Gabe (unexpectedturn) wrote in summerview, @ 2019-02-16 23:34:00 |
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Summerview. Gabe hadn't clasped eyes on it since the age of 18. It wasn't like he hadn't kept in touch with his friends and family because he had though admittedly the last two years had been hit and miss. He'd left Summerview a tall lanky brunette but was returning a tall, strapping blonde with tattoos and piercings and riding a motorcycle.
He could have found accomodation elsewhere but now seemed as good a time as any to swing in on an old friend. Luke King to be exact. He knew from speaking to his mom that Luke had returned to Summerview and taken over the King home so it felt kind of appropriate to swing in and say hello as he too was making his grand homecoming. The sun had set by the time Gabe drew his bike to a stop outside of Luke's home and killed the engine, hands going to lift and remove his helmet, ringed fingers sliding into the strands of his shortly cropped hair to ruffle it so it was less helmet hair and more artfully mussed. He left the helmet on the seat of his bike before heading up to rap his knuckles at the front door. Luke's cell buzzed in his pocket when the camera at the front door registered movement. He glanced down, confused as to who could be at his front door since he wasn't expecting visitors. His fingers snagged on the battery for his implant and he padded to the door as he clicked it into place. His house was generally silent; he didn't wear the implant at home so there wasn't often much ambient noise other than the hum of appliances. "I'm coming," he called, checking himself for decency. Jeans, t-shirt, all good. His hair was a little dishevelled but he'd napped about half an hour ago so it was still sleep rumpled. He was pretty sure Mickey didn't know where he lived, so it had to be someone like Roman, or Ever, maybe Cece. He wasn't too worried if he looked like he had bed-hair, or just-fucked hair (since that tended to be what it looked like, or what he imagined it would look like, since it had never happened to him he didn't know for sure). Pulling open the door it took him a couple of seconds to recognise the person on the other side. He looked very different to how he'd looked when he'd left. Luke had barely been a teenager and he'd been very angry that everyone was leaving; his siblings first, then the twins, then Gabe. "Jesus fuck," he said. "Gabe?!" Shit. He looked good. And there was Luke, twenty three - ten years on - and probably still looking as scrawny as ever. Gabe waited patiently for Luke to come to the door before he gave his old friend a grin that was all teeth, no fangs thankfully, but all teeth. "In the flesh." He would have gone in for a hug but then Luke was still in the house and he couldn't cross the threshold without invitation. Luke looked good, taller for sure, had grown into himself but still had the essence that was Luke. "Didn't think you'd be coming back," Luke said honestly, "Last time we spoke-" well, Luke had still been in college and Gabe had been quite literally loving his life. Or, at least, that had been the impression that Luke had. He waved his hand and turned to start walking back into the house, expecting Gabe to follow him. "You'll have to tell me everything." Uh, fuck. Gabe had hoped he could go a little longer without revealing the whole "so you know how I used to be human? That's no longer a thing" but clearly that was not going to happen. "Fuck," he uttered quietly before he cleared his throat before lifting his voice. "Uh, Luke? Can you come back here a second?" Luke was halfway down the corridor when he heard Gabe calling after him. He turned around to see the guy still standing at the door and his eyebrow lifted in confusion. "The fuck are you still doing at the door, Gabe? Why aren't you inside? I know it's not that cold but still. My mom'll make me pay the extra heating bill." He did, however, wander back toward the door, standing to the side of it slightly, expectantly, waiting for Gabe to just walk in. "Yeah, there's a slight problem with that," Gabe began before a hand lifted to rub at the back of his neck as he rocked on the heels of his feet. "I kinda need to be invited." He gestured vaguely between himself and the doorway, hoping Gabe would get the point. He might have to spell it out though. Luke frowned. "No you don't. You've had an open invitation since before I was born, man." He paused, looked out past Gabe to realise that it was dark and the fact that he wasn't already being swept up into a fierce hug along with the awkward hand gestures caused the pit to drop out of his stomach. He lifted a hand, tapping into his powers. His eyes clouded over briefly when he wasn't able to feel life from Gabe. Gabe was a vampire. Eyes wide, he dropped his hand and blurted, "Shit, man, fuck- yeah, uh- come in. Jesus." Okay, good, Luke got it. Gabe had hoped that he would especially with his family history and abilities. Still didn't make the widening of his friend's eyes any easier to handle. He'd barely gotten his shit together before coming home and he knew it was still a very long road. "Thanks," he said as he finally stepped into the house as he now had an invitation. It was at this point that Luke was in fact swept up into a very firm hug. "It's good to see you." Luke's arms closed around Gabe, returning the high tightly. He closed his eyes, breathed in deeply and started to talk when his eyes whited out. His hand had made contact with the back of Gabe's leather jacket, and his fingertips had caught on the edge of skin. Just like the press of leather against his arms, where their ears were touching... He had been ready for the touch but it wasn't always enough. Brown hair, wild eyes. She screams. You said you thought I was beautiful! Luke ripped himself free and stumbled backwards, knees about ready to give out, he collided with a table, the force knocking the photos over, clattering and his hand went to his neck, wide-eyed as he looked up at Gabe, not afraid of him but wrapped up in the emotions that had come across from what had just happened. A faint trickle of blood appeared from his nose. "Shit, Luke," Gabe uttered when he clocked what had happened and he immediately made a beeline for the kitchen where familiarity allowed him to get his hands on a piece of paper towel and he came back with it extended. "You okay?" He had no idea what Luke had seen but judging by his reaction it must have been some heavy stuff. Luke let out a slightly hysterical laugh, sliding to the floor just until his legs stopped being jello, taking the paper towel gratefully and pressing it against his nose, hoping to stop the bleed before it kicked up in earnest. "Am I okay?!" Well, shit. Now Gabe was concerned that maybe he'd missed the part where Luke had hit his head if that laugh was any indication. He shifted until he was sat on the floor next to Luke with his leather clad shoulder pressing into the other man's. "Lemme guess, you got to know Glory a little better?" "Mm," Luke replied, tipping his head back against the wall and then slumping to the side, head on Gabe's shoulder. "I- ugh." His powers wouldn't be such assholes to him to kick in twice in as many fucking minutes, so he just closed his eyes, accepted the comfort that was being offered. "What a crazy bitch. She- I'm so sorry, Gabe." "Yeah, if I 'd known how crazy I never would have paid her compliment," Gabe murmured with a shake of his head. "But you know what they say about hindsight." He pushed out a breath and knocked his head back against the wall. "Upside? I'll never get old." "You need to steal something from every new person you meet," Luke muttered. "I'll vet them for you." He snorted, "Not sure that's an upside." Because it came with no more sunsets or sunrises, or daytime hang-outs. Just midnight shopping and haunting the town in the dark. "I mean, you'll stay young and hot as I get old and deafer. Is that even possible?" He tore the paper towel in two and rolled it, stuffing one piece up each nostril to just at least catch the blood. "Welcome home though, wish it was under better circumstances. How're you doing? I mean, coping. I mean, y'know." Gabe chuckled and tipped his head to look over at Luke. "Good plan, I like that." He shrugged his shoulders. "No idea. Didn't exactly get a 'how to vampire' instruction manual." He had thanks to Manuel got a handle on his bloodlust and understood the basic principles. He bit back a laugh as Luke shoved two pieces of paper towel up his nostrils. "If you've got a boyfriend or some guy you're interested in word to the wise do not open the door like that." He stretched his legs out in front of him and hooked them at the ankle. "I'm- Well, I don't know to be honest. Still working through some things." Luke wrinkled his nose a little. "They really should publish those kind of manuals, like, Hayes manuals for the supernatural." He was only half joking. Those that found themselves to be something they weren't expecting often needed help and if no one was around, the lack of resources was dangerous. Summerview, however, was a safe place for anyone that needed it but never more so than for those who were born here. "We're- y'know, I mean, it's not like there's a lot of positive, helpful literature out there." He scowled at Gabe when he was laughed at. "Sorry, would you rather I just bleed all over myself? Because I wouldn't." He watched Gabe's long legs stretch out and then did the same with his own. "Also. No boyfriend. I mean at this point in my life I think I just gotta accept I'm gonna be a forever batchelor." He tilted his head, sorting through what he'd seen from their contact. He knew a lot of that would haunt him for a while. "It's gonna take time, Gabe," he said softly. "No change or adjustment happens real fast, you know that. But you're home now. That's what counts." "Still?" Gabe asked, looking genuinely surprised. "That settles it. You, me, Atlantic city and all the clubs." If Summerview wasn't going to appreciate Luke then Gabe would take him someplace that it would and Gabe was not a shrinking violet so he'd make it one hell of a night. He rubbed a hand through his hair and nod. "Yeah, figured that home was a good place to work through this." And so far he'd been right. Hopefully the other reunions would go as well |