↔IMPULSE↔

↔Basement↔

Another weekend came and Dory and Gabe were hanging out with Reese and Blake, their weird behaviour was gone and they were back to their normal amount of weird.

Nikki was hanging out with some of her girl friends saying she was acting too much like a guy lately because of them. That was perfectly fine with Gabe, while Reese and Blake were attached at the hips, Dory was spending time with him.

There was something different about Reese and Blake's relationship, they were constantly in their own little world and Reese was clinging than usual and Blake actually allowed it without pushing him away.

"Gabe, you'll never believe what I found last night!" He excitedly pulled out his wallet and pulled out a folded picture of him and Gabe at the hospital from when Gabe's leg was shattered. Dory's hair was shorter then and he was way shorter and less muscular, a cute middle schooler.

Gabe smiled and held the photo, Dory had been there when he got hit by the car and even rode in the ambulance with him. Dory wrapped his arm around Gabe and ruffled his hair with a fond smile.

"Look how cute you were!"

Blushing, "Shut up, Dory!"

Big hands pinched his cheeks, "you still are adorable! Just like a little kid!" Pang.

Archie came walking into the living room and glanced in his direction. Archie's hair was damp and Gabe could smell his soap as he walked by. "Where did Reese go?"

Looking around, "Huh, ha and Blake were just out here."

"Okay, never mind. Gabriel, you left your shirt in the basement." No, I didn't.

Brushing off Dory's arm, Dory eyed Archie warily. "When were you down there?"

Gabe didn't answer instead he scampered after Archie to the basement. "I didn't leave a shirt here."

Archie picked up a small, sleeveless, black shirt with a cut up back and the Graveyard Shift logo and white paint splatter, "you left your shirt here."

Gabe stared at the shirt for a moment, "That's for me?"

"Every groupie needs a band tee," Archie smiled and handed him the shirt, "try it on for me, Gabriel."

The way Archie always called him by his full name became natural, no one called him Gabriel anymore and the way it sounded coming from Archie was like if silk were a sound. Gabe held the shirt in his hand, it looked a little too revealling. Archie's excited eyes were waiting eagerly, Gabe gave in and pulled off his own shirt and tossed it at Archie playfully.

"How are you so thin?" He asked, reaching out and poking Gabe in the ribs making him yelp and jump. A wicked grin, "are you ticklish?"

Gabe put up a guarded look, "tickle me and you lose a groupie." Archie stepped forward and Gabe stepped back. The process repeated twice until Gabe bumped into the table that was littered with band flyers and poker chips.

Archie laughed he was barely six inches away from Gabe, "I'm just screwing with you, but seriously, try on your shirt, I wanna see it on you." 

The door at the top of the stairs opened and Dory came downstairs to a strange sight. His eyes bulged, "what the fuck are you doing to Gabe?"

His voice was sharp and made Gabe jump, of course Dory would be weirded out, Gabe was practically sitting on the table shirtless with Archie standing in front of him holding his shirt. Gabe looked at Archie nervously but Archie was smirking. 

Dory thudded down the last few steps and marched over to Archie and Gabe. "Dory, everything's fi—"

His friend snatched Gabe's shirt from Archie, "Gabe, put your shirt back on."

"Dory, go back upstairs."

"No! Gabe, what was he doing to you?"

"Dory—"

"No!"

Archie laughed a little, "it's okay, Gabriel, I'll see you later. Don't forget to wear your shirt."

Gabe smiled a little, "I'll see you later then."

Dory walked behind Gabe as they went upstairs, giving Archie a distrustful look. "What do you mean 'later'? I'm staying over with you tonight."

Looking back, Archie mouthed, "I'll call you." Gabe nodded and left the basement with Dory. Once the door closed, Dory rounded on him.

"What was going on when I walked in, huh? Was that sicko doing to you?" Dory grabbed Gabe's arm as he inspected him like a mother inspecting her child for injuries.

His hand was warm and Gabe got goosebumps from the difference in temperature, he crossed his arms over his chest to cover his nipples that were perked in the cold. "Can I have my shirt back?" Dory handed him his shirt and Gabe tugged it on. "Archie isn't like that, you shouldn't speak badly of him."

Dory gave him an almost betrayed look, "just how well do you know him?"

Gabe didn't want to talk about Archie taking him to a bar or saving him from an overly flirty guy. He scratched the back of his neck, "he's a cool guy." 

His friend's eyes widened, "have you been hanging out with him?" Dory put a hand on Gabe's shoulder.

Brushing his hand away, Gabe was a little ticked off. "So what if I have? I can't hang out with you and Nikki forever, it's awkward for me."

"Why not? You're our friend!"

He just wasn't understanding! Gabe pinched the bridge of his nose and wrapped his other arm around himself a little self-consciously. "Doria...why are you even mad?"

Fuming, "he seems like a bad influence on you."

Snorting, "Dory, you're not my mom. Come on man, relax, I'm a big boy."

Dory gave a conflicted look, "you can't blame me, Gabe. I can't help but worry about you, you're like my little brother."

"Fuck you, I'm four months older than you!"

Dory broke the tension with a hearty laugh and ruffled Gabe's hair, "let's go back to your place, I think Reese and Blake forgot about us."

"Yeah, let's go."

Gabe left with Doria's arm around his shoulder, if only Dory's protectiveness were a sign of attraction. He felt eyes burning a hole into the back of his head, he instinctively looked over his shoulder and his eyes met Archie's that were staring evenly back at him as he stood just outside the basement door with his hands in his pockets.

It was nice, making a new friend after hanging out with the same people for years. It was like they had been such a tightly knit group that no one else joined then as they got older even closer bonds formed between Blake and Reese, Dory and Nikki, and Gabriel was alone so it felt special to have someone for himself to spend time with. Weird.