Who: Zania and Gabriel Where: The Castell House When: Mid-March Status: Complete
Zania leaned back in her chair and took a sip of her wine, thinking to herself how nice this was. The past couple of months had been rough, some of the hardest times she’d ever had to deal with, but Gabriel had been there for her through it all. It was long past the point where she’d expected him to cut and run. Instead, he was over more nights than not, helping her make dinner, occasionally even taking over, making things far superior than anything she could manage. Those nights were her favorite--not because he was a better cook, but because she loved watching him work his way around her kitchen while she kept him company over a bottle of wine. Tonight was one of those nights, with the added bonus of Nic being out of the house.
When her grandmother had left her the shop and the house, it had never occurred to her not to share it with Nic. She’d never had second thoughts about the shop -- she couldn’t possibly manage it all on her own -- but she’d recently become more and more aware of how difficult it was to live with her brother now that they were both adults. It was fine when they’d both been single, but awkward when one of them was dating. And even more awkward when she was in a happy relationship and Nic was… Zania didn’t even know what Nic and Lem were to each other at this point. They weren’t dating, but she wouldn’t tell Nic that. She wasn’t going to throw a rock at his life when it was already held together with crazy glue and duct tape. But she didn’t mean she had to stop living her life, just because his was a mess. It might never get better for him, not if he didn’t do something about it, but she could do something on her end. Not for him, but for herself.
“You should move in with me,” she said, surprising herself, as if it was a thought that she hadn’t quite meant to say out loud. Zania smiled then, and laughed a little. “I mean, if you want to. It’s not a direct order.”
Ever since the end of January, things had been pretty peaceful in Point Pleasant, and Gabriel had been grateful for that. Even his auntie had remarked on it, how both the mundane and the supernatural seemed to have quieted down. He knew in a peripheral way that Nic was struggling with his girlfriend next door, but Gabriel didn’t pry into his business so he just knew the little he’d heard from Zania. In any case, the salon was doing well now, a nice steady stream of regulars and folks who were tired of driving so far to get their hair done was keeping him afloat. Gabriel had proven his versatility with his clients, and even some of the older blue-haired white ladies now trusted him with their perms. It was nice, and life seemed to be getting better in general.
His mind was on the curry he was making when Zania made her suggestion, and the hand shaking spices into the pot stopped as he glanced around with a raised eyebrow. It was a surprise to him, but she sounded pretty solid about it herself, so he didn’t think it was an impulsive thing. Gabriel flashed her a grin and chuckled. “Well damn,” he said. He gave the pot a few good stirs and then turned to look at her more fully. “In here with you and Nic you mean, right?” He was still smiling and didn’t sound put off by the idea, but he couldn’t discount the other person who lived in this house too.
It was something she’d been thinking about, but not thinking through. Zania knew she should probably consult Nic, but she also couldn’t imagine him telling her no. On the other hand, if he’d decided Lem should move in with them, she’d have put her foot down. Gently, but still. She loved Lem, but she couldn’t see that being good for them. Gabriel, on the other hand, was amazing. Her nose crinkled and her lips pursed at mention of her brother, Gabriel’s question forcing her to look at the big picture. “Technically, yes, but—I’m hoping you’d share my room, not his,” she said. “I can’t really kick him out. I mean, I could, but not right now.”
The idea of sharing a room with Nic made Gabriel chuckle. “Oh no, and I would never ask you to,” he was quick to respond to the rest of it. “Just making sure you meant here and not getting our own place or something.” Which was probably a silly question now that he thought about it. This had been Zania’s home for a long time, and the very walls were infused with her personality. It was definitely big enough for three, while his auntie’s apartment was feeling more and more cramped the longer he stayed there. It didn’t seem like a huge relationship step for them, either -- Gabriel was already spending a ton of time at the Castells’ place anyway, and he was more in love with Zania every week. He grinned at her a bit. “And you’re good with me bringing my babies, right?” he asked.
The thought of getting their own place, a different place, hadn’t even crossed Zania’s mind and mention of it gave her pause. The house on Ludlow had been in her family for generations, but she understood that not everyone wanted it. Her father certainly hadn’t and she doubted Nic would have been there if it hadn’t been left to her. But for Zania, this was where she’d always felt she was meant to be. The ground had been blessed so many times that there was more Castell blood in the earth than in her body. The greenhouse had been her grandmothers and she doubted she could recreate the environment on her own, not without a skilled earth witch assisting her. No, it wasn’t a big house in Overlook, but she’d never really felt like she fit in there. This was her home and the thought of going anywhere else unsettled her. She was relieved that that didn’t appear to be what Gabriel was suggesting. “Of course,” she smiled, finding her footing again. “I always assumed you were a package deal.”
Gabriel could see he’d tripped Zania up a bit by accident, which only solidified his intention to move into this house. Hell, it would save them on rent anyway, right? He’d always respected families who kept their legacies alive like this, and he would never try to force her into the decision of leaving her home. “We are,” he confirmed with a bright smile back. Gabriel glanced at the pot on the stove briefly to make sure it wasn’t burning, then moved to where Zania was sitting. He cupped her face in both hands and bent down to kiss her, lingering in it for a moment. “I would love to move in with you,” he murmured, then smirked at her. “I’ll even do chores, run around in my boxers and clean if you want.” He would do chores anyway, and he was sure Nic would appreciate him wearing pants at all times in the common areas, but still, it was fun to joke about.
It had been a spontaneous question, but it was still something Zania found she really wanted. She’d never had a good idea about how long people were supposed to date before making certain commitments, but this felt right, even if it was relatively soon. Did it matter how long they’d been dating when they’d performed a ritual sacrifice together? And saved each other’s lives? Waiting another six months sounded stupid. They were adults and she wanted to see him dance around in his boxers whenever she wanted. “You don’t have to clean for me,” she smirked back at him. “Just keep my bed warm, bring me coffee in the morning, and tea at night. That kind of thing.” She was teasing, for the most part, but she definitely liked the idea of falling asleep with him every night. “I do like you in the kitchen though. That’s a definite upgrade.”
Zania wasn’t going to be the first girl Gabriel had ever moved in with, and he tended to think that cohabitation wasn’t as big of a deal as a lot of people made it out to be. Sure, it was a pain in the ass to move, but he’d always had other places to go. Besides, Gabriel reasoned that it was impossible to truly know if you wanted to be with someone long term until you lived with them. That was where the real, everyday life shit happened, where you really learned who someone was. So he was more than happy to go on that journey with Zan. “Think I can handle that,” he said, and flashed her a grin. Gabriel straightened up and went back to tending to the food he was making, so he wouldn’t get all caught up in kissing her and burn something by accident. “I’ll earn my keep somehow, be it over a hot stove or between hot sheets.” He chuckled as he stirred and added a couple more dashes of spice into the mix. “Do you, uh ... think we should both talk to Nic? Or just you?” he asked, glancing back at her.
Zania grinned, more thrilled than she was willing to let on. While she’d had some serious relationships in her past, they’d never made it to the point of moving in together, so while it wasn’t a big deal, it also was in a different sort of way. She knew, like he did, that that’s where you saw if things were really going to work. It was a lot easier to put up with someone’s bullshit when you could still get away from them every once and a while— not that Gabriel had any bullshit that she was worried about. “I can do it,” she said with a little sigh. “I don’t think he’ll have a problem with it, but he should probably know before you start moving in. He’s been moody lately, but I can’t really blame him.” Nic had his hands so full with Lem that he probably wouldn’t have noticed that Gabriel had moved in until a snake curled up on his lap one day.
Gabriel nodded to what she said as he turned off the stove and took the pot off of the burner. He pulled down a couple of bowls to dish out their meal for them. It was probably best that Zania talk to Nic alone, just in case he had a strong reaction to the idea, he would feel freer to express himself without Gabriel there staring at him too. At least that’s what Gabriel suspected. He’d been hearing some second-hand about the issues with Lem, and it seemed like the poor guy was under a ton of stress already. “Yeah, he’s got a lot on his plate,” Gabriel murmured as he scooped two servings of chicken curry out for them. He brought the bowls back to the table to sit down with Zania, his brow gently furrowed with concern. “How’s all that going, by the way?”
“It’s hard,” Zania said, leaning in to get a whiff of the curry. It smelled delicious and she was certain it tasted the same. “She’s not moving on and he feels responsible for her pain, which he kind of is, but at the same time, she’d have probably died if Vex stayed. Or maybe stayed in a coma. We don’t know. I love her, but she’s kind of obsessed at the moment and I think he’s in way over his head.” She could see that it was really starting to wear on Nic, but she couldn’t stop him from looking after Lem, so she just had to look after him. It just wasn’t something they could sustain indefinitely, but for the time being it was manageable, at least for her. She didn’t like the toll it was taking on her brother though.
He picked up his spoon to start to dig in as he listened, nodding slightly at Zania’s words. It was a crazy, difficult situation, even from the outside, and he didn’t envy any of them for their involvement. Gabriel had only met Lem in passing, but she hadn’t seemed like the most stable person in the world to him, and he was sure what had happened to Vex had only served to destabilize her even more. “It’s hard to watch someone you care about suffer, especially when you can’t help,” he murmured once he’d swallowed his first bite. “If she’s as bad off as you’ve said ... I dunno, sounds like she needs like, a therapist or something.” He gave a soft huff and shrugged. “Nic can’t fix her brain if she needs that kinda help.”
“I know,” Zania sighed. “And I’ve told him so, but he—he shuts down at the suggestion and then I can’t get a word out of him. Not a helpful one, at least.” She’d seen him behave like this before and it hadn’t been helpful then either. She knew he was trying to protect Lem, but he couldn’t see how it was hurting him as well. Lem was spiraling and Nic was following her, trying desperately to pull her back up while drowning in his own issues. “I don’t really know how to help either of them right now, except to be there. I’m glad she’s close. I’m glad he’s here. That way I can watch over him, while he watches over her.” If he’d lived anywhere else, Zania was afraid he would have just disappeared, caught up in Lem’s spiral and never coming up for air.
Gabriel nodded his agreement again -- it would definitely be worse with more distance. Nic’s problems hadn’t interfered with his and Zania’s relationship yet, but he could easily see that it was stressing her out. He just wished there was more he could do to help, but there really wasn’t. He could just try to be there to support everyone ... which would be easier if he lived in the same house, so it was all working out. “That’s about all you can do, he’s gotta make his own decisions there,” he said, reaching over to give Zania’s hand a squeeze. “I know you’re worried though. Hopefully with some more time it’ll start to get better.” And hopefully Lem wouldn’t turn into a true psycho and hurt anyone. Gabriel was sure Nic could hold his own, but would he against his tiny girlfriend? He hoped they wouldn’t have to find out. “In any case, I’ll provide plenty’a escapism whenever you need.” He flashed her a suggestive little grin.
Time was something they had, so Zania hoped it would help. She knew it wouldn't cure mental problems, but it did help with grief, which she knew was contributing to Lem's issues. It was just hard to watch and wait when she had no idea what the future held for any of them. It seemed brighter though with Gabriel there and she gave his hand a squeeze, excited to take this next step with him. "I could do with a bit of escapism," she smiled back at him. "It's actually nice how quiet things have been. If it weren't for Nic and Lem, I'd say it's been almost peaceful for, like, a month? Maybe more? Maybe we'll get you all moved in and take that little vacation we'd been talking about. Give ourselves a spring break like a couple of college students."
The town had been quiet, at least compared to how it had been throughout the winter when Gabriel first moved there. He wasn’t sure if that was a pattern with Point Pleasant or what, but he was thankful for it. The wording of Zania’s suggestion made him laugh a bit, and he grinned at her. “Yes please, lemme take you to New Orleans with me, ‘cause I’m freezing my southern black ass off up here, and it’s March already,” he said lightly. It was pleasantly warmed up back home, he’d talked to a few friends, and they cringed whenever Gabriel mentioned that it still snowed sometimes and he could leave the house without a jacket. “City’s beautiful in the springtime, I’d love to show you around.” And introduce her around, if she was ready for that. Gabriel knew he might run into some people who had a problem with him being there, considering the trouble he’d left behind, but he could handle himself. But he wanted to show his girl off to so many of his friends, and he thought Zan would be fascinated by the magical community down there.
She was probably jumping on too many ideas at once--moving in together, vacationing together, and going home with him-- but they were exciting happy things that felt more like the kind of celebration she'd wanted after defeating the demon. That victory had felt short lived in light of the events that came after. They'd been completely unrelated, but they'd still left the town reeling, Nic and Lem especially. While she would never outright say she wanted to get away from them, an actual vacation would do her good. "We should go," she said eagerly. "We should just pick a weekend and leave town for like three or four days. I'd just love to get away for a while, and it'd be fun to see your hometown, and I feel like we just deserve it."
Considering how everything else had been so far this year, Gabriel was delighted to have good plans, pleasant plans. He didn’t think it was too much -- he hadn’t been back home since he’d moved, and it was about time he went back for a visit. “Fuck yeah we deserve it,” he agreed with a bright grin. “I’m down though. Let’s pull out a calendar and figure it out.” He almost added that maybe they could do that after Zania talked to Nic about him moving in ... but honestly Gabriel wanted to take this vacation whether that happened or not. He would lose a little weekend money from the shop, but that was all right. Business had been pretty good, and he was getting by. Gabriel gave her another little grin. “You wanna meet my family too? Or is that too much too fast? I ain’t gonna lie, they’re a lot, but I think you’d love ‘em and vice versa.”
“I’d love to. Besides, it’d be rude to go all the way down there and not meet them,” Zania smiled. It would be a lot, but she thought she could handle it. It wasn’t like they’d spend the whole time with the family, especially if it was only for a few days. There was so much to see and so many people to meet that Zania knew they’d have trouble fitting it all in, but that was okay. They could always go again, some time in the future, since it seemed like they might have one together. She didn’t want to make things sound too serious, but these were all big steps and it meant a lot to her that he wanted to take her there and meet his family. It was something to look forward to and that was just what they needed right now.
It would be a whirlwind few days, that was for sure. Gabriel knew his family would want to see him for a lot of that, and he would have to balance making them happy with spending time with Zania, likely with many promises to come back soon for a longer visit. He did miss his people, but for their first time in New Orleans together, Gabriel wanted to enjoy it primarily with his woman. Especially since they needed the break. He couldn’t wait to find a little hotel near the French Quarter to stay in with her, and eat beignets and see the sights. The way Zania immediately agreed to meeting his family made him extremely happy, and it showed in his smile. “Well fuck yeah, let’s start planning it then,” he said before popping some more curry into his mouth. “Spring’s a great time to go, you won’t totally melt.”
“Yeah, I don’t know if I can handle the summer heat down there,” Zania smiled. She liked warmer weather, but as a native to Maine the heat and humidity of a southern summer sounded dreadful. The only way she could survive that kind of heat was on the beach, where she could lounge in a swimsuit and get her ass in the water when she got too hot. “When’s Mardi Gras? Or is that the absolute worst time to go? I don’t know that I want to see it when it’s completely packed.” The parades and the parties would be fun though. If she and Gabriel stayed together, which she really hoped they would, then she supposed there would be time for that eventually. This didn’t have to be the only trip they ever made down to New Orleans.
Gabriel had never expected to fall in love with someone up here in his little hidey hole, so he’d never tried to think about a future with a woman from up north. He hoped she didn’t hate the weather back home, because they would be visiting a lot if they ended up in a long term thing. He chuckled a bit and shook his head. “Nah, we missed that already,” he told her. “Happened in February this year. Goin’ during Mardi Gras is an experience, I won’t say good or bad. Totally depends on your company and how much you like drinkin’.” Gabriel gave a little laugh that had affection in it -- he had so many good festival memories from years past, but some bad ones too. That was just the nature of the beast. “Easter’s a big deal there too, and that’s comin’ up fast. Cajuns take any excuse to party, trust.”
“Another year then. I love a good party,” Zania grinned, assuming they’d have another chance. She knew nothing was guaranteed and that their relationship was still fairly new, but if he was moving in with her, then she thought she could safely assume that they’d be together long term. There would always be the opportunity to attend Mardi Gras or go down for Easter. Maybe they’d avoid a big event since this was the first time, just so she could meet his family and get the lay of the land without a bunch of additional obligations or events to attend. Either way, she was looking forward to it. So long as she was with Gabriel, she knew she’d have a good time.