29 [Gabriel] From Stockholm to Copenhagen
December 20th & December 21st
They talk all throughout dinner. Gabriel’s boasting, he knows he is, but the way James laughs at every anecdote and giggles at every joke makes him not care. It’s the first time that James isn’t keeping track of everyone and everything around him to try and make himself as small as possible.
“There’s no way you did that,” James manages to bring out in between giggles.
Gabriel smiles coyly. “I did. I wasn’t allowed back in the pool all summer.”
“It does sound like you though.” James hums.
“Hey!” he says, faking offense, “what’s that supposed to mean?”
James giggles again and the warmth of it settles low in Gabriel’s stomach. “Nothing! Just, that playful recklessness sounds right up your alley.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Gabriel mutters, smiling along with James. There’s a looseness in the man opposite him that eases a bit of the lingering worry in Gabriel. With the hecticness of the last couple of days – being stranded, missing Stockholm – he worried that it would weigh on James. It’s good to see that, even if there’s some wariness in his eyes, a bit of unease lingering on his face, it’s mostly diminished.
Their dinner consists of Swedish meatballs and a rich chocolate cake that Gabriel’s sure he’ll be dreaming about for weeks. During their dessert the train starts moving, slowly leaving Stockholm behind.
*
It’s even later when they finally make their way back to their cabin, warm and content from the dinner and the glasses of wine. It’s a shame that, just before they’re able to step into their room, they bump into Riley and Paul. The sneer on Paul’s face is obvious, even if there are no words exchanged and the interaction doesn’t last longer than a few seconds.
The effect it has on James is obvious. The soft playfulness vanishes from his eyes and the tension returns to his neck and shoulders. Stepping into the cabin is tense and Gabriel can’t quite figure out why.
“Are you alright?” Gabriel asks, homing in on the tightness of James’ movements. It’s silent for a few moments, in which they’re both able to get rid of their shoes and hang up theirjackets. James lowers himself onto his side of the bed. “The closer we’re getting to Christmas, the more his presence just hurts.”
“Hurts how?”
“We got engaged last year,” says James. The confession falls from his lips in a quiet whisper, as if the words are a dirty secret that he’s not allowed to share. “On Christmas Eve.” It’s the last thing Gabriel expected him to say. In his shock he takes a seat next to James, within touching distance but without touching quite yet. James continues before Gabriel can come up with anything to say. “I found him with Riley on Christmas Day. I was on top of the world and buried in it within 24 hours.”
“James, I-”
“He embarrassed me in front of my family, who at that point had merged with his, when he flippantly told them about our broken engagement and his new relationship during the festivities on Boxing Day.” James’ voice breaks.
Gabriel’s hands curl up into fists, anger filling his whole body. “The bastard, I should-”
“Please let me finish, if I don’t tell you now I probably never will.”
Gabriel nods in silent compliance.
“I hadn’t even been able to tell my parents, planned on doing so on the 26th. After the party my father called, askedme how on earth I could’ve embarrassed him like that and with the not so polite request not to show my face in the foreseeable future.” James shrugs. “Last I heard he’s still in contact with Paul’s parents and they frequently enjoy dinner together. My mom’s been separated from him for a while now, but we’re having sporadic contact. I think she doesn’t quite know how to handle it. But she saw it for what it was and has been trying.”
Gabriel scoffs, he can’t help it. Neither is he able to stop the eyeroll and the muttered, “Parents, pieces of work.”
James must not expect it, because he breaks out into hysterical laughter. “Aren’t they just?”
This time Gabriel does reach out to James, putting one of his hands on his knee and letting one hover over his cheek. “None of that is on you though, yeah? Paul’s been a dickhead the entire time I’ve seen him here, so I can only imagine how he was during your relationship. And your parents? They’re just missing out on the beautiful person their son is.”
James’ eyes fill with tears, a flush settling high on his cheeks as he leans against Gabriel’s palm. “He is a dickhead, always has been. I can see that now. It doesn’t make it sting any less.”
“No, I suppose it doesn’t. Faking us was fun though, getting him so riled up.” Gabriel’s grin is dangerous, sharp as knives.
“I don’t even get why he got so jealous.” James huffs, angrily. He closes his eyes. “He never was when we were together.”
“Because he knows that he can’t have you now. And those kind of people always want what they can’t have.” He shrugs.
James’ gaze is soft and almost shy when they lock eyes when he blinks his brown eyes open again. “Not fake anymore though.”
