Material Girl - Standalone
Title: Material Girl
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Gabe/William, Tom/William
Summary: Gabe is a lazy worker and a downtown man, William the son of a wealthy businessman and an uptown boy. The differences in social status doesn't mean they don't have a few things in common.
Disclaimer: This is fictional.
Author Note: Title from Madonna
"I'd totally bang him."
The sound of two metal pieces sliding against each other mixed in with the symphony of birds chirping and a distant lawn mower. Everything was more musical during summer. It was a constant sensory overload for all of Gabe's senses; the tang of chlorine complemented the smell of freshly cut grass and flowers nicely. He'd always loved summer. It had a good sort of stench, even with the sweat and sweltering heat.
"What are you talking about?" Alex asked, tearing his eyes off the hedge he'd been trimming, wielding clippers big enough that Gabe had the right to be seriously concerned about pissing his friend off. Alex looked annoyed, it wasn't a good sign. Then again neither was the fact that Gabe was leaning up against the hedge he was supposed to be working on, his own clippers abandoned near his feet. That was bad, but Alex had stopped trying to prod Gabe into working. Alex Suarez was a good best friend. He had been the one to get Gabe the job in the first place when Gabe had been desperate. Gabe had bills to pay, after all, and they weren't getting paid while Gabe was sitting around being unemployed. He'd tried the whole bum thing for a while, but eventually all his friends got peeved at him stealing their food and mooching off their cash. Vicky T agreed with his family in saying that he needed a better work ethic. That was why Vicky T was not his best friend.
"The painfully pretty boy over there," Gabe answered easily, his eyes locked on a figure nearby the pool across the lawn. Alex turned his head in time to see the now dubbed 'pretty boy' walk to the end of a low diving board before jumping into the water with a graceful arc that must've cost a nice sum of money to learn from professionals.
Alex laughed louder than he had in a while.
"What," Gabe said, feeling affronted. He knew he had good taste, even if people often questioned it. Their opinions didn't matter anyway. "You don't think he's pretty?"
"He's pretty, alright," Alex nodded, the laughter fading but the sparkle of a devious grin still in his eyes, "Pretty fucking rich. That's William Beckett. As in son of Mr. Beckett, as in the Beckett Estate where you are currently employed."
"What's that matter?" Gabe asked, the picture of innocence. Usually when Gabe tried the whole innocence route it was a bunch of bullshit, but he actually meant it this time. He didn't see the problem with it.
"He's out of your league."
"There's no one out of my league," Gabe retorted, thinking he might have been wrong about Alex Suarez being a good best friend. A best friend was supposed to act as your eternal wingman, ensuring that you would get laid with relative ease. What they're not supposed to do is imply that there's the slight chance that someone might be too good for you. Sometimes even the biggest ego needs a little padding. Really, no one wants to hear that on a scale of one to ten they're just not high enough to matter. Even if Alex was a failure of a friend, Gabe wasn't about to let it get him down.
"You're tee ball, he's major league," Alex pointed out sagely, returning his attention back to the hedge. Someone had to do the work.
Gabe gasped, putting a hand up to his chest and gaping at Alex, "You hurt me. You really do. I could get any guy or girl I wanted." Alex didn't seem to be taking the slight seriously. Gabe would have to punch him later, when they were off the clock. He wouldn't want to do anything unprofessional while at work, that would be just plain wrong.
Sighing, Gabe turned his sight back in the direction of the pool. He watched as William Beckett pushed himself out of the pool. The boy was skinny and awful feminine looking, Gabe could tell despite how far away he was standing. William slicked a hand back through his nearly shoulder length hair which was dripping wet from his dip in the pool. He was precisely Gabe's type --despite Gabe's attempts not to limit himself when it came to dates and fucks, he often found himself trailing after some girly boy with nice hips. William had nice hips from what Gabe could see. Gabe would've bet the farm that William had some other nice pieces of anatomy as well.
"Stop staring and help me out here," Alex interrupted as Gabe began to space off. Alex tried hard not to lose his temper, and it worked most of the time. He was far more patient with Gabe's antics than most would've been. That's why he was typically paired off with Gabe. He didn't mind so long as they got things done in the end, but he hadn't seen the distraction of the shirtless William Beckett coming. If he had then he would've done more to prevent it. Stick blinders on Gabe, perhaps, like they used to do with horses.
"It's not creepy," Gabe defended, but it was a losing argument because yeah, it was kind of creepy and even Gabe knew that. He watched as William dried himself off with a towel before wrapping it around his small waist and lying down on a lounge chair by the poolside. It was a nice view. "Besides, rich pretty guys like that all want a guy like me. Someone from the wrong side of the tracks. Makes things more exciting."
"Of course," Alex replied, the disbelief evident in his voice, "They're all dying to give up their expensive gifts and yacht club memberships in order to slum it down at your apartment."
"Practically begging for it," Gabe continued, choosing to pretend he didn't hear the heavy sarcasm in Alex's response, "I'd love to get him on his knees. Get him dirty. Rich boys are always so clean."
"Past creepy and onto perverted," his dear friend warned, but he didn't sound surprised.
"What, you think it's not true? I bet you that William Beckett wants to be fucked. Hard. He's probably been treated all delicate and shit his whole life. He needs someone who isn't afraid to rough him up a little. He needs me."
"Uh huh Gabe," Alex shook his head, "I don't think William Beckett would even give you the time of day. Now get back to work before someone catches you and you get yourself fired. You living off Ramen noodles was pathetic. I don't want to go back down that path as your friend."
"I bet he would," Gabe insisted, straightening up, "And I'll prove it." A sense of inflated pride filled him, and before Alex had the chance to intervene Gabe had walked over to the side of the pool.
It was one of the largest pools Gabe had laid eyes on, but that didn't say much. He'd had a kiddie pool in his backyard for a while when he was younger, and that was the extent of his experience. It had been a nice pool though, it had cartoon animals printed on the side, and it didn't require a lot of clean up. Just tilt it on its side to let the water splash over the edge and onto the lawn and then you were good to go. The Becketts on the other hand had to hire a pool boy to maintain theirs. That would've been the ideal job for Gabe, getting to lounge by the pool all day, wearing a speedo or something equally as revealing to show off his abs. Plus --if trashy romance novels and porn was anything to go off of-- pool boys got a lot of tail.
"You seem lonely, out here alone," Gabe said, breaking the nice as he sauntered near the object of his most recent desires.
William was lying on his stomach, tanning undoubtedly though by the looks of his back it wasn't doing him any good, he still remained pale. He didn't appear startled by the interruption, his head tilting towards William, gaze dragging up and down Gabe's body before he bothered to sit up and look Gabe in the eyes properly. "I do?"
Up close Gabe was able to get a better look, and the boy was even prettier than he had originally thought. Strands of his long hair were slowly drying under the sun's rays, and the lack of the water's weight caused them to curl untamed around the frame of his face. His eyes were a warm brown color, and his corners of his pink lips were tilted up in a small smile.
"You do," Gabe confirmed, "and that's nothing less than a shame. So I came to keep you company."
"Oh really," William said, his tone keen, looking at Gabe much like one might a usual prospect, "I suppose you're right. I was lonely."
"Then I'm at your service," Gabe answered, feeling damn good about himself. He wished he had forced Alex into an actual bet, he could've used the money from winning it. No one was out of his league, and William definitely had the hots for him. He could see it in the other's eyes.
Whatever witty turn of phrase William was about to come up with was lost forever as someone stepped into their conversation. One quick look over told Gabe more than he needed to know; some well-to-do prick for sure, the watch clasped around the young man's wrist probably cost more than Gabe could afford with three months worth of paychecks. Most of those types were the exact same, all of them graduated as a legacy from some ivy league institution where all they learned was how to discriminate based on class.
"Is this man bothering you, William?" The stranger asked, extending a hand for William to take, clearly familiar with Gabe's newest crush.
"No, Tom" William took the prick's --Tom's-- hand, and allowed Tom to help him stand, "He was being the perfect gentleman." As if William needed help standing. Gabe understood the meaning of chivalry and manners, but the boy wasn't disabled. Tom slid an arm around William's waist and pulled him close, pressing his lips to William's harshly. The kiss, fierce and possessive, lasted a moment before William managed to pull away. William's face was flushed, his breath stolen, he almost seemed embarrassed; it was obvious by the smug look on Tom's face that the public display of affection had been mostly for Gabe's sake. It was a clear message of back off, like William was some sort of property. Gabe hadn't seen someone else's name tattooed on the boy's body, least not from what he had seen, and with his ogling he had seen a lot.
"Come on babe, let's get you out of here," Tom murmured against William's skin, not quiet enough that Gabe couldn't hear but Gabe wasn't naive enough to think that wasn't on purpose. The nuzzling, the pet name, the way his eyes flashed up at Gabe momentarily at the end of the remark; Tom was marking his territory.
William shot Gabe an apologetic look before allowing Tom to pull him away, leaving Gabe standing there alone like a lovelorn fool. Across the distance, Gabe could hear Alex laughing.
------------------------------
“His name is Tom Conrad.”
“What?” Gabe asked, unattractively dumbfounded as he looked over to his side to see that Alex had walked up next to him when his attention had been elsewhere. He’d have to do his own spy work later on to dig up Alex’s past, make sure he isn’t some sort of ninja. Gabe doesn’t associate with ninjas, he falls very clearly on the pirate side of that debate.
“The guy you’re staring at, his name is Tom Conrad.”
“Oh.” Gabe wasn’t feeling up to arguing as to whether or not he’d been staring, he obviously was, and he knew that Suarez wasn’t going to dock his pay. No one expected much of Gabe at the party/gala/soiree/whatever they were calling it. Waiting on people wasn’t Gabe’s typical kind of job, he was used mostly for physical labor in the outdoors, and he was okay with that. Unfortunately, they were down a servant, and Gabe fit the tux. It was money, so Gabe wasn’t going to complain, and it was Gabe so no one else was expecting him to be on his best behavior. So long as he was able to stand there and hold a tray, he was good. Their expectations set the bar so low that Gabe could step over it; that’s exactly how Gabe liked it.
“He’s William Beckett’s long term boyfriend,” Alex kept going, fueled by the need to gossip. Gabe had figured that the guy was William’s something or other; he’d been watching them for a while, examining the way that Tom held his hand at the small of William’s back, trying to read his lips as they mingled in the crowd and engaged in an annoying amount of small talk. Gabe’s eyes narrowed as Tom laughed at something someone had said, the guy’s grip pulling William closer. The prick oozed that sort of fake charm that Gabe loathed.
“Of course he is.”
“They met in college or something. Supposedly it’s a real fairytale romance. Word is that Tom is taking William on a cruise in his yacht this summer. Everyone thinks he’s gonna propose.”
“He’s a tool,” Gabe replied simply.
“If I had what’s in his bank accounts, I’d be a tool too,” Suarez answered, giving Gabe a look, “And now get back to work.”
Gabe grumbled, picking up his tray and heading out to mingle in the crowd.
It took only fifteen minutes for the appetizers on his tray to be depleted. For as thin as all the ladies in attendance were, they had been all over the caviar. Gabe wasn’t sure how many calories were in fish eggs and whatever else they put in that stuff, but he was pretty sure that most of them would be bent over a toilet purging it by the end of the night.
Muttering to himself, Gabe stepped out into the hallway to head to the kitchen and restock when he noticed another slim figure perched higher up on the staircase. His brows furrowed, recognition quickly setting in, and Gabe set his tray down on a nearby table before moving up the stairs and towards the young man.
"You seem lonely," Gabe remarked, echoing himself from earlier times, and it's enough to have William lifting his head and meeting Gabe's eyes.
"I remember you," William said, his stare flickering with familiarity, "You were out by the pool."
"I'm glad I'm unforgettable," Gabe smirked, appearing much more cocky than he felt at the moment, because in truth he wasn't sure that William Beckett would recognize him. After all, his life was filled with parties and social graces, Gabe could probably never count the amount of people William had met, even ever so briefly. "But I must wonder why you're out here instead of mingling with everyone else."
"They bore me terribly," William admitted, and suddenly the two of them seemed similar, a cocky grin curling up William's thin pink lips.
"Then why did you invite them over?"
"My father's doing, not mine," William answered, grabbing the railing on the grand staircase and getting to his feet.
"What about Conrad," Gabe asked, approaching the subject a little more carefully now that he knew what he might be risking. He didn't want to lay all of his cards out right then, even if that was the type of person he was, he didn't know how William might react. No matter what Gabe might have said in the past, he did need the job, being fired definitely wasn't his goal. Besides, not all boys like a guy who comes on too strong, Gabe knew that, he knew how to play the game.
"Forget about him," William said with a dismissive wave of his hands, his expression conveying a mixture of annoyance and disgust at the subject at hand.
At that point Gabe knew he had to go all in, and so he did the first thing that came to mind. Foolish or not, he didn't want William to leave so soon, "Then come out with me. Let me show you a good time."
The look in William's eyes faltered for a moment before his resolute strengthened and he walked down the few steps towards the landing where Gabe still stood, "I could use a good time right about now."
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"This is your idea of fun?"
Gabe laughed at the surprised tone in William's voice as William looked around, soaking in the urban flavor that came with a shitty little hole in the wall bar like the one Gabe frequented. He should've expected that William might have a different definition of 'good time', but that didn't throw Gabe off. A few people nodded in his direction as he snaked an arm around William's waist and lead the younger boy towards the bar, reminding Gabe that he had the home court advantage. He rapped his knuckle against the wood to get the bartender's attention.
"I'll have a shot of whiskey, and he'll have a --"
"Beer," William ordered for himself, "Whatever's on tap."
"Beer?" Gabe asked, the surprise now evident in his own voice. William didn't seem the type, but then again Gabe was more than okay with being proven wrong.
"Did you expect something fruity?" William laughed, quirking a brow, grinning, "I can hold my liquor as well as you can."
"Now that I wouldn't bet on," Gabe challenged, picking up the shot glass and downing the whiskey in one gulp before putting the glass down with a loud clink. William's fingers curled around the tall glass of beer he'd had set before him, and his eyes met Gabe's just before he took a large gulp of it. Gabe only watched, mesmerized, as William licked his lips after, obviously already used to the taste. The older man knew that the beer on tap wasn't exactly the highest quality stuff, which forced him to wonder what William typically did in his free time for 'fun'.
Three rounds later and Gabe was engaging in his own type of fun, standing up on the small makeshift stage, gripping the microphone stand with two hands and leaning forward as he belted out the Billy Joel tune.
"Uptown girl, she's been living in her uptown world. I bet she's never had a backstreet guy. I bet her momma never told her why."
William watched from the audience with a bemused smirk while drunken stool pigeons hoot and hollered from the back, encouraging Gabe to keep going."I'm gonna try for that uptown girl. She's been living in her white bread world as long as anyone with hot blood can, and now she's looking for a downtown man. That's what I am." Gabe couldn't help but smirk back when William fanned himself as Gabe called him hot blooded, making the connection obvious for all as Gabe pointed to William the next time he crooned the name of the song, then jabbed his thumb back at himself at the final four words of the verse.
"Not so tough, eh?" William murmured, leaning in close to Gabe after the song ended. Gabe stood at the edge of the small stage, still with that silly look on his face. "Are you implying that you love me, sir?"
"I'm not saying I wouldn't want to," Gabe answered honestly, "But right now, I'm definitely in like."
William tutted, stepping up on the stage next to Gabe and placing a palm flat against the older man's chest, "You really aren't that tough. Maybe you're not my type."
"I know I am," Gabe said, so sure of himself, but William only smiled and moved past Gabe to whisper something into the ear of the man controlling the karaoke machine.
Gabe stared as William moved over to center stage, lifting the microphone off the stand as the beginning bars of a song Gabe had heard before but couldn't place started to play. "Some boys kiss me, some boys hug me. I think they're okay." William sang, and his voice was shockingly clear.
Gabe hadn't expected him to be so good, and his eyebrows went way up as William lifted two fingers to touch his lips before moving his hips. The boy moved move over to Gabe, leaning in as much as he could without blocking the mic from his mouth. The tips of his fingers ghosted across Gabe's side, and suddenly a song from Madonna seemed rather sultry.
"If they don't give me proper credit, I just walk away." William continued, abruptly pulling away from Gabe and strutting back to the front of the stage. The audience members catcalled as William beckoned Gabe over with a crook of his finger. Gabe felt helpless to do anything but obey.
"They can beg and they can plead," he sang, sinking down to his knees which earned even more applause. Gabe would've applauded too had William not stood back up a moment later, "But they can't see the light. That's right. 'Cause the boy with the cold hard cash is always Mister Right." Winking, William reached an arm around Gabe, taking his wallet out of his back pocket and holding it out.
Setting the microphone down back on the stand after the last few notes of the song, William opened Gabe's wallet and took out a few bills before walking off the stage. He stopped at the last moment and glanced over his shoulder, "Come with me and maybe I'll show you a few of my high class toys."
That was an offer Gabe couldn't refuse.
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Gabe/William, Tom/William
Summary: Gabe is a lazy worker and a downtown man, William the son of a wealthy businessman and an uptown boy. The differences in social status doesn't mean they don't have a few things in common.
Disclaimer: This is fictional.
Author Note: Title from Madonna
"I'd totally bang him."
The sound of two metal pieces sliding against each other mixed in with the symphony of birds chirping and a distant lawn mower. Everything was more musical during summer. It was a constant sensory overload for all of Gabe's senses; the tang of chlorine complemented the smell of freshly cut grass and flowers nicely. He'd always loved summer. It had a good sort of stench, even with the sweat and sweltering heat.
"What are you talking about?" Alex asked, tearing his eyes off the hedge he'd been trimming, wielding clippers big enough that Gabe had the right to be seriously concerned about pissing his friend off. Alex looked annoyed, it wasn't a good sign. Then again neither was the fact that Gabe was leaning up against the hedge he was supposed to be working on, his own clippers abandoned near his feet. That was bad, but Alex had stopped trying to prod Gabe into working. Alex Suarez was a good best friend. He had been the one to get Gabe the job in the first place when Gabe had been desperate. Gabe had bills to pay, after all, and they weren't getting paid while Gabe was sitting around being unemployed. He'd tried the whole bum thing for a while, but eventually all his friends got peeved at him stealing their food and mooching off their cash. Vicky T agreed with his family in saying that he needed a better work ethic. That was why Vicky T was not his best friend.
"The painfully pretty boy over there," Gabe answered easily, his eyes locked on a figure nearby the pool across the lawn. Alex turned his head in time to see the now dubbed 'pretty boy' walk to the end of a low diving board before jumping into the water with a graceful arc that must've cost a nice sum of money to learn from professionals.
Alex laughed louder than he had in a while.
"What," Gabe said, feeling affronted. He knew he had good taste, even if people often questioned it. Their opinions didn't matter anyway. "You don't think he's pretty?"
"He's pretty, alright," Alex nodded, the laughter fading but the sparkle of a devious grin still in his eyes, "Pretty fucking rich. That's William Beckett. As in son of Mr. Beckett, as in the Beckett Estate where you are currently employed."
"What's that matter?" Gabe asked, the picture of innocence. Usually when Gabe tried the whole innocence route it was a bunch of bullshit, but he actually meant it this time. He didn't see the problem with it.
"He's out of your league."
"There's no one out of my league," Gabe retorted, thinking he might have been wrong about Alex Suarez being a good best friend. A best friend was supposed to act as your eternal wingman, ensuring that you would get laid with relative ease. What they're not supposed to do is imply that there's the slight chance that someone might be too good for you. Sometimes even the biggest ego needs a little padding. Really, no one wants to hear that on a scale of one to ten they're just not high enough to matter. Even if Alex was a failure of a friend, Gabe wasn't about to let it get him down.
"You're tee ball, he's major league," Alex pointed out sagely, returning his attention back to the hedge. Someone had to do the work.
Gabe gasped, putting a hand up to his chest and gaping at Alex, "You hurt me. You really do. I could get any guy or girl I wanted." Alex didn't seem to be taking the slight seriously. Gabe would have to punch him later, when they were off the clock. He wouldn't want to do anything unprofessional while at work, that would be just plain wrong.
Sighing, Gabe turned his sight back in the direction of the pool. He watched as William Beckett pushed himself out of the pool. The boy was skinny and awful feminine looking, Gabe could tell despite how far away he was standing. William slicked a hand back through his nearly shoulder length hair which was dripping wet from his dip in the pool. He was precisely Gabe's type --despite Gabe's attempts not to limit himself when it came to dates and fucks, he often found himself trailing after some girly boy with nice hips. William had nice hips from what Gabe could see. Gabe would've bet the farm that William had some other nice pieces of anatomy as well.
"Stop staring and help me out here," Alex interrupted as Gabe began to space off. Alex tried hard not to lose his temper, and it worked most of the time. He was far more patient with Gabe's antics than most would've been. That's why he was typically paired off with Gabe. He didn't mind so long as they got things done in the end, but he hadn't seen the distraction of the shirtless William Beckett coming. If he had then he would've done more to prevent it. Stick blinders on Gabe, perhaps, like they used to do with horses.
"It's not creepy," Gabe defended, but it was a losing argument because yeah, it was kind of creepy and even Gabe knew that. He watched as William dried himself off with a towel before wrapping it around his small waist and lying down on a lounge chair by the poolside. It was a nice view. "Besides, rich pretty guys like that all want a guy like me. Someone from the wrong side of the tracks. Makes things more exciting."
"Of course," Alex replied, the disbelief evident in his voice, "They're all dying to give up their expensive gifts and yacht club memberships in order to slum it down at your apartment."
"Practically begging for it," Gabe continued, choosing to pretend he didn't hear the heavy sarcasm in Alex's response, "I'd love to get him on his knees. Get him dirty. Rich boys are always so clean."
"Past creepy and onto perverted," his dear friend warned, but he didn't sound surprised.
"What, you think it's not true? I bet you that William Beckett wants to be fucked. Hard. He's probably been treated all delicate and shit his whole life. He needs someone who isn't afraid to rough him up a little. He needs me."
"Uh huh Gabe," Alex shook his head, "I don't think William Beckett would even give you the time of day. Now get back to work before someone catches you and you get yourself fired. You living off Ramen noodles was pathetic. I don't want to go back down that path as your friend."
"I bet he would," Gabe insisted, straightening up, "And I'll prove it." A sense of inflated pride filled him, and before Alex had the chance to intervene Gabe had walked over to the side of the pool.
It was one of the largest pools Gabe had laid eyes on, but that didn't say much. He'd had a kiddie pool in his backyard for a while when he was younger, and that was the extent of his experience. It had been a nice pool though, it had cartoon animals printed on the side, and it didn't require a lot of clean up. Just tilt it on its side to let the water splash over the edge and onto the lawn and then you were good to go. The Becketts on the other hand had to hire a pool boy to maintain theirs. That would've been the ideal job for Gabe, getting to lounge by the pool all day, wearing a speedo or something equally as revealing to show off his abs. Plus --if trashy romance novels and porn was anything to go off of-- pool boys got a lot of tail.
"You seem lonely, out here alone," Gabe said, breaking the nice as he sauntered near the object of his most recent desires.
William was lying on his stomach, tanning undoubtedly though by the looks of his back it wasn't doing him any good, he still remained pale. He didn't appear startled by the interruption, his head tilting towards William, gaze dragging up and down Gabe's body before he bothered to sit up and look Gabe in the eyes properly. "I do?"
Up close Gabe was able to get a better look, and the boy was even prettier than he had originally thought. Strands of his long hair were slowly drying under the sun's rays, and the lack of the water's weight caused them to curl untamed around the frame of his face. His eyes were a warm brown color, and his corners of his pink lips were tilted up in a small smile.
"You do," Gabe confirmed, "and that's nothing less than a shame. So I came to keep you company."
"Oh really," William said, his tone keen, looking at Gabe much like one might a usual prospect, "I suppose you're right. I was lonely."
"Then I'm at your service," Gabe answered, feeling damn good about himself. He wished he had forced Alex into an actual bet, he could've used the money from winning it. No one was out of his league, and William definitely had the hots for him. He could see it in the other's eyes.
Whatever witty turn of phrase William was about to come up with was lost forever as someone stepped into their conversation. One quick look over told Gabe more than he needed to know; some well-to-do prick for sure, the watch clasped around the young man's wrist probably cost more than Gabe could afford with three months worth of paychecks. Most of those types were the exact same, all of them graduated as a legacy from some ivy league institution where all they learned was how to discriminate based on class.
"Is this man bothering you, William?" The stranger asked, extending a hand for William to take, clearly familiar with Gabe's newest crush.
"No, Tom" William took the prick's --Tom's-- hand, and allowed Tom to help him stand, "He was being the perfect gentleman." As if William needed help standing. Gabe understood the meaning of chivalry and manners, but the boy wasn't disabled. Tom slid an arm around William's waist and pulled him close, pressing his lips to William's harshly. The kiss, fierce and possessive, lasted a moment before William managed to pull away. William's face was flushed, his breath stolen, he almost seemed embarrassed; it was obvious by the smug look on Tom's face that the public display of affection had been mostly for Gabe's sake. It was a clear message of back off, like William was some sort of property. Gabe hadn't seen someone else's name tattooed on the boy's body, least not from what he had seen, and with his ogling he had seen a lot.
"Come on babe, let's get you out of here," Tom murmured against William's skin, not quiet enough that Gabe couldn't hear but Gabe wasn't naive enough to think that wasn't on purpose. The nuzzling, the pet name, the way his eyes flashed up at Gabe momentarily at the end of the remark; Tom was marking his territory.
William shot Gabe an apologetic look before allowing Tom to pull him away, leaving Gabe standing there alone like a lovelorn fool. Across the distance, Gabe could hear Alex laughing.
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“His name is Tom Conrad.”
“What?” Gabe asked, unattractively dumbfounded as he looked over to his side to see that Alex had walked up next to him when his attention had been elsewhere. He’d have to do his own spy work later on to dig up Alex’s past, make sure he isn’t some sort of ninja. Gabe doesn’t associate with ninjas, he falls very clearly on the pirate side of that debate.
“The guy you’re staring at, his name is Tom Conrad.”
“Oh.” Gabe wasn’t feeling up to arguing as to whether or not he’d been staring, he obviously was, and he knew that Suarez wasn’t going to dock his pay. No one expected much of Gabe at the party/gala/soiree/whatever they were calling it. Waiting on people wasn’t Gabe’s typical kind of job, he was used mostly for physical labor in the outdoors, and he was okay with that. Unfortunately, they were down a servant, and Gabe fit the tux. It was money, so Gabe wasn’t going to complain, and it was Gabe so no one else was expecting him to be on his best behavior. So long as he was able to stand there and hold a tray, he was good. Their expectations set the bar so low that Gabe could step over it; that’s exactly how Gabe liked it.
“He’s William Beckett’s long term boyfriend,” Alex kept going, fueled by the need to gossip. Gabe had figured that the guy was William’s something or other; he’d been watching them for a while, examining the way that Tom held his hand at the small of William’s back, trying to read his lips as they mingled in the crowd and engaged in an annoying amount of small talk. Gabe’s eyes narrowed as Tom laughed at something someone had said, the guy’s grip pulling William closer. The prick oozed that sort of fake charm that Gabe loathed.
“Of course he is.”
“They met in college or something. Supposedly it’s a real fairytale romance. Word is that Tom is taking William on a cruise in his yacht this summer. Everyone thinks he’s gonna propose.”
“He’s a tool,” Gabe replied simply.
“If I had what’s in his bank accounts, I’d be a tool too,” Suarez answered, giving Gabe a look, “And now get back to work.”
Gabe grumbled, picking up his tray and heading out to mingle in the crowd.
It took only fifteen minutes for the appetizers on his tray to be depleted. For as thin as all the ladies in attendance were, they had been all over the caviar. Gabe wasn’t sure how many calories were in fish eggs and whatever else they put in that stuff, but he was pretty sure that most of them would be bent over a toilet purging it by the end of the night.
Muttering to himself, Gabe stepped out into the hallway to head to the kitchen and restock when he noticed another slim figure perched higher up on the staircase. His brows furrowed, recognition quickly setting in, and Gabe set his tray down on a nearby table before moving up the stairs and towards the young man.
"You seem lonely," Gabe remarked, echoing himself from earlier times, and it's enough to have William lifting his head and meeting Gabe's eyes.
"I remember you," William said, his stare flickering with familiarity, "You were out by the pool."
"I'm glad I'm unforgettable," Gabe smirked, appearing much more cocky than he felt at the moment, because in truth he wasn't sure that William Beckett would recognize him. After all, his life was filled with parties and social graces, Gabe could probably never count the amount of people William had met, even ever so briefly. "But I must wonder why you're out here instead of mingling with everyone else."
"They bore me terribly," William admitted, and suddenly the two of them seemed similar, a cocky grin curling up William's thin pink lips.
"Then why did you invite them over?"
"My father's doing, not mine," William answered, grabbing the railing on the grand staircase and getting to his feet.
"What about Conrad," Gabe asked, approaching the subject a little more carefully now that he knew what he might be risking. He didn't want to lay all of his cards out right then, even if that was the type of person he was, he didn't know how William might react. No matter what Gabe might have said in the past, he did need the job, being fired definitely wasn't his goal. Besides, not all boys like a guy who comes on too strong, Gabe knew that, he knew how to play the game.
"Forget about him," William said with a dismissive wave of his hands, his expression conveying a mixture of annoyance and disgust at the subject at hand.
At that point Gabe knew he had to go all in, and so he did the first thing that came to mind. Foolish or not, he didn't want William to leave so soon, "Then come out with me. Let me show you a good time."
The look in William's eyes faltered for a moment before his resolute strengthened and he walked down the few steps towards the landing where Gabe still stood, "I could use a good time right about now."
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"This is your idea of fun?"
Gabe laughed at the surprised tone in William's voice as William looked around, soaking in the urban flavor that came with a shitty little hole in the wall bar like the one Gabe frequented. He should've expected that William might have a different definition of 'good time', but that didn't throw Gabe off. A few people nodded in his direction as he snaked an arm around William's waist and lead the younger boy towards the bar, reminding Gabe that he had the home court advantage. He rapped his knuckle against the wood to get the bartender's attention.
"I'll have a shot of whiskey, and he'll have a --"
"Beer," William ordered for himself, "Whatever's on tap."
"Beer?" Gabe asked, the surprise now evident in his own voice. William didn't seem the type, but then again Gabe was more than okay with being proven wrong.
"Did you expect something fruity?" William laughed, quirking a brow, grinning, "I can hold my liquor as well as you can."
"Now that I wouldn't bet on," Gabe challenged, picking up the shot glass and downing the whiskey in one gulp before putting the glass down with a loud clink. William's fingers curled around the tall glass of beer he'd had set before him, and his eyes met Gabe's just before he took a large gulp of it. Gabe only watched, mesmerized, as William licked his lips after, obviously already used to the taste. The older man knew that the beer on tap wasn't exactly the highest quality stuff, which forced him to wonder what William typically did in his free time for 'fun'.
Three rounds later and Gabe was engaging in his own type of fun, standing up on the small makeshift stage, gripping the microphone stand with two hands and leaning forward as he belted out the Billy Joel tune.
"Uptown girl, she's been living in her uptown world. I bet she's never had a backstreet guy. I bet her momma never told her why."
William watched from the audience with a bemused smirk while drunken stool pigeons hoot and hollered from the back, encouraging Gabe to keep going."I'm gonna try for that uptown girl. She's been living in her white bread world as long as anyone with hot blood can, and now she's looking for a downtown man. That's what I am." Gabe couldn't help but smirk back when William fanned himself as Gabe called him hot blooded, making the connection obvious for all as Gabe pointed to William the next time he crooned the name of the song, then jabbed his thumb back at himself at the final four words of the verse.
"Not so tough, eh?" William murmured, leaning in close to Gabe after the song ended. Gabe stood at the edge of the small stage, still with that silly look on his face. "Are you implying that you love me, sir?"
"I'm not saying I wouldn't want to," Gabe answered honestly, "But right now, I'm definitely in like."
William tutted, stepping up on the stage next to Gabe and placing a palm flat against the older man's chest, "You really aren't that tough. Maybe you're not my type."
"I know I am," Gabe said, so sure of himself, but William only smiled and moved past Gabe to whisper something into the ear of the man controlling the karaoke machine.
Gabe stared as William moved over to center stage, lifting the microphone off the stand as the beginning bars of a song Gabe had heard before but couldn't place started to play. "Some boys kiss me, some boys hug me. I think they're okay." William sang, and his voice was shockingly clear.
Gabe hadn't expected him to be so good, and his eyebrows went way up as William lifted two fingers to touch his lips before moving his hips. The boy moved move over to Gabe, leaning in as much as he could without blocking the mic from his mouth. The tips of his fingers ghosted across Gabe's side, and suddenly a song from Madonna seemed rather sultry.
"If they don't give me proper credit, I just walk away." William continued, abruptly pulling away from Gabe and strutting back to the front of the stage. The audience members catcalled as William beckoned Gabe over with a crook of his finger. Gabe felt helpless to do anything but obey.
"They can beg and they can plead," he sang, sinking down to his knees which earned even more applause. Gabe would've applauded too had William not stood back up a moment later, "But they can't see the light. That's right. 'Cause the boy with the cold hard cash is always Mister Right." Winking, William reached an arm around Gabe, taking his wallet out of his back pocket and holding it out.
Setting the microphone down back on the stand after the last few notes of the song, William opened Gabe's wallet and took out a few bills before walking off the stage. He stopped at the last moment and glanced over his shoulder, "Come with me and maybe I'll show you a few of my high class toys."
That was an offer Gabe couldn't refuse.