A Trip Down Memory Lane (Gabriel)

[Gabriel James]

Gabriel laughed when Kiara told him she had ruined her chances with the nurses. In reality, he had gone on a date or two with some of the hospital staff, but it never quite worked out. It was hard to really get into a relationship with someone you associated with your sick niece. "I don't think I could handle a long-distance relationship anyway," Gabe admitted. Frankly, Gabriel needed attention. He didn't like to admit it, or even word it that way, but it was true. There was no way he'd be able to pull off a relationship that required an 8 hour car ride to get a hug.


"And I couldn't dash her dreams. She's been begging me to find a nice girl since I was twelve," Gabe admitted to Kiara with a chuckle. "I've actually never gotten around to bringing anyone here," he added, glancing over the menu. Although Gabe knew the regular dishes like the back of his hand, he still liked to glance for anything new. "No harm in letting her assume," Gabe added with a little tug at the corners of his mouth. He had no qualms about anyone assuming that he and Kiara were dating, really. He'd be lucky if he ever ended up with someone as beautiful, kind, and funny as her. So why not pretend while he had the chance, right?

"I usually opt for a burger and a milkshake... always a milkshake," Gabe said flipping to the reverse side of the menu. "They're pretty big though, so we could share if you'd like," he offered, not quite realizing that the action would only perpetuate the suggestion that the two were on an actual date.

Gabe set his menu down as Ki changed the subject back to the hotel room. "I dunno what we'll do..." he admitted, realizing he hadn't thought much about it since leaving the hotel to walk down the street. It hadn't really been a concern until brought back up by the blonde sitting across the table. "I mean... like I said I have no problem sharing a bed... I just don't want it to get out to Everett and for him to freak out or think anything more of it, you know?" Gabe said, vocalizing his biggest concern. "Honestly... whatever you're most comfortable with. We can find another hotel, we can do the blanket thing, I can sleep in the tub. Seriously. Anything," Gabe offered, letting Kiara make the final decision. "I just want you to be comfortable."

[Deleted]

Kiara hardly knew anything about Rose, other than the fact that she worked in this diner and had known Gabriel for years. Nevertheless, the blonde was already fond of the woman. When the man was speaking, blue optics momentarily drifted over to the waitress who immediately flashed a very friendly smile in return. It made Ki’s lips curl as well, if only because the idea of someone thinking that they were dating caused warmth to spread within her whole body. It was an assumption based on nothing, but at the same time neither of them had taken the time to pop that bubble. Kiara didn’t mind. If anything, she was kind of starting to cherish this concept. It began to claim a part of her life, and no protest was being put up, even though that might have been for the better.

“Glad you managed to find a nice girl after eleven years,” the young woman retorted with a soft chuckle. It wasn’t meant to be offensive or anything. She was mainly joking around… and more than eager to go along with pretending that they were dating. The next statement quite possibly underlined that even further. “I don’t think a kiss would be necessary in this case.” The grin on her face a tad bit sly, even though it remained limited. It definitely would have been more obvious had she added ‘unless you disagree’ to it.

After that, her gaze dropped to the menu again. A burger and a milkshake. While the combination was strange to the girl, she stood by her statement of trusting Gabriel’s judgment and taste. It was why she so effortlessly agreed to share a milkshake with him. “Okay. Two burgers and a milkshake then, right? You can pick which one.” Would be easy to have settled for it all once Rose stepped over to their table. Besides, it was getting late and Kiara was hungry. And perhaps somewhat tired as well, which might have contributed to bringing up the room issue as well.

In her opinion, the solution was easy. “It doesn’t have to get out to Everett… Right?” Kiara could keep her lips sealed as long as Gabriel agreed. “I don’t mind sharing the bed, and it might be quite stupid to find another hotel while it shouldn’t be this hard.” Lips pursed slightly as she placed the menu back down on the middle of the table, letting hands slip off the surface and onto her lap again. “Either way, I won’t allow you to sleep in the tub. Even if, as a hobo, you might be used to worse locations.” Features showing another small smile to hopefully keep this topic from turning too serious or uncomfortable.

There really wasn’t too much of a chance at that as Rose soon enough appeared next to their table though. The smile on her face still as bright as when she first assumed Gabriel had brought a date. While the woman first looked at Kiara, the girl motioned a hand at Gabe to let him place the order. He would know what kind of burger or which taste of milkshake. Rose smoothly noted it down, probably a habit since technically it wasn’t a lot to remember. Ki liked it though. It was different and more authentic than the places she tended to go to in Pilot Ridge or back at home.

“This is a really cozy place an-,” the college student mused once the waitress was gone. More was to be added, but she didn’t manage to get another word out for Rose had walked over again. A tea light in her hand before she wordlessly placed it down in the middle of the table. The grin on her face, however, said enough. It might have been offered to Gabe, but Kiara could still detect it. It made her chuckle, resting light optics on the woman’s back as she walked away again.

“She’s nice.”

[Gabriel James]

"Yeah I've had bad enough time with relationships... it's about damn time I settled down," Gabriel shot back, not one to hesitate to poke fun at himself. Though there was some truth to the statement, and Gabe was doing his best to keep himself from getting involved with anyone he couldn't envision something serious with... He didn't want to be the man he'd left behind in LA. He wanted to be better than that, and he was really trying. That had meant taking a long, long break from women... with the exception of that one night with Kiara... When she suggested a kiss wouldn't be neccesariy this time, Gabe half heartedly agreed, "Yeah I think Rose is already convinced," he noted, looking over at the woman. For a moment Gabe thought Unfortunately but chased that notion out of his head before he could pine on it too much.

"As long as you're ok with it, I'm ok with it. And if Everett asks I'll be vauge as fuck and hope he doesn't make his own assumptions," Gabriel offered with a laugh as he set down his menu, having pretty much known what he was ordering since the moment he stepped in the building. It had been many years since he had strayed away from his regular order. When Rose came over to take the order Gabe didn't even have to look down. "The usual," Gabe said with a smile. "But double the burger," he said gesturing to Kiara, noting that the woman, too, would have what he was having. Rose smiled as she walked away, not even having to write anything down to know what Gabe wanted.

Gabe leaned his elbows on the table and tapped his fingers rhythmically in front of him. There was seemingly no rhyme or reason to the beat, but it went along with the music in his head. He nodded to agree with Kiara as she spoke well of the place, but before Ki could even finish her thought, Rose was back putting a tea light on the table. Gabe looked up at the older woman with an amused expression. "Thanks, Rosie," Gabe said with a hint of sarcasm as the woman walked away.

"Elbows of the table, Mr. James," Rose teased looking back for just a moment.

Gabe rolled his eyes and sat back in the booth, shaking his head slightly. "She's crazy, that's what she is," Gabe corrected Kiara. "She's like family... love her... but she can be an absolute pain," he said with a chuckle. Rose meant well, of course, and Gabe knew that. But he couldn't help but be slightly embarrassed by her. Though Rose didn't embarrass her nearly as much as Gabe's brother had in the hospital. It was weird how people he was actually related to made Gabe more uncomfortable than a server at a diner. "Speaking of family... I'm sorry about my brother. He's... well... I dunno. He's just... stiff I guess," Gabe noted, finally addressing the interaction they'd had at the hospital - trying to find the nicest way to describe his brother and the way he acted.

[Deleted]

Kiara was okay with sharing a bed, and no more words were wasted on it out of fear that Gabriel might make up his mind. Quite honestly, Ev could make make all the assumptions he wanted. Perhaps it would make it feel more acceptable to the blonde that feelings were being developed. It might shock her brother less that way… Once reality and the truth caught up to them. The fact that Rose didn’t appear to have a problem with their ‘status’ felt like a nice change. The blonde had grown rather used to being judged – if only by Everett (and possibly Jackson as well). Kiara wouldn’t admit it right now, but she was glad the waitress had gotten the wrong idea. She could express some affection that had been piling up, without it coming across as suspicious to Gabe. It was all for fun, right? That’s probably how he would interpret it.

Chuckling, the young woman shook her head. “She wants you to be happy.” Pain or not, Rose’s intentions were good. And definitely not with the intent of embarrassing or offending the man, unlike his older brother. “You have nothing to apologize for…” And in order to strengthen those words, Kiara sat up straighter again and reached out a hand over the table now that his own had returned the second Rose was out of sight. Fingers just barely smoothed over his before tips rested upon his thicker ones. “I am just glad that you’re different. A good different.” A smile was offered to reassure him even more. “Plus, at least you remember my name.” With a tiny grin on her lips, the contact ended and the blonde once more sat back in the booth. The feeling lingered on her fingertips, wrapping her other hand around them in her lap.

Not long after, Rose reappeared with their order. The service fast and flawless. “Here you go, sweetheart.” The woman mused upon having placed the tray down near the edge of their table, putting a plate down in front of Kiara, and then Gabe received his burger as well. The milkshake ended up in the middle. “And two straws.” Her gleeful eyes drifted to the man. “The pink one is for you. It matches those sunglasses of yours perfectly.” For a moment the blonde expected Rose to ruffle Gabriel’s hair the way she seemed to lighten up from having him around again, but instead she told them to enjoy the food and to not hesitate to call her over if something else was needed. Ki thanked the woman, glanced down at the burger and then over at Gabe.

“Looks delicious.” She mused.

[Gabriel James]

When Kiara's hand rested over his reassuringly, Gabe's eyes slowly drifted from Kiara's delicate fingers to the soothing expression on her face. Her touch gave Gabe a weird feeling... warm and tingly... wonderful... but also quite uncomfortable. It had been such a long time since he had even been on a date... and this one may have been fake but there was something strange going on that made Gabe think it was more real than he thought. Perhaps bringing Kiara wasn't the best idea... but perhaps he didn't care. At least not in this moment. They were 8 hours away from home. Nobody had to know. Kiara had said it herself. Gabe could just keep pretending for a little while.

"I'd never forget you," Gabe promised, a small smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. The only time his hands seemed to stay still were when Kiara was touching them. As soon as she pulled away, Gabe was back to tapping his fingers and playing with sugar packets. The warm feeling remained for a while though. Gabe did his best to ignore it and convince himself it was nothing... or if it was something that he'd have to forget about it by this time tomorrow.

After a little while of idle chit chat, Rose came over with their order, once again taking the opportunity to tease Gabe. The man could only laugh, having learned long ago Rose was not the type of woman you wanted to try to one-up. She'd always win. "Thanks Rosie," he said endearingly as the woman placed two straws in the shake before once again leaving Ki and Gabe to their 'date'. "This place has my favorite food in the world," Gabe said as he picked up his burger and took a bite. He didn't even realize how hungry he was until that moment. He took a second to chew and swallow. "Not so much because the food is really that good, but its just nostalgic for me, I guess," Gabe explained as he leaned forward to take a sip of the shake.

[Deleted]

The ‘problem’ was that this couldn’t just be ignored nor removed. At least not in Kiara’s opinion. The last couple of weeks had technically been an attempt at that, even though she wouldn’t acknowledge it at that point, but right now she was finally coming to terms with it: she liked him. Liked him to the extent that it hurt to think that none of those feelings were mutual. The signals were rather contradictory, and Kiara knew that, depending on her interpretation, she could be optimistic or pessimistic. It felt safer to lean to the latter, simply because it eliminated disappointment. At the same time, however, it stung to think that Gabriel preferred to keep it platonic.

Statements like ‘I would never forget you’ often made her forget about her plan to assume the worst though. It made her sink into the lighthearted conversation again, even though sometimes a word might have ended up being ignored because she was too caught up in his eyes or voice… or mouth. Rose and the food formed a perfectly timed distraction – for a second or two. “I just, you know, have no idea how to thank you for sharing this with me. I know how much this place means to you.” The first bite was taken after that, even though the smell alone had already making her want to state that is was delicious. At least afterwards she had something to base the statement upon. The milkshake could easily compete with the burger.

After dinner, during which some more random chitchat had taken place, along with the occasional compliment and (in Kiara’s mind) subtle flirting, the blonde sat back in the booth and plucked the napkin from her lap to wipe at the corners of her mouth. Then she neatly placed it on the empty plate. While a tad bit tired, it was still too early to sleep. “I wonder if there’s a good movie on television,” she mused while looking over at Gabriel. Or that could stay here a bit longer. Ki didn’t want to rush out of here; she wanted to adjust herself to however the man wanted this to be. If he was okay with just getting the bill within the next five minutes, that would work as well.

“Unless you’re tired?” He had driven for eight hours after all. And hadn’t gotten any rest yet.

[Gabriel James]

"We could watch a movie," Gabriel agreed, taking a moment to wipe a bit of food off the corner of his mouth. "And if I fall asleep I wouldn't want to stop you from finishing it," Gabe added with a laugh. Yes, he was tired. It had been quite a long day, and tomorrow was to be equally long - another visit to McKenna and another 8 hour drive. Gabriel was known to sleep for upwards of 12 hours after these trips, but he actually didn't feel much more tired than normal just yet. There was something about having company with him that made him feel more energized than usual... or maybe it was just Kiara.

"I'm sure we can find something," Gabe said with a smile and a nod. "Let me go pay and say goodbye to Rose," he requested, not giving the blonde a chance to object to him paying for dinner. Before the blonde could say a word he was already up at the counter chatting with Rose and handing her his credit card. The waitress smiled genuinely at Gabe and then over at Kiara, clearly glad that one of her favorite customers had finally brought a friend. Or in her mind something more. Gabe signed the bill and leaned over the counter to give Rose an awkward but genuine hug. He waved goodbye to the waitress, who in turn waved to Kiara as well.

Gabe found his way back to the booth and held out his hand to Kiara, offering to help her out of the seat - mostly because he was a gentleman. Maybe a little bit because he liked the way she squeezed his hands gently whenever they met hers. Not that he wanted to even admit that to himself just yet. "Ready?" he asked, tipping his head toward the door.

[Deleted]

Of course Kiara would have objected had she been given the chance. Despite this, however, the gesture pushed their ‘date’ into a less platonic category. Had they been here as just friends, surely he would have allowed her to pay half, right? Anyway, while the man paid, the blonde shuffled in the booth to get her jacket on and to shove the plate back some more on the table, simply so she wouldn’t end up knocking it down. By the time Ki was about to rise, Gabe’s hand was being reached out.

Blue eyes gazed up at him through eyelashes while a genuine smile graced delicate features. Her hand soon settled into his, granting it the gentle squeeze he had subconsciously been longing for. That grip was maintained as the girl was fully standing up again though, not even letting go once they were headed to the door. The look on Rose’s face undeniably told them how much she cherished seeing Gabriel James walk hand in hand with a girl. “Bye, Rose!” Kiara rose her free hand in a small wave before stepping out of the diner. The sudden chill made the girl retreat closer into the man’s side – without breaking the locked hands.

The walk back to the hotel didn’t involve a lot of conversation. The only notable words seemed to be Kiara double-checking with Gabe that he was okay with keeping this room. Given he was, the girl didn’t experience any discomfort upon approaching the reception, letting go of his hand. The manager came to greet them again, informing about their decision, only to thank them for their forgiveness and to add that their bags had been carried up there already. Perhaps it had been a tad bit obnoxious to assume they would remain customers, but Kiara just brushed that off. Instead she accepted the key card and thanked the staff before accompanying Gabe to the elevator.

“Kind of would have been funny had we opted to book a different hotel and they had to get our bags down again, huh?” With a tiny smile, the blonde stepped out into the hallway and over to the right door. Inside the light got switched on before she emerged further. What she spotted on the bed made her halt in nearly the exact spot as before.

“They got us a bottle of wine.” A brief glance was cast over her shoulder at Gabe before she stepped forward and picked it up, chucking softly while turning around. “Good thing we didn’t pick a different hotel.” A small joke before the blonde bit her bottom lip slightly, placing the alcoholic beverage down onto the mattress again, moving to the bags right after.

Getting changed into something more comfortable to watch the movie sounded like a great plan. Except, when the college student rummaged through her stuff, realization hit her, despite clearly having checked her belongings about three times. “I… forgot my pajama.”

[Gabriel James]

Gabe hadn't even really realized Kiara's hand was still in his until they got back to the hotel and she let go as they approached the reception desk. The sudden lack of warmth left more than his hand feeling empty. He stuck his tongue in his cheek as Kiara talked to the staff, spending more time sorting through his own thoughts than paying attention to the interaction Kiara was having. He stuffed his hands in his coat pockets as they made their way in the elevator - as if he were kind of afraid of taking her hand again... and the possibility that he wouldn't want to let go. The implications of that would be too much for Gabe to deal with right now, and he wasn't ready to find out if that was the case.

He laughed softly when Kiara quipped about the staff, only then having realized what the blonde had been discussing with the staff. Brought back to reality by that comment, he followed behind Kiara to their room. His eyes wandered anywhere other than Kiara's figure.

Gabe's eyes fell to the bed as they entered the room as well. And sure enough, there on the bed was a bottle of wine, and two glasses. He shook his head a bit as he stepped forward, reaching out to the bottle Kiara had put back on the bed. He picked it up, inspecting the label. "At least they tried to redeem themselves somehow," he mused, slightly impressed that it wasn't the cheapest wine they could have offered. He placed the bottle on the end table, along with the glasses, so he could pull over his suitcase and place it on the bed without breaking any glass.

He opened up his bag just as Kiara was rummaging through hers. He looked at her with a bit of concern, having realized she must have forgotten something before she had even said it. When she revealed it was just her pajamas, however, Gabe felt better because he could certainly help with that. "Here," he said, pulling out an extra long sleeved shirt he had brought - navy blue with "Daulton Boxing" in bold letters across the chest. "I brought an extra shirt," he offered. "But uh... I only have one pair of sweatpants.... you could...uh... wear my extra boxers if you want," he offered hesitantly, pulling out the maroon boy shorts which would be quite big on Kiara - she would have to roll them up a couple of times so they stayed up.. but it was an option. "If you want... I swear I wash them regularly," Gabe offered with a chuckle, as he pulled out his sweatpants and a tshirt for himself.

[Deleted]

While the staff could of course have come up with other compensations, Kiara cherished the attempt either way. She would make sure to thanks them in the morning, even if they possibly wouldn’t drink from the wine. The memory from last time still lingered. Then again, at the same time the blonde was rather willing to create new memories with Gabriel – with better details. It wasn’t a topic to bring up out of nowhere though, let alone to hint at subtly. That was why the blonde let the alcohol for what it was. That, however, didn’t mean the thought didn’t keep spinning through her mind. She only managed to ignore it for a second upon realizing a pajama had been forgotten.

Gabe was quick to offer help though, making blue eyes drift over her shoulder as Kiara turned her head. While reluctant at first, she eventually rose to full length again and slowly took the shirt from him. Both hands were holding onto it, slightly tugging at the fabric to be able to read what was written on there, when her attention was soon drawn to the boxers. It would be that or sleeping in her panties.

“Okay,” her voice kept low as the second piece of clothing ended up in her hands as well. “I’ll…” Motioning at the bathroom, toothbrush and toothpaste being held onto, the blonde soon enough headed in there and closed the door behind her. Seven minutes max passed before the blonde stepped out again. Barefooted and both hands nervously running down the tips of her hair, one by one, as the curly locks were draped over one shoulder. She considered making a silly remark about how the clothes were too big, but that had been clear before she even put them on. Instead Ki opted to let him decide how he would label this appearance.

“So, how do I look?” Instead of adding a twirl, which would have been typical for her, Kiara stepped over to the nightstand where he had placed down the bottle of wine. She took it and then offered it to the music teacher with the opener – a sheepish smile curling her lips. And once Gabriel took it, the girl got comfortable on the bed, folding legs like a pretzel before taking a glass in each hand, holding them out to the man to pour some of the wine in them.

Part of her considered to reason with Gabe why they couldn’t leave the bottle for what it was, afraid to come across as ungrateful to the staff, but that might have been weird. Nervous feelings were starting to get the best of her again though, unable to drag blue optics away from his gorgeous ones.

“Plans for Christmas?” At random.

[Gabriel James]

Gabe took the moments Kiara was in the bathroom to change into his own pajamas - a pair of grey Dalton Boxing sweatpants (which were meant to go with the shirt he'd given Kiara), and a plain white undershirt. It took him a few moments to find the undershirt, though, and he was just pulling his shirt up to his head as Kiara came back out of the bathroom. He pulled his shirt over his torso, turning to look at the blonde as she stepped back into the room. There was something about the woman wearing his clothes that was strangely arousing. Gabriel James knew better than to express this, however - and decided on a much... safer choice of words. "Pretty as ever," Gabe said with a small tug at his lips. "I don't think any amount of oversized tee shirts could distract from that," he added, taking his bag off the bed and setting it aside.

When he turned back around, Kiara was offering him the bottle of wine - clearly inviting him to open it. He wouldn't object. While the drink represented some sort of emotional connection to Kiara, it offered an emotional disconnection for Gabriel, and it was pretty much what he needed right now. He probably wouldn't have opened it had Kiara not asked. At least not unless she fell asleep well before he had.

Gabe took the bottle and all too skillfully popped the cork with the tool provided by the staff, pouring a glass and handing it to the blonde before pouring a second glass for himself. He placed the bottle on the nightstand and crawled up onto the bed just as Ki asked about Christmas.

It took each bit of Gabriel's will power not to down his entire glass with that question, but he resisted. Instead he swirled the liquid in his glass, watching the veins run down the crystal. "No plans," he admitted nonchalantly. "I'll probably stop by the Children's Hospital in Burlington for Christmas carols and presents... I've had some students bring in toys to donate so..." Gabriel explained. And while it was a plan, that was going to be the extend to Gabe's Christmas. No family. No big dinner. He took a long sip of wine, finishing about half the glass in just one gulp. "You headed out to California?" Gabe asked, figuring he already knew the answer since he was aware of Everett's plans, but figured he'd ask anyway.

[Deleted]

Pretty as ever. Kiara had found herself carefully dissecting every single word that flowed from his lips as of late. In this case it had to mean that Gabriel always thought she was pretty, right? It colored her cheeks darker than usual, which she in turn tried to hide by focusing on the wine and glasses. Dealing with compliments had never been a forte, let alone when they were given by a man whose mere presence warmed her heart. It sort of almost hurt to acknowledge how slim the chance was of there being any additional feelings and emotions behind his statement. While she did her best to keep any hope behind locks, she couldn’t avoid falling even harder for him. Those eyes and that smile… She should have known she would get lost from the beginning.

After Gabriel had poured in the wine, the blonde carefully shifted some. His confession about having no plans, other than visiting the Children’s Hospital (which was admirable nevertheless), made features fall some. The interaction with his brother might not have been flawless, but Ki could imagine McKenna loving to have her uncle around during the holidays. For now, however, that opinion was kept to herself. First a nod was given and a soft smile appeared on her lips. “Mhm. Spending it with Ev and our parents.” Not being able to invite Gabriel as well… It stung.

“Won’t… McKenna like it to spend Christmas with you there?” Her voice carefully venturing as she slightly dipped her head to the side, blue eyes searching his face after another gulp of wine had been taken. It probably was wrong to try to keep up with Gabe’s glass, assuming she was just a slow drinker, and for her to not fully grasp that the topic was uncomfortable to the music teacher.

As her gaze fell down to her glass, a frown arched her eyebrows some. “You shouldn’t celebrate it by yourself…” It was more of a mumble than anything else, but at the same time he should be able to distinguish the fact that it made her rather sad. “You have to be around the people you care for and love on Christmas, you know?” And she wanted to invite him so badly for that reason… It probably would be safer to run it by Everett first though, and to make it so that her brother would be the one to invite Gabriel. Then again, it kind of sounded a bit impossible to arrange that.

“Maybe… I could skip going home this year?” Optics drifted over to meet his. They were filled with uncertainty and possibly the fear that Gabe would laugh at that suggestion. Kiara was serious though. After all, she cared… She loved.

[Gabriel James]

"Oh I'm sure McKenna would love having me around, but she's pretty much the extent of that," Gabriel admitted, a little bit of bitterness lacing his voice. The admission slipped out somewhat - Gabe's dificulties with his family wasn't something he easily opened up about. There was something about the way Kiara cared so much, and seemed to want the best for him... Gabe felt like he could tell her anything and she'd probably take his side. Maybe she'd have something to say to make it better. Gabe still wasn't sure about this theory, of course, which is why he'd held back so long, but under his now almost finished glass of wine - his guards were down.

"Sorry..." he said with a chuckle, taking a moment to try and eradicate the bitter tone from his voice. "I just... don't really fit in with my family. At all," Gabe explained in the nicest way possible. "I'm not exactly... invited to Christmas at my parents," Gabe added hesitantly - because he didn't want sympathy. He wasn't sad about the fact that he didn't have to spend the holidays dealing with all the crap his family threw at him. He was sad that he'd be spending Christmas alone for the 5th year in a row - starting with the year he ran off to LA. "I mean... if I showed up my mom would let me in but it's not worth the stress and the conditions and..." he sighed, not really willing to say much more. He finished his glass, and started filling a new one.

He was feeling the wine, but he wasn't drunk. He probably wouldn't be able to get drunk off the stuff, since he'd built up such a tolerance. However he was glad for the warm feeling flowing through his veins while his anxiety rose a bit. He wasn't fuzzy enough to admit more to Kiara though - that he hadn't seen his parents in years, aside from in passing at the hospital. That he hadn't even spoken to his dad since the day he left at 19 years old. That his mother often called, begging and begrudging him to 'turn his life around' and 'stop playing silly games' and 'come home and get a business degree' so that he could be part of the family again.

"You shouldn't be changing your plans for me," Gabe insisted sincerely. Although he would love the company, he would hate knowing he was the reason Kiara wasn't home with her family at Christmas time. "Or rather don't. Don't change your plans. That's an order," Gabe amended his statement with a small chuckle. "I'm used to my Christmases this way. Ever since I went out to LA. I find people to celebrate with. No need to worry about me." Another sip of wine.

[Deleted]

Kiara did have her suspicions and assumptions, but of course it was always different to hear it from his lips. His confirmation about McKenna possibly loving to have him around inflicted some heartbreak on the blonde. She felt for Gabriel and wished it was within her power to solve the struggles between the family members. Either way, the last he needed to do was apologize to her. While a smirk flashed over her features for the briefest of seconds, it was an empathic and loving smile that eventually lingered. Perhaps a little bit sad as well. “Maybe… they just don’t really fit in with you?” If anyone had to change, it was his family. This was Ki’s way of saying that he shouldn’t change who he was for others.

There wasn’t much more for Kiara to say to that though. Instead she mirrored his action by sipping the glass of wine empty, but unlike him, she wouldn’t take a second one. Based on how strong her current feelings and urges were, it would just get out of control fast. So once it was empty, she simply lowered it and looked over at the man again. Concerns filled her eyes, but the blonde knew better than to keep pushing the topic and her opinion. “Do… you want to celebrate second Christmas day with me then?” She wouldn’t change her plans, but she did create new ones for him. “I mean, you don’t have to. And you might find it weird and not want that, but…” With a small sigh, eyes fell down once more as a fingertip absentmindedly danced over the edge of the glass. “But you could celebrate it with someone who cares then.” It was hardly above a whisper as blue optics slightly drifted over through eyelashes since her head was still dipped down some.

“Don’t drink too much by the way. It’s kind of risky.” The words flowed out without too much of a second thought, quite probably because she was anxious about what his answer would be. The second they were spoken, the college student wished they could be absorbed again. The last she wanted was to have to explain the meaning behind that statement. The truth was, however, that Kiara felt so prone to just leaning in and kissing him. To make it all good for as long as it would last and to make him forget about the problems.

Maybe she should get another glass of wine then though. It would eliminate the hesitation that remained at this point. And she could use it as an excuse instead of having to expose her heart.

[Gabriel James]

Gabe just shrugged when Kiara suggested it was his family that was the problem. Sure, he wanted to believe that he was the one in the right, but it was hard to accept when he was the one alone for holidays. If music didn't have such a strong hold on Gabe, he'd probably have given into his parents requests long ago. Every passing year made his decision to rebel a little more difficult. Gabe's eyes traveled from the wine glass in his hand to Kiara's blue eyes when she suggested a second Christmas. While Gabe wasn't entirely convinced of the idea, he smiled warmly, "I'd love that," he said. It wasn't going to be the same as being with his family, but he appreciated the thought. Christmas was never the happiest time for Gabe though, even as a kid, and part of him worried the blonde would see an ugly side of him during the holiday season. He'd have to restrain himself.

He swirled the glass of wine in his hand as Kiara warned him of drinking to much. "Risky?" he asked taking another sip, leaning back to lay on the bed - his arm bent, elbow supporting his head which he rested on his palm. "How so?" he asked setting the glass aside for a moment.