Bound To Happen
SML universe
Tony and Gabe, Carlos
PG-13 for language
It was only a matter of time and he had hoped he could avoid it for longer, but it was bound to happen.
Tony Almeida pushed his way into the music store making sure to hold the door for his overexcited six year old. Gabe came barreling through the door and never bothered to wait for his old man, just headed straight for the guitar section. Tony chuckled to himself and followed at a slower pace, glancing around the room.
"Tony! What's up man? How's it going?"
Jake had owned the place for years. He'd sold Tony his first guitar he'd ever bought after making it big. The entire band had been coming here ever since.
"I can't complain Jake. Business doing ok?" The two men shook hands and started to chat near the middle counter. Tony's eyes cutting over to his son every now and then.
"It's not as good as it used to be but who's business really is nowadays." He shook his head and then followed Tony's eyes over to a small curly haired boy. Jake turned back to his friend. "Is that Gabe? Man he's grown like a weed!"
Tony clapped his friend on the back and they both moved towards the little boy who was frantically plucking at every guitar he could get his hands on. Before they reached him, however, someone spoke from behind them, halting Tony where he stood.
"Well look who it is. The big fucking rock star."
Both men turned to see Carlos Almeida, arms crossed and looking both smug and angry. Jake looked upset for a second and Tony spoke before the owner got himself into something that had nothing to do with him. "Jake, why don'tcha go and help Gabe."
The other man nodded, throwing Carlos an annoyed look before turning and making his way to the back of the store.
"What exactly do you want Carlos?"
"Me? Not a damn thing. At least not from you." Carlos smirked at his older brother. "You still with my ex? What was her name again?" He gave a fake look of concentration like he was trying to pull some fact from the air.
Tony didn't take his bait though. "You know what her name is. And yes, I'm still with her. She happens to be my wife." He couldn't help feeling a small surge of happiness at the flinch he saw in Carlos's eyes. "I notice you're in here alone."
"Alone yes, but not lonely if you catch my drift. You're not looking for my sloppy seconds again are you? Cause I'm not playing that game with you this time."
Tony had had enough and was moving towards his brother when he felt someone tugging on his pant's leg. Looking down he saw Gabe curiously checking out the other man that looked so much like his father.
"Who's that dad?"
Tony turned his eyes back to Carlos and saw his eyes soften for just a moment; a sad look crossing his face as he looked down at the nephew he'd never seen before. Looking back down at his son, Tony regained control of his temper and pulled the little boy up into his arms, finally facing Carlos again. He spoke to Gabe but never took his eyes away from Carlos. "He's nobody Gabe. Just some stranger."
Carlos couldn't look at them anymore and turned his head away, his eyes squinting angrily.
Turning his back on his brother, Tony smiled at his son and walked back toward Jake. "Now, let's go get you a guitar."
Tony and Gabe, Carlos
PG-13 for language
It was only a matter of time and he had hoped he could avoid it for longer, but it was bound to happen.
Tony Almeida pushed his way into the music store making sure to hold the door for his overexcited six year old. Gabe came barreling through the door and never bothered to wait for his old man, just headed straight for the guitar section. Tony chuckled to himself and followed at a slower pace, glancing around the room.
"Tony! What's up man? How's it going?"
Jake had owned the place for years. He'd sold Tony his first guitar he'd ever bought after making it big. The entire band had been coming here ever since.
"I can't complain Jake. Business doing ok?" The two men shook hands and started to chat near the middle counter. Tony's eyes cutting over to his son every now and then.
"It's not as good as it used to be but who's business really is nowadays." He shook his head and then followed Tony's eyes over to a small curly haired boy. Jake turned back to his friend. "Is that Gabe? Man he's grown like a weed!"
Tony clapped his friend on the back and they both moved towards the little boy who was frantically plucking at every guitar he could get his hands on. Before they reached him, however, someone spoke from behind them, halting Tony where he stood.
"Well look who it is. The big fucking rock star."
Both men turned to see Carlos Almeida, arms crossed and looking both smug and angry. Jake looked upset for a second and Tony spoke before the owner got himself into something that had nothing to do with him. "Jake, why don'tcha go and help Gabe."
The other man nodded, throwing Carlos an annoyed look before turning and making his way to the back of the store.
"What exactly do you want Carlos?"
"Me? Not a damn thing. At least not from you." Carlos smirked at his older brother. "You still with my ex? What was her name again?" He gave a fake look of concentration like he was trying to pull some fact from the air.
Tony didn't take his bait though. "You know what her name is. And yes, I'm still with her. She happens to be my wife." He couldn't help feeling a small surge of happiness at the flinch he saw in Carlos's eyes. "I notice you're in here alone."
"Alone yes, but not lonely if you catch my drift. You're not looking for my sloppy seconds again are you? Cause I'm not playing that game with you this time."
Tony had had enough and was moving towards his brother when he felt someone tugging on his pant's leg. Looking down he saw Gabe curiously checking out the other man that looked so much like his father.
"Who's that dad?"
Tony turned his eyes back to Carlos and saw his eyes soften for just a moment; a sad look crossing his face as he looked down at the nephew he'd never seen before. Looking back down at his son, Tony regained control of his temper and pulled the little boy up into his arms, finally facing Carlos again. He spoke to Gabe but never took his eyes away from Carlos. "He's nobody Gabe. Just some stranger."
Carlos couldn't look at them anymore and turned his head away, his eyes squinting angrily.
Turning his back on his brother, Tony smiled at his son and walked back toward Jake. "Now, let's go get you a guitar."