Gabe

[nola_enjolras]

The truth was, he didn't much date.

And by much, that translated to almost never.

Sitting in a booth (he was exactly the type of nerd to go for the corner booth rather than the more popular bar), tapping painted-and-glittery nails against scarred wood, Eli wondered again what he was doing here. He should have made it clear that he was mostly interested in learning more about the collective and local engagement and not anything more carnal...but he'd also flirted with the man, hadn't he? It certainly felt like flirting. And he wasn't in theory opposed to seeing if tonight led to a kiss or five, even if the last time he'd made out had been...

Huh. Three years? Four?

Well, whatever unexpected interest had risen phoenix-like inside of him at their exchange, he was here now, ready to see what happened. Eli wasn't the type of man to run from the unknown.

Comments

[nola_enjolras]

"I don't do much of that to relax," he said thoughtfully, "but I'm open-minded and willing to learn more."

[nola_grantaire]

"So come home with me? If you want to?" Gabe realized that, sometimes, normal people didn't like self-medicating with sex mere minutes after meeting someone.

[nola_enjolras]

"I'd like to come home with you tonight," Eli said. "And I'd like to have sex with you in the future. I don't believe I'm ready to have sex tonight, but I'd be very interested in kissing you more."

[nola_grantaire]

Well, at least could appreciate clear boundaries. "I'm into kissing you more, too. I like that you're direct."

[nola_enjolras]

"Very few people do," Eli had to admit. "Not in the long term. Tell me if I get to be too much." He lifted Gabe's hand, studying it intently for a moment before placing a gentle--almost delicate--kiss to a knuckle.

[nola_grantaire]

"I'm direct too, so I really will tell you. Plus, I know what it's like for everyone to think you're too much. You can be too much with me and it's okay." Especially, god especially if he was going to look at Gabe like, consider his hand and kiss it like a blessing.

[nola_enjolras]

"You also joke and deflect a lot," Eli said, seriously considering, then kissing, Gabe's next knuckle. "If that's what you prefer, you don't need to stop with me, but I'm inclined to take you very seriously. How does that saying go? The curves of your lips rewrite history. Except I hope you don't have a magical painting back in your garret."

[nola_grantaire]

"Well that's because I'm deeply fucked up from trauma," Gabe chirped, which, yes, was both direct and a joke and a deflection, because he was entirely on-brand right now. "No painting," he confirmed. "You're the artwork, Oscar." Gabe's hand had never been taken so seriously.

[nola_enjolras]

He leaned in and pressed a kiss between Gabe's brows, lingering with just enough pressure it could be felt against the ajna. Not a belief system he followed, though he respected it enough. (And he had warm, golden memories of his mother doing the same for him when he was frustrated with his classes or work or anything, really.) "I see you," he murmured in French.

[nola_grantaire]

Oh, oh. Oh. That really felt like something. It made everything in Gabe still, just for a moment. Almost at peace. "You speak French," he observed, annoyingly (to himself!) inane.

[nola_enjolras]

"Mm," he hummed in agreement.

[nola_grantaire]

"Say more things?" Not that Gabriel would really understand them.

[nola_enjolras]

He pulled back a little to look at Gabe seriously. "Je n'aime pas souvent ni bien et je ne crois pas qu'une personne ait besoin d'une autre pour se sentir complète. Mais je peux dire que je suis arrivé dans cet endroit avec un sens et un autre maintenant, et tout cela à cause de la façon dont vous me regardez." He paused. "J'aime aussi la façon dont vous sentez, mais seuls les tueurs en série le disent."

[nola_grantaire]

Gabriel closed his eyes, listening, trying to feel the meaning. "Do you want to tell me what you said? You don't have to."

[nola_enjolras]

"I said I liked the way you smelled, but only serial killers said things like that."

[nola_grantaire]

Gabe laughed, freely and happily. "You're so romantic."

[nola_enjolras]

Eli laughed with him, feeling lighter inside than he had in years. "Yeah? Then how about you romantically take me home with you."

[nola_grantaire]

"I want that so much. Our plumbing doesn't work but don't worry about it, my sheets are cleanish so it evens out." But really, surely, they would be okay as long as they were curled up together.

[nola_enjolras]

Eli leaned in impulsively, pressing a kiss to the corner of Gabe's mouth. "That sounds perfect."

[nola_grantaire]

"I love that you kiss me like you're thinking so hard about it and then you do it like you didn't have to think at all."

[nola_enjolras]

"Okay, we're officially leaving this bar so I can get in bed with you," Eli said, heart racing. He gave Gabe a little, questioning tug.

[nola_grantaire]

Gabe could and would be tugged by this man! He got up to follow, because, of course. "We can hold each other."

[nola_enjolras]

"I may be forced to stroke your hair. Please be ready for intense gazing into each others' eyes, at the very least."

[nola_grantaire]

"It's so hot how you're so intense. I love gazing into eyes. You can tell me your favorite supreme court decisions."

[nola_enjolras]

"I will," he promised, far, far too intense and suddenly that much more attracted to Gabe.