Gabriel - Meet the Parents (Patreon)

The waterwheel spun slowly, trickling into a small brook before it meandered down the rocks and towards the depth of the forest beyond. The surrounding field was covered in dew while fog rose in generous curls towards the night sky. Gabriel stood next to me, a bottle of wine loose in his hand. He had dressed down for the occasion. Wearing a pair of dark black slacks and a navy blue sweater.

“We truly do not need to do this, you know.”

I looked up at him. He had been trying to give me every excuse he could to not go to Reese’s house tonight. It had been a planned event for the last few weeks and Gabriel had called off most of them due to work.

“Gabriel, I’ve met Reese. This isn’t a big deal.”

His face was placid but I could see the turmoil deep within his eyes. It was different. For him it was different. This was the first dinner that he was bringing me to as a couple. While it felt commonplace for me, given that I already had several interactions with Reese, it was a moment for Gabriel that was significant. And one that was causing him some nerves.

“I can make no guarantees of how he is going to be tonight,” Gabriel told me. “He can get rather animated when he is at home.”

“That’s not a bad thing,” I reasoned. “And Reese is a great cook. I think it’s going to be a pleasant evening.”

“Perhaps.” Though Gabriel sounded less than convinced. “If not, I am almost certain there will be trouble within the market that I will have to attend to.”

“You cannot just make up trouble.” It was not beyond reason for Gabriel to get called away but I was certain that Reese would murder anyone that even tried to get Gabriel to come back to work for the night.

“This is the Night Market. I do not have to fabricate trouble. That happens simply by existing.”

“I take a bit of offense to that.”

He kissed me on the forehead but I couldn’t help but notice that he didn’t change his tune.

We walked across the small footbridge and towards the little cottage. Given who Reese was, I had always thought the little ramshackle house was at odds with his personality.  Dead geraniums were still planted out front next to marbled glass orbs that washed up on the shore of the beach. Braided hemp hung from various hooks and a broken chair provided a home for a lone bullfrog.

Stopping, Gabriel turned to me. He stepped close, his free hand coming to rest against my cheek. “We could have dinner together. Go out and share this bottle of wine.”

I leaned into his palm, sighing gently at the way he looked at me. The beautiful way he just held me with his gaze, cradling me gently like I was the most precious moment in his life.  I tried to give him the same look. Telling him through my eyes.

“That sounds wonderful,” I told him. He looked visibly relieved. I let it wash over him for a small moment before I dragged it all away. “But no.”

Gabriel dropped his hand and immediately stepped away from me. Irritation etched across his face as he had to accept his loss.

The door opened only moments later, a gust of wonderful smells drifting from the house.  Reese stepped through the doorway, looking at the two of us.

“Oh, now he’s got that face on. What’d you do, Night? You tell him no?” Reese was laughing as he stared at Gabriel. Gabriel did not share the same amusement. “Yeah. You got that pinched, bitchy look on you, son.”

“Good to see you too, Reese,” Gabriel intoned.  He took a few steps forward, ready to head into the cottage, when Reese was pushed aside. My eyes grew wide as a pale flash of energy came bursting out of the cottage, pale hair glowing in the eternal moonlight.

“My son!”

Elias launched forward, wrapping his arms around Gabriel.  I had seen Elias a few times at the Baron meetings but Gabriel had always been one to keep a distance with him. A professional barrier. Here at the cottage, that was obviously not going to be the same.

“Oh, Gabriel. Son. I am so excited for you to be here for dinner. We have all your favorites. And we even have your old chair set up. I had to make Reese repair it because the leg was uneven but he did that for you, my son. Because we love you. Oh, we love you so much.”

Gabriel’s eyes were wide as he stared down at the top of Elias’s head. “I was unaware you would be here tonight, Elias.”

“Elias? No. Father. We can go with father now, right? Now that we’re not in public.”

Reese snorted. “And it took only two minutes. Come on in, Night. It’ll be a few minutes of boundary discussion.”

Walking past Gabriel and Elias I gave Gabriel a small smile of encouragement. But I was not about to stay outside during a discussion with Elias. I still remembered my first meeting with the man and it was not one that was easily shaken.

When the door shut behind us, I looked up at Reese. “Did you purposefully not tell him that Elias was going to be here?”

“Of course,” Reese laughed. “You have to lie to Gabriel to get him here lately.”  Gabriel was not one to go out of his way to visit anyone. Not anymore at least. I had yet to crack into the reasoning behind it. But Gabriel had buried himself in work for so long that I wondered if it was habit by now. To just ignore everything but his so-called duties.

“Was it always like that? Even before… you know.” Before Reese faked his death and Elias became a Baron.

Reese walked over to the stove. There were a few pots boiling and something sizzling in the oven.  “Gabriel has been an enigma since the day I met him. I contribute it to the whole Fallen thing. Elias was a bit like that in the beginning.”

Elias was still like that now.  Apparently he toed the line a bit more since our initial meeting but Gabriel held no delusions that it was going to last.  While I was far more optimistic, I tended to agree with him.

“How are you two doing? Must be strange to be around Elias again.” Reese brandished a wooden spoon and smacked my hand.

“Get away from the stove, Night. You don’t know how to cook.”

“I do too,” I protested.

“You are a baby in this world. You may be older than me but walkin’ around like you are, you are still a baby. Which means you don’t know shit about cookin’ so back away.”  I put my hands up in surrender and walked over to the table.  “And Elias and I are Elias and I. No need to worry about that.”

“I’m not worrying. I’m making conversation,” I told him.

Reese smiled, laughing under his breath. “It’s a conversation you shouldn’t be makin’,” he warned.

“Why?”

I saw Reese look out the window, obviously watching what was going on with Gabriel and Elias. He was keeping an eye on the two. Probably knowing how they could be better than anyone. “Because it’s between Elias and I. We are complicated. Unconventional. And private people. Want me to start askin’ you how it’s goin’ with you two?”

I leaned back in my chair with a challenge. “Be my guest.”

“How’s the sex?” he asked. “He get over his purity thing or is he someone that can’t get enough of it. Elias is someone that couldn’t get enough of it.”

The door banged open and Reese’s laughter rang loud and clear through the room as Gabriel marched in.

“I will not hesitate for the two of us to leave,” he said.

“You listenin’ in, son? Didn’t we ever teach you not to press your ear to the door?”

“It’s that celestial hearing,” Elias said, sauntering up to Reese’s side and cooing over what was on the stove.  Gabriel was standing, looking at the two of them, his jaw clenched.

“Reese has said I can’t be near the stove,” I said, grabbing Gabriel’s attention. “Want to come over and keep me company.”

“Oh!” Elias bounced. “I’ll pour the wine.”

Gabriel came over and sat down, his back straight and his expression emotionless.  Elias was dancing around the kitchen, finding clean glasses while Reese stayed at the stove. But something strange happened as we sat there.  In this tiny and cramped little kitchen, Elias and Reese seemed to fall into a rhythm. I couldn’t help but notice the way Elisas brushed against Reese each time he passed him. Or how Reese kept his eyes on Elias, smiling fondly at the man. There was an ease within the room that was a reflection of how they were before. I suddenly got why Reese had gotten so defensive.

The thing was, the two men on their own were harsh. They were brash. Cruel. They were not people that often could sit in pleasant conversation.  But with each other, they almost seemed normal. They brought out the best in each other. Softening their harder edges. There was no doubt in my mind that they loved each other.

I reached out, placing my hand on Gabriel’s knee.  “You okay?” I whispered.

It had been years since he had seen them together in any sort of capacity. It had been even longer since he had sat with them as a family.

“It’s fine,” he said simply. I squeezed his knee hard.

Reese began placing large plates on the table. Succulent slices of turkey with crispy brussel sprouts and pots of cranberry sauce. A board of soft bread, still steaming, was placed at my side. Meanwhile, Elias had poured four glasses of wine and placed little finger sandwiches out along with a charcuterie board of olives and cheese.

They both took their seats across the table.

“Let's pray,” Elias said.

“Nah.”

I looked between both Elias and Reese. The glare from Elias was immediate but Reese was busy piling everyone's plate with food.

“Reese, my love,” Elias said tightly. “I do think we should be saying our thanks.”

“Say your thanks,” Reese agreed. “We thank the people who we bought this food from. The good workers who grew these vegetables. The turkey that was slaughtered. We do all that. But the Knowing is not allowed in my house.”

Elais’s face creased. “Gabriel and I–”

Gabriel cleared his throat. “Elias, perhaps we should respect Reese’s rules. This is his house.” It was a sentiment that shocked me but I could see the way Reese nodded towards Gabriel in respect. An old conversation passed between them.

“Used to be my house,” Elias muttered.

“It’s not though,” Reese told him. “Not now.”

“It could be,” Elias sniffled.

“Well then you better move back in.”

The room went silent as Reese began to start eating. Motioning to me to tuck in as well.

Elias’s face lit up, his eyes watering. “Oh, Reesey. Really?”

Reese leaned forward, pressing his lips lightly against Elias’s. “I would love for you to come home.”

“I’ll move in right away.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Next to me, Gabriel downed the entirety of his wine. The whiplash of the conversation had him reaching for the bottle.

I snorted in laughter at the display, the topic of the Knowing suddenly dropped as Reese and Elias whispered to each other in some strange marital bliss.  Yet, somehow, it made the room lighter. The tension bled away into nothing.

“I’m not helping you move those statues,” Gabriel stated.

Elias was plastered to Reese’s side now and Reese was grinning ear to ear.

“To hell with the statues,” Elias said. He covered his mouth like he said something foul, giggling behind his perfectly manicured hands.

“Now that’s a toast I can get behind,” Reese said, raising his glass. “To hell with the statues!”

Grabbing my own wine, I raised it up. “To hell!”

Next to me, Gabriel sighed. But his arm was warm around me and a smile crept onto his face.  “I’m not saying that,” he told us with certainty.  But it didn’t matter. Because it was the ice break we all needed. A moment in this little ragtag family that had chosen each other.

And I was finally a part of it.