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And a glass of Gin and Dubonnet
-
Ice clinked inside the glass Jack carried on the tray, careful not to sway it too much as he made his way down the darkened corridor. Getting late night calls from the prince wasn’t anything new to Jack; he had come to realize, through a number of unexpected and mostly awkward occurrences, that His Royal Highness was a man of whims. As his personal servant, Jack had grown accustomed to them, even if the ringing of the communicator at the dead of night still rattled him quite a bit.
With the stealth acquired after years of serving with the royal staff Jack passed by door after locked door. The prince’s room was nearly at the end, upon his request for more private lodgings, separated from his parents’ chambers by a good number of sitting rooms, guest quarters, and the occasional open walkway. The chilly night air hit Jack as he crossed one such open space, wind tousling his hair. He hurried into cover, the cold biting on his skin. As he rounded the corner, the prince’s room doors finally came into view, making Jack slow down and fall into his well practiced step. He came up to them and paused, looking around and down the hallway. There was no one in sight, not that there should be at this late hour and in the private floor that held the royal family, but Jack couldn’t help but feel something was amiss. Taking a deep breath, it suddenly hit him. The air smelled clean, crisp. He could even pick up on the now faded scent of the soap he had used earlier when he showered. There were certainly no traces of the pungent smell of tobacco that usually permeated the outside of the prince’s room.
Where on earth was McCree?
Jack frowned, scrutinizing the darkness, searching for any indication of the man’s whereabouts. It was McCree’s duty, as head of the prince’s personal guard, to stay within calling range of His Majesty at all times. As cumbersome as that might sound, and as laidback and overly enthusiastic as McCree was, he had never failed to be at his post, always hovering over the prince, a constant presence. Leaving the prince unguarded in the middle of the night certainly didn’t seem like him. And even if he had had the need to step away for a moment, he had the obligation to call on a replacement guard to cover him. This was a show of irresponsibility, borderline insubordination-
“Are you going to stand out there all night, or are you going to come in, Jackie?”
Were he a lesser man, Jack would have nearly jumped off his skin, dropping the tray and causing a ruckus in the middle of the night that could have possibly cost him his job. Good thing was he was not. Taking a deep breath, Jack opened the door and stepped in.
The room was as dark as the hallway, moonlight streaming through the fluttering white curtains that covered the way to the balcony. The prince sat - or, more accurately, was draped over - one of the room’s couches, arm over his face, covering his eyes. If he hadn’t just spoken, Jack would have thought him deep in sleep. As soon as the door closed with a click, the prince removed his arm and turned to look at him, cheek pressed against a cushion. Through half lidded eyes, he smiled warmly at Jack.
“Finally,” Prince Gabriel murmured, more to himself than to Jack, who was rooted on the spot, heat crawling up his body and threatening to color his face bright red. No matter how long he served under him, Jack could not grow accustomed to the way the prince looked at him, the way he smiled at him. It made him feel things that were most certainly inappropriate for someone of his station. It absolutely didn’t help that the prince seemed to prefer his service to that of any of his other servants. A man of whims , Jack reminded himself. Don’t get distracted, focus on your job.
Realizing he had probably stalled for too long, Jack made his way to the couch, acutely aware of the prince’s eyes on him all the way. As he set the tray on a nearby table the prince sat up, accepting the glass of whiskey Jack poured him. He sniffed it and took a sip, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed, leaning back into the couch and letting out a sigh. Jack stood by, waiting to see if something else would be required of him, but his mind still dwelled in the problem of the unguarded room. Just where had McCree run off to?
“Do I have to fire someone, Jackie?”
This time Jack did jump slightly, eyes finding the prince’s, who was still looking at him in that inexplicably warm way of his, some of the warmth clouded over by concern. Jack straightened his back, and cleared his throat before responding.
“I’m sorry, Your Royal High-”
“I believe I told you to call me ‘Gabriel’.”
Jack sputtered as he was interrupted, a faint blush coloring his cheeks at the mention of the often ignored request. It was not his place to be so familiar with the prince - with Gabriel - even though he had been assured by the man time and time again there was no reason for him to be so formal. Jack cleared his throat, resisting the urge to look around the room to check if they were, in fact, completely alone.
“I’m sorry, sir , but I do not take your meaning.”
Gabriel smirked a little before responding, possibly at the stressing of the title. For the time being, he decided not to push.
“You got this look on your face - the one you get when someone in the kitchen fucks up, or when the gardeners fail to follow your directions to the letter. It’s like,” he paused, gesturing over his face with his free hand, a mock frown curving his lips, “you know, like you’re sucking on a lemon, all scrunched up. It’s kinda cute, actually,” he finally said, smirk back in place.
Jack pointedly ignored the last part of the statement, but couldn’t help but feel his ears heating up. He prayed the lighting in the room would be poor enough to discern the flush that colored his face.
“No, it’s nothing like that...”
“Then what got your panties in a bunch, Jackie?” Gabriel asked, taking another sip from his glass. The corners of Jack’s mouth curled downwards slightly at the crassness of his words.
“Do you happen to know where Sir McCree has disappeared to?” Jack finally asked, clasping his hands behind his back in order to keep himself from fidgeting under Gabriel’s inquisitive gaze. Gabriel’s brow creased slightly, before leaning back into the couch, taking another sip of his whiskey.
“He’s not here at the moment.”
It was not the answer Jack had been expecting, which made his eyes narrow. “I did notice that, sir, which is why-”
“No, no, I mean,” Gabriel interrupted again, making a broad gesture with the glass, “he’s not here, in the premises. I sent him home for the night.”
That made Jack pause. The Royal Guard had a wing of rooms within the palace’s grounds, which assured guards were always around for their shifts. But Sir McCree was a different case. Jack knew he had a private residence out of town, in the countryside. He seldom went there, as busy as he was guarding the prince almost every day. Some days, Jack got the feeling McCree felt most comfortable here, in the palace, doing his job.
“You sent him home,” Jack echoed, still a little disbelieving. “Shouldn’t you have asked for a replacement, since you sent your personal guard away?”
Gabriel just shrugged, the playful ‘ maybe’ evident in his eyes. Jack rolled his at his carefree attitude. Sometimes he could be such a child.
“You’re violating the security protocol, you know?” Jack said before he could catch himself, immediately berating himself for the irritation in his voice, even if Gabriel didn’t seem to mind.
“Tell me something, Jackie,” Gabriel said instead of answering, a deflecting technique he was very fond of. “How long has Jesse worked for the Royal Guard? I know you have access to that information.” Gabriel added with a pointed look, leaving no way for Jack to object.
Jack sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “About four years, I believe?”
“And how many vacation days has he taken since?” Gabriel asked, cocking an eyebrow.
Jack had to stop a second to think. He knew Gabriel knew part of his job as the prince’s personal servant was to keep close tabs on all those who interacted with him in a daily basis. He searched back into his memory, going through all the staff information he handled.
And came up with nothing.
Gabriel made a gesture toward him with the now almost empty glass. “There you go,” he said as Jack stepped forward to refill it. Before Jack could step back, Gabriel patted the couch next to him, an obvious invitation. Jack would usually deny him, but right now, in the middle of the night in his private rooms, he felt he could indulge the prince, even if just a little.
And so Jack sank down into the couch, careful not to bump into Gabriel as he did, back ramrod straight, knees pressed together, hands on his lap. Gabriel rolled his eyes at him and leaned back, gaze focused on the golden liquid.
“Jesse’s a great guy, fiercely loyal to a cause, if a little thick headed at times. It’s…” he paused, fishing for words. Jack eyed him curiously. It wasn’t often that the prince would act as unguarded, even around him. His brow was creased, thumb running over the lip of the glass.
“It’s been difficult, for all of us, since the war,” Gabriel continued, “but somehow, it seems he took way more damage than anyone I fought with. This job, it gives him security, stability. He craves it, like a puppy waiting for its owner to tell it what to do. I don’t know, Jackie…” He sighed, head falling back against the cushions, “I just worry about him, sometimes.”
Jack watched him intently, fingers curled on his lap. He felt like he should say something, but couldn’t find in him to add anything. Gabriel and Jesse had history, back when the war wrecked their kingdom, the battle so desperate the crown prince had to take command. During those times, Gabriel and Jesse worked together, ultimately helping win the war, but the scars left upon them still remained. The long, faded gashes on Gabriel’s face were a constant reminder of the brutality of war and of how fortunate he was to have made it back, but it seemed McCree’s scars ran way deeper.
“He is your friend, it’s natural for you to worry about him,” Jack finally said. Gabriel chuckled lightly, taking another sip of whiskey.
“He’s so much more than a friend,” the prince said absentmindedly, like he didn’t mean to say it out loud. It didn’t keep Jack from stiffening, an unnamed feeling blossoming within him.
He suddenly felt mad at himself for bringing up the topic in the first place. It made him feel bad, hearing Gabriel talking like that about someone else. But he quickly swallowed down the feeling, for it was inappropriate and unprofessional of him to feel those things. He had no say whatsoever on who should receive the prince’s affections, Jack told himself. And yet, the thought made his gut squirm. Through his mind raced a myriad of questions. Just how… well acquainted were Gabriel and Jesse? They were companionable, some might say best friends, comrades in arms, but Jack had seen more, a deeper connection. Now he burned with curiosity, but also dreaded the answer, should he receive any. He couldn’t possibly just ask such a thing, and to his Royal Highness?
Curiosity killed the cat, they say.
“Were you two ever…” Jack heard himself saying, mind too consumed by the need to know to command his mouth to shut up. Gabriel turned to look at him, surprised. Jack stammered, but he had already tied the noose around his own neck. No way to back out.
“What?” asked Gabriel, eyebrow cocked. Jack swallowed, looking down at his clenched fists.
“You know... were the two of you ever… together?” he finally managed to say, bracing himself for the backlash.
All that came his way was silence, and then, a burst of laughter that made Jack turn his head sharply. Gabriel had doubled over, glass settled on the low table in front of him. His back spasmed with laughter, the sound muffled by his hands as he covered his face. Jack felt his face heating, but told himself he was fortunate not to have made Gabriel mad with his forwardness.
“What the hell, Jackie,” Gabriel said after a few more seconds of laughter. “McCree and I? Jesse McCree?”
Jack turned away, embarrassed. “That’s not a no,” he said, mad at himself for prying, mad at Gabriel for finding it so funny.
“Nah, I guess it isn’t.”
Once again, Jack turned sharply to look back at Gabriel, who had his arms spread over the back of the couch. A little part of his mind was aware of how close Gabriel’s hand was to the nape of Jack’s neck, but surprise and curiosity got the best of him.
“So you did…?”
“Yeah,” Gabriel said simply, smiling a little as he looked past Jack. “A couple of times, actually, while in the field. It was pretty common, you know? Could happen to anyone, like it just happened between us. When you get that close to someone… well, it’s hard to pull back.
But it wasn’t like that for us, you know? From the beginning there were clear edges, no room for second guessing, or getting ideas. Actually,” Gabriel paused, hand scratching his chin just over the line of his beard, “now that I think about it, he always made sure to remind me I had a clear way out. Expected nothing in return. That’s just…”
“That’s the kind of man he is,” Jack blurted out. Conflicting emotions raged inside him. He didn’t know what to do with this new information, didn’t want to think about it at all. He had asked for it, had made his own bed, now he had to sleep on it. Next to him, Gabriel nodded, not looking at him. After a pause that seemed to stretch forever, Gabriel cleared his throat.
“It’s not like that anymore. He’s like a brother to me... Don’t fucking give me that face,” he added quickly at the look Jack shot him. They stared at eachother for a moment before Gabriel started laughing again. This time, Jack allowed himself to chuckle along.
“Shit, walked right into that one, didn’t I?” Gabriel said, running a hand down his face.
“You did,” Jack agreed, leaning back. He allowed himself to relax just a tad, even when the ugly feeling from earlier still nested within his gut.
“Why the sudden interest, Jackie?”
Stiff as a board for the second time in less than 10 minutes, Jack kept silent. He could feel Gabriel’s eyes studying him, assessing him. Jack made a noncommittal gesture with his hand, like swatting away an annoying fly.
“No reason, really. It’s just…”
‘I wondered if you had feelings for him.’
“It was weird, not seeing him at his post. And when you said you sent him home, I was a bit surprised. The way you talk about him, it’s…”
‘It makes me wish you talked like that about me.’
“It’s commendable, caring so much for your friends. However, sending off the head of your guard without calling for a replacement was not the smartest choice.”
Jack finished his diatribe by shooting an accusatory look towards Gabriel, who just shrugged and smiled sheepishly, making Jack’s heart stop for half a second. This man was going to drive him to an early grave.
“An overworked guard is as good as a dead guard,” Gabriel offered, cocking his head, “I’m not a tyrant, Jackie. I know how much my people put on the table each day, and I try to make sure they get their share.”
“I did not mean to imply otherwise, I just think that leaving yourself unprotected was a terrible idea,” Jack quickly said, indignation rising to his voice at Gabriel’s suggestion of Jack’s meaning.
Gabriel just shrugged again. “I’m a grown ass man, Jackie, I think I can take care of myself for a couple of hours. Besides,” he shot Jack a sidelong glance, smirk back on his lips. “It’s not like I’m unprotected.”
Jack frowned, confused. “What do you mean?”
“You’re trained in hand to hand combat and weaponry, aren’t you?”
Well, shit. It seems the cat was still very much alive, and now it was out of the bag. Jack blushed, looking away before he could see Gabriel’s smirk grow into a grin. “How do you know that?” he mumbled after a while, even though he could guess the answer.
“Personal file,” Gabriel said, leaning closer to whisper in Jack’s ear, “I make sure to know everything about anyone who can get the drop on me.”
A shiver ran down Jack’s spine, so violent he could have sworn Gabriel felt it. His breath tickled Jack’s ear, making every hair on his body stand on edge. Suddenly his skin felt hot, uncomfortably tight under his uniform. Gabriel’s hand moved slightly, fingers grazing the back of Jack’s neck, sending jolts of electricity coursing down his body. With a sharp intake of breath, Jack squirmed in his seat.
“It’s a requirement of the job, sir,” he said, acutely aware of the way Gabriel’s fingers had come back to his neck and we’re now brushing over the hair on his nape, “we have to be trained just in case anything happens. So we can, uh…” he cut off, words escaping his mind as Gabriel’s fingers dipped just a little into the collar of his shirt. “So we can help.”
Gabriel chuckled, sending a puff of air right over Jack’s overheated skin. “You’re so dedicated.”
“I am a professional,” Jack replied as clearly as he could, trying to keep his voice from wavering. How could Gabriel not feel how hot his skin was? Mind numbed, he added, “It’s my job.”
“Hmmm, should I order you to take vacations as well?” Gabriel teased, fingers ghosting over the line of Jack’s jaw, then back to his hair. It was amazing to Jack, how those fingers set every nerve on his body on fire by just grazing him.
“That… won’t be necessary, sir,” he all but panted out, too busy being hyper aware of the way Gabriel’s chest rumbled against his shoulder to feel embarrassed.
“Good. I quite like having you here, Jackie,” Gabriel whispered right into his ear. Jack felt himself melt under the touch, the feeling of Gabriel next to him, warm and firm. He told himself he should resist, that he should back off and excuse himself, run away into the safety of the night. All those thoughts fled his mind when he felt the brush of Gabriel’s lips over the shell of his ear. Jack let out a shuddering breath, rock still under Gabriel’s fingers. It was torture, this whole situation. His mind raced, his fingers gripped at the fabric of his trousers. He felt Gabriel move down, lips ghosting over the skin behind his ear, before he dipped his head, pressing his forehead against Jack’s shoulder, inhaling deeply. Gabriel mumbled something into the fabric of Jack’s shirt.
“Sir?” Jack whispered, lightheaded and flushed. He felt Gabriel move, rise back to eye level. Those wicked fingers took hold of Jack’s chin, gently making him turn his head until he was fully facing Gabriel. His eyes immediately fell to those full lips, parted as Gabriel breathed. Forcing himself to look back up, Jack inquired again. “Sir?”
“Call me by my name, Jackie,” Gabriel said softly, but decisively. It was the kind of request you didn’t say no to, and Jack knew it. He swallowed, wetting his lips with his tongue, catching the way Gabriel’s eyes flickered down when he did. “Please, Jackie…” he added, a tiny plea. It was all it took for Jack to give in.
“Gabriel…”
The name had not finished rolling off his tongue when Gabriel’s lips were on his, turning the word into a sigh. Gabriel moved his hand back to Jack’s neck, holding him in place, not that Jack had any desire to flee at the moment. He tasted whiskey in the kiss, felt Gabriel’s lips part slightly and devoured the breath that spilled from them. The kiss was chaste, experimental, subdued. Jack did not dare push for more, did not dare move, lest he break this perfect moment. It was so much more than he had imagined it would be, finally kissing Gabriel, feeling the prince’s other hand run down his chest and over his thigh. A little voice in Jack’s mind screamed for Gabriel to push forward, to fall and take Jack with him, for he knew he would offer no resistance. He was too far gone, too drunk on Gabriel’s taste.
They parted for breath, foreheads pressing together, Gabriel’s hand still firmly planted on Jack’s neck. The reality of what had just transpired started to crash down on Jack, elation giving way to mortification, until his eyes met Gabriel’s. The prince was gazing at him in a way that made Jack’s chest want to burst, kiss swollen lips curved in a little smile. He pulled Jack in once more, plating one last kiss on his lips.
“You look tired, Jackie, you should go get some rest,” Gabriel said, not quite letting go yet, but not holding Jack as firmly as before. For a moment Jack did nothing, said nothing, before nodding and getting up. He picked up the glass and set it on the tray before lifting the ensemble with practiced expertise, muscle memory taking over.
“Shall I wake you for your morning run, sir?” He asked, going through the motions. Turning to look back at Gabriel he nearly dropped the tray. It was back, that smile, the one that made Jack feel like he was the sun.
“Yes, please,” Gabriel said, holding his gaze, “thank you, Jack .”
With his hand on the door knob, Jack shot him a little smile. “No, thank you , Gabriel .”
--
Gabriel waited until he could no longer hear Jack’s footsteps on the hall outside before he rose from the couch. He walked over to the room he used as personal studio, pushing the door open. This was the room that got the most moonlight, so Gabriel did not bother to turn on the lights. Rounding his desk he came to stand before the Hoosier cabinet behind it. Gabriel smiled to himself; this type of furniture usually was destined to holding tools or cooking instruments, but he’d had this one restored and converted into a fully functional liquor cabinet. Often Gabriel had to go out of his way to keep Jack from finding out about his little alcohol stash, but it was worth it in the end. After all, if Jack knew he would stop bringing him drinks at ungodly hours of the night.
Well, he probably wouldn’t stop doing it, but he’d be very mad about it.
Gabriel set a glass down, grabbed a couple of ice cubes from the small cold compartment and a slice of lemon. Two parts of Dubonnet, one part of gin. Mixing the liquid absentmindedly, he leaned back against his desk, pulling his handset from his pocket. Gabriel turned on the screen, tapped in a few commands to establish a secure connection, and waited until the text screen loaded before typing in a short message.
from contactid:-Royal03- to contactid:-BAMFJM1-
1:33am
Hey, man. Guess what.
After a few seconds, a response slid into view.
from contactid:-BAMFJM1- to contactid:-Royal03-
1:33am
shit idk what could you be texting me about at the crack of satan’s ass
Gabriel smirked, ready to type in a reply, when another message popped up.
from contactid:-BAMFJM1- to contactid:-Royal03-
1:34am
wait is this about jackie boy
Smirk growing into a shit eating grin, Gabriel typed in his response.
from contactid:-Royal03- to contactid:-BAMFJM1-
1:34am
You know it.
from contactid:-BAMFJM1- to contactid:-Royal03-
1:34am
YOU GLORIOUS BASTARD
from contactid:-BAMFJM1- to contactid:-Royal03-
1:34am
i should probably take vacations more often
Gabriel shut his eyes, envisioning Jack’s flushed face, his parted lips and half lidded eyes. He opened them again, typing in a final text.
from contactid:-Royal03- to contactid:-BAMFJM1-
1:35am
You should.