Work Text:
I
Driss had never been the kind of guy who could leave well enough alone, and there was one more thing that was going to eat him up inside. So, a mere minute or two after they'd said good night to each other, he broke the silence again.
"So... who is the guy?"
"Who?"
"That 'maybe' boyfriend of yours."
Gab had been staring up at the ceiling, but now he angled his head towards Driss. He didn't turn the light back on, the way he'd done when Driss mentioned the DNA test, but it didn't matter. Driss could see him well enough anyway.
He looked at Driss for a long moment without saying anything. His face was carefully blank, but his eyes gave him away. There was something in there, something Driss couldn't quite identify — an emotion he once would've recognized, back when he'd known Gab as well as he knew himself, before the gaping chasm of years had separated them. For the hundredth time, Driss cursed himself for having let it happen.
"If you don't know," Gab finally said, voice low, "then it doesn't matter."
"What? I'm asking because I don't know. And why wouldn't it matter?"
"Because he doesn't return my feelings." Gab's voice was sharp all of a sudden, jaw clenched. A silent warning if there'd ever been one.
For once, Driss heeded it. He could do nothing else; the inexplicable sense of relief he felt overpowering everything else.
----
II
As soon as Driss stepped out of the van, he knew something had happened. The sound of someone beating the shit out of the sandbag in the gym made that painfully clear. And there was no doubt who that someone was, of course.
Driss frowned. When Fanny had given him the keys to the orphanage van and sent him off to pick up groceries, Gab had been perfectly fine. That was what, a little more than an hour ago? Some of the kids had tagged along, turning what could've been a focused and quick shopping trip into the typical chaotic mess — Fanny was certainly getting her money's worth out of him. As long as they were taking up two beds they needed to do some work too, as she'd told them the day after the funeral. He hadn't minded, the following week had actually been great, but right now he regretted it for the first time.
"Do me a favor, Hélène," he said, handing her one of the grocery bags. "Can you make sure everything gets inside alright?"
She nodded and immediately turned to round up the rest of the kids, visibly excited to be put in charge.
Responsibility thus delegated, Driss made his way over to the gym. He didn't like the fast and rhythmic sound; there was no way those were one-handed punches. Driss had gotten rid of his damn collar a couple of days ago, but Gab needed to wear his sling for a while longer. If he had not only ditched it, but was also pushing his arm like that, then...
Gritting his teeth, Driss opened the door and stepped in. His fears were immediately confirmed. No sling, and judging by the way the sweat-drenched T-shirt clung to Gab's body he'd been at it for quite a while.
He looked up when hearing Driss enter, and Driss got a brief glimpse of the upset look on his face before it disappeared, shuttered and turned into a blank mask. Driss hated it, hated the way it reminded him of that first day back together, when Gab had been distant and cold.
"Hey," Driss said, taking care to keep his voice light and casual, "if you felt like working out you should've waited for me. We could've sparred again, maybe break something else in here."
The joke didn't work. If anything Gab just looked more miserable. "Go inside," he said, turning back to the sandbag, apparently set on continuing.
Like hell that was going to happen. Driss moved forward, reaching out to take a careful hold of Gab's injured arm. "Stop that. Put the sling back on."
Gab yanked his arm out of the grip with more force than necessary, but the glint of anger immediately turned into a pained grimace at the movement.
"See? Gab, enough already — stop hurting yourself. What's wrong?"
"Go inside," Gab repeated. Then, quieter, "There's a letter waiting for you. Alright?"
Driss stared in confusion for a few seconds before it clicked. There was only one piece of mail he would be receiving here. And if he'd gotten the result of the DNA test he'd ordered, then Gab had probably received his too. If this was his reaction, then Driss didn't even need to open his own letter.
"Gab..."
"Don't." Gab's voice was hard, but there was a weary and resigned undertone to it that ill suited the façade. "I'll get out of your way today."
Driss froze. They'd been talking about the future, just the two of them, late at night. For Driss it was easy enough; he lived a couple of hours' drive from Biarritz, so all he'd need to do was deal with the problem of getting a new car. But Gab was a different story. Paris was far away, and — unlike Driss — he had a career to think about. Despite that he'd mentioned the possibility of getting a transfer to the regional office in Bordeaux, but now he apparently felt like that was no longer an option.
Which was absolute bullshit, to the point that Driss felt vaguely pissed off. "What's that supposed to mean, get out of my way? Have I asked you to?"
Gab snorted, rolling his eyes. "So I beat you to it. What's your point?"
"I wasn't going to ask you to leave. You have to know that. It's like you said, we're a family."
If Gab had been tightly wound before, now he looked liable to damn near explode. He turned away, presenting Driss with a view of his rigid shoulders. "I already told you, I never said that."
"Fine, whatever. I'm saying it, then. We're a family, Gab. Blood hasn't ever mattered between us, has it? So why should it matter now?"
Silence. But Gab's shoulders slumped, going from stiff and unapproachable to defeated. It wasn't a good look, definitely not what Driss had been aiming for, but it was at least something he could work with. He reached out again, placing his hand on Gab's shoulder. This time it wasn't shrugged off.
"I want you around," Driss said, determined to make sure that Gab got the point. "I'm guessing that guy of yours lives in Paris, but — the rest of us are here. And we all want you to stay, if you can."
Silence. Then, "I need a shower. Go and read your letter already."
That was ignoring the main issue, but it was basically an unvoiced promise of not messing up his arm any more than he'd already done, and Driss gladly accepted it. He could understand the need for a few moments alone, so he squeezed Gab's shoulder once and then left him be.
The mail was lying on the kitchen table as usual, the letter for Driss placed on top of the pile. There wasn't really a sense of nervousness now that he knew what it would say, so he opened it right there and then. He began skimming through it, and then froze.
He was still stuck reading it when Leïla entered the kitchen, five minutes later. "Something interesting?" she asked, moving in close to peek over his shoulder.
Driss lowered the letter, hiding it from view. "No, not at all."
"Really? You sure seemed engrossed, though. And isn't it strange that you would be receiving something here? Gabriel got a letter today too, as a matter of fact."
"Oh? Probably nothing important. Say, did the kids get all the groceries inside okay? I think Fanny is going to bake a pie later, she'll be mad if the eggs got broken or something."
Leïla threw her hands into the air, eyes blazing. "You two really are pathetic! Gabriel runs off without a word, and you lie your ass off."
Driss stared at her. "You read our letters?" he hazarded, not sure if he should be angry or impressed.
"No, come on, what do think I am?" Leïla sneered at him, adding, "I quit doing that kind of thing when I was fifteen."
"Then..." he began, hesitating. If she hadn't read them, she wouldn't know what it was about, and that left him in a tough spot. Maybe he could talk to Gab first, in order for them to break the news to her together.
"I know that neither of you is my father. That's what those letters were, right? The results of DNA tests?"
"Yeah," Driss said slowly. "But how did you know?"
Leïla gave him an exasperated look, so much like Sofia that it both hurt and made him want to smile. "I sent one in myself. And earlier than you two did, evidently — I got the results back a couple of days ago. Not a match to either of you."
"Right, guess not." Driss stared down at the letter in his hand. He'd read it several times over, but it still felt like it hadn't sunk in yet.
"I have to say this again, seriously?" Leïla muttered, tearing him from his thoughts. She continued, louder, "This is where you should reassure me."
Driss raised his head. "What?"
Leïla's typical confidence was suddenly absent, and the smile she gave him was a bit shaky. "You two are the closest thing I've ever had to a father. Even if it isn't true biologically, I still... I mean, does it matter?"
It felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Driss grinned and shook his head. "Not in the least. I feel the exact same way, and I know Gab does too."
That seemed to lighten a load for Leïla as well, going by the relief on her face. "Good. So you'll be my two dads — because that's what you are, right?"
"Yeah, of course. Like I said, I know that Gab feels the same way about it. He will want to be your dad too, regardless of what some dumb DNA claims," Driss said, raising the letter and giving it a dismissive shake.
"That isn't really what I meant, but I'm glad to hear it."
Driss opened his mouth to ask, but got cut off by the sound of a car honking. "Oh, I have to go now," Leïla said. "Ludo is picking me up."
Right, Ludo, that was her boyfriend. The one he and Gab still hadn't met. Driss frowned and started moving towards the door, but Leïla quickly moved in front of him. "Hang on, I said he's picking me up. No need for you to go."
"He should come inside and pick you up properly, instead of honking like that. I asked you if he treated you nice, remember?"
"I've told him about you guys, so he's way too intimidated to come inside. Later, okay?" Leïla patted his arm once, and then took off.
He stared after her for a while, before heading to the room he shared with Gab. He passed the bathroom on the way, and smiled when hearing the shower running. Gab had kept his word.
Driss sat down on the edge of his bed and waited. Gab soon entered the room, a towel slung low around his waist. He hadn't bothered to dry off very well, and was dripping water all over the place — Fanny would no doubt scold him if she saw, but Driss had a hard time concentrating on that fact. He'd felt Gab's body, both when they'd fought against each other and when they'd fought side by side, but it was another thing to see it.
"Hey," Gab murmured. Driss forced his gaze up to meet Gab's eyes.
"Read it," Driss said, holding out the letter towards Gab.
His face darkened. "What the hell for? You don't need to rub it in, dammit."
"Just read it. Trust me, alright?"
Gab's jaw worked, clearly wanting to argue, but he reached out and took the letter nonetheless. He started reading, and Driss could see the exact moment he got to the important part. He stood there frozen for a while, before sitting down on his bed, opposite of Driss.
As Gab continued reading, Driss let his gaze wander. He followed a drop of water on its path along Gab's collarbone, over the plane of his muscular chest, before it followed the crooked line of a scar running perpendicular to his ribs. Driss had never felt so grateful for the existence of ribs before — it looked like the assailant had been aiming for Gab's heart, but the blade had skidded along the ribs instead.
"Driss."
Driss' head snapped up, blinking. The tone of Gab's voice made it clear that it wasn't the first time he'd spoken. "Sorry, I..." Driss began, and then stopped himself. 'Sorry, I was just staring at your body' would probably not go over so well, no.
Gab's face softened. "I know the feeling. For what it's worth, I'm sorry."
Oh. Gab thought that he was zoning out because he was upset about not being Leïla's father. That was kind of him, but completely off.
"It's okay," Driss said. "I spoke to Leïla. Or, well," he amended, chuckling, "she spoke to me. Turns out she already knew, because she did a DNA test a couple of days before us."
Gab snorted. "Somehow I'm not even surprised." He hesitated, before continuing, "And? She took it well?"
"Yeah, she — she was great. She doesn't want it to matter. She'd like for us to be her two dads, as she put it."
Gab let out a strangled sound, averting his gaze. "That's..." he said, trailing off.
Driss smiled. "Sweet, huh? I told her we'd already discussed it, and that we felt the same way. So..." he drawled, getting up to snatch the letter from Gab's hand and crumpling it up, "screw this. Alright? We're family."
"Family," Gab repeated, smiling.
----
III
Come help me move.
Driss stared at the message, trying to make sense of it. Gab had gone back to Paris two days ago, to pack up his things and get his affairs in order before returning. He was supposed to let Driss know the specifics later, so that Driss could pick him up at the airport. Instead, this.
What do you mean? Driss sent back.
I mean come help me move.
Yeah, that didn't exactly clarify things. In Paris?
No answer. Driss was about to send another message when the phone rang. Gab, obviously.
"Hi," Driss began, but that was as far as he got.
"Yes, in Paris," Gab snapped. "Where else?"
"No, I get that, but — why? You said you were going to pack your things and send them by mail. I'll help you once they get here."
"I changed my mind. I want to drive back instead."
Oh, so that was it. Gab hadn't mentioned anything about a car, so Driss had just figured he either didn't have one or used one courtesy of the IGPN. "Why didn't you say so sooner? I could've flown out with you."
"I had some things to take care of first. So? Are you coming or not?"
"Yeah, of course. We can take turns driving — we'll be able to make it in one go that way. What kind of car is it?"
"You'll see. I have to go now, call me later when you've booked the flight. Bye."
"Bye," Driss replied, but too late — Gab had already ended the call.
----
The airport was packed, but Driss made his way through it in record time. Not having any baggage to pick up really helped speed things along.
Gab was there to meet him, and for a crazy moment Driss contemplated mimicking the other travelers, the ones who greeted their loved ones with hugs and kisses.
With a shake of his head, he banished the notion.
"Okay flight?" Gab asked.
"Sure." He fell into step with Gab, using the crowded area as an excuse to walk a bit too close, arm brushing against Gab's.
Driss had missed him. It was a ridiculous realization, but it was the truth. Just a few days apart, and it still had affected him this much. It was like those eighteen years had never existed; Gab as vital to Driss now as he'd been back when they were growing up.
"I got everything packed," Gab was saying, "so if you want to hit the road directly we can."
Driss felt a sting of disappointment. He would've liked to see Gab's place, but that was apparently not on the table. "Might as well," he replied. "Where did you park your car, anyway?"
Gab stopped in his tracks, a faint smile curving his lips. "Never said it was my car."
"What?"
"Should be easy enough to spot." He inclined his head towards the parking lot, and Driss followed his gaze. It didn't take more than a few seconds to spot the Capri.
"See?" Gab said, chuckling. "I knew you'd spot it quickly. Biggest piece of shit there, after all."
Driss ignored him, moving forward to take a closer look. The paint job and the rims were different, but those were an easy fix. Everything else was the same. Driss ran his fingers along the hood, hardly believing his eyes.
Gab joined him, leaning against the car as he fished up a set of keys from his pocket. He held them out towards Driss.
"Are you serious?"
"You didn't make a move to get a new car yourself, and Fanny was getting annoyed with you borrowing the van all the time." Gab shrugged, casual as could be, adding, "I happen to know someone who deals in cars, and he owed me a favor, so... I called it in. Simple as that."
Driss reached out and slowly took the proffered keys. He let his fingers trail against Gab's in the process, as if by accident. Gab didn't pull his hand away.
"I'll pay you back, obviously."
"We can discuss that later."
"No, Gab, I mean it. I'll pay you back."
Gab tilted his head to the side, smiling. His eyes were a beautiful shade of golden brown in the bright sunlight, and filled with so much warmth that it made something inside of Driss ache. "You flew out here just because I asked you to. Because I asked you to help me move, even. You never asked me to pay for the flight."
"That isn't the same thing," Driss protested.
"Enough already. Let's get going."
Driss sighed and accepted defeat for the moment, knowing full well there was no point trying to get Gab to budge when he got like this.
The interior of the Capri was in great condition too. Driss ran his hand over everything, grin growing wider and wider. He half expected Gab to get annoyed and make some comment about wasting time, but that didn't happen. He just sat there, silent, watching Driss with something akin to fondness in his gaze.
Maybe that was what soured Driss' mood, the knowledge that he couldn't afford to read too much into it, that whatever affection he thought he saw in Gab's eyes didn't actually mean anything. "The guy who helped you get the car... is he the one?"
"Huh?"
"You know who I mean. The guy, the boyfriend, the maybe."
Gab let out a bark of laughter. "No, it isn't him."
"Oh. Then..."
"We were in RAID together. I saved his life once — and took a bullet in the leg for my efforts," Gab said, making a face. "He always had a thing for cars, and after he quit he made a career of it."
Perhaps this would've been the perfect moment to get to the bottom of it. 'If not him, then who?' A simple question, really, but Driss kept his mouth shut. He couldn't help but feel like he shouldn't push his luck.
----
IV
Driss came awake with a start, heart hammering and hand reaching for a weapon.
"Woah, woah," someone said, a bit muted, and Driss turned his head. Gab was standing outside the car, his fist still raised from where he'd knocked against the window.
Shit, Driss had dozed off while waiting. He rubbed a hand over his face, trying to get himself to wake up properly. He was expecting Gab to walk around and get into the passenger seat, but instead he opened the door right where he stood.
"Come on, get out. I'll drive."
That kind of defeated the whole purpose of coming to pick Gab up in the first place, but fuck it. Driss was too tired to argue, and honestly felt relieved at the prospect of not having to drive.
"Thanks," he mumbled once he got back inside, letting his eyes drift shut as Gab put the Capri in gear. "I've been pulling all-nighters for work, so I'm pretty beat."
"Yeah, I can see that. Let me guess, you're stalking some cheating husband?"
"No way," Driss replied, scoffing as if he hadn't done that plenty of times. "It's industrial espionage."
"If you say so." Gab's tone of voice was light, clearly joking, and so Driss just replied by smiling.
He hadn't meant to fall asleep again, but the next thing he knew he was groggily blinking and trying to figure out where the hell he was. A quick glance at the dashboard clock told him that almost two hours had passed, which made no sense.
"What happened?" he asked, yawning. "It shouldn't have taken more than thirty minutes to drive to the orphanage."
Gab shrugged. "Didn't want to wake you. I figured you needed to catch up on your sleep a little."
"You didn't have to do that," Driss murmured. It felt strange to have someone care about him like that, strange but far from unwelcome.
"It's nothing. Besides," Gab added, shooting Driss a quick grin, "I'm used to driving your shitty car by now."
"Yeah, well, at least you didn't wreck it this time."
Gab flipped him off.
It made Driss laugh, but at the same time he knew that he didn't want to turn it into a joke. It deserved to be said, and so he did: "If that guy of yours really doesn't return your feelings, then it's his loss."
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Gab turn his head and stare. "Where the hell did that come from?"
"I'm just saying," Driss muttered. "You'd make a great boyfriend. That's all. Now look at the road, please."
A few painful heartbeats later, Gab did. They drove the rest of the way in silence.
----
V
For the first couple of months out of the Special Forces, Driss had felt like a coiled spring. Unable to unwind, unable to sit still, unable to feel much of anything except a tense feeling of dread. It had passed, but now he was suddenly thrust back into those days — only it was so much worse now, because it involved Gab.
Driss had heard it on the radio first, a snippet of the news as he was driving out to meet with a client. An evolving situation involving the IGPN, a mission seemingly gone wrong, though no official statement had been made yet. With a sinking feeling in his gut, Driss had pulled his car over and tried to call Gab. He hadn't picked up, and the messages Driss sent also went without answer. And so he'd turned the car around and had driven out to the scene.
Now, two hours later, he was about to lose it. He'd finally made enough of a nuisance of himself to be told that yes, Commander Stenne was inside the building, but no further information could be given at the time. Going by what he heard from the milling reporters and eyewitnesses it was an arrest gone bad, some BAC bastard possibly having taken hostages.
Driss was seriously contemplating the possibility of getting inside himself somehow, even if Gab would rip off his head for it, when things finally began happening.
People were exiting the building, civilians and police alike. Driss shouldered his way through the throng of onlookers, right up against the barricade. He scanned the faces, trying to spot Gab, swallowing down the rising bile in his throat.
In the end there was no sight of him. But the cop who'd stood posted to make sure no one breached the barricade had moved away, helping out with the civilians. That meant Driss could probably get inside, or at least be able to corner one of Gab's subordinates. He tried to take quick stock of them, to decide which one seemed most likely to be able to provide answers, when Gab finally emerged.
Driss noted the blood on Gab's face with grim worry before following the line of his gaze, down, down, to his hand. He was gripping his wrist, blood seeping through his fingers.
Then suddenly Driss was right there by Gab's side, pressing his fingers over Gab's, without even being conscious of moving. And he was nine again, coming home from school to find his mother, wrists cut and body cold.
Gab hissed. "Not so tight," he said, and he was trying to push Driss away but that wasn't going to happen.
"What the hell are you..." Gab began, only to trail off. "Shit," he muttered. Driss heard it all distantly, trying to get himself to tear his eyes away from the bright red blood now coating his fingers too. He needed to get Gab to a hospital, there was no time for this.
"Hey. Hey, look at me. Driss."
Somehow that did the trick. He lifted his head, and Gab took advantage of it to press their foreheads together. "It looks worse than it is. It's just my palm that got cut up, not my wrist. See?"
Driss could feel Gab trying to move his hand beneath Driss' grip, and somehow managed to loosen his fingers. He glanced down, needing to verify Gab's words. It was a nasty cut, on the lower, meaty part of his palm, but just like he'd said it wasn't actually his wrist. He wouldn't bleed out.
Driss closed his eyes and forced himself to breathe. "Sorry," he said, but it didn't even sound like his own voice.
"Don't be. I don't know why you're here, but it's good to see you."
"Commander?" The unknown voice penetrated the haze, and Driss finally got himself under control. He made a move to step away, but Gab's slick fingers closed around his hand, keeping him in place.
"I'll be right there," Gab called out, then turned his attention back to Driss. "I have to go. Will you wait for me?"
"Guess three times," Driss said, trying for levity but probably failing miserably. "But get checked out yourself first, alright?"
"Later, I..."
"No, now. Promise me. There are plenty of medics around," Driss said, nodding towards the waiting ambulances, "so at least get one of them to take care of your hand."
Gab sighed, but there was a softness in his eyes that made Driss slightly relax. He'd won the argument. "Okay, fine," Gab said, confirming what Driss already knew.
Driss followed him there just for safety's sake, and watched as his hand was cleaned and stitched up. Driss listened intently to the instructions on how often to change the bandage and so on, because it was obvious that Gab had his mind elsewhere. Indeed, as soon as the doctor finished with the hand and started talking about how he should go to the hospital to get properly checked over, Gab was done. A quick thanks to the doctor, a nod to Driss, and then he was gone.
Driss walked over to the nearest empty spot and allowed his legs to give out, sinking down to sit on the pavement. He desperately needed a cigarette, but his hands felt numb and shaky, and all he succeeded in doing was fumble with his lighter. There was nothing he could do except wait.
----
The sun was setting by the time Gab finally returned. His face was still bloody, dried and dark against the pallor of his skin. He looked about ready to keel over. Driss gritted his teeth and led Gab to the Capri, watching his every step to make sure he stayed on his feet.
"To the hospital, then," Driss said once they were in the car.
"No, come on," Gab replied, just like Driss had known he would.
"You might have a concussion."
"I don't. I've had concussions before, and this isn't it. I'm fine, seriously. I just want to go home, so either give me a ride or I'll take a taxi."
"As if you could get a taxi in your state," Driss muttered angrily, peeling out of the parking lot faster than he should. "What kind of an idiot would want a bloody, sweaty, stubborn bastard like you in his car?"
"An idiot like you, apparently." Gab's mouth stretched into a lazy smile as he leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes.
Yeah, he had a point. Driss didn't bother to reply and just kept driving in silence. He doubted Gab was asleep, but didn't want to wake him if he was.
Gab had said he wanted to go home, so that's where Driss took him. Driss' home, not Gab's. Gab's apartment still felt empty and unlived in, most of his stuff in boxes he hadn't bothered to unpack yet. He shouldn't be there now, not in this state. He'd be better off at Driss' place, more comfortable. Dimly he realized that his reasoning was maybe not entirely truthful, but he ruthlessly squashed down the little voice that tried pointing that out.
Gab opened his eyes immediately when Driss parked the car, confirming that he hadn't been sleeping. He got out without a word, and didn't even look surprised to find himself at Driss' apartment rather than his own.
The silence held fast till they got inside. Gab began shedding his things, grimacing in pain as he jostled his hand. "I'm borrowing your shower," he said.
"No," Driss replied, moving in close, gently swatting away Gab's hands from the zippers and buttons that were giving him trouble. "The doctor said you shouldn't get the bandage wet."
"I have blood in my hair."
"I know that." Driss tugged a bit too hard, sending a button skittering across the floor. He squeezed his eyes shut for a second, trying to calm down. "I know," he repeated, "and I get it. I'll help you wash it, alright? In the bathtub."
"Alright," Gab said quietly.
----
Driss hadn't really thought this through. Oh, sure, he'd secured Gab's bandaged hand inside double plastic bags and plenty of tape, just to make sure no water got inside, and had given Gab strict orders to keep his arm over the rim of the tub — that part was good. Less good was the way Driss was reacting to all of this.
Gab, naked in Driss' tub, pliant and yielding beneath Driss' hands, trusting Driss to take care of him.
Fuck.
Driss cleared his throat. "You know," he said, hoping some conversation would get his mind back on the right track, "I've wanted to do this for ages. Undo that tight bun of yours, I mean. It looks like it has to be giving you a headache."
Gab leaned his head back into Driss' hands, as if trying to get the fingers currently massaging the shampoo into his hair to rub harder. Driss took the silent cue and ran his fingernails against Gab's scalp. A pleased groan was Driss' reward, which didn't exactly help the situation. He fought down the urge to squirm, wishing he could at least adjust himself.
"You should've said so sooner," Gab murmured. "It doesn't give me a headache, but I would've faked one if it meant you did this."
And Driss would gladly do it anytime, no pain required. But that was probably not something he should admit to.
"Alright, almost done now." Driss moved his hand down, trailing over Gab's throat — he could feel Gab swallow beneath his fingers — before tilting Gab's chin up. He went willingly, closing his eyes and tipping his head back as Driss rinsed his hair.
And then there was no more excuse to linger. Gab could handle the rest on his own, even with just one hand. And Driss really needed a minute alone, too.
"I'll go get you something to wear."
"Yeah, okay." It was no doubt his imagination, but Gab almost sounded disappointed. He hesitated for a second, but as Gab said nothing else he left.
He went through his clothes, picking a pair of worn, loose sweatpants and a T-shirt. He found a soft sweater too, just in case Gab was feeling cold, and as a joke he grabbed his loudest shirt as well.
He held the T-shirt and the sweater behind his back as Gab came out of the bathroom. "Here you go," he said, holding out the shirt and sweatpants.
Gab glanced down at the pile, eyebrows raising slightly when seeing the shirt. "Wow," he drawled. "I think I'm going to have a hard time sleeping in that. That pattern is so colorful that I'll see it through my eyelids."
"Suit yourself," Driss said, grinning, as he pulled out the other clothes. "I prepared some other things, knowing what bad taste you have."
Gab let out a low laugh. "Thanks a lot."
Driss watched out of the corner of his eye as Gab got dressed. He opted for the T-shirt, but then pulled on the sweater as well.
"Want something to eat? There's some leftover pizza in the fridge, or I could make something."
Gab shook his head. "To be honest, most of all I just want to go to sleep."
"Right, I can understand that. Come on, let's..." Driss trailed off as Gab went over to the couch and sat down. He began moving the cushions, clearly about to settle down for the night. "What are you doing?"
Gab looked up, frowning. "I just told you, I'd like to get some sleep."
"Not there." Driss went over to him and grabbed his arm, pulling him back up. "You're taking the bed."
"No. I'll be fine on the couch."
"Bed, now."
Gab's lips curled into a small smile. It was oddly bitter, and didn't reach his eyes at all. "Okay, if you put it that way," he mumbled. "How could I say no?"
The reaction didn't make sense, and made Driss' worry start to spike again. He carefully tugged Gab in the direction of the bedroom and got him to sit down on the edge of the bed.
"Just call if you need anything."
"I'm not making you sleep on the couch, Driss. Stay."
The bed was big enough for both of them, but it seemed like a spectacularly bad idea to go along with that. Still, it didn't seem like Gab would actually lie down and rest unless Driss gave in, so there was no choice.
"Just give me a second to change."
He got a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants for himself too, and then went back to the bedroom. Gab was still sitting on the bed, but he must've briefly gotten up as his phone was in his hand.
"You've received lots of messages, huh?"
"Not really," Gab said absently, without looking up, "just one from Fanny and Leïla. I'm replying to it now, give me a second."
Driss stopped in his tracks. "That's it?"
Something in his voice must've sounded off, for Gab glanced up. "Well, no, there are quite a lot from you as well," he said, grinning.
"No, not that. It's just — I heard about it on the radio, and by now it's bound to be online and on TV and everything."
Gab frowned. "Yeah, probably. What's your point?"
"And you're telling me that he hasn't even bothered to call to make sure you're alright?"
At least this time Gab didn't ask who Driss meant. He just looked at Driss, eyes searching. "Why do you keep bringing this up?"
That was a valid question. The obvious answer was on the tip of Driss' tongue, the one about Gab being his friend so of course he couldn't help but care.
The obvious answer, yes, but also total bullshit. It was high time he admitted that to himself.
But to Gab? That was another story. Driss swallowed and looked down. "I'm just wondering what you see in him. For example, compare him to me — what does he have that I don't?"
The silence hung so heavy and for so long that Driss finally lifted his head. Gab was looking a bit like he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Not a damn thing," he finally said. "I mean, I wish I could say that he has a better sense of timing, but..."
"What?"
"Driss... I'm tired as hell. Not now, okay? I promise I'll tell you in the morning."
Driss felt a sting of guilt. So much for taking care of Gab, subjecting him to Driss' crap instead of letting him get some much-needed rest.
He turned off the light and climbed into bed without another word. A few seconds later Gab lay down as well. He turned on his side, facing Driss. "Good night," he whispered.
Driss remained lying on his back, resisting the urge to turn towards Gab lest he do something foolish. "Good night."
Gab's breathing soon evened out into sleep, and Driss allowed himself to move. He turned to face Gab, looking at him for a while before reaching out to smooth back a few stray wisps of hair from his face.
Driss stayed like that, just watching Gab, until sleep claimed him too.
----
+I
Sometime during the night, Driss must have gotten even more handsy. That much was obvious when he woke up with Gab in his arms.
They were still lying facing each other, but now Gab's head was tucked under Driss' chin, tickling his skin with each soft exhale. His arm was slung possessively around Gab's waist, and his hand had somehow found its way underneath both the T-shirt and the sweater to rest against Gab's bare back.
Driss needed extract himself, quickly and above all without waking Gab. It was morning, so he should get up to fix breakfast anyway. But he just couldn't seem to make himself move. It didn't just feel good to be like this with Gab, it felt right.
Driss took a deep breath. He understood how he felt now, and he knew with painful clarity what he wanted. All that was left to do was take a chance.
"Gab," he whispered. "Wake up."
Gab grunted in reply, burrowing in even closer to Driss. Driss smiled, moving his hand to slowly rub along Gab's back. "Sorry for waking you, but I really have to talk to you."
Finally, Gab woke for real. No mistaking the way his body stiffened when realizing their position, and Driss' heart sank. Not the reaction he'd been hoping for, but he wouldn't let it deter him.
Gab pulled back slightly, just enough for them to be able to look at each other. Driss moved his hand to cup Gab's face, thumb slowly stroking his cheek before trailing down to brush against his mouth.
"Forget about him," Driss murmured.
Gab's eyes had been wide, but now turned warm as his lips curved into a smile against Driss' thumb. "I can't," Gab replied. "Turns out he does return my feelings after all."
Before Driss could take that in Gab closed the distance between them, punctuating his declaration with a kiss. The angle wasn't ideal, and Driss was too eager to reciprocate to be anything other than clumsy, but Gab didn't seem to mind. The tender look he gave Driss afterwards said it all.
"Besides," Gab added, "if I couldn't forget about you for eighteen years, I could hardly do it now."
"Then I guess we're stuck together," Driss said, laughing, before moving in for another kiss.
This one lasted longer, and Driss found his hand drifting lower. The old sweatpants he'd given Gab to wear were so loose that all it took was a slight nudge for them to slide off Gab's hips, and after that the path lay wide open.
His roaming hand found Gab's cock, prompting a sharply indrawn breath. He tried to capture it, licking into Gab's mouth.
Gab's hand shot out to pull down Driss' pants. The feeling of cloth against his cock made him curse, hurriedly breaking the contact. "Stop, stop, careful with your hand."
"Don't worry, it's fine."
Like hell. Driss shifted, throwing one leg over Gab's in order to get their bodies even closer. He took both of their cocks in his hand, moving slowly at first until he found a rhythm that worked. He only broke it to let his thumb brush over the head of Gab's cock, teasing the slit and smearing the pre-come he found there. Gab thrust into his grip, moaning in a way that made Driss' vision short out.
He honestly wasn't sure which of them came first. One moment they were kissing, then Gab bit his bottom lip hard enough to send him over the edge, and when he came back to his senses Gab was still and sprawled bonelessly against him.
They stayed like that for a while, before Driss forced himself to sit up and pull off his T-shirt. He used it to wipe off the worst of the mess from them both, then tossed it on the floor.
He remained sitting, looking down at Gab with a lopsided smile. "You know, you look good like that."
Gab cracked open one eye. "Like what?"
"In my bed, wearing my clothes... I could get used to that."
"Yeah?" Gab lifted his hand, curling his fingers in an clear come-here gesture.
Driss lay back down, letting Gab pull him in close and press a kiss to his bare shoulder. "Yeah," Driss replied, grinning, "maybe."