Something More Than Just Physical (The Orphan & BunBunTheCatSnake)

[BunBunTheCatSnake]

 

Name Gabriel "Gabe" Grundy

Age: 25

Height: 5'4

Biography: Gabriel's parents divorced when he was eight, which forced him to go back and forth between houses. Gabriel does not have a close relationship with his parents, but he talks to them from time to time. Gabriel loves to go to parties. One of his many talents include chugging an outrageous amount of beer. He can't keep jobs for a long period of time, because he gets bored with them - but he's never been fired! In fact he seems to excel in every job he does. Because of a promise he made to his twin sister Eliza, he's trying to party less and keep a job longer than a few months.

Personality: Witty and extremely stubborn. He can be very selfish, and doesn't often think about how his actions affect others. He's very hardworking and organized. He likes living in a clean space, though that often catches people off guard. He has a terrible fear of commitment. He can be very charming, especially when he wants something (or someone.)

Facts:

-Has a tattoo of Hello Kitty on his left butt cheek that he doesn't remember getting.

-He has two cats named Night and Socks, who he loves more than life itself.

 

~

Gabriel sat in his car, waiting for the car in front of him to finish their transaction so he could get his coffee. He yawned loudly, trying hard not to fall asleep at the wheel. Gabriel's friend Victor ended up dragging him out as a congratulatory party, which then turned into a wild night full of shots and a mediocre one night stand. This is why Eliza worried about him, but he didn't really care. It wasn't like his partying every affected her. He always stayed away from the her when he was going to get wasted, and never brought any men to her home. He only talked to her when he was sober... most times.

 

Gabriel will admit that he does get caught in the moment of partying most times though, and last night was a perfect example. He didn't get home until two in the morning, even though he had to get up at five for this new job. It was secretarial work, which was something Gabe was fairly good at. He worked as a secretary at a few different companies, and it was basically the same job with different paperwork. He was great at customer service, and was very organized. It just came naturally to him. Gabriel's childhood best friend actually told Eliza about this job, which then became the two of them conspiring against him to get him it. The job paid an outrageous amount and the benefits were stellar - so there was no argument on Gabriel's part. In fact he was looking for a new job, so he could quit his last one. He worked at a Optometrist Clinic, and it just wasn't for him. He was great at it, but all those children grabbing at the sample frames annoyed him. But it was a job that paid for his apartment, and food for his two cats Night and Socks.

 

This job was hopefully child free. From what he gathered from his phone interview, he was going to be working directly with the CEO. He was going to take his calls, collect his clienteles information, schedule his appointments. It was kind of a nerve wrecking thought that he was going to be so high on the corporate ladder - as far as secretaries go. He's been a manager before, but never a CEO's secretary. Was Gabriel even ready for something like this? Guess only time would tell. Besides, the CEO wanted to meet him face to face. They've talked on the phone, but this would be the first actual face-to-face interaction. Gabriel was a little nervous about it. What if he took one look at him, and turned him away? Plus, his name sounded so familiar that it kept gnawing at his brain like a tumor.

 

Gabriel shifted his body slightly to check his eyes in the mirror, noticing his heavy bags under his eyes. What a way to make a first impression... Gabriel groaned slightly, anxiety starting to make a fire in his stomach. He picked up his black cold brew, paid for it, took a long drink, and quickly drove away. He had thirty minuets to be at work, which was more than enough time. It was a ten minuet drive to the building, which gave him enough time to park and make his way inside the large office building. Gabriel remembered that the Adam... or Mr. Akagi said to meet him on the very last floor. Gabriel checked his watch on his wrist. He had ten minuets to get up there.

 

The building was beautiful. It had marble floors, and even an abstract fountain near the entrance. Natural light just flooded in, which was something that wasn't usual in his history of administration work. Gabriel found the elevators near the entrance, and pressed the button. He waited a short while. He sipped on his coffee, his brain in a mix between how beautiful the building was, and why Adam Akagi sounded so familiar. He hoped it wasn't some stalker that became obsessed with him, or anyone he wronged. Gabriel didn't have the... best track record.

 

When he got into the elevator, he pressed the button numbered as "Sixteen." It only stopped a few times, and thankfully no one really made conversation. Sometime during the tenth floor Gabriel finished his ice coffee, and he hoped that there was a trash can where he was going. Gabriel could picture him holding a cup of melted ice, and just the thought made him feel awkward. The elevator door dinged, and Gabriel anxiously stepped into the office. The room had a gorgeous view of the world underneath him. There was only one desk, which was presumably his. There were a few very comfortable looking chairs, as well as three coffee tables with magazines. There was even a shelf of books, and a television. Near his desk there was a huge tank of fishes of all kinds, that looked like swimming rainbows. Right next to the desk, there was a glass door where all that could be seen from the inside were blurry figures. On the door read in large red text ADAM AKAGI - CEO.

 

Thankfully there was a trashcan, so Gabriel quickly dropped it. He could feel his heart beating in his stomach, and his legs felt even more shaky with every step. He bit his lip, and knocked on the door. Gabriel looked at the name on the door, his brain still trying to connect the dots of why it looked so familiar. He kept thinking of his name over and over again, as he waited for a reply.

[The Orphan]

 

 

 

Akagi, Adam

Age: 24

Height: 6'1"

 

Family:

His family consists of a mother, father and an older sister. His father has trained him all his life and usually treats his son as a trophy, and for that Adam both hates and admires his father. His mother usually stays at home while his sister is in Germany earning her doctorate.

 

Personality:

He dislikes being told what to do and what not to do, and he gets annoyed easily by incompetence. He likes getting things done properly and he doesn't tolerate work done half assedly, making others think of him bossy and unapproachable. On the other hand, he has a soft spot for those who work hard.

 

Other than coffee, he likes keeping his mouth busy with bitter things like dark chocolate and black tea. He has a child's palate and can be convinced into a compromise with the right amount of deep fried chicken tenders. Despite his eating, he keeps in good shape by swimming for at least an hour every morning and by fasting for twenty hours in a day.

 

Because of his position and his family's wealth, he does not believe in the innocence of people and is thus afraid to bare his heart.

 

Misc:

He has a scar on the right side of his head from a childhood injury. It is now hidden by his hair.

 

He has two piercings on his right ear and one on his left.

 

 

 

"You've been eating less lately, sir. You need strength to do your work so please don't make us worry."

 

Adam inhaled a deep breath, held it until his chest hurt, before releasing it in a silent sigh. He had been staring out the window, observing the diffusion of sunlight as it passed through puffed, foreboding clouds in the gray sky. It smelled like rain and he wasn't complaining. Nothing could be more annoying than a sunny weather when you're feeling like crap.

 

"Sir?"

 

"Yes Chris, I'm listening." Adam finally answered, turning his attention towards the middle aged man driving the car at the front. As if knowing that he was being watched, the driver Chris raised his gaze to the rearview mirror so their eyes met. "Tell me Chris, have you ever felt so nervous you could just curl up and die?"

 

"Pardon sir?"

 

"Never mind." He was wasting his breath. There were not enough words to describe his anxiety anyway. Adam resumed looking out the window when the car pulled up to his parking spot. "Reserved for the CEO," it said. He stared at it as he waitied for Chris to open the door. Since childhood he had learned that things given to him impressed people as these meant wealth and power. People liked money so people flocked to him. But Adam wasn't impressed and he certainly did not think highly of himself just because of his position. It's just work, he would say to himself. It all meant nothing if he wasn't doing it for anyone. And even if he did find someone, he didn't want to think how his special person might just be after his wealth.

 

Adam bit his tongue. I might be making a mistake, he thought as he and Chris stepped into the elevator and made their way to the sixteenth floor. Chris started reminding the young CEO to finish his meals properly but Adam only shushed him with a "you nag too much, Chris." When they were both silent, Adam had the opportunity to look at his reflection on the elevator doors. He didn't look it, but he was definitely trying not to puke. He was so nervous today, and it was for a special reason.

 

Fate must be toying with him. Here he was trying to live his life peacefully after dealing with a bad heart when he was rejected years ago, when out of nowhere his secretary leaves, the reason being "the work environment is too demanding", and now Adam has to hire a new one. Only one name stood out. Gabriel Grundy.

 

"Bring me tea before you leave." Adam instructed to his driver. Of course, it wasn't Chris' job to make his tea but until his new secretary showed up, he only had Chris. "And make hot chocolate. Dark," he added. Damn, he couldn't remember if Gabriel liked any drink other than alcohol. No one could have blamed him, though. All they ever did was have sex and nothing else much. They didn't talk, they didn't date. He didn't know about many things regarding Gabriel, but he adored him very much. He liked the way the back of his head dipped towards his nape. It made him want to cradle Gabriel's pretty head with his hands while nibbling on that translucent skin which Adam loved a lot. But what attracted Adam the most was that when he and Gabriel did it, he felt the most like himself. He wasn't Adam Akagi the young CEO or Adam the trophy son, he was simply himself. Just Adam. And that meant more than anything to him.

 

"Sir, the chocolate is ready. Here is your tea and," the driver placed the beverage in front of the young CEO, "there was a knock quite some time ago. Shall I answer it on my way out?"

 

He's here.

 

Adam's heart pounded in his chest but he stilled it. He was at work. Work. He had to focus or else he'd just be another boy riding the coattails of his father. He nodded to the older man and watched stiffly from his seat as the door was opened. Maybe he craned his neck a bit too excitedly. He couldn't tell, and he couldn't help it anyway. Just work, Adam, he chanted in his head.

 

Then there he was. Gabriel.

 

The young CEO clenched his teeth. For the past few days he had been bothered, reliving the bittersweet days of him keeping his love for this person close to his heart like a treasured flower, thrilled at the prospect of building a proper relationship together after confessing. But one look at Gabriel sent Adam plunging. Feelings of rejection resurfaced as if a long forgotten thorn went through his chest. The pain reminded him that this person once hurt him so bad he could barely get out of bed for months.

 

Should I... return the favor?

 

Adam felt a dark shiver down his back at the thought. He wasn't normally a vengeful person, but this was Gabriel he was talking about. He made eye contact with his new secretary and gave a beguiling smile.

 

"Good work arriving on time, Gabriel Grundy. I am Adam Akagi." Adam greeted, approaching the other and offering his hand for a hand shake. How silly of him to even think about pulling this person into his arms as soon as they were reunited.

 

"Come, I'll show you to your workplace."

 

The young CEO released Gabriel's hand casually, refusing to squeeze it with his fingers as he would have wanted. Without waiting for a response, he led the both of them out his office and towards the single desk where a large file cabinet loomed behind. A photocopier stood beside the cabinet and a shelf filled with office supplies was placed to the other side of the cabinet. "The desk is yours. You can use the documents in the cabinet for reference. The kitchen and comfort room is at the back here." Adam now showed the mentioned area which was to the immediate left once a step out the elevator. "The first aid kit and emergency exit are in there as well."

 

Adam paused and turned around to face his secretary who he just noticed to be sporting pitiful eyebags on his pretty face. Still so lovely, Adam thought before he could stop himself. Clearing his throat to compose himself, Adam returned the two of them inside his office where he gave Gabriel a mug of the hot chocolate Chris prepared earlier. "Have a seat," Adam said as he himself sat down his own chair, his own mug of tea still waiting for him. "I trust you were already briefed about your duties as my secretary," Adam started, flashing another smile as he watched the other intently. "You'll manage my schedule, prepare the materials for meetings as well as join me for any business done outside the company."

 

Adam paused, sipping silently in his tea, his gaze never leaving Gabriel. The young CEO wondered how the other was affected by seeing him again in this setting where he got to call the shots. It felt a little bit satisfying knowing that he was in charge. "Do you have any questions? If not, I'd like you to make a draft for a project I've been considering with the semiconductor company we signed with last month. I'll email you the pointers in a bit." Once more, Adam gave his secretary a knowing smile. Fate may be toying with him but this time he was going to have fun along with it.

 

"Good luck, Gabe."

 

Hiring Gabriel was no mistake. At all.

[BunBunTheCatSnake]

The door opened, and the world around him seemed to move in slow motion. He could feel his stomach clench when he was met by two men - and one of them looked all too familiar. Adam Akagi... of course, how could Gabriel forget? Adam was one of the best fucks Gabriel ever received. They went at it the rabbits, who couldn't quite clench that thirst. But Adam couldn't just leave it as a purely physical relationship, and asked him out. Gabriel wished he could have let Adam down easier, but in that moment it was a turn off. Gabriel remembered laughing at Adam, and if that wasn't enough he rolled his eyes and said, You're just a good fuck. I don't want anything else from you. Gabriel left directly after that, deleted his contact information, and decided to leave it at that. Gabriel partied a lot harder back in college, and that entire year was quite a blur. Adam's name eventually became an itch on Gabriel's tongue he couldn't quite get out. Gabriel actually though that Adam's named was Daniel these last few years, and avoided any friend requests by that name out of fear that it would bite him in the ass - and oh man did it.

 

Gabriel looked at Adam dumbfounded for a split second, but turned his head. He didn't want to alert Adam that he remembered him, or that he even forgot his name in the first place. Gabriel walked two steps into the office, not really knowing if it was safe to sit down. Maybe Adam forgot who Gabriel was? Maybe someone found a way to top his rejection. Gabriel knew that Adam wasn't a dumb man though - Adam was a CEO after all! But why would Adam hire Gabriel if he knew who he was?

 

Gabriel met his handshake, and gave him a charming smile - even though he was secretly panicking. "It's nice to finally meet you face to face." Gabriel said, hoping to all forces of the universe that Adam didn't remember who he was. Adam then led him to his desk, his eyes grazing the work space. He was already trying to figure out a way to organize it the way that suited him, but Adam being here was a little distracting.

 

Gabriel trailed after Adam, trying to keep out of his line of sight. He quietly yawned behind him, trying to hide it the best he could. Gabriel was much more alert after learning who Adam Akagi was, but exhaustion couldn't just go away - though Gabriel wished it could. When Adam turned to face him, Gabriel immediately straightened his posture and looked up at Adam. He met his eyes, and somehow he just kind of knew he noticed his bags. After Dam cleared his throat and led them back to his office, Gabriel couldn't help but touch under his eyes feeling a little self conscious.

 

Gabriel sat down, and looked down at the already prepared hot chocolate. He loved hot chocolate. A small smile escaped his lips at the sight of the hot chocolate, before he took a tiny sip. It was perfect. Gabriel's light blue eyes shot up to Adam as he spoke, and he quickly sat the mug down. "Yes. I actually printed out a copy of the tasks, and I've been studying it." Just because Gabriel was well versed in secretarial work, he always wanted to come prepared. Plus, he knew he was working for a CEO, and wanted to impress him.

 

"I don't have any questions, but thank you. If I do, I'll ask you immediately." Gabriel gave Adam an awkward smile, which fell when he saw Adam's. His heart started to race when he called him by his nickname. Gabriel could feel his cheeks heat up, so looked down. "Th-Thank you, sir... Um... I'm going to... get situated." Gabriel said as he rose from his chair, accidentally spilling some hot chocolate on the seat. Gabriel looked at the scene with wide eyes, and he looked towards the door. "I'm so sorry, let me get some paper towels. I'm so sorry."

 

Gabriel rushed to the bathroom, and grabbed as many paper towels as he could. His heart was beating against his chest like a war drum. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," Gabriel quietly said to himself as he rushed back to the office. "I swear I'm usually much more careful." Gabriel said as he wiped down the desk. Thankfully the hot chocolate managed to spill more towards the edge, so it mainly got on the carpet. "I don't know what came over me. Maybe first day jitters?" Gabriel laughed nervously, refusing to look Adam directly in the eye.

[The Orphan]

In the short time that Adam faced Gabriel, the young CEO noticed how the other had a tendency to look away when he was flustered or nervous. It was endearing to say the least, arousing at most. Gabriel's frantic movements were amusing to follow but now Adam was facing a dilemma. Should he help him clean up the hot chocolate or...

 

"It's alright to be nervous, but I hope you're not too scared of me." Adam chuckled, making his way towards Gabriel and taking some of the paper towels crushed inside his secretary's hand. Maybe he was teasing and using his position as employer, but Adam was already in Gabriel's personal space before he knew it. "And don't do that to your work papers. I might punish you." He said that, but the young CEO was already questioning himself if maybe he was being too flirty because damn, it was hard not to with Gabriel.

 

But he hurt you.

Adam started. The voice in his head was not taking any chances. He could not go through that again. Staying locked in his room, not going to his lectures, fighting with his father, making his mum cry. He was fine for some time when he found someone who sounded like Gabriel during fucks but Adam could not keep it going for long. Drinking, even trying out substances that took him no higher than the sex he had with Gabriel. None worked. He felt empty and starved. His head was heavy and a mess. His mum cried more, and her strained voice woke Adam up, but his heart remained attached and longing for this person in front of him. Sometimes, Adam wondered if he was cursed, like the original Adam from the bible. Curious and attracted to a fruit that he mustn't touch.

 

He looked at Gabriel and searched for genuinety in his light blue eyes. They were beautiful, subtle and clear and bright. Once upon a time, he truly believed he wanted a future with this person. Gabriel himself was an adventure Adam was willing to make. "Copper sulfate." Adam muttered under his breath. It was only after some seconds of further staring that the young CEO realized that he said that out loud and that he was being a creep for standing so close to Gabriel.

 

In a second Adam had pulled away and was loosening his necktie while he had his back turned to the other in the room. He felt hot and unsteady. His feelings which once ruined him were threatening to hurt him again. "You can leave the rest of it to the cleaning lady. Go get yourself settled, Gabriel." The young CEO's tone was firm and dismissive. He was making sure that Gabriel understood the message. He wanted to be alone. Swallowing hard, Adam brought himself to face Gabriel once again, the expression on his features cold with reserved bitterness. "I look forward to your work."

 

Caution pulled him back, but attraction was difficult to resist. It was only a matter of time until it became clear which mattered more to him.

[BunBunTheCatSnake]

When Adam started walking towards him Gabriel stopped cleaning for a second, but quickly started cleaning again. Being scared wasn't his exact feelings... it was complicated. Adam had everything in the palm of his hands; he could fire him at will, give him an insane work schedule, and god knows what else. If Adam wanted to, he could ruin his life. Gabriel could always quit, but he was trying to be better and commit to something - even if the thought scared every fiber of his being. When Adam grabbed the crushed up paper towels, Gabriel let him take it. He looked up at the CEO, being so close to him bringing all sorts of memories. Adam always smelled nice and that didn't change - Gabriel liked men who smelled nice. But Adam was almost too close.

 

Gabriel could feel his face heat up at the flirtatious comment. He had to take a moment for it to truly process in his brain. Any doubt that Adam didn't remember Gabriel went out the window, and he was in full panic mode. Maybe he really should quit? No. He promised Eliza he would at least try... But then again... If this was a game to Adam, he could always play back? If Adam would bark, maybe he should bite? A little office flirting now and then would probably keep him busy. And if Adam ended up bending him over his desk, then fate just willed it to happen! No... that was a terrible idea. Gabriel was surprisingly never fired, and he didn't want that streak to end.

 

Gabriel met with Adam's eyes. Truth be told he was a little intimidated to pull away. It didn't help that Adam was his type, which is why he was his longest running fuck buddy. He wasn't bad to look at. In fact, he was one of the most attractive people Gabriel has ever laid eyes on. Why Adam was so infatuated with Gabriel was beyond him. The copper sulfate comment made Gabriel's raise an eyebrow. He wasn't too sure if he heard it correctly, and he wasn't bout to ask him.

 

When Adam pulled away, Gabriel rubbed the back of his neck while his back was turned. He looked at Adam, "Are you sure I really don't mind..." Gabriel stopped himself and took a deep breath, "I'll call her." There was usually a list of extensions, and if there wasn't Gabriel would gather them and make the list himself when he had free time. When Adam faced Gabriel he stood straight and tried to look alert. The bitter expression didn't go unnoticed, and it made him a little uncomfortable. Gabriel always heard that romantic rejection was the worst, but he didn't really know that first hand - Gabriel always did the heartbreaking. "Thank you sir. I look forward to working with you." Gabriel said with a small smile, before he walked out of the room and shut the door.

 

Gabriel felt like he could finally breathe. He took a deep breath, trying to stop his panicked heart. Maybe the iced coffee was a bad idea. But in retrospect, he didn't expect his boss to be an old fuck buddy he rejected in the worst possible way. Gabriel made his way to his desk and searched all the file cabinets until he found a laminated sheet with a ton of numbers and extensions on it. He couldn't help but wonder how up to date they all were. He called housekeeping and told them about the mess, before he hung up his phone. He grabbed a small notepad he had in his back pocket, and searched for his work login and email. He received it in an email the day before he started his job here, which was helpful. Most places it took a few days to get that set up.

 

After Gabriel got everything set up, he waited for the email with his first project. He couldn't believe where Adam ended up. Gabriel vaguely remembered Adam being rich, but he found it more annoying than anything. All these people flocked him because of his riches, and Gabriel initially started hanging out with him because he was attractive. Money meant nothing to Gabriel. It was never something he had, nor cared about. Gabriel was content with his life. He had an apartment that was perfect for him and his cats, and a few nice things. Gabriel would never want to be rich, though sometimes it wouldn't hurt.

[The Orphan]

It's all in your head.

 

Adam chanted to himself like a mantra. He was being so unreasonable, treating Gabriel like a sinner for breaking his heart. He really should stop thinking of making him suffer or just hurting him back. That would be just childish.

 

"What do you think I should do, Anise?"

 

The young CEO spoke as he referred to the succulent sitting on corner of his table. It had been a gift from his mum, when she approached him one day when he was in the midst of coping with Gabriel's rejection. Adam remembered shouting at her and slapping the potted plant away, making his mum drop it. There was a harsh silence between them, and Adam begrudgingly picked up the shards while his mum stiffened from his outburst. But then Adam, inn his angry and unsteady state, cut his own finger. His mum cried then and said, "oh Adam dear, you're hurt." Just the simple fact of a person acknowledging his pain brought Adam back to his senses.

 

That day, Adam realized something about himself. He wanted to be seen, to be looked at in the eye and be seen as himself. It meant everything to him, because Adam grew up under his father's strict training and unrelenting expectations. Gabriel's rejection felt very similar to his father's rejection to Adam his whole life, and the familiarity of it coming from the person he liked significantly upped the impact.

 

Adam sighed, reaching out to touch the smooth stem of the succulent. Anise reminded him that he should not allow circumstances to hurt him that way again, to guard his heart and never forget. "I should be kind to him, don't you think so Anise? Being a bad guy does not suit me, although I'm not sure if I can be a kind kind of boss." Adam felt a smile tug on the corners of his lips. It seemed like he found his answer and the confusion he felt earlier because of his reunion with Gabriel dissipated. "Be kind, but not so much as to get hurt again." He concluded.

 

Feeling inspired, Adam strode towards his office door and exited. He made his way towards his secretary's desk and tapped the surface once to get Gabriel's attention. "Let's have dinner later to celebrate you joining the company. It will be like a welcome party. You can also introduce yourself to people in the other departments." The young CEO felt himself smile genuinely at the other for the first time in a long time, and he even went so far as to bend over and lean close to the other. "What do you say, Gabe?"

 

Adam eagerly waited for Gabriel's reply, but not a moment later his phone rang and Adam was forced to turn away from his secretary. "Akagi." He stated, eyebrows knitting. Judging from the person calling, he had a feeling something was about to happen. It was from the delegate he sent to secure a contract with a mining group.

 

 

"Oh?" Adam's expression was turning sour. He did not send his delegate to fail. "Why is that?"

 

 

Not again. Adam glanced at Gabriel before turning away and clenching his jaw tight. "I trust that you did everything in your power to convince him before the situation came to this?"

 

 

Adam held back a sigh. He did not want to look defeated in front of his new secretary. "Alright. I'll be right there by evening. Tell the director I'm inviting him and his daughter to dinner."

 

 

Once the call was ended, Adam faced Gabriel again. "I'm sorry, we'll have to postpone your welcome party another time." Without thinking, Adam placed his hand on Gabriel's shoulder and squeezed it, as if his hand unconsciously needed to touch the other. Dealing with introductions to unmarried daughters has always been draining, and having Gabriel with him this time was going to be less stressful. Hopefully.

 

"Book a hotel suite and plane tickets, then go home and pack your things. I'll pick you up at your place by lunch. We're going to Bali, Indonesia."

[BunBunTheCatSnake]

Gabriel found a few documents that looked a little sloppy for his taste, that he decided to rework. He was going to talk to Adam about it to get them finalized, but he felt as if the layout could be better. Who ever worked here before Gabriel was an amateur at best. Gabriel was in the middle of fixing the layout of an appointment sheet, when Adam tapped on his desk. Gabriel quickly looked up at Adam, his stomach feeling that tight feeling again. "Hi Adam... er... sir." Gabriel said a little awkwardly. Maybe he should quit? He really felt like crawling in a hole somewhere and dying.

 

The dinner caught Gabriel a little off guard. He really didn't know what to say. Gabriel was never one to turn down a free meal, but then again he really didn't want to be in the same room as Adam if he could avoid it. Adam should hate him! Gabriel was a little surprised that he even got the job, if he was being honest. Gabriel never experienced heart break in a romantic sense, but he's been told that it stings. Gabriel went to turn down Adam's offer, but was cut off when he heard the sound of the cell phone. He watched Adam turn his back, and being the nosy person Gabriel is he tried to listen in.

 

Adam seemed a little stressed. He hoped that dinner plans were already being canceled... and by the sounds of it, he was right. When Adam said the word 'daughter,' it immediately caught his attention. What kind of business meeting had family members attend? Gabriel tried to look like he was working on his tiny project when Adam turned back to him, before he looked up when he started to talk.

 

There was a spark of relief when he said he had to postpone their dinner plans. He looked over at his shoulder, and offered Adam a smile. "It's okay. Honestly." Adam said, not really sure if he should be patting his hand or something. Adam looked... a little stressed. Gabriel was never good at dealing with other peoples emotions.

 

When Adam mentioned Bali, Gabriel's eyes went wide and a tiny smile crossed his lips. He was a little shocked. "I'm nsorry... Indonesia?" Gabriel asked, not too sure if he heard him correctly. Gabriel never had the chance to travel outside the country, so he was admittedly a little excited. He would have to dig out his passport. He knew the passport would serve a use one day!

 

"I need to find a cat sitter..." Gabriel said, rubbing the back of his neck. "How long will we be gone?" Gabriel asked, his eyes flashing up towards Adam's. He was probably going to get his friend Jet to watch them. Jet was really the only one he trusted to watch his beloved cats.

 

Gabriel hoped they would be gone long enough to wonder around just a little. This was going to be all too new to Gabriel. Not only was going to another country new, but he has never even been on an airplane. The only downside was Adam... he hoped he didn't want to talk about their past... relations, but he also knew that it was bound to happen one day.

[The Orphan]

When Gabriel appeared disbelieving about the trip, Adam's first thought was cute. For once the other displayed innocence and it made him so much more endearing in Adam's opinion.

 

"A cat sitter? You have a cat, Gabe?" Adam observed. He did not recall his secretary mentioning any animal friends in the past. He did not mention a lot of things, in fact. "I'd say we'll be away for four days. It'll take some time to court an old man, you know. I'll have to take it slow." Adam said, sending a quick wink at the other. He could or could not be talking about the director. Either way, good business was always done sure and steady in the Akagi way.

 

Gabriel was concealing his excitement well, but Adam nevertheless whiffed it from him. Soon, the excitement was rubbing on him. His mind kept running with places to take Gabriel to, things to show him. He tried to shut the thoughts out as he made his way back to his office to gather his personal things and call Chris. It was silly, but Adam wanted to take Gabriel out on a date.

 

Don't. The voice in his head warned.

 

"Fine." He conceded, answering the voice under his breath. He greeted goodbye to Anise then left the room just as Chris reached the sixteenth floor.

 

"I'll be leaving first. I'll meet you at your place by lunch." Adam regarded his secretary. "We'll head to the airport together."

 

The drive to his house was a noisy kind of silence. Adam sat still, but his mind was reeling. He was still so young and already his business partners were subtly pushing marriage candidates towards him in their passive aggressive manner. Really, in this day and age. Adam had to roll his eyes just the slightest. If a person worked diligently and with discipline, resources would be utilized efficiently and appropriately, then profit would be a given. It was ridiculous to rely on favors and marriage to secure an agreement. Adam knew that he did not only need to have that contract signed, he also had to educate his business partner, regardless of his age.

 

Bottom line, he simply did not have the time to fool around the lovely island of Bali with an equally lovely Gabriel. But I want to. I want to show him around, Adam admitted, his face scrunching further and messing up his handsome features. He was still frowning by the time he reached home and was walking around his room, picking out clothes at random. Soon enough, his mum popped her head at the door and called out to him.

 

"Adam dear, you did not greet me when you got home. I'm sad." His mum, a petite woman named Iris, entered the young CEO's room with a slight skip in her step. She had always been light footed like that. "Oh, another trip?"

 

"Yes, mum. Four days." Adam paused what he was doing and turned around to face her. "Some geezer's trying to set me up with his youngling again, mum. That's so old fashioned. Why can't people just work hard properly instead of using shortcuts?" He huffed, the scowl on his face turning from upset to dissatisfaction that his mother could only chuckle.

 

"Dear, come over here for a moment." Iris said good naturedly, but her son was in no mood to hang around.

 

"Mum, I have a flight just right after lunch-"

 

Without a word, she strode towards him, removed and replaced some of the clothing that Adam was packing, then added a pair of socks and his toothbrush. She did all these in only a few seconds"There, all ready. Now come with me."

 

Adam took one look at the contents of his duffel bag and knew that his mum had finished his packing for him. Part of him disliked the feeling that he was babied, while the rest of him beamed at this subtle display of care and affection. She could have just been meddling, but the gesture made him love her more nevertheless. He let her lead him to the garden patio where he was sat down in one of the wooden chairs. She left him for a while and when she came back, she had two teapots and two teacups on top of a tray which she was carrying. Adam quickly stood and helped her bring the tea to the table.

 

"Thank you, Adam." She smiled, her movements light and crisp as she poured her son tea from one of the teapots. Adam did the same before sipping the tea. He tasted black jasmine and sighed. He loved jasmine with black tea. He looked at his mum in the eye and thought how wonderful of a person she was. He'd been so busy hating his house because of his father that he sometimes forgot that his mum was still here with her gentleness.

 

"What's in the other one?" Adam asked, referring to the other teapot. "More tea?" The young CEO thought he was joking, but Iris only gave a cryptic smile that said "why don't you go and see for yourself?" So Adam downed the rest of his tea and reached for the other teapot. The liquid poured out was the same golden color. Adam gave raised an eyebrow at his mum's consistent smiling as he raised the cup to his lips.

 

"Ack!" Adam nearly sputtered. "Mum, this tea is cold." And it wasn't even iced tea, just brewed tea. "How could you do that to black jasmine?" Adam was borderline offended.

 

Iris only giggled, patting a napkin on the corner of her son's lips. "You know, Adam, people are similar. The same, jasmine scented black tea. It's just that some are more heated and driven, more passionate than others." Her hazel eyes met Adam's, her gaze tender and patient. "But lukewarm tea can still be salvaged. If we pour part of the hot, the cup will eventually become drinkable." As she spoke, she poured hot tea to fill Adam's half full cup. "Dear, you can share your fire with others, just remember to be patient." Her fingers found his cheek as she leaned to plant a kiss on his forehead. "Be careful on your trip, Adam."

 

I got lectured with tea. Adam could never seem to get used to his mum's creative method to teach him things.

 

Just then the two of them heard the sound of a car being driven up the driveway and soon enough the driver Chris stood by the doorway, keeping his distance from the two others as he was not invited. "Join me for tea, Chris, while Adam gets his bag." Iris invited just as Adam was heading towards his room to get his things. He changed into a business casual outfit, which meant a turtleneck sweater underneath a suit jacket, trousers and loafers. Needless to say, his mum coordinated and laid out the clothes earlier. When he went back out, Chris and Iris were out front. His mum gave him a kiss, on the cheek this time. His driver tucked bag at the back and they were off to Gabriel's place.

 

Chris was a skilled driver and he did his job very well. It did not take him long to drive to Gabriel's place despite the new secretary's very recent employment. By mere observation, the area appeared clean and decent, a good neighborhood. Adam decided to knock on Gabriel's door himself. Maybe he'll be surprised. Should I have brought flowers...? Adam considered.

 

Okay, that thought was just silly.

 

Adam kept the self reproach comments to himself as he made his way to the address which Gabriel gave on his r?sum?. Seventh floor, room two. Windows facing the west. That meant the place probably had good view of the sunset, given the height. Adam vaguely wondered if he'll ever see the sun set from inside Gabriel's room.

 

Stop that, Adam. He scolded himself for the last time before knocking on the door.

[BunBunTheCatSnake]

When Adam asked if he had a cat, Gabriel nodded. He could feel himself blush a little at the little nickname. It was so informal, but Adam called him that all through their college days, so he didn't know why he thought it was so weird now. Maybe it was because Adam was the Adam Akagi - his boss and CEO of a major company. Back then Adam was just the insanely attractive man who had a glorious cock. It did make Gabriel happy that he still called him Gabe though. He was happy that his position didn't make him a pompous douche. He was still just Adam Akagi... though there was no sleeping with him this time, even though Gabriel would jump at the opportunity to do so.

 

Gabriel started to save whatever he was doing, and tried to think of everything he could bring to the trip. He made a mental note to grab his laptop when he got home. He could log onto everything on that. Gabriel grabbed his phone a quickly texted Jet. Hey Jet. I'm going away for a business meeting to Indonesia for a few days. Can you watch Night and Socks for me? I'll make it well worth your time.

 

Jet was a sex buddy, but to be fair most of Gabriel friends were people he's slept with. They met at a bar, and after a night of nonstop sex they decided they would most certainly do this again. Jet ended up becoming one of Gabriel's friends, and is one of the few people Gabriel would trust with his life.

 

Gabriel's phone buzzed on his desk, so Gabriel quickly grabbed it. Only if you use that pretty mouth of yours before you go. Gabriel couldn't help but roll his eyes at Jet's reply.

 

Of course. Maybe if we have time we can do a little more. Gabriel texted back. Just as he hit send, Adam walked out of his office and told him he would pick him up by lunch. "See you then. Drive safe." Gabriel said as Adam left the office. Before Gabriel went home as well, he bought their plane tickets to Indonesia. He couldn't believe that he was going somewhere so exotic. As he left the office, Gabriel texted Jet that he was on his way. They probably didn't have much time, and Gabriel still had to pack.

 

When Gabriel got home, Jet wasn't there yet. He took this opportunity to pack a few business casual outfits, and other essential things such as a toothbrush and his razor. His cats kept crawling into his black suitcase, which slowed him down a little. "I'm sorry, babies. I would love to take the two of you, but I can't." Gabriel said as he used both of his hands to pet his cats, and placed a kiss on both of their faces. The last thing Gabriel put in his suitcase was his laptop and charger, before he zipped it up.

 

Suddenly he felt arms wrap around him, and teeth bite down onto his neck. Gabriel gasped, but leaned into it as Jet's hands wandered around his body. "I don't have much time..." Gabriel breathed out as Jet threw him onto the bed. Gabriel grabbed Jet's shirt, and pulled him down with him. Gabriel probably wasn't going to have sex when he was in Indonesia, so he was desperate for some before he left. The two made out as they undressed each other. Jet broke away, and kissed Gabriel's neck leaving a bright red hickey. Gabriel hoped Adam wouldn't notice, but it was far from the thing he was focused on at the moment.

 

Gabriel flipped Jet on his back, and kissed a trail down towards his member. Gabriel opened his mouth, and was just about to give the other head before he heard a knock on his door. "Fuck." Gabriel said, jumping off of Jet. "One moment!" Gabriel called out. "Get dressed. My boss is here." Gabriel whispered, throwing Jet's shirt at him. Gabriel quickly grabbed a beige knitted crew neck vest and a white button up, and threw them on. Thankfully he still had his pants on, so he just buttoned them back up. He took a deep breath, thankful that he was fully erect.

 

He grabbed his passport, wallet, and his suitcase. "Thank you Jet. I'll make this up to you, I promise." Gabriel said, before rushing out of his door.

 

"Sorry for the wait. My cats were slowing me down." Gabriel lied. "I bought our tickets, so we should be okay to go... our flight leaves in about an hour." Gabriel was still a little frazzled. He wanted to have sex so bad, and now he would have to wait a few days. The only action he got today was a kiss on his neck. Suddenly he was reminded of his hickey... he didn't get to see how dark it was. He hoped that Jet didn't make it too obvious, but the man was the king of hickey making.

[The Orphan]

As Gabriel was out the door and immediately expressing his apologies, Adam's eyes unconsciously gravitated to his secretary's mouth. They're such a cute cherry pink, he loftily noted. And they were a bit wet, too.

 

Adam, no staring. Geez.

 

"No need to be sorry since you aren't late." Adam said as he led the way to the elevator and punched the ground floor button. "Did you get a sitter in time? I hope it wasn't too short a notice. You'll have to get used to sudden trips like this. As much as I prefer my emissaries to do well, sometimes they make blunders, leaving me to clean up after them."

 

Adam had his head tilted towards Gabriel's direction, hoping it was the casual amount of tilt. Gabriel mustn't know how the young CEO was admiring the way that cute little vest fitted Gabriel so well. Adam could not believe his luck, reuniting with Gabriel like this and going on a trip with him on the same day. Just as Adam was weighing whether he should consider today a coincidence or some kind of fate, the elevator bell dinged and the doors opened. Chris the driver stood waiting with the car door open. Adam turned to his secretary.

 

"Are you hungry, Gabe? Because I know I am. I haven't eaten anything the whole day. Though we'll have to keep lunch short since we'll have less than an hour before boarding. After you." Adam quickly added, letting Gabriel sit first.

[BunBunTheCatSnake]

Gabriel help his neck as they stood inside the elevator. He felt like he was back in high school, trying to hide hickeys from his father. The suspense of getting found out always made Gabriel a little sick. "Yeah. My friend Jet loves my cats, and they love him. Their a little spoiled, and Jet caters to it. Besides, he doesn't ask for much." Thankfully Jet's form of payment was something both of them could enjoy. "I'm honestly excited. Jet practically lives at my house, so it's honestly pretty easy to get someone to watch them." Gabriel was excited to see Indonesia, but he also wished he could have had sex before he left.

 

When Gabriel saw the driver, Gabriel was taken back for a second. If he was being honest, he forgot that the man with filthy rich. It never mattered to Gabriel, nor would it ever. The question about food made him look up at Adam with a little smile, "food actually sounds pretty nice." Gabriel admitted. "Do you want to go through a drive thru or something?" Gabriel asked as he got into the car, and buckled himself in.

 

The seats seemed to mold around his body, so he leaned into it. He couldn't help but compare his torn up seats in his car. His seats were so comfortable, that he had to put a pillow down on the drivers side. But this car was something straight from his dreams. Gabriel wanted to ask if he could drive it someday, but he thought that would be unprofessional.

 

"Have you been to Bali before?" Gabriel asked, folding his hands into his lap.

[The Orphan]

Adam liked listening to Gabriel's casual chatter, it was so different from their carnal encounters in the past. The moment felt substantial, meaningful. "Ah, pets. I've always wanted one but father never let me. He said that if I had time to play around with an animal, I should use it instead to study." Oh, why did he have to suddenly spring up something so dismal? "Well since I missed out spoiling a pet on childhood," Adam leaned closer to Gabriel and whispered lowly next to his secretary's ear, "maybe you'd let me spoil you in the next few days instead?"

 

When Gabriel suggested a drive thru, Adam had to exert extra effort to keep his face muscles straight. He'd been fasting since yesterday and he was dying to eat all sorts of unhealthy food but he couldn't let his new secretary see him guzzling down lunch like a starved boor. That was until his driver cleared his throat so he may speak.

 

"Excuse me, sir. Your mother insisted that I bring this." Chris announced, with one eye on the road and the other to regard the familiar looking shape of cloth covered jubako boxed lunch. Just by looking at it Adam could tell it had five tiers of food to it. "Lady Iris said to share it."

 

No wonder Adam smelled something nice earlier. "Mum." Adam could pretend that he thought of his mum as nosy but he could not hide the twinkle of adoration in his eye. It made him feel embarrassed in front of Gabriel yet at the same time terribly proud. "Let's have this instead, Gabriel. I'm sure you'll like mum's cooking." Adam said as he took off the cloth covering and unstacked the boxes, laying the food between the two of them. There were macaroons for later, shanghai rolls and spring rolls, beef stew, egg rolls and stir fried vegetable, then rice. But Adam kept looking for one thing, and he was not disappointed when he found it underneath the steaming white rice.

 

Chicken tenders. Deep fried.

 

If he could, Adam would take them all for himself, but his heart was full with his mum's love and he had this pretty person beside him waiting to be fed. Adam picked up his chopsticks and carefully selected one. He didn't care if he was being forward. The only thing he could think about was that he wanted to share his most favorite food with Gabriel.

 

"To answer your question, yes I have been to Bali before but I was just a boy so I don't remember much. My father let me sit in on one of his business meetings with one of our most wealthy investors at the time." Adam placed a hand on the seat near Gabriel's thigh to balance himself as he neared the chicken tender towards his assistant. "Open your mouth, Gabe." He instructed so he could feed the other straight from his chopsticks.

 

"I'd like to say that I'll take care of you since you're the first timer to visit Bali but I haven't gone out much that one time in my childhood, so instead I'll promise you that I'll accompany you to wherever you want, though only if our work is finished. Tell me if you have a place you want to go to and we'll arrange something. I heard the sunrise at Mount Batur is something to see." Adam rambled, distracting himself from the fact that he just fed Gabriel something that didn't involve the both of them in a sexual activity. It made him giddy to his core.

[BunBunTheCatSnake]

When Adam started talking about his father, Gabriel couldn't help but feel a little bad for him. Gabriel always had a cat around. After his parents divorced, his father bought a cat for his house to get Gabriel use to the change and to cry into. Gabriel looked up at Adam when he leaned in closer, his eyes going a little wide when Adam offered to spoil him. Gabriel had to turn a cheek to make sure the other didn't see his blush. Adam caught him off guard. Gabriel couldn't help but think about the old days, when the two would go at it the rabid animals. They would screw for hours if they had the time, and Gabriel loved every second of it. No one was able to make Gabriel melt quite like Adam.

 

When Chris handed the food off to Gabriel, he could feel his mouth water. It smelled so good. "I like anyone's cooking. I'm like a human dumpster truck." Gabriel said as he grabbed one of the chop sticks, and quickly shoved his mouth with one of the spring rolls. Gabriel hummed and leaned his head back. The food was delicious. Gabriel could feel his heart sink when Adam mentioned his father again. He wanted to call him an asshole, but Gabriel didn't want to come of rude or unprofessional.

 

Gabriel felt his hand over by his thigh, and for a second he thought that Adam wanted to get frisky. Gabriel was ready for it too. God he wanted to have sex so bad. When Adam told him to open his mouth, Gabriel did so without noticing the chicken tender. When he found that instead of his lips Adam placed a chicken tender, Gabriel didn't know if he should be pleasantly surprised or not. He chewed his food, feeling a little conflicted.

 

When Adam said he was willing to take Gabriel anywhere, he smirked. "Anywhere?" Gabriel said as he crossed his arms and rolled his tongue over his lips. "I'm going to find the most expensive thing, and make you pay for it." Gabriel joked with a little laugh. "Joking. I would never do that, no matter how tempting it may be." Gabriel popped some rice into his mouth and shrugged. "That sunset thing sounds nice, we can just do that. It's inexpensive and nice. Being in another country alone is rewarding enough." Gabriel was never one for flashy things. He read somewhere that the local spots in different countries was the best way to go, and it was usually inexpensive. Besides, Gabriel only wanted rich men he didn't respect to pay for everything. Gabriel actually respected Adam, therefor Gabe felt responsible for his own expenses.

[The Orphan]

Adam could chuckle at Gabriel's attempt to threaten him with expenses. Adam was aware that using the company's money would get him in trouble but if he were to use his own, all would be good. And Adam had no problem spending his own money if it was going help him be closer to Gabriel.

 

"Being with you is reward enough for me." Adam replied, stuffing his mouth with both an egg roll and the vegetables at the same time as elegantly as he could.

 

And nearly choked doing so.

 

Thankfully, as if he knew what was going on, Chris quickly handed the young CEO a thermos that had been sitting at the passenger's seat. Adam murmured his thanks and washed down the food with bitter oolong tea. "Have some, Gabe. We're almost to the airport." Adam offered the thermos just as they pulled up the expressway. A brief glance at his watch informed Adam that eating his mum's lunch in the car was the better decision. It was tight but they still had time. The last stretch of road to the airport lasted less than fifteen minutes and soon Chris was unloading their bags from the trunk.

 

"Thank you Chris." Adam shook his driver's hand and smiled. "Does Synthia know?"

 

"Not yet, but the kids do." Chris' obvious joy from talking about his family crinkled the corners of his eyes. It made the surprise business trip so much more pleasant for Adam, except for the fact that he had to reject another matchmaking. "I'm taking them home from school and we'll surprise her together with dinner."

 

"That's nice. Tell them I said hello." For a moment Adam felt a pang in his chest. He knew what it was, he was familiar with it. It wasn't the first time he felt envy for his driver's family and he was sure it wasn't going to be the last. Releasing his driver's hand, Adam turned to his secretary and smiled. Maybe one day if he was lucky, Gabriel and Adam could...

 

Focus, Adam.

 

"Alright Gabe, you're up. Get us to our flight."

[BunBunTheCatSnake]

Gabriel couldn't help but roll his eyes and chuckle at both the choking and the flirting. "Smooth." Gabriel teased, as he pat his back. He watched him drink out of the thermos, and shook his head. It was kind of nice to actually talk to Adam - though sex did sound pretty fantastic. But talking was okay too. He never really got to talk to Adam, and now that he found the other to be pretty fun company. Gabriel took the thermos from Adam, and sipped it. Gabriel had to keep himself from making a disgusted look on his face. He was much more of an iced coffee guy, and never quite liked tea. "T-thank you." Gabriel thanked, before he shoved a chicken tender into his mouth.

 

When they got outside the airport, Gabriel quickly double checked their time. He looked over at Chris and Adam, and silently listened to them talk. Gabriel turned his gaze away, trying to hide the look of bitterness in his eyes. He couldn't help but question what was wrong in his relationship. Love was just a stronger urge to breed. It's nothing other than a tool to fuck, and that's it. People fall for it, and they end up getting hurt. Gabriel wasn't going to allow himself to fall for it.

 

When Adam called out Gabriel's name, he turned to him with a smile. "Yes sir!" Gabriel said as he grabbed his suitcase, and lead Adam towards the luggage check in stand. Thankfully the line wasn't too long. The second they got their boarding passes in hand, Gabriel couldn't help but feel a little anxious. This was his first time on a plane. Gabriel looked down at the ticket, his face unable to hide his anxiousness. What if they crashed? They say that car crashed happen more often, but that didn't keep Gabriel from worrying. "How... how many times have you flown before?" Gabriel asked, his blue eyes meeting with Adam's.

[The Orphan]

"I haven't thought of counting." Was Adam's reply to Gabriel's question. At first Adam thought that his secretary was just making small talk, an attempt which Adam genuinely appreciated. However when he saw Gabriel's face and had those copper sulfides stare at him, Adam was made to think otherwise.

 

"You know, if you're scared I can hold your hand until you're not anymore." The young CEO took his secretary's hand without regard for what the other would say. He twined their fingers together and held it tight, much so that Gabriel won't ever be able to remove Adam's hand even if he fell asleep later in the plane.

 

Was it terrible of him to think that they should go on plane trips more in the future? Adam was well aware of the Suspension Bridge Effect, the idea of associating physiological responses such as fear as romantic feelings towards another person who is accompanying the first person. This possibility occupied Adam's thoughts as he pulled his companion along with him. The flight attendant who checked their tickets for seat designations visibly giggled when she noticed their linked hands before gesturing towards the general direction of their seats.

 

"I'll place your suitcase here, Gabe."

 

Of course he was not going to pass up an opportunity to show off his height and his ass which he worked so hard to maintain despite the amount of chicken tenders his mum prepared for him. He placed his own bag next to Gabriel's and without releasing Gabriel's hand, Adam took it upon himself to sit by the window in case Gabriel felt sick once he realized how high they were flying.

 

"So, your friend Jet. Is he a good friend?" Adam intended to mention Gabriel's cat sitter in order to distract his secretary from the flight, but what was meant as a conversation starter came out more cold and demanding without Adam meaning to. Instinctively, Adam's hand tightened around Gabriel's, as if to stop his secretary from running away again.

 

Calm down, Adam. You're in a plane. He doesn't have anywhere to go.

 

Maybe that's exactly why he wanted to confront him.

 

In truth, Adam spotted a bright red mark on Gabriel's neck earlier when they were outside his apartment. It had gotten his blood all buzzing both from jealousy and arousal, even when they were in the car. If it weren't for his driver around, he would have... Adam leaned closer to Gabriel that he could feel his own breath circling back to his mouth after it hit his secretary's neck.

 

"Is he good enough to give you a hickey?"

 

The flight attendants were reviewing the safety procedures at this point and the woman from earlier was the one in charge of the area around them. She happened to glance at the two of them, stiffened, then returned to the life vest demonstration with a blush on her face. Adam guessed it must have been the obvious hungry look on his face as he awaited Gabriel's reaction.

[BunBunTheCatSnake]

The offer to hold his hand made Gabriel chuckle, and he shook his head. "N-no it's--" Before Gabriel could decline his offer, he found the others hand in his. He looked up at Adam, a small embarrassed blush covering his pale cheeks. He didn't know if he was fooling around or not, until a few seconds went by without a single laugh or a 'just kidding.' Though, in a way it was kind of helping with his fear of being in a small metal space flying thousands of feet into the air, running on dinosaurs and aerodynamics. Now he was focused on people looking at him. Gabriel had many friends, and he was pretty certain that some of them worked at the airport. He hoped that none of them were watching them. His friends liked to gossip, and he just knew that word of him holding hands with an incredibly attractive man would spread like wild fire. He could already hear them telling everyone that he is of giving up his life as a loose bachelor, for... love - the word alone is enough to make him sick.

 

As the fight attendant looked down at their hands, Gabriel couldn't help but look away and blush. Oh God. She saw their hands, and she thought they were dating. Gabriel looked at Adam as they squeezed their way through the crowded airplane. Maybe Adam still carried some feelings for Gabriel? And if he did, then Gabriel couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Adam deserved so much more than Gabriel Gabriel wasn't able to give his heart to someone like that, and he never would. Gabriel was well aware of the fact that love just didn't exist, and it was just a higher form of miserable lust. Now, if someone were to ask Gabriel he if lusted over Adam - then the answer was always yes.

 

Gabriel watched as Adam stuffed his suitcase away. His eyes gravitated towards his perfectly sculpted bottom, and he bit his lip. Gabriel couldn't help but wonder if his cock was still just as magnificent as it was in college. The thought didn't help his current state, so he tried to push it into the back of his brain - but his mind continued to remind him of some of the things they would do in bed.

 

The question pulled him out of his thoughts. Before he could answer, Adam leaned in close and commented ob his hickey. Gabe could feel the pressure of his blush all the way to his ears. He quickly covered the hickey, silently cursing Jet for being so reckless. He looked up at Adam, and saw that hungry look he knew all too well. He bit his lip at the sight. It took everything in his power not to drag Adam off into the bathroom. Gabriel never had angry sex with Adam before... and he couldn't help but wonder what it would be like.

 

"Jet is just a friend. We fuck in exchange for favors." Gabriel whispered in a hushed tone, his blue eyes looking up at Gabriel. "You could say we're pretty decent friends." Gabriel also slept with most of his friends, but he chose to leave that out. "We barely did anything--" Gabriel was about to explain his current situation to Adam in hopes that it might lead elsewhere, but the plane started to come alive as it cruised around the airport. Gabriel squeezed Adam's hand at the sudden movement, and faced forward with absolute panic in his eyes.

 

When the plane started to pick up speed, and ascend into the air Gabriel squeezed even harder. He tightly shut his eyes and held his breath. He suddenly missed the ground. Will he ever feel sand between his toes again?

[The Orphan]

"You shouldn't need to use your body like that." He knew he had no right to lecture his secretary about his sex life, but Gabriel's casual way of talking about sex had always aggravated Adam. He liked sex too, so much that at one point he was addicted to it, and that time it was with Gabriel. But Adam didn't just do it with whoever he could find. If Adam fucked, he was going to fuck the person he loved, or at least was dating.

 

"I hate that part of you." Adam murmured under his breath. He also hated the way Gabriel made him impatient, just like today when he'd wanted to pull him somewhere they could be alone, rip his pants off and tease him so much until Gabriel begged to be fucked. Adam had been pent up for so long that he was sure he was going to hurt Gabriel if that ever happened. He also knew that giving Gabriel sex was not going to equal Gabriel giving Adam his heart. It did not work before, and it probably wouldn't work this time. Adam's head was going to explode if he kept thinking about it.

 

Even with the entire plane and everything in it was rattling as they took off the ground, Adam felt a certain peace inside, as if all his senses were put on mute. He felt dissociated from the toddler crying in fright to their right, or the man up front complaining about his need to relieve his bladder, or even his own legs which felt numb from having his tall frame squeezed into the seat. His earlier irritation dissipated. All that was left was the force of Gabriel's hand gripping his and the low bass drumming of his heart in his chest.

 

Adam knew Gabriel had had numerous sexual partners in his past and even his present, but Adam had to wonder if this kind of vulnerability was shown to him alone. Now he understood the sentiment of wanting to protect someone. It wasn't the arrogant wish he considered it to be before, when any kind of comfort given only felt condescending. It was more than that. It was very difficult to explain, even for Adam himself.

 

"Gabe, look at me." Adam gently whispered, willing the other to show him those pretty blue eyes again. "I'm here." For the first time outside of business matters, Adam genuinely hoped that he said the right words. He couldn't say that they would be alright or that they shouldn't worry. There were some things he couldn't control after all. All he could offer Gabriel was himself.

 

If only Gabriel could do the same.

[BunBunTheCatSnake]

His mind started to visualize plane crashes. He pictured oxygen masks falling, and the Captain's voice over the intercom telling them that something was wrong. The plane shook and it almost felt like it was losing it's battle against the wind. Gabriel never liked heights. He couldn't even stand at the top of a ladder without feeling dizzy and panicked. But this was much higher than a ladder, or even a mountain. Gabriel kept telling himself that cars crashed more often than planes, and he was being silly. But another small voice combated by saying that there would probably be more, if the skies were filled like a highway. These people go through intensive schooling to fly a plane, but then again Gabriel was putting his life in some person he didn't even know.

 

Thoughts were shooting through his mind like a meteor shower. It was just one thought after another; some visualizing the plane crashing, others trying to calm him down, and the majority of them telling him why he could panic. Gabriel didn't even realize that he was gripping Adam's hand with all of his strength. He heard Adam gently whisper to look at him, and complied. He looked up at Adam with frightened eyes. The plane was so loud. He could feel it slowly straighten itself out, but it just terrified him that he would feel it nosedive into the ground below them.

 

Gabriel looked over at the window, and saw that they were flying with the clouds. He suddenly felt like puking. "Can... can you close the window?" Gabriel asked, his eyes meeting with Adam's again. "I mean... It doesn't bother me, but I'm a little tired. I don't want to get distracted." Gabriel lied, trying to regain his composure now that the plane stopped rattling. He looked down at their hands, and quickly pulled it away and into his lap. "Planes are funny, aren't they? Humans like being so... extra that we developed a way to travel through the sky." Gabriel laughed nervously, running his fingers through his black locks.

 

He leaned away from Adam, his cheeks a soft red. He felt so embarrassed. There was no way he couldn't tell that he was... is... panicking. Humans should have stayed on the ground. So many things could go wrong, and they could plummet to their deaths. Gabriel's mind started to reel again. He had to calm down. "So... like... where else have you gone?"

[The Orphan]

It seemed as if a sort of cold gripped his heart, and Adam felt his emotions plummet when Gabriel pulled his hand away. The truth that he wasn't enough for Gabriel to give him comfort hit him hard enough to realize that he should stop pursuing this rubbish of a relationship. What was he expecting anyway? That being sincere was going to get him Gabriel's heart?

 

I'm such a child, Adam thought as he pulled the window shade down. His hand, the one he held Gabriel's with, felt numb and cold. If he was being honest, Adam had the strong, violent urge to rip it off.

 

"Flying is not about being extra. It's for convenience, war and dreams." Adam heard himself say, but his own voice sounded so detached. "Not that you'd understand any of those except for the first one." He knew saying the last part was just to be mean, but Adam was too busy shutting down his feelings that he hardly cared if Gabriel was hurt or not. In fact, it would have been better if Gabriel felt the sting every once in a while.

 

"You should sleep. Chit chatting with your boss isn't going to do you any good anyway." Adam huffed, his finger rubbing his temple where a scar from his childhood was hidden underneath his hair. The repeated motion did not calm him down at all, and the memory behind the injury only made him madder. Beside him, Gabriel was blushing and appearing to be doing his best to calm down, but Adam was too dejected to soothe him right now.

 

"Fuck, four more hours of this..." Adam murmured with a grumbled sigh. In a moment he made eye contact with the flight attendant from earlier and beckoned her to him.

 

"How may I assist you, sir?" She greeted with a friendly smile.

 

Adam smiled back before asking her. "Are there any free seats up front?" The question had her blinking in confusion for a few beats.

 

"Yes, sir. There is one right at the first row."

 

Adam bit his lip as he considered. He knew what he was about to say was going to cost him his chance with Gabriel, if ever there was one. Screw it. He was in a bad mood and he was going to do whatever the hell he wanted. "You see, my companion is feeling very airsick. I would appreciate it if you could attend to him in case he gets worse. I rather trust you and your crew than myself."

 

Horrible. He was such a horrible person. To leave an anxious person by himself, his mother would have yelled at him. But he couldn't stop now, not when he was too busy protecting his own damaged heart. "Go on, Gabriel." Adam prodded, not even looking at his secretary.

 

"This way, sir." The attendant said to Gabriel, although Adam had already closed his eyes and placed his hands together to sleep. He wanted to shut evrything out. His mother used to tease him with how he looked like a marble statue when he wasn't moving. Handsome and divine, she'd say. Maybe she wasn't wrong, because right then he actually felt like one. His heart felt stonecold with the way he treated Gabriel .

[BunBunTheCatSnake]

The rude remark took Gabriel back for a second. He looked at him with a confused and bothered look on his face, as if he wanted to say something. This was his boss though, so he should respect that - but the desire to shoot something rude back gnawed at him. When Adam suggested that he slept, he slowly looked away from the other. "I guess not." Anger boiled in Gabriel's stomach like a witches brew. What did he even do to make the other so mad? He just didn't understand it. One moment he's holding his hand and calming him down from a meltdown, and now Adam was so mad at him that he couldn't even bare to look at Gabriel.

 

Gabriel heard the grumbled sigh, and he was just about to say something when he hailed the flight attendant over towards them. He figured that he was going to ask for something like a drink or food, but when he asked that Gabriel be moved on the excuse that 'he was sick,' Gabriel just about had it with Adam. He could feel his cheeks flush with anger. The fact that he couldn't even look at him just made him shake with rage. "You know, I'm not sick. But if it gets me away from this childish rich brat, I'll be more than happy to take my leave." Gabriel said, making each word into venom as he got up and fixed his coat. "I'll see you when we get off, unless you throw a tantrum over that too." His words just flew out of his mouth at that point, his main objective only to hurt Adam. It wasn't the right thing to do, but reason flew out that window a while ago.

 

Gabriel let the flight attendant lead the way, his feet stomping in rage. His fists curled with anger, as tears dared to fall down his cheeks. What did he to to Gabriel to be so mean? He just didn't get it. He sat down in his new seat, and pulled out his phone and earphones. This seat is nicer anyways, Gabriel thought to himself as he buckled himself in and wiped his angry tears off of his face. It didn't help his anger that Gabriel was sleep deprived. He was so tired, but how could he sleep when he was so angry?

 

Gabriel placed his earbuds into his hear and shuffled his music, before he leaned back in his seat. He was still so anxious, but he had to do this alone. He took a deep breath, as he tried to calm himself. He hoped that Adam was hurt by his words. He hoped that Adam came crawling back to him with an apology and an explanation. Gabriel wouldn't hold his breath though. He was use to people disappointing him, and Adam wasn't an exception.

[The Orphan]

The taste of blueberry iced candy was stark on his tongue. His uniform smelled exactly like how he looked. Sweaty, grimy and tired. He had been playing until late with some of his classmates after school. He didn't know that third grade students were allowed to have snacks high in salt and sugar before dinner, or that they could 'hang out' in a place full of and dedicated to games called an arcade for hours without studying for a single minute.

 

It was a whole new world for Adam, and he was especially in a good mood by the time he entered the foyer. His mum beamed at him and pointed out the rare sunshine in his step, including his untidy state. After he cleaned up, she invited the boy to the table where the father was already seated, his face a still mask. His first words were "You're late," to which Adam could only acknowledge with his silence.

 

"Melanie tells me you were second best in your test."

 

Melanie was Adam's private tutor. He looked away from his father's gaze, his heart thundering in his chest. "But I was only two points behind." He defended although weakly.

 

"And yet even the kid who took first was seven points away from a perfect score." His father's voice grew stern and Adam felt cold. The sound rang in his ears. He felt enveloped in it. Trapped. "Do you know what this means, Adam? It means you failed to keep nine points."

 

"Haku they're just points." His mum tried to reason with her husband. "I'm sure Adam did his best-"

 

"Clearly he hasn't." His father interjected, wiping his mouth with his napkin. "I don't like being petty, counting numbers are for gamblers. We Akagi must be absolute. From now on, you'll do everything perfectly, Adam." His father stood and walked towards the boy. "I know you can do it, son. I believe in you." He took Adam's shoulder with his big hand and shook it firmly, a gesture that Adam wanted to consider as loving but couldn't help to be intimidated by.

 

Melanie was gone the next day.

 

***

 

People think of nostalgia and brand it a good thing. The familiar aroma of an afternoon snack, the sound of footsteps of a dearly missed beloved, the warm colors of passion and innocence during adolescence. This is how the phrase "everything is not so bad in retrospect" worked. Sad and maddening things can happen to a person but once the grief is over, one can laugh over it.

 

To Adam, nostalgia came to him as pain. And repression. He had many duties as CEO for his company and having being handed the position had not been easy. He had to earn it, but being the stubborn and prideful person he was, he resolved to beat his father to get it. And he did, but the price was pain. From a young age he was taught to remove all distractions and deliver only perfection.

 

When Adam woke up from the vivid memory dream, the first thing he did was sweep his gaze towards the direction of where his secretary sat. He recognized Gabriel's unruly dark hair, tufts of it sticking out over his seat. Adam lived knowing he was not allowed to make mistakes. He wished he could tell if his feelings were something he convinced himself was real.

 

Just then a soft ding chimed and the 'seatbelt on' sign lit. With a crackle, the pilot reported that the descent had begun and the plane shook as proof. Adam watched Gabriel's head intently. The sleep had cleared his head and now he could see how he was such a baby for pushing Gabriel away when Adam knew that Gabriel was having a hard time.

 

Groaning in self loathing, Adam wondered how he could make up for being an asshole. He could say sorry, but he doubted that would be enough. The plane hit the ground and wobbled violently on the runway. The lights flickered for a moment and the radio came to life, reminding everyone to stay seated. When it calmed a bit and started to taxi, Adam unbuckled his seatbelt and made his way towards the front amidst the cabin crew's "you cannot stand yet, sir" and "sir, please remain seated for your safety". He ignored them and knelt in front of Gabriel, concern evident on his face. He hesitated before taking his secretary's hand. "I'm sorry for being such a dick earlier. Are you alright, Gabe?"

 

Maybe Adam wasn't allowed mistakes, but he could take his chances on something, or someone, that could turn out right.

[BunBunTheCatSnake]

Gabriel was finally wrapped up into the sweet embrace of sleep, and had quite the odd dream. He was back at home, his cats laying on his lap as he read a book. His thick framed glasses he only wore at home were placed on his nose, a small smile crossing his lips at the words he couldn't understand. The aroma of cinnamon filled his home, which made him feel comfortable and safe. Gabriel leaned into the arm of his couch, and was completely engrossed into this book when the elevator bell went off. Dream Gabriel knew who the visitor was, a warm feeling touching his chest like the first sip of hot chocolate. He threw his book gently across the couch, and practically ran to the door, before he opened it and was greeted by a familiar face. Adam looked down at Gabriel, this look of adoration bathing Gabriel in a sweet feeling. "You're home," Gabriel said softly, his arms wrapping around Adam's neck before kissing him softly.

 

The plane began to shake violently again, forcing Gabriel to wake up from his dream... nightmare? Gabriel wasn't too sure how to feel about the dream. A loud gasp escaped his lips when he woke up. It felt like he just fell off of a bunk bed, or he woke up from a dream where he was falling off of a cliff. He thought for certain that the plane was crashing, but when he looked around no one else seemed to be panicking. Gabriel tore out his ear phones, his body growing tense. He closed his eyes, and held his breath. I'm going to be okay. I'm going to be okay. I'm going to be okay. Gabriel thought to himself, his knuckles growing white from clutching the seat.

 

When the plane suddenly landed, Gabriel jumped slightly with a slight squeak escaping from his lips. He shook, his heart beating in his chest like a war drum. Out of all the ways he could be woken up, this was the top of his list as the lamest. He ran his shaking hand through his hair, trying to calm himself down. When he heard the sounds of the attendants telling someone to stay seated, Gabriel couldn't help but look over his shoulder. He saw Adam walking down the isle, his cheeks flushing when he saw the young CEO.

 

Gabriel couldn't help but remember his dream, and feel a little flustered over it. There were so many things wrong with it; the fact that Adam was living with him, the feeling of warmth when he looked at him, the fact that Adam would ever catch him in his glasses. When Adam came over to him and grabbed his hand, he couldn't help but think that he felt the same warmth radiate off of Adam in his dream. Gabriel looked at Adam, his hands still shaking from the landing. "You... You fucking idiot!" Gabriel snapped, "You... you were being a dick, but now you're being a reckless idiot. Sit down. This flying death trap is still moving, and here you are just running around like a chicken with its head cut off!" Gabriel quickly cleared the seat next to him, so Adam could comfortably get adjusted.

 

Gabriel looked at Adam, running his hands through his hair. "You could have gotten yourself hurt or something, and I don't know how to call the fucking hospital in a foreign country, and..." Gabriel took a deep breath to calm himself down, and crossed his arms. "You know, you're a grown man. You can make your own decisions, no matter how stupid they are." Gabriel was genuinely worried that the man rushed through the airplane just to get to him. Gabriel didn't trust airplanes at all, and he thought he voiced this concern before Adam sent him away. As much as Gabriel didn't want to admit it, Adam was his friend - though he would never, ever tell the other man this.

[The Orphan]

They are shaking. They're shaking terribly.

 

Adam absently thought as he squeezed the hands he held in his, wanting to pull the person yelling at him. Gabriel's words washed over Adam, and although they were sharp and telling, the young CEO felt no contempt from the other. Instead he felt the concern in them. Knowing this, Adam felt a warmth spread around his body, and his own fondness for Gabriel surged. Adam stared at Gabriel's blue eyes, lost in them and finding that he wanted to see them even closer until he was all those pretty eyes could see. It surprised him how pleasant being scolded was, how he thought it would be nice to hear more of Gabriel's voice.

 

Adam let his secretary tell him off more as he took the seat beside him, a smile which he fought hard to keep small tugging the corner of his lips. When Gabriel seemed to have finish talking and was calming himself down, Adam felt the need to hold his hand again but Gabriel had crossed his arms, folding them into himself. He didn't want to repeat the same fight earlier. In fact, maybe he should refrain from touching Gabriel at all. And speaking of the fight, he still needed to explain why he acted so harsh then.

 

"You... You're really pretty when you're angry at me."

 

Wait. That wasn't what he was going to say.

 

"You don't need to worry about me, I'm not afraid of planes and I'm insured." Adam had no idea what he was talking about. The hell did Gabriel care about his health insurance?

 

"And the international emergency number is 112."

 

Adam didn't like being a wimp, but this time he knew he was.

 

Overhead, the 'seatbelt on' sign dinged off and the plane finally slowed to a crawl. The cabin crew members were busy walking down the aisle, some sending the young CEO judging looks for his misbehavior earlier while still having smiles plastered on their faces. Adam ignored them. He turned to Gabriel and leaned a bit closer just to give them a little privacy. "Look, Gabe. I'm obviously still in love with you. When you pulled away earlier, I couldn't help but remember the time when you rejected me." Adam's breath shook when he sighed, he didn't know this was going to be so nerve-wracking. "I pushed my issues in a situation that shouldn't have been about me. I'm selfish, as you might have noticed." Adam's smile was sheepish when he looked at Gabriel. "I'm sorry."

 

The plane came to a halt and all around them there were the sounds of seatbelts clicking as the passengers got up to get their luggage. Adam remained seated and leaned just a little bit more towards Gabriel as it had gotten noisy now that everyone else was talking along with the captain's announcements. The young CEO swallowed, gripping his own hands and trying not to inhale Gabriel's scent.

 

"Gabriel, I..." I want to court you, will you let me?, he wanted to say, but Adam feared Gabriel would run away again, although technically he wouldn't be able to since they were abroad. Instead, he unbuckled and stood, feeling awkward now that his wimp count just increased by one. "I'll get our bags." He muttered before turning away, his face a red mess.

 

"Pardon me, sir." The flight attendant who he had asked to show his secretary to the front intercepted the young CEO on his way to the luggage compartment where their things were. "I just wanted to say that you are a beautiful couple." She beamed, her eyes twinkling. "You were like a scene from a telenovela. Your boyfriend even cried, and he was so pretty doing it."

 

Adam nearly stumbled with the bags. "He cried?" He couldn't tell if this was more important than the mistaken 'boyfriends' bit. His eyes snapped to Gabriel again. He cried and then scolded me? Adam's heart raced. This was more than he could have imagined, to be able to affect Gabriel this way without using sex.

 

The flight attendant nodded and excused herself to help an elderly retrieve her bags. Adam trudged back to where Gabriel was, suitcases in tow. He willed his blush to go away but it only deepened when he made eye contact with his secretary. "Here's your bag." Adam turned the thing over, careful not to brush his hand against the other's skin. "Let's go?"

[BunBunTheCatSnake]

The sudden compliment made Gabriel's cheeks turn bright red. He looked over at Adam, clearly taken off guard. "W-what?" He said, his voice cracking. Gabriel was honestly expecting Adam to fight back with him, not compliment how pretty he looked when he was yelling at him. When Adam continued to talk, he gave Adam a deep frown. "Just because you're not scared of planes, doesn't mean it wasn't dangerous to go running over here." Gabriel mumbled, as he sank into his seat, and looked away. At least he knew what number to call when Adam did something reckless next time.

 

When Adam leaned in towards Gabriel, he turned his head to look at the other. The confession made Gabriel's eyes widen, and his heart sink into his stomach. He suspected that Adam still carried some feelings, but he just hoped that he was wrong. Gabriel just wasn't relationship material... but when Adam spoke, he could feel his breath on his neck and it made Gabriel shiver. He started thinking of his dream again; the feeling of Adam's lips, the warmth he felt when he looked at him with complete adoration, and even how happy Gabriel himself felt. He could feel a blush creep onto his cheeks, and he turned his head. No. It was just a nightmare. It was nothing more than a list of reasons he should stay clear away from relationships. Getting that close to someone only meant getting hurt eventually.

 

"It's... okay." Gabriel said, his mind swarming with too many thoughts to really come up with anything else. When Adam said his name again, he looked over at the man. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he felt like he couldn't really breathe. Please don't ask me out, Gabriel thought to himself. If Gabriel hurt him by just pulling his hand away, he couldn't imagine what turning him down again would feel like to the young CEO. After a few seconds, Adam just offered to grab their bags. Gabriel felt like he could breathe again, though his heart didn't feel like it would slow down any time soon. "O-okay... I'll wait here." Gabriel said, his eyes watching Adam move to their original seats.

 

He watched at the flight attendant from earlier stopped him. Gabriel figured she was scolding him for running on the plane while it was still running, so he didn't pay much attention to them. He turned his head, and took a deep breath. That dream felt so real. Maybe that's why it was affecting him the way it was? Relationships were never on the table for Gabriel. Love wasn't something Gabriel believed in. Gabriel couldn't fall in love, and he didn't understand why anyone could ever fall for Gabriel. Even if Gabriel decided to throw away his beliefs and fall into the trap called love, he would inevitably find a way to mess it all up somehow.

 

When Adam came back, Gabriel was just as cautious not to touch their hands. Their fingers brushed ever so slightly, causing him to quickly grab him luggage and turn his head to look at his watch. "We should probably get checked into our hotel. The meeting is in a few hours, so we should get settled in first." Gabriel said, refusing to meet his gaze with Adam. He started walking off of the plane, keeping his luggage close to his heart. When they finally got off of the plane, Gabriel took a deep breath. He was thankful to be on solid ground in one piece, and not dead in some ocean.

 

Gabriel looked at Adam, though he didn't meet his eyes. "Where... do you... How do we get our bags?" Gabriel said, finding it a little hard to talk to Adam at the moment. Gabriel felt like such a wimp. He never had an issue talking to anyone before, so why was Adam so different right now? It was really starting to irritate him. He looked down at the ground, running his hand through his hair. Maybe he was just tired. Sure he slept a bit on the plane, but he was suddenly woken up by their landing - though it didn't help that Gabriel got little to no sleep last night. Or maybe he was just letting that stupid dream cloud his thoughts, which was even more irritating.