La Maison 5: Darkness (Complete: mxm BDSM)

Arc 2 Chapter 3.2

Gabe settled back against Ellis, who was stroking his hair, his other arm tucked over Gabe's chest.

"I'm sorry I freaked out," Gabe mumbled.

Mrs M had done her best to create some normality after Owen left, but it hadn't been completely successful. There's only so much hot sweet tea a person can drink before they lose it. Luckily, Owen had already contacted Ellis on his way to work, and Ellis had arrived just as Gabe was in the midst of devolving into a panic attack. The overwhelming relief had managed to snap him out of it, and Ellis had been soothing him ever since.

"Do you want to talk about it? Owen said he thought you'd got some memories back."

"Yeah, some," Gabe hedged, reluctant to admit the depth of it, which he knew would just make Ellis horrified and pity him. He wasn't used to pity, but he didn't think that's what would help him.

"You should tell Gray."

"I don't think I want him to be my therapist. It would be weird."

"Yeah, I get that. I don't think he would anyway, not for something like this. But he'd recommend someone for you."

"I can't afford it right now."

Ellis huffed, like he wanted to say something, and Gabe had a feeling he was itching to offer to pay for it, but Gabe didn't want to get into it. Besides, he thought he had some money. He remembered some bank account he should probably look into now. He should be paying his way anyway. In the meantime, he wanted to avoid Ellis offering out of some weird, misplaced, sense of guilt.

"I want to go to his funeral."

"What? Why?" Ellis looked nervous, which was reasonable.

Gabe had only thought of it in the time Ellis had been soothing him. Closure. He didn't know a lot about a lot, but he knew about the idea of that. If he didn't go to the funeral, he'd lose the chance to shut the book on his time with Sawyer.

He could simply tell Ellis that, but he knew it would sound stupid. If he was being honest, it sounded pretty stupid to him, too. The memories that flared bright in his mind now told him to stay as far away as possible from every part of Sawyer, even from him dead. But it was already eating at him, and it could only get worse.

He might have let Ellis persuade him to stay away, though, but Gray arrived home just then.

"Hey, Gabe, Ellis." He leaned over the couch and ruffled Gabe's hair, which was getting pretty long.

Gabe assumed Owen had contacted him, too, especially when he sat across from them, and crossed his leg over his knee in a way he probably thought looked a lot more casual than it did.

"Good day?" he asked, and Gabe sat up, knowing he'd have to face the concern at some point. He may as well get it over with.

"Not the best. I got my- I got some of my memories back."

Gabe could tell Gray didn't fully believe the correction, but he didn't say anything. Gabe had noticed Gray did that a lot. Nothing seemed to get past him, Gabe could tell by the sharp understanding in his eyes when it happened, but he never called anyone on it, not even Owen.

"Owen told me you'd found out Sawyer died," Gray said.

Gabe was a little surprised how bluntly it came up, though Gray didn't try to soften things all that much. No, Gabe had realized he either hid something completely or just came out with it.

"I want to go to the funeral," he announced, waiting for Gray to try to put him off like Ellis had wanted to.

"Okay. It's tomorrow. I can take you," Gray said matter of factly, exactly as though he'd been expecting it.