Who: Zania and Gabriel When: evening, Tuesday, Dec 19th Where: The Castell House Warning: NSFW Status: Complete
Having his birthday so close to Christmas was a mixed bag. On the pro side, most people were feeling cheerful and generous and happy to come and party. On the con side ... there were a lot of other social obligations floating around, and sometimes folks just forgot his birthday. So Gabriel had developed a habit pretty early in life of telling people exactly when his birthday was. It had been an annoying kid thing that kind of turned into an inside joke and a trademark. But he still did it, even though he’d left home, and that was how Zania had found out that it was his birthday on Tuesday.
He made sure to tell her that he didn’t expect anything, it would just be cool to hang out with her, and she’d extended a dinner invitation to her house. Gabriel was more than fine with that, he didn’t need to go out or do anything fancy anyway. He was admittedly kind of hoping they could consummate this thing they had going between them, but he wasn’t stressed about that either. It would happen when it happened. Still, casual as the setup was, he’d made a point to wear some of his nicer clothes -- a pair of dark plaid pants that hugged the thighs and a dark red thermal, with some good jewelry. JC had approved the look, at least.
Feeling good and like it was going to be a good night, Gabriel said goodbye to his animals and his aunt, then climbed in the car to head toward Ludlow. It had warmed up a bit that day, but was still damn cold to Gabriel. He had to admit, it was cool to see snow on his birthday. That was a first. He drove to the Castells’ place, parked, trotted up the porch steps with a bounce, and rang the bell.
With Zania's tendency to go over the top with her commitments, she might have overbooked herself this week, but she was determined to do something special for Gabriel on his birthday, even if it was just cooking him dinner and baking a cake. She'd never had to share her birthday with a major holiday, but she had had to share one with her brother and she knew it was important to recognize them separately. Even as an adult, she wouldn't want her own birthday combined with Christmas. Tonight was about him, so she stopped icing cookies and set the gingerbread house aside. She shooed her brother out of the house and set the table for two. Then she cleaned herself up before heading back towards the kitchen, this time to start on dinner.
Zania had all the major work done by the time the bell rang and left the pot on to simmer as she headed towards the door. She was so used to being barefoot in her own house that it was a little weird to hear her heels on the wood floor, but her outfit wasn't complete without shoes on. She'd settled on a deep purple sweater that hugged her curves paired with black leather pants. Her boots would've worked just as well with the ensemble, but they weren't the touch she was looking for. If she'd had a little more time, she might've painted her nails, but in having to choose between decorating cookies and a manicure, cookies had won. She didn't think Gabriel would care. If he wanted a girl that cared that much about her nails, he probably wouldn't be with her. "Hey there, birthday boy," she smiled as she opened the door. "Come on in. Dinner's almost ready."
Gabriel was shifting from one foot to the other, his shoulders hunched a bit in his coat against the cold, but all of that stopped when Zania opened the door. His mouth formed a little O and his gaze swept over her before he grinned. She looked good. “Well hey there,” Gabriel answered as he stepped inside. “Look at you in them leather pants, damn girl.” And heels! Zania’s nails were the last things he was noticing. His tone was light and appreciative, almost teasing, but he sure meant it. Gabriel unzipped and shrugged out of his coat, then leaned in to give her a quick kiss. “Careful now, you’re gonna make me feel special or somethin’,” he murmured with another grin. Gabriel turned to hang his jacket up, then got ready to follow Zan. Whatever dinner was, it smelled good.
Zania glowed at the praise and did a little spin for him, happy to show off a little. She usually kept it casual, but it was fun to dress up from time to time, especially when she had someone who appreciated it. "I don't get to wear 'em often enough," she grinned, then kissed him back, feeling a little flutter in her stomach. She waited a moment for him to hang up his coat, then walked with him back towards the kitchen where her spaghetti bolognese was simmering on the stove. "If you don't feel special, then I've failed miserably," she laughed lightly. "I don't know how you usually celebrate your birthday, but in my family birthdays always came with big dinners. We could do that going out, but it's so damn cold that I thought it'd be nice to stay in. Plus, it gave me a chance to try my hand at a pie." She'd originally planned on a cake, but remembered that he was partial to pies. "Birthday cake can be a pie, right?"
Gabriel thought that if his ass looked that good in leather pants, he would wear them all the time, but he bit his tongue on saying so. For the moment, anyway. He’d just gotten there, he didn’t want to offend her or anything. “Birthday cake can totally be a pie,” he confirmed with enthusiasm, his eyes sweeping over the stove and counters. Gabriel’s stomach rumbled. He had gone light on lunch with this in mind, he just hoped it all didn’t weigh him down too much. He wanted to be on his game for later. “It all smells really fuckin’ good,” he told her, flashing a smile. “We usually do a big get-together, party in the courtyard, the whole block comes out. Any excuse to have a rager, y’know? But this is perfect this year, just what I wanted.” Gabriel leaned in close to smooch Zania’s cheek. “You’re a doll, thank you.”
"I can only handle throwing one rager a week," Zania laughed, grinning when he kissed her cheek. She almost said that she'd manage it next year, but that was too far off to make that kind of assumption about their relationship, not without sounding crazy. Plus, she didn't know if he'd made a lot of local friends yet. It was hard to throw a big party with just the two of them, but hopefully he'd enjoy the Christmas party on Thursday. "Can I pour you a glass of wine? I just need to cook the pasta and then we can eat." She hadn't wanted to put that on until he'd arrived, but it wouldn't take long to cook at all. She'd tried to be smart about dinner, to pick something that would take very little of her attention so that she could focus on him instead.
If Gabriel had known Zania’s friends better, he might have tried to claim her Christmas party as half a birthday party for himself, but he wasn’t sure how well that kind of humor would go over. He couldn’t see her having any overly Christian friends who might be offended by ‘who’s that Jesus guy anyway?’ jokes, but who knew. He was still looking forward to it, it would be a fun opportunity to get to get to know some more people in this close circle. “Yes please,” he said about the wine, picking a spot on the counter to lean against that didn’t seem to be in the way. “How’s that goin’, by the way? Need any help decorating or anything? I don’t have an eye for that kinda shit, but slap some tape in my hand and tell me where to hang the mistletoe and I’m your man.”
“I might have some mistletoe for you to hang, so long as I get a kiss out of it,” Zania grinned, pouring him a glass of wine. “It’s going pretty good so far. I designed it all, but Nic’s actually going to put it all up with glamour. We did a dry run last night, but he needs the solstice to really make something so big stick for a while. I decided to go with a How the Grinch Stole Christmas theme, so it’s kinda over the top, if that makes sense.” It was all bright, bold colors with stripes and spots and lights just about everywhere. Their house was going to glow for one night only, a spectacular sight for anyone venturing down Ludlow on the eve of the solstice. “Everyone invited knows we’re witches, so it’s not like we have to explain how we changed the decor so drastically for just one night.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice,” Gabriel murmured as he accepted the glass, smiling and giving Zania another once-over. The rest of what she said distracted him from flirting, and his brows lifted in surprise. “Ooohh y’all are goin’ that route, okay okay.” Lifting his wineglass to his lips, Gabriel looked around the kitchen, trying to picture what it might look like all Suess-ified. It did sound over the top and hilarious and fun. He hadn’t been to many themed Christmas parties, much less ones built with magic. “This is gonna be crazy,” he said, letting out a huffed laugh. Gabriel obviously approved. “Man, like ... what’s the dress code to this kinda party? I dunno if my closet is prepared.”
She wasn't sure what to make of his initial reaction and worried for a moment that she might've gone too over the top. Or too weird. It was never going to be a traditional party, but she probably could have toned it down a bit or gone with something that leaned a little more towards Yule traditions. Instead she'd thrown herself into a theme and didn't stop to think about what other people might think about it until now. His laugh of approval calmed her thoughts a bit and she smiled. "Wear whatever you want. I don't expect anyone in costume. I just like all the colors and the lights and the crazy, you know? 'Course, if you want to go bright and bold, that'd be welcome. I'll probably look like a candy cane." And as silly as that sounded, she was clearly happy about it.
“More than you already do?” Gabriel teased, grinning appreciatively at her. “Red hair, white skin, you’re halfway there. But nah, I’ll see what I can do. I’ll try not to clash, at least.” He had some bright bold colors in his wardrobe, and an ugly Christmas sweater he’d worn to another party a couple of years back, maybe that would be appropriate. Gabriel was looking forward to seeing how it all turned out though -- glamor was fascinating to him, it wasn’t an avenue of magic he’d ever had any talent at. Nic was apparently a master, from what Zania had told him. “Just lemme know if you need me to bring anything, yeah? I can at least help stock the bar or somethin’.”
"Hey, this candy cane made you dinner, so be nice," Zania grinned back at him. She knew that her bright red locks could be jarring, but she liked them that way for now. Maybe someday she'd let it soften to her natural color, but not right now. "You could totally contribute to the bar, especially if there's something you really want to drink. Just don't be upset if other people drink it too. I'm going to make some mulled wine, but that's the only thing I think we'll have in abundance, you know?" They'd probably have some beer too, even though Zania thought it was too cold for a beer. She wanted something hot this time of year, even when she was indoors.
“That is nice!” Gabriel insisted with a laugh. He loved her coloring, honestly, all the bits of it he’d gotten to see so far. “You’re a beautiful treat, see? Nice. And yeah, that’s kinda the given at any big party, I think.” If he bought booze to bring somewhere, Gabriel never expected to take any of it home. That was just how it was in his circles, share and share alike. “Don’t think I’ve ever had mulled wine, sounds tasty.” Speaking of wines, he took a sip from the glass in his hand, then straightened up to amble over toward the stove and have a peek at the pasta. He wasn’t going to rush her or take over, but he was hungry now.
"Thank you," Zania grinned over at him as she tested the pasta. She could get on board with being a 'beautiful treat', though she didn't really doubt that he found her attractive. Gabriel had been good about that from the beginning, dousing any insecurities Zania may have had. "It's basically just hot, spiced red wine, but it's good," she told him, taking the pasta off to drain. "Kind of a holiday thing for when it's freezing outside. Dinner's ready if you want to make yourself a plate. I've just got to get the bread out of the oven, aaaaaaand..." She looked around, making sure everything was set. The salad was on the counter, the pasta in the strainer, and the sauce had a ladle. "I think we're good to eat."
“Some’a my favorite words,” Gabriel said with relish, not hesitating to grab a plate. It was his birthday dinner, after all. He got a pile of pasta, then smothered it with the sauce that smelled so amazing. Once he had bread and salad to go with it, Gabriel sat down at the table. It all looked really nice, and he honestly couldn’t remember the last time a female who wasn’t family had cooked for him. It had been a while. He waited for Zania to join him with her own food, then smiled brightly at her as he spread his napkin in his lap. “This was really sweet of you,” he told her, which she probably knew, but it definitely bore repeating. “I hope Nic didn’t mind the intrusion too much ... is he still home?” It was an innocuous question, but he had some ulterior motives for asking. It was a big house, but Gabriel still wasn’t sure how much they welcomed each others’ dates over.
Zania wasn't normally nervous about cooking-- it was something she did every day, after all-- but she really didn't want to fuck up Gabriel's birthday dinner, especially since it was her first time cooking for him. She could burn things here and there, and everyone had recipes that were a miss, but this time she'd gone with something she knew was a winner. As she joined him at the table, she began to relax, excited to join him knowing that she'd managed it all without some kind of catastrophe. "Thanks," she smiled, appreciating the complement, even if she knew it was nice. "I promised him leftovers and kicked him out," she added with a grin. "Car's still in the driveway, so I'm pretty sure he's just next door."
Zania wasn't normally nervous about cooking-- it was something she did every day, after all-- but she really didn't want to fuck up Gabriel's birthday dinner, especially since it was her first time cooking for him. She could burn things here and there, and everyone had recipes that were a miss, but this time she'd gone with something she knew was a winner. As she joined him at the table, she began to relax, excited to join him knowing that she'd managed it all without some kind of catastrophe. "Thanks," she smiled, appreciating the complement, even if she knew it was nice. "I promised him leftovers and kicked him out," she added with a grin. "Car's still in the driveway, so I'm pretty sure he's just next door."
Gabriel laughed a little, picturing a pouty Nic trudging next door. Hopefully she told him to stay away for a while even after dinnertime. He was still feeling the guy out. “Next door to see his, uh ... girlfriend?” he asked, arching a brow across the table at Zania. If he remembered correctly, Zania hadn’t been quite sure if they were official or not, but regardless, the girl had looked like she was all of seventeen to Gabriel. Not that anybody was asking his opinion. He forked up some salad for his first bite, then started in on the spaghetti. “How’s that goin’? Do you like her?” It was probably a pretty important factor for twins who were close enough to live together, he would think.
“He hasn’t used the title, but I think that’s accurate,” Zania grinned, then nodded as she forked herself some salad. “Yeah, I like her. She’s fun. Kind of different. A free spirit, I guess. And she seems to get him.” She wasn’t entirely sure why they were a good match, but she could tell they were. It was one of those things that had happened and she just had to sit back and go huh because it worked. It didn’t matter why. “He hasn’t had good luck with girls, especially around here. He has a bit of a reputation and Lem… I don’t think she gives a shit,” she said, and it was clear that she approved of that. “She’s not a witch, but she’s got her own kind of powers. She and Vex. He’s the older guy she lives with. You’ll probably meet him at the party.”
Even though the girl looked like a kid to Gabriel, he didn’t really think Nic was that kind of pervert, or that Zania would approve if she wasn’t of age. So that part wasn’t his business. He wondered vaguely what kind of reputation Nic could have, but didn’t ask. It was more fun to try to suss it out for himself. “Good for them, then,” he said easily. “Getting people’s half the battle. But yeah, you mentioned them helping out with the werewolf thing. Should be fun to meet ‘em.” And the rest of Zania’s friends. She’d pointed a few people out to him at the fancy dress party, but Gabriel hadn’t gotten to talk in-depth with many folks yet. “So is everybody who’s comin’ some kind of magical?”
Zania had never explicitly asked about Lem's age, but assumed she was older than she looked. Her mother, however, had gotten straight to the point, only to have Nic coolly shoot Lem's age back at her, shutting off that line of conversation. She was young, but not that young, so back the fuck off. It was fun to watch her brother tell of their mother. He always managed it with so much more grace than she did. "Not everyone," Zania explained as they ate. "Like, Rost, the groundskeeper at the cemetery, he's got things like your family has Hoodoo, but he's not a witch and I'm pretty sure his friends aren't either. And Rylee's all human. Lem and Vex aren't witches, but they've got something going on. Like, psychic visions. But everyone coming knows about magic, which means we can use it freely. I'm really kind of looking forward to going over the top with things."
It was a lot of names, most of which were familiar to Gabriel just from conversation with Zania, but he didn’t have many faces to attach to them. So the party ought to be interesting, for sure. He nodded as he ate and listened, and halfway wished that parties were more animal-friendly. But that many people would put Anubis on edge, Bast would likely just hide under a couch, and most people didn’t take kindly to snakes in pockets. He would have to show off for Zania’s friends some other time. “Sounds like it’ll be a fun crowd,” he said, flashing her a grin. “Can’t wait to meet ‘em all.” Gabriel took a bite of garlic bread and contemplated asking if he would get introduced as her boyfriend, but decided just to wait and see. “And like I said, if you need any help, even like, puttin’ out napkins, lemme know. I’ll always take an excuse to show up early to a party.”
“I think you’ll like them,” Zania smiled. “I hope you’ll like them. I know it’s a lot at once, but I think it’ll be a lot more fun than the gala.” They’d had fun at the country club Christmas party, but this was so much more her scene and definitely more her people. She wanted them to meet him as much as them to meet him and was hoping that there were good vibes all around. “I’d love help setting up, so long as I can also talk you into hanging around afterwards. That’s not too much of me, is it?” she teased. There would be cleaning up, but her mind was on things other than cleaning. That could wait till the morning if he was there to keep her company.
Gabriel scoffed with teasing exaggeration, grinning at her. “Too much? Girl, please,” he said. “You don’t gotta talk me into nothin’, I’ll be that lingering motherfucker who doesn’t know when to leave.” He would never actually do that, of course, because he wasn’t that asshole. He’d known too many of them in his life to let himself become them. But it sounded like Zania wanted extra time with him, and Gabriel couldn’t say no to that. He huffed a laugh and sipped some more of his wine. “You just tell me when you want me around and I’m there,” he added, a little more smoothly. Not worrying about being sober enough to drive home would be nice anyway, even if he ended up on a couch.
"I'm pretty good about kicking people out when I want 'em gone," Zania said with a little laugh. "I don't think that's something you need to worry about right now." It was a little bit forward, but oh well. He had to know she wanted him around at this point. He'd met her parents and was going to meet her friends and suddenly it felt like she'd utterly failed in her efforts to take things slow, but she'd never been very patient to begin with. If he hadn't been scared off by this point, then she figured he was sticking around for a bit. "So what are you doing Christmas day? Is it just gonna be you and your Auntie?"
Gabriel had no doubt that Zania could be formidable when she wanted to be. He didn’t think anything about the forward implications, more than on board with what seemed to be growing between them. She was interested, he was more than interested, why beat around the bush, right? Life was short. Gabriel knew that was risky sometimes, but he didn’t mind that either. “Yeah, if she’s off work,” he answered her question with a nod. “Probably some good breakfast, Facetime with the family back home. Christmas ain’t really a big deal to us noways, don’t think any of us really claim Christian. But the tree and shit is fun, y’know? How ‘bout you guys? Takin’ a break after the party?”
It was kind of hard to claim Christian when the religion condemned them for existing, but Zania still enjoyed the holiday and doubted that most people who celebrated it were seriously religious. "Yeah, we're just going to my parents’ house. Christmas was a big deal when we were little, but that's pretty common with kids. Now it's pretty laid back. We have breakfast, open presents, then head home mid-afternoon. We do a big family dinner on Christmas eve, so we're not stuck there all day." It was best to have family time in small doses, in her opinion. Hours upon hours with her parents would sour the holiday, so she was glad to get out of there midday.
He nodded -- that sounded pretty standard. His family back home usually had a big party, but they kind of found any excuse to party, so it wasn’t unusual. Any excuse they could find to get together and eat a lot and drink a lot and laugh just as much was a good one. Gabriel knew he wouldn’t really have that here, or it would take a while to find, but he wasn’t too worried about it. He would get to party with Zania and her friends, and that would tide him over. He didn’t mind the actual holiday being low key. “Sounds nice,” he said, smiling at her before lifting his wine to take another drink. Gabriel lifted a teasing brow at her. “So do you want your present on the actual day? Means I’ll have to come see you once you’re done at your mom’s. Or you want it early?”
“It’s soooo tempting to ask for it early,” Zania laughed. “But I think I’d rather see you after, if you’re cool with just curling up on the couch and chilling for the evening.” She’d enjoyed cooking for him today, but wasn’t going to take on Christmas dinner. Nope. No way. She wanted something nice and easy and relaxing and she hoped he’d be on board with that. “So you got me a present?” she asked with a teasing lilt. “Can I have a hint?” She didn’t actually want to know, that spoiled the fun, but she liked to try and guess. She’d really struggled with what to get him for Christmas, which was why she didn’t have a separate present for his birthday. Dinner was supposed to be the gift and she really hoped he wouldn’t be disappointed that he didn’t get something else.
Gabriel didn’t actually expect any presents at all from her. They were so new to each other, it had taken him a while to think of something to do for or give to her, but he thought he’d done decently well. It wasn’t over the top, but a nice little something that he knew she would appreciate. “I’m very cool with that,” he answered with a half-grin. Gabriel didn’t want to make a huge deal out of the holiday anyway, and he especially didn’t want Zan to go out of her way to try and pamper him, he was already getting that right now. He just wanted to see her. “‘Course I got you a present. And a hint, hmmm ...” He pursed his lips and looked like he was thinking hard. “You can wear it,” Gabriel offered.
"Hmmm... I bet it's a onesie," Zania grinned, clearly teasing. "A Christmas one, with matching socks. Or a wearable blanket! I'd actually like one of those." She got so cold in the winter and this house, as much as she loved it, was not as well insulated as the newer ones. There was almost always a fire burning in the fireplace and she'd be right next to it if she wasn't snuggled up next to Gabriel later. "I'm sure I'll like it, no matter what it is," she said more honestly. Like Gabriel, she really just wanted to see him. A gift was just an added bonus.
Gabriel laughed. “Aw shit, now I gotta send it back,” he teased, shaking his head sadly. He gave her a little wink as he forked up some more spaghetti. It was all settling nice and warm in his stomach, and he was feeling ready to be reclined on a couch with another glass of wine and Zania by his side. “Bet you’d look cute in a onesie, though. Lil fire emojis all over it.” He snickered at his own mental picture and stuffed his mouth full again. He thought she would like what he got her, even if she didn’t wear it all the time. Gabriel just hoped she wouldn’t think it was too forward ... but they both seemed cool with the pace they were going.
“Now I really want one,” Zania snickered, thinking that maybe she’d hunt one down. She might not be able to find one with fire emojis on it, but she was sure she could find something comparable. Maybe after Christmas. Her mother was sure to get her gift cards, as they were safe, inoffensive gifts, even if they were boring to open. As Zania finished off her wine, she sat back in her chair, feeling full enough that she didn’t want to keep eating. She didn’t want to be stuffed, especially if there was a chance they might get up to something later, so this was probably a good place to stop. “What do you wear to bed?” she asked with a grin, then felt the need to explain herself. “I got to thinking about onesies and kind of went from there.”
As unsexy as it might seem, Gabriel thought she might be super cute in onesie pajamas, especially if they could be slowly unbuttoned from the front. That was just his imagination chomping at the bit, though. He took one more big bite which nearly cleared his plate, and sat back as well, grinning over at her. “Nothin’, if I can help it,” he answered with a smoothly flirty lilt to his voice. Gabriel dropped Zania a little wink and then laughed at himself. “That might need to change up here though, I’ve woke up cold a few times.” The nights in coastal Maine were definitely different than nights in New Orleans. Gabriel had called Anubis up to the bed more than once to snuggle up and keep him warm. “What about you?” he countered, smirking as he sipped the last of his wine.
"As sexy as that is, it's definitely chilly getting out of bed," Zania agreed with a grin. "You need, like, a big fluffy robe to pull on. And lots of blankets." She could really pile them on in the winter, when the temperature dipped below freezing. Even better would be a warm body to share the bed with, but she wasn't going to say so. "For me, it depends on the season. In the winter, I'm partial to flannel pajamas. In the summer, probably a tank top and panties. Or a nightie," she said with a saucy little smile. She had some lingerie, which was also fun, but those were meant to come off, not stay on. If he hung around, he'd get to see some of it, but that was more fun if it was a surprise, like unwrapping a present.
“Ooh, nightie sounds pretty fun,” Gabriel murmured, liking that smile on her face. “I got animals to warm my bed if I need ‘em, Bast is pretty good at keeping my feet unfrozen. But human company is so much better.” As cozy as flannel pajamas sounded, Gabriel hated being so bound up when he slept. Things got twisted and pinched and uncomfortable. He would much rather have bare skin on bare skin under a big thick blanket. Ideally, it would be a big soft nest with human company in the middle and animal company around the edges, everybody au naturale. Thinking about it all was giving him a hankering to lounge with Zan somewhere, so he pushed his chair back a bit. “You ready to move somewhere more comfy?” he asked.
"I've got a few you might like," Zania teased. She didn't need to wear much of anything if she was sharing the bed, so they were in agreement there. Body heat was always better than blankets, though she'd like to have both. "Yeah, I've got cherry bourbon birthday pie, but maybe we can have it later," she smiled, rising from the table. She took his dish from in front of him and set it over by the sink, but decided that the dishes could wait. Right now she wanted some quality time and she suspected Gabriel felt the same. "Should I bring the wine?" she asked, picking up the bottle as she turned back to face him.
Gabriel wasn’t positive they were going to have sex, but he had a good suspicion, and some post-coital pie sounded completely heavenly. It would be delicious anyway, he had no doubt, but there was nothing like that first snack after a good fucking. “Oh my god that sounds good,” he said with a laugh as he stood up as well. Gabriel picked up his wine glass and nodded to Zania’s question. “Absolutely. We’ll drink it ‘til it’s dead.” He moved out from behind the table, but let Zania lead the way, since it was her house and her ultimate decision on where they got more comfortable. He was just ready to be closer to her.
While she wanted to end up in the bedroom, going straight there to get comfy seemed a little bit brash, so Zania led them back to the living room instead. She figured they could always move things upstairs if they wanted, and if they didn’t, then at least they had the house to themselves. There was nothing saying they had to use the bedroom. “Do you wanna watch something?” she asked, nodding towards the television as she set the wine on the coffee table and took a seat on the couch. She couldn’t imagine really focusing on it, and it might not stay on for long, but it felt like she should offer. “We should have a wide selection of Christmas specials available to us,” she smiled. “If that’s your thing. It’s not very birthday-y.”
He helped himself to the seat next to her, sitting close and settling in with his arm draped over the back of the couch. “How ‘bout just some music?” he suggested, arching a brow a tiny bit. Gabriel definitely wasn’t in the mood to pay attention to anything but Zania, and Christmas specials or music or whatever was a turn off. “If you got any bluetooth speakers anywhere, I’ve got some good playlists ... or just one’a them upper channels ...” Jesus could have his damn birthday in a few days, it was still Gabriel’s day.
Music was a much better suggestion, and way less likely to make her laugh when she didn't want to be laughing. Luckily, she had a bluetooth speaker within reach and she grabbed it off the end table to hand to him. "I'm good with just about anything," she said, curling into him a little. He was nice and warm and smelled so damn good that she couldn't quite keep her hands off him, though she did manage to wait patiently as he set up the music.
“Lessee here,” Gabriel murmured as he got his phone connected to the speaker. He thumbed through his Spotify until he found a playlist that was mostly lowkey electronica music. It was sexy, but not as cliche as Barry White or something. He set the speaker and his phone back on the coffee table and settled back again, pulling Zania’s warm body back against his. Gabriel gave her a lazy smile. “That aight? Lemme know if you hate it,” he said. He still hadn’t pinned down what kind of music she really liked, but he hoped she was getting the same sorts of vibes from what he’d put on.
So long as Gabriel didn’t put on yodeling or showtimes, Zania was likely to be fine with it. What she wanted was some alone time with him and expected he’d put on music that fit the mood. Gabriel didn’t disappoint and she smiled back at him, grabbing the front of his shirt to pull him in for a kiss. “It’s perfect,” she murmured before pressing her lips to his. It was just enough background noise that they weren’t sitting in silence, but nothing that would distract her from him. She’d been wanting to kiss him for a good hour, but had been worried that they wouldn’t make it to dinner if she started. While that wouldn’t be a big deal normally, she’d put too much work into tonight to let it all go to waste.
That kiss definitely made him feel like they were on the same page, and Gabriel smiled briefly before their mouths came together again. Dinner had been delicious, so he was glad they hadn’t skipped it, but this was the dessert he’d been hoping for. Gabriel turned a bit so he could face her more, his free hand sliding down Zania’s side to rest on her waist. He’d had girlfriends with roommates before, of course, but none who still lived with family since he’d been in high school, so knowing in the back of his head that Zania’s brother might come home early and find them making out on the couch like kids was kind of amusing. It didn’t bother him in the least though, he was all in for this. With a soft hum, he parted his lips to kiss her a bit deeper.
If Nic came home early, Zania would probably set him on fire. They had an understanding when it came to needing space to themselves and Zania had been clear that she had the house tonight. He owed it to her, considering she'd almost walked in on him and Lem a number of times because they couldn't be bothered to make it to the bedroom. Which was fine, that was the problem with living with someone, but tonight was hers. She let him deepen the kiss, her tongue sliding back against his as she settled against him, happy to let things build at their own pace so long as they got where she wanted to go.
Wherever that ended up being, Gabriel was fully along for the ride. Zania tasted incredible as always, and the brush of her tongue sent happy tingles down through the front of his body. His hand gently squeezed the top of Zania’s hip before he brushed it back up her body to rest his fingers against the side of her jaw and neck as they kissed. They hadn’t jumped right into the physical part of whatever this was growing to be, and he felt like all of that anticipation was finally going to be satisfied tonight. Gabriel wanted to savor every moment of it. He pushed a little more firmly into the kiss, sinking into the growing warmth in his stomach.
This was the first time in a long time that Zania had made herself go slow. Usually she jumped right into the physical part of the relationship, only to find out she didn't really like a guy when they weren't fooling around. It made things so much more difficult because by then she was attached, but personalities clashed. So she'd really worked at going the opposite route with Gabriel, even though she knew she wanted him. It surprised her how much more satisfying this was, being kissed and touched by a man she really connected with, and her body thrummed with anticipation of what was to come. Her hand loosened on his shirt so that it could slide slowly over his chest, making room so that he could press up against her. She wanted his hands on her bare skin and wondered at what point she should just go for it.
She was a damn good kisser, which Gabriel already knew, but always got his blood pumping hard. Good mouth work was essential to a good sex life, in his humble opinion, and he was looking forward to feeling those full lips of hers elsewhere on his body. Her hands too, because the way Zania was stroking his chest was making him feel even more overheated. He kissed her for a while longer, then pulled back to get a couple of breaths. Gabriel wanted her body closer to his, so he pulled a little on her hips to urge her into his lap. “C’mere,” he murmured with a tiny smile. The couch was comfortable and fairly roomy, but crawling on top of a woman was always more awkward with a wall of cushions in the way. Gabriel wanted to see and touch and kiss and lick more of her, and that was easier from below.
The kisses left her breathless and the desire growing between her legs was starting to drive her crazy with the lack of pressure. If he hadn’t urged her into his lap, she would’ve moved there herself, and she moved there quickly, but smoothly, eager to feel him against her in a new way. Before he could kiss her again, she grabbed her sweater from the bottom and pulled it over her head, then dropped it on the floor. She was far too warm with it on and figured this way she’d get to feel more of his hands on her sooner rather than later. “Better,” she grinned, then leaned in to kiss him again. She gave a slow roll of her hips against his and moaned softly into the kiss. He tasted damn good, but he felt even better.
Watching that sweater come off was delightful, and Gabriel let out a low hum of appreciation as his eyes swept down Zania’s body. Her black lace bra was enticing against all that milky pale skin. “Much,” he murmured and smiled very briefly before their mouths met again. She had settled in the perfect spot on his lap, and the wave of pressure from that hip roll drew a soft grunt out of him. Gabriel was already hard, and that just made him ache. He kissed her deeply and ran his hands down the curve of her body until both hands were on her ass. The leather pants felt hot under his palms, and Gabriel squeezed and pulled her in tight against him as he rocked his own hips under her.
The feeling of his hard cock pressed between her legs was such sweet torture that Zania ground against him, intent on driving them both mad. There were times that she could spend forever on the foreplay, but tonight was not that night. It felt like they'd been doing it for weeks, winding up to this point, the anticipation so great that she was already wet and pulsing with desire. She loved the pants, and would for sure wear them again for him, but she almost wished she'd worn a skirt just to make things easier. The way his hands grabbed her ass, she knew he would give her one hell of a ride.
Clothes could be such an inconvenience. It made Gabriel wish he had some teleportation skills and could just blink them all away. Because Zania grinding against him like that was making him feel like his blood was about to boil. He’d figured she would be fun in bed, but she already felt a little wild, and that was a goddamn turn on. Gabriel let it go on for another stretch of time, their mouths dancing together as they rubbed on each other, at least until he had to pull away to breathe. Gabriel dipped his head in to press breathy, hungry kisses against Zania’s chest and the tops of her breasts, letting out a low groan in his throat. “You ‘bout to make me act up on this couch,” he murmured, glancing up at her with a quick smirk before he put his mouth on her again.
Zania's back arched as Gabriel's mouth moved down to her chest, her fingers sliding up into his hair. If she worked at it long enough, she could get off like this, just rubbing against him as he kissed her, but she wanted more and knew he did too. "Maybe I want you to act up on this couch," she laughed breathily. "Though the bedroom would be better," she added, then kissed him again. She didn't care, so long as clothes started coming off and she got a chance to see more of that gorgeous body of his. She could feel it against her, the strength in his arms and his chest, those rock hard abs, but nothing beat skin on skin contact. The only downside of staying here was they’d eventually have to move. Right now they had incentive, whereas after she knew she’d want to lay about and a bed would be much more roomy.
As much as Gabriel enjoyed the naughtiness of fooling around on communal furniture, he knew that the bed would be better, especially for their first time. He wanted room to stretch out and explore Zania’s body, to make sure they were relaxed and could enjoy every minute without weird positioning or worrying about getting anything on the upholstery. So he hummed his agreement as he kissed in between Zania’s breasts, his strong hands squeezing her ass again before he lifted his head. “Lead the way to you boudoir then,” he murmured at her with a lazy smile. “I can act up just fine in there too.” Besides the sex that was coming, he was kind of excited to see her room too. It was fun to be nosy about people’s bedrooms.
There were probably a lot of good reasons not to stay downstairs on the couch, but Zania couldn't think straight with Gabriel's lips on her body, so it was probably better that he make the decision. She gave a little groan as he squeezed her ass, then kissed him and crawled off his lap. "Follow me then," she smiled, grabbing her sweater before taking his hand. She led the way up the stairs, the house old enough that each one creaked slightly, then turned down the hall towards her bedroom. It was dark until she turned on a light at the bedside, flooding the room with a soft, warm glow. She'd been hoping they might make it here, so she'd taken the time to clean, but her room, more than any other room in the house, had a feeling of never quite being organized. It was due to her style of decorating-- the sheer panels canopying over the bed, the velvet and silk pillows tossed about with blankets and lace tableclothes. Everything in her room was an antique, making the term boudoir feel even more appropriate. Zania dropped her sweater on a bench at the foot of the bed, then move in close to Gabriel, her fingers threading through his. "This should be a bit more comfy," she smiled.
Gabriel didn’t give a damn about organized, the room was comfortable-looking and quirky and very Zania. The canopy over the bed especially looked classy and romantic. He was more interested in the woman in front of him than the room, though. As long as the bed was roomy and comfortable, nothing else mattered. Gabriel smiled lazily at Zania and moved for the bed, pulling her along with him. He pushed one of the canopy panels out of the way and sat on the edge of it, his hands landing on Zania’s hips to urge her closer in between his thighs. “Already is,” he murmured up at her. “‘Cept you’re too dressed.” He pressed some more kisses between her breasts and on her upper stomach as his fingers found the fly of her leather pants and started to undo it.
Zania went where he guided her, not protesting in the least. More kisses and less clothes were definitely on the agenda, a prerequisite for what was to come. She hummed happily as he kissed between her breasts, sliding her hands up his thighs and under his thermal. Her hands pressed against his stomach, inching the shirt up until she felt her pants loosen on her hips. "Off," she demanded, smiling as she tugged it up higher. If she was too dressed, then he definitely was, and she glanced towards the fireplace just long enough to light a fire there. The old house was drafty and if they weren't going to be wearing anything, then they needed a little something extra to keep them warm.
Gabriel tossed just a quick glance over at the fireplace as it roared to life -- he’d never been able to master that. It was so handy. He leaned back enough to strip his shirt off, and the black tank top layered underneath it. He put plenty of work into his body, and while it wasn’t all a chiseled masterpiece, he knew he looked pretty damn good. His skin itched for Zania’s hands, so he moved back in close quickly, hooking his fingers in the waistband of her leather pants to start pulling them down. It took some doing -- he’d never met a pair of leather pants that were easy to get into and out of -- but Zania was finally in just her underwear, and Gabriel gave a wordless murmur of appreciation. She was as gorgeous without clothes on as she was fully dressed -- not that he was surprised. Gabriel stood up, still close to her, and started undoing his belt. He smirked down at Zania, eyes sweeping down over all her bare skin. “You best get in that bed, girl,” he murmured teasingly.
Zania giggled as Gabriel worked her pants off, always a challenge even if they were worth it, then stretched slowly after she kicked them to the side. She didn't have a perfect body either--her tits were small and her skin was pale--but she was comfortable in it and knew how to show it off. She liked the way Gabriel's eyes lingered on her form and she grinned back at him as she backed towards the bed. "You gonna come get me?" she teased as she pushed back the covers and hopped up on the bed to watch him undress further. Laying sprawled out on a bed wasn't exactly an art form, but she made it look graceful and as tempting as possible.
She looked damn good to Gabriel, and he didn’t try to hide it as he undid his pants and pushed them down. This was as naked as they’d ever gotten with each other, as much as they’d made out and groped, and he was excited to peel the rest of it off and just get down to their natural states. Gabriel left his black boxer briefs on for the moment -- which currently had a significant bulge in the front -- grinning at Zania as he crawled onto the bed with her. “That’s the plan,” he murmured as he scooted in close. Gabriel settled on his side and pulled her in against him. “These look gorgeous on you, by the way,” he added, running his hand down Zania’s side, fingers pausing to pluck at the elastic of her bra and panties in turn. Anything would have looked great, of course, but he knew women liked the acknowledgement of their effort.
Zania’s eyes took him in, sweeping from his feet up, enjoying every exposed inch of him. She’d been looking forward to this all evening and the anticipation had pushed her arousal into overdrive, making her wet and ready when he moved in close. Her hands moved to his chest, dancing over his skin, sliding down his body till she was tracing along the waistband of his boxer briefs. She knew how tantalizing that felt, especially since he was doing something similar to her, and as he plucked at her lingerie she carefully ran one finger up the bulge tenting the front of his boxers. “I was hoping you might like them,” she purred with confidence. It had been her every intention that he would see them tonight, the culmination of weeks of flirting and making out. After this she couldn’t imagine ever maintaining that amount of restraint again.
Gabriel let out a low hum at the teasing touch, his lips quirking upward. “Impossible not to,” he mumbled as his fingers grazed back up the side of Zania’s body. He dipped his head in to kiss along her jaw and down to her neck, while his hand moved around to unhook the back of her bra. Sexy as it was, he wanted access to more of her skin, wanted to feel the press of bare breasts against his chest. Gabriel didn’t give a shit if they were small, they were hers and that made them perfect. He pulled back to give her room to get it all the way off, helping where he could without getting in her way. Once that was done, Gabriel nudged Zania to roll onto her back, settling his knees between her legs and bracing his hands at her sides to hold his upper body up. He kissed at her neck and collarbone, then downward until he caught a nipple between his lips to suck on and tease.
Zania shivered as his fingers slid across her skin, leaving little goosebumps in their wake. Sometimes a light touch could be so erotic and Gabriel seemed to know just how to turn her on, the kisses down her neck following up on the job started by his hands. She smiled as he managed to unhook her bra with ease, then took a moment to slide it off her arms and drop it to the floor. It had been a long while since she undressed so slowly for anyone, or with so much care, but she found it to be sexy in how deliberate it was, giving each other access to their bodies. Zania rolled onto her back at his urging, her legs sliding up his hips, pulling him in. As his lips moved down to her breast, she moaned softly, instinctively arching towards his mouth. The speed they were moving at really was torture, her body ached to have more of him, but she couldn’t bring herself to complain to speed things up either. Every kiss and touch was so delicious that she wanted to savor it. Next time they could rush towards completion if they wanted to because there was most definitely going to be a next time. This was just the first of many.
Anything worth doing was worth doing right, that was what Gabriel’s mother always told him, and sometimes that meant taking one’s time. He wanted Zania to feel valued all over, like he wasn’t rushing straight to her pussy just to get some of his own pleasure. Gabriel wanted to explore her, find out what made her moan and arch like that, make sure this was an amazing experience for both of them. So he lingered at her breasts for a few minutes, caressing and sucking and nibbling lightly. Gabriel tossed a glance up toward Zania’s face, then started kissing his way down her stomach, scooting his body back as he went. He ended up face to face with her sexy lace underwear, and hummed appreciatively as he licked just outside the edge of the material, in the dip where her inner thigh met the rest of her body. She smelled warm and tantalizing, but he wanted to tease her a bit more, so Gabriel did the same to the other side.
Zania appreciated every steamy second that he spent on her and made a mental note to repay him in kind the next time she had a chance. For now all she could do was let her fingers trail along his body and arms, then up into his hair as he knelt between her legs. His kisses and nips left her breathless and she imagined that what came next would have her gasping his name. "Fuck," she moaned softly as his tongue traced along the edge of her panties, so close to where she wanted him, but still with too much between them. "Didn't know you were such a tease," she murmured with a smile, then shuddered as his tongue ran up the other side. She was already wet, as she was sure that he could tell, but having him so close made her pussy pulse, desperate for more.
“Mmm, I always deliver though,” Gabriel murmured up at her, smiling briefly before he went back to work. He rather enjoyed getting teased himself, so it wasn’t like he couldn’t take what he dished out. If someone knew what they were doing, at least. Gabriel pressed his lips against the crotch of Zania’s panties, giving her some warmth before he moved his fingers to pull the lacy thing aside. He gave a wordless murmur of appreciation, just drinking in the sight of her for a heartbeat. Women’s bodies were amazing to him, complex and earthy, the seat of all life. Gabriel liked to give them respect, even if it was just in his own head. He also loved to make them come, so he got started on that, closing his full lips around Zania’s folds and sucking gently before he stroked his tongue against her.
Zania laughed softly, then sighed happily as he pressed his lips to her mound. It wasn't everything she wanted, but it was a start and it wasn't much longer before he was pulling her panties aside and finally getting down to business. She groaned as her hips pressed upwards, eager to have more of his tongue. She knew not all guys liked to go down on a girl, but it felt so incredible and was the easiest way to make her come. It also didn't stop her from wanting to fuck. Foreplay that resulted in an orgasm, just so she could possibly have another, was the best kind of foreplay if you asked her. And Gabriel was good at it, sucking and licking in all the right places that had her breathing hard within a matter of minutes.
Giving head was something Gabriel had loved doing since he first started having sex, and he’d had lots of practice to help hone his craft. Every woman was unique, so the most important thing he’d learned was to listen -- to their words, to their moans, to their breathing, to their bodies. It had never seemed too difficult to him to suss out what felt good to them, and those were the areas and pressures and motions he focused on. Simple. Gabriel also enjoyed it, so that probably made a difference as well. He explored her without rushing, dipping his tongue into every fold of her and sucking gently at her lips, everything soft until Zania’s body told him more pressure was okay. He flicked lightly at her clit before he sucked on it again, humming his own pleasure in the back of his throat. She tasted wonderful to him, and he was pretty sure one day he wanted to stay down there between her creamy thighs for hours on end.
It quickly became obvious to Zania that Gabriel was not only good at what he was doing, but he also enjoyed it. He wasn't trying to rush her along, but seemed to be savoring her, slowly winding her up till she was practically squirming beneath him. Her hips rocked in slow circles, her feet planted on the bed so she could occasionally push up against him. She'd never been self-conscious enough to be quiet in bed, so she guided him with moans and soft curses, increasing in their frequency the closer she got to coming. The pressure on her clit made her shudder and arch, and she tugged at his dreadlocks as she cried out. "Fuck," she gasped, her breath hitching as her hips began to jerk. Perfect, sublime pleasure rolled through her as she came, her body tingling from head to toe.
Gabriel knew it was coming, of course, and he felt almost as excited as she was, his cock leaking a bit in his boxers. He groaned into Zania’s flesh as he rode it out with her, keeping up the sensations but trying not to cross that line into overstimulation. The way she pulled at his hair and her body shook made him feel like he was doing a damn good job, which of course just turned him on even more. Once it seemed like the bulk of Zania’s orgasm had died down, Gabriel let up on her, just gently kissing around her mound before he lifted his head and grinned at her. “I been wantin’ to do that for a while,” he murmured as he climbed back up to her level and settled his weight against her. There was still thin cloth between them, but her warm pussy still felt good as he pushed gently against it.
"If I'd known you were that good at it," Zania panted, still catching her breath. "I'd have never had the willpower to wait this long." She'd been close to inviting him to bed with her on more than one occasion, but knew that once she did she could never go back. It always felt like a big step in a real relationship, whereas the same thing would've meant nothing had this been a fling. She'd known early on that Gabriel was more than that and proceeded with caution. Guys that wormed their way into her heart were so much more dangerous, the hold they had on her difficult to unravel once she'd been ensnared. Zania smiled lazily up at Gabriel as he climbed up her body, her hands running up his arms before wrapping around his neck. "You're going to spoil me," she teased, rolling her hips against his.
“Mmm, there’s a lot to be said for pleasant surprises.” As antsy as he’d felt inside about the slow burn they’d been riding for a while, Gabriel was glad now that they’d waited. It had definitely let the anticipation build, and he knew for sure now that he was interested in more than Zania’s body. Not that it wasn’t captivating on its own, but he liked what was between her ears just as much. “Spoilin’ you is the goal,” Gabriel murmured back to her as he rocked his hips against hers again, a little smile crossing his face. He pressed his lips to hers again, lingering there for a moment before he pulled back and looked into her eyes. “And I’m dyin’ to do it some more, so ... condom? I got some, just askin’ ...” He didn’t want her to think he’d come unprepared, Gabriel would just happily skip the rubber if Zania was cool with it. They hadn’t had that discussion yet.