Twenty-One
Gabriel
We were about to head out on our second date, and I had no idea where we were going.
"Give me a hint," I said as I styled my hair, glancing at Xin through the mirror.
They sat on the edge of the bed, dressed in another of their floaty shirts and wide-hemmed pants.
Their style was very different now than it'd been in their 'Ben' persona, and I liked it much better.
While 'Ben' was trying to be unassuming and bland, Xin stood out in the best way.
"It's a surprise for a reason, Gabriel. No hints."
I pouted, which made them smirk. Then they stood up and closed the distance between us, their hands cupping my waist as they rested their chin on my shoulder. My stubble scraped against their cheek, but they didn't seem to mind as they met my gaze in the mirror.
"You're a patient man, Gabriel, aren't you?"
Like the adult I was, I stuck my tongue out of them, earning a surprised laugh that tickled my ear.
Smiling, I turned around, gazing up at them with a magnanimous expression. "Fine. I'll be patient."
"Thank you," they said with a tilt of his head, eyes still sparkling with amusement. "Are you ready? I put out food and water for Gray."
"I'm ready," I said, and they pulled me into a hug. I grabbed their hips, knowing what to expect as the world blurred around us.
When we reached our destination, I blinked, then gasped in surprise as a firefly danced in front of me before fluttering away. I'd always lived in the city, so I'd never seen one before.
I glanced around, realizing we were in the middle of the woods. The city I lived in didn't have any forests around it, so we must be pretty far from it.
Xin took my hand in theirs, and I met their eyes, returning their smile as they started walking. "This way."
More fireflies flitted through our path as we walked, and I realized I could see a brighter glow ahead of us. Was that where we were headed?
When we walked through the trees into a clearing, I sucked in a sharp breath, freezing in place.
This was... it was unreal. Something out of a fairytale. Oh my god.
"You... you did this? For me?" I asked, my eyes flitting from one unbelievable sight to the next.
"Come on," they said softly, leading me to the blanket laid out in the middle of the clearing.
I sat down, and a saucer rolled out in front of me, a cup hopped into it, and a kettle poured me some tea as I stared with my mouth hanging open.
I felt Xin place something on my head, and I blinked, then reached up for it, feeling the soft paper as I pulled it down.
It was a crown, yellow and faded with age. But it couldn't be, could it? I'd lost it years ago. I peered at the inside, turning it around to check all of it, and sucked in a breath when I found it. In Kevin's neat handwriting were the words 'Property of Prince Gabriel Lawson.'
"Oh my god," I murmured, thinking about the memory Xin had helped me recover just a few days ago. They must've seen the crown in my memories, though how they found it, I had no idea.
"Is it too much?" they asked, a concerned frown marring their face.
"It's been a while since you were into Disney princesses, right?
This was a dumb idea," they mumbled. I'd seen many versions of Xin over the last few weeks.
The skilled hacker, the careful planner, the not-so-evil genius, the protective demon, the sexy lover, the kind listener.
But the unsure vulnerability that cloaked them now was new to me, and I had a feeling not many people got to see this side of them.
Instead of answering them with words, I carefully placed the crown on the blanket, then leaned over to press my lips to theirs in the softest, sweetest, most meaningful kiss we'd shared.
I imagined all the things I was feeling flowing through my lips and into them so they could understand exactly how much this meant to me.
They'd given me something that belonged to one of the happiest days of my life. How could I not love it?
I might have been too old to have a tea party with animated cutlery, but that didn't mean I wasn't going to thoroughly enjoy it anyway.
I'd been nine the last time toys and princes and princesses had delighted me, and it had been way too soon to give them all up. Maybe this was my chance to reclaim the joy they'd once brought me.
Pulling back, I smiled widely, wanting Xin to know just how wonderful this was.
"I love it. Truly."
Xin smiled then, a soft, relieved smile that made their whole face brighten.
I turned back to my tea, and the cup and saucer floated up into my hand, making me chuckle. Another set flew to Xin, and they took a sip, their eyes on me the whole time.
I glanced around, taking in the firefly-lit trees around us, and was that a butterfly? And a squirrel in that tree over there?
Shaking my head in wonder, I turned my gaze back to the blanket. A basket sat a little ways off it, and I assumed that was where our dinner was stored. The basket didn't seem to be animated, though. Not yet, at least.
I eyed the blanket, which looked more like a rug, to be honest, with golden tassels lining the edges. It reminded me of... no way. That would be a bit too improbable, wouldn't it?
"Xin," I said, trying not to get excited in case it was just a coincidence.
"Yes?" they asked, their light brown eyes glowing gold amid the fireflies.
"Can this carpet fly?" I asked, and they grinned, then leaned forward to kiss the tip of my nose.
"If you want it to," they said simply, and I glanced down at it again, running my fingers through the soft material.
Flying atop a carpet with no safety straps sounded equally exhilarating and terrifying, but when I thought about it, I realized Xin would never let me fall.
Xin
The wide grin on Gabriel's face was childish in its innocence, and exactly what I'd hoped for.
I couldn't imagine what it had been like for him to lose his parents at such a young age, but I could guess he'd given up a lot of things he enjoyed.
Maybe he hadn't enjoyed them anymore, or maybe he hadn't wanted to burden his brother with anything that wasn't absolutely necessary for their survival.
Either way, I'd wanted to do something for the child version of Gabriel that he'd left behind, and I was glad to see he was enjoying it.
"So what, I just say 'fly!' and it—Holy shit!" Gabriel grabbed my arm as the carpet started levitating, and I made sure the crockery stayed put as we rose up into the air.
"It's okay. You won't fall," I promised, and Gabriel nodded, then slowly released my arm as we rose above the treetops.
"Oh wow," he murmured as we started moving forward, then glanced over at me. "What if someone sees us?"
"They won't. I made sure of that," I assured him, and he smiled.
"You think of everything, don't you?"
"I try."
Gabriel smacked a quick kiss on my lips, then turned to look around, his eyes sparkling with wonder.
When his stomach started growling, the basket we'd left behind flew to us, and Gabriel let out a delighted laugh that sank deep into my core. This was the happiest I'd ever seen him, and satisfaction curled into me like a sleepy cat at the thought that I had made him so happy.
Over a dinner of sandwiches, pastries, and fruits, Gabriel talked about his favorite Disney stories, about his parents, about his childhood, all with a soft smile dancing on his lips, while I ate and listened, realizing I could do this for the rest of my life without ever getting tired.
After we were done eating, the basket disappeared, and the kettle offered another cup of tea to Gabriel, who took it with a grin.
"Can you animate anything?"
"Most things. What were you thinking?" I asked, and he grinned.
"Just ways to be more lazy. How cool would it be if, after my coffeemaker made coffee when I woke up, my mug brought it to me so I wouldn't have to get up? Oooh, or what if my loofah washed me up all on its own while I just stood there relaxing?"
I chuckled, then leaned forward to brush my lips against his cheek, then whispered into his ear, "Or I could do all that for you. Bring you coffee when you wake up, rub a loofah all over your body, cleaning every inch of you very, very carefully."
Gabriel shivered, then turned his head, brushing his lips against mine. "I like the shower idea, but I'd rather you stayed in bed with me for a cuddle instead of getting me coffee."
"As you wish, my prince," I breathed into his lips, and he made a soft sound as he pulled me closer, his lips firming against mine as he deepened the kiss.
The cups and saucers flew out of the way as I pushed Gabriel onto his back and covered his body with mine, swallowing his moan in a heated kiss that left my lips tingling.
Gabriel rocked into me, his cock hardening almost instantly, and I pressed my palm against it as I cupped the back of his head with the other.
"Have you ever had sex midair?" I asked, licking his lips as he shook his head, his eyes dark and needy as he gazed up at me. "Would you like to?" I asked, and he nodded quickly, his hands reaching up for my top.
Not wanting to wait even a moment, I used my magic to make our clothes disappear, and Gabriel sucked in a breath as his hand landed on my chest. Like a homing device, his hand slid to my violin tattoo, and I leaned down to kiss him again.
"I believe I was promised something," I said against his lips as I brushed my fingers against his hole, and he moaned, pushing into my touch.
"Do it. Fuck me," he said, and I closed my eyes, taking a moment to gather myself before I leaned back.
A sprinkle of magic and my fingers were coated in lube, and I slowly prepped Gabriel, taking extra care when I realized how tight he was.
"Has it been a while?" I asked as I kissed his knee, and he nodded, then shook his head. I waited for him to figure out what he wanted to say, and he sighed.
"I haven't bottomed before," he said, and I stopped with my fingers halfway inside him.
"If you don't want to..." I started, but he thrust his hips, taking my fingers deeper inside, and I trailed off.
"I want to," he insisted, his teeth sinking into his bottom lip.
Nodding, I slowly opened him up for me, and when Gabriel pushed my hand away with a strangled groan, I gave him a moment to catch himself before slowly, slowly sinking into him.
"Oh fuck!" Gabriel exclaimed, his whole body curling inward as I penetrated him. I paused, waiting for him to relax before sliding in deeper, admiring the flush crawling up his chest. He was so fucking gorgeous.
"Move, Xin. Please!" he gasped out, his fingertips scrambling against the carpet. Grabbing his thighs, I pulled his legs open wider and started moving, pumping in and out of him as my gaze switched from his face to his hole and back again.
I couldn't decide which I enjoyed more: fucking Gabriel or being fucked by him. Thankfully, I didn't have to pick. I could have it all.
"I'm close," Gabriel warned not long after, and I wrapped my palm around his length, matching the rhythm of my thrusts inside him.
For a few minutes, our pants and moans filled the night air as I tried not to come before Gabriel, and I was hanging on by a fraying thread when Gabriel gave a shout of my name and spilled all over my hand, his chest heaving with the force of his shout.
I pumped into him a few more times as he reached for me, and our lips met in a messy kiss as I came, filling Gabriel with my release and pumping it deeper into him, encouraged by some deeper instinct I didn't understand but couldn't ignore.
We lay there panting and spent as a cool breeze wafted over us, and Gabriel shivered under me. I covered his body with mine, heating my skin so he would be warm, and he sighed into my ear as he hugged me tighter.
"This was the best date I've ever been on," Gabriel murmured, his voice raw, "Thank you."
"It was my pleasure," I replied, pressing a kiss into his slightly sweaty skin.
"Can we stay here for a while longer?"
"As long as you want."