Duet [Kiara]

[Deleted]

Oh God, no. It was that old crappy red vehicle… Kiara halted behind the car while Gabe rambled on about why it was a trustworthy one. Lips were slightly parted as she sort of gaped at it. Her? Tina? What? Seriously? While the blonde was not eager to step into that car, still convinced that it could fall apart with the extra weight of a second person, she did trust the man. She did rely on the fact that Gabriel wouldn’t willingly put her in danger. Based on what the vehicle looked like, surely he had had it long enough to know it better than her first judgment. Nevertheless, an eyebrow did remain raised in caution as she ever so slowly let herself take a seat.

Nothing happened, but that didn’t mean Ki was far away from growing tense again. When Gabe plopped down in his side, hands subconsciously gripped the sides of her seat. Soon after, they fumbled to get her seat belt on. Kiara didn’t want to be like this though. She just had to see it for herself first. That, however, did not mean that the girl didn’t feel bad when Gabe explained why the car was in his possession. “It’s… kind of cool. I didn’t mean to offend it. I mean, it’s pretty old school.”

With a weak chuckle, Ki straightened her back and settled hands on her lap, trying to look much more relaxed. In the meanwhile she gave him directions, and the eventual destination point. Perhaps Gabriel knew short cuts given he drove a car more often than she did. “It suits you actually…” Daring to lean forward, fingertips ran over the dashboard while eyes settled on Gabe. “It has its own charm.” Pun not really intended, but welcomed anyway.

[Gabriel James]

Gabriel could tell that Kiara wasn't thrilled about the idea of riding shotgun in Gabe's beat up ride, but he found the way she tensed up kind of funny - especially since he knew that he wasn't putting her in any danger. The airbags still worked. The seatbelts were there for a reason. He always passed inspection. Gabe didn't mess around when it came to his car, even if year after year she looked a little more dilapidated. "She gets me from A to B," Gabe said with a shrug, patting the dashboard, like his car was some sort of pet that needed the encouragement. And part of him believed that if he was nice to the car it would be nice back, and give him a few more good years before dying.


"I honestly love this car," Gabe said after Kiara admitted it suited him. He pulled out of the parking lot he was in, and into the streets, taking turns as the blonde in the passenger's seat directed him. "It's been through everything. And back in the day I had many a Hammel girl swooning over me and my wheels," Gabe half-joked. Because even if his car was old and beat up then, girls had a thing for a guy with a car - even one as beat up as Tina.

And Gabriel was a good, responsible driver. He stuck to only going 5 mph over the speed limit - maybe 10 if he was in a rush. He took sharp turns slowly and always stopped for pedestrians. He'd only ever been in one real accident, but he (and Tina) made it out alive. The other person didn't even press charges or ask for Gabe to pay for his repairs. Probably because Gabe's car took the brunt of the damage and clearly Gabe wouldn't have been able to afford much more than his own repairs. The only thing in the car that was new was Gabe's radio - which had been updated at least twice since Gabriel bought the car. Gabe was aware of his priorities and didn't regret his purchases.

"Ha. Ha. Charm. Very funny," Gabe said, figuring Kiara was still mocking his vehicle as he took another turn, amplifiers and sound equipment shifting a bit in the back seat. He smiled though, whether the pun was intended or not, it was funny. And even if Kiara was't swooning over his ride like the girls back in high school were, Gabe was still glad she was in the passenger's seat.

[Deleted]

Gabe might have been half-joking, but when he brought up his popularity with girls thanks to Tina, Ki arched her eyebrow at him again. She quite honestly had not seen that type of guy in him, and his statement clearly rose quite some questions. Kiara did know she was not in her right to judge nor to interrogate him though, hence the reason the blonde opted for a playful remark that could possibly lure some extra information out of him in case she was making the wrong assumption.

“I figure having been so popular amongst the girls might explain the state of the interior.” The blonde didn’t intend to offend the car. It was simply her way of playfully figuring out if Gabe was a player deep underneath those gentle and charming layers. There was probably a lot that she didn’t know about him, but she definitely hoped that he had not been one of those guys who ended all his dates on the backseat. That thought actually grossed her out, and in turn she praised herself lucky for being seated in the front.

As for her pun, Ki held her head high, clearly proud of it. A smile soon broke free as well and she shifted in the seat to face Gabriel more. Her left leg lay bent on the seat with her right one crossed over it. “You said ‘back in the days’ – you don’t have many girls swooning over you and your wheels anymore?” Of course not Hammel students! Hence the reason she left that word out when she pretty much reformed his statement from earlier into a question.

Either way, the blonde would find it hard to believe that Gabe didn’t get lucky anymore. Ki was actually convinced he must have been getting around more than her since their sexual encounter. That shouldn’t be hard really, given that had been her last time. She wasn’t prying for details though. She just stated her opinion and merely expected to receive confirmation. “Or guys for that matter.” Ki added jokingly.

[Gabriel James]

Gabe's face wrinkled slightly at Kiara's comment because, honestly, he was a bit offended the blonde would think of him that way. He picked up what she threw down perfectly, and the implications weren't very becoming. "You know, I was in a very commuted relationship in highschool I recall telling you about last week," Gabriel reminded Kiara.

Sure... The back seat may have seen plenty of that particular girl. And a few others in LA that Gabe would be hesitant to even bring up let alone admit he had any relations with. LA wasn't the best influence on Gabe, and frankly there were certain encounters he liked to pretend never happened. "And no, Tina is far past her glory days. Something about chipped paint and rusting rims just isn't appealing to the ladies anymore. Specifically ladies. Girls. Not men."

Gabriel clarified with a chuckle. "Not that there's any problem with dude on dude action," Gabriel said, looking a bit to Kiara, proving the sicerity he held with his views. "It's just not for me. To each their own, but I'm definitely straight." He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, realizing no music was playing, which was like a crime in his car. He turned the radio on, not too loud, not wanting to drown out the convo. "Gotta love the 90s" he said when an old smash mouth tune came on.

[Deleted]

Shame and regret might be mixed, but both were evident on Kiara’s face. Heck, she even muttered an inward apology because it had been taken a step too far. And, honestly, for a moment the blonde might have forgotten about his past relationship, simply because the statement about the many girls had come from his own lips. At least Gabriel seemed to be able to take the rest lighter, yet that did not mean Kiara had forgiven herself. She did make an attempt to feel better though. By flattering him, it might soften the blow.

“You aren’t past your glory days,” the young woman stated with a dip of the head. Tina might not be the fanciest vehicle around, but Gabe’s appearance should still be appealing. He was easy on the eye and a real charmer. And not gay. It was quite rare to find those three traits combined. “I mean, girls who only pay attention are probably quite superficial, you know?” Like, a crappy car didn’t necessarily mean he had nothing else to offer. Kiara didn’t go into any details though; she already struggled to explain her former remark in the first place.

Chuckling softly, her gaze drifted to the window again, straight ahead on the road. “I kind of figured you were straight.” She hummed lightheartedly before reaching out to the radio to turn it up a tad bit more. They would reach the apartment by the end of this song, and she liked it. Still, her voice didn’t have to be raised for him to hear her. It’s when the apartment complex came into sight that the girl spoke up again. “That’s where I live, and you can park right there.” Her hand motioning in the distance.

[Gabriel James]

Gabe had all but forgotten the comment Kiara made by the time he put his car in park. While it kind of caught him off guard, he decided he should have taken the comment in a lighter fashion. Ki was probably joking.

The conversation had lightened and all but stopped before pulling into the parking as they listened to the radio. It was a comfortable sort of silence. The kind where he could just smile to himself and hum comfortably.

One he put the car in park he looked over at the blonde and smiled. "Sorry for catching you off guard tonight. I just couldn't help myself," Gabe said with a smile that said 'I'm really only kind of sorry. Secretly I have no regrets.'"it was lovely having you as a duet partner though."

[Deleted]

When the car pulled in a parking shot, Kiara unbuckled and leaned forward to pick up her purse from between her feet. It ended up on the girl’s lap, both hands holding on to the straps as lips curled enough to faintly hint at some dimples. “I am positive you would do it again if you had the chance.” Looking up, she tucked a blonde strand behind her ear. “You still owe me though.” With that reminder, she gently bumped a fist against Gabe’s upper arm while attempting to give him an ‘you better don’t forget!’ face.

That expression eventually softened as she retrieved her hand. For a second she had gazed up at the apartment building and then back at Gabriel. “Do you want to come inside?” Those words flowed freely and sort of without a second thought. She was quick to reason that it might have sounded cheap though. “I made muffins earlier today.” And now it might have come across as if she were bribing him? It possibly would have been abundant to add that either way.

Gabe seemed to agree, however, and in turn the blonde let go of the breath she did not know she had been holding. She was quick to slip out of the car too, welcoming the cool evening air given another blush had been settling in. When the man was out as well, Ki led him into the building. They had two flights of stairs to go, but all in all it wasn’t bad. Upon reaching the door of the apartment, Kiara did halt for a second. “If my roommate is home… He isn’t necessarily a people’s person.” Just a fair warning before the door got opened and she let him go in first.

There was a reason for that of course. And that reason came scurrying over, all meowing upon having heard someone step inside.

[Gabriel James]

Gabriel probably needed that little 'extra' reasoning to accept the offer to head up to Kiara's apartment. Just going up to a girl's place usually hinted at something else... and Gabe definitely was not ready to head down that road again - even if that idea was just in his head and not Kiara's intention at all. He didn't need Everett on his back. However, muffins? Muffins were a valid reason to accept the offer and go inside, just to spend a bit more time with the blonde - time he was enjoying more and more with each encounter.

So when Kiara asked him to join her for muffins, he said "Well I wouldn't want good baked goods to go to waste. He looked at his wrist - which didnt even have a watch on it and said "And you know I think I have some free time... I'll come up for a bit." He turned his car off, and hopped out along with the blonde, taking the time to lock both his, and her door with the key - not having an electronic device to lock the vehicle for him. After all, he did have some expensive equipment in the trunk and back seat - stuff that he could probably sell to get a new car if he really wanted.

He followed Kiara up two flights of stairs, before he was warned about a potential roommate sighting. "Wait..." Gabe said as Kiara opened the door and ushered Gabe into the apartment. "If your roommate isn't a people person why do I have to go in first?" he asked, not exactly sure how he'd react to someone staring him down from a recliner in the corner.

This wasn't the case though, and instead Gabe was greeted by a flying, mewing fur ball scurrying toward his feet. Gabe subconciously lifted one of his feet, like he was trying to make way for the creature to run under him, and also managed to lose balance as he tried not to step on the creature. "Oh hi!" Gabe said, finally getting two feet on the ground again, and squatting down to allow the car to sniff his hand and decide whether he was friend or foe.

[Deleted]

Kiara was grateful that Gabriel had decided to come up for a bit. While it was merely a quarter before midnight, she didn’t feel like sleeping yet. The adrenaline still seemed to be rushing through her veins (and some pleasant company could never harm). Part of her hoped Henry had made other plans for that evening. Given he had not been around when she left earlier, her assumption was that he might be staying at his girlfriend’s place. Ki didn’t complain about that. The first meeting with the black guy, when she came to check out the apartment, he had requested ‘no relationships in the living room’. While bringing Gabe here did not fall under that category, she still feared Henry would misinterpret it and in turn address her about it.

Either way, once the blonde had ushered him inside, she managed to reply his question right away. “Because of that,” Kiara mused after quickly closing the door behind her. Then she simply turned around, shrugging off the coat with a smile gracing her lips as Gabe clumsily moved about. It was entertaining, mainly because there had been no point in him lifting a foot in the first place.

After having hung up the coat, the young woman stepped forward and hunched down next to Gabe. “Shelby, Gabe. Gabe, Shelby.” The feline probably couldn’t care less about the introduction as she was too busy purring and smoothing herself back and forth against the man’s hand, every time managing to curl her tail around his lower arm before the self-petting repeated itself. It made its owner smile brightly. “She likes you.” Ki mused while looking over at the dark-haired man.

Rising again, the blonde emerged further and over to the small kitchen. Lights got switched on in the process. There she took a square plastic boxes from one of the cabinets, placing it down next to the sink. “What do you want to drink?” Ki called out to her guest. “We have bottles of beer in the fridge. Or just some coke? Or water?” There were other options as well, but she didn’t want to sum all up. If he informed her about what he wanted, she could figure out if they had it.

[Gabriel James]

"Hey Shelby," Gabe said lightly as the kitten rubbed herself against his hand, which Gabe didn't even have to move - it seemed the cat was petting itself using his fingers. He looked up at Kiara as she walked away and said, "Well if she doesn't like me, she at least likes my arm." He took a few more moments to stroke the kitten before standing up right and following Kiara further into the apartment, Shelby at his heels.

"I could go for a coke. Best not drink and drive," Gabe noted, because even though he was in the mood for a beer, but wasn't sure how long he'd be staying. Plus, the last time alcohol was involved and the two of them were alone, things ended up less than perfect. Not that Gabe had any intentions of things going that way tonight. It was just hard to forget that it was the outcome of last time...

"Nice place you've got here," Gabriel said following Kiara further into the apartments, looking around as they made their way into the kitchen. He sat himself down in one of the kitchen chairs, and reached back down toward the cat that had followed him.

[Deleted]

Shelby hardly ever had any issues trusting anyone, but the feline seemed more fond of Gabe than she had ever been of Kiara’s other friends. Heck, the cat didn’t even wobble behind its owner, obviously preferring to be petted by the man instead. “She has a thing for cute guys it seems. My girl friends don’t receive this amount of attention.” Her voice was lightly raised, calling that back at Gabriel until she realized he had already headed into the kitchen by now.

Two glasses were taken out of the cabinet after the bottle of coke was placed on the counter. She poured the dark liquid in both and then placed the beverage back in the fridge where it belonged. One glass got placed down in front of him on the table; the other remained in the girl’s hand while her free one was used to also move the muffin box to where Gabe was seated.

“I kind of just rent a room here though, so technically it isn’t my place. I reacted to an advertisement in the newspaper, but yeah, this place isn’t bad.” Giving him a brief tour didn’t come to her mind. Kiara was too set on peeling the lid off the box, eyeing the muffins for a split second to spot the two different colors of paper cups the baked goods were in. “The pink ones are with apple, and the blue ones are banana with chocolate chips. You can try both though. I mean… you can eat as many as you want.”

Kiara had been lightly leaning over the box, but soon straightened up again. “Also, would you mind it if I grab a quick shower?” Feeling all sticky from working in the kitchen for a couple of hours made her somewhat uncomfortable. It gave her the idea she smelled of sweat and looked all greasy or something. “I’ll be back in fifteen tops, okay?” Hey, a guy wouldn’t deny her that, right? So Ki was pretty much already on her way when he reacted.

[Gabriel James]

"I don't know why she's bothering with me, then," Gabe said, scratching the cat under it's chin, "A big scruffy hobo like me? Not all that cute," he joked, knowing that he had let his scruff get a little out of hand since school ended. Although he had shaved the day before, he was well past 5oClock shadow.

Gabriel accepted the beverage, and peered into the box that Kiara slid to him. The muffins still smelled fresh, and a small smile formed on Gabe's face as he reached for a muffin with the blue cup. "The smell great. I may have to have more than one," Gabe said, peeling the paper off the muffin, and tearing the stump off, setting the muffintop aside - because Gabriel liked to save the best part of the muffin for last. He took a bite and released a pleasant sigh. "So good," he mumbled to Kiara, his mouth still mostly full.

After he swallowed he waved Kiara off, "Yeah please! Don't let me change your routine," Gabriel said, not wanting to get in the way of the blonde's routine. So when Kiara got up to get in the shower, Gabriel decided to explore a bit, finding the livingroom and plopping down on the couch with the rest of his muffin and his glass - hoping it was ok to eat in the livingroom. He usually didn't even consider such things since he and Everett could pretty much live in a garbage dump without batting an eyelash. Shelby jumped up next to him, and curled up in his side. He smiled lightly, petting the cat.

Gabe was definitely more of a dog person, but it was hard for him not to smile when the cat buried her face into Gabe's side. He played with the cat and nibbled at his muffin while he waited for his friend to return from her shower, realizing that maybe it was slightly strange to be sitting in her living room while Kiara was in the shower... he decided to push that thought aside quickly.

[Deleted]

An inward smirk had been given in response when Gabriel denied the compliment. Compared to that one night, when he actually could have passed as an advanced hobo, he definitely looked good now. But hey, clearly the scruffiness hadn’t stopped her at that point and the shadow defining his jawline at that moment didn’t appear to keep Shelby from soaking up his attention either. It wasn’t something to linger on though. What did make her frown, however, was how Gabe handled the muffin. It drew a chuckle out of her. Questions, however, were for later.

Her priority was to grab a shower. First the blonde gathered a pajama from her room and then stepped in under the pouring water. She was out within five minutes and only used the hairdryer until the locks weren’t soaking wet anymore. Add to that getting into her nightwear, and the girl stepped out of the bathroom around fifteen minutes after she had moved in there, just like predicted. Hopefully Gabe did not mind the pajama, but technically it was the same as wearing a pants and a top.

“I hope she didn’t bother you too much…” Ki mused as she stepped past the couch and into the kitchen to pick up her glass, along with the box of muffins, just in case Gabriel might want another one. Both items got placed down on the small coffee table before slowly a seat got taken by his side where Shelby was not located. The sight brought a loving smile to her lips, cherishing the cuteness that was her cat.

“So, um, if you’re cold, make sure to tell me, okay? We have fleece blankets.” The temperature in the apartment was all right though, given it wasn’t too cold out either. "Or if you want something warm to drink, like hot chocolate or coffee..." Kiara was easily concerned when it came to guests. It might be obvious in how she couldn't fully relax yet. At least not until she was certain Gabe was all settled and happy.

[Gabriel James]

"Nah she's fine," Gabe said, picking at the last bit of his muffin top, finishing it off with one last bite. His feet were up on the coffee table, the cat's head slowly making its way further onto Gabe's lap. He scratched Shelby under the chin again. "She's pretty cute. Can't say I've always loved cat's but Shelby's a treat," he said, noting how well natured the creature was.

Gabe shook his head when Kiara offered him a blanket and a warm beverage. "No, no I'm good," Gabe promised, reaching forward to take an apple muffin this time, proceeding in the same fashion as before - tearing the top off of the stump in order to save the top for last. "These muffins are really all I need to keep me happy," Gabe said with a smile as he bit into the muffin stump. And after making sure his mouth wasn't full added, "And Shelby here is doing her darndest to keep me warm."

Gabe chuckled at the cat and chased down the apple muffin with a bit of soda. He sat back, shoulder just barely touching Kiara's. And looking over at the blonde he said, "Promise, I'm an easy guest. You can relax because frankly that's all I want to do," he promised, ruffling out his hair a bit, since some of it still felt like it was sticking to his forehead from the sweat he accumulated from the stage lights.

[Deleted]

The softest of looks settled on delicate features as optics rested on the purring cat. “She is my most precious possession, my best friend in the entire world. I wouldn’t know what to do without her.” Kiara’s voice was filled with pure love, as were her eyes. If it had not been for the cat, the blonde would have been completely on her own when Jackson had left. If he had taken the feline with him, she would never ever have given him a chance to even approach her anymore. Shelby was hers, and its owner’s defense went up when it came to the adorable creature.

When Gabe tore the top of the muffin off again, Kiara ended up with a lopsided smile on her face. “Why do you do that?” She asked with her usual dip of the head. In addition, the girl turned a tad bit more on the cushion before reaching a hand over the man’s lap to rub behind Shelby’s ear for a second. “Her value rises in the winter,” Ki chuckled lightheartedly. While the tiny pet could not compare to the heat of another human body, it was still very much cherished.

Retrieving her hand, the young woman settled into the back cushion again after having taken a banana muffin from the box. Unlike Gabe, her habit was to randomly pluck bits off the muffin instead of taking actual bites. “You want to play a game?” She looked up from the baked good for a second, plopping another piece into her mouth right after. The question pretty much came out of nowhere, but the thought suddenly arose. “Ask each other random questions? Could be fun? But you have to answer honestly.”

Perhaps that didn’t fall under his attempt to relax, yet it didn’t require a lot of effort and it could actually prove to be entertaining. “You can start.” In case that might convince him more. Or at least she hoped so. Perhaps it would have the opposite effect.