One Kiss For The Road • •

[Gabriel Pearce Fitzpatrick]

Gabe couldn’t wait for the dust to settle so that he could start showing Fallon around. The house might be cluttered and homey, but the rest of the place Gabe called home still held plenty of secrets to discover. There was so much that he wanted Fallon to see, to experience that part of him didn’t even know where to begin. He really did feel like a little kid in the recent weeks when he had been thinking about this trip home and all the possible plans that the young couple could turn into cute little adventures. It was all well and good telling her tales and showing her stories from his past, but he wanted to make memories with her, too.

“That is the downside to taking so many catnaps on the way here.”

[/color] He teased with a roll of his dark eyes, like she had been such a bothersome passenger during the car ride. He actually hadn’t minded the periods of silence in the car because it meant he got to quieten the worries and voices in his head that always emerged whenever the young scholar found himself behind the wheel of any vehicle. “Because those crepes did not deserve such horrific treatment.”[/color] He joked, keeping his serious expression in place as he shook his head in mock disappointment.

The older man chuckled and Gabe rolled his eyes at the familiar sense of humour he ought to expect from his girlfriend. “Mufasa might eat him, too.”[/color] He said blandly, pushing the damp hair back from his face before adjusted his glasses until they rested more comfortably on the bridge of his nose. Smiling down at the pretty blonde, Gabe let his eyes travel to the fluffy bundle in her arms. “You have two weeks to grow attached to them and more, while we’re here.”[/color] He said softly, his smile only growing when Gramps spoke up again. “And there are plenty of travel crates in the offices.” Laughing, Gabe pulled Fallon closer, warning the Fitzpatrick patriarch against giving her any ideas. He wouldn’t really mind though, considering he had done it himself before and probably would again at some point. “I’m sure everyone will have plenty of those stories to tell you when we sit down with them later. Let’s just stick with the tour for now.”[/color] He mock shuddered at the thought of what tales might be shared with the California blonde before the end of the trip. “I’ll leave you two kids to it.” There was a twinkle in those old eyes as Edward crossed back over to where he had been working before Fallon’s arrival in the barn. “C’mon then; let me show you everything.”[/color] Gabe whispered, pressing a soft kiss to Fallon’s temple before leading her from the barn.
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• • •

TAGGED! Fall <3
WORDS! 507
OUTFIT! Nebraska Nerd!
LYRICS! Eighteen Inches - - - Lauren Alaina
NOTES! <3

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

They had two weeks ahead of them to dredge up the memories of Gabe’s childhood and teenage years, see where everything happened. It was also enough time to make a few new memories for them; to think back on fondly years from now. They had so many memories shared in Los Angeles; it was well past time they made a few in Lincoln as well. And more would be made in LA when they went back again in August. She was already getting e-mails and text messages from Trevor so he could work his schedule as best he could around their trip; which, in Fallon’s eyes meant he was trying to steal a day from Fallon to hit up the main studio. Still, she could steal a day at the studio while they were there and Gabe could meet up with his friends still living in the city.

Fallon laughed happily, shaking her head. “The drive goes by faster that way,” she said, smiling innocently. Really, she wasn’t the biggest fan of long car rides, she could last a few days with proper stops but she got car sick and the naps helped along the anti-nausea medication she had to take. If she were behind the wheel it was a different thing, because she had her mind on a job, but left in the passenger seat with nothing more than conversation and staring out a window, she was useless. “Who knows, maybe they did! Maybe they would have rather been burned than eaten, hmm? Did you think about that?” she asked looking just as serious as Gabe.

The blonde professor had an interesting sense of humour to say the least. She was sarcastic and droll and tried very hard not to say what you would expect. Over the years that part became easier but when she’d first decided it was funnier this way, it was a task and a half trying to say something that would have people either falling to the floor laughing or staring at her and wondering if she really did just say that. “Mufasa is not a beast. He’s not going to run around eating anyone new,” she said just as blandly. “Besides, I think we’d have to worry about Myles not Mufasa.” Fallon laughed, shaking her head. “I would end up taking the entire lot with me and I’m sure your grandson would kill me for it in the end,” Fallon said, amused. But like Gabe said, there were two weeks ahead of her to fall smitten with adorable little critters.

Fallon poked Gabe lightly in the chest. “You’re afraid of what might be said,” she stated, barely holding back the laughter. It made her wonder what he was thinking of that could have him worried about her finding out. She had a feeling she would get to hear all sorts of stories Gabe wished his brothers, parents or grandfather didn’t know or couldn’t remember. Fallon wove to the older man before he turned and went back to whatever task it was that she had interrupted. It was nice to have met Gabe’s grandfather away from the rest of the bunch, getting to know him alone had Fallon breathing a little easier through the entire experience. Fallon turned into Gabe’s side, wrapping both arms around his waist and holding him tight against her just for a moment. Just long enough for her to show him again how much he meant to her. “Lead the way, farm boy,” she teased, playfully grabbing at his side.

Tag || Gabe!
Words || 589
Clothes || Annoyed little blonde
Music || Scream --Hedley
Notes || <3

[Gabriel Pearce Fitzpatrick]

Rolling his eyes, Gabe glanced across at the blonde by his side and smirked lightly. “For some of us it does.”

[/color] He had never been a fan of sleeping on road trips, even before the accident. He was too lanky to get comfortable and his brothers often sprawled out over most of the seats since they were more muscular than the scholar since they had chosen athleticism when Gabe chose academia. Now there was more chance of Gabe passing out on a sidewalk than there was of him sleeping in a car; he held his breath in short bursts, kept fiddling with something and constantly had his eyes glancing at the road around him like he was nervous of everything. “They didn’t really get much of an option from where I was standing.”[/color] He teased, fixing his glasses and acting like a discussion of burnt crepes was as serious as discussing important finances.

Gabe was used to Fallon’s sense of humour in the same way she seemed to be used to him bringing up useless facts and mythological tales in reference to real life scenarios. It was where his expertise lay and he found it so much more amusing to bring such conversations up when they had been living in the Frat house with very few cares. One of his rambling lectures over pizza and beer had led to a party the following weekend being based on the antics of the Greek deities and, needless to say, the brothers went out of their way to make sure the alcohol flowed freely and there were more than enough girls invited. He could still remember the Pi Kappa Phi version of the labours and there was a photo album back at his and Myles’ place with more “toga malfunctions” than anyone probably cared to count. “You clearly don’t see Mufasa when he’s in the park. The animal is a majestic hunter.”[/color] He was calmer now, but the dog still couldn’t resist chasing something at least twice a week on the walks Gabe took him out on. “I gave up worrying about Myles a long time ago; the man is beyond help.”[/color] He joked, though he had stopped fretting over his buddy since he knew exactly what kind of harmless trouble Myles could get himself into. The rest of the time he had a gun strapped to his hip and Gabe did not want to be around if he used it. “Hey, I grew up with the whole lot of them!”[/color] Pets were a necessity to Gabe more than anything else. He’d rather have a hoard of books and animals than have his name in lights or save the lives of those rushed to hospital each day. He was used to animals and for him they represented home, no matter where in the world he was.

Shrugging, Gabe didn’t deny Fallon’s assumption. “Please, around here we all have crazy stories to tell. I’ll be surprised if the first family dinner doesn’t evolve into a food fight.”[/color] The brothers all knew how to embarrass each other and whenever one of them saw another heading in that very direction bread rolls flew and peas became handy ammunition, much to their mom’s chagrin. It was fun and one of the more childish things about coming home to Lincoln. He smiled as Fallon’s arms wrapped around him and dropped another soft kiss to the top of her head before narrowing his eyes playfully at her. “Farm boy? I’ll show you…”[/color] In one swift movement, he had tossed Fallon over his shoulder and was carrying her from the barn and across towards the messier yard where the old water trough was and where the mud was still a little soft, despite the warm weather they had been having. He pretended to drop her once or twice along the way before finally reaching his destination and throwing her unceremoniously into a pile of hay that was kept dry under the roof of an open barn. “This is where we store the feeding hay we’re using.”[/color] He said casually, as though it was all part of the planned tour.
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• • •

TAGGED! Fall <3
WORDS! 732!
OUTFIT! Nebraska Nerd!
LYRICS! Eighteen Inches - - - Lauren Alaina
NOTES! <3

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

Fallon knew now why Gabe always seemed so nervous whenever they were driving. All that time, she had just assumed he didn’t like cars, that they were too confined or something. Now that she knew different, she understood why he couldn’t relax. Fallon on the other hand, hadn’t gone through a traumatic experience like Gabe; she could sleep like a little baby, curled up in any seat. “Sometimes it really pays to be tiny,” she remarked, making a point to tilt her head back to look up at Gabe. Fallon never said cooking was her strong suit. She could throw together meals for herself easily enough but even if she were the next great chef, she still wouldn’t live down that accident. “You weren’t exactly in the room when they were on fire,” she said blandly. “You didn’t hear them say ‘Fallon we don’t want to be eaten! Cremate us! Fallon, cremate us!’ It was heartbreaking,” she continued, adding a sad little sniffle to her words.

The blonde professor had a flare for the overdramatic; which she easily and happily blamed on her upbringing. She knew when to tone it down and when to be serious, of course. But she didn’t think there was much fun in life if you went through it with no dramatics. Acting like an idiot from time to time and coming up with these ridiculous situations and scenarios were Fallon’s way of making things a little more interesting. “I’ve only been through the park with you and Mufasa once. And I’m pretty sure he fell asleep when we stopped at the pretzel cart for a couple minutes,” she said, raising a brow at him, daring him to come up with a good excuse for that one. “He’s a real hunter, all right,” she added, impishly. Myles on the other hand was a whole different story. The film lover was still hoping for the day when he told them he’d found someone he wanted to spend more than one night with. “One of these days, he’ll surprise us,” she said, shaking her head. Though she figured that day wouldn’t come until they were in their late thirties, early forties and it really hit him that everyone else grew up.

Fallon knew how much animals meant to Gabe. He’d told her as much often enough; especially when she joked that Myles was the only pet he’d ever need. “I know that! But have you seen either of our apartments Where would we keep more pets?” she asked honestly. She could, if she really wanted to, get some cages set up around her apartment but Beez was a fickle creature and Fallon didn’t know if she would just sit there and mess with the poor new pets head or try and do some damage with the clawless front paws of hers. She knew that for a docile little kitten that let Fallon wear her around the apartment like a furry, warm scarf, she could be vicious.

Laughing, Fallon shook her head. “I’ll make a note not to wear anything too nice then, just in case,” she said, only imagining what would happen when she finally met Gabe’s brothers. She was too used to the antics at the Frat house though, so at least she could imagine what kind of trouble could unfold during their trip to Gabe’s home. She didn’t expect it to be exactly like the Pi Kappa Phi house but similar enough. She expected their mother had better ground rules than the ones Greek Row had. Before Fallon could utter a response to the look in Gabe’s eyes, she was already up and over his shoulder. “Gabe!” she squealed through the laughter. “Put me down!” she added uselessly. “Stop!” she said once when it looked like she was going to hit the dirt but there was more laughter coming from her than words. Breathlessly, Fallon brushed the hair out of her face after she found herself in a pile of hay, pulling pieces of the stuff out of her blonde locks. “And the damsels in distress when the evil villain kidnaps them to lure out the hero?” She asked, looking up at him. “Hate to break it to you, babe, but you can’t be both,” she said, laughing, holding her arm out to get help up. “Give a girl a hand?” she asked, just waiting for him to reach out for her. She just wanted him to grab her hand; so she could pull him down with her.

Tag || Gabe!
Words || 752
Clothes || Annoyed little blonde
Music || Scream --Hedley
Notes || <3

[Gabriel Pearce Fitzpatrick]

Considering just how much Gabe hated being in cars at all these days, he liked to think that he had done pretty well. He still drove places when he had to and he didn’t kick up a fuss whenever anyone else was driving; he just usually didn’t shut up or stop fidgeting either. Little distractions made it just about bearable enough for him and he would probably continue on like that, even in five years’ time. “And sometimes it really pays to be tall.”

[/color] He retorted, making sure to stand up straight so that she seemed smaller next to him. He might have been the baby of the family, but he had gotten his height from somewhere and had a few inches on his older brothers who often joked how it was wasted on someone who had very little practical use for that height. They had been on the football and basketball teams, respectively, so he got a bit of stick for his lack of athleticism, but then he just used long archaic words to shut them up while his mother laughed at her sons over the dinner table. “No, because I was trying to find where you’d thrown my shirt.”[/color] He lowered his voice a bit, knowing Gramps was still lingering within earshot and combined with Gabe’s luck it would be the one part of a conversation that he’d overhear. “Mmhm, sure they did.”[/color]

Gabe shrugged lightly and looked down at Fallon while he adjusted his glasses. “That was his afternoon walk; he hunts in the morning. The early bird catches the worm, after all.”[/color] Mufasa didn’t exactly ‘hunt’, but he would chase the squirrels and the ducks if he got the chance, especially when the sun was still rising and the air still crisp and cool. When the park was busier during the afternoon he was more subdued and likely to stick by Gabe’s side rather than running off for his own little doggy adventure. “That might be the day I have a heart attack…”[/color] He mused, though he did know that a day would come when some girl would change Myles’ ways and the poor man wouldn’t have the first clue how to deal with that.

There was nothing that pulled on Gabe’s heartstrings quite like the eyes of a furry little friend. He had his girls and Mufasa in the city, but Gabe could be overrun by pets and still not feel like he had enough of the crazy critters. “I could find more room…”[/color] He said, thinking aloud. There was still space for one more furry friend in his apartment and Mufasa and the girls were already adapted to sharing their home so he didn’t have to worry about their temperaments changing if he expanded the brood by one. “There’s always room for more.”[/color] He added, knowing he could turn into a crazy animal man if he was given half the chance.

Wrapping his arms tight around her waist, Gabe held his girlfriend close. “I think you should also wear something completely unflattering, too. I’m not letting either of them steal you.”[/color] His brothers might be in their own happy relationships, but he knew how this family worked to expect the usual game of trying to sway the girl. It had happened with Morgan’s wife and Ethan’s girlfriend and Fallon would be no different, either. Plus, he already knew that she was completely out of his league in any other circumstance and his brothers would not miss out on that. He ignored her protests as he carried her across the yard, whistling a small, merry tune as he went. Grinning down at her, Gabe shook his head and folded his arms. “Actually, in most Greek myths, the hero was the cause for his own downfall. Really, the villain was a façade since the endgame came at the hands of the guy who was supposed to save the day.”[/color] He said briefly before raising an eyebrow and looking at her outstretched hand. “I’m about to receive the title of ‘doctor’ and you think I’m stupid enough to fall for that trick? Nu-uh.”[/color] Instead of helping her up, he jumped into the hay next to her before rolling over to hover over her. “You’ll have to do a hell of a lot better than that, Miss Flynn.”[/color]
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• • •

TAGGED! Fall <3
WORDS! 765!
OUTFIT! Nebraska Nerd!
LYRICS! Eighteen Inches - - - Lauren Alaina
NOTES! <3

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

There wasn’t much in the world that Fallon was really and truly afraid of. She figured there would come a time in her life when she would have to kill one of those things with eight legs, but until then, she was happy to leave them where they were and yell for someone else to kill it. She wasn’t afraid of those things though, she just couldn’t stand the sight of them. Aside from rock climbing where she could endure physical pain if something were to happen, there wasn’t much she was fearful of; not like Gabe and cars. That meant she couldn’t really understand where he was coming from. She could try and she would, but she couldn’t know for herself. “It only pays to be tall at concerts or large crowds and getting things off the top shelf,” she said blandly, though she did enjoy the difference between their heights. She felt so small, even when she was wearing heels, whenever she was standing next to him. Fallon used Gabe’s arm to steady herself as she moved up to the tips of her toes so she could be closer to his ear when she spoke. “It was on the back of the couch if I’m not mistaken,” she said just as quietly before dropping down to flat feet again. As much as she would rather forget the stupidity of that entire situation, the whole event was burned into her brain; she would never forget any of it. And neither would he let her live down half the morning from it. “They did,” She said nodding seriously. No one ever said Fallon was lacking in creativity or imagination. How could they when she came up with completely ridiculous tales like that?

“Mm,” she said, unconvinced. [color=a108b3“I guess you’ll just have to wake me up before the crack of dawn to show me Apollo incarnate.”

[/color] She had no clue if she was using the right Greek God but she was making a conscious effort to be more involved in Gabe’s work. She may not understand half of it the first time around but he was usually very good and running off whenever she made a mistake to correct her, or continue on if she actually got one right. “I’ll have a doctor waiting nearby,” she said, reassuringly. When the day came, it wasn’t going to be a doctor they needed but a strong shot of something alcoholic and a twenty minute staring contest. The man was a self-proclaimed playboy. When he finally told them, he was serious about a girl, someone was going to faint and another would have to talk him through his newfound feelings. Fallon rolled her eyes. “I’m sure Myles would love to have another animal under his feet over there, when they do decide they’d like to mingle with the rest of us,” she said, affectionately. She adored the girls and Mufasa, always had but she could also see Myles getting increasingly frustrated with the furry creatures roaming the apartment. “You’re going to be found half eaten by the pets you keep someday,” she said referring to how cats ate their owners if they died and there was no food available to them. She was joking of course, but she could picture him surrounded by animals when he was older, maybe sitting in a rocking chair. She shook her head, getting rid of the images.

Fallon never had siblings or anyone that close to her growing up. It was just her and Trevor. She had friends on the sets and people to show her this and that but she’d never had a sister or a brother or anyone close like that; at least not until she chose to go to actual school. From then, if asked, Imogen was the closest thing she had to a sister. No matter how far apart they grew, they were always friends, sent emails and flower arrangements for birthdays and graduations. And of course, the guys from Gabe’s Fraternity were the closest thing to brothers the blonde professor had ever had. A few times they stood up for her when something happened. And they were there for her with mindless parties when she called it quits with Brad; though thinking about it now, it was probably more to benefit Gabe than herself, since she was then newly single and both were harbouring crushes on the other. Apparently it was anything to win a bet, all was fair. Still, that just meant she liked hearing about other people’s family dynamics. Hers was so weird and so far from what people would consider normal that she could help but wonder what they considered normal for them. Because waking up in a new place every couple months was normal for her, meeting all sorts of celebrities and having albums full of those pictures was normal for her. “Oh, sorry, I left my paper bag dress at home. I really wish you would have told me, I would have made sure to pack it. But unless either of them can rattle off useless ancient Greek trivia, I’m really not interested,” she said, having no clue what she was in for with this meal.

She could just imagine what the pair of them looked like as Gabe carried Fallon across the yard to the sound of her useless protests. Fallon laid back against the hay, seeming to give up for the time being. She let her boyfriend ramble on about his mythology while she tried to figure out a way to get him where she was. By the time he’d finished, she had nothing more than a simple remark thought up but it wasn’t going to work and she knew it. He’d grown up on this farm, she was sure everything she thought up, would have already been tried and tested. “It was worth a try,” she said easily enough. The professor bit back the grin that threatened to spread across her face when Gabe jumped into the hay with her Fallon tilted her head to the side, smirking. “I got you where I wanted you, doesn’t matter how it happened,” she said, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck.
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Tag || Gabe!
Words || 1 034
Clothes || Annoyed little blonde
Music || Scream --Hedley
Notes || <3[/size]

[Gabriel Pearce Fitzpatrick]

The only “irrational” fear that Gabe had in his life was needles. A very bad experience as a child in the preparation for braces had left the poor man with a dreaded phobia of anything sharp, pointy and intended to stab him. He’d rather feel the raw pain of one of his injuries, giving blood was more of a challenge than it ought to be and there was no way you’d ever catch his Converse clad feet inside of a tattoo parlour. He appreciated the ink work of his girlfriend and Myles from afar, but he would never be there holding their hands or selecting a design for himself. “Or when someone needed to climb through that window over the flowerbed in college, or when decorating and there’s no ladder readily available, or in basketball, or when torturing smaller people by holding things out of their reach…”

[/color] He trailed off with a smirk, but his mind already had several other possible answers should the pretty blonde need them. Fixing her with a bland look, Gabe folded his arms. “Actually, you are. It didn’t even make it to the back of the couch. It had slipped onto the cushions.”[/color] Parts of that night still felt like a dream to him, but he just reminded himself that if any of it had been a dream then they wouldn’t have been in this barn right now and he certainly wouldn’t be showing Fallon off as his girlfriend. “So my girlfriend suffers from hallucinations now?”[/color] Gabe arched his eyebrow and adjusted his glasses before they crept off the tip of his nose. How the frames did such a thing so subtly Gabe would never know, but he was forever trying to catch them before they tumbled to the floor. His heart caught in his mouth whenever that happened and he silently crossed his fingers that they were in one piece; he didn’t have a second pair with this prescription and he’d have to definitely play the blind man while they got fixed.

Grinning, Gabe couldn’t help switching immediately into the scholar he was, speaking as though he was in one of the quieter corners of the university library where he often worked from. “Technically, Apollo was probably the most complex of the Gods. He was an archer, more than a hunter; that was his twin sister, Artemis. Apollo didn’t mind getting his hands dirty, though, according to the myths. Did you know he was actually an Oracular God?”[/color] Once again, he was rambling on and it was just a good thing his mother wasn’t within earshot or a full blown discussion would’ve occurred there and then about the definitive role of the Greek god. Many an evening had drifted by with such academic nonsense and the rest of the household would just go to bed and leave mother and son to their insane debates. “Make sure it’s a medical doctor.”[/color] Gabe pointed out before any jokes could be made. Myles had already confused groups of people in the last year or so that Gabe was working on his PhD thesis by telling them that his roommate would soon be a doctor. He failed to inform them that Gabe was the last person you wanted in a white coat and handing out medical advice. Shrugging casually, his dark eyes drifted over the little furballs that were scampering about the barn floor. “He brings home women and I bring home animals; it’s how our brotherhood remains balanced.”[/color] He acted like it was a serious matter that she could find in the fine print of a contract somewhere in the guy’s apartment. “At least that way they won’t starve before someone finds them!”[/color] Most people probably wouldn’t be optimistic about that, but Gabe was the kind of guy who would fuss and worry over his animals; he even did it before he came back to Nebraska and this was only for two weeks!

Raising his eyebrow, Gabe fixed Fallon with a clear look that asked “are you kidding me?” His brothers might not adore the mythology and the legends to the extent that he did, but they were all raised in the same household and heard the same stories as children. “They can. They had more years of it before I came along, after all.”[/color] He wasn’t a kid anymore, but it was definitely made known that he was the baby of the family, whether it was through brotherly teasing, tales told over supper or any other reminder that the old farmhouse held. “And I was thinking more along the lines of just keeping you in a potato sack and hauling you about while they’re around.”[/color] He teased, knowing his brothers would definitely turn on the charm just to annoy Gabe.

Grinning down at his pretty blonde girlfriend, Gabe’s fingers lightly skimmed her side as he got a little more comfortable in the hay, hopefully preventing a dead arm in a couple of minutes. “Ah, but this is right where I wanted you.”[/color] He wore a boyish grin on his lips right before he pressed them to hers. A few stolen moments alone was all that he needed, somewhere where he knew a Fitzpatrick wouldn’t be walking by. After everything downstairs he just needed this.
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• • •

TAGGED! Fall <3
WORDS! 923!
OUTFIT! Nebraska Nerd!
LYRICS! Eighteen Inches - - - Lauren Alaina
NOTES! <3

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

Most of the ideas Gabe toss back had been used against the petite blonde more than once in college; especially when the guys found it hilarious to hold things just out of her reach and taunt her. Unfortunately for them, and they learned the lesson quickly, Fallon wasn’t opposed to using them as a jungle gym when they thought it would be a good idea to hold whatever it was she needed just out of her reach. She wasn’t the girl to stand there, jumping up, trying to get her hands on what she was after. She was the one looking up at them with her arms crossed and a look in her eye, telling them they had better give her what she was after or suffer for it. “Done yet?” she asked, teasing. Fallon couldn’t honestly forget that night, no matter how hard she tried to forget some parts. “It was in the general area, so it counts,” she said, matching his pose and expression because it amused her. “She always has, Love. They call it a creative imagination, I’m told,” She joked, rolling her eyes at him. Fallon happily blamed her upbringing for how ridiculous her schemes could get once she started rolling with ideas.

Fallon fixed Gabe with a serious look, shaking her head. “No, I wasn’t aware,” she said, reaching up to press a feather light kiss to his cheek. “I also don’t particularly care. I was trying to be cute and appreciative, showing I listen. Can’t let me just go with it can you?” she asked, teasing. Talking about Gabe getting his PhD was probably another clue to how she felt about him. She wouldn’t talk endlessly about it, but she would comment that he would soon have his PhD and was thinking he would eventually teach. Mostly she said when all that happened NYU just wouldn’t be the same with the pair of them there. As it was, they hardly saw Gabe during the last year since he hid away in the library for days on end. “Oh, really? Is that what I need to call in, a medical Doctor? I thought I’d call in the Astrology professor, he’s a PhD as well,” She said drily, not looking up at her boyfriend, knowing if she did, she would lose the dry tone and the bland expression she was sporting for the small joke. Fallon was still thinking about where she would put a cage for one of the little fluffy bunnies scampering about the barn floor. She had to cross off the bedroom since Beez stayed in there most of the time, unless Fallon was home and she was looking for attention. But that still left plenty of space in the big apartment. “That’s a fine balance,” she said, shaking her head. Fallon shot Gabe a look just as dry as her tone. “Oh, that’s a lovely glass half full look at it. I’m dead, probably because the cats ate me, but at least they’re fed!”

Humour sparked in her pale eyes, looking up at her boyfriend. “Well then I guess someone has some competition,” she teased. She knew from the stories during the car ride and before that both of his brothers had cherished women in their lives. “Potato sacks are not my favourite mode of transportation. I would rather wear your baggy clothes.” Fallon wasn’t sure what to expect from meeting Gabe’s brothers. She’d heard so many things about them that she wasn’t sure what to believe. Still, she was looking forward to meeting them all the same. She wanted to hear all the tales the pair of them would spin for her while Gabe sat by correcting them or making the stories appear like tall tales woven together to entertain the petite blonde their brother brought home. Smiling up at Gabe, Fallon raised a brow, tilting her head to the side a little bit. “Are you sure? That is the whole purpose behind my Jedi mind tricks,” she said, barely managing to get it all out before Gabe kissed her and she was laughing against his lips. After everything that had happened since their arrival, they both needed these stolen moments together.

Tag || Gabe!
Words || 701
Clothes || Annoyed little blonde
Music || Scream --Hedley
Notes || <3

[Gabriel Pearce Fitzpatrick]

Gabe grinned and slipped his hands further around Fallon’s waist. “For now. But who knows when I may start back up again.”

[/color] He sighed dramatically and grinned down at his girlfriend before pressing his lips to the top of her head. He was still trying to work out what he had done to deserve a girl as amazing as Fallon who was still able to laugh and joke with him like this despite everything that had happened down in the basement bedroom not even two hours before. “Not if it was the million dollar question it wouldn’t. They’re very specific about those things.”[/color] He told her, unable to resist teasing her just a little more. “That’s what they tell you they call it. I’m sure the doctors have another name for it.”[/color] He flicked her nose playfully.

He was unable to hide the grin taking over his face. It hadn’t gone unnoticed that Fallon had tried to use his world of knowledge in the moment, but Gabe also loved teasing the pretty blonde at every opportunity. He did love it when she brought up mythology to him, even if she made the common mistakes that most did or didn’t really want to receive a mini lecture after she had finished speaking. “It is cute. And you’re cute. And beautiful, and gorgeous and sexy.”[/color] He winked playfully and squeezed her sides before bending down to give her a sweet kiss. “But if you made the mistakes to someone who knew the details then they’d think I was a terrible boyfriend or incredibly stupid. And I’ve been told that I’m neither.”[/color] The grin still danced on his lips and the man was far too amused with himself for his own good. It had been a lot of hard work to get his PhD and he had always known that it would be. Still, he had wanted to put the effort in and take those extra years to earn the title, just to prove that he could, and it had been something he had longed to do since college had first crept into his mind when he was still a young boy. “If you do that, I die. It seems a little extreme just to get me out of your life.”[/color] Gabe said, shaking his head and raking his fingers through his unruly hair. He gave it until dinner before someone asked him when he was getting it cut; it was always the same when he came home. “Well, I have to make sure the girls and Mufasa are provided for! My corpse is the least they can have.”[/color] He didn’t know how this conversation had come about, but he did know that Myles could only look after those creatures for a few days. Rosie already hated the man for disturbing her when she was sleeping in the laundry. Cats could hold quite the grudge and it never failed to amuse Gabe to see the pair of them having a showdown in the apartment.

“Y’know, I find that surprising since you’re the person who insults my clothes the most.”[/color] He arched his eyebrow and pretended to glare down at the tiny blonde. Every time she saw him sorting through his laundry there was some comment made about something and Gabe was edging closer to having locks installed all over his bedroom so that none of his sweaters would magically vanish when he wasn’t there. “Oh please, Jedi Knights cannot fall in love. Look what happened when one did. Things got ridiculously out of hand and he started comparing the love of his life to the coarseness of sand. They’re not the best analogy for a romantic tryst in the hay.”[/color] He teased, peppering light kisses along her jaw playfully before finding her lips again for another soft kiss. “I love you, so much, Fallon Flynn.”[/color] He confessed in a whisper that was just for her ears.
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• • •

TAGGED! Fall <3
WORDS! 698
OUTFIT! Nebraska Nerd!
LYRICS! Eighteen Inches - - - Lauren Alaina
NOTES! <3

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

Fallon didn’t like dwelling on the past. Besides the fact that it usually depressed her, it didn’t help anything at all in the now. She wouldn’t be who she was if she spent all her time worrying about things she’d said or done in the past. This time, they would have to sit down and actually talk about that but she wasn’t going to let it take over until that time came. She was going to enjoy the moment she had without everything that was said looming over her head. “Don’t worry, honey, I’ve known you long enough to drown you out when you start up again,” she said, smiling innocently. Fallon rolled her eyes, waving away the remark like it was some annoying fly. “Then they can keep their money, I don’t need it, I have you. Even if you can’t remember where your shirts get thrown.” The blonde professor wrinkled her nose, batting away Gabe’s hand. “No,” she said shaking her head like Gabe was wrong. “Creativity.”

Fallon rolled her eyes, a light blush creeping up to settle on her cheeks. “Oh, whatever,” she muttered, brushing hair from her eyes and looking over at the bunnies running around, causing havoc. A spark lit Fallon’s blue eyes with mischief. “I don’t know about that. I have no complaints with the first and I’m too good a girlfriend to disagree with the second,” she said, grinning. Fallon shrugged, thinking it through. “I get new pets that I don’t have to get to know,” she said after a moment, seeming serious. Fallon felt like her complexion was starting to turn green a little bit. But she was trying not to point it out in any way or give into it because she knew this conversation was her fault. “And I’m done with that topic. Go ahead and cross that off the list,” she said, shaking her head and willing away the nausea that was at the fringes of getting worse than the mild irritant that it was.

“See! Then they really wouldn’t believe I was me, so it’s the perfect disguise,” she said, laughing at the idea of her wandering about in clothing that she would swim in. “Besides, you need a wardrobe update, Dr Fitzpatrick.” Fallon was waiting for the day when Gabe would lock her out to do laundry or pick out something to wear. She picked at everything. But like he loved teasing her about pretty much everything, she liked getting back at him. He was smarter than her, she could easily admit to that without a problem at all, so she had to get her jabs in somehow. Fallon shrugged, rolling her eyes. “I was trying not to go the original route with a cowboy analogy,” she said, laughing softly to the playful kisses before leaning in for a proper kiss. Her eyes opened slowly, crystal clear focus on Gabe. “With everything I have, I love you, too,” she said, leaning up and pressing her lips to his in a physical show of her words.

Tag || Gabe!
Words || 507
Clothes || Annoyed little blonde
Music || Scream --Hedley
Notes || <3

[Gabriel Pearce Fitzpatrick]

Most of the time, Gabe saved the reminiscing for the drunken nights or the family photo albums. He didn’t dwell on the nastier memories or the could have beens. Life was too short for all of that and he could find something new and more interesting in an outdated textbook that had been forgotten in the library archives. Shaking his head, he reached out to mess up Fallon’s hair. “And here I was thinking you loved me.”

[/color] He teased playfully, shaking his head and then brushing his messy hair out of his face when it fell into his eyes. “Pssh, you could be sweet if you tried.”[/color] He couldn’t hide the grin as he slung his arm over her shoulders and pressed his lips to the side of her head.

His lips quirked upwards at the soft blush that covered her face for a moment. Gabe loved catching Fallon off guard with his little comments like that. It was cute and amusing to him that he could do that to her. “And you know the second would be a lie if you tried it.”[/color] He joked, grabbing playfully at her sides before biting back anymore comments that danced through his brain. He knew when to drop a subject with Fallon, even if his loud thoughts wished to continue with something he had read or learnt about during his several years of higher education.

“It’s not like I tell my brothers what you think of my outfits.”[/color] He gave a dramatic sigh and roll of his eyes, as though it was the most obvious thing she should’ve known. He was, of course, kidding, but whenever he had gushed about Fallon to his family, her opinion of his clothes was the last thought that had passed through his head. “There’s nothing wrong with my wardrobe. But, I do like you calling me Dr. Fitzpatrick.”[/color] His grin slowly took over his face and he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively as he pulled Fallon closer. “Oh, well, I’m not a cowboy either; even if we do have horses.”[/color] He laughed warmly, sliding further down in the hay since it was hardly arranged well enough to sit still on in the position they were in. Grinning just before her lips pressed to his, Gabe pulled Fallon closer. He was reluctant to move anywhere right now, even if he had promised her a grand tour. It just felt too good to have Fallon in his arms like this with no one about to disturb them.

The thoughts came too soon though and Gabe only just heard the crunch of footsteps. Looking up, he was hardly surprised when his eldest brother appeared in his sight and was wearing a crazy grin on his face. “Really, Gabriel? The hay? Kind of unoriginal, don’t you think?” Gabe pushed himself to his feet and shot his brother a look reserved for the kind of sibling teasing that he had grown up with. He reached out to help Fallon to her feet and then lazily glanced at Evan. “Like you’ve never done worse. I remember more than you think.”[/color] Gabe pulled a strand of hay from Fallon’s hair and then looked between her and Evan, slowly beginning the introduction. “Fallon this is Evan, but he also answers to Jerk.”[/color] The brotherly taunts began as though they had never stopped and Gabe knew that for their time at the ranch it would be like this whenever at least one of his brothers was around.
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• • •

TAGGED! Fall <3
WORDS! 625!
OUTFIT! Nebraska Nerd!
LYRICS! Eighteen Inches - - - Lauren Alaina
NOTES! <3

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

“Oh, Love, I’m an excellent actor,” Fallon said looking up at Gabe with a hand on his arm. Her serious sad expression didn’t stay in place long since the laughter shadowed it. Rolling her eyes, she took the time to smooth out her hair again, though she knew it was pointless since the second Gabe had the chance, it would be a mess again. “Yeah but there’s really no fun in it,” she said with a careless shrug. It she were that sweet all the time, life would be exceptionally dull. Fallon really disliked the blush that crept over her cheeks whenever Gabe said anything at all to her. She didn’t think she was worth the compliments he kept giving her. Laughing, Fallon slapped at Gabe’s hands uselessly, laughter taking over. She could tell him to stop until she was blue in the face and it wouldn’t do a damn thing. “You don’t know that. I could have you stumped,” she said, her mind already going through everything she could think of to get Gabe speechless.

“No because they’d agree with me,” she teased, laughing. She could admit that his choices in clothes weren’t altogether bad. But there were pieces she saw that she wished she could just light on fire and watch burn well into the night. It was bad enough she said something so often he was threatening locks on his wardrobe so things wouldn’t go missing. “You might want to get used to it. I’m so proud of you,” she said, pressing a light kiss to Gabe’s lips. “You He-manned me across the farm the last time I called you ‘farm boy’! I wasn’t making that mistake again!” she said laughing. Right then, Fallon couldn’t have cared less if someone walked passed and caught them. She was too happy to be with Gabe, even if she was promised a tour of the farm; that could absolutely wait.

Fallon couldn’t help but laugh at being caught rolling around in a pile of hay with her boyfriend. It was just such a high school to have happen that it was hilarious to her. She accepted Gabe’s help up, brushing herself off when she got steady on her feet again. She could just imagine the shenanigans that went down on the Fitzpatrick farm. Seeing the strand of hay in Gabe’s hand, Fallon ran her fingers through her hair, searching out any more stray pieces. “Ah so you’re Jerk. I always pictured you differently. It’s nice to know I was wrong,” she said, laughing at her stupid little joke and the easy nature of the brothers.

Tag || Gabe!
Words || 435
Clothes || Annoyed little blonde
Music || Scream --Hedley
Notes || <3

[Gabriel Pearce Fitzpatrick]

”One of these days you’re just going to break my heart and leave me at the side of the road, like an abandoned puppy.”

[/color] He gave her the saddest face he could muster while only pretending and brought on the false watery eyes. “We could make it fun.”[/color] He remarked innocently enough, but throwing in a subtle little wink to try and coax a laugh out of her. There was a time for serious talk, but this was not it. Plus, they had such busy lives with their own studies and careers that Gabe felt as though they needed the playful banter in their relationship to keep a nice and healthy balance. “And the day that you do is the day that I give you the world.”[/color] He countered, rolling his eyes as he adjusted his glasses. If he could, he would already have it for her, but he was only one simple scholar and most of what he could offer was held in heavy tomes and aged pages.

Shaking his head, Gabe pushed his floppy hair back from his face. “You haven’t even met them yet. And, Evan spent most of his life wandering around in branded sports gear, so I would much prefer my clothes over looking like a paid sponser.”[/color] Granted, Evan was the most athletic out of the three, even now, and back when they were younger he did always have practice of some kind going on. Gabe was just much comfier in his slightly odd clothing. He felt like a penguin when he had to dress formally, which was why he opted for the sweater vests to break the whole black and white image up a bit. He also found comfort and durability in Converse sneakers and liked his big glasses since they didn’t look so bottled lenses with the larger frames. Still, even with the teasing and the joking, he was getting ready to lock away his clothes so she couldn’t “accidentally” shrink an item while “trying to be helpful”. “Mm, if all this pride gets me kisses then I might just go back and do it all again.”[/color] It would be a massive lie if he said he hadn’t considered it. In fact, it was still something he wanted to do, but he also wanted to teach and he figured that if he got some of that experience under his belt now then he could return to his studies in a few years and earn himself a second PhD. “Let’s just be thankful that I didn’t drop you or that my knee didn’t give out! That would not have been pretty and you would have had to explain why you were being He-manned in the first place.”[/color] He teased, though the second of the two scenarios was the most likely. He was supposed to take things easy on that leg at all times, unless he wanted to mangle it enough to seriously damage it to a point where the injury would be noticeable to even strangers.

Gabe shared a moment with his brother during which the two men seemed to be having a silent conversation. It was a common thing when reunited and it only lasted a few short seconds. “People expect me to be taller. It would make sense, I suppose, but Gabe here took the awards for height.” There was only three inches between Evan and himself, and Morgan came in at just an inch shorter than the eldest, so it wasn’t a considerable difference, but the older two always liked to play bitter about it. “I had to find a way to make up for all those years you called me Four-Eyes.”[/color] Gabe quickly quipped, glaring playfully at his brother while holding Fallon closer. “I have no idea what you’re doing with this bookworm here, Fallon. Is he bribing you? Blackmail? You can tell me and I’ll kick his ass for you. I know his weaknesses.” Rolling his eyes at the “mature older sibling”, Gabe glanced around to see if he could spy anyone else roaming around the farm, but it all seemed quiet. “See, there’s a reason we call him Jerk.”[/color] Gabe teased, dramatically whispering the words to Fallon.
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• • •

TAGGED! Fall <3
WORDS! 744!
OUTFIT! Nebraska Nerd!
LYRICS! Eighteen Inches - - - Lauren Alaina
NOTES! <3

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

“Now that’s completely not true. I would never leave a puppy on the side of the road,” she said, looking serious. But the look didn’t last long and a glimmer of humour was clear in her blue eyes when she looked up at the love of her life and leaned up to steal a quick kiss from him. Shaking her head, Fallon gave into the laughter she was holding in check so well. “I don’t doubt that we could,” she said finally, rolling her eyes at the playful banter. She loved it really. Fallon turned into Gabe, reaching up to wrap her arms loosely around his shoulders and lifted up on the tips of her toes so she was a small bit taller. “You can’t give me what I already have,” she said softly, pulling Gabe down enough to kiss him sweetly. “But shoes and white gold are always welcome,” she added, grinning against his lips.

Fallon patted her boyfriend’s arm lovingly. “I’m kidding, mostly. I love everything about you, including some of those sweater vests and all those converse you own,” she said, grabbing a handful of his shirt. Fallon send Gabe one her driest looks. “Yeah because you needed a PhD for that,” she said, dripping sarcasm. “And you’ve been thinking that since before I met you. Certainly since I met you.” She had known since she met him that learning meant quite a lot to Gabe. He was always full of information, some of it useful, some of it ignored and some of it interrupted with a shut up and a passed drink. But that was usually how college parties went when someone was trying to pass on knowledge. Fallon didn’t even have to think about what she would say to whoever came running when they fell. “I would tell whoever showed up that you’re the idiot who thought it was a smart idea to carrying me over his shoulder like He-man with a bad knee. And then we’d both be covered in mud and then showers would have to be had and then dinner would be missed,” she said trailing off.

The pretty blonde kept quiet while the brother’s spoke and she double checked there was nothing else stuck to her from rolling around in the hay. When she was referred to in their conversation, she had no idea what was going on and simply smiled and nodded. What else was she to do really? Of all the things he teasingly complained about, Gabe’s height wasn’t one of them. She loved that he was so tall and that she was tiny compared to him. Fallon’s eyes lit with humour as a slow smile appeared on her lips. “So do I,” she said, laughing. “Mm, yes I absolutely see how that’s a good reason,” she said dryly with an eye roll. She didn’t have any siblings and maybe that was why she really didn’t get the whole name calling thing. And, she’d never been behind that unless she was just that annoyed or pissed off at someone that only calling them names would make her feel better.

Tag || Gabe!
Words || 520
Clothes || Annoyed little blonde
Music || Scream --Hedley
Notes || <3