Gabrielâs jaw hung slightly open as he spotted a familiar figure moving through the ballroom, wrapped in a delightful semi-transparent floral dress. For a brief moment, he even questioned his own immortality and wondered if he was having a stroke â because there was no way someone had actually done that on purpose. Then he burst into loud laughter, unable to hold it in at the sight of Alasdair Bishopâs muscular body trapped within what was clearly, to him, a prison made of fabric. Instinctively, Gabriel adjusted the hem of his crimson cloak before the Nephilim could see him, stepping closer and slinging an arm around the younger manâs toned shoulders. âLittle Bishop! Donât we look dashing tonight?â he teased, casting a playful smirk as he gave him a once-over, eyes glinting with amusement. And yet, anyone who knew him well would have seen something more genuine on his face. Something even Gabriel refused to acknowledge, but that always seemed to surface in the presence of the celestial hybrid.
âSeriously, you look⊠good. Quick unrelated note: can I snap a picture of you? Posterity needs to remember this.â he joked, giving Alasdairâs bicep a light squeeze before letting him go. To be honest, Alasdair looked amazingâhe wouldâve looked amazing in a trash bag tooâbut Gabriel couldnât help thinking that the dress had one unforgivable flaw: it hid the lines of the Nephilimâs hipsâboth front and back. And those were arguably his best features, second only to his brilliant green eyes. Still, the warlock couldnât help but prefer the way heâd seen him in the past: in sweatpants or tight jeans, topped with that classic bad-boy leather jacket. It had looked more natural, more comfortable⊠more sexy.
âPutting the nonsense aside for a second, I heard about Aneirin leaving. Iâm really sorry,â he said, raising his eyebrows and fixing Dair with an intense stare. He was obviously lying, since he didnât give a damn about Aneirinâs departure. Heâd barely known the guy. But he knew that with the Councilman gone, Dair had lost the security of a suite and all the comforts that came with being close to someone powerful. One mightâve thought there was real concern in Gabrielâs eyes, but this was Gabriel. He didnât feel things like that⊠did he? âYou holding up okay? Is there anything I can do to help?â
@alasdairxbishop
