as he scoops his fork in to get a little, then holds it out for Gabe. Gabe takes one bite before immediately taking the fork off him and having another, "Shit that's good."
"I haven't cooked for a while," Pete admits, but he's still smiling and looking awful giggly and Gabe just wants to snuggle him up tight and dunk him in coffee or something. "I'm glad you like it."
And even though Gabe doesn't want to rain on anyone's parade, he can't help but hand the fork back and bite gently on his knuckles, before he walks over to the medicine cabinet. "Did you take your pill today?" he asks, knowing that he really shouldn't be so happy about Pete's smile when it's probably drug induced, but at least he's smiling, right?
But Pete's smile falters and he shrugs just a little as he pokes his fork in the bowl again, "I didn't," he mumbles, "I forgot - that's all. I'm sorry," but Gabe just grins wider. The only thing better than a happy Pete is a sober, happy Pete.
So Gabe walks back, cups Pete's cheeks and presses a big kiss to his forehead as his smiles grows back into place. "Don't be sorry," he grins, kissing his forehead again and making Pete laugh. "Don't be sorry."
-~*~-
It turns out that Pete's proud smile is the first of many for that afternoon. When William comes home at three, Gabe can clearly see that bounce to his step. He's smiling and humming a song to himself, which Gabe finds nice, because William hasn't sung very often but when he does he's not that bad. Travis comes home only a few minutes later and with William's good mood, he grabs Travis' hands and forces him to dance along with the music playing in his head. It causes a smile on everyone's face, especially when Travis puts one of his favourite CDs into their stereo and turns the volume up loud enough for people in the east side to hum along with.
Once the music starts playing and Travis, Pete and William started dancing with the lights off in the middle of the living area, Gabe can't help but join in too. He doesn't mind the subtle grinding up against William as the man seems to sandwich himself in between he and Travis, because normally Gabe will only want that kind of contact when he needs it. Right now is all about fun and none of them mind.
Gabe stops for a little while once he's hot enough to have to take his jacket off and walks into the kitchen to grab them some drinks. He moves on the spot to the heavy bass and auto tuned hip hop lyrics as he grabs a few beers out of the bottom of the fridge and takes them over. He unscrews one for himself, one for Pete, but when he looks over to William and Travis he decides to hold off the alcohol for now.
He can see William holding up one of the ecstasy pills that Gabe had bought, seeming like he's taunting Travis with it. His body is still moving and Travis' hands are firmly planted on William's hips, the pill being held in two fingers right up close to their mouths. Gabe can see Travis grin then shake his head, so William moves that extra inch closer as he takes the pill dry for himself.
William's going all out when Brendon comes home at about four. Gabe can understand the boy's confusion - what with the curtains closed and the lights off so the apartment is darker, the music thrumming loudly and William instantly running over, beaming, grabbing for Brendon's hands.
"Dance!" he yells over the music, eyes wide and lip bitten. Gabe just laughs as Brendon drops his bags down and holds his hands up in confusion, even more so when William finally drags Brendon over and starts to dance with him. The boy, still dumbfounded to the situation, finally starts to laugh and join in properly, and Gabe thinks this might just be one of the best afternoons he's had for a long, long time.
Pete and Brendon dance together for a while to let William do his thing, standing in front of Travis and more so grinding than anything but still moving his hips as he goes. Travis' chest is nearly one with William's back, his hands never leaving William's side as they move and twist together. Gabe, though, has to be the one to run to the door when they hear a slamming on the wood from someone on the other side.
He puts his beer down on the counter as he opens the door and steps outside so he can hear whoever's there, but it just turns out to be a girl who lives in the floor below them. She asks with a whole heap of irritation if they can turn it down, but Gabe knows she's not really pissed. He smiles and apologises and when he steps back inside, tells them to turn the music down despite William's immediate whining, then collapses onto the couch.
When the stereo is playing the CD at a somewhat reasonable level, Brendon finally sits down next to him and Pete takes the opposite side. Travis would, but William is still keeping him held up close so they can dance to the softer beats. "We should do something," Gabe suggests, not really wanting this night to end. He puts his feet up on the coffee table and snatches another beer off it - probably Travis' half finished one but, you know; you snooze, you lose.
"Like what?" Pete asks, wiping the sweat from his forehead and leaning up against Gabe so his head is on his shoulder.
"I'm hungry," Gabe shrugs, "We should go out to dinner. We haven't done that in months."
"I remember the last time," Travis says from where he's dancing behind William, though he's more just swaying now while William moves in front of him, "It was when Nate got a promotion, he took us out and we got so fucked up."
Gabe grins and nods, realising that this might be the first time since 'it' happened that he's hearing Nate's name and not getting sad. "That was fun," he says, "We should go again. In honour of Nate."
Brendon nods at that idea and William doesn't seem to mind, but looks like he's having more fun dancing.
"If we're going to go out," Travis adds, having to stop and turn William around to make him face him, then kisses his forehead and holds him still, "Let me shower. All the dancing got me hot as fuck." Gabe nods as he glances at the time, realising they've still got another few hours before they need to eat dinner. He grins as William whines and clings to Travis' arm as soon as Travis heads towards the bathroom, finding it more cute than anything.
"Dance with me, Travie," William pouts, leaning up and pressing his lips to his cheek and resting them their more than kissing him.
Travis sighs but smiles after a moment, brushing William's hair from his face, "I'll let you shower with me?"
William grins and nods. "We're gonna have to squish up," he adds, poking the end of Travis' nose with his own, "The shower is so little."
"I've got not problem with that," Travis laughs and starts to tug William towards the bathroom, but Gabe can't help but grin sheepishly as he leans over to watch them.
"No time for fucking!" he taunts, getting the finger from Travis in return before he sits back. "I call the shower after them, you guys can go after," he says quickly, jumping off the couch as soon as the two whine in unison. "Sorry boys."
-~*~-
Going out to town as a group is strange enough on it's own, but to be dressed up as nicely yet casually as possible is so foreign as well. They all remember the last time they had dinner together at a semi-nice restaurant, but it doesn't mean they're used to it. That, and William might still be a little fucked up from the pills.
He's jittery in his seat and talking a mile a minute when he does, and Gabe can see the way he's so obviously flirting when he plays with Travis' hair and kisses at his jaw when they first take their table, and Gabe can tell that William is going to be loud later tonight.
But his assumptions of William and Travis having fun are slowly let down the drain when someone comes over to give them their menus. He's wearing a chef outfit rather than a waiter's outfit, so Gabe wonders whether he's even meant to be out here, but it can never hurt, right? Well..
When the chef sees William his eyes seem to go a little wide and he smiles even brighter as he stops by their table. At first Gabe figures that this guy is one of many of William's past lays, but the way William looks down shyly when he comes over seems to frown on that idea. "William?" the chef grins, looking at him as if it's not really William, "Dude I didn't know you were coming here, you should have told me! You look great."
William bites his lip through a grin and looks up at him with a nod, "Thanks, Alex. How have you been?"
The small talk is boggling Gabe's mind as he watches the way this guy - who at first Gabe thought to be totally straight, but will throw in a limp wrist every now and then and touch William's shoulder occasionally, and really fucks with his mind - talks to William, and it's not even flirting. It really is just small talk. "These are my friends, sorry," William finally adds, looking at everyone apologetically.
"It's nice to meet you," Alex smiles, "Sorry about that. When we don't have a very full house I'll help out the waiters by taking orders. I cook in the kitchens here," he explains, this gorgeous hearty little smile on his face and if William has ever screwed this guy, Gabe can see why.
"We're still deciding, sorry," Gabe adds as he opens his menu up for the fifth time but leaves it flat on the table.
"Ah, alright then, I'll get someone to come over when you're ready then," Alex smiles, giving a little wave and exchanges a slightly shy, slightly flirting but one of those kindergarten-crush smiles. The second he leaves, Gabe leans over the table and pokes at William's arm nearly accusingly.
"Who the fuck was that, then, huh?" he asks, but the grin on his face shows he's more proud than anything.
William maybe whines a little though as he starts to play with his silver wear. "That's, um, you know. That's Alex. He's a good friend on mine."
Travis scoffs, "Seems more like a friend," but his expression is much less hearty than Gabe's.
William rolls his eyes but keeps his head down as he turns his fork around on the table, "He and I, we're like, you know. Getting closer the old fashioned way. Tom brought me here for lunch a while ago and that's how we met."
Gabe has to pause at that as he sits back. "William Beckett, are you telling me that you haven't tapped that ass?"
William gives Gabe a warning glare, "Shush! And no, I haven't." Travis raises an eyebrow and William frowns when he sees it, "I can be with someone and not fuck them, you know."
And that's when it just sort of pauses for Gabe. "You two are together?"
William realises his mistake and quickly shakes his head, but his wide eyes and body language when he takes a slightly tighter grip on the fork gives it away. "I mean - no, no, like, not really. Sort of? Not quite. It's not official. He just took me out one time and we went to the movies today and, you know, fuck it, it's nothing, okay?"
Gabe just shakes his head as he makes himself more comfortable in his seat. "We're proud of you, Bilvy, don't be worried," Pete pipes up with a little smile as he leans closer to William and holds his hand on the table. Gabe nods and smiles his agreement, but Brendon and Travis stay quiet.
"Thanks, you guys," he looks down, still smiling like a foolish school boy as he attempts to focus on his menu.
There's a slightly awkward silence that follows for a few seconds, so Gabe turns to Brendon sitting to his right and nudges his shoulder, "What're you gonna order, kid?" he asks with a little smile and messes up his hair, but Brendon shakes his head and pushes Gabe's hand away.
"Not hungry," he mumbles, sending Gabe's smile to a simple flat line. His side of the table suddenly feels awfully quiet as Pete and William talk amongst themselves, so he tries to distract himself with his menu as he wonders what's suddenly gotten into everyone.
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 68,689 words • 5830 words this chapter
Warnings: Drug use, sex, swearing, death, violence
Main Pairings: Gabe/Brendon, Travis/William, Travis/Katy, William/Everyone
Background Pairings: William/Tom, William/Suarez, Ryan/Cassadee, Victoria/Leighton, Alicia/Mikey, Bert/Quinn, Jon/Spencer, Gabe/Pete
Disclaimer: All these characters are real life people and not my own. This entire story is fiction; a complete figment of my imagination and so I am not implying that none of this has ever or ever will happen.
Author Note:
Previous Parts: Click here (8/12)
Click the banner for a short synopsis/blurb/summary of the fic.
When the loft finally springs into view after they turn onto Jersey Street, Travis slows the car down enough to pull up outside. He flicks his cigarette out the window and Gabe does the same as they undo their belts and open up the car doors. "I'm beat," Travis announces as he stretches his arms out and even yawns a little. "I'm going to crash. It's freezing out here."
He starts towards the loft door, but after two steps William flings himself out of the car and runs over to him. Gabe isn't sure whether William is addicted to the second hand smoke lingering on Travis' skin and clothes, or if he's just apologising for the boy he sucked face with at the party, but it's sweet in a way when William wraps his arms around Travis' frame, stands on his tip-toes and kisses his bottom lip. Travis finally returns the hug and kisses him back, then drops his arm to hang around William's waist and lead him inside.
Gabe and Brendon get out of the car then, starting to walk towards the door, but Gabe stops when he doesn't hear another car door open. He pauses and looks back to see Pete sitting with his eyes closed in the car, still looking like he's trying to calm down, then turns to Brendon. "Go to bed," he says quietly, "I'll be up in a little bit. Leave the door unlocked for me."
Brendon hesitantly nods, but when he walks up to the apartment building entrance, he stops in the doorway to look back and see Gabe heading back to the car. Curiosity gets the better of him and he lingers, one hand on the door frame and his eyes squinting to try and see the two more clearly in the dark.
Gabe opens up the back car door, but doesn't say a word just yet. Pete looks up at him and Gabe nods his head, so finally, slowly, Pete hoists himself up and shuts the door. "C'mere," Gabe murmurs, resting a hand on Pete's shoulder and leading him back to sit down on the curb with him. Pete seems to hesitate, but finally drops down to sit by Gabe's side with barely an inch between them. "You alright?"
Pete shakes his head and rubs at his temples, still seeming to take a moment or so before he forms his words. "I'm not totally incapable of being around other people, you know. It was just a dorm party, it's not like I haven't been to one before," he mutters a little bitterly. Gabe can't help but feel skeptical though, mainly in the way Pete refuses to look at him. He's learnt a lot about body language, so it seems, and the way that Pete keeps his eyes down as he traces some of the stones of the asphalt gives Gabe the feeling he's keeping something to himself.
"I just know that a lot happened tonight, you seem more quiet than normal," Gabe points out, joining him in staring at the ground and tracing the stones. "I'm allowed to worry about you."
Pete frowns and shakes his head again, "Why don't you worry about Brendon or someone who deserves it," he grumbles.
Gabe straightens up, just a little but enough. "What?"
"Needs it," Pete says immediately, "I meant 'someone who needs it'."
For Brendon watching in the doorway, the silence that follows is more than suspenseful. It's torturous. It's a good minute or two before Gabe shuffles just a little closer and rests a hand on the concrete behind Pete's back to shift his weight, "I know what you said," he says quieter, "And I know what you mean. It's okay."
Pete shakes his head again, but it's only slight. Still, Gabe seems to smile. "It's late," he points out, "You missed your meds this morning and the one you were meant to take last night wasn't missing from your pill box. You should take one now so you'll be right to have another in the morning," he says, "You'll feel better."
Brendon is honestly surprised when he hears how much Gabe seems to know about it, about when Pete takes his pills and how he knows if he takes it at all. The bottom line? He's surprised how much Gabe seems to care. Especially for a guy who has lately been all about himself, who's been handing out 'fuck you's like candy and not even doing his job to uphold the family. If that's what they even are.
"I'll take you upstairs, you can take your pill and go to sleep and I promise you'll wake up and feel better, okay?" Gabe smiles just a little as he moves his arm to be around Pete's shoulders, and finally, finally, Pete nods just a bit and leans into the touch. He rests his head on Gabe's shoulder and continues to draw on the ground, but what Brendon can't see from standing behind them, is that he's smiling.
He takes that as his cue to get up and go, jogging as quietly as he can up the stairs so he can get to bed without Gabe knowing that he listened in to what seemed like a very serious conversation. He leaves the door open and heads straight for his bedroom, kicking off his shoes and shrugging his hoodie off once he's walking over to the bed. As he starts to wriggle down underneath the blankets he can hears the front door close and voices ring through the apartment.
"You tired enough to sleep or do you want to watch TV?" Gabe asks and opens up a cupboard, going through a few things that Brendon can only hear the rustling of.
"Tired," Pete says simply, but Brendon can't hear any specific movement. "I think I'll be able to go to bed."
"Have a night pill so you'll feel drowsy anyway," Gabe adds as he closes the cupboard again. There's a bit of a silence until Brendon hears the sink taps squeak from being turned on and then a glass being put down on the table. An extra silence follows before he finally hears the floorboards squeak and moving around in the bedroom next to his own.
When he thinks it's okay to relax in his bed and try to get some sleep, he hears another door open and looks up to see light flowing in through his now-open door. Gabe stands in the door frame with a half full glass of water and a little box in his other hand, trying his hardest to keep a half smile on his face.
"You didn't take these," he says as he walks in, so Brendon figures it's too late now to pretend he's asleep. He slowly sits up and leans his back against the wall as Gabe sits down on the edge of the bed and holds the glass out for Brendon to take. When he's free of it, he pops out one of the pills from a row, then takes another pill out of a second box that Brendon see him bring in. "You should have them now."
"That's Pete's," Brendon immediately says when he sees the Ativan pill in Gabe's hand. "I don't take anti-anxiety pills," he mumbles.
Gabe shrugs just a little as Brendon takes his antidepressant from his palm. "It can't hurt. Tonight's been a big night." Brendon actually half smiles as he pops the pill into his mouth and takes a sip to swallow it down with the water, then reluctantly takes the Ativan as well. He mutters a thank you but smiles as he does, which is fortunately contagious to Gabe. He reaches out to mess up Brendon's hair then leans forward to kiss his forehead, but then stands back up and walks out without another word.
Brendon can't bring himself to finish the water and instead rests the glass on the ground by his bedside as he lays back down and tries to get some sleep.
-~*~-
When the sun struggles to filter through the clouds outside, and even more so to get through the thick glass windows of the loft, Gabe surprises himself by already being out of bed. It's not that he couldn't sleep and stayed up all night, he just managed to wake up. And so being up, woken up enough and sitting on the sofa with a coffee and his feet up on the coffee table feels good, but as well as having everyone else awake? Well, there's something in the air.
None of them know what it is or whether they're the only ones feeling it, but it's the reason that William kisses Travis with a little extra passion, it's the reason that Travis doesn't take a single trip to the medicine cabinet and it's the reason that Gabe is smiling as he sips his drink. They don't know what it is, but they're not complaining.
Even though Brendon still doesn't want to school - because it's not like any of them are going to lecture him about it, pretty much all four dropped out of high school the minute they could - it's still nice when he wakes up a little later. To Gabe especially. He's not sure really why, maybe it's because Brendon is smiling as he trudges out of his bedroom, maybe it's because he willingly sits next to him on the couch, or maybe it's because for the first time in weeks, Brendon says good morning. What Gabe doesn't know or understand though, is that Brendon feels like he can respect Gabe just that little bit more.
Gabe finishes his coffee and just because he feels like it, he rests an arm around Brendon's shoulders. Gabe isn't the cuddling type, but it's sort-of really nice the way Brendon's smaller body fits up against his own without all that discomfort that a bony adult like William would give. They turn on the TV and watch cartoons that Gabe has grown to miss, but finally, the smilefest disappears when William walks into the living room with his cellphone to his ear, midway through a conversation with the boy he'd given his number to the night before.
"Hey, Gabe," he says, holding a hand over the mouthpiece, "You know that kid, Ryan?" Gabe nods. "Turns out after we left, someone had to take him to hospital."
At that, Pete, Brendon and Gabe all sit up a little straighter. "What happened?" Gabe asks.
William hesitates only for a moment, "He didn't make it. Apparently it was just too many drugs in his system."
Gabe goes quiet and Brendon seems to curl in on himself when Gabe's arm is taken away from around him. "'Bout time," he says a little bitterly, shrugging when William gives him a look. "You don't honestly expect a kid like that to be doing drugs that heavily all his life, do you?"
William shrugs in return and seems to linger just a moment longer in the living room before holding the phone back up to his ear. Gabe doesn't want to hear this conversation so he tries his hardest to focus on the TV instead, staring so hard that he doesn't even notice Brendon punch him in the arm. "What?"
"Don't think about it," he says, actually looking and sounding really wise with his words. Gabe can't help but shake his head and shrug though, but instead of protesting vocally, he just wraps his arm back around Brendon's frame and turns the volume on the TV back up.
Gabe doesn't know whether he should feel bad about not feeling bad for this kid. He's only met Ryan once before, he's only talked to him once before and he's only ever heard about him a day or two prior to that. So maybe he should feel a little bad about not doing a damn thing when the kid's nose started bleeding, but it's not like Gabe could save him. He sighs softly and tries to take Brendon's advice, but he's cut off from his own thoughts anyway when William calls from the kitchen.
"Well," he says, making them look over to see him tugging on his coat and shoving his cellphone in his pocket, "I'm going out for a bit, I'll see you guys maybe this afternoon some time." He smiles and goes to the door, but Gabe stops him just by standing up.
"C'mon, where you off to?" He asks, nearly a little too accusingly as he walks over and Brendon and Pete merely watch from their respective sofas.
"Just going out," William forces a smile, hand on the door knob again.
"Out?"
William rolls his eyes and lets go of the handle. He doesn't see Travis come out from his bedroom and neither does Gabe, but he lowers his voice a little anyway, "I'm just going out, okay?" he mutters, "To see Tom and, y'know, some friends. We're just having lunch later on."
Gabe chews his lip lightly but finally smiles, just a little, before nodding and letting William go. He leaves maybe just a little too fast but Gabe is more caught up in his own thoughts anyway.
"What was that all about?" Travis asks, maybe a little glumly as he walks over to Gabe's side and watches the closed door.
"Honestly?" Gabe chews his lip, "I think he's ashamed." Travis gives him a look but Gabe keeps his eyes on the door as well, "I think he and Tom have something. Maybe he's just not sure how we'll react if we find out."
He finally turns to Travis and is a little taken back by the slight glare his best friend is giving him. Instead of making a snarky remark or giving a sarcastic, "What?", he shakes his head as a feeble apology and watches Travis' back as he turns to walk away.
"I might go to Jeph's store today," he says, giving them both a little air with the topic change, "See what I can find, y'know?"
Gabe frowns when he realises what Travis has said, though, and walks around the kitchen's island unit to stand by him, "What d'you have to buy at Jeph's shop?" he asks, frowning harder as he leans back against a kitchen counter.
"Gun," Travis says bluntly, but Gabe had already figured that part out. "He sells guns, what else would I buy?"
Gabe shakes his head and reaches out to rest his hand on Travis' shoulder, "We don't need a gun," he says quietly.
"If you want to make any progress with this Singer guy then we will," Travis points out, "Even if you don't kill him with it, he sounds nasty. My knife 'aint gonna protect us, Gabanti."
Gabe smiles faintly at the old nickname but shakes his head. "Whatever, 'kay, buy whatever you want but leave enough money for us."
Travis finally turns around to walk to the door, but Gabe turns as well to stop him, "Hey, Trav'?" he tries, smiling just a little at his attempt at a joke, "Go for Russian-made. If it doesn't fire, you can always hit him with it."
Travis just grins and nods in reply. He grabs his coat from the coat rack and turns to give a wave before disappearing out the door and leaving the loft a lot emptier than it was to begin with. And yet despite this, Gabe turns to look at Pete and Brendon on the couch looking at him back and he smiles faintly.
"Brendon, get dressed."
Brendon frowns at that, but Gabe just walks into his bedroom. He hears the floorboards squeak as Brendon gets up and follows him, but Gabe has no issue with stripping of his shirt and getting changed into some decent clothes in front of him.
"What for?" Brendon asks, crossing his arms and pouting just a little as he watches Gabe's back as the man searches through his chest of drawers.
"School," Gabe says simply, his voice muffled as he tugs a shirt over his head, then messes up his hair, "I don't want you missing anymore school. I'm going out now to head down to that pharmacy and see if I can get a counter job, so I'm going to drop you off on the way. So go get your uniform on and get your books together."
Brendon huffs but leaves the bedroom nonetheless, and Gabe can only hope he's going to get dressed. He pulls on a pair of jeans and tugs a jacket on over his t-shirt before he leaves the bedroom hoping he looks half decent. He takes a look around and finds Brendon is still in his room, so thankfully it means he's willingly going to school. "Hey, Petey Pie," Gabe coos as he walks over to the living room where Pete is still watching TV, "Will you be alright on your own?"
Pete looks up at Gabe and smiles, giving him a nod as he does. It's not the smile itself that relieves Gabe, though, it's how genuine it is. Still, the fatherly instinct in Gabe is what makes him lean over, kiss Pete's forehead then mess up his hair just as Brendon walks out of his bedroom. Brendon seems a little glum but Gabe ignores it, instead wrapping an arm around his waist and giving Pete a good bye wave as he leaves.
The walk outside isn't long and it's lucky, too, for a little bit of snow is starting to fall from the clouded sky and forcing shivers down both men's spines. He drops Brendon off at the bus stop because he knows that Brendon knows how to get to school from there, and he trusts that he won't truant either. Gabe leaves the bus stop only when the bus arrives and he watches Brendon get on, before he heads the opposite way down the street to the closest pharmacy.
The whole way he feels an itching different to that of when he went to the pharmacy a few days prior. It's an itching of worry, not of guilt, just hoping and praying that Pete will be alright with no one home, but then he feels that slight pang of warmth in his gut that forces him to remind himself that Pete is an adult, and of course he can take care of himself.
Gabe's just one to worry.
At least being at the pharmacy is a distraction from his thoughts. He manages to clear his head enough to have a chat with the manager and sound like a sane, kind man, and even leaves his number and an apology for not having a resume with him; giving some bullshit reason that his printer ran out of ink. He gives that painfully fake grocery-store smile on his way out, deciding against swiping a box of pills. If he gets caught (not that Gabe ever has) then it'd be a total downer on his chances to get employed.
As Gabe walks back to the apartment, he's still got that itching feeling. He thinks about Travis; about whether their jobs will be enough, and about William; just worrying if he's going to hold out. Gabe would be lying if he said that it didn't bother him this morning when William was a little over-protective of his date - and, well, thinking about William going on dates is also scary. He knows that Tom has a liking for William, but he also has a feeling that if something happens and they were to break up, then William would be crushed nearly beyond repair.
But Gabe also thinks about Brendon. Both Brendon and Pete; with Pete's anxiety and depression it's hard to not worry, but over time it feels like Brendon has been getting worse off as well. He's never been properly diagnosed, and Brendon is a great boy to be around and know when he's on his medication, but seeing the boy without drugs is heart breaking. He mopes and cries and falls into a state that Gabe often worries could be permanent.
Though when Gabe walks up those apartment stairs and opens the door, some of those worries disappear, and some of them just get pushed away. He smiles when the first thing he sees is Pete - smiling, wide and genuine and even a little bubbly. Gabe grins in return as he shuts the door behind him, then walks over to the kitchen island so he can lean against the counter and watch Pete in the kitchen.
"I didn't burn the place down," Pete laughs as he puts a bowl down in front of Gabe and opens up a drawer to take out a fork. "And I cooked myself food." Gabe just can't believe how big that smile is, how proud of himself he looks, and to be honest, Gabe is proud too.
He then looks down at the bowl and frowns just a little as he moves it towards himself, "What's this?" he asks, "You made lasagne?" Pete just grins wider and nods as he scoops his fork in to get a little, then holds it out for Gabe. Gabe takes one bite before immediately taking the fork off him and having another, "Shit that's good."
"I haven't cooked for a while," Pete admits, but he's still smiling and looking awful giggly and Gabe just wants to snuggle him up tight and dunk him in coffee or something. "I'm glad you like it."
And even though Gabe doesn't want to rain on anyone's parade, he can't help but hand the fork back and bite gently on his knuckles, before he walks over to the medicine cabinet. "Did you take your pill today?" he asks, knowing that he really shouldn't be so happy about Pete's smile when it's probably drug induced, but at least he's smiling, right?
But Pete's smile falters and he shrugs just a little as he pokes his fork in the bowl again, "I didn't," he mumbles, "I forgot - that's all. I'm sorry," but Gabe just grins wider. The only thing better than a happy Pete is a sober, happy Pete.
So Gabe walks back, cups Pete's cheeks and presses a big kiss to his forehead as his smiles grows back into place. "Don't be sorry," he grins, kissing his forehead again and making Pete laugh. "Don't be sorry."
-~*~-
It turns out that Pete's proud smile is the first of many for that afternoon. When William comes home at three, Gabe can clearly see that bounce to his step. He's smiling and humming a song to himself, which Gabe finds nice, because William hasn't sung very often but when he does he's not that bad. Travis comes home only a few minutes later and with William's good mood, he grabs Travis' hands and forces him to dance along with the music playing in his head. It causes a smile on everyone's face, especially when Travis puts one of his favourite CDs into their stereo and turns the volume up loud enough for people in the east side to hum along with.
Once the music starts playing and Travis, Pete and William started dancing with the lights off in the middle of the living area, Gabe can't help but join in too. He doesn't mind the subtle grinding up against William as the man seems to sandwich himself in between he and Travis, because normally Gabe will only want that kind of contact when he needs it. Right now is all about fun and none of them mind.
Gabe stops for a little while once he's hot enough to have to take his jacket off and walks into the kitchen to grab them some drinks. He moves on the spot to the heavy bass and auto tuned hip hop lyrics as he grabs a few beers out of the bottom of the fridge and takes them over. He unscrews one for himself, one for Pete, but when he looks over to William and Travis he decides to hold off the alcohol for now.
He can see William holding up one of the ecstasy pills that Gabe had bought, seeming like he's taunting Travis with it. His body is still moving and Travis' hands are firmly planted on William's hips, the pill being held in two fingers right up close to their mouths. Gabe can see Travis grin then shake his head, so William moves that extra inch closer as he takes the pill dry for himself.
William's going all out when Brendon comes home at about four. Gabe can understand the boy's confusion - what with the curtains closed and the lights off so the apartment is darker, the music thrumming loudly and William instantly running over, beaming, grabbing for Brendon's hands.
"Dance!" he yells over the music, eyes wide and lip bitten. Gabe just laughs as Brendon drops his bags down and holds his hands up in confusion, even more so when William finally drags Brendon over and starts to dance with him. The boy, still dumbfounded to the situation, finally starts to laugh and join in properly, and Gabe thinks this might just be one of the best afternoons he's had for a long, long time.
Pete and Brendon dance together for a while to let William do his thing, standing in front of Travis and more so grinding than anything but still moving his hips as he goes. Travis' chest is nearly one with William's back, his hands never leaving William's side as they move and twist together. Gabe, though, has to be the one to run to the door when they hear a slamming on the wood from someone on the other side.
He puts his beer down on the counter as he opens the door and steps outside so he can hear whoever's there, but it just turns out to be a girl who lives in the floor below them. She asks with a whole heap of irritation if they can turn it down, but Gabe knows she's not really pissed. He smiles and apologises and when he steps back inside, tells them to turn the music down despite William's immediate whining, then collapses onto the couch.
When the stereo is playing the CD at a somewhat reasonable level, Brendon finally sits down next to him and Pete takes the opposite side. Travis would, but William is still keeping him held up close so they can dance to the softer beats. "We should do something," Gabe suggests, not really wanting this night to end. He puts his feet up on the coffee table and snatches another beer off it - probably Travis' half finished one but, you know; you snooze, you lose.
"Like what?" Pete asks, wiping the sweat from his forehead and leaning up against Gabe so his head is on his shoulder.
"I'm hungry," Gabe shrugs, "We should go out to dinner. We haven't done that in months."
"I remember the last time," Travis says from where he's dancing behind William, though he's more just swaying now while William moves in front of him, "It was when Nate got a promotion, he took us out and we got so fucked up."
Gabe grins and nods, realising that this might be the first time since 'it' happened that he's hearing Nate's name and not getting sad. "That was fun," he says, "We should go again. In honour of Nate."
Brendon nods at that idea and William doesn't seem to mind, but looks like he's having more fun dancing.
"If we're going to go out," Travis adds, having to stop and turn William around to make him face him, then kisses his forehead and holds him still, "Let me shower. All the dancing got me hot as fuck." Gabe nods as he glances at the time, realising they've still got another few hours before they need to eat dinner. He grins as William whines and clings to Travis' arm as soon as Travis heads towards the bathroom, finding it more cute than anything.
"Dance with me, Travie," William pouts, leaning up and pressing his lips to his cheek and resting them their more than kissing him.
Travis sighs but smiles after a moment, brushing William's hair from his face, "I'll let you shower with me?"
William grins and nods. "We're gonna have to squish up," he adds, poking the end of Travis' nose with his own, "The shower is so little."
"I've got not problem with that," Travis laughs and starts to tug William towards the bathroom, but Gabe can't help but grin sheepishly as he leans over to watch them.
"No time for fucking!" he taunts, getting the finger from Travis in return before he sits back. "I call the shower after them, you guys can go after," he says quickly, jumping off the couch as soon as the two whine in unison. "Sorry boys."
-~*~-
Going out to town as a group is strange enough on it's own, but to be dressed up as nicely yet casually as possible is so foreign as well. They all remember the last time they had dinner together at a semi-nice restaurant, but it doesn't mean they're used to it. That, and William might still be a little fucked up from the pills.
He's jittery in his seat and talking a mile a minute when he does, and Gabe can see the way he's so obviously flirting when he plays with Travis' hair and kisses at his jaw when they first take their table, and Gabe can tell that William is going to be loud later tonight.
But his assumptions of William and Travis having fun are slowly let down the drain when someone comes over to give them their menus. He's wearing a chef outfit rather than a waiter's outfit, so Gabe wonders whether he's even meant to be out here, but it can never hurt, right? Well..
When the chef sees William his eyes seem to go a little wide and he smiles even brighter as he stops by their table. At first Gabe figures that this guy is one of many of William's past lays, but the way William looks down shyly when he comes over seems to frown on that idea. "William?" the chef grins, looking at him as if it's not really William, "Dude I didn't know you were coming here, you should have told me! You look great."
William bites his lip through a grin and looks up at him with a nod, "Thanks, Alex. How have you been?"
The small talk is boggling Gabe's mind as he watches the way this guy - who at first Gabe thought to be totally straight, but will throw in a limp wrist every now and then and touch William's shoulder occasionally, and really fucks with his mind - talks to William, and it's not even flirting. It really is just small talk. "These are my friends, sorry," William finally adds, looking at everyone apologetically.
"It's nice to meet you," Alex smiles, "Sorry about that. When we don't have a very full house I'll help out the waiters by taking orders. I cook in the kitchens here," he explains, this gorgeous hearty little smile on his face and if William has ever screwed this guy, Gabe can see why.
"We're still deciding, sorry," Gabe adds as he opens his menu up for the fifth time but leaves it flat on the table.
"Ah, alright then, I'll get someone to come over when you're ready then," Alex smiles, giving a little wave and exchanges a slightly shy, slightly flirting but one of those kindergarten-crush smiles. The second he leaves, Gabe leans over the table and pokes at William's arm nearly accusingly.
"Who the fuck was that, then, huh?" he asks, but the grin on his face shows he's more proud than anything.
William maybe whines a little though as he starts to play with his silver wear. "That's, um, you know. That's Alex. He's a good friend on mine."
Travis scoffs, "Seems more like a friend," but his expression is much less hearty than Gabe's.
William rolls his eyes but keeps his head down as he turns his fork around on the table, "He and I, we're like, you know. Getting closer the old fashioned way. Tom brought me here for lunch a while ago and that's how we met."
Gabe has to pause at that as he sits back. "William Beckett, are you telling me that you haven't tapped that ass?"
William gives Gabe a warning glare, "Shush! And no, I haven't." Travis raises an eyebrow and William frowns when he sees it, "I can be with someone and not fuck them, you know."
And that's when it just sort of pauses for Gabe. "You two are together?"
William realises his mistake and quickly shakes his head, but his wide eyes and body language when he takes a slightly tighter grip on the fork gives it away. "I mean - no, no, like, not really. Sort of? Not quite. It's not official. He just took me out one time and we went to the movies today and, you know, fuck it, it's nothing, okay?"
Gabe just shakes his head as he makes himself more comfortable in his seat. "We're proud of you, Bilvy, don't be worried," Pete pipes up with a little smile as he leans closer to William and holds his hand on the table. Gabe nods and smiles his agreement, but Brendon and Travis stay quiet.
"Thanks, you guys," he looks down, still smiling like a foolish school boy as he attempts to focus on his menu.
There's a slightly awkward silence that follows for a few seconds, so Gabe turns to Brendon sitting to his right and nudges his shoulder, "What're you gonna order, kid?" he asks with a little smile and messes up his hair, but Brendon shakes his head and pushes Gabe's hand away.
"Not hungry," he mumbles, sending Gabe's smile to a simple flat line. His side of the table suddenly feels awfully quiet as Pete and William talk amongst themselves, so he tries to distract himself with his menu as he wonders what's suddenly gotten into everyone.