Ups and Downs (Gabe)

[Deleted]

The last couple of weeks had been quite hell. A lot of things still haunted Kiara, despite the fact that it had become slightly better. Everett had limited ignoring her, so that was the main factor that she did not feel as miserable anymore as before Christmas, but at the same time she knew it wouldn’t last forever. Especially not after her current suspicion that she, prayed to God, was nothing but a concern. After all, she was almost a week late and it was highly doubtful Ev would be anything near happy if it were a consequence from when she had slept with his best friend, Gabe.

Talking about Gabe, she hadn’t heard him in a while. That made it worse about her plan to show up at the apartment. Of course the blonde was smart enough to sit outside, having taken a bus, waiting until she spotted her brother head outside and drive off. Her assumption was that he would be heading to Hammel, also having checked with some students there to make sure those were his hours, so hopefully her plan would prove to be flawless.

Soon Kiara found herself standing in front of their door, knocking the door a couple of times before she held her purse close as another inhabitant of the building passed her by to go to a higher floor. The girl was on high alert quite often, but even more so now that a pregnancy test could be located within. Either way, her attention was soon drawn to the door as she could hear it open up. Gabriel’s face soon came into sight.

“I know Everett isn’t home.” Ki spoke quickly, only to later realize how weird and creepy that might have sounded. “I… do you have time? Can we talk?”

[Gabriel James]

The past few weeks were strange for Gabe. Quiet, was the least of it. He spent most of his time making class plans, and watching television. It was a strange rut for Gabriel. Gabe didn't usually let himself fall into such patterns, but with his roommate and best friend ignoring him, and his family trying to deal with his niece's sickness, his life had slowed down significantly.

He'd quietly turned 23 a few days before. He bought himself a few drinks at the bar, chatted with Cecil, and bought himself a cupcake at a vegan bakery on the way home. It was ok. His mother didn't call. One of his brothers left a facebook message. His sister-in-law texted him, letting him know that McKenna was doing well and a birthday car she made was in the mail. But other than that, there was no proof of another year passed.

Gabe was hoping for a change of pace. Every day was the same. He got home from work, changed into sweatpants and the t-shirt of some band or performer (today: PInk Floyd), and watched television as he graded Music Theory I homework and drank Diet Coke. Everett would leave for his training sessions without a word, and come back a few hours later - equally wordless. Gabe was in his usual spot on the old disgustingly green sofa, assuming he was sunk in for the night, when there was a knock on the door.

At first he assumed that it was Everett, having forgot his keys or something similarly stupid. And considered ignoring it out of spite. He knew better than to be 'that guy' though, and got up begrudgingly. When he opened the door, though, a totally different Lilien stood on his doorstep. She spoke before he could even say anything, rushing through her words. Gabe raised an eyebrow, confused at her sudden appearance as well as the way she spoke. It seemed urgent. Like if she didn't talk to him now, she would lose her chance to take care of some very important business. "Uh... yeah I'm not doing anything... not really," Gabe said, stepping aside to let the blonde in.

He closed the door behind her, and locked it, "Is everything ok?" he asked. His first reaction to Kiara's tone and attitude was that it wasn't, but then again girls were weird. Everything had seemed fine a couple weeks before, when they had went on their "date". They had gotten along fine, and had decided what happened between them wasn't all that weird. It was really only weird for Everett (which was totally understandable). They parted on good terms and decided they'd see each other once things with Ev were sorted out or if Ki ever needed help with her music. Was that what she was here for? What was so urgent about that? "You need anything?" Gabe added, rubbing the back of his neck, still a little confused about Kiara and how she even knew when Ev wouldn't be home. He'd literally only been gone 2 minutes when she knocked.

[Deleted]

Gabe was hoping for a change of pace? Well, that was what he would be getting right now. He quickly probably would regret ever having wanted a twist to the current life he was leading. That, and it was doubtful he wanted to know how she knew when Everett wouldn’t be home. This was going to be weird enough as it were and she rather didn’t go through all of that, only to end up looking like even more of a fool than the felt like she was right now. But at least it was considerate for her to appear this soon after he was gone, right? At least then Gabriel would have a chance to gather his thoughts before her brother came home again.

Stepping inside, Kiara briefly scanned the place again, almost as if she expected Everett to pop up anyway, despite the fact that she had just seen him leave. After those couple of seconds, a glance got cast over her shoulder and an almost subconscious shake of the head followed. No, everything was not okay. “I, um-“ Letting the bag slip from her shoulder, she placed it on the nearby dining table and took of her coat, draping it over one of the chairs. Blue eyes settled on the man before words continued to flow past her lips. “Do… do you remember the question I asked at the restaurant?” He probably did… but so many had been asked that evening, so it wouldn’t surprise her if he were to be confused until she specified it. “The one about… you know? That one night?” And whether or not protection had been used.

Pursing lips slightly, the blonde turned around long enough to pluck the pregnancy test from her purse. For a second she just gazed at it though, still focused on the package as she spun her back away from him again. “We should test it.” Kiara wasn’t sure if Gabe could see it from where he was standing, but surely he could connect the dots. She wouldn’t bring that moment up again had it not been for an important reason. She knew it still affected his life more than it did to hers, so it wasn’t really something she wanted to keep reminding him off. “I… am scared to do it by myself.” He could understand that, right? Ki needed someone there with her, and right now it just felt like the only one she could fall back on for this was Gabriel.

[Gabriel James]

Gabe stuffed his hands in his pockets, lazily shuffling behind Kiara as she let herself into the apartment. She kept looking around as if she was being watched. It was kind of weird to Gabe, seeing as before Kiara always seemed so calm and collected. Then she started asking him questions...

Do...do you remember the question I asked at the restaurant , she asked, placing her purse on the dining table, looking up in Gabe's direction. He scratched at his face, his beard growing out slightly again, just like that first night. "Uhm..." he started, scrunching his face as he thought back, "You know you asked me a lot of questions that night..." it had been nice. They learned a lot about each other. Enough so that Gabe could almost call Kiara a friend. Maybe. It was complicated.

The one about...you know? That one night. It took Gabe a moment. Kiara was beating around the bush, trying to avoid the topic. Clearly that was impossible, since that was what this whole meeting was about. They hadn't talked much about that night, beside agreeing they didn't regret it and then Kiara asked.... "Oh," Gabe whispered, the pieces clicking in his mind before Kiara even started digging in her purse.

It was like his mind started moving at 1000 miles a second, and he didn't know what thought to settle on first. So his natural reaction was to stare somewhat blankly in Kiara's direction, which probably came off as still being confused. Which was a fair assessment. But he wasn't confused about why Kiara was here anymore, just what was about to happen and how his life may have just changed drastically.

We should test it. she said, and Gabe nodded. She didn't notice though, as her gaze was attached to what Gabriel assumed was the test. His mouth felt dry, and his tongue felt heavy, like it wouldn't let him say any words.

I...am scared to do it by myself. Gabriel finally collected himself with that statement. "You shouldn't have to," he said, taking a couple steps forward. "I mean... if.... if it..is.... then it's my fault too and... yeah you shouldn't have to," Gabe stuttered through what he hoped came across a calm and rational response. "How long since... how late...?" They were both doing a pretty good job of creating full sentences.

[Deleted]

No, it had not been planned and neither of them wished for the test to have a positive outcome, yet it did kind of sting when Gabriel said that it was his fault too. If the result would be a pregnancy, Kiara didn’t want it to be seen as a mistake. No one deserved to feel like that, so she was mentally already telling herself different. It wasn’t as bad as perceived right now. Maybe it should even be seen as a good thing! At least Ki would feel useful, needed and have found a way to apply the motherly feelings that had stayed behind. This was of course her optimistic trait talking. Gabe shouldn’t be in this position… Even if she could deal with either outcome.

Looking up from the test, eyes settled on the man. “Almost a week.” The blonde mumbled. Of course it was not the first time that she was late, but it never happened after circumstances like this. Last time it had not lasted longer than three days, so she deemed it valid to be somewhat freaked out now. With a weak chuckle, she briefly gazed down at the item in her hands. “I don’t even know how to use this…”

With that, the girl opened the package to take out the guide. It took her a while, nervously fumbling with it. The rest ended up falling from her hands and the look on her face that followed was one that gave away just how lost she was at that moment. Despair. Mainly because she knew how much worse it made Gabe’s position. Everett would murder him. Or hire someone to do that for him since he wouldn’t even bother putting effort in it himself anymore.

“Sorry,” she whispered with her voice dying towards the end. “You really could have missed having me in your life…”

[Gabriel James]

Gabe licked his lips, and stuck his hands in his pockets as Kiara talked, fumbling with the packaging. He didn't know what he could possibly say or do to make the situation any better, so he kind of froze, the same way he had when they were first confronted by Everett a little over a month ago.

The thing about Gabe was when he didn't know what to say or how to help, he shut down. He would come across as apathetic or miserable, when really his head was just spinning in too many directions to function normally. This time was no different. While he knew he should maybe say something to calm them both down, his mind was too busy dancing around thoughts of taking extra hours at work, finding more students to tutor privately. Of having to tell his parents. Of having to tell Everett. Of being unable to go back to LA and chase his dream again - although it almost didn't matter because suddenly this was more important. He had to remind himself that they didn't even know it was true yet. There was no positive or negative sign in front of them dictating thought or further action.

And like it had with Everett, a single phrase manage to pull him out of his inner tornado of thought, You reall could have missed having me in your life.... Gabe was sure in that moment his face flashed red with anger as he pulled his hands from his pocket and pointed at Kiara. "Don't you ever say that!" Gabe said sternly, just a few decibels below a yell. He took a "We both agreed we didn't regret anything, and that still stands," Gabe added, face softening, realizing he was being overly stern.

He signed, and ran both hands through his hair. "Listen, yeah... this is... unexpected and maybe not... ideal," he said, with a slight wrinkling of his face, trying to come up with the best description possible. "But don't even think for a second that I'll suddenly disappear if the test is a positive. Don't think it means I resent you or that night, or anything else."

He paused to lick his lips, his mouth still dry, and collect his thoughts, before adding, "Because, God... if you really are..." he couldn't bring himself to say pregnant. He wasn't sure why, "If you really are then damn it I'm going to do every god damn thing possible to make things perfect. For me. For you. For any child that may be a result of our drunken stupidity. And yeah, it'll suck when we have to explain to the kid that he or she was a mistake, but, damn, that won't mean we love them any less," Gabe said, becoming more and more emotional as he continued - much of his speech being fueled by the anger he still had toward his own parents most of the time. If he was going to be a father he was going to be the best goddamn father he could possible be, and there were going to be no regrets about Kiara, that night, or anything that led up to it. He took a couple deep breaths to calm himself down, before muttering a very quiet "Sorry..."

[Deleted]

Kiara did not really know what to say either. But while Gabriel came over as collected, she just blurted out things to break the awkward silence. Little did she reason that he simply couldn’t muster a reaction because his mind was too caught up with all the different emotions. Anger, however, seemed to be a natural one… except that the girl did not expect it to be because of the last words flowing from her lips. It actually startled her, both because he rose his voice and because she deemed her apology to be valid. He had enough going on in his life right now: his cousin, Everett… Even if the test result would be negative, they better kept this from her brother. Heck, Ki didn’t even dare to mention Gabe’s name anymore. She was certain Ev wished they could just erase the fact that they knew each other in the first place.

Either way, the blonde kept the sad face when the music teacher began to back up his reaction. It was far from ideal and she truly struggled to believe that he would not disappear if the test was positive. After all, people had bailed on her before for less ‘severe’ reasons. Kiara wanted to state this, wanted to reason with Gabe that he should try to mask feeling obligated to say that… but his words followed faster than she could react… and that was a good thing. Good enough for her features to soften and for the weakest of smiles to appear. A touched smile for he had no idea just what effect his words had. Perhaps his own emotional state contributed to hers.

Gabe sounded so genuine… and Ki felt her protective wall crumble. Her wall of distrusting guys. At this moment she could accept what he said and subconsciously the girl was cherishing it too much. Maybe part of her even wanted it to be positive now, simply because she felt cared for. That’s what led to the gentle, almost loving, and touched chuckle that could be heard when he apologized, and she shook her head. Heck, Kiara even moved forward, feeling the need to touch him, to comfort him.

Hands cupped the man’s jaws, guiding his head enough to gain eye contact (if you did not count the glasses). “If I am not allowed to apologize, you aren’t allowed either!” There was some sternness to her voice, but at the same time it was also very gently. She momentarily rested her forehead against his, closing her eyes in the progress. Whether Gabe liked it or not, he could protest, but Ki took those few seconds to try and calm both of them down at the same time. What followed took place subconsciously, but no regrets, right? While Ki did correct herself, lips briefly hovered close to his, only barely not touching, hesitantly before a small kiss got pressed to his cheek. After that, she let go and took a miniscule step back.

“I… figure you are okay with not joining me in a the bathroom.” The girl didn’t intend for it to be a question, not really wanting him in there with her in the first place, but that didn’t stop her from trying to lighten the mood with the soft joking tone to it. And with that, she was off. At least for a minute or so. Now all they could do was wait…

“You don’t happen to have any fish crackers left, do you?” Kiara asked upon stepping into the living room area again. Avoiding silence could limit the awkwardness, right?

[Gabriel James]

Gabe sighed heavily, calming himself down from his mini outburst (that he wasn't really sorry for. It seemed necessary). He half smiled at Kiara and agreed to the terms she had set - "Deal. No apologies," he agreed. And he meant it. He wasn't sorry for that night. He wasn't sorry for making Everett mad at them both. He wasn't sorry for today, or anything that would happen after.

There was something weirdly intimate about Kiara resting her forehead on Gabe's, yet something very innocent about it as well. Which didn't go unnoticed by the man. It took him a moment to even realize exactly what the blonde in front of him was doing. When his brain caught up, though, he realized how much Kiara really just needed him to be there. It was like she had to prove to herself that Gabe wasn't an illusion - and that he really wasn't going to disappear - like sand through her fingertips.

He went to rest his hands lightly on her hips, innocently, like a confirmation that her fears were invalid, but nearly the moment he did so, Kiara was pulling away, and planting a light kiss on Gabe's cheek. The man's face burned red, and he wasn't sure if he was blushing or still a bit worked up from before. Either way he felt slightly flustered. He remained composed to the outsider's eye, but his mind kept reeling.

I ... figure you are ok with not joining me in the bathroom she finally said, and Gabe had to laugh. There was something to be said about the ability for both of them to still crack a joke, lighten the mood, in such such an intense situation. He wanted that comment to be a signal to relax, to sit and wait, but Gabe just kept pacing while Kiara was gone - his body reflecting how his mind was functioning for the first time since the girl showed up at his door.

When she finally came out and asked for fish crackers, Gabe managed to pull himself together once more, "Oh... yeah I think so," he said to the request, turning to the kitchen pantry and rummaging for Everett's snacks. Usually, given the situation, Gabe avoided eating anything that Everett put the effort into labeling with his name, but Kiara's well being was more important to him than Everett's at the moment.

Gabe walked back into the living room with a bag of the fish crackers... EVERETT scrawled across the bag in big black sharpied letters. "Here you go," Gabe offered with a small smile, "Bringing the story full circle I suppose," he joked, not being able to ignore the fact that the whole fiasco began with Gabe offering Kiara a snack... although the wine was probably more to blame...

[Deleted]

Gabriel might be there now, but it would not come as a surprise if he would disappear at one point. Kiara had learnt that guys were all talk and promises and sweet words, but whenever it came to actually living up to it… High hopes belonged in fairy tales. Part of her truly wanted to have faith in the man, yet only because she knew her brother would kill him otherwise. She could not be the cause of that.

Either way, the blonde tried to limit her time at the bathroom. With the test ‘activated’ and resting on the sink on a piece of toilet paper, she made her way out again and clearly struggled to find something to do with her hands. They went from being tucked in her pockets to being hidden in the sleeves of her cardigan as arms folded against her chest in an attempt to gain some comfort. Feet carried her behind the man a couple of steps as he headed into the kitchen, awkwardly stopping somewhere in the middle of the living room while he managed to locate some fish crackers. It wasn’t until Gabe handed over the bag that Ki was hesitant about opening it.

“He’s grown protective over his stuff, huh?” Chuckling weakly, Kia took the crackers from him before her thumb slowly ran over the thick scrawled letters. When her gaze finally drifted up at Gabe’s gentle features again, she succeeded at offering him a genuine smile. “At least if something happens now, the outcome could not be any worse.” Ev already loathed him and if she were pregnant, the result would still remain the same.

Kiara doubted anything would happen though. Deep down she might not mind it if something did, because the affection and pleasure that came with it were welcomed, but she knew better than to even try and word that into a little half-serious joke. Instead the young woman moved to the couch and sat down on the edge of it while tugging open the yummy snack, popping a couple of fishes into her mouth.

“Sooooo… now we wait, huh?” It would only be a minute or two or something, but it already felt like an eternity. Heck, they could possibly check it at this exact moment, but the blonde couldn’t gather the courage. Slowly, Kiara fully shuffled back on the couch, blue optics falling down to the bag of fish crackers as it sat between her legs that were bent Indian style.

“If I’m… you know, do you think we could make this work? Us?” A hand motioned between herself and Gabe. “I mean, for being on the same terms and stuff like that.” She didn’t dare to say ‘to be in this weird relationship thing’.

[Gabriel James]

Gabe flopped down on the ottoman, not really sure how long they'd be waiting, because he wasn't really sure how these things worked. His experience in the matter was limited to Rom Coms that old girlfriends had him watch and the occasional awful TV show he subjected himself to when he didn't feel like getting up to find the remote control. Gabe leaned back a bit, propping himself up with his hands, facing Kiara as she spoke. "Now we wait," he agreed, watching her shuffle back onto the couch.

He stared at her in his deep thought, his life and his plans scrolling before him as he mentally made edits and tried to imagine what the future may now hold. And like Kiara could tell what he was thinking about, she asked if they'd be able to make it work. "I don't see why we couldn't," Gabe said, as if her question wasn't even something either of them should be worrying about. Because to Gabriel, it wasn't. He was aware of his sincerity on a level Kiara never would be. She'd be hurt too many times, and Gabe didn't understand that. Gabe, too, had been left alone too many times, and could never do that to someone else. And Kiara had no clue. They barely knew eachother...

"I mean... it'd be tough," Gabe admitted. "It'd be tough for so, so many reasons," he noted, leaning forward again so he could use his hands to rub his temples. "But this thing is tough on people who PLAN it," he added with a laugh. "Babies arne't easy. They're expensive. They're messy," he continued, thinking back to how his nice was for the first few years of her life. Even before she got sick, his brother would have horror stories about puke and poop and money for diapers and clothes.

"And I know we don't really know anything about each other... not really. But I'm willing to do whatever it takes," Gabe promised, reaching out and grabbing Kiara's hand in a promising gesture. "Anything. Really," he said, looking into her eyes with the most sincere look his sparkling hazel eyes could project. He though briefly about charming her to calm her nerves, but decided against it. It may take away from how honest he was being - even if he had good intentions. He let go of her hands after a small squeeze. "We're both smart... reasonable people," he said, "And I think if there are two people in this world who could figure out a way to handle this kind of curve ball... it's gotta be us."

[Deleted]

Gabriel appeared to be do relaxed about it all. Kiara couldn’t grasp that, especially not since his life had come across as messy enough already. Or maybe that was why he dealt with it well: he didn’t know anything else. Nevertheless, it was highly appreciated and she knew that this kind of reaction was better than any she could have imagined. That being said, however, it didn’t really limit her skepticism towards his sweet words. While a soft smile curled her lips and her hands managed to return the small squeeze before he retrieved his, she still dealt with uncertainty – one that would not be shown in order to not give him the feeling of her not trusting him. It was towards men in general.

“Even if it means never getting rid of Ev again for the rest of your life?” Ki thought that was a very valid situation to question him. In a joking manner of course. After that, a little nervous chuckle slipped into the room and she quickly popped some more fishies into her mouth. “I’m just scared that, no matter our good intentions, we might clash.” And that, even when there were attempts to overcome it, was something neither could solve for they should not change their personalities for the sake of someone else. Then again, Jackson had been proof that even when things were going great, they could still come crashing down. Having a family didn’t make a difference. It just caused more grief when things did not work out.

With a soft sigh, the blonde moved the crackers aside and momentarily looked over at Gabe again. She clearly hesitated for a second, but then shuffled forward, leaned over and gave him a brief hug while whispering. “Thank you for being this awesome about it. I wouldn’t know how I might be handling this otherwise…” After that, Ki pulled back and rose off of the couch. A thumb motioned over her shoulder, even though the bathroom was in the completely opposite direction. “I’ll go get the test.” And with that she took off to disappear for about fifteen seconds.

When she returned, her steps were slow for blue eyes were settled on the test, avoiding the possibility of bumping into something. As eyes drifted over to Gabe once more, she mustered a little smile. “It is positive…-ly negative.” While Ki might still be standing too far for him to see, she held the result out nevertheless.

[Gabriel James]

Gabe surely appeared relaxed, but his mind was a whirlwind. He was very good at hiding his anxieties, fears, concerns. He was raised to hide them. He went along for the ride, and only complained when asked to voice his opinion. Kiara didn't understand that. Frankly they didn't understand anything about each other. But here Gabe was, willing to set his entire life aside (or at least alter it severely) for his best friend's little sister - and their child that may or may not exist.

"Even if it means carrying Everett on my back until the day I die," Gabe promised with exaggerated eyes and a small laugh. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair - something he did when he was feeling anxious. "And you know," Gabe said with a small shake of his head when he thought about the idea of clashing, "I think clashing is the least of our worries. My parents never fought... doesn't mean they were great parents," he explained without much detail looking toward Kiara with a sad look. "If things don't work out how we plan... we just change the plan until it works," Gabe offered, knowing that they couldn't possibly predict how this situation would play out.

Gabe accepted Kiara's hug, wrapping his arms around her briefly, letting her go as she stepped back and walked to get the test. He sighed softly and fiddled with his thumbs as Kiara stepped into the bathroom. Those fifteen seconds where the blonde was gone felt like a million as Gabe, again, went through his head and everything he'd have to do if this test turned out positive - not as if he was dreading somethings, just trying to be prepared.

His hazel eyes shot up when Kiara reappeared, and Gabe felt his heart start to sink to his throat when the words 'It's positve' escaped her lips. His face crumpled, all the concern dwelling hin his head briefly making its way to his eyes before he finally heard the addition '...ly negative." He sighed and smiled in relief, and stood, taking strong and confident steps toward Kiara to envelop her in a tight strong embrace. "I still meant everything I said," he half whispered, wanting to assure Kiara that his intentions were true, "But I'm so relieved." It was just so much simpler. Simple was good. Not having to ever bring any of this up to Everett, or his parents, or his brothers was better. Not having to give up on his music dream was great too. All of these consequences were things he was ready to deal with, but he was elated that he didn't have to face it just yet.

[Deleted]

Kiara figured that Gabe was right, and he quite probably had no idea how much his words and gentle approach soothed her. “We just change the plan then.” She agreed with a soft nod. At least two of her main concerns had been voiced by now: them clashing and her brother’s reaction. Gabriel managed to make her feel better about both, and in return it motivated her to head over to the bathroom because for a second it made the girl forget about how awfully wrong this could go if the test were to be positive.

Luckily it wasn’t though! The first ecstatic reaction translated itself into an attempt at a joke. It probably wasn’t funny… Ki could see his face crumple and it affected hers soon after. She did regret the added second between ‘positive’ and ‘ly’, but what she regretted even more was that it had made her witness the quick change of facial expression when he realized the girl was not pregnant. Part of her could understand, yet at the same time it kind of made her sad because it clearly ended whatever affection and concern Gabe had been expressing during the last half hour or so. It might have been less though; it had just felt like a lifetime.

Minus the hug he confidently initiated and that she slowly but firmly returned. “I’m glad you’re relieved.” Her voice hardly above a whisper, almost mirroring his as she momentarily rested her head against Gabe’s shoulder. The hug was nice. It had actually been what she had needed during that one time, but clearly it had developed into more than just an embrace. And, quite honestly, Kiara did not want to let go right now because there might be an awkward silence once she did. After all, what else did they have to say to one another now that they knew the answer?

Maybe she was also afraid that Gabe would detect some mild disappointment as well. “One day,” Ki mused quietly. “One day you’ll be an amazing dad. When you’re ready for it, and hopefully when the situation is not as stressful as this one.” Chuckling softly, the blonde pulled back some. “But I’m glad this scare was with you…” Because if it had been someone else who did not handle it this delicately… high blood pressure might have gotten the best of her.

[Gabriel James]

"One day," Gabe agreed, releasing Kiara from his strong hold, which he finally realized may have lasted a bit longer than what was considered normal when Kiara pulled back some. He smiled feebly at Kiara, glad that he was able to hold himself together for the blonde, even if internally he was freaking out.

He ran both hands through his air today, taking a deep breath, realizing he had barely been breathing up to that point. "Is there someone else this scare could have been with?" Gabe asked with mock jealously, a smile quickly returning to his eyes after his little joke, hoping it wasn't too much. "I'm glad, too, though," he said honestly, thinking he mostly understood what she meant, "I mean... I'm just glad that you don't hate me," Gabe said with a sheepish smile.

Frankly, Kiara had every right to hate Gabe. He drunkenly took advantage of her emotional state (even if she did drunkenly give consent). He had no idea if he had used protection. He got them both into shit with her brother, and now this. He wouldn't blame Kiara if she just wanted to put all this behind her and go back to basically ignoring each other's existence. "Or at least I hope you don't," Gabe added, realizing nothing Kiara had said or done strongly suggested her feelings toward him.

[Deleted]

The hug was considered normal to Kiara, mainly because she had needed that moment of clinging to someone in order to calm down some. With that embrace coming to an end, a certain amount of awkwardness took over again. Not sure what to do with her arms next, she had one hand hold onto her left upper arm. Even when Gabe asked the question did she keep it like that. Her face, on the other hand, retorted for a second – barely visible, for that was only until the mocking tone dawned upon her.

They might not be together in any kind of way, but for a single count that kind of stung – until realizing Gabe was not being serious. Her reply probably still sounded a little taken aback because for a moment she had assumed he had a completely different image of her than first thought. “No…” Ki hesitated, but then allowed herself to recover by adding a little joke (or was it not?) herself. “Unless I only remember the best one?” Was that taking it a bit too far? The blonde hoped not; at least it made the moment after the hug less awkward (for her at least…). Nevertheless, a soft whispered apology then followed.

After that, a gentle smile appeared, alongside soft laughter. “Of course I don’t hate you. I’m glad actually… You kind of sparked my hope that not all men are jerks. I mean, a lot of them wouldn’t do what you just did…” Ki figured she didn’t have to venture further with her explanation. Gabe was very well aware of the sacrifices he would have made.

Shuffling on the spot where she was standing, the girl bit her bottom lip. “I… probably should get going – let you celebrate.”