You Can't Get Enough

I know you’ve missed me Gabey.

Those words had run through Gabe’s mind for the past two months, ever since his 31st birthday. Pete. Fucking Pete Wentz was back in town after 5 years. Only Gabe, Alex, Victoria and their friend Travie knew why Pete had left, not even the police, so for Pete to be back now?

This was extremely bad news.

What the fuck could Pete want? The life Pete had in New York before he left could easily be mirrored in Chicago (where it was rumoured he had run to), so that couldn’t be it. And Pete was a trust fund baby just like Gabe was, so money wouldn’t be the issues, unless he’d done something incredible stupid to blow those millions. And no way in hell was he getting anywhere near Alex. Gabe would die before he let that happen.

Then again, with the way that Pete’s notice of return was so untastefully attached to Jim the Hobo, the same man that had lived on the streets outside the club since Gabe bought the place, Gabe couldn’t swear off that Pete wouldn’t kill anyone again.

After all, he was a completely deranged psychopath who…

“Gabe?”

Three knocks. Victoria.

“Yeah, come in,” Gabe called back.

Victoria walked into the office, smiling sadly at how weary Gabe looked. Gabe didn’t scold her for the pity. He knew he’d looked more and more exhausted since October, but she knew full well why.

“Alex is about to dance,” she said.

Gabe used to know Alex’s schedule off by heart. It had taken 3 missed performances and a night of Alex sleeping in a guest room in anger for Gabe to reluctantly ask Victoria to come and remind him every time.

“Gracias, muñeca,” Gabe nodded, running his hand over his hair wearily.

“Are you okay, babe?” Victoria asked softly.

She was one of the few people that Gabe trusted with his life, but this? This he wasn’t sure he could share so freely. There were some thoughts that were best kept quiet.

“Yeah, just got a lot on my mind,” Gabe nodded, standing up from his chair.

Victoria smiled weakly as he walked over to her. Gabe didn’t have to tell her for her to know what he was talking about. The two of them walked down their upstairs hallway to Halvo’s light and sound booth, pausing outside.

“Don’t let Pete eat you up again, okay? He’s not worth it,” Victoria said quietly.

“I won’t. He’s not getting involved with any of our lives again, I’ll make sure of it,” Gabe promised.

Victoria smiled and pecked his cheek before leaving, allowing Gabe to walk into the booth and shut the door behind him.

“Just on time, boss man,” Halvo murmured, pressing a button.

Instantly ‘Should I Stay Or Should I Go’ by The Clash blared through the speakers. Punk night – one of Gabe’s favourites. Seeing Alex dressed in leather with eyeliner smeared across his eyes? Hot as fuck.

Gabe settled down into his customary plush leather armchair, smiling as Alex strutted out from backstage, immediately going towards the pole. As soon as Alex spotted Gabe and smiled up at him, Gabe knew everything would be okay.

Fuck Pete and his threats. Gabe had Alex, and that was never going to change.

*

It was a few days after Christmas now, and Alex and Gabe were lying in bed together, after a particularly vigorous fuck. Why was it more vigorous than their regular fucks? Well, Alex wasn’t happy about the theme of that night (“PVC Gabe, really?!”) and had declared he needed to take out his frustration. Not that Gabe minded. It wasn’t often that Alex felt the need to be in control, even if Gabe was technically topping, so it made a nice change.

“Better now?” Gabe mused, running his fingers through Alex’s sweaty fringe.

“Barely. I don’t care if I have to eat that idea out of your ass next time it appears – I’m not wearing PVC again. It chafes like a bitch,” Alex muttered.

“So crude, guapo,” Gabe teased.

“Bite me,” Alex grumbled.

“Gladly,” Gabe smirked.

Alex didn’t have time to roll away before Gabe sunk his teeth into Alex’s bare shoulder, resulting in a yelp from the younger man.

“I hate you,” Alex whined, rubbing the sore spot.

“No you don’t,” Gabe grinned.

Alex couldn’t help but laugh. No, he really didn’t. There was no way he could ever hate Gabe.

“So what made you choose that theme anyway?” Alex asked curiously.

“I just wanted to see your dick outlined perfectly from Halvo’s booth,” Gabe shrugged.

“…and?” Alex prompted.

Gabe sighed.

“And because the hickey I gave you last night was on perfect display – I wanted to let everyone know that you’re taken,” Gabe admitted reluctantly.

Alex took all of three seconds to scowl. This was taking it too far.

“You wanted to let any of Pete’s spies know that I’m with someone else,” Alex accused.

“Well, kinda, but…”

“We’re not even together, Gabe! You’ve said this plenty of times yourself – it’s just fucking!” Alex spat.

“You know it’s more than fucking, Alejandro,” Gabe frowned.

“Alex. My fucking name is Alex. Stop trying to sweet talk your way out of this bullshit,” Alex seethed.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so possessive,” Gabe groaned.

“No, you shouldn’t have been. Not only am I not officially dating you, but I will also never go back to Pete. When will you get it through your head that I don’t want to be anywhere near him?!” Alex exasperated.

“I just want to warn him away!” Gabe insisted.

“Why don’t you just tattoo Gabe’s fuck toy to my forehead – that sends out a clearer message,” Alex snarled.

“You know that’s not what you are,” Gabe said lowly.

Alex gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He didn’t want to have this conversation. Pete was never going to be involved in his life again, and that was how it was going to stay. Goodbye. The End. Nothing More.

“I think it would be best if I slept in a guest room tonight,” Alex muttered.

Without waiting for an answer, Alex slid out of Gabe’s bed and walked quickly over to the door. It took until Alex had one foot out of the bedroom for Gabe to snap out of his anger.

“Quedarse,” Gabe blurted.

Alex froze, before turning around and frowning.

“What?” he asked, confused.

Gabe blushed slightly. He didn’t always mean to talk in his mother’s tongue. Alex was one of the few people that ever heard him, actually.

“Stay. Please,” Gabe asked.

“I don’t want to argue with you. Not about this,” Alex sighed.

“Neither do I. Please sleep in here tonight. I won’t mention him again, I promise,” Gabe said softly.

Alex bit his bottom lip but nodded, and got back under the duvet, immediately snuggled back into Gabe’s chest. He really couldn’t resist anything Gabe did, after all. Gabe smiled and slid his arms around Alex’s waist, pressing a kiss to the younger man’s forehead.

“Me vuelves loco. Te necesito,” Gabe purred.

Alex raised an eyebrow in hopes of a translation. Gabe chuckled softly and pulled Alex tighter against him. After all this time fucking, Alex still didn’t know basic Spanish?

“You drive me crazy. I need you,” Gabe murmured.

“Oh,” Alex said, blushing.

“Yeah, oh,” Gabe teased.

Alex bit his bottom lip and looked up at the older man, racking his brain.

“Bésame,” he eventually said.

Gabe grinned. Kiss me. Maybe Alex had picked up a few words after all.

“Por supuesto,” Gabe purred.

Of course.

*

January. A new year and a new start. Gabe should’ve known that the new start would be a bad one. It was only midday meaning he was the first person to arrive at the club…at least he thought, until he got into his office. A sharp, almost acidic smell hit his nostrils, and Gabe felt a shiver of dread run through him at the scent. The familiar scent. With a growl, Gabe slammed his door shut, clenching fists.

“Come out, Pete. I can smell your nasty-ass cologne,” Gabe snarled.

“Aww Gabey, you remember how I smell?”

Out of the shadows by the metal filing cabinet stepped the one man Gabe would quite happily kill. Pete Wentz. 5ft 6, perfectly coiffed black hair, dark eyes and a dangerous smirk. Many people underestimated Pete’s short height and lack of muscles as weakness – they didn’t last long. Pete was a dirty fighter and didn’t care who saw it. That and the fact he could pick any lock he wanted to, like those of the club.

“It’s hard to forget something that burns my nose,” Gabe sneered.

“Now that’s just mean,” Pete fake-pouted.

Gabe rolled his eyes. Pete really hadn’t changed at all.

“Why are you back after all this time, after what you did?” Gabe hissed.

Pete smirked.

“My old man’s ill. Could be the last time I see him,” Pete shrugged.

“And then you’re going back to Chicago right?” Gabe demanded.

This only made Pete smirk harder.

“Why would I do that, Gabey? I’m finally home – I think I might stay,” Pete taunted.

“Stay away from here,” Gabe growled.

“Gabriel! Now you’re being rude! We’ve been best friends since diapers!” Pete mocked.

“We stopped being best friends five years ago, Pete, and you know exactly why,” Gabe spat.

Pete’s eyes flashed dangerously. Gabe might have swallowed slightly, but he didn’t back down, just squaring his shoulders in defiance. He wasn’t scared of Pete, and there was no way Pete was going to chisel into his turf. Not this time.

“Te extraño,” Pete said softly, his eyes mocking Gabe. I miss you. “Don’t think for one second that I’m going to forget our past. I’ll be seeing you, Gabey,”

It was all Gabe could do to clench his fists and watched Pete climb out of the window and shimmy down the fire escape. Dirty tactics like usual. Gabe watched out the window as Pete got into an unmarked black sedan, and drove away. Fuck. That was not supposed to happen. Pete was not supposed to show up here.

Without hesitating, Gabe pulled out his cellphone and dialled a number he knew off by heart.

“Come on, pick up…pick up…” Gabe grumbled.

The second the line clicked the other end, Gabe could’ve cried for joy.

“Are you okay? Where are you?” Gabe demanded.

“I’m with Brendon, out shopping. Why? What’s wrong?” Alex frowned.

“Pete was here at the club. He got in by the window, just like old tricks. I just need to know you’re safe,” Gabe sighed.

“W-What?” Alex choked.

“Are you safe?!” Gabe repeated, exasperating.

“Yes, I’m fine! Brendon and I are in a public place with lots of security cameras – I’m safe,” Alex insisted.

“Good. Fuck. I just…please just promise me you’ll stay away from him. That you won’t go near him,”

“You know I’ll stay away, after what he did,”

“I know, I just…I don’t want him near you,”

“Neither do I,”

Silence.

“Look, I’m not going to force you to stay by my side so I can watch over you, but I’ll need to know where you are at all times. Just…tell me if you’re going anywhere without me and if you’re going to be travelling somewhere else. That way if you need me, if you need my help, I can find you more easily,” Gabe asked hesitantly.

Silence. Gabe hated that he was putting this bullshit on Alex, but knew it was necessary. No-one should ever underestimate Pete Wentz. Gabe did that once and nearly lost…no, that didn’t matter. All that mattered was that Alex was safe now. Eventually Alex sighed.

“Yeah, okay. It’s not ideal, but I understand,”

“Thank you. I’ll see you tonight,”

“Sure. Bye,”

Gabe groaned as Alex ended the call and ran his hand over his head wearily.

Why did Pete always have to fuck up everything that was going well for him?

*

The end of January came quickly, especially for Alex. Things between him and Gabe had been tense lately, and he knew it was partly his fault. He just wanted everything to be like it was before Gabe’s birthday, when everyone was happy and no-one was worrying.

Alex knew it would be up to him to make the first move to make things better. Gabe would keep his distance for Alex’s sake, whatever that meant, so he wouldn’t do anything unless the younger man did first.

Luckily, Alex had a plan just for that. After his first dance one night, he took the chance to sneak up to Gabe’s office, knowing that he had a good couple of hours before he needed to go back downstairs to change. Sure enough Gabe had returned to his office, and was sitting behind his desk.

“Hey, beautiful,” Gabe said softly, smiling as Alex shut the door behind him.

“Hey yourself. Busy?” Alex asked, starting to walk over.

“Not enough to turn you away,” Gabe replied smoothly.

Alex laughed and slid into Gabe’s lap, straddling his waist as he rested his forearms on Gabe’s shoulders. A light kiss to the older man’s lips left him sighing, making Alex frown inside.

“You’re stressed,” Alex accused gently.

“Lucky guess,” Gabe said with a tight smile.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Alex asked.

“Just a bit of everything really,” Gabe murmured.

“Because of…him?” Alex asked, wincing.

Gabe hesitated slightly, before nodding.

“Mostly,” he admitted.

“Fuck,” Alex grumbled.

He knew it didn’t help that he refused to talk about what would happen if Pete tried to talk to him. Alex knew Gabe was only trying to protect him, but he just didn’t want to think about the possibility. Pete was someone he never wanted to see again, so for Gabe to try to make him think about that? No. Just no.

“Hey, don’t worry about it, okay? I can handle things,” Gabe said softly, noticing the guilt that passed over Alex’s face.

“I wish I could make it easier for you,” Alex mumbled.

“Just being here, being safe is good enough for me,” Gabe insisted.

“You sap,” Alex giggled.

“Mm, you tend to have that affect on me, guapo,” Gabe smirked.

“It isn’t difficult, Gabe. A gust of wind in the right place turns you on,” Alex teased.

“Maybe, but you turn me on more,” Gabe shrugged, eyes glinting.

Alex smirked and started kissing Gabe’s neck, hot open-mouthed kisses that had Gabe tilting his head back and moaning softly.

“Te deseo,” Gabe groaned.

“What?” Alex asked, nipping the tender skin.

“I want you,” Gabe rasped.

Alex grinned.

“I think that can be arranged,” Alex said innocently.

Gabe started to grin, but that turned into an open-mouthed groan as Alex circled his hips firmly. Fuck. Alex sure was horny tonight. Oh well, as long as it had a good end for him as well, he didn’t care.

“It’s so easy to get you riled up, baby. I bet you’re so desperate for my lips around your cock that it wouldn’t bother you if every single employee was in here – you’d let me suck your cock anyway,” Alex murmured.

Gabe wanted to retort, he really did. But as soon as Alex’s fingers made quick work of unbuttoning and unzipping his chinos, and he slid his hand past the fabric, Gabe was lost.

“Commando? Dirty,” Alex smirked.

“I ain’t dirty yet,” Gabe rasped.

Alex’s smirk widened but before he could reply, three sharp knocks sounded on the door. Before Gabe could say I’m busy, Alex had slid down underneath the desk. Gabe frowned slightly but told whoever it was to come in, sliding in close to his desk so whoever it was couldn’t see his open fly.

It was John Ohh.

“Hey, Gabe,”

“Hey John, what’s up?” Gabe asked casually.

“There’s a few blips in the accounts that I can’t figure out,” John admitted.

Gabe frowned. “What like?”

As John sat down and put a few sheets of paper on the table, causing Gabe to lean forward to look at them, Gabe felt Alex pulling his chinos down slightly. His breath hitched in his throat as Alex pulled his half-hard dick out, earning a warning squeeze to his knee.

“You okay?” John asked.

“Yeah, just fine. Um, what figures are wrong?” Gabe asked as calmly as he could.

As John started talking, Alex’s lips closed around the tip of Gabe’s erection, sucking gently to coax him back to full hardness. Gabe was just grateful that there was a wooden panel hiding Alex from John. This was not something he wanted to explain. As soon as Gabe was back to his rock hard glory, Alex pulled out all his tricks. Teasing Gabe’s balls, thumbing the nerves under the head, closing his throat around him, sucking particularly hard on the tip. Gabe choked a gasp as Alex tongued at the slit, quickly turning it into a cough.

John didn’t notice anything different.

And if anything, Alex started to bob his head harder, using his hand around what couldn’t fit in his mouth. Gabe had to bite down on the side of his hand to stop moaning, more and more pleasure building up as time went on. Fuck, he needed to get John out of here now.

“…and then there’s 3 payments referenced to AJM? We don’t have an AJM working here, do we?” John frowned.

AJM…AJM…wait!

“AJM is Allan Jessop Motors – Victoria’s car got hit when she was at the shopping mall, remember? Because it’s a company car, it would’ve had to have gone on the company card – just go and check the amounts with her and that should be cleared up,” Gabe said, his voice straining.

“Okay great, thank you. I’ll get right on that,” John beamed.

Gabe just nodded his goodbye, just about hanging on until John had shut the door to thread his fingers through Alex’s hair and fuck his mouth until he came moments later. Fuck. Fuck. Alex sucked on Gabe’s tip until he started to soften, before releasing him and swallowing, and then started to laugh.

“You’re going to get me into trouble one day,” Gabe groaned, helping Alex out from under his desk.

Alex just grinned, straddling Gabe’s waist again.

“As long as I get a reward from it, I can deal with that,” Alex shrugged.

“A reward huh?” Gabe mused.

Alex’s eyes lit up as Gabe’s hand cupped his crotch straight away, and ground his hips into the pressure. Gabe just smirked before unzipping his jeans.

*

“Boss man, there’s a package for you,”

It was mid-February. Things had been peaceful at the club. A little too peaceful. But Gabe just held onto the hope that Pete had gotten bored and had left the city again. It was worth a shot, right? Right now he was relaxing with Victoria in his office, waiting for the club doors to open before the two of them did any real work for the night.

“Thanks, Jeff,” Gabe nodded, taking the box from the bearded man.

Gabe waited until Jeff left to properly look at the package.

“Who’s the box from?” Victoria asked curiously.

“Not a clue,” Gabe shrugged.

Then he noticed a piece of paper sticking out from under the packaging label. Carefully, he pulled it out and read it aloud.

Sorry I haven’t been to see you lately, Gabey.
I’ve just been so busy setting up my new business!
That’s right, I’m here to stay.
Just thought I’d send you a little taster for what I’ll be selling this good city.
Why don’t you take a look for yourself?

The colour drained from Gabe’s face and Victoria gasped. Fuck. Without hesitating, Gabe ripped the lid off the box, only to whimper. Inside were clear plastic bags filled with every single drug Gabe had ever heard of. Victoria peered in too and immediately had to sit down, a queasy look running over her face.

“He’s going into dealing again. This time heavy duty,” Victoria whispered.

“I’m going to have to call him,”

“No not Tra…”

“I have to. If anyone knows the underground circuit, it’s him. He’ll know what Pete’s up to, and I can’t just ignore him any more. If he can send this here without it being checked then it means he’s either got some very powerful friends or he’s paid off some very powerful friends. He’s dangerous, V. I’m not letting him get under us like this,”

“O-Okay. What do you want me to do?” Victoria asked.

“Go downstairs and tell Alex what happened. Make sure no-one else hears. And keep an eye on Alex at all times tonight. No matter what. If he goes to the bathroom, you go in there with him. If Pete has spies as customers in the club, I don’t want the bouncers involved yet. He knows how many I keep out front and in what position – if we change that now he’ll take Alex and I can’t have that,” Gabe said seriously.

“I can do that,” Victoria nodded.

“Have you still got your gun?” he asked.

“Gabe,” Victoria whispered, her face paling slightly.

“I mean it. I don’t care what it takes, V. Pete is not winning this time,” Gabe said, his voice a little cold.

Victoria hesitated before nodding.

“Yeah, it’s in my office. I can probably tuck it into the waistband of my skirt and pull my shirt over it so no-one will notice,” she said.

Gabe nodded, suddenly feeling very weary. This shit just got real.

“As soon as he gets here, send him up,” Gabe said firmly.

“Will do. I hope you know what you’re doing, Gabe,” Victoria said with a weak smile.

“Me too,” Gabe sighed, pulling out his cellphone.

Exactly 1 hour later, there was a knock on Gabe’s door, before it opened. Colussy popped his head in. Ah, Colussy was on backstage entrance duty. It pleased Gabe that even people who claimed to know him weren’t even let through.

“There’s a Travie McCoy here to see you?” Colussy said, raising an eyebrow.

Just as he thought.

“Send him up,” Gabe nodded.

Gabe downed the last of his scotch before sitting up straight, quirking an eyebrow as the door opened again. In walked a broad-shouldered man, wild black hair and dark eyes with olive skin, and clothes that hung from his body because that’s how he liked to wear them. Gabe’s childhood friend, Travie McCoy.

“Shit, you’re still smoking those cheap cigars,” Travie grimaced, sniffing the air.

“And you still buy suits that are 3 sizes too big to give you ‘street cred’,” Gabe retorted smoothly.

Travie stared Gabe down for three seconds before breaking into a wide grin.

“I’ve missed you, Saporta. Maybe not your smoking choice, but definitely you,” Travie laughed.

“Sit, please,” Gabe smiled.

Travie nodded and did so, accepting a glass of scotch from Gabe.

“Now, I know you didn’t bring me here for shits and giggles, seeing as we’ve barely spoken in nearly 5 years. What’s going on?” Travie asked.

Straight to the point, as always. But Gabe wasn’t ready just yet.

“You know I cut myself off from the drug scene, and that included you, even if…”

Gabe trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Even if I only sell weed to underage high school girls?” Travie offered.

“You’re a sick man,” Gabe commented dryly, although the corner of his lips curled into a smile.

He’d missed Travie’s I-don’t-give-a-shit attitude.

“I’ve heard worse. What am I here for, Gabanti? I know you didn’t call me here for my dealing,” Travie said.

Gabe sighed and nodded, leaning back into his chair.

“I’m sure you’ve heard by now that Pete’s back,” Gabe started.

Travie nodded gravely. “Mm, he’s been messing my business up like shit. Paid me a little visit too, a warning not to overstep my boundaries with what I sell versus what he sells,”

So it was true. Pete was dealing again.

“On my birthday, Pete killed one of the homeless men on this block and dumped him outside the club’s back door with a note under a knife saying I missed you Gabey. At the beginning of January, he jimmied open the window to this office and waited for me to come in, and he made the pretence of ‘missing me’ before saying that he wasn’t going anywhere. I told him to back off and stay away, but he didn’t take that too lightly. I hadn’t heard from him since, until I got a ‘welcome to my new business’ package from him this afternoon,”

Gabe kicked forward the box of drugs and Travie’s eyes went wide.

“Holy shit, he’s pushing all of that?!” he gasped.

“And more, I would guess,” Gabe nodded.

“Fuck,” Travie grunted.

“I know. I don’t give a shit about what he does with his business or his life, but I give a shit that he’s coming near my club and he’s coming near Alex,” Gabe said angrily.

“Alex? As in…”

“Yeah, Alex. He’s…well, he lives with me and we fuck multiple times a day. Exclusively to each other,” Gabe nodded, wincing slightly at his description.

It wasn’t exactly like Alex was his boyfriend, but it could never get that far. Ever.

“Shit. I bet Pete was pleased with that,” Travie grimaced.

“I haven’t told Pete myself about me and Alex and Alex swears he hasn’t seen Pete around, but I know Pete has his spies as customers. I just want to know what I’m up against,” Gabe replied.

“You want to know what I know about Pete’s return?” Travie asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“Nailed it in one,” Gabe nodded.

“Lucky for you, I have…friends all over, and after Pete paid me that little visit, I did some digging. For personal reasons, obviously. Who not to piss of, and so on. He has a fair few lackeys, hired muscle etc, but he has three main men. Joe Trohman is a skilled hacker. Very skilled at hacking police systems, for example, to send officers in the opposite direction when he’s doing a big deal. Andy Hurley is a master of assault – karate, boxing, you name it and he’s qualified in it – and pretty much a glorified bodyguard. But Patrick Stump…he’s the one you want to watch out for,”

“Why?” Gabe frowned.

“He’s a lawyer. And a damn good one at that – very well respected in the city and rarely loses a case. Has a nasty addiction to cocaine though, and manages to get any lawsuit against Pete dropped before it even goes to court. He’s a powerful friend to Pete and a dangerous enemy to you, should he see you as a threat,” Travie warned.

Fuck. A lawyer – Gabe should’ve known Pete would play dirty.

“Look, Saporta, I know my word doesn’t count for much after what happened at that party 5 years ago, but I’ll do whatever it takes to destroy Pete,” Travie said firmly.

“You will? Why?” Gabe asked, confused.

Travie smiled weakly, a strange look on the oh-so-confident man.

“Not only did he cost me my friends, but he’s dirtying my business. The weed scene in Manhattan is mine, and no-one’s taking that away from me. I have my trust fund but I like dealing weed. I may not be as clean or as good as you and V, but I ain’t a bad person. Pete is bad, and I’m not letting him destroy an innocent kid’s life like he nearly did with Alex,” Travie explained.

“So you’re on my side? For good?” Gabe asked.

“Yeah, man. Didn’t you realise that on our first day in pre-K when I tripped that kid over for laughing at your purple hoodie?” Travie mused.

“I liked that hoodie,” Gabe pouted.

“So did I,” Travie reassured, “Now…what would you like me to do?”

“Lay low for a few days. I have no doubt that your visit here will reach Pete at some point. I’ll call you if I need more digging. Just…keep safe, yeah?” Gabe warned.

“It’s sad to think that Pete used to be our best friend and now we’re working against him,” Travie sighed.

“I know how you feel. Hang around the club tonight, yeah? Drinks are on me. Tell Paul behind the bar to put it on the ‘Cobra’ tab. He’ll know what you mean,” Gabe said softly.

“Twist my arm,” Travie winked, “Is that William kid still around?”

“He’s 25 now, but yeah. Why?” Gabe asked curiously.

“25? Shit, I feel old. Oh, no reason. I just like to appreciate a fine body, that’s all,” Travie grinned.

“I’d warn you away, but Bilvy can take care of himself. Good luck wooing him,” Gabe snorted.

“Babycakes, I wooed you plenty of times after you came out,” Travie retorted playfully.

“Barely,” Gabe winked.

Travie laughed and stood up from the chair.

“See you later, Saporta,” Travie smirked.

“Likewise, McCoy,” Gabe replied.

As soon as Travie left, Gabe sunk into his chair. Fuck. He almost wished he hadn’t asked so much about Pete, because now he knew just how connected Pete was? Well, he knew it was going to be harder than he thought to take his ex-best-friend down. But Gabe would be damned if Pete ruined his life again. Oh no. It was not going to happen this time.

*

Alex had been looking forward to the beginning of March for a long time. Why? Because it meant that Spencer and Jon were getting married. Ever since Jon had proposed back in October and ever since the same-sex marriage license passed, Spencer had been planning a wedding and reception in the very area of Queens that he grew up in with Jon, and now the day had come. Brendon was Spencer’s best man and Jon’s best friend Tom Conrad was his best man, and after they’d all gone to the civic hall to sign the appropriate documents, it was time for the real party to begin. Along with various family members on each side, the entire staff of Caballeros Cala had gone to a massive hotel (courtesy of Gabe as his wedding present) for the reception.

Alex hadn’t wanted to get particularly drunk tonight, but the urges were picking up whenever he looked at Spencer and Jon. They just looked so happy. Sure, they were meant to, it’s their wedding day, but Alex had been in love with Gabe since he was 18 and he didn’t even have a smidgen of the same returned adoration. Their open love for each other was starting to make him a little queasy, so he sat down on a table to get some rest. Then he groaned softly when he realised he was sitting next to a couple just as schmoopy – Nick and Halvo.

“Good to see you too, Alex,” Halvo laughed.

“My feet hurt,” Alex lied.

“Ah fair enough. Having fun?” Nick smiled.

“Loads,” Alex lied again.

A brief silence passed, until Alex couldn’t hold himself back any longer.

“Do you think it’s weird that you’ve been engaged for longer than Jon and Spencer, but still aren’t married?” he blurted.

Nick and Halvo laughed, before shaking their heads.

“Nick’s parents have offered to pay for the whole wedding if we wait for them to finish putting Nick’s younger sister through college. My parents sure as hell can’t afford it and I think it’s fucking nice of them so what’s another two years?” Halvo replied.

Nick smiled up at Halvo adoringly.

“I could marry Halvo in a heartbeat but he wants the big wedding. If this is the way I can give him his dream day, then I’ll wait,” Nick said simply.

Alex would’ve smiled too, but they shared a gag-inducing kiss that practically forced him to leave the table. Why couldn’t he have that? What had he done wrong in a past life to not deserve their kind of happiness? Sure he had problems in his past, but they were all dealt with – why couldn’t anything work out like he wanted it too?

After a little while longer of moping, Alex found Gabe, who immediately pulled Alex into his lap.

“Mm, tienes un magnífico cuerpo,” Gabe purred.

Alex felt himself blushing, even though he didn’t know what Gabe had said.

“Care to translate?” Alex prompted.

“You have a great body,” Gabe murmured, mouthing at his neck.

“And you have a lot of alcohol in your system,”

“I know,” Gabe grinned, unashamed, “but the drink I just finished is my last. I didn’t book us a room here tonight just to pass out in it,”

Alex couldn’t help but smile at that. Sometimes Gabe could be so sweet, so considerate. It made him wonder…

“Do you think this could be us one day?” he asked softly.

Gabe looked at Alex for all of two seconds before laughing.

“Don’t dream too big, darling,” Gabe scoffed.

“I-I wasn’t,” Alex said quietly.

“Good,” Gabe shrugged.

Alex bit his bottom lip as tears sprung to his eyes. He knew he shouldn’t be crying – Gabe hadn’t said anything that Alex didn’t already know. It’s just…after spending a day surrounded by so much love, it’s hard not to get caught up. He wouldn’t be so stupid as to make the same mistake again, that was for certain.

“I’m going to get a drink,” Alex mumbled.

“Have fun,” Gabe smiled.

Oh he was going to.

When Spencer and Jon left for their week-long honeymoon, Gabe led Alex into the elevator to get to their room. The only difference from a few hours ago was that Alex was a hell of a lot drunker now, and had spent the night quiet and deep in thought. And Gabe knew that never ended well, most often for him. He didn’t even know what had sparked Alex’s upset, but he knew it was there. He had been intimate with Alex for 4 years now, it wasn’t hard to tell.

As soon as they were in the room, Gabe confronted him, a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“What’s wrong, Lex? You’ve been quiet for most of the night,” Gabe frowned, brushing Alex’s fringe from his eyes with his other hand.

“It’s nothing,” Alex said softly.

“Bullshit,” Gabe accused.

He knew when Alex was lying and now was one of those times.

Alex just shrugged away from Gabe’s touch and stripped down to nothing, before getting into their bed, lying on his side. Just one look at those smooth planes of lightly tanned skin, and Gabe had forgotten what he was thinking about, his dick hardening quickly. He didn’t waste any time in joining Alex, kissing Alex’s neck where he was laying behind him before pushing into Alex slowly, glad for the lube that was still there from the morning. Alex moaned softly, not fully relaxing for another few thrusts, before twisting his head awkwardly to kiss Gabe. He felt stupid for thinking that Gabe would change, even for him, even after all this time.

If Alex couldn’t have everything he wanted, he’d sure as hell settle for this.

*

A month after the wedding, Alex found himself sitting next to Victoria in her office just before work, watching her go through the April schedules while John was out at the accountants, giving the two of them complete privacy and silence. Not that they were talking much – Alex had his head full of thoughts, especially over something he found out no more than a week ago. Something about Victoria and Gabe that he’d never known (or even thought could be possible) that he just couldn’t get off his mind.

“Dollar for your thoughts,”

“You’ll end up bankrupt,” Alex warned.

“Try me,” Victoria mused.

Well here goes nothing.

“Why didn’t anyone ever tell me that you and Gabe were married?” Alex asked.

Victoria squeaked, her eyes wide in shock. Did Alex just say…

Yeah, he did.

“You know?” she managed to choke.

“Yeah, but Gabe doesn’t know I know,” Alex nodded, chewing his bottom lip straight after.

“How did you…”

Victoria trailed off awkwardly. This wasn’t something she ever thought she’d have to talk about again. It had been 9 years ago, after all.

“Find out? I was looking through some old photo albums to see if I could find any embarrassing pictures of Gabe – it’s a long story and involves an elaborate revenge prank for him stealing all my underwear for a week – and I found your wedding album. I would never have guessed that you and Gabe were married from the age of 18-21,” Alex said simply.

Victoria smiled fondly, and nodded. This was something that practically no-one knew, the story of her and Gabe’s past. But Alex? Alex was someone she had known for years and could trust, so she didn’t mind telling him.

“It’s nothing particularly interesting, just so you know,” Victoria mused.

Alex just shrugged, wanting to hear the story anyway.

“We’re both from very rich families, as you know. It was more of an arranged marriage than anything else, a business deal. The only reason I didn’t fight it was because Gabe is one of my best friends and I knew he would treat me right, even if we didn’t love each other like that. I always knew he was bisexual because, hell, money attracts every sexuality to him, you know what he’s like. But when Gabe was 21 he told me that he was gay and that he couldn’t be married to me any more. I told him that I wasn’t upset but just happy that he hadn’t lived a lie and dragged the marriage out – like I said, a best friend. His parents pretty much banned him from social circles but couldn’t touch his trust fund money because of his age, and that’s when he started the club. You met us 2 years later,” Victoria explained.

“So it doesn’t bother you? How everything could just change overnight and that you still see him every day? See him with me when you know he was yours once?” Alex asked hesitantly.

Victoria laughed softly and shook her head.

“No, it doesn’t bother me. He was only ever mine on paper. You and Gabe have a very different relationship than me and him. We didn’t love each other as more than friends and I think that working together in this club kept our friendship going – we’ve both admitted more than once that if we had kept our distance after the divorce then we probably wouldn’t have stayed friends. But I get the good end of it. The only ‘intimate’ thing we ever did when we were married was to share a bed and snuggle – we still do that now if we’re drunk. I keep his friendship and I get an awesome job and I actually get the chance to meet people that will love me for me,” Victoria said warmly.

“Have you met anybody else yet? I don’t see you out on dates much,” Alex frowned.

“That’s because of my hours here, but I’ve had a few dates with different guys,” she nodded.

“A few as in…recently?” Alex probed.

Victoria blushed slightly. He knew it!

“I met a guy when I went to visit my momma a few months back. He was the son of an old family friend that moved out of state but returned recently. We started talking, then flirting and he asked me out to dinner. And he was a gentleman the whole time – you don’t find many of them when you’re 30,” she laughed.

“You barely look a day over 25, doll,” Alex purred, “What’s his name?”

“Ass kisser. And he’s called Ryland. Ryland Blackington,” she replied.

“Woah, as in, Blackington Diamonds?” Alex gasped.

“His daddy owns the company, but yes,” Victoria giggled.

“Holy shit, get in there now, girl! He’s a keeper!” Alex grinned.

“He is quite the charmer, I will admit. Ryland’s already asked me to move in with him but I’m not sure. Don’t want to take things too fast, y’know?” Victoria smiled.

“Well, at least he’s interested. I’d bet he’d even show you as his girlfriend in society,” Alex said, only sounding a little bitter.

Victoria caught onto the meaning behind Alex’s words straight away. Gabe.

“Hey, he’ll come around. Eventually. Gabe’s never stayed faithful to anyone for as long as he has to you,” Victoria said softly.

“I know I just…sometimes it’s not enough, y’know? All I want is some reassurance that I’m not wasting my time on someone who will never love me when I could be out there finding someone who does. He just…it feels like he uses me sometimes. Like I’m just a sex object to him. I want to be more than that, want to be something permanent, but I know he doesn’t and never will want that. So I really don’t think you’re right,” Alex sighed.

“He’ll come around,” Victoria repeated firmly.

Alex smiled weakly, shrugging. He didn’t believe his older friend. Not one bit.

“I’d better go get ready. See you later, V,” Alex said quietly.

“See you,” Victoria murmured.

All I want is some reassurance that I’m not wasting my time on someone who will never love me. Alex’s words stuck in her mind, repeating on a loop, until she stood up and left her and John’s office. For Alex to get so insecure, so down about his ‘relationship’ with Gabe when she knew that Gabe cared about him a fuck load more than Alex thought…well, this wasn’t acceptable. Not in the slightest.

Without hesitating, Victoria walked down the corridor to Gabe’s office, knocking sharply twice before opening the door. Gabe was sitting in there on his own, nursing a glass of scotch.

“What’s got your panties in a wad?” Gabe mused.

“You, actually,” she said angrily.

“Okay, what did I do this time?” Gabe sighed.

“It’s actually been building up for the past four years,” Victoria retorted.

Gabe frowned slightly, before this turned to confusion.

“Alex?” he asked.

“I’m glad you know how long you’ve been torturing him,”

“Oh knock of it, V. I haven’t done shit,”

“Actually that’s right. You haven’t done shit to make him think that you care about him at all!” Victoria exasperated.

“Alright, what brought this on?” Gabe sighed.

“He knows we were married. He knows that I’m seeing Ryland and he know that you will never call him your boyfriend like Ryland calls me his girlfriend. Alex is hurting, Gabe. You wouldn’t believe some of the stuff he was saying,” Victoria ranted.

Gabe gritted his teeth. “Try me,”

“Fine, you ignorant bastard. How about this? All I want is some reassurance that I’m not wasting my time on someone who will never love me when I could be out there finding someone who does? Or maybe even this little beauty. It feels like he uses me sometimes. Like I’m just a sex object to him. Or my personal favourite. I want to be more than that, want to be something permanent, but I know he doesn’t and never will want that. You have no idea what you’re doing to him, Gabe. If I had known it was this bad, I would’ve…”

“You would’ve what, hmm?” Gabe interrupted, “Saved Alex from my damnation?”

“Don’t you get smart with me, Saporta. We’ve known Alex for 8 years, and I care about him more than I care about most people, so I will not let you hurt him like this. I get that you don’t like relationships, but you’ve been fucking the boy for 4 years! You treat him like a boyfriend without the title, but refuse to acknowledge him as that in public. At least Pete said that he loved him!” Victoria yelled.

Gabe’s breath hitched in his throat. She did not just bring Pete into this conversation.

“Get out,” Gabe said lowly.

“I don’t think so,” she replied.

“GET OUT!” Gabe roared.

Victoria scowled, shaking her head in anger.

“You’re going to lose him, Gabe. And when you do, don’t you dare come crying to me,” she spat.

With that, Victoria left. Gabe just clenched his fists. When they got back to Gabe’s house, he and Alex were going to have a serious talk.

*

As soon as Gabe and Alex got into Gabe’s bedroom, Gabe turned to Alex with an angry look. Victoria’s words still hadn’t left his mind.

“Where the fuck do you get off talking to Victoria about us?” Gabe hissed.

Alex’s eyes widened slightly, but he scowled too.

“I can talk to who I like about what I like because there isn’t an us,” Alex spat.

“Like fuck there isn’t,” Gabe retorted.

“Are you kidding me? I get introduced as your friend Alex whenever we’re in public! You don’t even call me your boyfriend!”

“Alex, come on…,”

Alex ignored him.

“Are you ashamed of me because of my past? Because I’m not a socialite like you and V? Why don’t you care about me?!” Alex exasperated.

“I do care! And I’m not ashamed of you!” Gabe snapped.

“Why don’t you prove it by making me your boyfriend?” Alex said angrily.

“You know I don’t do serious relationships,” Gabe retorted.

“Then why the fuck am I still in your bed, Gabe? I’m not a fuck toy,” Alex growled.

“Hasn’t seemed that way for the last 4 years,” Gabe sneered.

Alex flinched slightly at Gabe’s words, jolting backwards. So that’s what Gabe really thought. Then Gabe paled, realising what he said. Shit. He didn’t mean that. Gabe stepped towards Alex, but Alex quickly stepped even further away, shaking his head.

“I-I…I can’t be here right now,” Alex choked.

“Baby, please, don’t go,” Gabe begged.

Tears sprung to Alex’s eyes but he whirled round and grabbed a duffel bag, shoving as many clothes into it as possible. Gabe sat watching him, torn over what to do. His heart told him to stop Alex packing his clothes, to keep him here, but his head said that Alex needed space right now. It was only when Alex choked a sob that Gabe broke out of his thoughts.

“I can’t believe you would say that, Gabe,” Alex mumbled, tears trickling down his cheeks.

Gabe didn’t reply. Alex choked another sob and quickly ran out of the room and down the stairs. Gabe didn’t stop him.

*

Alex had been sleeping on Rian, Jack, Zack and Martin’s futon couch for the past week. Gabe had tried to talk to him, to call him, even to go over to that apartment, but under Alex’s begging Zack had refused him entry. Apologetically of course, but still a refusal. Gabe didn’t know what the fuck to do. He’d quickly realised that letting Alex leave that night had been a big mistake, despite his head telling him to give Alex space. Alex didn’t need space – he needed Gabe.

All Gabe had heard over the past week were murmurings, from the 4 employees that Alex was staying with, about Alex crying himself to sleep and being completely broken. Gabe hadn’t meant what he said. Alex was not a fuck toy. He was more than just a fuck, and Gabe knew that Alex knew this. Why was he so insecure? Gabe had constantly showered Alex with affection, gifts and incredible sex, so what was so wrong with that?

But this week of not talking to Alex was taking its toll. Gabe was at his wit’s end of what to do, and he knew that he’d either explode or break down very soon – neither options were favourable. Victoria had taken the opportunity to comfort him, knowing that he’d listen to no-one else right now.

“I know I told you to classify your relationship with him, but I didn’t mean that you could call him your fuck toy,”

Gabe didn’t need to ask where she heard that – he knew that Alex confided in Victoria too.

“Technically I didn’t say those words – I just agreed with what he said in a bad way,” Gabe muttered.

“You’re an idiot,” Victoria sighed.

“Thanks, Captain fucking obvious,” Gabe spat.

“Hey, don’t get shitty with me. All I did was confront you about him being insecure and upset – I didn’t say yell at the poor kid,” Victoria pointed out.

“He’s not a kid, V – he’s a fucking adult,” Gabe retorted.

“Maybe you should treat him like one and take his feelings into account! He loves you, Gabe. And you never showed that you love him back,” Victoria said softly.

Before Gabe could reply, his office door was knocked on, and William stuck his head through the door.

“Gabe, are you busy?” he asked desperately.

“Not now, Bilvy,” Gabe growled.

“You really need to see this,” William insisted.

Normally Gabe would just scoff and ignore his ex-lover. But something in William’s eyes was scared, and Gabe knew the skinny beauty didn’t scare easily. Silently Gabe stood up, letting William, lead himself and Victoria down to the mirror room. William pointed to Alex’s station.

What the fuck?!

Alex mirror and table were completely empty; no make-up, no photos, nothing.

Apart from a single post-it note.

Dear Gabe,

I’m sorry that everything’s boiled down to this, but I can’t stay here any more.
I can’t be around you after what you said to me.
I’m going where I’m appreciated.
Goodbye,
Alex x.

“I’m going where I’m appreciated…surely he doesn’t mean…please, tell me he doesn’t mean…he can’t have gone to Pete?!” Gabe said incredulously.

“I-I think he has, Gabe. I saw that Patrick Stump lawyer guy, that Travie pointed out to me one time, driving past the club just as I got here and that’s when I ran to Alex’s station. He literally just left,” William said nervously.

Fuck. Holy fucking fuck. Gabe had lost Alex to Pete fucking Wentz…and it was all his own fault. With a whimper, Gabe flopped down into Alex’s…no, Alex’s old chair, his eyes wide in devastation. He’d lost the only person important to him, and there was no way of getting him back. Not now. Not with Pete involved.

Just then, the rest of the dancers arrived to start getting ready for that night, before they slowed to a stop next to Alex’s empty station and Gabe’s shocked frame.

“Uh, what’s going on?” Garrett asked.

Gabe looked up at Victoria, and she nodded. Gabe swallowed heavily – he knew what he had to do.

“I need to talk to everyone about something. Dump your bags and come out front. Bilvy, round up the bartenders. Victoria, get John and the bouncers,” Gabe sighed.

Within minutes, Gabe was sitting on the bar top, with everyone else sitting in chairs in front of him. He didn’t want to do this, to dig into his dirty past like this, but it had to be done. With Alex gone…it had to be done.

“Alex has left the club. For good,” Gabe announced sadly.

“What?!”
“Where’s he gone?”
“Why?”
“What the fuck?!”

Gabe held a hand up for silence.

“He’s gone to be with Pete Wentz because of me,” Gabe added.

The room exploded in anger and shouts, until Victoria whistled sharply and stood by Gabe’s side.

“Thanks,” he smiled weakly to her.

She just nodded, squeezing his hand.

“I owe you all an explanation. I know I haven’t exactly been very forthcoming about all the drama between Pete Wentz, Alex and myself, but Alex leaving today has given me no choice. I think it’s time I told you all the truth,”

Gabe hesitated slightly, looking over his employees and friends. Every single person had their attention on him. Great.

“Travie McCoy, Victoria, Pete and I were 23 when we first met Alex. Pete was a well-known drug-dealer. Victoria and I never touched the stuff, but didn’t stop him dealing. Travie did some drugs lightly, but none of the heavy shit. Alex was one of Pete’s customers, completely addicted to heroin, and because he didn’t always have money, he used to sleep with Pete to pay,”

Gabe licked his lips out of nerves, trying to ignore everyone’s shocked and horrified faces. This is where it got bad.

“Alex told Pete he was 18, and it wasn’t until a year later that he confessed to actually being 16 – and that he was 15 when we met him. I protested Pete to cut Alex off because Pete was my best friend and Alex was jailbait and that this was a bad idea, but Pete didn’t care. He said he had never had such a good fuck as Alex. Other than being quite crude about their sex life, he seemed to really care about Alex, always complimenting him and buying him nice things. Alex had never really had affection in his life, I think his parents were pretty shitty, so he lapped it up,”

Gabe hesitated again, this time looking at Victoria. Her lips were pressed tightly together, but she nodded. Gabe sighed before continuing.

“When Alex was 18, so when we were 26, we were at a small party. Pete was dealing there that night and Travie was helping. I was talking to Victoria about the club in an upstairs corridor, and Pete and Alex walked into the bedroom opposite us. I thought they were just going to fuck but when Pete ran out of the room looking panicked, I immediately walked in,”

Gabe paused for a second, the images and memories flashing over his mind. Victoria rubbed his shoulder, trying to encourage him. Sometimes he could barely get these images out of his head.

“What I saw was Alex naked and writhing on the bed, foaming at the mouth, his eyes rolling back in his head. Pete had overdosed him with a new ‘superdrug’. I started freaking out because I’d known Alex for three years by then and he was a good friend of ours already. And to see him like that…no. I just couldn’t deal with it. Victoria called for an ambulance and Travie and I got Alex dressed and out onto the sidewalk. The three of us went through some pretty heavy police questioning, but because we actually hadn’t given Alex the drugs and because we said that we found him in a bedroom while we went there for privacy, we weren’t charged with anything. And neither was Pete,”

Gabe heard the gasps and murmurs from the group, but didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop now.

“Alex just about lived, having to have his stomach pumped and blood transfusions and all sorts. I took him under my wing from then on, giving him a year to recover from his addiction before he started dancing here. I found out the morning after the overdose that Pete had left the city, not wanting to deal with the aftermath of what he’d done to Alex. He fucking abandoned Alex, the boy that loved him, because of Pete’s mistake. That’s why I hate Pete Wentz – because he not only nearly ruined my life with his shitty choices, but he nearly killed Alex too, and without a single thought in our direction,”

Gabe clenched his fists, his anger rising. After everything Pete had done…

“And now…now Alex has gone back to him, and it’s all my fault. I…I didn’t show him the love he needed and deserved, and he’s gone back to the one person who gave him a glimmer of that,”

“What about Alex’s addiction?”

“What about it?” Gabe frowned.

“Obviously he’s been clean for 5 years, but if Wentz is still dealing and Alex is around him…what if Alex starts up again?”

The colour drained from Gabe’s face. He hadn’t thought of that. What if…Alex accidently overdosed again? Who would be around to help him then? Pete sure as hell wouldn’t…

“Hey, it’ll be okay – Alex is stronger now. He’s not some stupid desperate street kid any more,” Victoria reassured.

“You know how persuasive Pete can be. And you know the influence and hold he has over Alex,” Gabe muttered angrily.

Gabe drowned out the buzz of talking that started up all around them, until Martin appeared in front of him, Zack right by his side.

“I might be able to keep track of Alex for you,” Martin offered.

“How?” Gabe frowned.

“Well…okay, so I used to live in a brothel – no I never worked there, I just rented a room – and some of the girls were cocaine addicts, and I bet that now Pete’s back in town that he’s supplying them. I think Pete would want to keep Alex by his side and therefore he’d probably be there on selling days – I could ask the girls to see if he’s okay, like, if he looks like he’s back on drugs or if he’s been abused or anything?” Martin suggested.

Martin lived in a brothel? Wow. And so not the point. The big question was…did Gabe actually want to know if Alex was back on drugs? Could he go through that disappointment? Wait, this was Alex – of course he’d want to know.

“Yeah, okay. That’s a good idea,” Gabe nodded.

Martin beamed and pulled out his cellphone, Zack just pressing a kiss to the side of his head. Gabe sighed at the younger couple. They’d gone through all sorts of problems before they’d gotten together – if they could do it, then why couldn’t Alex and Gabe?

“Hey, let’s go back upstairs, yeah?” Victoria prompted softly.

Gabe nodded silently and followed Victoria upstairs into his office again. He sat down in his comfortable chair before noticing that he’d started crying. Fuck. Gabriel Saporta did not cry. Victoria looked genuinely surprised but handed him a few tissues. He accepted them silently. Fuck knows he didn’t want to acknowledge his weakness with words.

“I’ll get a bottle of scotch sent up and I’ll work out who to fill Alex’s slots with. The club needs to keep running, Gabe,” Victoria said softly.

“Yeah, I know. I know you said not to come crying to you when I lost Alex, but fuck, I don’t know what I’m doing,” Gabe said, his voice shaky.

“I would say I told you so but I can’t. This wasn’t what I meant by losing him. If Pete wasn’t here, Alex wouldn’t have gone back to him again. I’m sorry,” she said honestly.

“Thanks. I just…I want to be left alone tonight, okay?” Gabe sighed.

“I’m pretty sure everyone will understand that. You know what you have to do though, right?” Victoria said.

“Drown myself in alcohol?” Gabe mumbled.

“No, you need to win Alex back from Pete,” Victoria replied.

“Yeah, right,” Gabe scoffed.

“I’m serious. You need to get Alex back, and I mean for real this time. No half-assing and saying you don’t do relationships. Alex needs a full-blown relationship and he needs it from you. Pete will destroy him and you…you love him,” Victoria said seriously.

Gabe stared her down for a little while, before sighing. She was right. He hated it when she was right.

“I know. I love him so fucking much and…I just hope I’m not too late,” Gabe said quietly.

“I hope so too,” Victoria said with a weak smile.

*

Mid April.

“Lexy, I’m home!”

Alex smiled softly at the sound of Pete’s voice, and got up off the sofa. He’d spent another day just watching movies, just relaxing, and it was a strange change. No exercises, no practicing on the pole, no glitter emergencies…just relaxing.

“There you are! Did you have a good day?” Pete asked cheerfully.

Alex’s smile fell a little bit when he saw how dilated Pete’s pupils were. Definitely tweaked. Despite Alex’s drug-filled past, he hadn’t touched a single drug since being back with Pete, not even a little bit of weed. He’d hated the detoxing process when he was 18, and he wasn’t going to go through that again.

“Yeah, just watched movies. You?” Alex said.

“Business was good,” Pete winked.

Alex’s smile fell a little more, but Pete didn’t seem to notice and just pressed their lips together. Alex sighed contently and relaxed into Pete’s arms, kissing back. This felt nice. Pete was proud to have him as a boyfriend and always showed that, especially in public. What more could he want?

“Fuck, Lex. Get naked and get on the sofa,” Pete groaned.

Alex giggled and stepped backwards, slowly pulling off his clothes. The way Pete looked at him…well, his body never went unappreciated, that’s for sure. He knew that Pete wanted him. Alex watched eagerly as Pete pulled his own clothes off, admiring the toned, tattooed body. So different from Gabe. So so different.

“All morning I was thinking about the wake-up blowjob you gave me. It was so difficult trying to negotiate territory with a raging hard-on,” Pete growled, walking over to the younger man.

Alex squeaked before he could stop himself, eyes widening. Pete just laughed and sat down on the sofa, beckoning Alex towards him. Alex grinned and grabbed a condom from the drawer of the side table next (which Pete had innocently filled to the brim for occasions such as this), before straddling Pete’s waist.

“Are you still wearing the butt plug from this morning?” Pete asked, slightly breathless as he rolled the condom over his dick.

Alex shook his head.

“I took it out half an hour ago. You like me slightly tight though, don’t you?”

Pete growled again and positioned Alex over his dick, before guiding him down slowly. Alex couldn’t stop the loud moan that tore from his lips, his body willingly stretching to accompany Pete’s dick. He’d been used to bigger. It felt good.

“Fuck, still so tight for me, Lexy,” Pete groaned, his head tilting back slightly.

“Fuck me. Just fuck me,” Alex begged.

Pete grinned and gripped Alex’s hips tight.

*

An hour later Alex sighed to himself, trying to get comfortable in Pete’s arms where the older man had fallen asleep on the sofa.

As much as he tried to pretend, this didn’t hold a candle to how amazing it felt to be held Gabe.

Not that he had that choice any more. Not when Gabe didn’t want him.

*

May. How time has flown. Alex had barely left Pete’s side in the whole time they’d been back together, not even for when Pete dealt his drugs (although Alex could’ve sworn some of the cocaine-addicted prostitutes looked at him strangely), so to wake up alone after an afternoon nap felt a little strange.

Where was Pete?

Then Alex registered the sound of music playing downstairs and frowned. What was going on? Alex yawned and got out of bed, pulling on a pair of pyjamas bottoms over his boxers and a plain hoodie, before leaving the bedroom. As he walked downstairs, the music got louder. Was Pete having a party?

Alex poked his head into the main living room, where he noticed Pete sitting with a group of 10 men, all of them dressed in suits. Fuck, this was business, not a party. Alex tried to back away quickly, but then Pete noticed him and grinned.

Fuck.

“Alex! Come in!” Pete called.

A sweet tone, but a dangerous under current. To refuse would mean something bad, Alex knew that much. Swallowing heavily, Alex nervously walked over to Pete. Pete stood up and pressed his lips firmly to Alex’s, Alex kissing back hesitantly. What was going on? Pete broke the kiss with a loud smacking noise, grinning at the younger man. Then Alex noticed how dilated his pupils were and he paled slightly. Pete was high. He was really fucking high.

“Your pretty little stripper boy isn’t looking so pretty, Wentz,” one of the guy’s leered.

Pretty little stripper boy? What had Pete been saying?

“You’re right! He’s wearing a few too many layers,” Pete snickered.

Before Alex could register what was happening, Pete was tugging his hoodie from him, leaving him topless. No!

“N-No! I’m not doing this!” Alex said firmly, backing away.

Alex kept walking backwards until he was cornered by a set of glass doors, the ones that opened to the backyard. Fuck. Pete smiled coldly, walking towards Alex in a way that Alex knew meant trouble.

“Like fuck you aren’t – you’re mine, Alex. You’ll do as I say,” Pete smirked.

“I’m not some whore you can just order around!” Alex protested, trying to hide how his hands were shaking.

“Well you sure seem to suck cock like one,” Pete retorted.

“Don’t do this, Pete, please. I thought you loved me,” Alex whimpered.

“Oh I do, Lexy. I’d just love to show everyone what you’ve got, too,” Pete grinned.

Tears sprung to Alex’s eyes and he shook his head. W-What was happening? Why was Pete doing this to him?

“You don’t say no to me, Alex. No-one says no to me,” Pete purred.

Alex whimpered as Pete’s hands went to the waistband of his pyjama bottoms and smacked them away. Pete scowled slightly but tried again, and in desperation Alex shoved him away. Hard.

“Ooh,” the other men chorused.

Alex’s eyes went wide as Pete’s face filled with fury. No-one embarrassed Pete in front of others. Alex knew that much. Fuck.

“You’re a fucking whore, Alex! Why would you ever think you could be anything more? A pathetic heroin addicted whore!”

Alex shook his head, tears trickling down his cheeks. He hadn’t touched heroin since he was 18, and that wasn’t going to change.

“I’m not pathetic, Pete. You are,” Alex whispered.

And that was when Pete snapped.

Solid shove to his chest.

Flying backwards.

A thump.

A crash of glass.

Pain ricocheting through his back.

Rolling down steps.

And then darkness.

~

Ryan was doing his rounds at the hospital, just checking on his patients. His corridor was joined to that of the one leading to the ER, which normally meant he saw some bad things on his way round. Right now though, he saw something worse. A young man lying on a stretcher, blood pooling all around him, unconscious, barely breathing and far too pale.

Holy shit. This was Alex Gaskarth.

“What the hell happened here?!” Ryan yelped, running beside them.

“Do you know him?” one of the nurses asked.

“Yeah, he’s a best friend of my partner. What happened?” Ryan demanded.

The paramedics shared a sympathetic look. Great. This meant it wasn’t good.

“Anonymous call from a payphone. He was found dumped by that very payphone, in a pool of blood and unconscious,” a paramedic explained.

Ryan’s eyes widened, his blood freezing slightly.

“Looks like he was pushed through glass doors. At least 200 incisions in his back. Lost a lot of blood,” a nurse said.

“We need a doctor in to assist the surgery because Dr Toro is already in theatre 2. Can you handle it?” the paramedic asked.

Ryan knew he couldn’t let Alex, or Brendon, down.

“Yes. I just need to get rid of my files. I’ll meet you in the emergency room in 2 minutes,” Ryan nodded.

The paramedics nodded back before speeding down to the ER. Ryan ran to his office and threw his files onto his desk, before quickly pulling out his phone.

Alex in ER. Pushed through glass doors and possibly fell down steps. Lots of glass in his back and lost lots of blood. Could be fatal x

If that didn’t get Brendon into gear, he didn’t know what would.

~

Gabe was sitting in his office, swilling scotch round and round in a glass, when Brendon came running into his office, eyes wide and panting.

“Haven’t you heard of knocking?” Gabe muttered.

Surely by now everyone knew to just leave him alone?

Brendon ignored him.

“I just got a text from Ryan. It’s…It’s Alex,”

Gabe head immediately snapped up. W-What? Alex?

“They think he was pushed through a set of glass doors and fell down a few steps. Apparently there’s a lot of glass in his back and he’s lost a lot of blood,” Brendon said, panicking.

“W-What?” Gabe choked.

No. No, this couldn’t be happening!

“Ryan said it could be fatal, Gabe. I know that you two aren’t…whatever you are, but he’ll need you when he wakes up. If he wakes up,” Brendon added.

Gabe just sat frozen.

“I think we both know it was Pete,” Brendon added sadly.

This broke Gabe out of his thoughts. Pete. Of course it was fucking Pete.

“Tell Victoria to close the club for the night, and for anyone who wants to that they can head over to the hospital,” Gabe ordered.

“What about you?” Brendon asked.

“I have something I have to sort out first,” Gabe said darkly.

Brendon didn’t question the murderous look in his eyes and just ran out of the room.

*

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

What the fuck was that noise?

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Okay, it’s really fucking annoying. Why won’t it stop? Where is he? Surely heaven didn’t have this annoying noise?

“He’s waking up! Get a nurse! Or a doctor! Get someone!”

Nurse? Doctor? Holy shit, Alex was in a hospital! He…he didn’t die?

“Alex, babe, can you open your eyes? Are you awake?”

“Nhn,”

Did that noise come from him?

“Oh my God! He’s alive!”
“Alex, move your hand. Move anything,”
“Please open your eyes,”
“Fucking hell, give him some fucking space,”

Alex whimpered, trying to force his eyes open. He recognised those voices! Surely he wasn’t dreaming!

“Guys, um, you can’t all be in here. I’m gonna have to ask you to wait outside for a moment,”

“Your boyfriend sucks, Bren,”

“He may suck my dick but he has a point. We’ll be outside, baby,”

Brendon? Ryan?

Everything fell silent, Alex’s head feeling fuzzy.

“Alex? Can yo…me…Ale…nurs…f…”

Everything went blank.

*

When Alex could actually open his eyes, the room he was in empty. W-What? He hadn’t imagined his friends voices, had he? What is he was in purgatory? What if his soul was doomed to spend the rest of eternity stuck in this dark empty room? What if…

“Mr Gaskarth! You’re awake!”

Alex looked over to see a nurse walking into the room, pressing something on the heartbeat monitor. Oh, it was going crazy. That explained how she knew he was awake.

“Am I dead?” Alex asked nervously.

“Good Lord no! You’re in Lenox Hill hospital, and you have been for 2 days,”

“L-Lenox Hill? Isn’t that, like, the best private hospital in New York?”

“I like to think we’re the best, but we are definitely private,”

“My insurance doesn’t cover this,” Alex mumbled.

The nurse frowned.

“As far as I was aware, you were already covered, but I’ll check that as soon as I’ve fetched a Doctor to check your vitals,”

“Can you get Dr Ross? Y’know, if he’s working,” Alex asked, blushing slightly.

“I’ll see what I can do,” the nurse smiled.

*

The next morning, Alex woke up to see his room full of people. Fuck, so he really wasn’t dreaming. In a mass of squeals, shouts of happiness and loud talking, Alex got more hugs than he’d had in a month.

“You scared us, Lex. We…we thought…”

Martin trailed off, his bottom lip trembling. Alex felt a lump travel up his throat, but he forced himself to swallow it. He would not cry.

“Ryan said it could’ve been fatal, Lex,” Zack filled in, squeezing Martin’s shoulders.

Alex just nodded. He had thought that he was dead, after all.

“I’m sorry I left. I just…”

Alex trailed off, biting his bottom lip.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to say. We all got an explanation about your past,” Rian said softly.

Oh. That couldn’t be good.

“We’re just happy you’re alive, okay? Just don’t ever scare us like that again,” Brendon said, tears pricking at his eyes.

“I-I won’t. I promise,” Alex nodded, sniffing.

As a soft buzz of chatter started, Alex’s eyes scanned all the familiar faces, just looking for one person. He caught eyes with Victoria, hoping she would know. If anyone would know, she would.

“Is he…?” Alex asked hopefully.

Victoria smiled sadly.

“No, Gabe isn’t here,” Victoria murmured.

Without being able to stop himself, or even understanding why, Alex immediately burst into tears, and everyone started fussing. Something small inside of him had hoped that Gabe might have at least shown up. Even after everything that had happened, Alex had hoped that Gabe still cared, if only just a little.

Then someone cleared their throat from the doorway. Alex snapped his head up, his eyes going wide, his tears immediately stopping.

“Gabe!” Alex whimpered.

“Hey,” Gabe said softly.

An awkward silence.

“I could really use some food. Who else is hungry?” Victoria asked suddenly.

God bless Victoria and her quick thinking. Soon enough they were left alone, and Gabe shut the door. As he walked closer, Alex could see the purple bags, pale skin and overwhelming tension in Gabe’s face. Fuck. He looked exhausted.

“Are you okay?” Alex asked quietly.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Gabe laughed weakly.

Another awkward silence.

"Did you pay my hospital bills?" Alex asked just as quietly.

Gabe just nodded this time. Alex felt tears prick in his eyes at how much everything had changed. Alex and Gabe had never had this kind of atmosphere between them before, and it broke his heart. Gabe spoke before Alex could.

“You had me so fucking scared, Lex. Leaving me, leaving the club and then Brendon running in telling me that Ryan told him that you were near-fatal in the ER? Do you have any idea what that feels like?” Gabe said harshly.

“Gabe, I…”

“No, I’m not done, Lex. I’m not fucking done. After everything that happened when you were 18, after every promise you made after October about not seeing Pete and not talking to Pete and never getting involved with him again, you went back to him anyway? What the fuck were you thinking?!” Gabe seethed.

“I just wanted to feel loved,” Alex choked.

Gabe’s face softened slightly, but he still looked mad.

“You didn’t have to go anywhere else to feel loved,” Gabe said firmly.

“You’re ashamed of me being your boyfriend, Gabe. I couldn’t deal with that anymore. I just wanted someone who wanted me,”

“You’re not getting it, Alex! I love you!” Gabe exasperated.

Alex’s breath hitched in his throat.

“Y-You…what?”

“I love you. I fucking love you so fucking much! Reading that note you left and knowing that you went back to Pete completely broke me, Alex. Victoria had to scrape me back together and make sure I didn’t drown myself in scotch. I was a fucking mess without you and to hear that you might die…I just don’t know what I would’ve done if you died. Especially because of him,”

Alex’s blood ran cold. Pete. As soon as Pete found out that the shove through the glass didn’t kill Alex, he’d be quick to finish the job. Gabe saw the fear on Alex’s face and growled.

“You don’t need to be afraid any more,” Gabe said as calmly as he could.

“Yes I do! W-What about Pete? He’s going to come after me when he finds out I’m still alive and I can’t handle that, Gabe. I don’t know what I’ll do if he…”

“He won’t be coming to look for you,” Gabe interrupted.

“What? How do you know that?” Alex frowned.

“I think you’ll find that Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III took a very nasty fall down a flight of stairs after his business party last night. Horrific injuries. Broke his neck on impact. Very unfortunate. The same goes for his lawyer who overdosed on cocaine in the bathroom, his hacker who drowned in the pool and his bodyguard who crashed into a tree a little further down the road,” Gabe sneered.

Holy shit! Pete, Patrick, Joe and Andy were all dead?!

“Y-You did that? All of that?” Alex whispered, glancing around like someone could overhear them.

Gabe smiled weakly and nodded.

“Yeah, for you. They all deserved exactly what they got. I needed to show the city what happens when someone tries to take what is mine. To show you that no-one treats you like shit and gets away with it,”

“Holy fuck, Gabe,” Alex gasped.

“I’m sorry. I know that being the boyfriend of a murderer, not matter how well deserved it was, probably isn’t a high priority of yours right now,” Gabe sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“B-Boyfriend?” Alex choked.

Gabe’s cheeks coloured slightly, but he nodded.

“If you still want to be, that is. After everything that happened, after everything I’ve done,”

“I’ve been dreaming about being your boyfriend for 4 years – do you really think 4 little well-deserved murders are going to change my mind?”

Gabe grinned and leant forward, pressing his lips to Alex’s, kissing him eagerly.

“Finally!” Victoria yelled through the door.

Alex just laughed, kissing Gabe his boyfriend back. After all this time, after all these years, after every single shitty thing that had happened to him, it looked like things were finally turning around for Alex. Sure, it hadn’t happened in the most conventional way, or even the most legal way, but he was finally here. He was here with Gabe, and that’s all that mattered.

“As soon as you’re released from here, I’m taking you home to our bed so I can make love to you over and over and over again,” Gabe moaned.

Yeah, there really was nowhere else Alex would rather be.