bsumone | ❝ Nobody knows where you’re going ❞

"I had a feeling they might be." He'd seen how Dal devoured them, after all. Chuckling gently, he reached over to rest a hand on his head and gently ruffle his hair again. "I'm going to try to make sure you don't have to wait long for me. But until then I'll make sure you're okay as often as I can. You're important to me, Dal."

Could Gabriel please stop making him feel warm and fuzzy for one moment? Actually, please don't. Dal enjoyed hearing those things; he's wanted to hear them for so long. To be important to someone... To be seen and accepted and even wanted after that!

Dal smiled with such fondness and leaned closer to offer Gabriel another bite of curry. Those dark eyes watched him closely, studying, as if he was trying to peer into his mind to discover everything that makes him who he is: what he loves, what bothers him, his favorite music and movies and colors, the places he's been, even the horrors he's seen.

He takes another small bite and almost immediately pockets it in his cheek.

"Gabriel," he asked slowly. "You ever been in love before?"

Leaning over, he accepted the bite then wondered what Dal was thinking about. He seemed to be looking at him so intently. Honestly he was just about to ask about it when he was asked a question instead. Quite a surprising one too.

Gabriel knew he could lie here but he opted not to.

"Yes. Years ago. But, he didn't love me back and it didn't work out in the end. I realized at that time that you could love someone but that didn't always make them right for you. It helped me to understand some of my cases better so I'm grateful for the experience." He took a bite of food and ate it before continuing.

"I know that the one who is right for me is close by. I just have to make sure the timing is right."

Oh, he didn't mind Gabriel's answer one bit. He would've been surprised if he said no. He's such a kind and caring person, surely that must attract love, right? What Gabriel said made sense to him. Hadn't he loved his parents? He just wasn't the right son for them.

"I dunno what it feels like," he admitted. Was he in love with Gabriel? How could he know when he's experienced so little of it in his life? Resting one elbow on the table, Dal cupped his chin in his hand, peering so curiously at him. "Can you tell me what it's like? I wanna know."

Gabriel set his chopsticks down in that moment. Adjusting his glasses, he thought about how to answer this properly, wanting to really explain this to Dal since he'd asked. "When you find someone you love the world just seems to click into place. You feel safe with them and you go from envisioning a life where you're getting to the next minute or day to suddenly you're picturing yourself years in the future with them."

He looked over at him with a smile. "You want to know everything about them so you can bond with them further. When things are dark they're always your light. Being in love feels like you've found that key you need to walk further than you ever have before."

Oh. That all sounded... very familiar. Like Gabriel reached inside and plucked out things Dal already felt. His eyes widen by degrees as the realization set in. Was he already in love with this man? When did that happen? Not that he was complaining. Gabriel was a good man. Kind, caring, understanding. But also determined, brave, and... Well, just sort of wonderful.

A small smile played over his lips and Dal felt his skin grow warmer. "I wanna know everythin' about ya."

His gaze softened as he heard those words. He could reject them for the sake of the case but the fact was that he wanted to be with Dal when this was done. For that reason, he moved around the table to go sit on the floor with him. Taking his hands in his, he smiled warmly at him.

"What do you want to know?"

Oh, they're doing this right now? Dal wasn't prepared!

"Um... How old? Birthday? Blood type?"

That made him chuckle a little. But, he made himself comfortable so that way he could sit there to answer him.

"I'm thirty-two. My birthday is September 25th. My blood type is AB."

“Pets? Favorite color? Kinda music ya like? Um…” Dal looked off to the middle distance as he thought. “Somewhere you wanna go?”

Gabriel smiled more but kept going. "None yet. Blue. I tend to like instrumental things the most for music. And, I'd like to take you to Mexico sometime," he finished off with a grin.

That made Dal’s lips bow slightly. His eyes dropped and his voice was more subdued. “I can’t. No passport.”

Gabriel shook his head then. "Yet. No passport yet. I'll help you fix that in the future."

His eyes go wide once again. It’s still so surprising to hear that Gabriel wants to help him with those things. At length, he squeezed Gabriel’s hands and nodded. Yes, he would accept his help and, someday, they would go to Mexico together.

“Gabriel… do ya mind, I mean, when we’re together…. Will ya be upset if I don’t wanna sleep together right away?”

The question was one he understood and he smiled at him. No hesitation came before he shook his head. "No. You let me know when you're ready. I'll wait as long as you want me to. You are worth that, Dal."

Gabriel probably understood better than most that Dal didn’t exactly enjoy his personal experiences with sex. Has he learned a lot about it in the last eight year? Absolutely. He’s never actually slept with someone out of affection, not once. And maybe he was a little scared that it wouldn’t be any different if… when he finally did.

Dal went quiet a moment, then flashed Gabriel a smile. “Twenty-three. November 26th. Type B. Favorite color also blue. No pets. I wanna see the Louvre one day.”

"So we have two trips to take after we get your paperwork in order. Mexico and the Louvre."

Gabriel smiled brightly at him and then laughed a bit. He liked that he could envision a future with him. Already he was sure that his mother would love him but that was a matter for after the trial was done. Right now it was just nice to sit here and talk like this. To not have to try to be anything other than who they were.

"Have you ever wanted to have pets?"

Dal pressed his lips together to keep his smile in check. At Gabriel's question, he bobbed his head in a few little nods. "I wasn't allowed. My parents didn't want 'em." But Dal always dreamed of having some small pet, some kind of mammal that would be warm and cuddly.

He sat there a moment before holding up his hand to gesture for Gabriel to wait. He got up and skittered over to his things for his notebook. When he came back, he flopped down beside Gabriel and started flipping through the pages. Face after face moved by, some drawings of that diner he spends his time in and the people who work there, too. Then he found what he was looking for: a drawing of a sugar glider. He didn't know what they were called in English.

"This."

Gabriel watched Dal go to the notebook. Scooting closer so he could look, he watched all the faces go by and knew for sure he had to get this young man out in the art world. He belonged there. He could see all of that in every detail that flashed by. But then the drawings stopped moving and he was able to see the right one. And he smiled.

"These are called sugar gliders. And I think that would be a wonderful pet for you to have." And Dal would be able to have them since they were legal outside the five boroughs in New York.

"Sugar gliders," he repeats, carefully sounding out the words. It's not terribly far from how to say it Korean, but he still struggles with getting the R and L sounds correct in English. Flipping to the next page, the little animals covered it in different poses and postures.

"I wanna get two so they don't get lonely."

"It isn't legal to have them here but if you were to come live with me then it would be there."

Since he lived outside of the boroughs it would be easy for him to make sure that Dal got to have this. And so much more as time went on too. They would really be able to help him live his every dream if Gabriel had any say in it. Which he knew that he'd like to just to see Dal be happy.

"Also I think two is a wonderful idea."

Oh. Dal looked up from the page, blinking. Did he just offer...?

"... live with you?" He heard that correctly, right? Oh, he hoped he did because Dal couldn't stop the grin spreading over his face. Those dark eyes lit up and he nodded eagerly as if he was being asked, not having it gently suggested.

"I wanna."

Gabriel gave him the warmest look when he saw Dal realize what he'd said. He nodded and smiled a little wider. "Yes. Live with me. If you really want to then you would be welcome to. I have another bedroom we can make yours until you feel comfortable enough for us to spend nights together."

Technically they already had but that wasn't the point in this moment.

Ah, what a nice thought! If Gabriel lived outside of the city, he probably has a house... with a yard! Dal's never had that, not even in Korea. His parents lived in a highrise condo in the city. But a yard should have flowers, for sure! Maybe he could learn to garden.

He felt his cheeks grow warmer and Dal pressed his lips together, looking down. "I like sleepin' next to you."

Gabriel knew in that moment he couldn't resist this bit of affection. Reaching out, he cupped Dal's chin gently to encourage him to look at him. Leaning forward just a little bit, he smiled at him and nodded.

"Then you are always welcome in my room until you are ready for it to be ours. I promise."

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