bsumone | ❝ Nobody knows where you’re going ❞

How could she like him so much when she hasn’t even met him, Dal wondered. Of course, the answer was because Dal made her son happy. Both of these facts made Dal’s beat faster and filled his chest with warmth. Was this what it felt like to have a real home with a real family?

He paused in breakfast to nod, a bright smile coming over his face. “Yes! It’s alright.” Dal wanted to meet her. He wanted to spend time with her to get to kno where better. She’s an important person to someone who’s important to him. Plus, she just seems like a really awesome lady from what little Dal knew of her.

He managed to clear about half of his plate before scooting it a few inches away to signal that he was full. He’ll help with the clean-up whenever Gabriel was ready. In the interim, Dal folded his hands on the table and simply observed Gabriel as he finished. He never imagined being happy like this.

“It’s so comfortable.” The house. The company. This whole new life.

Gabriel took a little longer to finish, being a bigger and healthier man. But he was more than happy to have Dal continue to sit there with him while he finished his food. It was something he was going to have a lot more often and he was more than grateful for that.

"We'll make it more comfortable as we add more and more you here too. Little things to show that this is your home too."

Whether that be them showing off Dal's art or just having things around that made Dal happy. Things to just show that this wasn't Gabriel's home. It was their home.

It didn’t matter how long Gabriel took. Dal was content to spend this time with him. More than content – he was happy! He spent so much time with people he barely knew or simply alone. It was such a welcome change to sit here with Gabriel and watch him eat his breakfast and talk about their plans for the day and the future.

“Do ya think we can get sugar gliders?” A pair, so neither would be lonely.

"We can. They're legal where you live now. I'll help you start looking for them tomorrow."

Because of course they were going to get a pair. He wasn't going to just have them get one. They were social little creatures who should have each other.

It had to be a pair! Dal planned to spend a lot of time bonding with them, but he couldn’t be with them all the time, so they’d need each other. Sugar gliders were something he’s been interested in since before he came to the US. His parents didn’t allow him any pets before, nor did his situation until literally hours ago.

Of course, Dal thought it will take some time while he found some way to earn an income so he can take care of the related expenses. Oh, he knew Gabriel would do that, but he doesn’t want his boyfriend (!!) to think he expects that.

So hearing that they’d go looking for them tomorrow caused Dal’s eyes to pop open wide.

“Tomorrow?” he echoed. “So soon? Ya sure? There’s a lot…” They need an enclosure with toys and beds and little pouches to keep them stimulated, food, a cover for the enclosure… a little pouch so Dal can carry them around with him.

He really can’t hide his excitement, though. It shows through in the way he wiggled slightly in his seat and it leaked into his voice when he asked, “Where we gonna put ‘em?”

"Well there's lots of space and we can use the room that was going to be yours as their home. But we'll look to see what's available since we don't even know that. And then we can get ourselves ready for our new arrivals."

Gabriel finished his food and went to gather the dishes to bring them to the kitchen. To store the rest of Dal's food and then to wash them. He smiled over at him and invited him to come help him if he wanted to.

"We'll be good and ready before they get here. I promise."

This was such exciting news! Getting everything prepared for their arrival will be so fun! Dal already has some ideas. He wants their enclosure to be bright and colorful, so it’s nice to look at, as well as functional for the sugar gliders.

Dal was on his feet helping to clear the table as soon as Gabriel stood. He wasn’t feeling any adverse effects from the night before other than the holes in his memory. That’s a good thing, he supposed. Once Gabriel had his leftovers packed away, Dal scanned the kitchen for a towel to help dry the dishes. He set them each on the counter since he didn’t yet know where everything was supposed to live. He’ll ask when they’re all washed and dried.

“Do ya mind if I shower when we’re done?” He knew he had one last night, but his hair… He really couldn’t meet Gabriel’s mother with his hair all wavy and messy like this. Well, maybe he could just wet it a little… She probably wouldn’t mind at all, but it’s been drilled into Dal since he was a teenager that his looks were important and being pretty like a girl was important. So he was more than a little self-conscious about how he looked when meeting someone so important!

"This is your home now, Dal. You can take a shower anytime you want to." Gabriel wasn't scolding him though, just gently reminding him with a smile as he looked over at him. Then he leaned in to press a kiss to his hair before moving to show where the dried dishes went in the kitchen and even giving a small tour to show where everything was for future reference.

"Come here. I'll show you where I put all your things. If you need anything I can go out to buy it for you."

His home. He liked that. Dal already felt very comfortable here. Gabriel was so welcoming and his home was so full of warmth. It felt like someone actually lived here, belonged here. Not like his apartment that was just a place to lock his things and sleep in. There was nothing there that indicated Dal lived there. No photos, no art on the walls, nothing but a duffel bag in the closet and a hoard of toiletries in the bathroom that could’ve belonged to anyone.

“I only need what I got.” His scant few belongings and this man standing here with him. Dal reached out for his hand to hold onto while Gabriel showed him where his bag was. “How long have ya lived here?”

"In this house? I'd say around five years now. Being here means I can be close to my mother and she can easily walk over to see me when she wants or I can visit her to help her with upkeep at her home."

Nodding to the bag, he brought the hand he held up to his lips. Then he smiled warmly at him. "Dal, I want you to feel free to tell me whenever you want things. This really is your home now and you should have things you love here just like I do. We'll make this somewhere that represents us both."

For a moment that stretched a little too long, Dal just looked at the bag. His entire life fit in it. That’s how small and unimportant he was. It truly didn’t bother him. Dal never wanted to be some impressive, important person. He was important to Gabriel, the man who loved him, and that was more than enough to satisfy him.

But staring at the duffel back left him feeling… a little melancholy. Even his life before coming to the US had been small. He stayed in his room mostly, to avoid the distance of his parents on the rare times they were home. They left him alone, raised by nannies and tutors. Every material need met, with nothing but a void where familial love should’ve been.

His eyes went distant and he squeezed Gabriel’s hand a little tighter. “… I used to like plushes,” he murmured in a small voice. “Has about six of ‘em on my bed ‘til dad saw ‘em.” No son of mine will collect this girlish trash. And off they went, directly down the trash chute before Dal could save any of them. He blinked away the wetness in his eyes before he looked back at Gabriel.

“Could I get one? Just one, I promise!”

That was the look of someone who was still being hurt by something from years ago. Pulling him close, Gabriel cupped his face so he could look right into those beautiful dark eyes. Such a small request broke his heart but he still made sure to smile at his boyfriend.

"Dal, you can have as many as you want. If you love plushes then I will build you places to store them. We can cover this entire room and our bed and even the rest of the house in them if it will make you smile."

Because it was so small a thing. To just want to have plush toys to collect and hold.

Dal sniffled but beamed up at Gabriel. He took note of the smallest things since the start: like Dal not eating breadcrust. He took note of them and made them important. He made Dal feel important. The smile lasted only seconds before he wrapped his arms around Gabriel’s waist and pressed his face against his chest.

Dal always liked cute things. Little cushions shaped like flowers, a dumpling nightlight, adorable kitchenware, all of that sort of stuff. All little luxuries he hadn’t considered for the better part of the last decade. Why bother with cute things when he could end up booted out of his apartment at any time? They would just be things to be stolen or sold.

But now? Now he could consider them again. He could have a cute coffee mug in the kitchen, an adorable rice bowl, chopsticks with pawprints on them. A room – a whole room! – full of plushes!

Dal laughed against Gabriel’s chest, then tilted his head back to look up at him. “But we need room for the sugar gliders.”

Edited (typo) 2023-07-02 22:38 (UTC)

"There will be room. I promise."

Cupping Dal's face when he was looking up at him again, he pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "If there's room for my reading habits then there's room for the gliders and the cute things you love."

Because it wouldn't be fair for them to not allow Dal to have everything that he loved when Gabriel already had so much of the things he loved here. And if people didn't like the combination of them both there? They weren't welcome in this home anymore. This was a safe place.

For both of them.

Less than a day here and Dal already felt like a different person. Oh, it will take some time for him to shake some of the habits and instincts he formed over the last eight years, some even before that. But he already felt like it was safe to hope. IT was safe to dream, safe to decorate his world however he wanted to without fear of someone telling him it’s wrong or inappropriate.

Gabriel offered him everything he ever wanted. Love, acceptance, affection, safety. Dal no longer had to temper himself to survive. He didn’t have to be afraid of hoping, of thinking of the future, of wanting more than what he had. That was freeing. In return, Dal wanted to give the same to his boyfriend. He wanted to make his life more comfortable however he could.

Burying his face once more against Gabriel’s chest, he stayed close to that solid frame that always reminded him of safety.

“My parents hated all that stuff. No pets, they didn’t like me drawin’, or collectin’ cute stuff.” Basically, he’s never really been able to be himself fully since he was a very young child. “Thank you for lettin’ me have it.”

Gabriel gently stroked his hair and shook his head before pushing him back to have him sit on the bed. There he knelt in front of him and took his hands. Smiling up at him, he rubbed the backs with his thumbs.

"I'm not letting you do anything. I do not control your life. Instead allow me to thank you for wanting to share what matters to you with me. That is so precious and I'm honored that you want to do that."

Bringing those hands to his lips, he kissed the backs then smiled up at him again. "Your parents hurt you badly but you're safe here. To be exactly who you are and who you want to be."

Dal let himself be guided to the bed and, after Gabriel kissed his hands, he pulled them free to cup his face. His life wasn’t easy, between his family situation and everything after he ran away. Dal never really felt like he could simply be himself, indulge his interests without fear of disdain or outright hostility. And here’s Gabriel encouraging it, embracing the things he likes.

“I know ya can guess a lot about them already… someday I’ll tell ya everythin’. But not now. I’m so happy bein’ here. I don’t wanna let go of that feelin’ just yet.”

"Take all the time that you need, Dal. I'll listen when you are ready to tell me about them."

And he wouldn't push him to tell him sooner. Dal needed to have the space to come into this on his own and he respected that fact. So he gave him a warm smile and kissed his hands again.

"By the way, I want to learn how to do things for you. Like take care of your hair or how you do your makeup. That way if you don't ever feel up to it I can help you with it. Will you teach me these things?"

Dal blinked a few times. Every sweet gesture Gabriel made took him by surprise. And every one of those gestures made him feel like he was falling in love all over again. Everything Gabriel said and did made Dal feel safe and respected. He smiled, the look subtle except for the way his eyes lit up.

“Hmm… Will ya teach me things in return?”

That made the man laugh and he nodded without hesitation. The look on his face was bright and adoring. Teach Dal some things? Oh he'd absolutely love to do that. Just as much as he'd love learning things from him.

"Anything you want to know. I'd love to teach you things."

“Okay,” he agreed with a series of nods. If Gabriel was willing to let Dal learn from him – even if he wasn’t, really – he’d be happy to show Gabriel things he could help him with from time to time. Knowing that Gabriel wanted to be able to take care of things like that for him made warmth spread through his chest.

“I can show ya now if ya want. I gotta get ready to meet your mom.”

"Thank you. Your bag is over there." He pointed it out then got out of the way so that way Dal could get it. Already he was staying close without getting in the way to learn how his new boyfriend got ready. There wasn't a lot about this, he knew after all. It wasn't something he'd ever had an interest in before. Or an interest of any of his past boyfriends.

Dal followed where Gabriel indicated, getting up to sort through the duffel bag for what he needed. It took him a few trips to carry his various toiletries to the bathroom: the usual things plus his myriad of skincare products on top of that. It was his goal going forward to try to take good care of his hair like he always has his skin. Maybe he should stop lightening it for a while… maybe. He never really liked it dark.

Once that was done, he dug around for something that didn’t scream ‘street walker.’ That ended up being a pair of too-big jeans and the sole button-up shirt he owned with a light blue sweater that would go over it. He laid each garment out neatly and set a pair of balled up socks beside them.

Looking back to Gabriel, Dal lifted his brows in curiosity. “Gonna shower with me?” He wasn’t sure if Gabriel was inclined to bathe again, but Dal wanted him to know he was welcome if wanted to.

"If you'd like me to."

After all, he was clean. But more than that? He wasn't going to push Dal to do anything he didn't feel comfortable with. If he wanted him in there with him though? Well then he'd be more than happy to join him. Showering together as a couple? It gave him a warm feeling in his heart.

“I do like,” he affirmed with a certain little nod. It was only fair since he only barely remembered last night when they actually bathed together. He wanted that memory of their first time bathing as a couple, but he’ll have to settle for the memory of their second time, instead. It couldn’t be helped.

Dal smiled as he reached out for Gabriel’s hands, leading him off to the bathroom as if he didn’t know where it was in his own house. It was hard to believe this was his home, now, too. That thought warmed him and caused him to wiggle a little as he trotted off with Gabriel in tow.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

CW: UNHEALTHY FAMILY STUFF

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject