Archive of Our Own

“Um-so ...” Paul starts unloading some things from his favorite sidesaddle bag onto Monty’s desk. “Here’s all the things you’ve left at my apartment-“ Monty looks up from his phone curious. But Paul keeps adding to the pile of things on his desk. "Paul- wait. What are you doing?"

Paul lightly places a few keys on a ring on top of the pile. "Here are the keys to your apartment… “Monty's eyes widen. Paul now has his full attention. He begins to sit up in his chair, "Paul! Are you shittin’ me-“ Paul leans in a bit and stares at Monty intensely in his eyes. "No Monty- I’m breaking up with you.” And with that, Paul turns and walks out and closes the door behind him with at soft click.

Monty is livid. Why how?! He takes the box and shoves all the things off his desk getting up so fast that his chair is knocked to the floor. He swings open the door and hustles over to the elevator. His office mates peer over their cubicles and watch him as he leaves. When Monty reaches the elevator, Paul is still standing there looking as unruffled as ever.

Monty grabs Paul roughly by the arm and turns him so Paul is looking at him. Paul gives him a cool look. Monty yells heatedly, "What the fuck is the matter with you!” Paul sighs looks around a bit and presses his lips together biting one corner when he finally glances back at Monty. He steadily answers similar to the tone of voice he uses to question leads, " Is there something wrong?” Paul pries himself out of Monty’s firm grip and the elevator arrives and opens. Paul readjusts his clothing and walks in.

Monty follows hotly on Paul’s heals and smashes the button for an emergency stop. Paul sighs. He anticipated this and takes out his laptop and clicks a few keys and the elevator starts moving again. Monty groans in frustration a bundle of nerves. They reach Paul’s floor.

Paul walks out of the elevator and Monty holds open the door for himself. Like hell, if he’s waiting to catch another one after this bullshit. Monty yells as Paul swipes his security pass. "Aren’t you gonna tell me why?!" 

"I work in COMMUNICATIONS, I’ve done that work. You tell me. Monty's mouth drops open and for the first time, he has nothing to say. Monty lets the elevators doors close. He defaults to anger and punches the panel. What does that even mean!

Monty will need to make a couple of phone calls. He takes out his second phone and calls in a favor. Somewhere in New York a phone rings. A ginger man picks up the line, "Mhn...Hello…" Monty’s voice is muffled by the poor speaker on the old phone. “Brother, I needa favor." Gabe sits up in bed. "Monty? How’d you get this number- never mind don’t answer that. What do you need?"

"It’s about Paul." "That weird guy you hang with? You know I don’t have my stuff after you put me in protection but I can improvise…" "No- no! I just want- you to tail him for a while. He’s acting strange." "...ok can I bring my boyfriend-as cover of course. He’s very good-"

"Don’t brag Gabe. I know he works as an undercover officer. Yah bring him. I’m sending you Paul's file and plane tickets. I’ll put you up in an Airbnb I own across from where he lives.” The phone goes dead when Monty abruptly hangs up. Flip and turns over and the bed dips as he repositions himself. He sighs…”What did you sign me up for?"

Almost 24 hours later the plan is fully in motion.

Monty's voice is muffled through Gabe’s old phone, he’s on speaker. "So how is he?" Gabe answers hesitantly, "Well he’s-" "Boring intensely boring.” Flip finishes. "What are we looking for exactly?”

Gabe glares a bit at Flip. You don’twon’t to piss off Monty. "I don’t know... something unusual." Flip leans back in the car. They have been tailing Paul for the las 3 hours. "I think this guy is the most mundane person I’ve ever followed.”

Monty hangs up abruptly.

The rest of the day passes with nothing to report. Flip and Gabe follow Paul on starting early in the morning. Gabe’s cell rings. It’s Monty. "Where are you?" Gabe leans back in his chair. "At a coffee shop?"

"The dingy one on Washington right? I hate that place. SUCHA dump."

Monty must be yelling into his phone because Flip can hear him clearly from his position beside Gabe. Flip sips his coffee, "Coffees good. They have good pie too. “ He takes a big glob of the pie and puts it in his mouth, "And They have the game on, what’s not to like?" Gabe smirks back at Flip, sometimes he's so simple. He brings his attention back to Monty. "He’s just sitting there on the laptop with a few papers. He just looks like an ordinary businessman. Why do you need the intel on him, if you already know where this guy hangs out?"

Monty hangs up. Gabe’s phone rings a bit later. "Where are you now? At the park outside the planetarium?" Gabe rolls his eyes, “ If you already knew where he was why we tailin' him –" Monty hangs up Gabe looks back at the phone in his hand. “Rude." Flip and Gabe set up surveillance in the back of an old beat up Honda.

“Get off me, Gabe. We're supposed to be working." Gabe is straddling Flip in the backseat which is a difficult task for such a small car.

Gabe looks up at Flip through his eyelashes, and answers saucily, "Well there’s no room." Gabe smirks knowing full well what he’s doing. Flip breaths out through his nose heavily. "Just sit in the front seat. Pretend like you’re doing something."

Gabe pouts, "This guy’s so boring! That’s it! I’m going to talk to him!" Flip sits up a bit in alarm Gabe is already detangling himself and getting out the car. Flip snaps worried, "Do you have a cover? You are mic’d up right?" Gabe emerges from the care, adjust his clothing, and winks. "Don’t worry babe I got this!" Gabe gives Flip a peck of a kiss and saunters over to Paul now sitting on a bench outside the planetarium.

Paul’s reading a file. Paul doesn’t even look up when Gabe approaches and sits beside him. Paul looks over from his file and looks back at his papers. "You’re Gabriel O’Malley. What does Monty want? You’re a good hitman, so you could’ve killed me already. So I guess that means Monty doesn’t want me dead." Gabe starts shocked, “How?”

Paul smiles a bit and faced Gabe looking very relaxed, "I work for security. Of course, I know where you are. Flip nearby? What I heard was that you guys just leased an apartment for the next 12 months together."

Flip sits in the car listening, mouthing an expletive.

Gabe speaks out loud to Flip, "Flip you heard him." Flip looks around for his gun before emerging from the car. He can’t find it but he meets Gabe and Paul at the bench anyway. As Flip approaches he stares at Gabe miffed, “You took my gun.” Gabe smirks and flips his hair from his eyes in response. Flip doesn’t need an answer, he knows. 

Flip and Gabe sit one either side of Paul on the bench.

Gabe leans in, "So why does Monty want us to follow you?”

Paul removes his glasses and rubs his eyes, "Of course he didn’t tell you – that’s the problem-He doesn’t communicate. For a person that has several cell phones and most dangerous people on speed dial he doesn’t communicate.” 

Flip can feel for Paul, Flip can completely understand how frustrating that is, it must run in the family. 

Paul continues, "I understand why one wants to keep a relationship a secret in the first place – but I feel like our relationship is a secret from me.” Flip gives Gabe a significant look and Gabe smiles softly back. They have been there. Gabe uses an elbow to lean on Paul’s shoulder. "So you’re not cheating or anything.” 

Paul looks sick, "Of course not! I’d never-"

Flip glares at Gabe. Gabe always is so extra- like look at his shirt. Pink pineapples pattern, really? Sigh. 

 Paul looks serious mouth frowning a bit at the edges, "I have a plan you don’t mind. I’ve interrupted that video feed for that security camera and replaced it with some old footage...if you could help me…"

Monty is frustrated at his computer, his feeds connection is spotty. When it comes back Paul sitting extremely close to Gabe. Too close. Gabe has a hand in Paul‘s hair and it looks like Gabe is talking very excitedly to Paul. And Paul is enchanted by the conversation.

Gabe’s phone rings next to Flip in the car. Flip answers it. "This is Flip.”  

Monty’s livid, "Are you seeing this!” 

Flip winces,"…Yes” 

Monty is screeching, “Doesn't this bother you! He’s- he’s touching all over-" Monty can feel his face heating up, and something feels restrictive in his chest. Monty continues, "IS THIS WHAT YOU DO ON A SURVEILLANCE MISSION!!?” Flip attempts to answer, "An undercover-“ Monty hangs up. 

In his office, Monty turns his back towards the laptop in shock and he watches as his brother kisses Paul. 

Flip looks on and cringes in his car, he knows what it looks like – but it’s just a part of the plan. Gabe‘s face is just dangerously close to Paul’s face.

"It’s an old show trick.”, He explains. Paul isn’t breathing. He’s sitting super still – and from Monty’s perspective, it’s gonna look like they’re actually doing this. Kissing.

Monty has flipped his laptop over and looks at it frustrated on the floor. It looks pretty broken, but he can get a new one. If Paul was here he would have offered to repair it... That's just the way he is. Reliable, Smart…A supreme idiot for cheating on him.

Gabe smirks in Paul’s face. "You look a little uncomfortable with this. Flip was a little uncomfortable with this too but he’s warmed up to me.” Flip yells from the car irritated, "That’s enough. I think he’ll destroy his laptop at this rate.” Paul sits back relieved, and breathes out, "But I just fixed that for him."

Meanwhile, Monty paces in his office he looks disheveled, sick. He knows that this is probably a part of the job – but he never thought that Paul would do that to him. 

On the park bench, the three boys sit waiting. Gabe blurts out, "So now what?”   

Paul explains, "Well now we wai-“ Paul’s phone rings the x-files theme.

Paul picks up, “Yes?”

Monty shouts from the line, "We need to talk!”

Paul answers calmly, "Where would you like to meet?” 

Monty reply s more hesitantly and soft than Paul has ever heard him sound, "I’ll find you…umm...bye um see you soon.” And Monty hangs up. 

Paul looks a bit shocked and stares at his phone. "Wow, he’s never said bye to me on the phone. Usually just hangs up?”

Gabe lights up, "It worked!"

Paul stands up and gathers his bag, "Thanks guys I’ll be going. And if I can make a dinner suggestion these a really great Chinese place over on Jackson Street." Gabe looks mischievous, "I like Chinese. Do they do take out? Because I‘d rather eat in…” Gabe leers at Flip. Flip looks away embarrassed.

Paul steps out of his car in the parking structure of his apartment. He feels a presence behind him as he locks his car doors. 

Paul starts, "Monty. You said you wanted t-ofph!"  Monty immediately grabs Paul by the collar and pushes him against his car.

"What were you doing! you haven’t – you haven't been –“ Monty spits. 

Pauls sighs, "Monty why did you come here?” 

Monty looks a bit angry and lost, "Because – because I - YOU broke up with me! And you can’t just do something like that and walk away!"

"Well you seem to do whatever you like – and expect I’ll be there for you whenever you want…”

Monty stutters, "That’s because we were in a-"

Paul stares blankly at Monty. Why is this so hard? Monty starts again, "We hu-have a thing going on yah?! We were having a good ride, right? I mean you were happy rig-"

"Monty, how did you feel about us and what we were doing?" “It's- it isn’t what I feel like! It’s over! And now you’re just teasing me rubbing my nose in it." Paul snaps, it's like the earth rumbling, a seething anger in his tone, however never raises his voice, "That’s exactly your problem. You’re not answering my question – not communicating. You’re always on the phone even while we’re…intimate.”

Monty loosens his grip on Paul and give him a bit of space it’s clear he’s listening so Paul continues, "You don’t even look directly at me when we talk – We don’t go out together. You can’t just leave work at work – and I get it. I have an important job too, but when we’re together…It’s rare… And that what I want us to be together." Monty snaps, " So you broke up with me."

Paul sounds exasperated, "I’ve been trying to get your attention for months – I kept telling you that we needed to talk and you would just wave your hand at me get on the phone and walk away – if you want this to work we have to talk.”

Monty ducks his head bites his lip and glances up at Paul.

A bit later. Gabe's phone rings at the Airbnb.

Gabe is sprawled across Flip's chest. Their Airbnb is a complete mess with takeout containers in the corner of the room. Gabe sleepily reaches for his cell phone. Flip grumbles something and wraps Gabe up and crushes him against the bed. Gabe manages to pick up his phone and get it to his ear.

Gabe answers the phone softly, "What? It’s 4 AM" Shuffling is heard on the line, a load moan, rhythmic creaking and then it hangs up.

A few seconds later a chime is heard from Gabe‘s text message.

It’s from Monty and it reads: “Thnk u for everythig. You’ll find a git in ur checking account tomoro. Oh Cindy plane tickets for Monday. Please enjoy the city on me “

Some habits die hard I guess.

Gabe and Flip decide to go to a farmers market on Saturday morning. They run into Monty and Paul holding hands looking at various fruits. 

Flip greets Paul with a pat on the back. And Gabe gets in Monty’s face and smirks and whispers in a mocking tone, "Is this a date?"

Monty rolls his eyes and pulls Paul along. Paul gives the other two smile as they leave. 

Paul then turns to Monty and kisses him on the cheek and whispers in his hear, "I love you.”

Monty turns as red as his hair and mumbles something that merits another kiss from Paul. 

Paul wishes he had a camera to capture the rare cute side of Monty. They are making progress. 

THE END