Gabriel Bautista (xochipilli) wrote in paxemerituslog, @ 2018-01-27 21:31:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | freyja, freyr, hades, persephone, xochipilli, xochiquetzal |
oh, but when hunger means existence
Who: Gabe & Rafael, with appearances by Ifeya, Leira, Isobel and Obed.
What: Gabe brings Rafe home from rehab.
Where: Gabe's apartment at Pax.
When: Jan. 20.
Gabe had mused over whether to bring flowers, or candy, or some other kind of reward on the short trip from Pax to Rafe's rehab center. It seemed crass to show up empty handed, the thought of bringing Mr. Fishy along having briefly surfaced, but in the end he'd opted to just go with himself. That had then morphed into should he sit or stand while he waited for Rafe to appear, like some ghost of Christmases past, and, after the receptionist was working to hide her amusement at his inability to remain still, he sat on one of the blue modern chairs dotting the lobby space.
Between refreshing wood tones and calming, cool colors, the lobby highly recommended the rest of the center. Gabe had never been a patient there himself, but he had heard good things—excellent therapy, well tended medications, 24-hour and caring staff. Since dropping Rafe off mid-December, he had heard nothing since, and had to often stop himself from going the scant few miles it would take to see his anjo's progress for himself. Instead, he'd stayed in contact with Fey—who'd waited a scant 10 minutes before calling him after Rafe had broken the news, though Gabe was not at all surprised—instead catching up on Rafe's dear friend's life and future plans.
Which had brought them to today. He looked at his watch once more, though the only impatience he felt was the long minutes it took before he could see Rafe's face. His phone buzzed in his pocket; he reached in, seeing a message from Fey asking for an update. He tapped out a reply, looking away for a moment.
In that brief span a shadow crept over his seated form, its arrival announced only by near-silent footfalls. Rafael stood over him, a hopeful smile on his face and a gleam, too long absent, returned to his eye. On his clean-shaven face were a wealth of emotions. He would never have admitted it aloud, but until he laid eyes on Gabriel he had not been entirely sure his partner would show.
Over the course of the month Rafael had taken a difficult accounting of his life. He remained a work in progress, of course, but he had begun the challenging task of facing the things that had happened to him, and sifting through those obstacles that were his creation as well as those that were not. A large part of this had involved understanding that no-one, not even Gabriel, was beholden to him; no-one was promised to remain throughout the long process of his healing. And so when he looked to Gabriel now, he felt all the heavy weight of that knowledge, and boundless gratitude that Gabe had—for now, at least—remained with him.
But in that moment all he could bring himself to say was, "Hey."
Gabe looked up from his phone, a wide smile blossoming across his face at the sight of his boyfriend. All interest in the message he'd been composing or its reply evaporated as he rose to his feet and shoved the device deep into his pocket, his other hand reaching out to wrap fingers loosely around Rafe's wrist. Once the other was free, it too drifted toward Rafe's orbit but stopping just before completing that touch.
"Hi," he replied, coming nearly eye-level to the other man. The toothy grin was unabating, his eyes jumping around Rafe's face. "You look good, anjo, so good."
His hands resituated themselves, going gently to either side of Rafe's hips to draw him closer.
"I missed you."
"I missed you," Rafael answered. Behind them the receptionist kindly looked away, giving them as much privacy as she could given the circumstances. Rafe pulled Gabriel close, drawing him into a hug so tight, so joyful, that he did not feel his duffel bag swinging down from his shoulder to slump against their thighs. When he did notice, he pulled away, his apology punctuated with a quiet, embarrassed laugh. Gabe was slower to part, not at all disturbed by what he'd felt—emotionally or otherwise.
"I just got excited," he explained. His flushed face showed that clearly; so, too, did his darting glances, greedily taking in the vision he had waited long weeks to see. His fingers interlaced with Gabe's, and he tugged him toward the exit. "I've already checked out," he said. "Let's get out of here."
"You don't have to convince me," Gabe replied, following eagerly out into the parking lot and to his car. Even once they were out there, in the California sunshine, he pulled Rafe to a stop just outside his vehicle. Hands were back on Rafe's hips, his body forcing the other man's against one side of the car. "Did I mention I missed you?" He murmured as his face lingered close to Rafe's, his mouth just a bare finger's width away from Rafael's lips.
He closed that distance quickly enough, starting soft and slow, giving Rafe a chance to put some space between them if he needed it. But Rafael leaned firmly into him, his mouth parting, a flick of his tongue beckoning Gabriel's to him. Another press, and Rafael groaned, a soft, frustrated sound that broke on Gabe's open mouth. Already his body stirred. Thirty long, lonely days had been a significant change from his typical lifestyle; the very sight of Gabe had been enough to set his heart racing, and the warmth and scent and feel of him so close now was nearly too much to bear.
Rafe's hands went to Gabriel's nape. Short nails slid over his skin, dragging his fingers backward to scratch into his short hair. Gabe's moan matched the tempo of the sounds Rafe made, his hands squeezing Rafe's middle as he pressed the other man harder into the car.
"God, it feels like you've been gone for months," he said, barely moving back enough to breathe. His memory nagged at him, reminding him that they had people waiting for them back at his apartment. Despite that, his hands moved under Rafe's shirt, palms pressed to warm, tawny skin, skirting the edge of Rafe's waistband. "I'm almost regretting I set up that welcome home party," he laughed gently, forehead pressed to Rafe's.
"You what?" Rafe's bright grin pressed to Gabe's mouth again, another kiss punctuated with a small, quiet laugh. The flush risen to his cheeks was only in small part embarrassment; the better part of him was immensely pleased. "Oh, meu gatinho, I…" He kissed Gabe again. "I love it. I love you. But I want you to myself for a little while…" He shifted against Gabriel, an unsubtle roll of his hips; Gabe's hands wandered down over Rafe's backside, encouraging the motion as he laughed.
An idea came to him. His smile broadened; his blush deepened. His gaze flicked back toward the car. "What do you say we find a place to park? It'll be just like Miami…"
It took Gabe a moment to comprehend what Rafe was suggesting; his brows climbed his forehead, his eyes going wide. Then, the side of his mouth perked up, mischievous to the last.
"We did make those cramped quarters work," he drawled, his voice teasingly low. "But we need to be quick, they're already at my apartment. I'm terrible with surprises today." He leaned into Rafe once more, catching the other man's mouth in a movement that was as much promise as it was want. Then Gabe was stepping back, slowly, his hands not having gotten the memo to detach themselves as he started to move around toward the driver's side. Rafe gladly left them where they were for as long as he could. Then he, too, drew away, slipping into the passenger's seat, tossing the duffel bag between his feet.
Rafael could not stop himself casting surreptitious glances at his partner as at last they got properly underway. As they headed toward home the looks grew more overt. Joy and longing shone in his dark eyes. One hand found its way to Gabe's lap, at first idly stroking, then deliberately teasing. Gabe did his best to hold still and concentrate on the road, eventually giving way to scootching as much as he could to one side, grinning all the while. He grabbed Rafe's hand, lifting it to his mouth, keeping his gaze on the cars in front of them.
"I missed you," Rafe said again. "I'm so glad you came. I… how has your month been? How's the draft coming along?"
"Good," Gabe replied, releasing Rafe's hand and putting his own back at ten and two. He glanced sidelong at Rafe, then scouted for a quick spot to park, eventually pulling into an alley. "It's been quiet at the apartment—thank God—but I will say it's been hard to concentrate."
He pulled into a spot inside a parking lot situated behind three buildings, servicing them all. Only two other cars lingered, parked for the weekend, and switched the engine off, but left the keys in the ignition. He reached back out for Rafe's hand, pulling it to his mouth again, letting Rafe's knuckles skim his lips. "I was worried about you. The program went all right?" Gabe's eyes lingered over Rafe's face, amazed at the difference between when he'd dropped the other man off and now—night and day.
"Mmhm." Rafe's hand shifted, fingers sliding soft over Gabe's lips. "It was…" He smiled, a little sad, a little shy. "There were some hard nights. More than 'some,' I guess." A mirthless laugh fell from his lips. "But I needed to be there, I know that now, and they got me through it, and I owe that to you."
His hand slipped back to Gabe's nape once more, pulling him close for another long, slow kiss. There was such relief, such uncomplicated pleasure in that gesture it nearly overwhelmed Rafael himself. He smiled against Gabe's mouth, nipping softly at the fullness of his lower lip. "I don't want to talk about that now," he whispered. "Get in the back."
Gabe made no complaint, even as guilt for dredging up recently closed wounds threatened to weigh down his shoulders. His hands came to either side of Rafe's face, kissing him once more, unable to tear himself away from the taste of the other man—and then he was turning between the seats, pulling himself up and over into the back, careful to not kick Rafe in the face. He turned about, seated, arms outstretched for Rafe's figure to fit them.
Then Rafael was sliding his lean shape between the seats, one hand reaching for Gabe's, the other clutching a small bottle of lotion pulled from his duffel bag. His toes caught on the center console, pitching him forward; he landed in Gabriel's arms, laughing, grinning wide as he nuzzled into the crook of Gabe's neck. The bottle dropped to the floor and his hands moved to Gabe's waist, sliding beneath clothes, seeking the skin he had missed so much. His fingers splayed, following the lines of hips and ribs, as his mouth covered Gabriel's again.
Gabe gathered him up, holding him close as his hands did the same; plunged beneath Rafe's shirt and waistband, palming handfuls of the other man's backside. His tongue darted through Rafe's lips, over the other man's tongue, his fingers teasing at the other man's entrance.
He pulled back just enough. "So am I getting that or are you gonna play gymnastics?" Gabe teased, his arms wrapped firmly around Rafe's torso, promising plenty of difficulty in collecting the fallen lotion bottle even after Gabe being the one to say earlier that they needed to be quick.
Rafael offered a bit of encouragement with a grin and a roll of his hips atop Gabe's. "You'd better," he said, his hands shifting steadily downward. "I'm busy."
Short nails scratched at Gabriel's belly as Rafe found the button of his pants. Button and zipper were undone in a flash. Rafe's fingers slipped into his partner's clothes, stroking as he pulled Gabe's length free. He leaned down again, pressing his mouth to Gabe's; both his quiet exhalation and his free hand undoing his own clothes made clear his growing, frantic need. He shoved his pants down, squirming in the tight quarters of the back seat to strip off jeans and sandals, leaving them in the floorboard where they fell. Freed, his naked arousal slid flush to Gabe's, stroked by Gabe's body and Rafael's own hand. He moaned aloud, quieting himself with another unusually forceful kiss.
Gabe groaned into that liplock, any complaint at his sudden task vanishing before they existed. Holding Rafe tight to his form, trying to keep his hips still for as long as he could, he leaned to the side and groped for the bottle; fingers missed, then tried again, brushing the bottom of it. He turned to look, bringing his hand over the bottle and finally plucking it up.
Then he was seated upright again, focused solely on the person in front of him, on top of him. Having Rafe straddle him reminded him of many warm mornings in Miami, the sunlight playing through Rafe's hair, the feeling of the other man's body gripping him tightly as he moved in and out of him. The thought made Gabe's chest constrict, his hands already pushing Rafe's shirt up again, sliding down his back to his backside, parting his cheeks.
"God, how do you feel so good?" He mumbled against Rafe's mouth, before he finally remembered the bottle of lotion. Swiping the cap off with his thumb, he lathered his fingers before sliding them over Rafe's hole, teasing, pressing one finger in with slow, careful motions. "I want you, Rafe, te amo mi anjo, te amo—"
Rafe drank down every word, lips and teeth and tongue moving over Gabe's mouth just enough to touch, and keep touching, while still letting his partner speak. His body was warm and hungry for his lover's; his hips ground his body down onto Gabriel's hand, opening himself more with each gentle thrust. His nails dug shallowly into Gabe's chest. He wanted more, so much more, but there was no time now, so he threw himself into enjoying this illicit-seeming quickie, a reminder of a shared past he had once thought left behind.
"Remember that time in the storeroom at work?" Rafael grinned against Gabe's mouth. "I really think… someone saw us then." He groaned as he pushed his partner deeper. He laughed, then sucked in a sharp breath, reaching down between them to move Gabe closer to his entrance. "God I missed you."
"I missed you," Gabe replied with equal fervor, two fingers stretching Rafe wide. "And hopefully... ah... there's no-one to see us now." He moved his hand, his own breath faltering as Rafe grasped his swollen member. His hands and legs pushed Rafe's thighs further apart, giving him more room to work; a slicked hand still covered with lotion gently moved Rafe's hand out of the way, coating himself before pressing the tip of his member to Rafe's entrance. With a muffled groan, he thrust upward, slow, as slow as he could bear and still remember that he did not have the time he wanted to draw this out. Rafael's hands curled around Gabe's shoulders, still nestled beneath his shirt, grasping him as he felt himself slowly, ed,
"You're sleeping over tonight, you know that, right? Because I am very much, ah, not done with you," Gabe managed, finishing the sentence and then grabbing Rafe's mouth with his own. Both hands, slick and not, settled on Rafe's waist, pressing him down tightly onto his shaft, his hips rolling upward as best he could manage in the awkward space of the back of his car.
Rafe moaned his approval into Gabriel's mouth. He ground his hips down onto him, picking up the motions Gabriel had began. His body was tight, so tight, but Gabe's gentleness, his warmth, his clear and almost overwhelming love were all too comforting, too reassuring, for Rafe to feel anything but pleasure. One hand slid out from beneath Gabe's shirt, moving up to curl around his nape again. Rafael kissed him deeply, the press of his tongue a perfect mirror to Gabriel's slow strokes into him.
His other hand slipped between them, grasping his own naked length. He found a rhythm there, too, and shuddered at the sensations he had so deeply missed. Hot breath hit his face, before angling onto his throat as Gabe's mouth moved over the curve of his jaw, his neck, and lower, kissing and biting in alternate movements. Sooner than he would have liked, he increased the speed of his thrusts, feeling himself on the cusp of orgasm but holding off—the long dry spell was having several effects on all present. One hand detached itself from Rafe's hip, instead sliding up the man's side, feeling muscle and bone (too much for Gabe's tastes, but he'd soon fix that) and warm skin overlaid atop all.
Pressing into one delicate spot on Rafe's neck, Gabe gave a hard suck timed with a rougher thrust, playing to the delicate nerve system he knew lay just beneath Rafe's flesh. Rafael cried out in answer; his nails scratched at Gabe's nape, pushing through close-cropped hair.
"Don't stop," Rafael gasped, his right hand drawing tighter around himself. His left dug short nails into the back of Gabriel's neck. "Don't… ah, gatinho…" His hips bucked against Gabe's, driving his partner deeper into him. "Please." His throat arched, giving more of his tender, sensitive flesh up for Gabriel's perusal. Rafael's body bowed low over Gabe's, fitted to him as best they could manage under the circumstances. He cupped his hand closer around himself, feeling his orgasm rapidly approaching; even in this thoroughly addled state, he had no desire to ruin Gabe's clothes just before their party. The thought made him blush, and smile anew against Gabriel's forehead.
"Oh, Gabriel, I—"
"Rafael," Gabe breathed against Rafe's skin, using the man's name possessively as he drove into Rafe's flesh over and over until he felt himself falling over the edge. He came, his body trembling under Rafe's touch, panting into Rafe's neck as he felt himself slowly spiralling back down in the backseat of his car, in some nameless parking lot on the edge of the city. Still buried inside his partner, Gabe's hands slowly wandered up and down Rafe's back, beneath and above the other man's shirt in some unknown cycle his hands were making up as they went along.
It took somewhat longer for Rafael to come down. His eyes had drifted nearly shut, all heavy lids and thick, dark lashes, watching his lover through that dark veil. Slowly his breaths eased, and his body ceased its small spasms. He sighed, looking down between them, his blush returning at the sight of crumpled, soiled cloth. Gabe's eyes followed Rafe's line of sight, only slowly realizing he'd need to change.
"Sorry," Rafe said, in a tone that made quite plain he was not sorry at all. He leaned down and kissed Gabe again, nuzzling against him, cheek to cheek. He smiled as one last deep shudder coursed through him. "I think I have some of your shirts at my place. We could get one before the party if you need."
"I've got some here in the car," Gabe replied, making no motion to move Rafe and retrieve the needed clothing item. His breathing was slowly coming back down, leveling out, and he was in no hurry to rid himself of the warmth of having Rafe so close. He mirrored Rafe's actions, pressing his face into Rafe's profile. Gabe breathed in deeply, inhaling the sweet, familiar scent of his lover, his next words low and careful between them even when they were alone in the backseat of his car. "I'm so glad to have you back, anjo."
Rafael hummed softly against Gabe's cheek. "I'm glad to be back," he whispered. He shifted slightly, raising himself up to better see his partner's face. "Thank you, Gabriel. For everything. I… I'm sorry I let things get so bad. I won't let it get that bad again." He leaned down only long enough to kiss Gabe's forehead, then drew away. He had no more desire to leave than Gabriel did, but the steam was slowly clearing from the windows and they had a party—and guests—to consider. He kept one hand on Gabe as the other reached down, retrieving his fallen clothes from the floorboard.
"There's a lot more where this came from," Rafe teased, "but for now we should probably get going, hm?"
Gabe nodded, and peeled off his own shirt. He did not remove himself far from Rafe's touch, making a bridge with his body to pull his underwear and pants up to his waist once again. Then he moved to reach over the seat into the back, where a pile of old clothes lay—some park-branded garments, others throwaway gifts from premieres and random events. He shuffled through them, looking for the cleanest one, and pulled it over his head. A black shirt with a URL scrawled across the front replaced the soft-colored red shirt he'd been wearing previously, but he doubted anyone might notice. Then he finally looked at his watch, making an 'oh crap' face.
"We definitely should get going," he remarked, leaning over to kiss Rafe again. He was hardpressed to pull himself away, but somehow managed to do so, slipping out his passenger side door to move back into the driver's seat. His hand went to his phone, amazingly still squished into his jeans pocket, and winced to see five texts and two missed calls from Fey. He quickly texted back, keeping the screen out of Rafe's line of sight as best he could.
On the passenger's side of the car, Rafael was leaning down to check his mussed hair in the side mirror. The faint sheen of sweat adorning them both would dry long before they reached the apartments, and for that he was grateful. There was nothing to be done, though, about the small bite marks that adorned his throat. Smiling, Rafael touched a hand to one, slipping back into the passenger's seat impishly pleased with himself.
"When we get there, just blame being late on me," Rafe said. "No-one can begrudge me a little time with you. And this might convince whoever is coming that I really didn't know about the surprise party." He tousled his still damp hair with one hand; it fell over his eyes, overgrown from his time away.
Gabe shook his head, smiling as he pushed his phone into his pocket once more. "I'm not going to blame anything on you, anjo," he said, his hand covering Rafe's free hand with his own as he leaned in to steal another kiss. Long moments later he finally pushed himself into starting up the car, backing out from their space slowly (Gabe hesitantly glancing around to make sure there was no one around who might have spied on their impromptu tryst), and then finally set them on their way.
Thankfully, it took another half hour to drive back to Pax simply due to traffic. It made them 45 minutes late to the party being thrown in Rafe's honor—though Gabe knew none of the attendees would mind. Isobel had all but dragged Leira off into one corner of his apartment, excited to see her old friend once more in the flesh, and last time Gabe had seen Fey and Obed, they'd been making quiet but civil conversation in the kitchen. Once they were back in the Pax Letale parking lot, Gabe texted Fey that they were on their way up. Pocketing his phone once more, he rounded the car and took Rafe's hand.
"I got you some toiletries, and we'll stop by your place whenever you want to get some clothes, whatever you need to feel comfortable tonight, OK?" A slow pace started them toward the front of the building, and the lobby.
Rafe nodded. "That sounds good," he said. "Thank you. How was Mr. Fishy? I hope he didn't give you too much trouble." Gabe shook his head, laughing softly. Rafe thumbed the button to the elevator. While they waited for the car to arrive, he took a long look around the lobby. Not much appeared to have changed in his absence, though he noticed Stephan did not appear to have returned to his work.
Those thoughts disappeared when they entered the elevator. Rafael used those last moments alone to great effect, utterly unable to keep his hands to himself for the brief time they remained alone. They stepped off the elevator a little breathless but no worse for wear, and Rafael took Gabe's hand in his own. "Come on," he said, pulling Gabe down the hall, incapable of hiding his excitement.
Gabe happily allowed himself to be tugged along, at least until they got to his front door.
"Shh, remember, you're supposed to be surprised." He kept his voice low, as though attempting to couch his own failure to keep a secret in some mystery, however too late. Pulling his car keys out from his pocket, he quickly switched through them for his own apartment key, and let them inside.
A banner reading "CONGRATS" in print, with someone's scrawl underneath finishing the thought, "ON FINISHING REHAB," was hung from the entryway. Balloons filled each corner of the living room, which was slightly dark due to lack of lights. The kitchen counter closest to the doorway was covered with a few dishes from a popular Mexican restaurant, but were indistinguishable in the low light. Their smell, however, was undeniable; home-cooked, fresh, delicious. They were almost enough to distract from what came next.
Two people came around the corner from the hall, timed with two more people from crouching just beneath the bar: the former were Fey and Obed, the latter Isobel and Leira. Each was holding a drink in a transparent plastic cup, Isobel's thrust out as she had her arm around Leira's waist. They all shouted, gently, in unison as Gabe flicked the lights on so Rafe could properly see his welcoming party.
"Surprise!"
Though the party itself was no shock, the guest list certainly was. Rafe's wide eyes darting from Ifeya to Leira and back again. Naked gratitude showed in his face, gleaming in his wet gaze. He swept tears from his eyes and hurried to join his friends, mumbling a steady stream of gratitude in commingled English and Portuguese. In his haste to see them all, to greet each one as they deserved, he caught only a glimpse of Obed's numerous scars; it was enough to elicit a small reaction from Rafael, though he contained himself well enough.
Obed stepped back as Rafe swept Fey into a bone-creakingly tight hug, which she returned without hesitation. "Oh my God, I…" He pulled her along with him as he moved to Isobel and Leira. As he greeted them all—introducing Ifeya as though this had not already been done—his hand remained in Fey's, squeezing tight, his thumb sliding over her skin as if to remind himself of her very real presence.
"Oh my God," Rafe said again, when at last he had had his fill of hugs and kisses and soft, uncertain touches. Obed had moved closer to Gabriel, where he felt at least moderately safer from this excessive affection.
"I can't believe you came all this way," he said, grinning brightly at Ifeya and Leira in turn. "And you two…" He turned to Isobel, glancing briefly over to Obed. "Thank you so much. I know you've had a few rough months, too…"
"All the more reason to get together, huh?" Isobel replied, drifting toward Obed. Gabe saw her trajectory and opted to trade places, moving closer to Leira, whose elbow he quickly grasped in greeting. Beaming bright, Leira nudged her brother back.
"Well, I'm glad this went well. Did you all start on the food, yet?"
Ifeya chimed in, shaking her head. "No, just the drinks," she replied, hoisting her cup in the hand that had not been claimed by Rafe; still, she held his hand with a matched fervor, her gaze never long parted from his face. "Which means, if we don't want to get absolutely blitzed, we should eat something." She put the cup down and turned back to Rafe as the others started to drift toward the food.
"Ugh, Fel, you look amazing, are you sure you weren't at a spa instead? Come here," she said, having easily switched to their mother tongue now that they had a moment alone. She pulled him into another hug, holding him tightly.
He laughed, leaning into her hug and returning it in kind. He had not realized how much he missed her until he felt her again, until he smelled the familiar warmth of her skin. He closed his eyes and breathed her in, committing this moment to memory. "Thank you," he whispered, a soft breath against her hair. At last he pulled away, though his hand still clung to hers. "It didn't feel like a spa, but I'm glad I went. And I'm so glad you're here. I had no idea… you know you didn't have to come. But it means a lot. It's so good to see you. How have you been? Tell me everything."
Fey smiled, shaking her head. "Fine, just fine. Better now, querida, that I know you're in one piece because I saw you with my own eyes. And don't give me any of that, not having to come, you don't just call me and drop a bomb like that and not expect me to do something, do you?"
To Rafael's relief Gabe's throat clearing interrupted her spiel, revealing him to be standing just behind them with two plates of food. "Taquitos?" He offered, holding them both out. Alongside the chicken taquitos was a generous helping of enchilada and chips to eat it with. "There's salsa and guac, too, but this to start?"
"Yes," Fey replied, releasing Rafe's hand only long enough to grab one of the plates and shove it toward her friend. Caught off guard, Rafael grasped the plate, blinking doeishly down at it. "Time to start putting some meat back on those bones. What do you want to drink, querida? There's beer, I think there's some wine, or water?" She glanced questioningly at Gabe, whose head bobbed.
"And juice. Orange and lemonade," he started, still holding the other plate for Fey whenever she decided to grab it. Just beyond them, still in the kitchen, Isobel was making conversation with Leira, laughing.
"Lemonade?" Rafe tucked into the taquitos slowly enough to please himself, but quickly enough (he hoped) to satisfy his watchful attendants. He slipped back into English, ever mindful of their other guests. "Please. I'd get it myself, but my hands are kind of full." With a sheepish smile he finished off one little roll and reached for another.
"I'll get it," Obed offered, glad of the opportunity to make himself useful. He disappeared into the kitchen before anyone could object, immediately apologizing to the women inside for interrupting their conversation. The sound of Isobel's voice shushing him and asking if he needed help was a quick response, followed by cupboards opening and closing.
"Thank you," Rafe called after him, before once again turning his focus to his dearest friends. "It's good to have you both here," he said. "She wasn't too hard on you, was she, Gabe?"
Gabe gave a wry smile in Fey's direction, her look in return chastising. "No, she wasn't. No more than I deserved."
Fey made an approving noise, and motioned to Rafe's plate. "Really, don't make me force feed you, querida. Anyway, I was saying, I did want to come all the way out here. I'm thinking about moving, and this all seemed...well, pre-ordained. So I'm going to need some apartment recommendations—how's this place?"
Gabe had lifted a chip from the plate meant for Fey to his mouth, filling it.
"Gonna go...see how they're doing...kitchen," Gabe started, turning on his heel to leave Rafe to handle that particular question.
Rafael watched Gabe go, his lips parting on a small sigh. But he bought himself time with another taquito, covering his mouth with his free hand so Ifeya would fully understand the source of his delayed response.
"Fey," he said, sweeping a bit of salsa from the corner of his mouth, "I would love for you to move here. I've missed you so much, and there's so much we can show you out here. I really think you'd like it. But this building…" He shook his head. "I can't recommend this place. It's really… odd."
Obed returned as Rafael slipped back into Portuguese, the better to avoid being overheard. Rafe felt rude, but there was nothing to be done. He could hardly risk hurting his new landlord's feelings, particularly when the Brandts had been both understanding and supportive of his career; the combination of fair rent, good building owners, and a nearby support network was one Rafe knew he would not find elsewhere.
"Things have happened here," he began, his voice low even as Obed reached them. "Come to LA. I don't think you should move here."
"I'm sorry," Obed said, holding Rafael's cup out to him, gesturing with his free hand. "I can hold that if you want…" Rafael obliged, gladly handing him the still full plate of taquitos as he took the drink. He smiled at Fey, careful not to make the expression too broad, lest it pull his scars into starkly discomfiting lines. "I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but did you say you were thinking of moving to Pax?"
Rafael looked to her, a pleading look in his eyes. Fey's brow was furrowed, her glare fixed on Rafe's face before switching to Obed's with a much milder look. The fact that Rafe had chosen Portuguese to relay that information told her that it was something he wanted to keep from the others, and that she could at least respect.
"I was considering it. It wouldn't be very close to work, but I'd be more concerned about being close to this one," she replied, turning back to Rafe for a beat as she slipped her arm around his waist one more time. She squeezed, and then glanced at Obed. "What do you think? You like this location, the management, all of that? I'm having to sell my condo, so I don't relish the idea of renting again, but..." Her shoulders slipped up and down in a 'what can you do' gesture.
Isobel followed up behind Obed, having caught wind of the conversation. She looked to him, though, quiet to hear his answer.
"I understand," Obed was saying, as Rafael nursed his lemonade with far more interest than he had handled the food. "I certainly can't complain about management. Isobel and I recently bought the building, and I like to think we've done all right so far." He glanced over toward Isobel, nodding to beckon her nearer; she moved closer with eager steps, a tiny smile lighting up her face. Leira hung back, lingering close to Gabriel by the kitchen's entrance.
"But we are planning a move. Sooner rather than later." Rafe arched a brow, but Obed allowed no time for questions now. He looked from one tenant to another, taking courage and comfort from Isobel's gaze; she nodded, encouraging. "We've found a building actually in town, a very nice, historic location. I think you'd all like it very much. So I'd encourage you to consider that in place of Pax.
"All of you," he added, turning to allow his voice to better carry to the kitchen beyond. "We don't have to get into details now, of course, but I thought now was as good a time as any to invite you all along."
"It really is nice," Isobel chimed in, one hand alighting on the small of Obed's back and then falling to her side once more.
Fey looked between them, and then questioningly at Rafe. There was certainly a lot more they were going to discuss later, outside of prying ears and judgemental eyes. Then she shrugged, turning back to Obed.
"If you've got some paperwork, I'd like to take a look. Because I am coming out here, querida," she added, looking at Rafe. He smiled sheepishly, quickly glancing away from her sharp gaze.
Isobel glanced at Leira, pulling Gabe's glance toward her as well. "Just in case you were ever thinking of moving back," she said, grinning.
"As a matter of fact…" Leira beamed. She chewed on her lower lip for a moment, as though collecting her thoughts, when in truth her mind had been made up since the moment she set foot in her exhausted brother's home. "I'd like to see that lease agreement, too. Maybe take a tour of the new building when you have some free time?"
Isobel quietly squeed, jumping back on one heel to grab Leira's hand that wasn't occupied with plate or drink.
Rafael caught Gabe's eye, his own unvoiced question quite clear. But as with Ifeya, they would have to discuss at greater length when others could not hear; for his part, Rafael was utterly enamored of the idea. A clean slate of a home after his successful stint in rehab sounded like a godsend. All the same, it was nothing he would decide until he had heard Gabe's thoughts.
"Absolutely," Obed answered. "Whenever you're free. That goes for the rest of you, too. This is our top priority right now, so we'll make ourselves available whenever you can come out and see the place. We'll be meeting with the others, too, and extending the same offer to them, so talk to them about it if you'd like. We want the new place to be more… open, I suppose you'd say, than this one has been."
Gabe met Rafe's gaze, his brows lifting as he tried to see the other man's opinion. After all that had happened in Pax, a move didn't seem like the worst idea; and now sans Spot, he had fewer and fewer ties to the building. Maybe he'd finally be able to get some writing done.
"I think we'll definitely take you up on that offer," he finally replied, lifting his drink in agreement. "And, on that note, I propose we toast the celebrant, so if everyone has a glass...?" He scanned around the room, making sure everyone had something with which to toast. Then his gaze landed warmly on Rafe's blushing face, a smile creeping up his lips.
"To new beginnings, and to a less than rocky road from here on out. I'm so proud of you, Rafe, for doing what you needed to do to get healthy, and I can't wait to see what happens next, to see how you grow and become even more the person you were meant to be. I love you, and we are all happy for you."
"Hear hear!" Isobel chimed in, and together, mostly in sync, the group drank.