Fic: You're one big sugar rush (I've always dreamt that I'd be your favorite) [9/14]
Title:‘You're one big sugar rush (I've always dreamt that I'd be your favorite)’ [9/14]
Author: jen_jm
Pairing: Gabe/William, Butcher/Sisky, Ryland/Vicky-T, Alex/Nate vs Alex/Tom, others minor pairings.
Rating: NC-17 overall
Word count: 80,000 total words
Warnings: Upper East Siders AU (it needed a name, didn’t it?), but this is NOT a Gossip Girl AU.
POV: third
Disclaimer: Completely not true. I doubt Gabe can actually write softwares, anyway. It’s all fiction.
Author’s Notes: title from Cash Cash’s ‘Sugar Rush’ and Cobra Starship’s ‘The scene is dead - Long live the scene’
As ever, feel free to report any mistake. Constructive criticism is welcome, feedback makes me happy!
Summary:“Can I offer you a coffee, then?” Gabe tried once again, not too hopeful, but to his surprise, the singer didn’t flip him off.
“Why?” William asked, genuinely curious about all that interest.
“Because,” Gabe just said, shrugging a little, but at the boy’s stubborn look, he gave in and smiled. “I like your voice.” - Gabe Saporta is a rich 26 years old computer nerd who lives in the Upper East Side. William Beckett is a broke 22 years old musician who works as a bartender and lives with his best friend in Brooklyn. When they meet in the subway where William is playing their worlds collide in more ways than one.
Crossposted
Chapter 1 || Chapter 2 || Chapter 3 || Chapter 4 || Chapter 5 || Chapter 6 || Chapter 7 || Chapter 8
Chapter 9 - The one with a lot of singing and bit of fighting
Three days later
“Are you sure they don’t need a ride home?” Alex flopped down on the couch and turned on the stereo as he talked to Vicky on the phone.
“Don’t worry, Gabe said they’re good,” the girl replied with a casual tone. “Shouldn’t you be working?”
“I am working,” Alex replied, rolling his eyes and that caused Tom to smirk as he entered the room. “I’ll go back to that, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Good boy, say hi to Tom,” she said, then didn’t wait for an answer and hung up.
“She says hi,” Alex announced as his boyfriend walked closer.
“I’ll say it back when I see her,” Tom replied and let the Alex pull him in his lap.
“About that, are you busy tomorrow night?” Alex closed his arms around the boy, smiling.
“Not really,” Tom said with a slightly intrigued frown. “What did you have in mind?”
“It’s kind of a tradition,” Alex explained, then placed a kiss on Tom’s jaw before speaking again. “The first night of the year that we all go out together, we go to a karaoke bar.”
“That’s horrible,” Tom pointed out with a slightly scared look on his face.
Alex laughed out loud at that, genuinely amused, which gained him a soft slap on the head. “I know, it sounds like the worst idea ever, but it usually turns out to be fun.”
“I don’t have to sing, right?” Tom offered his best desperate expression, to which Alex replied with another kiss on his chin.
“We’ll spare you, but just because it’s your first time,” Alex conceded with an exaggerated sigh, then waited for Tom to settle on his thighs. “And it won’t be for free.”
“Don’t worry, I know how to repay you,” Tom agreed with a grin, then kissed him briefly, ignoring the fact that they had to go back to work. “Wanna do something tonight?”
“Movie and pizza on the couch?” Alex suggested, keeping his eyes closed for a moment longer. “Wait, aren’t you working?”
“Nope, we hired a new guy,” Tom replied with nod, smiling at the surprise on the other’s face. “Me and Mike will be taking more time off. Not much, but surely more than now.”
“That’s great,” Alex replied once he got past the initial surprise. “Who’s this guy? He’s not too pretty, right?”
“It’s Sisky,” Tom said with a playful glare and slapped him on the head again. “Mike has been offering him the spot for weeks and since we’re on better terms now, he probably decided working at the pub won’t be completely horrifying.”
“Well, at least I know he won’t hit on you,” Alex pointed out with a small, relieved sigh.
“Jealous freak,” Tom muttered against his mouth and stole him another quick kiss. “I’m happy he accepted, Mike says he needs the money to pay the rent, the money his parents send him is barely enough for college expenses.”
“What is he studying, again?” Alex frowned, trying to remember.
“American history,” Tom replied with a little, warm smile. “Give him a couple of years and he’ll be geeking in some kind of museum.”
“I’m happy you’re getting close to your friends again,” Alex said, hoping his boyfriend understood his words were honest.
“Me too,” Tom admitted happily, but just as he was about to add something, the song on the stereo changed and he froze. “Can you turn that song off, please?” he whispered as Alex recognized Damien Rice’s Grey Room.
“Sure,” Alex replied with a frown and reached for the remote, turning the stereo off. “What is it?”
“Nothing, just bad memories,” Tom said with a weak smile and shook his head. “So, we were thinking movie and pizza for tonight?”
Alex looked at him for a few, long seconds, uncertain whether to let it go or push it a little. He picked the latter when he caught the same doubt in Tom’s eyes. “William?”
Tom just nodded, but when he realized Alex was waiting for him to explain, he took a deep breath. “It’s nothing, really, it’s stupid,” he insisted, then looked at him with a little sad smile. “I used to send it to him when I still thought he would accept a peace offering.”
“It’s not stupid,” Alex just said, then pulled him in a slow kiss and felt him relax in his arms.
Once he pulled back, Tom stopped him and stole one more kiss, then let him go, smiling. “Let’s go back to work, I’ll let you pick the movie for tonight,” he declared as he stood.
“How thoughtful,” Alex pointed out, amused and a little sarcastic, and followed him back in the studio.
~~
Later that night
“You’re a good boyfriend, babe,” Sisky declared as he sat down on the carpet next to Butcher, who was busy going through pictures of his works with Vicky’s help. She’d told them she wanted some of his paintings to decorate the dining hall for the wedding, so they were busy finding the right style for it.
“What is it?” Butcher rolled his eyes but didn’t fight back the smile that curved his lips. “Did you drop my colors again?”
“No! You don’t even keep them here anymore!” Sisky looked offended by the accusation and sulked for a few moments, then shook his head and scooted closer. “Tell me, d’you want to be an awesome boyfriend?”
“I knew there was something,” Butcher commented and Vicky laughed at the scene, glad they felt at ease with her around. She liked those two, she liked their company, their sense of humor and even their little skirmishes. They were the kind of people Vicky had always tried to surround herself with. “Shoot it.”
“Washington, two days, next week?” Sisky took something from his pocket and handed it to Butcher, then bit on his lower lip. The painter looked at the flyer and frowned when he read Smithsonian National Museum of American History. “There’s a great exhibition about Indian ledger drawings, it’s only gonna be there ‘til February.”
Butcher seemed to be thinking about it and Vicky raised an eyebrow, amused. “Hey, just so you know, I’m gonna judge you a very, very awful boyfriend if you say no,” she announced with a casual tone, which earned her a wide smile from Sisky.
“Fine, but we’re not going alone, as much as I love both you and drawings, I don’t wanna be stuck with your geeky evil twin for two entire days,” Butcher conceded, addressing stern looks at both his boyfriend and the girl. “And since you obviously involved her because you knew she’d take your side, she’s coming too.”
“Deal,” Vicky and Sisky both said, then laughed when Butcher rolled his eyes at them. “Just pick the dates and let me know so I can warn Ry,” she added, nodding quickly.
“We could tell Nate too, I think he could use a distraction,” Sisky proposed with an uncertain look on his face, but relaxed when Vicky’s smile lit up.
“Great idea, we’ll ask him tomorrow night,” she declared, obviously happy about the idea.
Right after she spoke they heard the sound of a key sliding in the lock and a few seconds later William and Gabe walked in with the suitcases. Sisky jumped on his feet and reached William in no time, pulling him in a tight hug.
“Hey, I was only away for a week,” William said as he hugged him back. “Missed me?”
“Nope,” Sisky replied with fake indifference and stepped back, letting Butcher and Vicky a chance to greet them as well. Once they were done, he took one William’s two suitcases gestured him to follow. “I’ll help you get these in your room.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll have me back in one piece as soon as the interrogation is over,” William reassured a frowning Gabe, then chuckled as he followed Sisky into his bedroom.
The boy closed the door and put the suitcase down, smirking from ear to ear. “How was London? Did you take pictures? How was the hotel?”
“Hey, slow down, we have time for this,” William reached him and ruffled his hair, happy to be back with his best friend. “Besides, you know how the hotel was, you looked it up online for me.”
“True, but the real experience is way better than the website,” Sisky objected as they both walked to the bed and sat down. “What about Gabe?”
“I don’t know where to start,” William admitted, letting himself fall down on his back. “He’s nothing like I imagined, he’s-- he’s amazing.”
“So this is turning serious, after all,” Sisky pointed out as he lay down as well, but rolled on his side.
“Sisky,” William started, turning his head to look at him. “I wanna marry him.”
Sisky burst out laughing at that, holding his stomach as he almost fell from the bed. William smirked and shook his head, realizing how that must have sounded, especially coming from him of all people.
“Okay, maybe not marry him, but I’m surely not letting him go,” William admitted as soon as Sisky calmed down and resumed his position.
“I think that finding closure with Tom helped you realize a new relationship isn’t necessarily a death trap,” Sisky said, surprising his friend, who just nodded in reply. “Okay, I’ve said my wise line, but I know you only want him for his eight inches.”
“Fuck you, you idiot!” William laughed out loud, reaching for his pillow to hit him several times. Just as he was trying to climb on his chest to trap him the door opened and he stopped the movement mid air, still holding the object.
“Is there gonna be a corpse in here?” Gabe asked as he stepped in, halfway amused and confused.
“Quite possibly, yes,” William admitted as he jumped off the bed and walked to his boyfriend. “Wanna help me kill him?”
“Nope, I have my own list of people to murder, thanks,” Gabe replied, then threw a curious glance at Sisky, who was grinning like a lunatic. “What’s wrong with him?”
“Oh, plenty, trust me,” William said, rolling his eyes, then yelled a random insult when a shoe hit him on the back. “This is so on.”
“Don’t start the final round yet, okay?” Gabe laughed as he gripped William and shielded him from Sisky. “Let me at least say goodbye.”
“Hey, I’m not gonna lose,” William declared with a fake offended frown.
“I know you won’t, but I have to go,” Gabe admitted, then pulled him closer and kissed him briefly. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he added right on his lips with a smile.
“Okay,” William said, then kissed him again, only to pull back when he heard Sisky snicker. “Text me what time we’re supposed to be ready,” he added, then threw a threatening glare at his friend. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a murder to attend.”
Gabe let him go and watched then fight for a moment, then headed for the living room, obviously amused.
After a couple of minutes William managed to get control of the pillow again and somehow ended up sitting on Sisky’s shoulder blades, which gave him a chance to immobilize him.
“I surrender, stop!” Sisky yelled between gasps and laughter and only managed to get rid of his friend’s weight after several attempts.
“Pussy,” William joked as he let himself fall back on the bed once again, trying to even out his breathing. “So, what did I miss while I was away?”
“Not much,” Sisky said with a shrug, then bit on his lower lip, unsure.
“What is it? Spill it,” William ordered as he turned to face him.
“Ryan was at Vicky’s party,” Sisky replied with a grimace.
“Ryan Luciani?” William arched an eyebrow, clearly surprised but not really upset.
“Yep, and it turns out that he went to high school with Vicky and Gabe,” Sisky confessed, knowing that it was better to tell William before he found out on his own.
“Okay, this is getting creepy,” William pointed out as he sat up, then noticed Sisky’s unsure look. “What is it that you’re not telling me?”
“I heard Alex and Tom talk about something Ryan said before I got there,” Sisky explained, then took a deep breath and looked at William. “Something about senior year prom, and Gabe and Ryan being together, I’m not sure what they were referring to.”
“Fucking great,” William breathed out as he fell back again on the bed. “Is he gonna be there tomorrow night?”
“Yep,” Sisky replied with an apologetic smile. “Don’t worry, he’s not as loud as he used to be.”
“When? When he was dating my boyfriend in high school?” William sat up once again, annoyed, then shook his head. “Okay, stop, this is ridiculous.”
“You’re being jealous about a possible thing they might have had what, five years ago?” Sisky laughed a little and felt relieved when William did the same.
“Eight, actually, Gabe is twenty-six,” William corrected him with a nod. “And you’re right, I need to calm the hell down,” he paused and took a deep breath, then huffed out a groan. “It’s just that of all the people living in this fucking city it had to be Luciani. I hate that guy.”
“No you don’t,” Sisky objected with a chuckle, then circled William’s shoulders with an arm. “You used to like him.”
“I used to like Tom,” William pointed out with a sarcastic tone.
“Good point,” Sisky conceded with a brief laughter, then stood. “Let’s go back in there, Vicky and Butcher are deciding the style for the paintings.”
“You three are really getting along, aren’t you?” William smiled as they headed for the living room. When they got there, Butcher was on the phone and Vicky reached them. “So, how are the preparations going?”
“Very good, darling,” Vicky replied with a wide smile. “These paintings are gonna be the best decoration I could hope for, and I finally found a great photographer.”
“Really? Who, Alex?” William joked and rested his hip against the back of the couch. When Vicky addressed Sisky a ‘you didn’t tell him?’ look, William arched an eyebrow. “Tom?”
“Tom,” Vicky confirmed, unsure. “Is it okay?”
“Of course,” William replied and hoped she understood he was sincere. “You guys deserve the best and he’s just that when it comes to photos.”
“Good,” Vicky said and nodded once again as Butcher joined them.
~~
The following day
William got out of Vicky’s car and looked at the place - The Cantina - with a smile on his face. He was there to have fun and that was what he intended to do, with or without Ryan Luciani around. Gabe, Sisky and Butcher followed him out and his boyfriend immediately took his hand and led them all inside.
They had a table reserved almost in front of the little stage and they sat down, waiting for the others. They knew Nate was coming with Ryland, while Tom and Ryan were with Alex.
“So, have you decided your songs yet?” Vicky studied their expressions and was surprised to see no fear in them.
“Of course we had, we even had a rehearsal back at home,” Butcher replied with a pat on his boyfriend’s shoulder.
William was about to point out that Vicky had no idea how serious Butcher was about that, but he stopped when he saw Ryland and the others walk in. He waved in his direction and the group headed for the table, which allowed William to see Alex was there too. Which meant--
“Gabriel Saporta,” Ryan greeted as soon as he reached the table and Gabe stood to pull him in a hug, obviously glad to see him.
“Ryan, it’s been years, man!” Gabe pulled back almost immediately and William felt a little relieved, then repressed the urge to slap himself for being such a teenage girl.
“I’ve heard the news,” Ryan said as he turned to look at William. “Beckett, uh?”
“It’s good to see you too,” William replied, dry and with a little, fake smile that earned him a frown from Tom. “Let’s get something to drink.”
“I agree,” Gabe declared, then gestured the free seat on his right. “C’mon, Luciani, we have some catching up to do.”
William rolled his eyes and when he turned, he realized that the free chair next to him had been occupied by Nate, who was smirking at the scene. “Don’t worry about Ryan, Tom made it clear to him that Gabe is off limits.”
William seemed surprised to hear that Tom had actually tried to defend his relationship and sighed, slightly relieved, then addressed Nate a grateful smile. He felt a hand move his hair from his neck and turned slowly, only to find himself face to face with his boyfriend.
“You’re quiet,” Gabe pointed out, obviously aware something was off.
“I’m saving my voice,” William just said with a little smile, then kissed him without leaving him a chance to add anything more.
Gabe seemed convinced by that answer and stroked his jaw one last time with his thumb before turning to give the waitress his order.
“So, who’s got enough balls to go up there before the alcohol kicks in?” Alex asked with a challenging smile and his gaze immediately stopped on Butcher, who shook his head and laughed.
“I’ll go, pansies,” Vicky declared, standing from her seat.
“Hey, you stole my line!” William joked, then relaxed back against the chair. “I’m going next.”
“Brave, young Bilvy,” Ryan commented with a fake touched tone, which earned him a slap on the arm from Tom.
“Don’t call me that,” William just told him, cold, then turned to look at Vicky and his expression softened. “And shut up, Queen Vicky is on stage.”
“Good talking,” Ryland pointed out and high fived him across the table, then they all turned to look at their friend.
As soon as the music started, though, everyone smirked and threw Ryland amused glances, to which he replied by raising his hands, laughing. When she started singing, William was surprised to find out that not only she had a good voice, but she seemed to be used to singing. He took a mental note to ask her if she could play too.
When she reached the chorus the first row started moving their upper body to the rhythm and singing along.
I kissed a girl and I liked it // The taste of her cherry chapstick // I kissed a girl just to try it // I hope my boyfriend don't mind it.
“Nah, I don’t mind,” Ryland joked, waving his hand dismissively, much to the others’ amusement. “I got to watch,” he added and that earned him a slap on the top of the head from Alex.
The rest of the song went by smoothly and even their table joined the singing, except for Tom, which made William smile a little as he remembered his ex-boyfriend had always been terrified by karaoke stages, for some reason. He glanced at Gabe and noticed Ryan’s arm was around his shoulders as they sang and laughed, so turned back to look at the stage, telling himself once again he needed to stop being so agitated about the whole thing.
When the song ended and most part of the audience clapped their hands, Vicky came back to the table and tapped William on the shoulder. “Your turn, Princess Bill.”
“Ha, hilarious,” William replied with a sarcastic smile, but stood anyway and reached the stage.
For a moment he wished he had his guitar, then shook that thought away and just waited for the base to start. When it did, William could clearly see the surprise on his boyfriend’s face and smiled a little, realizing he had his complete attention for maybe the first time since Ryan had arrived.
As soon as he started singing he closed his eyes, an automatic reaction he didn’t even notice. But when he did, he opened them and saw that the lights had been lowered and threw a curious glance around. When he reached the chorus, the audience replied by raising their lighters and he shook his head.
And I don't want the world to see me // ‘Cause I don’t think that they'd understand // When everything's made to be broken // I just want you to know who I am.
“Now I think I know what you meant,” Vicky pointed out with a smile, then threw a glance at Gabe. “When you said you fell in love with a voice.”
“One of a kind,” Gabe just said, not moving his eyes from his boyfriend. Alex was about to mock them for the sentimentalism but Tom slapped him on the arm, halfway between playful and serious. “Shut up, Alex,” Gabe added with a smirk when he caught the movement out of the corner of his eye.
Butcher, Sisky and Nate apparently didn’t hear their exchange and for some reason Gabe felt relieved about that. It was bad enough to be mocked by Alex and probably Ryan for not keeping his mouth shut, and he didn’t want to add William to that list.
By the time the song ended their orders had arrived and Gabe was still focused completely on his boyfriend. When William hopped down the little stage and reached him, Gabe gripped his hand and pulled him in his lap, smiling.
“You are amazing,” Gabe whispered against his cheek. “And I mean that as an euphemism,” he added, then placed a few small kissed on his jaw.
“Thanks,” William replied and his smile lit up at those words, so he stole a brief kiss before sitting back in his chair.
“You’re competition,” Vicky declared with a solemn nod. “I wasn’t expecting you to be that good, I need to practice more.”
“You guys take this thing way too seriously,” Tom said with a slightly disturbed frown. “You’ll have to kill me if you want to get me on that stage.”
“Well, since you ask so nicely,” William told him and batted his eyelashes at him. “I can choke you.”
“I’m pretty sure that came out wrong,” Ryan joked and William just glared at him, which stopped any starting laughter.
“Would you just shut up?” William muttered as he turned back to look at the stage, where a girl was preparing to sing.
Sisky understood his discomfort and cleared his throat, looking at the group. “So, who’s next?”
The girl turned out to be pretty good as well and the crowd cheered as she sang I Will Survive, which entertained everyone as they sipped from their drinks. Luckily enough, the tension seemed to slowly slip away from the table after William’s reaction to the joke and everyone was already relaxing thanks to the alcohol.
“Okay, enough with the pros, let’s butcher something,” Alex declared when the girl finished her song, then he looked at Butcher. “No pun intended.”
“Gotcha,” Butcher replied with a nod.
“What about the Gablex, Alex?” Gabe proposed with a smirk and Vicky gave him a thumb up.
“Do I want to know what a Gablex is?” William turned to look at him with an amused frown, which reassured the boy.
“It’s our duo name, of course,” Gabe explained with a nod, then stood and waited for Alex to do the same. “We’re a classic in this place.”
“I’m gonna love this,” William said with a brief laughter and looked as his boyfriend and Alex reached the stage, beer bottle in hand.
He had confirmation of his words when the music began and the boys started singing, obviously at ease on the familiar stage. Most part of the audience knew the lyrics by heart and joined in on the chorus, along with whistles of appreciation from a table of girls from the other side of the room.
In reply Gabe put his arm around Alex’s shoulders and pulled him closer as they both sang into the microphone and started playing air-guitar.
She says: We've got to hold on to what we've got // It doesn't make a difference // If we make it or not // We've got each other and that's a lot // For love - we'll give it a shot.
“I absolutely love this,” William declared between laughter, then glanced at Vicky.
“The Gablex never fails to amaze,” she agreed, raising her beer, and the boy bumped his own against it in a toast.
Gabe and Alex went through the song with a self-confidence that made William wonder just how many times they had sung on that stage and the thought amused him to no end. As the base faded and the girls whistled again to get their attention, William pictured them both with Bon Jovi’s early years hair and barely choked back a howling laughter.
“You guys are seriously awesome,” William said when they sat back in their chairs, which earned him a kiss from Gabe. “The air-guitar was a classy touch.”
“Well, it’s a fine art, really,” Alex pointed out as he reached for his drink. “Years and years of hard practice and sacrifice.”
“Oh, poor boy,” Tom replied with a fake sympathetic tone, but he wasn’t trying to hide his smirk and everyone laughed.
A couple of beers and three increasingly bad performances later, Butcher decided it was time for their table to get the stage back. More specifically, for him and Sisky to take the stage back. William watched as they reached the microphone and Sisky looked around, not completely sure.
He turned make a joke about it and saw Gabe’s arm was around Ryan’s shoulders as they talked and laughed just like earlier, so he turned back once again. He wasn’t going to ruin the atmosphere for everyone only because apparently he was unable to rationalize the idea of his boyfriend reconnecting with an old friend.
He tried to focus as Butcher and Sisky finally started singing and William was surprised to notice it wasn’t their song. Still, he couldn’t help smiling when Sisky finally got over his nerves and clearly began having fun with it; their table had been surely entertaining the crowd all evening.
Doctor, doctor, give me the news // I’ve got a bad case of lovin’ you // No pill’s gonna cure my ill // I’ve got a bad case of lovin’ you.
William saw Nate had turned to face the stage and was moving to the rhythm, almost half-dancing, but obviously holding back. He smiled and slowly sneaked closer, then rested his chin on the boy’s shoulder, singing along with him. Nate was surprised but accepted the contact with a smile and seemed to relax a bit, humming the tune of the song.
“You’re not singing tonight?” William asked in his ear, amused.
“I never sing,” Nate replied with a resigned tone. “Because when I do planes crash and cars explode.”
“You can’t bethat bad, c’mon,” William said and slapped him on the side of the shoulder.
“Trust me, I am,” Nate retorted and took a sip from his beer. “You should sing again, though.”
“Maybe later,” William conceded, genuinely convinced he could give a second show.
Once Butcher and Sisky returned to the table, he sat back in his chair and Nate turned around again, but right then Gabe and Ryan stood. With nothing more than sly smirk they headed for the stage and Vicky addressed Tom a curious look, getting a confused frown in return.
When the base started a few moments later Vicky laughed out loud, unbelieving.
“Grease? Seriously?” Tom asked, voicing what everyone was thinking.
“Back in junior year Ryan lost a bet and he had to dye his hair blond,” she explained and shook her head. “Gabe started calling him Sandy after that and he didn’t stop ‘til we graduated.”
“What an asshole,” Alex pointed out, but laughed anyway, while William looked back at the stage with a weak smile.
You better shape up // 'Cause I need a man // And my heart is set on you // You better shape up // You better understand // To my heart I must be true // Nothing left, Nothing left for me to do.
The crowd both laughed and sang along, obviously amused by the show. The rest of their table was enjoying it as well and William took a deep breath once again, trying to cover up his annoyance. When he felt the urge to punch Ryan, he stood and Nate noticed it immediately.
“You okay?” Nate asked with a frown.
“I’ll be right back, I need some fresh air,” William reassured him, even though they both knew he was lying.
“Need someone out there?” Nate’s tone was casual but there was a clear trace of worry that made the other boy want to hug him.
“No, but thank you,” William replied and placed a kiss on the top of his head before turning and walking out without looking at the stage.
~
“Hey, are you okay?” Gabe was standing a few feet away from him, but William didn’t look up, just kept playing with the lighter in his hand. “Bill?”
“I’m not in a very good mood, right now,” William admitted and finally met his gaze for a brief moment.
“Yeah, I can see that,” Gabe concurred as he walked closer on the deserted sidewalk. “Why? What happened?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” William deadpanned and looked at his hand again.
“Hey, talk to me,” Gabe said and brought his hand to the boy’s chin, forcing him to look up.
“You haven’t talked to me all evening, why is it an issue, now?” William held his gaze with challenge and saw his boyfriend frown, annoyed. “Go back inside, I’m sure Ryan is waiting for you.”
“Is this about Ryan?” Gabe chuckled, unbelieving.
“Who, your ex-boyfriend?” William asked with a sarcastic tone, which surprised Gabe.
“What the hell are you talking about? Ryan wasn’t my boyfriend,” Gabe retorted and at William’s skeptical look he shook his head, angry. “We made out, once, at senior year prom.”
“How the fuck was I supposed to know that?” William tilted his head to the side, equally irritated. “You seemed a pretty well-matched couple tonight.”
Gabe blinked a couple of times at those words and he took a step back, exasperated. “Seriously, is this the reason you’ve been acting all night like a bipolar asshole? Because you got jealous that I wanted to spend some time with an old friend instead of you?”
“That was really nice, thanks,” William muttered, looking at him in the eye, genuinely hurt. “Fuck you.”
“Bill, look--” Gabe started as he realized he’d gone too far, thanks to the alcohol making his brain-mouth filter pretty much inexistent.
“Tell the others I went home,” William said as he reached the edge of the sidewalk and looked around for a cab.
“Bill, stop,” Gabe insisted and grabbed his arm, only to find himself shoved away.
“Get your hands off me,” William hissed, furious. “This bipolar asshole is going home,” he added as the cab stopped and he got in the back seat.
Gabe looked at the car as it drove away and let out a tired breath, then cursed out loud, annoyed at himself, William, Ryan and possibly the entire world. He stood there for almost ten minutes before he felt calm enough to walk back in without making a scene. Once he reached the table and sat down, he told the others William had gone home, but didn’t add anything else and no one dared to ask, probably put off by the killer look on his face.
~~
The following day
“Maybe we should go back there,” Sisky said with a worried look on his face as he sat on Butcher’s couch. “We shouldn’t leave Bill alone, he’s upset, he might need to talk about this.”
“Bill kicked us out, babe,” Butcher replied and circled his boyfriend’s shoulder with an arm, pulling him closer. “He’s gonna put on some depressing music and he’s gonna work his way through it via ice cream.”
“I know, but-- I feel bad knowing that he’s alone,” Sisky insisted, but relaxed against the boy’s side. “I’m his best friend.”
“And you’re a good person, and I love that, but you know how Bill is,” Butcher said, then kissed Sisky’s temple. “When he’s ready to talk he’s gonna give us permission to go back to the apartment.”
Sisky huffed out a soft laughter at that, then slapped his thigh playfully. “He didn’t kick us out.”
“He told us to either ‘shut the fuck up’ or ‘go somewhere else to be cute and cuddly’, how d’you call that?” Butcher chuckled, unaffected by the hit.
“He’s pissed, it’s his first fight with Gabe, first fights are never nice,” Sisky pointed out with a patient tone.
“You wouldn’t know, we only had one first fight,” Butcher retorted with a little smile and a shrug.
“You know, as incredible as it sounds, I existed before you came along,” Sisky replied with a raised eyebrow, unimpressed, then felt his boyfriend’s lips brush against his cheek.
“Liar, the gods created you to make me the happiest guy in the world,” Butcher muttered in his ear, smiling.
“Yeah, I kinda get why he kicked us out,” Sisky commented, then turned his head and kissed him. When he pulled back, he took a deep breath and rested back against the boy’s side.
“Anyway, it took them a month to get to the first fight,” Butcher stated with a casual tone. “And considering William is part of the relationship, it’s a pretty fucking impressive result.”
“A month and a week,” Sisky specified, then pulled back a little to glare at his boyfriend. “And William is not that annoying.”
“No, but usually he tends to cause fights so he’s got a good excuse to push the poor sod away without feeling too guilty about it,” Butcher objected, glaring back.
“Not this time,” Sisky said and shook his head, convinced. “It’s different with Gabe, he’s-- he’s committed.”
“I really hope you’re right,” Butcher replied and smiled at him, pulling him closer once again. “But while we wait for them to work things out, why don’t we focus on this couple?”
“And what d’you wanna focus on?”
“Well, while I prepare us some hot cocoa, you could tell me what you had in mind for our little trip to Washington,” Butcher proposed as he stood and headed for the kitchen.
Sisky followed him a few moments later and sat on one of the chair, watching him work. “The other day I was just joking, we don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”
“Hey, give me some credit, okay?” Butcher glanced at him with a slightly offended look, then resumed retrieving what he needed. “I’m a painter after all, art is my thing too.”
“I know,” Sisky admitted with a little smile. “But I also know that when I turn into my evil, geeky version I tend to be exasperating.”
“Nate and Vicky will be there too, we’ll deal together,” Butcher replied, sincerely amused. “Besides, you’ll make it up to me when we get back.”
“How?” Sisky arched an eyebrow, almost sure he already knew the answer.
“By being my canvas again,” Butcher said, almost unsure, which surprised the other boy. “Not just for the kink,” he added as he rolled his eyes playfully. “Anyway, tell me about the exhibition.”
Sisky smiled widely at that and reached him by the stoves; he pulled him in a brief kiss and as soon as they broke apart, he started talking.
~
“Hey, Tom,” Alex called as he walked in the bedroom, where the boy was lying on the bed with his laptop in front of him. “D’you have a minute for me?”
“Always,” Tom muttered, then rolled on his side to look at him. “What is it?”
“I’m working on a little project, a digital photo album,” Alex started, sitting down next to him. “I took some of my old pictures with the guys, some of the new and I was wondering if you had some of yours.”
“Sure, I have tons, actually,” Tom said with a nod, smiling a little. “You know, I never told you this, but I’m a photographer,” he added, teasing him a little.
“Haha, funny,” Alex retorted, addressing him a playful glare, which earned him a smirk.
“The ones with William, Sisky and Butcher are mainly pre-break up era, though,” Tom informed him, then watched his reaction.
“I’ll leave out the explicit ones,” Alex replied as he lay down on his side as well.
“Good thinking,” Tom declared and placed his palm on the boy’s forehead, then pushed him down on his back. “How’s the writing going?”
“Pretty well, I think I’m gonna finish just in time for the deadline,” Alex said with a relieved tone.
“Can I read it?” Tom closed the laptop and moved it to the nightstand as he talked.
“Of course,” Alex agreed with a smile, then turned his head to look at him. “It’s mainly thanks to you if I’m writing again.”
“One of my many superpowers,” Tom stage-whispered, faking secrecy. “Along with the magic hands and the amazing blowjobs.”
“And don’t forget your sweet talk,” Alex pointed out, laughing, but had to stop when Tom scooted closer and kissed him.
“Yeah, that too,” Tom muttered on his lips, but before he could kiss him again, his cell phone rang. “I hate Mike so much right now.”
Alex laughed and relaxed again on the bed, while his boyfriend answered the phone and addressed his friend a very annoyed tone. By the time the phone call was over, Tom’s mood was definitely worse, due to the fact that he had to cover for Mike.
“I’m sorry, I have to go to work,” Tom announced with a tired sigh as the other boy sat up to face him. “Swing by later to brighten my night?”
“Always,” Alex replied with a smile and stole a quick kiss before letting him go.
Tom went to his desk and took something from one of the drawers; when he turned Alex noticed it was a small external hard-disk.
“All my pictures are in here, see what you can find,” Tom said as he handed it to him. “It’s not the only back-up I have, so don’t panic if you accidentally delete something, given your relationship with computers.”
“Sure you don’t wanna be around when I do this? I mean, it’s personal stuff,” Alex pointed out with a surprised frown. “And it’s probably thousands of pictures.”
“We can do it together if you want,” Tom replied, honestly glad the boy was so careful with his personal space. “But I trust you, and I know you won’t freak out when you find those pictures of Ryan sleeping naked in the bathtub,” he added, barely holding back a laughter at the terrified look on Alex’s face.
“We’re definitely doing it together,” Alex declare, then put the hard-disk on the desk, while Tom snickered. “Now go to work.”
“See you later,” Tom replied as he walked to the door, still laughing.
~~
A/N: you wanted drama, I got you some. Is it good enough for now? XD
Also, I can tell you the karaoke night was fun to write, so I hope it was nice to read as well, even with the beginning of the drama. And before the hating begins, Ryan was not trying to get in Gabe’s pants, you’ll understand why in the next chapter. *grins*
Well, let me know what you think about this. And remember, if you want the soundtrack, just let me know and I’ll make sure you get it. :D
JM
Author: jen_jm
Pairing: Gabe/William, Butcher/Sisky, Ryland/Vicky-T, Alex/Nate vs Alex/Tom, others minor pairings.
Rating: NC-17 overall
Word count: 80,000 total words
Warnings: Upper East Siders AU (it needed a name, didn’t it?), but this is NOT a Gossip Girl AU.
POV: third
Disclaimer: Completely not true. I doubt Gabe can actually write softwares, anyway. It’s all fiction.
Author’s Notes: title from Cash Cash’s ‘Sugar Rush’ and Cobra Starship’s ‘The scene is dead - Long live the scene’
As ever, feel free to report any mistake. Constructive criticism is welcome, feedback makes me happy!
Summary:“Can I offer you a coffee, then?” Gabe tried once again, not too hopeful, but to his surprise, the singer didn’t flip him off.
“Why?” William asked, genuinely curious about all that interest.
“Because,” Gabe just said, shrugging a little, but at the boy’s stubborn look, he gave in and smiled. “I like your voice.” - Gabe Saporta is a rich 26 years old computer nerd who lives in the Upper East Side. William Beckett is a broke 22 years old musician who works as a bartender and lives with his best friend in Brooklyn. When they meet in the subway where William is playing their worlds collide in more ways than one.
Crossposted
Chapter 1 || Chapter 2 || Chapter 3 || Chapter 4 || Chapter 5 || Chapter 6 || Chapter 7 || Chapter 8
Chapter 9 - The one with a lot of singing and bit of fighting
Three days later
“Are you sure they don’t need a ride home?” Alex flopped down on the couch and turned on the stereo as he talked to Vicky on the phone.
“Don’t worry, Gabe said they’re good,” the girl replied with a casual tone. “Shouldn’t you be working?”
“I am working,” Alex replied, rolling his eyes and that caused Tom to smirk as he entered the room. “I’ll go back to that, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Good boy, say hi to Tom,” she said, then didn’t wait for an answer and hung up.
“She says hi,” Alex announced as his boyfriend walked closer.
“I’ll say it back when I see her,” Tom replied and let the Alex pull him in his lap.
“About that, are you busy tomorrow night?” Alex closed his arms around the boy, smiling.
“Not really,” Tom said with a slightly intrigued frown. “What did you have in mind?”
“It’s kind of a tradition,” Alex explained, then placed a kiss on Tom’s jaw before speaking again. “The first night of the year that we all go out together, we go to a karaoke bar.”
“That’s horrible,” Tom pointed out with a slightly scared look on his face.
Alex laughed out loud at that, genuinely amused, which gained him a soft slap on the head. “I know, it sounds like the worst idea ever, but it usually turns out to be fun.”
“I don’t have to sing, right?” Tom offered his best desperate expression, to which Alex replied with another kiss on his chin.
“We’ll spare you, but just because it’s your first time,” Alex conceded with an exaggerated sigh, then waited for Tom to settle on his thighs. “And it won’t be for free.”
“Don’t worry, I know how to repay you,” Tom agreed with a grin, then kissed him briefly, ignoring the fact that they had to go back to work. “Wanna do something tonight?”
“Movie and pizza on the couch?” Alex suggested, keeping his eyes closed for a moment longer. “Wait, aren’t you working?”
“Nope, we hired a new guy,” Tom replied with nod, smiling at the surprise on the other’s face. “Me and Mike will be taking more time off. Not much, but surely more than now.”
“That’s great,” Alex replied once he got past the initial surprise. “Who’s this guy? He’s not too pretty, right?”
“It’s Sisky,” Tom said with a playful glare and slapped him on the head again. “Mike has been offering him the spot for weeks and since we’re on better terms now, he probably decided working at the pub won’t be completely horrifying.”
“Well, at least I know he won’t hit on you,” Alex pointed out with a small, relieved sigh.
“Jealous freak,” Tom muttered against his mouth and stole him another quick kiss. “I’m happy he accepted, Mike says he needs the money to pay the rent, the money his parents send him is barely enough for college expenses.”
“What is he studying, again?” Alex frowned, trying to remember.
“American history,” Tom replied with a little, warm smile. “Give him a couple of years and he’ll be geeking in some kind of museum.”
“I’m happy you’re getting close to your friends again,” Alex said, hoping his boyfriend understood his words were honest.
“Me too,” Tom admitted happily, but just as he was about to add something, the song on the stereo changed and he froze. “Can you turn that song off, please?” he whispered as Alex recognized Damien Rice’s Grey Room.
“Sure,” Alex replied with a frown and reached for the remote, turning the stereo off. “What is it?”
“Nothing, just bad memories,” Tom said with a weak smile and shook his head. “So, we were thinking movie and pizza for tonight?”
Alex looked at him for a few, long seconds, uncertain whether to let it go or push it a little. He picked the latter when he caught the same doubt in Tom’s eyes. “William?”
Tom just nodded, but when he realized Alex was waiting for him to explain, he took a deep breath. “It’s nothing, really, it’s stupid,” he insisted, then looked at him with a little sad smile. “I used to send it to him when I still thought he would accept a peace offering.”
“It’s not stupid,” Alex just said, then pulled him in a slow kiss and felt him relax in his arms.
Once he pulled back, Tom stopped him and stole one more kiss, then let him go, smiling. “Let’s go back to work, I’ll let you pick the movie for tonight,” he declared as he stood.
“How thoughtful,” Alex pointed out, amused and a little sarcastic, and followed him back in the studio.
~~
Later that night
“You’re a good boyfriend, babe,” Sisky declared as he sat down on the carpet next to Butcher, who was busy going through pictures of his works with Vicky’s help. She’d told them she wanted some of his paintings to decorate the dining hall for the wedding, so they were busy finding the right style for it.
“What is it?” Butcher rolled his eyes but didn’t fight back the smile that curved his lips. “Did you drop my colors again?”
“No! You don’t even keep them here anymore!” Sisky looked offended by the accusation and sulked for a few moments, then shook his head and scooted closer. “Tell me, d’you want to be an awesome boyfriend?”
“I knew there was something,” Butcher commented and Vicky laughed at the scene, glad they felt at ease with her around. She liked those two, she liked their company, their sense of humor and even their little skirmishes. They were the kind of people Vicky had always tried to surround herself with. “Shoot it.”
“Washington, two days, next week?” Sisky took something from his pocket and handed it to Butcher, then bit on his lower lip. The painter looked at the flyer and frowned when he read Smithsonian National Museum of American History. “There’s a great exhibition about Indian ledger drawings, it’s only gonna be there ‘til February.”
Butcher seemed to be thinking about it and Vicky raised an eyebrow, amused. “Hey, just so you know, I’m gonna judge you a very, very awful boyfriend if you say no,” she announced with a casual tone, which earned her a wide smile from Sisky.
“Fine, but we’re not going alone, as much as I love both you and drawings, I don’t wanna be stuck with your geeky evil twin for two entire days,” Butcher conceded, addressing stern looks at both his boyfriend and the girl. “And since you obviously involved her because you knew she’d take your side, she’s coming too.”
“Deal,” Vicky and Sisky both said, then laughed when Butcher rolled his eyes at them. “Just pick the dates and let me know so I can warn Ry,” she added, nodding quickly.
“We could tell Nate too, I think he could use a distraction,” Sisky proposed with an uncertain look on his face, but relaxed when Vicky’s smile lit up.
“Great idea, we’ll ask him tomorrow night,” she declared, obviously happy about the idea.
Right after she spoke they heard the sound of a key sliding in the lock and a few seconds later William and Gabe walked in with the suitcases. Sisky jumped on his feet and reached William in no time, pulling him in a tight hug.
“Hey, I was only away for a week,” William said as he hugged him back. “Missed me?”
“Nope,” Sisky replied with fake indifference and stepped back, letting Butcher and Vicky a chance to greet them as well. Once they were done, he took one William’s two suitcases gestured him to follow. “I’ll help you get these in your room.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll have me back in one piece as soon as the interrogation is over,” William reassured a frowning Gabe, then chuckled as he followed Sisky into his bedroom.
The boy closed the door and put the suitcase down, smirking from ear to ear. “How was London? Did you take pictures? How was the hotel?”
“Hey, slow down, we have time for this,” William reached him and ruffled his hair, happy to be back with his best friend. “Besides, you know how the hotel was, you looked it up online for me.”
“True, but the real experience is way better than the website,” Sisky objected as they both walked to the bed and sat down. “What about Gabe?”
“I don’t know where to start,” William admitted, letting himself fall down on his back. “He’s nothing like I imagined, he’s-- he’s amazing.”
“So this is turning serious, after all,” Sisky pointed out as he lay down as well, but rolled on his side.
“Sisky,” William started, turning his head to look at him. “I wanna marry him.”
Sisky burst out laughing at that, holding his stomach as he almost fell from the bed. William smirked and shook his head, realizing how that must have sounded, especially coming from him of all people.
“Okay, maybe not marry him, but I’m surely not letting him go,” William admitted as soon as Sisky calmed down and resumed his position.
“I think that finding closure with Tom helped you realize a new relationship isn’t necessarily a death trap,” Sisky said, surprising his friend, who just nodded in reply. “Okay, I’ve said my wise line, but I know you only want him for his eight inches.”
“Fuck you, you idiot!” William laughed out loud, reaching for his pillow to hit him several times. Just as he was trying to climb on his chest to trap him the door opened and he stopped the movement mid air, still holding the object.
“Is there gonna be a corpse in here?” Gabe asked as he stepped in, halfway amused and confused.
“Quite possibly, yes,” William admitted as he jumped off the bed and walked to his boyfriend. “Wanna help me kill him?”
“Nope, I have my own list of people to murder, thanks,” Gabe replied, then threw a curious glance at Sisky, who was grinning like a lunatic. “What’s wrong with him?”
“Oh, plenty, trust me,” William said, rolling his eyes, then yelled a random insult when a shoe hit him on the back. “This is so on.”
“Don’t start the final round yet, okay?” Gabe laughed as he gripped William and shielded him from Sisky. “Let me at least say goodbye.”
“Hey, I’m not gonna lose,” William declared with a fake offended frown.
“I know you won’t, but I have to go,” Gabe admitted, then pulled him closer and kissed him briefly. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he added right on his lips with a smile.
“Okay,” William said, then kissed him again, only to pull back when he heard Sisky snicker. “Text me what time we’re supposed to be ready,” he added, then threw a threatening glare at his friend. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a murder to attend.”
Gabe let him go and watched then fight for a moment, then headed for the living room, obviously amused.
After a couple of minutes William managed to get control of the pillow again and somehow ended up sitting on Sisky’s shoulder blades, which gave him a chance to immobilize him.
“I surrender, stop!” Sisky yelled between gasps and laughter and only managed to get rid of his friend’s weight after several attempts.
“Pussy,” William joked as he let himself fall back on the bed once again, trying to even out his breathing. “So, what did I miss while I was away?”
“Not much,” Sisky said with a shrug, then bit on his lower lip, unsure.
“What is it? Spill it,” William ordered as he turned to face him.
“Ryan was at Vicky’s party,” Sisky replied with a grimace.
“Ryan Luciani?” William arched an eyebrow, clearly surprised but not really upset.
“Yep, and it turns out that he went to high school with Vicky and Gabe,” Sisky confessed, knowing that it was better to tell William before he found out on his own.
“Okay, this is getting creepy,” William pointed out as he sat up, then noticed Sisky’s unsure look. “What is it that you’re not telling me?”
“I heard Alex and Tom talk about something Ryan said before I got there,” Sisky explained, then took a deep breath and looked at William. “Something about senior year prom, and Gabe and Ryan being together, I’m not sure what they were referring to.”
“Fucking great,” William breathed out as he fell back again on the bed. “Is he gonna be there tomorrow night?”
“Yep,” Sisky replied with an apologetic smile. “Don’t worry, he’s not as loud as he used to be.”
“When? When he was dating my boyfriend in high school?” William sat up once again, annoyed, then shook his head. “Okay, stop, this is ridiculous.”
“You’re being jealous about a possible thing they might have had what, five years ago?” Sisky laughed a little and felt relieved when William did the same.
“Eight, actually, Gabe is twenty-six,” William corrected him with a nod. “And you’re right, I need to calm the hell down,” he paused and took a deep breath, then huffed out a groan. “It’s just that of all the people living in this fucking city it had to be Luciani. I hate that guy.”
“No you don’t,” Sisky objected with a chuckle, then circled William’s shoulders with an arm. “You used to like him.”
“I used to like Tom,” William pointed out with a sarcastic tone.
“Good point,” Sisky conceded with a brief laughter, then stood. “Let’s go back in there, Vicky and Butcher are deciding the style for the paintings.”
“You three are really getting along, aren’t you?” William smiled as they headed for the living room. When they got there, Butcher was on the phone and Vicky reached them. “So, how are the preparations going?”
“Very good, darling,” Vicky replied with a wide smile. “These paintings are gonna be the best decoration I could hope for, and I finally found a great photographer.”
“Really? Who, Alex?” William joked and rested his hip against the back of the couch. When Vicky addressed Sisky a ‘you didn’t tell him?’ look, William arched an eyebrow. “Tom?”
“Tom,” Vicky confirmed, unsure. “Is it okay?”
“Of course,” William replied and hoped she understood he was sincere. “You guys deserve the best and he’s just that when it comes to photos.”
“Good,” Vicky said and nodded once again as Butcher joined them.
~~
The following day
William got out of Vicky’s car and looked at the place - The Cantina - with a smile on his face. He was there to have fun and that was what he intended to do, with or without Ryan Luciani around. Gabe, Sisky and Butcher followed him out and his boyfriend immediately took his hand and led them all inside.
They had a table reserved almost in front of the little stage and they sat down, waiting for the others. They knew Nate was coming with Ryland, while Tom and Ryan were with Alex.
“So, have you decided your songs yet?” Vicky studied their expressions and was surprised to see no fear in them.
“Of course we had, we even had a rehearsal back at home,” Butcher replied with a pat on his boyfriend’s shoulder.
William was about to point out that Vicky had no idea how serious Butcher was about that, but he stopped when he saw Ryland and the others walk in. He waved in his direction and the group headed for the table, which allowed William to see Alex was there too. Which meant--
“Gabriel Saporta,” Ryan greeted as soon as he reached the table and Gabe stood to pull him in a hug, obviously glad to see him.
“Ryan, it’s been years, man!” Gabe pulled back almost immediately and William felt a little relieved, then repressed the urge to slap himself for being such a teenage girl.
“I’ve heard the news,” Ryan said as he turned to look at William. “Beckett, uh?”
“It’s good to see you too,” William replied, dry and with a little, fake smile that earned him a frown from Tom. “Let’s get something to drink.”
“I agree,” Gabe declared, then gestured the free seat on his right. “C’mon, Luciani, we have some catching up to do.”
William rolled his eyes and when he turned, he realized that the free chair next to him had been occupied by Nate, who was smirking at the scene. “Don’t worry about Ryan, Tom made it clear to him that Gabe is off limits.”
William seemed surprised to hear that Tom had actually tried to defend his relationship and sighed, slightly relieved, then addressed Nate a grateful smile. He felt a hand move his hair from his neck and turned slowly, only to find himself face to face with his boyfriend.
“You’re quiet,” Gabe pointed out, obviously aware something was off.
“I’m saving my voice,” William just said with a little smile, then kissed him without leaving him a chance to add anything more.
Gabe seemed convinced by that answer and stroked his jaw one last time with his thumb before turning to give the waitress his order.
“So, who’s got enough balls to go up there before the alcohol kicks in?” Alex asked with a challenging smile and his gaze immediately stopped on Butcher, who shook his head and laughed.
“I’ll go, pansies,” Vicky declared, standing from her seat.
“Hey, you stole my line!” William joked, then relaxed back against the chair. “I’m going next.”
“Brave, young Bilvy,” Ryan commented with a fake touched tone, which earned him a slap on the arm from Tom.
“Don’t call me that,” William just told him, cold, then turned to look at Vicky and his expression softened. “And shut up, Queen Vicky is on stage.”
“Good talking,” Ryland pointed out and high fived him across the table, then they all turned to look at their friend.
As soon as the music started, though, everyone smirked and threw Ryland amused glances, to which he replied by raising his hands, laughing. When she started singing, William was surprised to find out that not only she had a good voice, but she seemed to be used to singing. He took a mental note to ask her if she could play too.
When she reached the chorus the first row started moving their upper body to the rhythm and singing along.
I kissed a girl and I liked it // The taste of her cherry chapstick // I kissed a girl just to try it // I hope my boyfriend don't mind it.
“Nah, I don’t mind,” Ryland joked, waving his hand dismissively, much to the others’ amusement. “I got to watch,” he added and that earned him a slap on the top of the head from Alex.
The rest of the song went by smoothly and even their table joined the singing, except for Tom, which made William smile a little as he remembered his ex-boyfriend had always been terrified by karaoke stages, for some reason. He glanced at Gabe and noticed Ryan’s arm was around his shoulders as they sang and laughed, so turned back to look at the stage, telling himself once again he needed to stop being so agitated about the whole thing.
When the song ended and most part of the audience clapped their hands, Vicky came back to the table and tapped William on the shoulder. “Your turn, Princess Bill.”
“Ha, hilarious,” William replied with a sarcastic smile, but stood anyway and reached the stage.
For a moment he wished he had his guitar, then shook that thought away and just waited for the base to start. When it did, William could clearly see the surprise on his boyfriend’s face and smiled a little, realizing he had his complete attention for maybe the first time since Ryan had arrived.
As soon as he started singing he closed his eyes, an automatic reaction he didn’t even notice. But when he did, he opened them and saw that the lights had been lowered and threw a curious glance around. When he reached the chorus, the audience replied by raising their lighters and he shook his head.
And I don't want the world to see me // ‘Cause I don’t think that they'd understand // When everything's made to be broken // I just want you to know who I am.
“Now I think I know what you meant,” Vicky pointed out with a smile, then threw a glance at Gabe. “When you said you fell in love with a voice.”
“One of a kind,” Gabe just said, not moving his eyes from his boyfriend. Alex was about to mock them for the sentimentalism but Tom slapped him on the arm, halfway between playful and serious. “Shut up, Alex,” Gabe added with a smirk when he caught the movement out of the corner of his eye.
Butcher, Sisky and Nate apparently didn’t hear their exchange and for some reason Gabe felt relieved about that. It was bad enough to be mocked by Alex and probably Ryan for not keeping his mouth shut, and he didn’t want to add William to that list.
By the time the song ended their orders had arrived and Gabe was still focused completely on his boyfriend. When William hopped down the little stage and reached him, Gabe gripped his hand and pulled him in his lap, smiling.
“You are amazing,” Gabe whispered against his cheek. “And I mean that as an euphemism,” he added, then placed a few small kissed on his jaw.
“Thanks,” William replied and his smile lit up at those words, so he stole a brief kiss before sitting back in his chair.
“You’re competition,” Vicky declared with a solemn nod. “I wasn’t expecting you to be that good, I need to practice more.”
“You guys take this thing way too seriously,” Tom said with a slightly disturbed frown. “You’ll have to kill me if you want to get me on that stage.”
“Well, since you ask so nicely,” William told him and batted his eyelashes at him. “I can choke you.”
“I’m pretty sure that came out wrong,” Ryan joked and William just glared at him, which stopped any starting laughter.
“Would you just shut up?” William muttered as he turned back to look at the stage, where a girl was preparing to sing.
Sisky understood his discomfort and cleared his throat, looking at the group. “So, who’s next?”
The girl turned out to be pretty good as well and the crowd cheered as she sang I Will Survive, which entertained everyone as they sipped from their drinks. Luckily enough, the tension seemed to slowly slip away from the table after William’s reaction to the joke and everyone was already relaxing thanks to the alcohol.
“Okay, enough with the pros, let’s butcher something,” Alex declared when the girl finished her song, then he looked at Butcher. “No pun intended.”
“Gotcha,” Butcher replied with a nod.
“What about the Gablex, Alex?” Gabe proposed with a smirk and Vicky gave him a thumb up.
“Do I want to know what a Gablex is?” William turned to look at him with an amused frown, which reassured the boy.
“It’s our duo name, of course,” Gabe explained with a nod, then stood and waited for Alex to do the same. “We’re a classic in this place.”
“I’m gonna love this,” William said with a brief laughter and looked as his boyfriend and Alex reached the stage, beer bottle in hand.
He had confirmation of his words when the music began and the boys started singing, obviously at ease on the familiar stage. Most part of the audience knew the lyrics by heart and joined in on the chorus, along with whistles of appreciation from a table of girls from the other side of the room.
In reply Gabe put his arm around Alex’s shoulders and pulled him closer as they both sang into the microphone and started playing air-guitar.
She says: We've got to hold on to what we've got // It doesn't make a difference // If we make it or not // We've got each other and that's a lot // For love - we'll give it a shot.
“I absolutely love this,” William declared between laughter, then glanced at Vicky.
“The Gablex never fails to amaze,” she agreed, raising her beer, and the boy bumped his own against it in a toast.
Gabe and Alex went through the song with a self-confidence that made William wonder just how many times they had sung on that stage and the thought amused him to no end. As the base faded and the girls whistled again to get their attention, William pictured them both with Bon Jovi’s early years hair and barely choked back a howling laughter.
“You guys are seriously awesome,” William said when they sat back in their chairs, which earned him a kiss from Gabe. “The air-guitar was a classy touch.”
“Well, it’s a fine art, really,” Alex pointed out as he reached for his drink. “Years and years of hard practice and sacrifice.”
“Oh, poor boy,” Tom replied with a fake sympathetic tone, but he wasn’t trying to hide his smirk and everyone laughed.
A couple of beers and three increasingly bad performances later, Butcher decided it was time for their table to get the stage back. More specifically, for him and Sisky to take the stage back. William watched as they reached the microphone and Sisky looked around, not completely sure.
He turned make a joke about it and saw Gabe’s arm was around Ryan’s shoulders as they talked and laughed just like earlier, so he turned back once again. He wasn’t going to ruin the atmosphere for everyone only because apparently he was unable to rationalize the idea of his boyfriend reconnecting with an old friend.
He tried to focus as Butcher and Sisky finally started singing and William was surprised to notice it wasn’t their song. Still, he couldn’t help smiling when Sisky finally got over his nerves and clearly began having fun with it; their table had been surely entertaining the crowd all evening.
Doctor, doctor, give me the news // I’ve got a bad case of lovin’ you // No pill’s gonna cure my ill // I’ve got a bad case of lovin’ you.
William saw Nate had turned to face the stage and was moving to the rhythm, almost half-dancing, but obviously holding back. He smiled and slowly sneaked closer, then rested his chin on the boy’s shoulder, singing along with him. Nate was surprised but accepted the contact with a smile and seemed to relax a bit, humming the tune of the song.
“You’re not singing tonight?” William asked in his ear, amused.
“I never sing,” Nate replied with a resigned tone. “Because when I do planes crash and cars explode.”
“You can’t bethat bad, c’mon,” William said and slapped him on the side of the shoulder.
“Trust me, I am,” Nate retorted and took a sip from his beer. “You should sing again, though.”
“Maybe later,” William conceded, genuinely convinced he could give a second show.
Once Butcher and Sisky returned to the table, he sat back in his chair and Nate turned around again, but right then Gabe and Ryan stood. With nothing more than sly smirk they headed for the stage and Vicky addressed Tom a curious look, getting a confused frown in return.
When the base started a few moments later Vicky laughed out loud, unbelieving.
“Grease? Seriously?” Tom asked, voicing what everyone was thinking.
“Back in junior year Ryan lost a bet and he had to dye his hair blond,” she explained and shook her head. “Gabe started calling him Sandy after that and he didn’t stop ‘til we graduated.”
“What an asshole,” Alex pointed out, but laughed anyway, while William looked back at the stage with a weak smile.
You better shape up // 'Cause I need a man // And my heart is set on you // You better shape up // You better understand // To my heart I must be true // Nothing left, Nothing left for me to do.
The crowd both laughed and sang along, obviously amused by the show. The rest of their table was enjoying it as well and William took a deep breath once again, trying to cover up his annoyance. When he felt the urge to punch Ryan, he stood and Nate noticed it immediately.
“You okay?” Nate asked with a frown.
“I’ll be right back, I need some fresh air,” William reassured him, even though they both knew he was lying.
“Need someone out there?” Nate’s tone was casual but there was a clear trace of worry that made the other boy want to hug him.
“No, but thank you,” William replied and placed a kiss on the top of his head before turning and walking out without looking at the stage.
~
“Hey, are you okay?” Gabe was standing a few feet away from him, but William didn’t look up, just kept playing with the lighter in his hand. “Bill?”
“I’m not in a very good mood, right now,” William admitted and finally met his gaze for a brief moment.
“Yeah, I can see that,” Gabe concurred as he walked closer on the deserted sidewalk. “Why? What happened?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” William deadpanned and looked at his hand again.
“Hey, talk to me,” Gabe said and brought his hand to the boy’s chin, forcing him to look up.
“You haven’t talked to me all evening, why is it an issue, now?” William held his gaze with challenge and saw his boyfriend frown, annoyed. “Go back inside, I’m sure Ryan is waiting for you.”
“Is this about Ryan?” Gabe chuckled, unbelieving.
“Who, your ex-boyfriend?” William asked with a sarcastic tone, which surprised Gabe.
“What the hell are you talking about? Ryan wasn’t my boyfriend,” Gabe retorted and at William’s skeptical look he shook his head, angry. “We made out, once, at senior year prom.”
“How the fuck was I supposed to know that?” William tilted his head to the side, equally irritated. “You seemed a pretty well-matched couple tonight.”
Gabe blinked a couple of times at those words and he took a step back, exasperated. “Seriously, is this the reason you’ve been acting all night like a bipolar asshole? Because you got jealous that I wanted to spend some time with an old friend instead of you?”
“That was really nice, thanks,” William muttered, looking at him in the eye, genuinely hurt. “Fuck you.”
“Bill, look--” Gabe started as he realized he’d gone too far, thanks to the alcohol making his brain-mouth filter pretty much inexistent.
“Tell the others I went home,” William said as he reached the edge of the sidewalk and looked around for a cab.
“Bill, stop,” Gabe insisted and grabbed his arm, only to find himself shoved away.
“Get your hands off me,” William hissed, furious. “This bipolar asshole is going home,” he added as the cab stopped and he got in the back seat.
Gabe looked at the car as it drove away and let out a tired breath, then cursed out loud, annoyed at himself, William, Ryan and possibly the entire world. He stood there for almost ten minutes before he felt calm enough to walk back in without making a scene. Once he reached the table and sat down, he told the others William had gone home, but didn’t add anything else and no one dared to ask, probably put off by the killer look on his face.
~~
The following day
“Maybe we should go back there,” Sisky said with a worried look on his face as he sat on Butcher’s couch. “We shouldn’t leave Bill alone, he’s upset, he might need to talk about this.”
“Bill kicked us out, babe,” Butcher replied and circled his boyfriend’s shoulder with an arm, pulling him closer. “He’s gonna put on some depressing music and he’s gonna work his way through it via ice cream.”
“I know, but-- I feel bad knowing that he’s alone,” Sisky insisted, but relaxed against the boy’s side. “I’m his best friend.”
“And you’re a good person, and I love that, but you know how Bill is,” Butcher said, then kissed Sisky’s temple. “When he’s ready to talk he’s gonna give us permission to go back to the apartment.”
Sisky huffed out a soft laughter at that, then slapped his thigh playfully. “He didn’t kick us out.”
“He told us to either ‘shut the fuck up’ or ‘go somewhere else to be cute and cuddly’, how d’you call that?” Butcher chuckled, unaffected by the hit.
“He’s pissed, it’s his first fight with Gabe, first fights are never nice,” Sisky pointed out with a patient tone.
“You wouldn’t know, we only had one first fight,” Butcher retorted with a little smile and a shrug.
“You know, as incredible as it sounds, I existed before you came along,” Sisky replied with a raised eyebrow, unimpressed, then felt his boyfriend’s lips brush against his cheek.
“Liar, the gods created you to make me the happiest guy in the world,” Butcher muttered in his ear, smiling.
“Yeah, I kinda get why he kicked us out,” Sisky commented, then turned his head and kissed him. When he pulled back, he took a deep breath and rested back against the boy’s side.
“Anyway, it took them a month to get to the first fight,” Butcher stated with a casual tone. “And considering William is part of the relationship, it’s a pretty fucking impressive result.”
“A month and a week,” Sisky specified, then pulled back a little to glare at his boyfriend. “And William is not that annoying.”
“No, but usually he tends to cause fights so he’s got a good excuse to push the poor sod away without feeling too guilty about it,” Butcher objected, glaring back.
“Not this time,” Sisky said and shook his head, convinced. “It’s different with Gabe, he’s-- he’s committed.”
“I really hope you’re right,” Butcher replied and smiled at him, pulling him closer once again. “But while we wait for them to work things out, why don’t we focus on this couple?”
“And what d’you wanna focus on?”
“Well, while I prepare us some hot cocoa, you could tell me what you had in mind for our little trip to Washington,” Butcher proposed as he stood and headed for the kitchen.
Sisky followed him a few moments later and sat on one of the chair, watching him work. “The other day I was just joking, we don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”
“Hey, give me some credit, okay?” Butcher glanced at him with a slightly offended look, then resumed retrieving what he needed. “I’m a painter after all, art is my thing too.”
“I know,” Sisky admitted with a little smile. “But I also know that when I turn into my evil, geeky version I tend to be exasperating.”
“Nate and Vicky will be there too, we’ll deal together,” Butcher replied, sincerely amused. “Besides, you’ll make it up to me when we get back.”
“How?” Sisky arched an eyebrow, almost sure he already knew the answer.
“By being my canvas again,” Butcher said, almost unsure, which surprised the other boy. “Not just for the kink,” he added as he rolled his eyes playfully. “Anyway, tell me about the exhibition.”
Sisky smiled widely at that and reached him by the stoves; he pulled him in a brief kiss and as soon as they broke apart, he started talking.
~
“Hey, Tom,” Alex called as he walked in the bedroom, where the boy was lying on the bed with his laptop in front of him. “D’you have a minute for me?”
“Always,” Tom muttered, then rolled on his side to look at him. “What is it?”
“I’m working on a little project, a digital photo album,” Alex started, sitting down next to him. “I took some of my old pictures with the guys, some of the new and I was wondering if you had some of yours.”
“Sure, I have tons, actually,” Tom said with a nod, smiling a little. “You know, I never told you this, but I’m a photographer,” he added, teasing him a little.
“Haha, funny,” Alex retorted, addressing him a playful glare, which earned him a smirk.
“The ones with William, Sisky and Butcher are mainly pre-break up era, though,” Tom informed him, then watched his reaction.
“I’ll leave out the explicit ones,” Alex replied as he lay down on his side as well.
“Good thinking,” Tom declared and placed his palm on the boy’s forehead, then pushed him down on his back. “How’s the writing going?”
“Pretty well, I think I’m gonna finish just in time for the deadline,” Alex said with a relieved tone.
“Can I read it?” Tom closed the laptop and moved it to the nightstand as he talked.
“Of course,” Alex agreed with a smile, then turned his head to look at him. “It’s mainly thanks to you if I’m writing again.”
“One of my many superpowers,” Tom stage-whispered, faking secrecy. “Along with the magic hands and the amazing blowjobs.”
“And don’t forget your sweet talk,” Alex pointed out, laughing, but had to stop when Tom scooted closer and kissed him.
“Yeah, that too,” Tom muttered on his lips, but before he could kiss him again, his cell phone rang. “I hate Mike so much right now.”
Alex laughed and relaxed again on the bed, while his boyfriend answered the phone and addressed his friend a very annoyed tone. By the time the phone call was over, Tom’s mood was definitely worse, due to the fact that he had to cover for Mike.
“I’m sorry, I have to go to work,” Tom announced with a tired sigh as the other boy sat up to face him. “Swing by later to brighten my night?”
“Always,” Alex replied with a smile and stole a quick kiss before letting him go.
Tom went to his desk and took something from one of the drawers; when he turned Alex noticed it was a small external hard-disk.
“All my pictures are in here, see what you can find,” Tom said as he handed it to him. “It’s not the only back-up I have, so don’t panic if you accidentally delete something, given your relationship with computers.”
“Sure you don’t wanna be around when I do this? I mean, it’s personal stuff,” Alex pointed out with a surprised frown. “And it’s probably thousands of pictures.”
“We can do it together if you want,” Tom replied, honestly glad the boy was so careful with his personal space. “But I trust you, and I know you won’t freak out when you find those pictures of Ryan sleeping naked in the bathtub,” he added, barely holding back a laughter at the terrified look on Alex’s face.
“We’re definitely doing it together,” Alex declare, then put the hard-disk on the desk, while Tom snickered. “Now go to work.”
“See you later,” Tom replied as he walked to the door, still laughing.
~~
A/N: you wanted drama, I got you some. Is it good enough for now? XD
Also, I can tell you the karaoke night was fun to write, so I hope it was nice to read as well, even with the beginning of the drama. And before the hating begins, Ryan was not trying to get in Gabe’s pants, you’ll understand why in the next chapter. *grins*
Well, let me know what you think about this. And remember, if you want the soundtrack, just let me know and I’ll make sure you get it. :D
JM