Although Misha was somewhat nervous at the thought of spending the weekend alone with Gabriel, to the point that he felt like butterflies were flying around in his stomach, he still managed to fall asleep in the car. It wasn't a particularly long ride, but maybe because a massive sense of relief washed over him after leaving the hospital, Misha couldn't resist closing his eyes. In fact, he dozed off almost immediately after leaning his head against the car window. He had intended to gaze at the scenery, but his body had other plans. It took but a few seconds for drool to start rolling down his chin, dripping on his shoulder. It was the epitome of a messy sleeping face.
At a red light, Gabriel took the chance to side-glance at the passenger seat and caught a glimpse of this scene, making him smile lightly. Misha was snoring softly, thanks to the fatigue that had accumulated over time. He usually wasn't noisy in his sleep, but it was another story when he was exhausted.
Naturally, Gabriel slowed down the pace of the car and drove carefully so as not to jolt Misha and disturb his sleep. They weren't in a hurry. No, they had the whole weekend for themselves and no one to bother them. Gulnas had given them the go-ahead to go out and have fun, thinking they would spend the next night and two days at a hotel in Gatineau with Vanessa and her boyfriend, drinking their heads off at nearby bars at night and resting during the day. Gabriel was a tag-along who was coming as a chaperone to ensure everything went smoothly. Even if Gulnas wanted her son to have fun and experiment with things, she wanted him to do it safely. Alcohol clouded people's capacity to reason and pushed them to act rashly. As such, anything could happen. But with the responsible Gabriel by the youngsters' side, she felt reassured.
Little did she know they had no plan whatsoever to meet with Vanessa and Isaac. She had offered her son on a silver platter to the wolf, albeit unknowingly. The thought drew a soft chuckle out of Gabriel. Hopefully, Mrs. Brown would never find out, or he feared the consequences.
However, Mrs. Brown's shadow only lingered in his mind for a few mere seconds before his train of thought quickly veered back to Misha. He couldn't help but remember his conflicted face from earlier. Misha was not fond of white lies, even though he had grown accustomed to telling them to his parents over the past few years. He always felt guilty deep down. But his honesty was something Gabriel loved very much, for it was a quality he didn't have. Gabriel had no claim whatsoever about deceiving others. The only person he truly felt uncomfortable lying to was Misha, and only because he knew just how much he hated lies. Everyone else? He didn't care. Lying with a straight face was one of his strongest points, which was why he could manipulate Angela into doing what he wanted with such efficiency.
'At last, I managed to have the weekend off,' he silently clicked his tongue, knowing he had Tristan to thank for it. His little brother went to great lengths to ensure Misha could enjoy his gift to the fullest.
And honestly, Gabriel needed that rest, too. Even when he was exhausted with Tristan's affairs, he still had to work his butt off. Unfortunately, the intel the boy had gathered from Pierrot's memories for Angela's illegal transaction at the port hadn't been sufficient, and they didn't manage to corner them. Matthew was an expert at covering his tracks, and Jake and Gabriel were waiting for him to make a mistake. Unfortunately, it didn't happen.
Because Gabriel spent a lot of time on this, he had a lot of reports to catch up to. He somehow managed to round them up last night, so he was free to spend the weekend as he wished. At the thought, Gabriel unconsciously squinted and licked his front teeth. Misha wasn't the only one who had grown impatient.
.
.
A gentle nudge woke Misha, who blinked his heavy eyelids. He had fallen into a deep sleep, and being awoken so suddenly was disorienting him.
"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty." Gabriel's voice echoed in the car. "We've arrived."
"We have…?"
Although still not all there, Misha forced himself to unbuckle and wipe the drool on his chin, then slowly got out of the car. He was so out of it that he almost stumbled and fell headfirst on the ground. Considering the parking lot wasn't made of asphalt but gravel, it would have been quite painful. He'd rather not scratch and cut his face bloody first thing after arriving. After steadying himself and heaving a sigh of relief, he took in his surroundings and couldn't help but whistle.
"That's the inn?"
The inn before him was imposing and towering over the parking lot. It was rustic, made of large wooden logs and a dark-red tiled roof. It stood in the middle of a forest, and a cobblestone path passed through the trees to a double-door entrance. Black, leaf-shaped, and sturdy-looking hinges held the wooden doors in place, while an old doorknob caught the eye. Misha skipped straight to it as Gabriel fetched their luggage. He opened the door for him and then followed behind.
"Wow! This place is frigging beautiful!"
While Misha was busy admiring the interior, Gabriel went to a counter to check in. It was Friday and already past six PM. As such, he could see many people walking around in plain white bathrobes, either because they were going to the spa or massage rooms or were coming back from there. Some were going upstairs, where the restaurant was, and others slouched on the couches near the fireplace on the first floor. As he kept an eye on Misha's whereabouts, he listened to the clerk's directives before taking the key to their room.
"Are you a kid? Don't wander too far off!"
"Sorry, sorry." Misha didn't seem repentant at all, still bouncing around. "I've just never been to an inn before. Everything feels new and is piquing my curiosity. Do you think the food is good, too?"
"I'm sure it is," Gabriel smiled, softened by Misha's bubbly happiness. It had been a while since he had last seen him this cheerful. "But for now, let's put our luggage in the room and change. The restaurant is open until eight, and the spa, until ten. We have a bit of time left."
"Alright!"
Still looking around, Misha nevertheless followed Gabriel. The inn was truly magnificent, and despite its rustic allure, it was well-maintained. Even if the fatigue was still weighing him down, the excitement was compensating for it. Now that they had arrived, it felt more and more real. He was truly on a date with Gabriel! Just the two of them! No sister or annoying friends to tease him, and no people to mind! He could be as clingy as he wanted, and no one would say anything. And maybe, later… Hehe.
As Misha's mind was slowly going down the gutter, the click of the doorknob unlocking snapped him back to the present. He curiously peeked inside the room, but before he could take a good look, Gabriel grabbed his wrist and pulled him inside, leaving the door to slam behind them. Not letting Misha enough time to process what was going on, he pressed his body against his, holding him against the door amid the luggage, and his hands slid to his wrists so that he could wrap his fingers around them. At the same time, his forehead rested against Misha's, bringing their lips awfully close, enough for Gabriel's warm breath to brush against Misha's skin. It sent shivers down his spine, and he froze in surprise. Misha didn't know when, but Gabriel had removed his glasses, allowing him to gaze into his deep green eyes freely. An unfathomable light was twirling in their depths, something he had never seen before. It made him unconsciously gulp.
"Two years ago," Gabriel whispered, startling Misha, "do you remember what you asked for your eighteenth birthday?"
Of course, Misha remembered! He dreamed about their little outing at the lake so many times in the past, there was no way he wouldn't! But before he could answer, he felt a gentle touch against his lips. He was stunned, and his eyes went wide open. His reaction drew an amused smile out of Gabriel, and he playfully licked his upper lip, which slightly embarrassed Misha. He responded by yanking his wrists away from Gabriel's grip and grabbing his hair to deepen the kiss. It was a far cry from the romantic kisses he often saw in movies. No, it was needy, clumsy, and messy. Misha had dreamed of Gabriel's lips for years, and now that they were pressed against his, he couldn't hold back. He devoured them, and Gabriel complied with his every desire. Whether it was licking or inserting his tongue in his mouth, he didn't resist and followed along.
At one point, as Misha pushed forward to yet again deepen the kiss, Gabriel lost balance, and they awkwardly fell on the floor with a loud thud and hit their front teeth against each other. Still, Misha didn't stop, and Gabriel wrapped his arms around his waist, holding him close. Misha could feel his fingers lingering near the waistband of his pants, making him tremble as his fingertips passed under and caressed his lower back, just atop his buttocks. He didn't stop devouring his lips, however. He only let go when both of them needed to breathe. Panting, they looked into each other's eyes for a moment before Gabriel rubbed his nose against Misha's and murmured:
"Happy eighteenth birthday, Mish'."
And as promised, Gabriel had given him a kiss—a real kiss, not a little smooch on the cheek. But one kiss was not enough, and Misha needed much more.