Fic: You're one big sugar rush (I've always dreamt that I'd be your favorite) [12/14]
Title:‘You're one big sugar rush (I've always dreamt that I'd be your favorite)’ [12/14]
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 || Chapter 10 || Chapter 11
Chapter 12 - The one with the Saporta family (and the birthday gift)
The following day - Ringwood, New Jersey
“I’m so glad you decided to come for the weekend,” Jean declared as she lead Gabe and William to the living room. “Adrian should be here anytime, Rick will join us for dinner tonight.”
“Weren’t your brothers out of town?” William turned to look at Gabe, obviously surprised and just a little panicked.
“Surprise, I guess,” Gabe replied with a confused frown that revealed he was just as clueless as William. “Mom, did you set a trap for Bill?”
“Don’t be silly, Gabriel, they moved their weekend trip to next week,” Jean said and waved him off. “I just want to welcome William in this family in the best way we can,” she added with a warm smile in William’s direction, which he mirrored immediately. “I’ll go work on lunch, why don’t you show him around?”
“I’ll do that,” Gabe confirmed and watched as his mother walked out, then turned to look at his boyfriend. “Sorry about the ambush.”
William laughed briefly at that and shook his head. “You don’t need to apologize, I like your parents and I’m sure I’m gonna like your brothers too.”
“Thanks for the effort,” Gabe replied with a smirk and watched as the boy reached the piano on the opposite side of the room.
“D’you play the piano?” William turned to look at him curious and Gabe shook his head ‘no’. “Can I?”
“Sure, knock yourself out,” Gabe told him with a surprised smile, then reached him. “You can play the piano?”
“A few songs,” William confirmed with a nod, then sat down, focused. “Remember Vanessa Carlton?” he asked as his fingers started to move and Gabe recognized the first notes of A thousand miles.
“You know, you should accept that job at the network,” Gabe suggested as he sat down next to him on the little wooden bench. “You’re a natural at this.”
“I think I will,” William admitted, surprising him. “Working at the club isn’t exactly my goal in life and this is a one time opportunity.”
“Have you told Alex, yet?”
“I wanted to tell him last night, but from what Vicky told me, he and Tom had a bad fight,” William explained with a sigh. “I don’t think work was exactly his first priority.”
“He texted me this morning,” Gabe informed with a little smile. “Apparently, he and Tom had a fight about Ryan, but things should be good-ish.”
“Ryan is a home wrecker,” William pointed out with a raised eyebrow, remembering Ryan’s confession to him. “It’s time he finds someone and stops screwing around with other people’s relationships.”
“I think he did,” Gabe replied with a small grin. “Alex also said there might be something going on between Ryan and Nate.”
“And he’s okay with that?” William turned to look at him, frowning.
“Looks so,” Gabe said with a shrug. “I’ll talk to him when we get back.”
William gave him an approving nod and kept playing, closing his eyes for just a second, before he turned to look at Gabe again. “Tell me something about your brothers, I wanna be prepared,” he told him with a smile.
“Well, Rick owns a diner down by the lake with his wife Janice, it’s where my parents used to work,” Gabe explained, then smirked a little before he resumed speaking. “While Adrian is, well, he’s gonna be your favorite Saporta brother.”
“I’m not sure about that,” William objected, bumping their shoulders together.
“He’s a musician,” Gabe informed and tilted his head to the side. “He gives guitar lessons at the music store he works at and he has a band with his girlfriend and a couple of their friends.”
“It was nice meeting you, Gabe, take care, okay?” William joked, gaining a soft punch on the thigh, then his expression turned softer. “No, to be honest, I’m done with musicians.”
“Good,” Gabe declared and kissed him on the cheek. “What about your family? You never talk about them.”
“We’re not on, uh, good terms,” William just said but didn’t stop playing. Gabe was amazed at how he could also talk at the same time and never miss a note. “My parents are divorced, I haven’t seen my father in two years.”
“Babe, I’m sorry, why didn’t you tell me this before?” Gabe sounded genuinely concerned and that prompted the other boy to smile.
“I’m telling you now,” William replied just as he finished the song, then he turned to face Gabe. “Things with my mother are good most of the time, but she tends to be overprotective.”
“You have a sister, right?” Gabe watched his reaction but didn’t try to make eye-contact.
“Yeah, Courtney,” William confirmed with a much brighter smile. “She moved back to Chicago with my father two years ago, but we’re still in contact. She visited on Christmas.”
“That’s good,” Gabe said with a small nod, then inched closer and cupped his face with both hands. “Hey, if you ever feel uncomfortable, for whatever reason, just say so and we can leave or isolate for a little while,” he added looking at him in the eye. “My family can be really loud.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” William pointed out, still smiling. “You’re lucky to have them, and I’m lucky to be here.”
Gabe ducked his head a little and kissed him after those words, then he pulled back only several seconds later. “Who’s the sap, now, uh?”
“Shut up,” William huffed out, laughing, then turned to face the piano again.
~~
Later that night - NY
“About time, guys, I was starting to think you changed your mind,” Mike greeted them when they entered the main door of the venue.
“Sorry buddy, we got lost on the way here,” Butcher replied and patted his shoulder.
“I don’t want the details,” Mike told him with a sly grin.
“It’s not always code for ‘we were having sex’, you know?” Sisky arched an eyebrow at him, unimpressed. “We actually got lost.”
“Well, you’re here now, so move your asses,” Mike retorted and rolled his eyes, then gestured them to follow him into the nearby room where the little stage was the only illuminated spot.
The rest of Hayley’s band, four guys in total, was working on the equipment, while the girl was struggling with the microphones.
“Hey, Chizz!” Butcher called his friend, who turned and waved at him, then reached them.
“Hi, guys, I didn’t know you were coming,” Chizz replied with a wide smile. “Sisky, it’s been ages, where have you been?”
“Studying, mostly,” Sisky told him with a shrug. “And I started working at Mike’s pub.”
“Ouch,” Chizz just said, which earned him a glare from Mike. “What? We both know you’re a pain in the ass at work.”
“I’ve had worse,” Sisky objected, laughing.
A blond girl reached them in that moment and Chizz took her hand, then looked at his friends. “Guys, this is Noemi,” he introduced her, then moved his gaze to her. “Babe, this are the nutjobs I told you about.”
“Why, thank you, I’m flattered,” Butcher replied with an highly amused grin. “Nice to meet you Noemi.”
After they were all introduced, Hayley caught their attention from the stage and announced they were about to start.
“Where’s Tom? Isn’t he supposed to be here and take pictures?” Sisky looked around, obviously confused.
“He was, but he’s trying to fix things with Alex, so he’s skipping out on us,” Mike explained with a nod, but he didn’t seem too upset about it. “I think they’re either having dinner or sex, right now.”
“Or both,” Noemi suggested with a shrug, which earned her a few surprised glances.
“I like this girl,” Butcher declared after a few seconds, smiling widely and Chizz chuckled, shaking his head.
“Seriously, is it possible to have one conversation without the mention of sex?” Sisky rolled his eyes, unbelieving, but before anyone could answer, the lights went off and the band started playing.
They all reached the front row after a couple of minutes and they ended up in front of the bassist, Jeremy. The audience in the venue was composed mainly by teenagers, mostly dressed in indie and emo style, which made Sisky wonder once again how many were just posers and how many were for real. But hey, as long as they loved Hayley’s band, they could pose all they wanted.
The show went on for about half an hour, with most of the kids singing along, including Sisky himself. Once it was over, Hayley thanked everyone and not five minutes later, the band disappeared inside the crowd.
“I’m gonna get a beer,” Sisky announced to his boyfriend, just as Josh and Taylor both reached him. “Want something to drink?”
“Nah, I’m good,” Butcher replied with a shrug, and once Sisky turned and walked away, he moved his attention back to the musicians.
Sisky reached the bar and immediately lost all his thirst, basically half of the crowd was in line to get a drink. He walked closer and tried to find a breach in the wall of people, then he just gave up and decided to wait.
“It’s a little crowded, uh?” Jeremy, the bassist, joined him at the end of the line and smirked.
“Tell me about it,” Sisky agreed and mirrored his expression. “I could have bought the damn beer before the end of the show.”
“Well, the band was worth it,” Jeremy pointed out with a confident tone.
“It was,” Sisky admitted with a brief laughter.
Jeremy chuckled and raised his arm, gesturing to the bartender. “Bob, two beers,” he yelled across the mass of people. The bold guy behind the counter nodded and threw him two cans of beer and Jeremy caught them without trouble. “Thanks, man,” he yelled and gained another nod, then handed one to Sisky. “Be careful when you open that.”
“Thanks,” Sisky told him with an amused frown.
“Don’t mention it,” Jeremy replied and opened his can. “You’re Sisky, right?”
“I guess I am,” Sisky confirmed and smiled at him, surprised. He’d never talked much to the other guys in the band, he mainly met Hayley when she was with Mike.
“I’m Jeremy,” the bassist said and held out his free hand.
“I know,” Sisky replied but shook his hand anyway, smiling. “Hayley talks a lot about you guys.”
“Good,” Jeremy declared with a nod. “I really need to get some fresh air, wanna come outside with me?”
“Sure,” Sisky accepted with a shrug, then followed him towards the door.
They were about to walk out when Butcher joined them and put his arm around Sisky’s shoulders. “Hey, babe, I was looking for you,” he announced with an eloquent glare in Jeremy’s direction.
The bassist chuckled and raised his hands in surrender. “Fine, I’m going,” he said, then walked away, clearly annoyed.
“What was all that about?” Sisky frowned and looked at his boyfriend, who used his arm to pull him closer.
“According to Hayley, Jeremy walked off stage with the firm intention to fuck you,” Butcher explained, meeting his gaze. “I hate that guy.”
“Well, thanks for defending my honor, sir,” Sisky replied and kissed him on the cheek, trying to cover up his surprise for not understanding Jeremy’s intentions sooner. “Let’s find the others.”
“One thing first,” Butcher said and stopped, turning to face him and his serious expression worried Sisky. “Stop being so hot,” he added with a smirk and the other boy rolled his eyes. “No, seriously, I want you all to myself and people just won’t stop hitting on you, so either you stop being hot or you wear a Dick Cheney mask, that should hold them off.”
“This is exactly why I love you,” Sisky pointed out with a warm smile. “You can still be sweet when you’re being an idiot.”
“Dick Cheney mask it is, then,” Butcher declared with a solemn nod and his boyfriend punched him in the arm.
~~
“I hate fighting with you,” Tom muttered against his boyfriend’s neck a second after entering the apartment and hugging him, then withdrew and locked their gazes. “Not even make-up sex is worth it.”
“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Alex joked, then grinned at Tom’s glare. “Fine, no make-up sex. What about make-up home-cooked dinner?”
“You cooked?” Tom’s eyes lit up and he headed for the kitchen, obviously glad about the news. “I should have been the one doing that.”
“No blame game, okay?” Alex objected and went to the stove. “We were both nervous, you were worried about Ryan, I was worried about work. Let’s just move on.”
“About that, you haven’t told me how the meeting went,” Tom immediately said, reaching him.
“Awfully well,” Alex announced as he turned around, smiling widely. “They assigned me ten additional episodes.”
“That’s great!” Tom cheered, honestly happy about his success. “When’s the deadline?”
“Early March,” Alex replied with a nod, then grimaced a little. “It won’t be easy to make it, but I think I will.”
“Of course you will,” Tom reassured him and sat on one of the chairs at the table. “What about your book, any progress?”
“I’ll have to put it on hiatus until this job is done,” Alex pointed out with a brief frown, then shook his head. “What about Ryan? Is he alright?”
“Yeah, he’s fine,” Tom confirmed and smirked a little. “Even though I think he’s out of his mind, I mean, he’s dating the devil.”
“Nate is notthe devil,” Alex objected, rolling his eyes, but there was a small grin on his lips as well. “He’s changed, he’s less of a--” he paused, trying to find the right words.
“Uptight bitch?” Tom suggested with a vague tone, remembering the words Ryan had used to describe him after their fight weeks before.
“Yeah,” Alex agreed with a chuckled. “And I think he opened up thanks to Ryan.”
“Doesn’t it bother you?” Tom tilted his head to the side, genuinely curious and a little skeptical. “I mean, you’ve wanted to date him for ages and Ryan managed to get to him in what? A month?”
“Thank you, that’s really good for my ego,” Alex retorted with an unbelieving glare, then smiled. “And yes, it does bother me if you put it that way,” he admitted with a brief shrug. “But it only proves that me and Nate were never meant to be.”
“It’s good to hear that,” Tom said and stood from the chair.
“Can we stop talking about Nate, please? He’s Ryan’s business now,” Alex replied with an arched eyebrow.
“I thought you two weren’t at war anymore,” Tom pointed out, surprised by those words but not really disappointed.
“Yeah, but we’re not best friends either,” Alex confessed with a shrug. “I guess it’ll take time.”
“Fair enough,” Tom agreed and reached him, then kissed him briefly without another word. When he pulled back, a few seconds later, he eyed the stoves. “Can I help you with this?”
“Babe, are you trying to kill me?” Alex replied with a grin, which earned him a slap on the back of the head. “Seriously, you have many talents and I’m thankful for that, but cooking isn’t one of them.”
“I’ll stay clear of the boiling water,” Tom promised and rolled his eyes, knowing Alex was referring to the time Tom almost - almost - dropped a pot full of boiling water onto their feet. “But I wanna help.”
“Fine, wash and slice those,” Alex conceded with a brief laughter, then pointed at the vegetables on the table. Tom nodded and got to work, gaining a warm look from his boyfriend.
~~
Nate walked into his apartment and slammed the door closed with his foot, not even caring about the noise that could bother his neighbors. It was seven pm, anyway, so they surely weren’t sleeping. He’d finished his shift not long before and he’d headed home right away, too angry to try and talk to Ryan. The boy had been acting the entire time like nothing had happened between them, which had driven Nate nuts by the end of the day.
He sat down on the couch and immediately felt stupid when he looked around. His living room was in semi-perfect order, all the books either back to their place on the bookshelf or neatly piled next to it. Even after cleaning his house - which he did every Saturday morning, being the slightly obsessive person he was - he always liked to have them spread around, to have a little mess, just to remind him he wasn’t under the hospital’s strict rules anymore. Still, it had seemed like a good idea to tidy up a little bit, just in case.
His train of thoughts was abruptly stopped by a soft knock on the door. He stood with a sigh and went to answer, ready to tell whichever neighbor it was to just fuck off.
“Hi,” Ryan greeted him with a wide smile when he opened. “Yes, I followed you home.”
“Good to know,” Nate said and moved to let him in.
“I thought I owed you an answer,” Ryan pointed out, confused by the cold welcome he received.
“I thought you already delivered one,” Nate replied, unimpressed. “You know, when you avoided talking about it all day?”
“No, no, no,” Ryan objected, shaking his head. “Let’s make one thing clear,” he added, walking closer to him. “It’s fine to have lunch together, there’s no need to hide anything if you want to come out to the others at work, but we keep the serious talking out of the hospital.”
“It makes sense,” Nate admitted after a few seconds of silence and felt his cheeks warm up a little in shame, why hadn’t he thought about it?
“I’ve wanted to date coworkers before, but you’re the first I actually take the risk for,” Ryan informed him with a little smile. “I like you and I like this job, I just want both things to work.”
“I feel stupid right now,” Nate confessed with a disappointed look.
“I feel stupid too,” Ryan retorted with a shrug and took a step closer. “See, I’m not sure what to do. Should I take you out on a date, or take you to bed, first?”
Nate laughed at those words and his mood lit up. “I’d go for a date,” he suggested with a grin and gripped Ryan’s shirt with a hand, pulling him closer.
“Absolutely,” Ryan immediately agreed, then ducked his head and kissed him.
Nate smiled against the other’s mouth and pushed him against the wall, while his hands worked on getting the buttons of his shirt undone. Ryan got the message and helped him out, then they both struggled to remove Nate’s t-shirt, which caused them to interrupt the kiss.
“Should we take this to the bedroom or are you an against-the-wall kind of guy?” Ryan asked with a grin as they got rid of their shoes and socks too.
“More like the second one,” Nate muttered on his lips with a mischievous smile. “But you’ll have to earn it, Luciani.”
Ryan kissed him and walked them towards the hallway, then let Nate take the lead, not really knowing where to go. Once they reached their destination, Nate pushed him down on the bed and straddled him.
“Beware of the quiet ones, uh?” Ryan joked and brought his hand to Nate’s groin, stroking him through the jeans.
“You have no idea,” Nate confirmed and lowered to kiss his neck, while the boy opened his pants, then put his hands on Nate’s hips and switched their positions with a quick movement. “Cheater.”
“Sue me,” Ryan retorted, amused, as he took Nate’s jeans off and threw them somewhere on the ground, then did the same with his own. “Is this your standard date?”
“Shut up,” Nate replied and laughed a little.
“No, really, I had no idea you had it in you,” Ryan said and lowered to speak right on his lips. “You’re a wild little thing. I like it.”
“Then do something about it instead of talking, will you?” Nate arched up, trying to get more contact and before he could voice his protests again, Ryan kissed him into silence.
When he pulled back, he moved his lips to boy’s neck, then kissed his way down his chest, which caused Nate to breathe a little harder. He barely paid attention to the fact that his boxers were gone and he focused on the feeling of Ryan’s lips around him.
“Fuck, Ryan, your mouth,” Nate muttered, closing his eyes, but he opened them immediately when the boy stopped his task.
“Yeah, that’s what I’m using,” Ryan replied with a grin and Nate glared at him. “Wanted to say something about my great skills?”
Nate let his head fall back on the bed and groaned, which prompted the other boy to laugh. To that, Nate replied by gripping his waist and rolling them around until their positions were switched once again.
“Let’s see if I can make you shut up,” Nate proposed with a smirk and quickly got rid of Ryan’s underwear. The boy was about to say something, but he stopped as soon as he felt Nate’s mouth close on him.
“Fuck,” Ryan just whispered and his hand went to grip the boy’s shoulder. His hips bucked against his will when Nate hummed his approval, then worked his throat open as much as he could.
When Nate brought his fingers to the base and started to stroke him as well, he moaned and arched up, unable to control his reaction. It didn’t take long for him to get close, but when he tried to warn Nate, the boy just kept going with a faster pace, looking up at him with a smug look.
“Nate, just--” Ryan tried to warn him again, then gave in and closed his eyes as he came with a low groan. “Fuck.”
Nate stroked him a couple of times more, then rose to his knees with a small grin, watching as the boy regained his breath. “Nice to know there actually is a way to shut you up.”
“Feel free to use it every time you want,” Ryan replied and mirrored his smirk, then brought his hands to the boy’s hips and reversed their positions, taking the lead again.
Nate didn’t protest, but once he was lying down, he brought a hand to the back of the boy’s neck and pulled him down. “Nightstand, top drawer,” he whispered on his lips. “I hope you have a low refractory period.”
“Don’t worry, I know how to keep you busy in the meantime,” Ryan reassured him and closed his hand on Nate’s cock, then blocked any possible reply by kissing him.
~~
Gabe walked into the kitchen just as his mother was putting the vegetarian lasagna in the oven. He reached her and held the small door open so she could use both hands, then closed it and waited as she checked the temperature once again.
“It’s been too long since the last time I’ve eaten those,” Gabe pointed out with a dreamy tone, then kissed his mother on the cheek.
“What was that for?” Jean asked, pleasantly surprised by the gesture.
“For being the best mom in the world,” Gabe told her with a wide smile, then reached the fridge and opened it.
“I guess I haven’t scared him off yet, uh?” Jean reached him and grabbed his wrist, then pulled him away. “Uh-uh, don’t spoil your appetite.”
“I’m hungry,” Gabe protested, but complied and rested his hip against the table, sulking.
“Dinner’s in an hour,” she retorted, unimpressed, and reached him. “Go entertain your boy.”
“Adrian is taking care of that,” Gabe informed with a little smile. “They’re getting along pretty well, they’ve been talking about music the entire time.”
“I hear the guitar,” Jean agreed with a nod, then took her son’s hand in hers. “Make sure he understands he’s welcome here. Even your father adores him, and you remember how he reacted to Alex.”
“Yeah, I remember,” Gabe confirmed and laughed as he recalled the terrifying speech his father had given Alex when they had started dating. “Don’t worry, it takes him a little while to warm up to people, but he knows he’s welcome.”
“Good,” Jean declared with a wide smile, then reached the sink to wash the dished piled there. “You should call Rick and tell him to bring some pie from the diner.”
“I already did,” Gabe informed and noticed the guitar had stopped playing. “I asked him to bring ice cream too.”
“Are you pregnant?” Jean frowned and turned look at him.
“No, I don’t have cravings, mom,” Gabe replied and rolled his eyes.
“I do,” William said from the doorstep, then realized how it must have sounded and quickly added, “I mean, not like I’m pregnant, obviously, since that would be impossible. Not that we don’t-- I mean--” he stopped and trying to calm down. “Point is, I just like sweet things,” he said and saw his boyfriend grin even wider. “I mean desserts, of course,” he corrected himself again, panicking.
“Babe, I think she knows you’re not pregnant,” Gabe pointed out with a highly amused grin. “And I think she knows adults who like each other have sex, from time to time.”
“Don’t talk about sex in front of your mother,” William replied, shocked, then looked at Jean.
Jean laughed at those words, then reached him. “Calm down, I’m not gonna freak out because you and my son have sex, it’s kinda part of the whole boyfriend thing,” she reassured him and patted his cheek affectionately. “I’ll go find some good wine, you relax, okay?”
William nodded and watched her go, then turned to look at Gabe, desperate. “I just made a fool of myself, what if it happens at dinner?”
“Hey, what’s going on?” Gabe pulled him closer and circled his waist with an arm. “They love you, even my father loves you. And he’s the one who threatened Alex in horrible ways, just because he thought Alex wasn’t good enough and he wanted to see if he stuck around.”
“Seriously?” William’s eyes widened at that, then he laughed, resting his forehead against Gabe’s collarbone. “I still think I’m gonna say something inappropriate and completely embarrassing.”
“It’s not the martial court, it’s dinner,” Gabe told him with a warm smile, then ducked his head to speak in his ear. “Just be yourself.”
William took a deep breath and withdrew enough to look at him, slightly calmer. “Kick me if I say something stupid.”
“Fine,” Gabe agreed, laughing, then took his hand. “Let’s go, before my brother steals you again.”
They spent the remaining time with Eduardo and Adrian in the living room, watching a re-run of Law and Order and talking about nothings, Rick and Janice joined them about twenty minutes later. They seemed to be happy to finally meet William and the boy relaxed even more, much to his boyfriend’s silent relief. When Jean finally announced that dinner would be ready in ten minutes, William insisted to help set the table and Gabe gave in and smiled when he saw Adrian get up and join him.
Once they were all seated, Gabe helped his mother serve the lasagnas, while Rick opened the wine. Dinner went by without any major incident and Gabe could see his boyfriend get more and more relaxed as time passed. When they got to dessert, he looked at William with a wide grin and received a kick under the table in reply, but he could see the light brush on the boy’s cheeks. It was rare and somehow absurd, but it probably meant that William’s defenses were still going down and that, in Gabe’s book, was a good thing.
“This was amazing,” William said after he finished his pie and looked at Janice. “Did you bake it?”
“Actually, Rick is the baking wizard,” Janice admitted with a smile, gesturing towards her husband.
“You didn’t mention this,” William pointed out, looking at Gabe with a sly smirk. “Afraid I could change Saporta brother?”
“Are you in love with the whole Saporta family?” Janice joked, laughing a little.
“As a matter of fact, I think I am,” William admitted candidly and smiled at his boyfriend.
~~
A week later
“Just so you know, from now on, I’ll always picture you without clothes at work,” Ryan announced as he sat down in front of Nate in the cafeteria.
“That’s charming,” Nate replied with a raised eyebrow, but his tone was amused. “Any other romantic line for me?”
“Nope,” Ryan said, resting his elbows on the table. “But I do have reservations for dinner tonight, if you’re up for it.”
“I am,” Nate confirmed with a surprised smile. “Where are we going?”
“Surprise,” Ryan told him, cheerful. “I have to go back to work, I’ll pick you up at seven, okay?”
“Perfect,” Nate replied and watched as he stood and took a step closer.
“See you later,” Ryan said and bent down to steal a brief kiss, unconcerned about all the people around them, then headed for the door. They had decided to not keep their relationship secret at work, and it was still a little bit weird for Nate, but he had to admit it felt good.
Not a minute later someone else reached his table and when he looked up he was surprised to see Alex standing there.
“Can I?” Alex gestured the empty chair and waited for Nate’s nod, then sat down. “You two are oddly cute, together.”
“Thank you, I guess,” Nate replied with a brief chuckle, a little confused.
“I mean, Ryan doesn’t really strike me as the cute and cuddly type,” Alex explained with a brief shrug.
“He has many sides, that’s just one of them,” Nate said with an understanding nod. “Are you here to talk about Ryan?”
“Actually, yes,” Alex confirmed with a smile. “I mean, the two of you, not just him.”
“If you’re here to preach, please don’t,” Nate told him, rolling his eyes. “You’re the last person I want a lecture from.”
“I’m here to tell you that I’m happy for you,” Alex objected with a slightly amused tone. “And I don’t know Ryan all that much, but from what I’ve seen, he’s a great guy.”
“Oh,” Nate just muttered, not expecting something like that, but he felt his heart get just a little bit lighter. “We haven’t talked much lately, have we?”
“Nope, but I guess it takes time,” Alex admitted, looking at him in the eye. “We should get a beer and catch up, what d’you say? Tonight?”
“It’s a good idea,” Nate agreed with a little smile. “But not tonight, Ryan and I have plans. Tomorrow would be cool, though.”
“Tomorrow it is,” Alex confirmed, then looked around for a moment. “Can I ask you something?”
“Shoot,” Nate replied, then took a sip from his water.
“D’you have any idea what to buy for William’s birthday?” Alex asked with a grimace, which caused Nate to laugh briefly. “He took the job, so now not only he’s my best friend’s boyfriend, but a coworker too.”
“He accepted?” Nate seemed surprised to hear that.
“Yeah, after he and Gabe came back from New Jersey he called me and asked if he could get an interview,” Alex explained with a nod. “He’s starting on Monday.”
“Well, you could buy him a nice frame, then pick the best picture you’ve taken of him and Gabe and put it inside before you wrap it,” Nate suggested with a s brief shrug. “Seems like the kind of guy who’d appreciate that.”
“I missed your genius mind,” Alex said, only half-joking.
“This genius mind has to get back to work,” Nate pointed out, but he was smiling as he talked. “I’m happy you stopped by, though.”
“Me too,” Alex replied, mirroring his expression. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” he added as they both stood.
Nate nodded and watched him go, then headed back to his department. It took him a few minutes to realize he was still smiling, but when he did, he stopped for a moment, surprised.
~~
Five days later - 11th February
Gabe and William stumbled inside the apartment, laughing into each other’s mouths as they kissed. Gabe somehow managed to turn on the lights and lock the door, all without interrupting the contact. When they reached the living room, not without some effort, they broke apart, still snickering as they both flopped down on the couch.
“I think you had a little too much,” Gabe pointed out, pushing him down on his back. “You’re funny when you’re drunk.”
“I’m not drunk,” William retorted, punching him on the arm, but gave in and lay down, smiling. “You’re the one who drank half a bottle of vodka with Alex.”
“I handle alcohol pretty well, you know,” Gabe objected, then brought his lips to William’s neck. “But I do feel a little tipsy, yep.”
“Good thing we had the limo waiting, then,” William snickered, closing his eyes. “Which wasn’t really necessary, you know? A cab would have been enough.”
“It’s your birthday, you should be treated like a queen,” Gabe declared, then withdrew enough to look at him in the eye, smirking.
“Queen my ass, idiot,” William protested and slapped him on the back of the head. “I admit riding in one of those was kinda cool, though.”
“You can have anything you want, just say the word,” Gabe replied, speaking right onto his lips.
“I already have everything I could ever want,” William whispered back, smiling, then kissed him and his hands gripped Gabe’s hips, bringing their bodies even closer.
When they interrupted the kiss, William kept his eyes closed and for a moment Gabe just watched him, then ducked his head and spoke right into his ear. “Then I can keep your present, right?”
“Hey,” William protested, pinching his side. “That’s cheating.”
Gabe laughed and slowly stood from the couch, which earned him a disappointed look from William, who sat up as well. “It’s inside the bag with the other presents, I slipped it in when we were in the limo.”
William took the bag he’d put on the ground next to the couch and looked inside. There was a still-unwrapped package right below Alex’s frame. He took the frame and put it on the coffee table, smiling once again when he saw the picture; it showed him and Gabe kissing, and even though it was a little blurry, it was still one of his favorite of them.
He brought his attention back to the bag and took the package. It was candy-shaped, which prompted him to look up at his boyfriend. “Cute,” he pointed out, shaking his head, while Gabe sat down next to him.
“That’s the present, it’s only paper inside,” Gabe joked, then laughed when the boy elbowed him, then started unwrapping.
When he saw what was inside he froze, shocked and looked at Gabe. “You bought me a car?”
“Yup,” Gabe replied, a little anxious, “It’s downstairs, obviously. I asked Sisky for advice and he helped me pick the right model,” he explained, scratching the back of his neck. “It’s a 2009 Honda Civic and it’s hybrid, so it should be environment-friendly too.”
“Gabe, you shouldn’t have,” William said and looked at him in the eye, still surprised.
“You got a new job, this way you won’t be forced to take the subway all the time,” Gabe pointed out with a brief shrug, but he was still worried.
“I’m kinda used to it,” William replied, arching an eyebrow.
“Well, duh,” Gabe retorted, rolling his eyes, and felt slightly better when he saw the boy grin at that. “But I’ve heard you say a thousand times that you only like the subway when you’re playing.”
“I don’t know what to say,” William admitted, turning the car keys in his hand, but his smile was even wider.
“Just promise me you’ll drive safe and that you’ll take me for a ride,” Gabe proposed, mirroring his expression. “Tomorrow, though, after we sleep off the alcohol.”
“Good plan,” William agreed, then leaned closer and kissed him. Slowly, he pushed him down on his back and straddled his hips in the narrow space of the couch. When his knee slipped and he fell right on Gabe, he started snickering again and broke the kiss. “Sorry,” he muttered against his neck, laughing.
“Should we move this to the floor?” Gabe asked, highly amused.
“Mmh, what about the bed?” William proposed, then bit down on his lobe, playful. “I have a better idea than sleeping the alcohol off.”
“And what would that be?” Gabe closed his eyes, feeling his body respond to that; his boyfriend knew exactly all his weak spots, which he thought wasn’t really fair.
“Body shots?” William spoke in his ear, trying to sound innocent, but it came out completely different. “We’re not nearly as drunk as we should be.”
“You’re bad,” Gabe muttered, but brought his hands on William’s hips, pulling them downwards. “I like it.”
~~
A/N:Gabilliam is back with more screen time, happy? Good. And now prepare for drama. *evil* Other than that, Butcher had to defend his precious little Sisky, and Ryan and Nate found each other in the bedroom too. :D
I don’t have much to add, my team just won a very hard match and I’m too hyper to think coherently. *joy and pride*
I’ll see you next week, let me know if you want the soundtrack.
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 || Chapter 10 || Chapter 11
Chapter 12 - The one with the Saporta family (and the birthday gift)
The following day - Ringwood, New Jersey
“I’m so glad you decided to come for the weekend,” Jean declared as she lead Gabe and William to the living room. “Adrian should be here anytime, Rick will join us for dinner tonight.”
“Weren’t your brothers out of town?” William turned to look at Gabe, obviously surprised and just a little panicked.
“Surprise, I guess,” Gabe replied with a confused frown that revealed he was just as clueless as William. “Mom, did you set a trap for Bill?”
“Don’t be silly, Gabriel, they moved their weekend trip to next week,” Jean said and waved him off. “I just want to welcome William in this family in the best way we can,” she added with a warm smile in William’s direction, which he mirrored immediately. “I’ll go work on lunch, why don’t you show him around?”
“I’ll do that,” Gabe confirmed and watched as his mother walked out, then turned to look at his boyfriend. “Sorry about the ambush.”
William laughed briefly at that and shook his head. “You don’t need to apologize, I like your parents and I’m sure I’m gonna like your brothers too.”
“Thanks for the effort,” Gabe replied with a smirk and watched as the boy reached the piano on the opposite side of the room.
“D’you play the piano?” William turned to look at him curious and Gabe shook his head ‘no’. “Can I?”
“Sure, knock yourself out,” Gabe told him with a surprised smile, then reached him. “You can play the piano?”
“A few songs,” William confirmed with a nod, then sat down, focused. “Remember Vanessa Carlton?” he asked as his fingers started to move and Gabe recognized the first notes of A thousand miles.
“You know, you should accept that job at the network,” Gabe suggested as he sat down next to him on the little wooden bench. “You’re a natural at this.”
“I think I will,” William admitted, surprising him. “Working at the club isn’t exactly my goal in life and this is a one time opportunity.”
“Have you told Alex, yet?”
“I wanted to tell him last night, but from what Vicky told me, he and Tom had a bad fight,” William explained with a sigh. “I don’t think work was exactly his first priority.”
“He texted me this morning,” Gabe informed with a little smile. “Apparently, he and Tom had a fight about Ryan, but things should be good-ish.”
“Ryan is a home wrecker,” William pointed out with a raised eyebrow, remembering Ryan’s confession to him. “It’s time he finds someone and stops screwing around with other people’s relationships.”
“I think he did,” Gabe replied with a small grin. “Alex also said there might be something going on between Ryan and Nate.”
“And he’s okay with that?” William turned to look at him, frowning.
“Looks so,” Gabe said with a shrug. “I’ll talk to him when we get back.”
William gave him an approving nod and kept playing, closing his eyes for just a second, before he turned to look at Gabe again. “Tell me something about your brothers, I wanna be prepared,” he told him with a smile.
“Well, Rick owns a diner down by the lake with his wife Janice, it’s where my parents used to work,” Gabe explained, then smirked a little before he resumed speaking. “While Adrian is, well, he’s gonna be your favorite Saporta brother.”
“I’m not sure about that,” William objected, bumping their shoulders together.
“He’s a musician,” Gabe informed and tilted his head to the side. “He gives guitar lessons at the music store he works at and he has a band with his girlfriend and a couple of their friends.”
“It was nice meeting you, Gabe, take care, okay?” William joked, gaining a soft punch on the thigh, then his expression turned softer. “No, to be honest, I’m done with musicians.”
“Good,” Gabe declared and kissed him on the cheek. “What about your family? You never talk about them.”
“We’re not on, uh, good terms,” William just said but didn’t stop playing. Gabe was amazed at how he could also talk at the same time and never miss a note. “My parents are divorced, I haven’t seen my father in two years.”
“Babe, I’m sorry, why didn’t you tell me this before?” Gabe sounded genuinely concerned and that prompted the other boy to smile.
“I’m telling you now,” William replied just as he finished the song, then he turned to face Gabe. “Things with my mother are good most of the time, but she tends to be overprotective.”
“You have a sister, right?” Gabe watched his reaction but didn’t try to make eye-contact.
“Yeah, Courtney,” William confirmed with a much brighter smile. “She moved back to Chicago with my father two years ago, but we’re still in contact. She visited on Christmas.”
“That’s good,” Gabe said with a small nod, then inched closer and cupped his face with both hands. “Hey, if you ever feel uncomfortable, for whatever reason, just say so and we can leave or isolate for a little while,” he added looking at him in the eye. “My family can be really loud.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” William pointed out, still smiling. “You’re lucky to have them, and I’m lucky to be here.”
Gabe ducked his head a little and kissed him after those words, then he pulled back only several seconds later. “Who’s the sap, now, uh?”
“Shut up,” William huffed out, laughing, then turned to face the piano again.
~~
Later that night - NY
“About time, guys, I was starting to think you changed your mind,” Mike greeted them when they entered the main door of the venue.
“Sorry buddy, we got lost on the way here,” Butcher replied and patted his shoulder.
“I don’t want the details,” Mike told him with a sly grin.
“It’s not always code for ‘we were having sex’, you know?” Sisky arched an eyebrow at him, unimpressed. “We actually got lost.”
“Well, you’re here now, so move your asses,” Mike retorted and rolled his eyes, then gestured them to follow him into the nearby room where the little stage was the only illuminated spot.
The rest of Hayley’s band, four guys in total, was working on the equipment, while the girl was struggling with the microphones.
“Hey, Chizz!” Butcher called his friend, who turned and waved at him, then reached them.
“Hi, guys, I didn’t know you were coming,” Chizz replied with a wide smile. “Sisky, it’s been ages, where have you been?”
“Studying, mostly,” Sisky told him with a shrug. “And I started working at Mike’s pub.”
“Ouch,” Chizz just said, which earned him a glare from Mike. “What? We both know you’re a pain in the ass at work.”
“I’ve had worse,” Sisky objected, laughing.
A blond girl reached them in that moment and Chizz took her hand, then looked at his friends. “Guys, this is Noemi,” he introduced her, then moved his gaze to her. “Babe, this are the nutjobs I told you about.”
“Why, thank you, I’m flattered,” Butcher replied with an highly amused grin. “Nice to meet you Noemi.”
After they were all introduced, Hayley caught their attention from the stage and announced they were about to start.
“Where’s Tom? Isn’t he supposed to be here and take pictures?” Sisky looked around, obviously confused.
“He was, but he’s trying to fix things with Alex, so he’s skipping out on us,” Mike explained with a nod, but he didn’t seem too upset about it. “I think they’re either having dinner or sex, right now.”
“Or both,” Noemi suggested with a shrug, which earned her a few surprised glances.
“I like this girl,” Butcher declared after a few seconds, smiling widely and Chizz chuckled, shaking his head.
“Seriously, is it possible to have one conversation without the mention of sex?” Sisky rolled his eyes, unbelieving, but before anyone could answer, the lights went off and the band started playing.
They all reached the front row after a couple of minutes and they ended up in front of the bassist, Jeremy. The audience in the venue was composed mainly by teenagers, mostly dressed in indie and emo style, which made Sisky wonder once again how many were just posers and how many were for real. But hey, as long as they loved Hayley’s band, they could pose all they wanted.
The show went on for about half an hour, with most of the kids singing along, including Sisky himself. Once it was over, Hayley thanked everyone and not five minutes later, the band disappeared inside the crowd.
“I’m gonna get a beer,” Sisky announced to his boyfriend, just as Josh and Taylor both reached him. “Want something to drink?”
“Nah, I’m good,” Butcher replied with a shrug, and once Sisky turned and walked away, he moved his attention back to the musicians.
Sisky reached the bar and immediately lost all his thirst, basically half of the crowd was in line to get a drink. He walked closer and tried to find a breach in the wall of people, then he just gave up and decided to wait.
“It’s a little crowded, uh?” Jeremy, the bassist, joined him at the end of the line and smirked.
“Tell me about it,” Sisky agreed and mirrored his expression. “I could have bought the damn beer before the end of the show.”
“Well, the band was worth it,” Jeremy pointed out with a confident tone.
“It was,” Sisky admitted with a brief laughter.
Jeremy chuckled and raised his arm, gesturing to the bartender. “Bob, two beers,” he yelled across the mass of people. The bold guy behind the counter nodded and threw him two cans of beer and Jeremy caught them without trouble. “Thanks, man,” he yelled and gained another nod, then handed one to Sisky. “Be careful when you open that.”
“Thanks,” Sisky told him with an amused frown.
“Don’t mention it,” Jeremy replied and opened his can. “You’re Sisky, right?”
“I guess I am,” Sisky confirmed and smiled at him, surprised. He’d never talked much to the other guys in the band, he mainly met Hayley when she was with Mike.
“I’m Jeremy,” the bassist said and held out his free hand.
“I know,” Sisky replied but shook his hand anyway, smiling. “Hayley talks a lot about you guys.”
“Good,” Jeremy declared with a nod. “I really need to get some fresh air, wanna come outside with me?”
“Sure,” Sisky accepted with a shrug, then followed him towards the door.
They were about to walk out when Butcher joined them and put his arm around Sisky’s shoulders. “Hey, babe, I was looking for you,” he announced with an eloquent glare in Jeremy’s direction.
The bassist chuckled and raised his hands in surrender. “Fine, I’m going,” he said, then walked away, clearly annoyed.
“What was all that about?” Sisky frowned and looked at his boyfriend, who used his arm to pull him closer.
“According to Hayley, Jeremy walked off stage with the firm intention to fuck you,” Butcher explained, meeting his gaze. “I hate that guy.”
“Well, thanks for defending my honor, sir,” Sisky replied and kissed him on the cheek, trying to cover up his surprise for not understanding Jeremy’s intentions sooner. “Let’s find the others.”
“One thing first,” Butcher said and stopped, turning to face him and his serious expression worried Sisky. “Stop being so hot,” he added with a smirk and the other boy rolled his eyes. “No, seriously, I want you all to myself and people just won’t stop hitting on you, so either you stop being hot or you wear a Dick Cheney mask, that should hold them off.”
“This is exactly why I love you,” Sisky pointed out with a warm smile. “You can still be sweet when you’re being an idiot.”
“Dick Cheney mask it is, then,” Butcher declared with a solemn nod and his boyfriend punched him in the arm.
~~
“I hate fighting with you,” Tom muttered against his boyfriend’s neck a second after entering the apartment and hugging him, then withdrew and locked their gazes. “Not even make-up sex is worth it.”
“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Alex joked, then grinned at Tom’s glare. “Fine, no make-up sex. What about make-up home-cooked dinner?”
“You cooked?” Tom’s eyes lit up and he headed for the kitchen, obviously glad about the news. “I should have been the one doing that.”
“No blame game, okay?” Alex objected and went to the stove. “We were both nervous, you were worried about Ryan, I was worried about work. Let’s just move on.”
“About that, you haven’t told me how the meeting went,” Tom immediately said, reaching him.
“Awfully well,” Alex announced as he turned around, smiling widely. “They assigned me ten additional episodes.”
“That’s great!” Tom cheered, honestly happy about his success. “When’s the deadline?”
“Early March,” Alex replied with a nod, then grimaced a little. “It won’t be easy to make it, but I think I will.”
“Of course you will,” Tom reassured him and sat on one of the chairs at the table. “What about your book, any progress?”
“I’ll have to put it on hiatus until this job is done,” Alex pointed out with a brief frown, then shook his head. “What about Ryan? Is he alright?”
“Yeah, he’s fine,” Tom confirmed and smirked a little. “Even though I think he’s out of his mind, I mean, he’s dating the devil.”
“Nate is notthe devil,” Alex objected, rolling his eyes, but there was a small grin on his lips as well. “He’s changed, he’s less of a--” he paused, trying to find the right words.
“Uptight bitch?” Tom suggested with a vague tone, remembering the words Ryan had used to describe him after their fight weeks before.
“Yeah,” Alex agreed with a chuckled. “And I think he opened up thanks to Ryan.”
“Doesn’t it bother you?” Tom tilted his head to the side, genuinely curious and a little skeptical. “I mean, you’ve wanted to date him for ages and Ryan managed to get to him in what? A month?”
“Thank you, that’s really good for my ego,” Alex retorted with an unbelieving glare, then smiled. “And yes, it does bother me if you put it that way,” he admitted with a brief shrug. “But it only proves that me and Nate were never meant to be.”
“It’s good to hear that,” Tom said and stood from the chair.
“Can we stop talking about Nate, please? He’s Ryan’s business now,” Alex replied with an arched eyebrow.
“I thought you two weren’t at war anymore,” Tom pointed out, surprised by those words but not really disappointed.
“Yeah, but we’re not best friends either,” Alex confessed with a shrug. “I guess it’ll take time.”
“Fair enough,” Tom agreed and reached him, then kissed him briefly without another word. When he pulled back, a few seconds later, he eyed the stoves. “Can I help you with this?”
“Babe, are you trying to kill me?” Alex replied with a grin, which earned him a slap on the back of the head. “Seriously, you have many talents and I’m thankful for that, but cooking isn’t one of them.”
“I’ll stay clear of the boiling water,” Tom promised and rolled his eyes, knowing Alex was referring to the time Tom almost - almost - dropped a pot full of boiling water onto their feet. “But I wanna help.”
“Fine, wash and slice those,” Alex conceded with a brief laughter, then pointed at the vegetables on the table. Tom nodded and got to work, gaining a warm look from his boyfriend.
~~
Nate walked into his apartment and slammed the door closed with his foot, not even caring about the noise that could bother his neighbors. It was seven pm, anyway, so they surely weren’t sleeping. He’d finished his shift not long before and he’d headed home right away, too angry to try and talk to Ryan. The boy had been acting the entire time like nothing had happened between them, which had driven Nate nuts by the end of the day.
He sat down on the couch and immediately felt stupid when he looked around. His living room was in semi-perfect order, all the books either back to their place on the bookshelf or neatly piled next to it. Even after cleaning his house - which he did every Saturday morning, being the slightly obsessive person he was - he always liked to have them spread around, to have a little mess, just to remind him he wasn’t under the hospital’s strict rules anymore. Still, it had seemed like a good idea to tidy up a little bit, just in case.
His train of thoughts was abruptly stopped by a soft knock on the door. He stood with a sigh and went to answer, ready to tell whichever neighbor it was to just fuck off.
“Hi,” Ryan greeted him with a wide smile when he opened. “Yes, I followed you home.”
“Good to know,” Nate said and moved to let him in.
“I thought I owed you an answer,” Ryan pointed out, confused by the cold welcome he received.
“I thought you already delivered one,” Nate replied, unimpressed. “You know, when you avoided talking about it all day?”
“No, no, no,” Ryan objected, shaking his head. “Let’s make one thing clear,” he added, walking closer to him. “It’s fine to have lunch together, there’s no need to hide anything if you want to come out to the others at work, but we keep the serious talking out of the hospital.”
“It makes sense,” Nate admitted after a few seconds of silence and felt his cheeks warm up a little in shame, why hadn’t he thought about it?
“I’ve wanted to date coworkers before, but you’re the first I actually take the risk for,” Ryan informed him with a little smile. “I like you and I like this job, I just want both things to work.”
“I feel stupid right now,” Nate confessed with a disappointed look.
“I feel stupid too,” Ryan retorted with a shrug and took a step closer. “See, I’m not sure what to do. Should I take you out on a date, or take you to bed, first?”
Nate laughed at those words and his mood lit up. “I’d go for a date,” he suggested with a grin and gripped Ryan’s shirt with a hand, pulling him closer.
“Absolutely,” Ryan immediately agreed, then ducked his head and kissed him.
Nate smiled against the other’s mouth and pushed him against the wall, while his hands worked on getting the buttons of his shirt undone. Ryan got the message and helped him out, then they both struggled to remove Nate’s t-shirt, which caused them to interrupt the kiss.
“Should we take this to the bedroom or are you an against-the-wall kind of guy?” Ryan asked with a grin as they got rid of their shoes and socks too.
“More like the second one,” Nate muttered on his lips with a mischievous smile. “But you’ll have to earn it, Luciani.”
Ryan kissed him and walked them towards the hallway, then let Nate take the lead, not really knowing where to go. Once they reached their destination, Nate pushed him down on the bed and straddled him.
“Beware of the quiet ones, uh?” Ryan joked and brought his hand to Nate’s groin, stroking him through the jeans.
“You have no idea,” Nate confirmed and lowered to kiss his neck, while the boy opened his pants, then put his hands on Nate’s hips and switched their positions with a quick movement. “Cheater.”
“Sue me,” Ryan retorted, amused, as he took Nate’s jeans off and threw them somewhere on the ground, then did the same with his own. “Is this your standard date?”
“Shut up,” Nate replied and laughed a little.
“No, really, I had no idea you had it in you,” Ryan said and lowered to speak right on his lips. “You’re a wild little thing. I like it.”
“Then do something about it instead of talking, will you?” Nate arched up, trying to get more contact and before he could voice his protests again, Ryan kissed him into silence.
When he pulled back, he moved his lips to boy’s neck, then kissed his way down his chest, which caused Nate to breathe a little harder. He barely paid attention to the fact that his boxers were gone and he focused on the feeling of Ryan’s lips around him.
“Fuck, Ryan, your mouth,” Nate muttered, closing his eyes, but he opened them immediately when the boy stopped his task.
“Yeah, that’s what I’m using,” Ryan replied with a grin and Nate glared at him. “Wanted to say something about my great skills?”
Nate let his head fall back on the bed and groaned, which prompted the other boy to laugh. To that, Nate replied by gripping his waist and rolling them around until their positions were switched once again.
“Let’s see if I can make you shut up,” Nate proposed with a smirk and quickly got rid of Ryan’s underwear. The boy was about to say something, but he stopped as soon as he felt Nate’s mouth close on him.
“Fuck,” Ryan just whispered and his hand went to grip the boy’s shoulder. His hips bucked against his will when Nate hummed his approval, then worked his throat open as much as he could.
When Nate brought his fingers to the base and started to stroke him as well, he moaned and arched up, unable to control his reaction. It didn’t take long for him to get close, but when he tried to warn Nate, the boy just kept going with a faster pace, looking up at him with a smug look.
“Nate, just--” Ryan tried to warn him again, then gave in and closed his eyes as he came with a low groan. “Fuck.”
Nate stroked him a couple of times more, then rose to his knees with a small grin, watching as the boy regained his breath. “Nice to know there actually is a way to shut you up.”
“Feel free to use it every time you want,” Ryan replied and mirrored his smirk, then brought his hands to the boy’s hips and reversed their positions, taking the lead again.
Nate didn’t protest, but once he was lying down, he brought a hand to the back of the boy’s neck and pulled him down. “Nightstand, top drawer,” he whispered on his lips. “I hope you have a low refractory period.”
“Don’t worry, I know how to keep you busy in the meantime,” Ryan reassured him and closed his hand on Nate’s cock, then blocked any possible reply by kissing him.
~~
Gabe walked into the kitchen just as his mother was putting the vegetarian lasagna in the oven. He reached her and held the small door open so she could use both hands, then closed it and waited as she checked the temperature once again.
“It’s been too long since the last time I’ve eaten those,” Gabe pointed out with a dreamy tone, then kissed his mother on the cheek.
“What was that for?” Jean asked, pleasantly surprised by the gesture.
“For being the best mom in the world,” Gabe told her with a wide smile, then reached the fridge and opened it.
“I guess I haven’t scared him off yet, uh?” Jean reached him and grabbed his wrist, then pulled him away. “Uh-uh, don’t spoil your appetite.”
“I’m hungry,” Gabe protested, but complied and rested his hip against the table, sulking.
“Dinner’s in an hour,” she retorted, unimpressed, and reached him. “Go entertain your boy.”
“Adrian is taking care of that,” Gabe informed with a little smile. “They’re getting along pretty well, they’ve been talking about music the entire time.”
“I hear the guitar,” Jean agreed with a nod, then took her son’s hand in hers. “Make sure he understands he’s welcome here. Even your father adores him, and you remember how he reacted to Alex.”
“Yeah, I remember,” Gabe confirmed and laughed as he recalled the terrifying speech his father had given Alex when they had started dating. “Don’t worry, it takes him a little while to warm up to people, but he knows he’s welcome.”
“Good,” Jean declared with a wide smile, then reached the sink to wash the dished piled there. “You should call Rick and tell him to bring some pie from the diner.”
“I already did,” Gabe informed and noticed the guitar had stopped playing. “I asked him to bring ice cream too.”
“Are you pregnant?” Jean frowned and turned look at him.
“No, I don’t have cravings, mom,” Gabe replied and rolled his eyes.
“I do,” William said from the doorstep, then realized how it must have sounded and quickly added, “I mean, not like I’m pregnant, obviously, since that would be impossible. Not that we don’t-- I mean--” he stopped and trying to calm down. “Point is, I just like sweet things,” he said and saw his boyfriend grin even wider. “I mean desserts, of course,” he corrected himself again, panicking.
“Babe, I think she knows you’re not pregnant,” Gabe pointed out with a highly amused grin. “And I think she knows adults who like each other have sex, from time to time.”
“Don’t talk about sex in front of your mother,” William replied, shocked, then looked at Jean.
Jean laughed at those words, then reached him. “Calm down, I’m not gonna freak out because you and my son have sex, it’s kinda part of the whole boyfriend thing,” she reassured him and patted his cheek affectionately. “I’ll go find some good wine, you relax, okay?”
William nodded and watched her go, then turned to look at Gabe, desperate. “I just made a fool of myself, what if it happens at dinner?”
“Hey, what’s going on?” Gabe pulled him closer and circled his waist with an arm. “They love you, even my father loves you. And he’s the one who threatened Alex in horrible ways, just because he thought Alex wasn’t good enough and he wanted to see if he stuck around.”
“Seriously?” William’s eyes widened at that, then he laughed, resting his forehead against Gabe’s collarbone. “I still think I’m gonna say something inappropriate and completely embarrassing.”
“It’s not the martial court, it’s dinner,” Gabe told him with a warm smile, then ducked his head to speak in his ear. “Just be yourself.”
William took a deep breath and withdrew enough to look at him, slightly calmer. “Kick me if I say something stupid.”
“Fine,” Gabe agreed, laughing, then took his hand. “Let’s go, before my brother steals you again.”
They spent the remaining time with Eduardo and Adrian in the living room, watching a re-run of Law and Order and talking about nothings, Rick and Janice joined them about twenty minutes later. They seemed to be happy to finally meet William and the boy relaxed even more, much to his boyfriend’s silent relief. When Jean finally announced that dinner would be ready in ten minutes, William insisted to help set the table and Gabe gave in and smiled when he saw Adrian get up and join him.
Once they were all seated, Gabe helped his mother serve the lasagnas, while Rick opened the wine. Dinner went by without any major incident and Gabe could see his boyfriend get more and more relaxed as time passed. When they got to dessert, he looked at William with a wide grin and received a kick under the table in reply, but he could see the light brush on the boy’s cheeks. It was rare and somehow absurd, but it probably meant that William’s defenses were still going down and that, in Gabe’s book, was a good thing.
“This was amazing,” William said after he finished his pie and looked at Janice. “Did you bake it?”
“Actually, Rick is the baking wizard,” Janice admitted with a smile, gesturing towards her husband.
“You didn’t mention this,” William pointed out, looking at Gabe with a sly smirk. “Afraid I could change Saporta brother?”
“Are you in love with the whole Saporta family?” Janice joked, laughing a little.
“As a matter of fact, I think I am,” William admitted candidly and smiled at his boyfriend.
~~
A week later
“Just so you know, from now on, I’ll always picture you without clothes at work,” Ryan announced as he sat down in front of Nate in the cafeteria.
“That’s charming,” Nate replied with a raised eyebrow, but his tone was amused. “Any other romantic line for me?”
“Nope,” Ryan said, resting his elbows on the table. “But I do have reservations for dinner tonight, if you’re up for it.”
“I am,” Nate confirmed with a surprised smile. “Where are we going?”
“Surprise,” Ryan told him, cheerful. “I have to go back to work, I’ll pick you up at seven, okay?”
“Perfect,” Nate replied and watched as he stood and took a step closer.
“See you later,” Ryan said and bent down to steal a brief kiss, unconcerned about all the people around them, then headed for the door. They had decided to not keep their relationship secret at work, and it was still a little bit weird for Nate, but he had to admit it felt good.
Not a minute later someone else reached his table and when he looked up he was surprised to see Alex standing there.
“Can I?” Alex gestured the empty chair and waited for Nate’s nod, then sat down. “You two are oddly cute, together.”
“Thank you, I guess,” Nate replied with a brief chuckle, a little confused.
“I mean, Ryan doesn’t really strike me as the cute and cuddly type,” Alex explained with a brief shrug.
“He has many sides, that’s just one of them,” Nate said with an understanding nod. “Are you here to talk about Ryan?”
“Actually, yes,” Alex confirmed with a smile. “I mean, the two of you, not just him.”
“If you’re here to preach, please don’t,” Nate told him, rolling his eyes. “You’re the last person I want a lecture from.”
“I’m here to tell you that I’m happy for you,” Alex objected with a slightly amused tone. “And I don’t know Ryan all that much, but from what I’ve seen, he’s a great guy.”
“Oh,” Nate just muttered, not expecting something like that, but he felt his heart get just a little bit lighter. “We haven’t talked much lately, have we?”
“Nope, but I guess it takes time,” Alex admitted, looking at him in the eye. “We should get a beer and catch up, what d’you say? Tonight?”
“It’s a good idea,” Nate agreed with a little smile. “But not tonight, Ryan and I have plans. Tomorrow would be cool, though.”
“Tomorrow it is,” Alex confirmed, then looked around for a moment. “Can I ask you something?”
“Shoot,” Nate replied, then took a sip from his water.
“D’you have any idea what to buy for William’s birthday?” Alex asked with a grimace, which caused Nate to laugh briefly. “He took the job, so now not only he’s my best friend’s boyfriend, but a coworker too.”
“He accepted?” Nate seemed surprised to hear that.
“Yeah, after he and Gabe came back from New Jersey he called me and asked if he could get an interview,” Alex explained with a nod. “He’s starting on Monday.”
“Well, you could buy him a nice frame, then pick the best picture you’ve taken of him and Gabe and put it inside before you wrap it,” Nate suggested with a s brief shrug. “Seems like the kind of guy who’d appreciate that.”
“I missed your genius mind,” Alex said, only half-joking.
“This genius mind has to get back to work,” Nate pointed out, but he was smiling as he talked. “I’m happy you stopped by, though.”
“Me too,” Alex replied, mirroring his expression. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” he added as they both stood.
Nate nodded and watched him go, then headed back to his department. It took him a few minutes to realize he was still smiling, but when he did, he stopped for a moment, surprised.
~~
Five days later - 11th February
Gabe and William stumbled inside the apartment, laughing into each other’s mouths as they kissed. Gabe somehow managed to turn on the lights and lock the door, all without interrupting the contact. When they reached the living room, not without some effort, they broke apart, still snickering as they both flopped down on the couch.
“I think you had a little too much,” Gabe pointed out, pushing him down on his back. “You’re funny when you’re drunk.”
“I’m not drunk,” William retorted, punching him on the arm, but gave in and lay down, smiling. “You’re the one who drank half a bottle of vodka with Alex.”
“I handle alcohol pretty well, you know,” Gabe objected, then brought his lips to William’s neck. “But I do feel a little tipsy, yep.”
“Good thing we had the limo waiting, then,” William snickered, closing his eyes. “Which wasn’t really necessary, you know? A cab would have been enough.”
“It’s your birthday, you should be treated like a queen,” Gabe declared, then withdrew enough to look at him in the eye, smirking.
“Queen my ass, idiot,” William protested and slapped him on the back of the head. “I admit riding in one of those was kinda cool, though.”
“You can have anything you want, just say the word,” Gabe replied, speaking right onto his lips.
“I already have everything I could ever want,” William whispered back, smiling, then kissed him and his hands gripped Gabe’s hips, bringing their bodies even closer.
When they interrupted the kiss, William kept his eyes closed and for a moment Gabe just watched him, then ducked his head and spoke right into his ear. “Then I can keep your present, right?”
“Hey,” William protested, pinching his side. “That’s cheating.”
Gabe laughed and slowly stood from the couch, which earned him a disappointed look from William, who sat up as well. “It’s inside the bag with the other presents, I slipped it in when we were in the limo.”
William took the bag he’d put on the ground next to the couch and looked inside. There was a still-unwrapped package right below Alex’s frame. He took the frame and put it on the coffee table, smiling once again when he saw the picture; it showed him and Gabe kissing, and even though it was a little blurry, it was still one of his favorite of them.
He brought his attention back to the bag and took the package. It was candy-shaped, which prompted him to look up at his boyfriend. “Cute,” he pointed out, shaking his head, while Gabe sat down next to him.
“That’s the present, it’s only paper inside,” Gabe joked, then laughed when the boy elbowed him, then started unwrapping.
When he saw what was inside he froze, shocked and looked at Gabe. “You bought me a car?”
“Yup,” Gabe replied, a little anxious, “It’s downstairs, obviously. I asked Sisky for advice and he helped me pick the right model,” he explained, scratching the back of his neck. “It’s a 2009 Honda Civic and it’s hybrid, so it should be environment-friendly too.”
“Gabe, you shouldn’t have,” William said and looked at him in the eye, still surprised.
“You got a new job, this way you won’t be forced to take the subway all the time,” Gabe pointed out with a brief shrug, but he was still worried.
“I’m kinda used to it,” William replied, arching an eyebrow.
“Well, duh,” Gabe retorted, rolling his eyes, and felt slightly better when he saw the boy grin at that. “But I’ve heard you say a thousand times that you only like the subway when you’re playing.”
“I don’t know what to say,” William admitted, turning the car keys in his hand, but his smile was even wider.
“Just promise me you’ll drive safe and that you’ll take me for a ride,” Gabe proposed, mirroring his expression. “Tomorrow, though, after we sleep off the alcohol.”
“Good plan,” William agreed, then leaned closer and kissed him. Slowly, he pushed him down on his back and straddled his hips in the narrow space of the couch. When his knee slipped and he fell right on Gabe, he started snickering again and broke the kiss. “Sorry,” he muttered against his neck, laughing.
“Should we move this to the floor?” Gabe asked, highly amused.
“Mmh, what about the bed?” William proposed, then bit down on his lobe, playful. “I have a better idea than sleeping the alcohol off.”
“And what would that be?” Gabe closed his eyes, feeling his body respond to that; his boyfriend knew exactly all his weak spots, which he thought wasn’t really fair.
“Body shots?” William spoke in his ear, trying to sound innocent, but it came out completely different. “We’re not nearly as drunk as we should be.”
“You’re bad,” Gabe muttered, but brought his hands on William’s hips, pulling them downwards. “I like it.”
~~
A/N:Gabilliam is back with more screen time, happy? Good. And now prepare for drama. *evil* Other than that, Butcher had to defend his precious little Sisky, and Ryan and Nate found each other in the bedroom too. :D
I don’t have much to add, my team just won a very hard match and I’m too hyper to think coherently. *joy and pride*
I’ll see you next week, let me know if you want the soundtrack.
JM