Patreon Previews

Inferno | Chapter 1

ACROSS THE BUSTLING COURTYARD stood the first guy to catch Gabriel's attention since his early twenties. The stranger was silhouetted against swirling marigold and burgundy arcs layered in the afternoon sky. Gabriel thought he was looking at a Claude Monet painting.

Through the throng of families attending the monthly fire station fundraiser, Gabriel somehow singled out the mysterious man amongst the sea of bodies. Gabriel watched as the man delicately stroked a paintbrush across a child's face, covering it in leopard print. Who was he? Gabriel had never seen him before. As the man finished, Gabriel's attention wavered to the child as he scampered off to his waiting parents, proudly showing off his animal-print face. When his eyes fell back on the man, he realised he was looking at Gabriel too.

Gabriel did a double-take, making the stranger's lips curve into a half-crescent. The man had soft, round, pure eyes like the children begging to be painted, and his hair was just that perfect amount of tousled that Gabriel liked on a guy.

It took Gabriel a few seconds to realise that Monet's muse had stopped painting, and was making his way towards him. Shit. Gabriel only just managed to slip his wedding band in his pocket when the man reached him. Gabriel offered a nervous smile to the stranger.

"Hi," Gabriel almost whispered, "are you the new guy? I don't think I've ever seen you around here before."

His chuckle almost knocked the wind out of Gabriel. "Oh, is that why you were looking at me?"

Gabriel's stomach turned inside out at the sound of his voice. Deep as a valley, but as soft as flower petals. His skin was almost golden underneath the Venetian style lights of the fire station. These same lights shadowed the stranger's jawline and cheekbones, defining them. Gabriel's palms began to sweat.

"Yeah. Sure. Sorry--I know it's rude to stare. You looked busy anyway."

Gabriel had only just noticed his frame. He was built like Hercules. Gabriel's cheeks turned a visible shade of vermillion as his eyes trailed the stranger's taut arms.

"No need to apologise. Yeah, I'm the new recruit. Name's Nathaniel, but you can call me Nath or Nathan. The Chief told me to get involved in the fundraiser, hence the face painting booth. She said it was a good way to introduce myself to the community."

Nathaniel wiped his hand on his shirt, leaving a patternless rainbow streak of paint against his midriff. He offered it to Gabriel. "And you are?"

His skin felt like silk against Gabriel's work-hardened palm as he took Nathaniel's hand in his.

"Gabriel Velasques. Nice to meet you."

Gabriel shyly smiled as Nathaniel grinned.

"Likewise, I feel like we'll be seeing each other a lot."

Gabriel's heart flickered like a candle in his chest. Was Nathaniel flirting with him?

Nathaniel looked back at his stall, which had now formed a line of kids. He shot Gabriel an apologetic smile. "I gotta head back. You know how kids are."

Gabriel chuckled. "Super impatient? Definitely."

Nathaniel laughed. He turned to leave, but before he took a step, he looked over his shoulder at Gabriel. "Would you like to join me? I could use a hand."

Gabriel's heart was about to burst. "Of course! Lead the way."