More Than Before

[Gabriel Pearce Fitzpatrick]

The hallway was tilting to and fro as Gabe stepped out of the elevator, his hand wrapped loosely around another bottle of beer as he brought it to his lips, chugging back some of the alcohol inside before stumbling down the hall to where Fallon’s door was. Everyone in the building knew Gabe and Myles by now, so there wasn’t a problem with people stopping him, though they probably threw some looks his way at his drunken state. A man could only take so much though and tonight had gone well beyond Gabe’s breaking point, pushing him into the mess he now was.

Kelli, the waitress from the other day, had met him downtown at one of his favourite bars and Gabe thought everything was going great; they had been chatting, drinking sharing a few jokes and Gabe spoke about his research at the university for his thesis. He didn’t know what went wrong though, because she left with the barman instead when his shift ended, telling Gabe that she “sort of” had a nice time. There weren't really many more ways to shoot a man down and so Gabe remained at the bar, drinking away the embarrassment and trying to work out where he had gone wrong. He kept coming up with nothing though. Instead, his mind kept replaying the failed relationships and moments of rejection throughout his life which did not do him any favours at all. In the end, he decided that he needed answers. He needed to know why, at twenty five years of age, his love life proved more depressing than the obituaries in the newspapers.

Hailing a cab, Gabe nursed his beer and slurred the address of Fallon’s apartment, throwing bills at the driver when he pulled up by the kerb, warning Gabe to take it easy with the drink when he groaned repeatedly on the ride over, already regretting drinking, but knowing that he wanted more to make this truth painless when he finally received it.

Upstairs, he leaned against the wall and stared at Fallon’s door for a long moment before raising his fist, banging hard down on the wood. “Fallon. Fall. Fa-allon.”

[/color] He dropped his forehead against the wood, groaning on impact before staggering away, rubbing the spot that had just hit the hard door. If anyone could tell him why he wasn’t good enough to keep a relationship for more than a month, it was the girl on the other side of this door. If Fallon couldn’t help him make sense of all of this, then no one could and he probably was destined to live the rest of his life alone as a hermit. What was he doing wrong all this time? He needed to know. How could Myles pull a new girl nearly every other week and Gabe couldn’t even finish the date with Kelli? What was so repulsive about him that he couldn’t meet a girl?
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• • •

TAGGED! Fallon!
WORDS! 523!
OUTFIT! Hot Stuff!
LYRICS! Take My Hand - - - Simple Plan
NOTES! <3

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

Fallon loved being up in front of a class, teaching them about the inner workings of Hollywood. What she didn’t like about her job was the office hours; the days she spent on grading and taking meetings. There were far too many hours in those days where she had time to herself, time to think. And there had only been one thing on her mind since she’d gone to lunch with Gabe a few days back. Since this day she only had one student meeting, she was left with the rest of the day to sulk and pout in private; something she rarely let herself do. She skipped lunch, pushing herself through scripts and essays. She didn’t want to think about it. And yet, she’d caught herself more than once returning to that lunch, that waitress, those feelings. She was thinking about going home, getting all dolled up and spending a few hours drinking and dancing away her thoughts. That had been the plan until she checked her email and found one from Trevor. He emailed her lists all the time of movies she needed to see. It seemed like a far better idea to sit at home in lazy clothes with a bowl of popcorn and a long list of movies she wouldn’t normally watch half of.

When her hours were over, she packed her things and headed out to her car. She blasted the music as she drove home, another thing she did to distract her from thinking. She made one stop, to rent the movies from the long list. The young blonde professor turned up her iPod as soon as she walked through the door to her two floor loft apartment; a luxury she’d indulged in knowing her uncle randomly visited and the room was needed. She dropped her bags at the bottom of the stairs and headed up to her second floor for a shower and those lazy clothes; shorts and the Pi Kappa Phi shirt she took from Gabe so long ago. She hadn’t even realized she was reaching for that shirt until she was finished her shower and standing in front of her wardrobe, wondering what she was going to curl up in. She tossed her hair up, slipped on her fuzzy bootie slippers and headed back down to the “main floor”. She went through everything like a robot. She made popcorn, put the first movie in, and turned off her iPod all on automatic. Finally ready, she curled up on the couch with a bottle of wine and a glass, the throw over her legs, bowl full of popcorn next to her, she hit play, leaned back and let her thoughts wander.

She didn’t want to admit what came to her mind though. They’d been friends too long. She loved him, there was no denying that. He was her best friend, she could go to him about anything and despite the jokes and teasing he was there for her when she needed him the most. And yes, she did have that small crush on him back in college. But she figured it was because he was showing her attention when Brad hadn’t been. It was a little unnerving to realize she still had that crush and that waitress flirting with him and handing her number had struck a nerve Fallon hadn’t been ready to admit; still wasn’t ready if she were being honest with herself. Well, she was just going to have to work through it all, wasn’t she? She was well into the third movie and her second glass of wine when the muffled calls of her name and the banging on her door caught her attention. She paused the movie, and wrapped in her throw, padded down the handful of stairs to the door. She didn’t bother checking to see who it was, there were only two people stupid enough to come knocking at her door at random hours of the night.

Fallon figured it was Myles wanting someone to go out with, because Gabe had his “date” but when she swung the door open, her pale eyes widened in surprise. “Gabe?!” she asked, confused. She was sure he’d still be out enjoying the night and probably getting a little something and regretting it all the morning after. Sighing, she leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms. He was drunk, so clearly the date hadn’t gone well. Without saying a word, she rolled her eyes, grabbed his hand and practically dragged him through the door. “Skank walked out? she asked shutting and locking the door up again, not even attempting to be sweet, peaceful Fallon. She had nearly two bottles of wine under her belt and a full on pity party happening. So, she really didn’t give a damn at the moment, though she’d try.

Tags|| Gabe!
Words|| 804
Clothes She's One Hell of a Hot Mess
Music|| Springsteen by Eric Church
Notes|| She went a little.... rambly and she wanted to be a little bit mean before the mini confession xD <3 <3 <3

[Gabriel Pearce Fitzpatrick]

This sort of thing had happened to Gabe throughout his whole life and it was hardly a secret. Myles and Fallon got most of the details of his failings before now and each time they managed to cheer him up with a good night out and some old jokes, but he didn’t think the same treatment would cure him this time. There had to be something else, something more about why these girls wouldn’t stick with him long enough for him to prove himself to them. Was he so boring that they couldn’t stand to give him half an hour longer? And why, with so many girls, did he always end up as the guy they came to when their hearts were broken. They never knew that they had broken his, but they expected him to piece theirs back together. He needed answers. He needed to know why his love life was always such a damn mess with no one around to help him clean it up.

Tonight, he needed more than just his charismatic Frat buddy. He needed the one person who saw him most away from the parties and the boyish nature of Pi Kappa Phi. He needed Fallon. He needed her more than anyone else in the world right now. She’d have answers. She’d have to considering that long ago she had been one of those many girls who had unintentionally broken Gabe’s heart. When they had met back at UCLA, Gabe had been amazed by her and through that attraction was keen to get to know her better, which he did, but right before he was about to ask her out, Brad had appeared, throwing his arm over Fallon’s shoulder. Once again, there was another guy Gabe couldn’t compete with and once again he had to settle for being nothing more than a good friend to the blonde he eventually got over. At least, that’s what he had told himself as he embarked on more failing dates. Still, repeat something often enough and you start to believe it. He wouldn’t admit that part of his move to New York was spurred on also because he would be near her again. Of course, who wouldn’t want to be near to their two best friends, right?

He knew it wouldn’t take much for Fallon to see just how drunk he was. It was rare that he ever got to this stage when he was drinking, usually too busy looking out for Myles or Fallon herself. Still, he had no one to care about tonight and his own feelings were finally bowing under the weight of all these unanswered questions he had avoided for years, never wanting to sound like such a whining little kid who couldn’t land himself a girlfriend. As she dragged him inside, his clumsiness mixed with the alcohol in his system and he quickly found himself on the floor, face down, sighing to himself as her words hit him. Sure, she didn’t interfere since it was his life to live, but still, it would’ve been nice to hear a warning sooner, even if Gabe didn’t heed it. Rolling onto his back and raising the bottle to his lips to down the final dregs, he stared at the ceiling. “Skank walked out with the bartender on her arm.”

[/color] He slurred, forcing himself back to his feet and dropping the bottle carelessly onto the nearest surface.

Looking around her apartment, Gabe tried to pull himself together. However, little success came from that and very quickly, he erupted impulsively; something he never did. Spinning around to face Fallon, he pushed his hair back from his face, not giving a single damn that it stuck out every which way now. “C’mon then! Tell me, what exactly is it that makes me more hideous than Beast? What the hell is so wrong with me that every girl has to choose the muscle and the stereotypical hot LA guys a million times over before they’d even look at me?!”[/color] He tripped over again and this time just stayed down, sighing to himself and shaking his head softly before looking up at the petite blonde. “C’mon Fall, what’s my tragic flaw?”[/color] At twenty five years of age he should have had at least one serious relationship under his belt already, but there was nothing more than a long line of failed dates, short lived relationships and unresolved feelings.
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• • •

TAGGED! Fallon!
WORDS! 772!
OUTFIT! Hot Stuff!
LYRICS! Take My Hand - - - Simple Plan
NOTES! <3

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

Fallon almost felt like she should have warned him that waitress was going to be some stupid slut. But she was feeling a little childish and petty and decided to let him figure it out all on his own. Myles wouldn’t help him, he’d just be impressed. Of course, being a guy he hadn’t figured anything out until it was far too late. Like she realized far too late that she liked him; really like him. It felt too late now though, like she’d missed her chance and she wasn’t about to get a new one. She was just going to be that friend that was always there with the truth whether they wanted to hear it or not. Fallon made a face. “The bartender? Really? Jesus, I definitely did not see that coming,” she said, mostly muttering to herself. Of course, she hadn’t exactly been thinking about his date either. But now it was on her mind, along with a million other things she still didn’t want to think about. She didn’t want to think about it, think about any of it.

Why the hell had she been with Brad for so long? Most people broke off any relationships before they started college. But no, not Fallon. She’d been in love with the idea of love back then, and now she knew better. She knew it took more than what she thought she’d had. It had been far too easy to do what she pleased when she pleased and Brad hadn’t said a damn thing other than “Love you” and “go have fun!” She was such a fool, and wished more than anything she could get back all those years. She’d do something she never thought about before.

Sighing, Fallon was mixed between getting another bottle of wine and wishing she hadn’t drank so damn much in the first place. She wasn’t quite drunk enough that she would forget, stumble or slur, but enough that she’d lost most of her compassion and sympathy. At least, she thought she had; apparently, like everything else that night, she was wrong. She unwrapped herself from the throw and tossed it down on Gabe before settled cross-legged in next to him. She didn’t try getting him to the couch; she was surprised he made it so far with the stumbling anyway. She hadn’t sat on the floor since she was in high school and yet here the two were, sitting where Gabe fell. “Those girls that chase those LA guys don’t know what they’re missing out on. They’re stupid, foolish people. I would know,” she said, realizing more and more that she was one of those girls in a way; yet another girl for her to feel really stupid about. “You’re a wonderful man, Gabe and if they can’t see how amazing you are they aren’t worth worrying over,” she added, standing up and fixing her shirt and shorts before reaching her hand out to him. “Now get up, Einstein. The floor is for walking, not sleeping.”

Tags|| Gabe!
Words|| 504
Clothes She's One Hell of a Hot Mess
Music|| Springsteen by Eric Church
Notes|| xD <3 <3 <3

[Gabriel Pearce Fitzpatrick]

Growing up Gabe had watched his older brothers get the girls, but unlike him they weren’t fixated on a world of academia quite like he was. They were both athletic; one a swimmer, the other a hockey star. They had their pick of the girls and Gabe had dreamt of that too. Not quite in the same way that they did; he wanted a girlfriend he could spend time with and laugh with, not just someone who would crawl into bed with him. Still, that was pretty much what he ended up with. For the girls who did finish a date it was just another stereotype they could cross off their list; the geek. Eventually, the “friend zone” became a place he was all too familiar with and whilst he was well liked at school, it still did him no favours. Romance was dead in his life long before it had a chance to bloom. His longest relationship was a week shy of two months and all because the girl wanted to screw one of the other Frat guys instead. Luckily for Gabe, bros really did come before hoes and his Pi Kappa Phi family quickly sent her away.

Still, it hardly changed a thing. The girl he had wanted the most was just like the rest; attracted to an LA tan and a charismatic attitude. Gabe should’ve known that his brains didn’t stand a chance. He was just another cute, lanky friend who posed very little of a threat. She hadn’t wanted him back then and nothing changed since then. He took on the role he always did; the best friend, and smiled when she was around, hugging her when the days were bad. He played the gentleman and the joker and kept everything locked inside; knowing that once again, it would just be him and his books after the next party came to a close. He didn’t like one night stands as much as Myles clearly did, but when a girl actually wanted to leave with Gabe it gave him a spark of hope that he wasn’t entirely destined for a life alone…then, they’d be gone before the hangover set in and whilst his Frat brothers would slap him on the back and congratulate him, he’d feel nothing more than a pain in his chest at how another girl clearly only wanted someone to go home with, rather than anything more.

He was still a romantic at heart and it was probably what made him more vulnerable when girls like Kelli abandoned him for the bartender. Every girl he spoke to was a chance to break his terrible pattern but so far all they did was contribute to it. “Neither did I. At least not until she went to the bathroom and came back with him on her arm and said; “I had sort of a great time, but Tony knows this awesome band playing downtown so I’m gonna go with him. Ciao.””

[/color] He groaned and pushed his hair back again, shaking his head at his own stupidity. How on earth did he think that date could’ve gone well? She really had been a skank.

Gabe stared at the throw for a few moments, pushing his glasses back up on his nose before burying himself under in, pausing for a moment to think about how it smelt exactly like Fallon. He really shouldn’t have been thinking such things, but he put it down to the alcohol and how much he wanted to be around her right now, rather than any lingering feelings from the past. When she sat down next to him, he wanted to cuddle up to her side as though it would make it all better. Instead, he just sniffed and stared at his Converse whilst she spoke. Eventually, he looked across at her and raised an eyebrow. He was beyond caring now and he just needed to know the truth more than anything. Was he too smart? Spend too much time on his work? “Yeah, well you grew up around most of them. I’m surprised you didn’t turn into one yourself. No, wait, let me guess, you dated one of them during some experimental phase?”[/color] He didn’t know what was coming out of his mouth now, it was all just word vomit and he didn’t even care. He had quite simply had enough of his poor heart being toyed with. “If I was such a wonderful man then why are you the only girl who’s always been there for me? Hm? There should be another; one who isn’t my best friend.”[/color] He said in a sulk, pulling the throw over himself more.

He looked up at her, his eyes examining her top for a moment. “That’s my shirt.”[/color] He stated bluntly as he accepted her hand and came to stand on unstable legs. Without another word, he looked around and turned in the direction of the couch, throwing himself over the back of it and landing unceremoniously on the soft cushions.
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• • •

TAGGED! Fallon!
WORDS! 873!
OUTFIT! Hot Stuff!
LYRICS! Take My Hand - - - Simple Plan
NOTES! <3

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

Fallon didn’t pretend to understand the male brain, hell she didn’t pretend to understand her own mind! She was too messed up to know what’s going on in her own head, let alone someone else’s. She needed therapy, years of it, apparently. Sometimes, as awful as it was, she wished she could be more carefree like Myles. He never let anything faze him; everything just rolled off him. She had a habit of taking more to heart than she let on. She wasn’t that strong, confident girl her best friends thought she was. She may not have cried often but she still held on to too much; though it was her cross to bear. Fallon groaned, letting her head fall backwards to stare up at the ceiling. Where the hell were these girls coming from? New York was just as full of them as LA had been and that was a nightmare to a girl like Fallon. She didn’t do the one night stand thing, despite what everyone thought. She hadn’t even tried dating yet since she’d found Brad so compromised. She hadn’t had the heart to get it broken again. “She said “ciao”, honestly? Like there was absolutely nothing wrong with what she was doing?” she asked when she finally looked at him. How could someone do that to their date? The world would be a better place without them in it. She shook her head but what else could she say really, that didn’t bring up topics she wasn’t ready to talk about yet? So she fixated on the exotic farewell.

“Talking to you drunk is like talking to a bloody brick wall,” she said when she finally looked at him again. She closed her eyes and sighed, hating to say the words she was just barely holding back. She’d wanted to tell Gabe about everything that happened with her former fiancé, but she’d been too embarrassed at not seeing it herself that she didn’t want to hear the words “I knew it!” come from his lips. "Because I took off my rose coloured glasses the moment I found my fiancé bent over his desk with his co-worker, Jason. I had a shock to my system like no other, and they haven't had that yet to realize the guys they're with are going to run out on them because they're too self centered. One day they'll find that "perfect guy" in bed with another woman, or man," she said with tears welling in the corners of her eyes. "I was so blind, Gabe, so blind" she whispered, laughing harshly at the past, trying to will the tears away before they fell uselessly. She wasn't upset about it anymore; she couldn't be. But she was mad, mad at herself for being one of those fooling, moronic girls who thought life was all sunshine and daisies. “Clearly the right girl just hasn’t fallen into your lap yet,” she said, frustration tinting her tone.

Fallon looked down at her shirt, pulling it out for a better view, though she knew perfectly well what she was wearing. "No. You're using the wrong tense. It should be "That was my shirt". It's not now," she said with a small smile, trying to add a teasing touch to a tense situation. She didn't want to admit to taking it when she was helping him back up. At the time she hadn't thought she'd see him again; or at least so often. When school was done and he said he was going back home for a bit, Fallon thought that was the end of it all. And she was full of regrets. But she still kept quiet about her inner turmoil, because she hadn't wanted him leaving confused. More, she hadn't wanted to confess and him leave anyway. Maybe a little bit of it was selfish, but she had been the one slowly breaking away every time he brought another girl home. Yes, in college, she'd technically been taken, but she knew now, that had been a cover for something Brad hadn't been ready to admit to the world; she'd been used. Carefully, Fallon followed Gabe over to her couch, watched cringing as he threw himself over the back onto the cushions and let out her breath when he didn’t hit the floor on the other side. She’d done that herself enough time to know it wouldn’t hurt drunk, but hung-over it would be a bitch. She felt like the drunk train stopped at sober station way too fast. Rolling her eyes, she pushed at Gabe’s side until he wasn’t sprawled before sitting on the edge of the couch, twisting to face him with her bent knee across his stomach, still mostly taken up by his drunk, lanky body.

Tags|| Gabe!
Words|| 794
Clothes She's One Hell of a Hot Mess
Music|| Springsteen by Eric Church
Notes|| xD <3 <3 <3

[Gabriel Pearce Fitzpatrick]

Gabe couldn’t understand how any of this worked. Fallon seemed more than happy to be single since Brad had been removed from the picture and Myles was more than content to bring a new girl home each weekend for some short lived fling. Gabe wanted someone who he could talk to, who he could drop in on unannounced from time to time for lunch or dinner. He wanted to be able to talk about his work without someone quickly changing the subject. He didn’t need them to understand any of it, but just to listen and take a tiny interest in what he had to say. He wanted to have a girl who he could joke around with, go to when he was having a bad day, share memories with and tease each other about silly things like how lanky and pale he was or how short she was. Essentially, he wanted a girl like Fallon, but to admit to that would make everything so very awkward between them both and if he had to choose, he valued their friendship more than he valued confessing to those old lingering feelings. Looking up, he nodded, letting out a long sigh. “Yup. Apparently, working in an Italian bistro gives her the right to butcher the language too.”

[/color] He said, still unable to believe what had happened and how casual Kelli had been about it all.

He glared at her, unable to understand what she meant and too drunk right now to question it further. It was one of those things he’d ask her about if the memory remained after the hangover subsided. Still, he paid attention to her follow-up tale, his mouth forming a little ‘o’ shape as his eyes widened and he realised what she was saying. Brad was gay?! It did explain a whole lot to the lanky doctorate student and memories that hinted as such came back to his drunken mind. Back in college, no one had questioned Brad’s lax approach to his relationship with Fallon. She was ‘one of the guys’ to most and was trustworthy enough that they knew they wouldn’t find her trying to seduce the Fraternities she socialised with. Still, he felt pissed at Brad for using her like that and for a guy who rarely felt angry, it was safe to say that it was a good job there was a lot of distance between them now. Gabe did not have the brawn for a physical fight, but he had the intelligence to potentially ruin something for the lying love rat. It seemed to make sense all of a sudden as to why Fallon hadn’t dated since, too. He frowned, swinging his arm until it was around her shoulders and he could pull her closer to his side. “You weren’t blind, Fall. You just trusted him and there’s nothing wrong with that.”[/color] He forced his stubborn limbs to move more and then cuddled her closer, wrapping his other arm around her in a comforting hug. “I always thought you deserved better than him anyway. You deserve someone who will be there whenever you need him and who will sweep you off your feet and remind you, every day, just how beautiful you are.”[/color] He may have been drunk but he was also being 100% honest. She deserved more than Brad had given her, but back then Gabe had stayed quiet, knowing that it was hardly any of his business. Suddenly, one memory came back and Gabe sat up straighter and turned to Fallon with wide, fearful eyes. “Brad kissed me on a ‘dare’ at the Spring Break party in sophomore year! There’s a photo of it in the scrapbook!”[/color] He confessed, quickly shaking his head to try and rid his mind of the thought.

His eyes still fixed on the shirt, he pointed at her, shaking his finger and his head. “I spent forever looking for that until my mom forced me to order a new one. She was sick of me raiding the laundry back home for it.”[/color] He told her, throwing her a suspicious look.
Once she settled onto the couch, Gabe decided that he wasn’t comfortable again and grabbed her ankles as he moved his position, carefully placing them back down across his lap once he was sitting upright again, though the room was still spinning before him and he had a feeling that it had no intention of slowing down any time soon. “What am I doing wrong, Fall? Is it the big puppy eyes? The floppy hair? The library being my second home?”[/color] He sighed again, still wallowing in his own self-pity. “See you? You’re...you're perfect. You’re smart, funny and gorgeous…you just need to have some faith in us men again. I suggest you give the unmanly ones a chance though, because we ain’t all that bad once you get to know us. We’re just a bit dorky, but we give out great hugs.”[/color] Once again, Gabe didn’t know what words were spilling from his lips and so he finally fell silent, just resting his head back against the couch and staring up at the ceiling lights.
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• • •

TAGGED! Fallon!
WORDS! 899!
OUTFIT! Hot Stuff!
LYRICS! Take My Hand - - - Simple Plan
NOTES! <3

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

Fallon hadn’t wanted to admit it to herself, and it only became crystal clear with that stupid waitress how much she was... pining for Gabe. She may not have wanted the white picket fence or the two point four children. She sure as hell didn’t want to be carting kids around to soccer matches, hockey leagues and guitar lessons. What she wanted was that messy hair, those geeky chic glasses, that ridiculously goofy grin of his. At one point, she just told herself she’d rather be alone than have her heart broken by her best friend. So she’d buried it deep down until now; until the dam burst and she was flooded with emotions she hadn’t wanted to think about for years now. “Well, we can’t let the murder of an ancient, romantic language by some dumb skank who can’t figure out anything other than a single word.” Fallon couldn’t speak a dozen languages. She could barely get English right half the time, forget bringing in another. But she also wasn’t about to run away to Florence and speak Italian fluently, either.

She started shaking her head, denying his words but her voice caught in her throat and instead let out a small squeal as she slid across the floor, closer to Gabe. She lifted her hand up to wrap her fingers around his forearm. “Yes, I was but that’s okay. I was young and naïve,” she said and meant it. She’d had the time to process it and she was alright now. It had taken a while but she really was okay. With Gabe’s arms wrapped around her, Fallon felt safe; safer than she had in a while. She buried her face in his shoulder, wrapping her arms around him, too. “That only happens in fairy tales and I'm not a princess,” she said into his shoulders. She laughed, trying to hide it behind a cough, but it was a failure. “I bet he liked it a hell of a lot better than you did,” she said, shaking her head and grinning. She wasn’t mad about any of it anymore; not really. She’d had a while to get over the shock, the anger, the complete and utter embarrassment. Now it was just another story from her past. And probably the only one she thought she’d never repeat. “I’ll call her tomorrow and apologize for putting her through the trauma,” she said, holding up three fingers. “Scout’s Honour!”

Letting everything slip past felt like a weight was lifted from her shoulders. She’d been holding on to that for so long, alone. She hadn’t even told Trevor, the man that raised her, knew everything about Fallon. She’d been mad yes, but not mad enough to be questioned by police as to why her fiancé was missing; because Trevor would have killed him. She knew, even back then, if she’d told a single person she called a close friend, Brad would be missing and half the Pi Kappa Phi’s would be up on suspicion; not to mention her uncle. No, at the time it had been better to wallow in self-pity and run to Gabe only telling him they split up.

Fallon stared wide-eyed at her friend as a blush crept up to settle on her cheeks. Where was this coming from? She wanted to roll her eyes at the compliments. After all, she’d just admitted the one secret she’d ever had. She hardly thought his words about her were true, not right now, but she wasn’t about to ruin a perfectly good moment by saying as much. She was blonde, not an idiot. “Those big puppy dog eyes are working for you. And you do give the best hugs.” At least those big puppy dog eyes, floppy hair and brains really worked for her. She fell silent, sitting next to Gabe. She wasn’t going to have another chance like this again; she was going to take it despite the repercussions of the situation. She wasn’t sure how she managed to, but with a little maneuvering, Fallon was facing Gabe, sitting in his lap with her legs to either side of his. Before she let her head get the better of her and stop her, her hands were to either side of his face and she was pressing her lips to his; throwing inhibition to the wind. Slowly her fingers up to push his hair out of his face, pressing herself closer.

Tags|| Gabe!
Words|| 740
Clothes She's One Hell of a Hot Mess
Music|| Springsteen by Eric Church
Notes||Ummm.... xD <3 <3 <3

[Gabriel Pearce Fitzpatrick]

If Gabe thought about this when he was sober things would make so much sense. It wouldn’t be the sense he wanted to admit to, but it was more obvious now than it had ever been that his feelings for Fallon hadn’t faded at all. In fact, all he’d managed to do was to lock them away in a box for a handful of years and ignore them, pretending that if he didn’t acknowledge them then they would go away once and for all. That technique hadn’t worked so well and it took half a bar practically to make him see that. There was a reason Gabe rarely got trashed out of his mind and this was probably it. He wanted to preserve his dignity and keep his friendship with Fallon intact, without blurting something out that would make it so awkward for them both to deal with. Confessions of feelings were not easily forgotten and even when things would’ve seemed to be alright again, something would happen to remind them of it and then that awkward tension would return until eventually one of them moved away for good. At least, that was what Gabe believed would happen anyway.

Sighing, he leaned closer to Fallon and shook his head, the word vomit spilling from his mouth now like a waterfall. Tomorrow, he’d probably regret saying half of this stuff, despite him believing it entirely to be true. “You were young and beautiful.”

[/color] He said softly, chuckling softly as those college days of UCLA came back to him. “Do you know how many of Pi Kappa Phi couldn’t keep their eyes off you the first time you came over?”[/color] He told her, breaking one of the brotherly bonds. They had vowed never to say anything to her about it and none of them would act upon it; she became one of the guys far too quickly, but Gabe’s feelings for her had always been there, even when he wasn’t conscious of them. Resting his head closer to hers, he realised just how warm he was thanks to the copious amounts of alcohol he had gotten through before arriving here. “You’re a princess in my eyes.”[/color] He whispered, swallowing nervously the second he had said it, quickly regaining control of his runaway mouth and thoughts. He was a smart guy and he shouldn’t be letting his emotions run away with him like this; not when he had spent years keeping them in check so as not to freak Fallon out.

Forget everything else. Gabe was content right here and right now with Fallon in his arms. Nothing else needed to be said about Brad ever again. Okay, so the guy had been trying to hide who he really was and Gabe couldn’t be angry at him for that, but to go so far as to get engaged to Fallon? To use her like she was just some LA blonde who wouldn’t notice or car? It almost made Gabe wish he had made a move on her back at UCLA, regardless of her relationship with him. At least Gabe knew how to treat her right, how to make her smile. It was a good job none of them resided in LA permanently anymore, otherwise Gabe knew that one drunk night with Myles and the pair of them would’ve been at Brad’s door with payback in mind. That had never happened though. Even when she had broken up with Brad, the Pi Kappa Phis had kept the peace solely because a full Fraternity war was not what anyone needed. Still, Brad was shunned at most of the parties and it didn’t take a genius to figure out why. Gabe had played his role as best friend and comforted her, wishing he could say more, but to confess to feelings then would only make things weirder and play on her vulnerabilities; Gabe wasn’t that guy.

Sitting there, he slowly began to realise that the box was open and those well hidden sentiments were threatening to spill out entirely. He was hardly in control of himself right now and all it would take would be the right moment, the perfect comment and he was at risk of sounding more than sorrowful and needy. He’d sound like a guy from one of those romantic comedy movies that had harboured such strong feelings for so long that they’d just explode from him until it was like a weight had been lifted from his thin shoulders. They sat in silent, Gabe not knowing what to say anymore without pleading for answers to the questions circling around his brain like a pack of vultures over his dead love life. He felt her moving and looked up at her with confusion in his dark eyes as he found himself almost pinned to the couch by her. His hands gently skimmed up her legs to her waist. Those feelings had well and truly escaped now and before she even had his face in her hands, his breath was short and heavy, his heart beating faster and his eyes focused on her full lips. The second their lips connected, something exploded inside of him; the sensible Gabe breaking through the drunken haze. He pushed her away and stared up at her in shock and confusion, not knowing what to say. Impulse quickly took over though and his grip on her tightened, pulling her as close to his body as possible before crashing his lips back to hers with seven years of passion behind the kiss.
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• • •

TAGGED! Fallon!
WORDS! 958!
OUTFIT! Hot Stuff!
LYRICS! Take My Hand - - - Simple Plan
NOTES! O.O … <3

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

She had been raised in the world of Hollywood, but Trevor hadn’t made her conform to his world; their world. She had been the kid on set playing hide and seek with assistants, make-up artists, really anyone who was available. When she’d gotten older, she got to be more a part of the scene, working and learning. Trevor had raised her to be herself and that was who she was. She couldn’t be anyone else. But growing up in a world where there were beautiful people running around all the time had been daunting. Fal rolled her eyes. She’d heard the lines, said the appropriate responses but hadn’t really believed them. She still hadn’t believed in high school when the only girlfriends she ever made kept laughing at her obliviousness. By the time she hit college, she noticed the stares, wondered what the hell they were looking at, what made them nearly run into street lamps or other people. She shrugged it off most of the time; until Gabe. He’d said little things like that all the time and though it had seemed off hand, Fallon had taken it to heart. It was a shame she’d been so enthralled with that jerk.

“Yeah, because every guy loves a girl that can drink them under the table, then dance on it afterwards without missing a beat or losing her six inch heels,” she said blandly. Unfortunately, she could believe those words, she’d seen a few of them with a lingering smile and offering to help with anything she needed just one too many times. Though she had felt that changed after that first party, but maybe that was because of the pact they made, bringing her in as one of the guys and not as some girl wanting to cross off sleeping with an entire frat off her list.

She shook her head, running her hands over her face and hair. “You’re drunk and talking nonsense,” she said, fighting herself on wanting to believe his words at face value and knowing he was only saying them to make her feel better and get a smile out of her. She didn’t want to hear anymore, afraid she was just drunk enough to do something awkward and regretful. And she was still a little numb about her feelings. She adored Gabe, always had, and had always thought they weren’t as serious as they were. She’d thought it was a small little crush that would dissipate over time. But instead, she’d locked them away and had gone on without thinking about it again. Damn that stupid bitch waitress. She could still be living a half-life if only she hadn’t strayed.

Fallon felt her heart starting to break, thinking that she’d finally followed her impulse and feeling and he didn’t like her like that. What the hell was she thinking?! Of course he didn’t like her like that, who would? She was a mess. Her eyes were wide, looking into his dark eyes. Seven years, she’d held herself in check and now she’d given in. Her breathing was harsh, ragged, her pulse was racing. Fallon’s hands had dropped down as she’d been pushed away to his chest to keep herself steady, waiting for him to push her away fully. But that moment never came and in the next his hold on her sides tightened, bring her closer than before. Seven years of pent up feelings being unleashed in a single storm of emotion; it had been a long time coming. Her hands ran up, searching out his hair to run her fingers through the silky mass. Fallon had always wondered what it would be like to kiss Gabe, run her fingers through his hair while his mouth and hands ravaged her body. Smiling against his lips, Fallon was surprised to find her fingers unsteady as they found the top button of his shirt; it had to go.

Tags|| Gabe!
Words|| 652
Clothes She's One Hell of a Hot Mess
Music|| Springsteen by Eric Church
Notes||Ummm.... xD <3 <3 <3

[Gabriel Pearce Fitzpatrick]

Before he had moved out to California, Gabe didn’t think that there would be quite so big a difference out there from Nebraska. Sure, he expected the obvious changes like the weather and the lifestyle, but that really was just the tip of the iceberg and for the first few months he really was lost. It was probably one of the other underlying reasons why he ended up in Pi Kappa Phi too; the guys there really did help him settle into UCLA life a lot easier than he could’ve done alone. Fallon too, had been exactly the kind of person who he needed, though it would’ve been a whole lot easier if he hadn’t almost tripped over and face planted the sidewalk the second they met. Luckily for Gabe, he was clumsy by nature, so it wasn’t as comical as the movies and cartoons made it out to be, but still, it wasn’t his most graceful moment. She was beautiful though and the more time they spent together the more he had found himself falling for her, until Brad walked onto the scene that is and made his presence known to the lanky anthropologist. It was another blow to him, but if he had known then what he did now, then he would’ve wasted no time in trying to show Fallon that not all guys were going to turn out to be such stupid assholes.

“I know one guy that did.”

[/color] He whispered under his breath, the alcohol in his system forcing the words out before he could stop them. He didn’t know if Fallon heard them or not, but he looked towards the wall, regardless. His stomach was twisting itself into knots thanks to how close he was skirting to confessing the truth. How had he managed to blissfully ignore it for all these years? Gabe usually wore his heart on his sleeve so why had it taken the remainder of his wages and a bar to remind him of these hidden feelings? He was shocked and confused by it all, but there was something inside of him just telling him to get it over with. If he kept delivering stupid, sappy lines like that she’d soon figure out what he was hinting towards and then he wouldn’t have a leg to stand on to defend himself with. No, he couldn’t tell her any of this, surely?! Turning to face her, he swallowed hard, shaking his head softly and smiling a small lopsided smile. “I’m drunk and saying what I should’ve said a long time ago.”[/color] Suddenly, sensible Gabe made an appearance and he cleared his throat, pushing his hair back again. “Yeah, I’m drunk. Dionysus would be proud of a little guy like me right now.”[/color] He said with a laugh, hoping and wishing that the thick tension enveloping the room might fade with one of his geeky jokes.

Gabe could not believe that this was happening. Fallon had kissed him. She had kissed him. She was sitting in his lap and seven years of secret emotions had finally erupted free from his locked heart the second their lips had met. He saw the fear in her wide eyes as he pushed her away, but there were no words to explain to her what he was thinking right now. All he wanted to do was kiss her again. His lips moved against hers and one arm wrapped itself tightly around her waist, his fingers sliding just under the hemline of what was once his shirt to feel the supple skin of her lower back. His other hand left her side and travelled up to her neck, tilting her head softly so that he could move his lips along her jawline as her fingers fumbled with the first button of his shirt. Was this really happening? Sober thoughts were breaking through, telling him to stop, that he was drunk and this wasn’t the right time, but impulse and desire had the better hand and he sought out her lips again, already addicted to her kiss.
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• • •

TAGGED! Fallon!
WORDS! 714!
OUTFIT! Hot Stuff!
LYRICS! Take My Hand - - - Simple Plan
NOTES! O.O … <3

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

Fallon stared at him, eyes narrowed in confusion. What did that mean? Was she not supposed to have heard him? This night was only getting weirder. She really would be a damn good actress. Not tonight, not for the last few days, since that lunch they’d had. She couldn’t hide anything very well right now, unless it was hidden behind her temper or work. She didn’t want to avoid him, but she found herself not hanging out with him those few days. She had a pretty good excuse, with all the homework she had to grade, movies she needed to watch and email her comments and suggestions. She hadn’t meant to be avoiding anyone, but she couldn’t really be around Gabe until she had figured out what was going in her head.

The young blonde found herself smiling a genuine smile for the first time all day. She shook her head, chuckling softly. “I really should crack open that book that’s been sitting on my coffee table for a week now,” she said, smirking. It hadn’t been there a week ago, but she couldn’t say that after he’d left her at her office she’d taken some time and snuck out to Borders to buy a couple mythology books. She really hadn’t been interested before then. It had been a subconscious effort to be able to understand at least a little bit of all the things he told her. Sometimes she felt a little stupid compared to him. He was just so intelligent; she understood how some would think he was intimidating at first. It was funny to remember that he had been in a Frat during college; just another crazy party boy. She knew better and that intelligence was just another thing to love about him.

It was a little surreal. Not twenty minutes ago Fallon was pouting and wallowing in self-pity because she couldn’t have the one man she’d been unconsciously pining for, for seven years. And the next he was at her door, drunk and depressed. Then the next thing she knew she was kissing him; making the first move. Opening her heart up again. She was trying to be slow, unbuttoning his shirt. But it was seven years in the making, there would be time for slow later so she made quick work of them until she was pushing away the sides and running her hands up his chest, pushing the shirt away from his shoulders. Her dreams about this were so far from the real thing. She was supposed to be an artist of sorts and yet her imagination was such a failure in comparison. Wasn’t that sort of backwards? She had shivers going down her spine; her skin was scorching where he touched. She couldn’t get close enough to him. She broke their kiss, lowering her forehead to his. “Take me upstairs, Gabe,” she whispered against his ear before nipping at his earlobe, trailing back down to his lips again. Now that they’d started, Fallon couldn’t get enough of him. She was addicted to his touch.

Tags|| Gabe!
Words|| 511
Clothes She's One Hell of a Hot Mess
Music|| Springsteen by Eric Church
Notes||Ummm.... xD <3 <3 <3

[Gabriel Pearce Fitzpatrick]

Going so long without really seeing Fallon had been a little odd, but Gabe hadn’t thought much of it. She was busy grading her students’ work and he had plenty of things to be getting on with in the library stacks, as always. Sure, he missed her, but it had taken him until tonight to realise exactly why he often found himself drawn to her office for lunch or for a quick break. It had been an unconscious ideal to spend time with her and he realised during their time apart just how much he could switch off when she was around and stop worrying about everything he said. She had always been the one girl who had understood him, even when she didn’t quite know what the hell he was talking about.

For the longest time now, Gabe had felt as though his intelligence had been hindering his chances with women. That was why he saved most of his academic ramblings for Fallon or his mom. Not many people were interested in what he knew or studied and his desire for more education was something rarely seen in most people. In fact, out of his friends, he was the only one still at university to gain another level to his degree. Once this was done, he could proudly swan about as a Doctor; just not the kind a girl’s mother would be in favour of. However, Gabe didn’t think of it like that and the one thing that overpowered his need for romance was his thirst for knowledge. Mythology might have been outdated, but it was amazing and brilliant and had an answer for almost everything. He had tried in vain to get others to see it the way he did when it was combined with his anthropology studies, but not that many people could keep up with his ramblings. Chuckling softly, Gabe leaned back and let out a contented sigh, all thoughts of Kelli far from his mind right now. “Greek God of wine, and in many accounts, God of ecstasy and madness.”

[/color] The title rolled off his tongue with far too much ease for the average drunk man.

If someone had stopped him in the bar and told him that he would be on Fallon’s couch making out with her later that night, he probably would’ve spat his drink on them. When he had shown up at her door, this had not been his intention, but the college boy in him quickly returned to take control of his inhibitions and rid him of them through drunken confessions and now this. Clearly, there was part of him which was fed up of ignoring what he felt, locking it all away and getting broken by another girl who would never, in a million years, equate to what Fallon meant to him. He let go of her only long enough to shrug his arms out of his shirt, before pulling her closer again. His breathing was ragged and he was sure the lack of oxygen was making him dizzy, but he couldn’t pull his lips away. He needed to have her, memorise every part of her body and show her just how much she meant to him. Words would never be enough. His hands slipped back to her sides under the thin t-shirt, fingers splayed over her soft skin. Never, in a million years, did he expect this to be happening and the second she verbalised her intentions, his heart almost stopped. Breathing heavily, he pulled her closer, locking his arms around her as his lips hungrily met hers once more. Somehow, he pushed himself to his feet, stumbling slightly with a mixture of lust, intoxication and Gabe-like clumsiness as he turned towards her bedroom, wasting little time to get her there as his fiery desire finally consumed him.
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• • •

TAGGED! Fallon!
WORDS! 674!
OUTFIT! Hot Stuff!
LYRICS! Take My Hand - - - Simple Plan
NOTES! And “…” <3

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

Fallon laughed, “Sounds like a fun guy! Bet he was one hell of a party boy.” Despite the fact she didn’t understand half the things he talked about, Fallon loved listening to Gabe’s stories. She should have known some of these tales, growing up where movies had been loosely based on the Gods of Mount Olympus and the like, but none of it had stuck apparently; never mind that Gabe had tried uselessly more times than she cared to count since their fateful meeting. Clearly she needed to pay more attention to Gabe’s work ramblings. Fallon had been waiting for this. To be with someone she knew truly cared for her. Unconsciously, she’d been holding out, afraid of getting her heart shattered. But with Gabe, she knew he cared about her in some way, and he wouldn’t go breaking her heart into pieces. He’d always been too good to her.

Hell, half the Pi Kappa Phi brothers were better to her than her own boyfriend had been; Gabe more so, though. That should have been another sign something was wrong, but like she said, she’d been young and foolish. She wasn’t so young now and she certainly wasn’t foolish. She knew what she was getting into by whispering those words in his ear. She couldn’t catch her breath, wrapping her arms and legs around him tight so she wouldn’t fall as he carried her to the bedroom. Pieces of clothing seemed to scatter around the room once they were in there and Fallon’s laugh was low and husky when Gabe joined her. Finally, she thought.

. . .The Next Morning

Fallon felt her brain wake up long before her body was ready to move. She felt thoroughly used and absolutely wonderful. It was such a great dream. She didn’t want to wake up from it. Yawning, Fal rolled over, trying to find that dream in the back of her imagination when she hit a wall of solid warmth. Her pale eyes snapped opened, remembering the night before. It hadn’t been a dream at all. She and Gabe had slept together. A blush crept up her cheeks, thinking about everything that happened. She remembered the passion, the sweet kisses. She had felt better the night before than she had in forever. It was still a bit of a shock to the system. She had planned on watching a bunch of movies before falling into her bed alone and waking up to her kitten scratching at her bedroom door, searching out her owner for food.

Nowhere in the plans she had made for last night had included a drunken Gabe showing up at her door. She had not planned for floodgates, or secrets being told. There was no extra time for confessions or knowing how right it was to be in his arms, kissing him and having him kiss her back. Sleepily, Fallon lifted her fingers to her lips. They still felt hot from the searing kisses. And she wouldn’t trade a second of the night they’d shared together for anything in the world as awkward it could turn out to be. She’d been thinking about him nearly nonstop; always going back to the same question: Why those girls? It had been a sore spot for her. Now she had another question. What did this mean for them? Maybe it had been a bad idea but she didn’t think it was. How could something that felt so right be so wrong? Is someone had told her the day before, when she was leaving work that he’d show up at her door, that one thing would lead to another, she would have choked on her coffee, sputtering. Gabe had always seemed like he was just a little too out of her reach.

And yet here she was curled into his side, absently worrying her lip and wondering what the hell was going to happen next. Surely a winged pig would be flying past her window at any moment. She didn’t know what to say. She was happy about what they’d shared, but words were escaping the usually talkative blonde professor. Maybe she could pretend she was still asleep. Though, really, how long could she keep that up for? Fallon buried herself deeper into Gabe’s side, willing herself to fall back asleep before he woke up and they had to “talk” about what happened. She didn’t want it to get muddled with awkwardness, their night would be tainted if that happened.

Tags|| Gabe!
Words|| 743
Clothes She's One Hell of a Hot Mess
Music|| Springsteen by Eric Church
Notes||Ummm.... xD <3 <3 <3

[Gabriel Pearce Fitzpatrick]

Gabe slept like the dead. In fact, he was convinced that if someone were to try and seek out his pulse, they probably would have had a hard time finding one. The second he had hit the pillow, he was out. Exhausted and overwhelmed with euphoria, sleep had claimed him like the deities would claim a mortal soul. When he finally began to came to, his eyes remained closed and he was caught in that blissful place between sleep and awake that was once described by JM Barrie in the timeless classic of Peter Pan. Behind his eyelids, explicit thoughts of a night with Fallon flooded his mind and he felt almost wrong for thinking of her like that. She was his best friend, but the dreamlike visions were too good to ignore. He wanted to stay there a little longer. If Myles asked why he slept the day away, Gabe could always go with the old hangover excuse; something he was surprised he didn’t have.

Teasingly slowly, Gabe began to pick the fact from the fiction and his heart began to race at just how much of his ‘dream’ had actually been reality. Where was he now then? He kept his eyes closed, almost scared to open them in case the morning led to a horrific disaster. No, he had to be in his own bed, right? It was just an amazingly vivid dream, right? He had almost convinced himself of this when he felt the warm body roll into him. He tensed up; eyes still closed as he fought back the wave of panic that threatened to engulf him. If he had actually slept with Fallon, then what now? His feelings for her existed, yes, but how on earth could he make something like this work when she was worth a million times what he could give her? Okay, okay…he needed to calm down and pull himself together. People had sex all the time and it wasn’t the end of the world. These days, it almost didn’t have to mean a thing. Last night had meant something though and his lips twitched upwards ever so slightly at the memory; seven years of waiting had definitely been worth it for that. To actually hold her in his arms, run his hands down her back and kiss her…wow, even with Gabe’s extensive knowledge he couldn’t find a word for that.

He couldn’t keep his eyes closed forever. Was she awake? The only way to find out would be to move and look for himself, but that could lead to the awkward morning after. If she was awake then what would he say? It wasn’t like Gabe had ever actually counted on this happening; it had just always been one of those guilty fantasies. Now, he had to face up to the consequences of passionate impulses. Slowly, he cracked his eyes open, blinking a few times until they adjusted to the light. Everything was still blurry though…damn, where had he thrown his glasses last night? He could barely see a thing that was more than foot away from his dark brown eyes. Luckily, Fallon was close enough for him still to smell her shampoo. He moved his head carefully, his body slowly catching up to his brain as he finally dropped his gaze to Fallon and had to bite back a smile. Actually seeing her buried into his side was far more adorable than he had ever imagined. Still, it was weird, in a good way. The only thing in the room he could see was her. The strewn clothes were just blurs of colour and glasses were far too tiny for him to even attempt to make out from where he was laying. “Where the hell did they get to?”

[/color] He mumbled dryly, sitting up slightly to try and make out the geeky frames. At least if he had them, he had a starting point to the morning and could read Fallon a bit better. He needed to know how she felt about this without outright asking her. That would make things awkward and Gabe had a sneaky suspicion that things were already going to be a little uncomfortable this morning. How on earth did they deal with something as sudden as last night?
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• • •

TAGGED! Fallon!
WORDS! 750!
OUTFIT! Hot Stuff!
LYRICS! Take My Hand - - - Simple Plan
NOTES! <3