Gabriel Bautista (xochipilli) wrote in paxletalelogs, @ 2017-06-04 11:09:00 |
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Entry tags: | freyr, xochipilli |
[A] pessimist gets nothing but pleasant surprises
Who: Gabe, Rafe, and a brief appearance by Eshan [NPC].
What: Gabe has an unexpected visitor, which throws a wrench into plans for Rafe staying over.
Where: Gabe's apartment.
When: Saturday, May 3.
Gabe leaned back, reading over the latest paragraph he'd put down via his typewriter; picking up a red pen, he made some notes already about things he'd want to change. His editor kept chiding him about that -- write first, edit later, c'mon man, this is grammar school stuff -- but Gabe felt like he was in a flow and didn't want to lose it. His stomach, on the other hand, grumbled in complaint. Shaking his head, Gabe put the pen down and pushed back, sighing, as he wondered what to get for lunch.
"Rafe?" Gabe stood, wondering if the other man was at home. They'd been cohabitating for a few days now; things had fallen into a familiar pattern, with a few exceptions. Separate beds. Careful touches. Gabe was happy, and Rafe seemed so as well, but he couldn't help but feel like there was something he was forgetting. Then again, there was always something he was forgetting, so he pushed the thought off into the recesses of his mind, and ignored it. Which, of course, never lead to trouble.
He called out for the other man as he opened his office door, glancing down the hall to the guest room. "You wanna go get some lunch?"
Rafael sat up from where he had been lounging on the guest bed, his hands toying with the camera he had bought under Gabriel's watchful eye. He had not taken a single photograph since imposing on his friend, but it felt good to have it: something new, something creative, in light of what had happened. It would be there when he was ready. And he was not ready now. He set it down on the bedside table and padded quietly to the door of the bedroom, wiping idly at his nose with the back of his hand.
"That sounds good," he said. "I'm still happy to cook if you'd rather. I've been thinking about paella."
Gabe made no comment on the wipe; instead, he focused merely on the fact that Rafe was there, in his apartment, and he'd do whatever it took to keep him so close, for as long as he could. He shook his head, smiling still.
"You know, you don't have to earn your keep or anything. And I wanna get out, stretch my legs. Been sitting too long all day, anyway. Maybe we can Yelp a good Spanish food place?" He nodded toward the living room, turning away to go collect his phone from the kitchen.
Rafael followed, his own phone already weighing down the pocket of his khaki shorts. He studied Gabriel's retreating back, soaking in the sight as though reminding himself that all of this -- his shoes by the door, his keys on the counter, his friend an arm's length away -- was real, and not just some nostalgic hallucination. An earnest smile crossed his lips. Things were not good, by any definition, but this was better than he would have dared hope only a few days earlier. He caught up to his friend, allowing himself one fleeting touch to the small of his back.
"Somewhere with good drinks, too, please," he said. "I could use a nice, strong sangria."
Gabe was already scrolling through a list of emails and texts when Rafe reached him, and he unconsciously leaned back into the other man's touch, glancing sidelong at him with a smile. He could not discount that his heart sped up a little, nor the strange deja vu feeling of how things had been all those years ago. If they had still been dating, Gabe would've used the other man's close proximity to snatch a kiss, but for the moment he kept himself occupied with his phone screen. He closed out of the mail app and moved to select Yelp to find a restaurant when a knock on the door interrupted them.
"Huh, that's weird," he muttered, gently moving past Rafe (his own hand coming up to grasp Rafe's elbow for a moment) to answer the door. Since they lived in a closed community, he couldn't imagine who might be stopping by, especially when the main person he'd expect to drop in was currently living with him.
Of course, there was another person he should have been thinking of, one who grinned wide with two suitcases and a backpack waiting on the other side of the door. Eshan spread his arms wide, displaying a rumpled set of clothing that looked like he hadn't showered in five hours and had slept badly on the plane.
"Surprise!" The tanned man stepped forward, wrapping his arms around a very surprised looking Gabe. "Man, I'd think you'd be happier to see me, I got a red-eye all the way from Dallas just to see the look on your face and--" He stopped, Gabe stepping back as Eshan noticed that they were not alone. "Oh, wow. Sorry, I didn't think you'd have company. Uh, hi, I'm Eshan Patel." Clearly having more training than Gabe, Eshan stepped forward to offer a hand to Rafe, a friendly smile on his face.
To his credit, Rafael recovered quickly. He took Eshan's hand in a firm shake, pouring into that small gesture all the confidence he did not truly feel. "Eshan," he said, beaming broadly. "Gabe's told me about you. It's good to finally meet you." Rafe felt some measure of pride that his voice did not stumble on the words; there was enough of a tremor in them that Gabe might notice, but he felt sure this newcomer would not. He took a single step back, away from the both friend and stranger. "Rafael Atala. I'm an old friend of Gabe's."
"Oh yeah? Gabe's got those in spades, or so he tells me," Eshan replied, stepping back to bump Gabe's hip. For his own worth, Gabe put a hand around Eshan's waist, standing in as close proximity as he had moments before with Rafe. His eyes took on a different look, clearly both excited and -- for some reason -- slightly guilty at his boyfriend's surprise visit. "You'd think he wouldn't know anyone with the way he's been such a shut in."
"Hey, I have to get work done," Gabe returned. They lapsed into silence for a moment, Eshan glancing between the two of them. Gabe quickly spoke up, filling the space. "We were just about to grab lunch, if you want to join us? Or if you're tired, that's fine, you can sleep in my bed."
Eshan arched a brow. "I just thought I'd crash on the guest bed for an hour or two, then we could go out, but--"
"Rafe's staying there," Gabe said, pulling surprise fully out from the corners it had been edging around on Eshan's face. "He just needed a place to stay for awhile, and it was very sudden, I would have said something if I knew you were coming back so soon..." His hand swept up from the small of Eshan's back, weaving comforting motions with explanations in an effort to not make his slip seem as bad as it was. In truth, he hadn't even thought to really tell Eshan at all; not necessarily in the vein of having his cake and eating it too, but simply that he'd been too distracted by Rafe's presence to say anything, period. And now, with that realization, he knew he'd been crossing a line.
"Oh, well, I mean, it's your place, babe, I can't tell you what to do with it," Eshan said, carefully, clearly not suspecting anything of a sordid nature despite the latent tension in the room. "I hope everything's OK," he added, glancing at Rafe.
"Thank you," Rafe said. "Um, it will be." Perhaps it was the look on Gabe's face that had his heart sinking into his stomach; perhaps it was the ease with which they touched one another, the careless way that pet name slipped free of this stranger. Whatever it was, Rafael knew his stay here had come to an end. He forced a smile to his face, sheepishly rubbing at his nape as he took a single step back toward the guest room. Some part of him wanted Gabe to stop him; the better part of him knew even to think that was inappropriate.
"Well, I'll let you two catch up," he said. "I'll grab my things and head out. I should probably go downstairs and check on the apartment, anyway."
"Rafe, wait," Gabe instantly interrupted, either picking up on Rafe's unspoken desire or attempting to adequately express his own without stepping on any toes. "You don't have to go anywhere. I said you could stay--"
Eshan glanced between them, one brow starting to arch as confusion settled in. Whether he was beginning to suspect something was not immediately clear, but he moved an arm to rest his hand on the small of Gabe's back, mirroring his partner's positioning. It was a clear if unconscious display of ownership. It did not escape Rafael's notice.
"I'm really just dropping by... I didn't mean to interrupt your plans," he started, sounding less sure than what his words might imply. "And I thought you needed somewhere to stay?"
"Rafe, please." Gabe interjected, his body leaning in Rafe's direction, obviously wanting to step toward him but either prevented or paused by Eshan's presence.
"I do," Rafael said, almost too quickly; the start of his words stumbled over Gabe's last. Color rose to his cheeks, betraying him. "But I know some other people in the building. It's only until the apartment can be cleaned. It's okay." This time, his smile was thin, trembling at one corner. "We didn't really have plans, it was just lunch. And I'm sure you both want some privacy. I know I always need some down time after travel and everything. It's really okay."
Gabe opened his mouth to say something more, but whatever was meant to come flying out stopped itself midbirth. He glanced sidelong at Eshan, and then seemed to wilt against Rafe's insistence.
"You'll let me know if you need anything, all right?" Rafael only nodded. Eshan continued to look bewildered at the level of unspoken thoughts seemingly flitting back and forth between the two men. Gabe's hand went to Eshan's behind his back, threading through the fingers there as if looking for some strength to finish out this interaction; or perhaps remind himself of what he was supposed to be focusing on.
Rafe let his smile fade as he turned and moved back toward the guest bedroom. His belongings were few enough, and largely still packed; he moved them only enough to procure the smaller bag at the bottom, and bolstered himself with one quick bump from his stash. Then he placed his small laptop and the new camera atop the other, neatly arranged items, packing folded shirts around them to keep them safe. He stopped in the bathroom, tossing the travel-sized toiletries they had bought into the front zippered pouch. He lingered in the hallway for one brief, embarrassing moment, listening to be sure he did not walk into the living room and interrupt a second time.
"Okay," he said, announcing his entrance before he stepped into the room. "I think that's everything. Just text me if I left anything?" He swept his keys off the counter; moved to the door, where he slipped on his shoes. "Thanks again, Gabe. Really." He stuck out his hand to Eshan, twitching a small smile. "And Eshan, thanks for letting me impose for a night or two."
Eshan accepted the gesture with the same friendliness that he had when first meeting Rafe; releasing Gabe's hand, he grasped Rafe's firmly. Before Rafe could disappear entirely, Gabe pulled him into a tight but brief hug, moreso for his own reassurance than for Rafe entirely.
"You're always welcome here, OK?" He pulled back, palms lingering on Rafe's shoulders before releasing him entirely and taking a step back to stand next to Eshan. For the first time in the encounter, Eshan did not reach out to claim Gabe with his touch, instead crossing his arms over his chest loosely. Rafe's gaze flicked to him, weighing the situation carefully before he nodded.
"Maybe we can do something later? The three of us." Gabe nodded at the suggestion, hopeful that Rafe might accept.
Rafael smiled. "Yes," he said, even as his thoughts screamed otherwise. "Absolutely. Just let me know." Then he cleared his throat, turned away, and all but fled the apartment, with not a single clue where he might go.
Eshan's hand came back to the small of Gabe's back as his boyfriend's guest disappeared through the door. He looked to Gabe, clearly wondering if he should ask.
Gabe, at least, had the good sense to turn his attention to the man who'd newly arrived. He smiled.
"I guess let's get your bags, and you can tell me about Texas?"
Eshan nodded, his fingers making small circles through Gabe's shirt. "Yeah, of course, though... That was a little weird, don't you think?"
"How so?" Gabe moved an arm around Eshan, pulling the other man in close and pecking him on the lips. The gesture seemed to reassure him, and Eshan's arm went tighter around Gabe's form. "He's just... There was a recent death, and I had the space so I was letting him stay here. He's... He's just an old friend, I promise."
Eshan nodded, again, this time his brows rising and falling. Whether he believed Gabe's words was another story, but he let it go for the moment.
"Well, I'm glad you're still being helpful for all and sundry around you. Now let's be helpful and get my bags in the bedroom because I haven't seen you in two months," he said, willing to focus on other things. Gabe smiled a little wider, kissing Eshan again before moving to do exactly as he was bid; it helped quiet the voice in the back of his mind that he should have done something more about Rafe, but there was no need to further complicate matters.