“I think this is love at first sight…”

A deep voice floats delicately past Gabriel’s ear, the breath hot on his neck, the sense of anticipation boiling more forcefully than ever before in the pit of his stomach. His heart cannot decide whether it wants to stop all together or to continue beating even more erratically and out of control. He knows that voice. He has longed so desperately to hear this voice, not just from on stage, but up close, and intimate. It is also the same voice that has haunted him for the longest time, ever since their first and only meeting. Gabriel is not a fan of the dating scene, so has little experience. But he does know only one person’s arms fit this perfectly around his small waist. His body has only ever moulded this seamlessly with one person. One person and one person only.

“Sure — surely, this is second sight?”

Gabe has to take a breath before finishing his question; the familiarly soft sensation of the lips on his neck renders him utterly speechless. His muscles tense tightly, ever so slightly his back arching involuntarily. He grips firmly onto the wrists resting on his stomach; a stuttered breath struggles past his lips, the air catching in his throat. The lips on his neck continue to place delicate kisses in all the right places. His body finally begins to relax as the man behind him chuckles lightly. Gabe’s body slumps back, less pressure on his sore feet, as he leans against the strong body hugging him close. The decidedly taller man takes a deep breath, his fingers linking with Gabriel’s.
Gabe listens to the considerable speed change of the heartbeat pounding against his back — it’s now to a speed matching his own, sharp and erratic. He doesn’t know what that means, but he prepares himself for the response.

“But this time my heart stopped instead of just skipping a beat.”

Gabe doesn't know how to respond. He's totally unprepared. Not in his wildest dreams did he expect to have something so beautifully poetic whispered with such conviction deep in his ear. He expected rejection and heartbreak. He’d fantasised about this outcome, but his mind would always cruelly tell him, he’s unworthy, pathetic. No one, especially the singer of Black Veil Brides would want him. Overwhelmed by the sudden rush of emotions he’s experiencing, his eyes begin to blur, tears clinging dangerously to his eyes. This is no place for tears.As quickly as they formed, the tears are gone, Gabriel blinking them away swiftly. He can’t cry, no matter how happy he is.

As if afraid to ruin his dream, to find out his mind is fooling him, Gabriel cautiously turns to face the man, who’s arms are still in a vice grip around him.It’s him. He knew it was, but seeing him with his own eyes for the first time, makes everything real. He’s just as Gabe remembers: pale skin, with little imperfection; sharp, well-defined cheekbones; his icy blue eyes. But now his hair has been cut a lot shorter than it had been previously. Gabe finds his mouth opening and closing, unable to find the right words to say, as he stares. Instead of fighting to find those elusive words, he throws his arms around the tall man, pulling him down to his height, burying his face in the crook of his neck.

“Andy, I don’t know what to say—”

“Then don’t say anything, let me speak.” Gabe nods his head silently against Andy’s neck, encouraging him to begin with what’s on his mind. “I’m so glad you’re here, I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

Still unsure exactly how to reply, Gabe decides to go with what he knows best — the truth. “I didn’t know if I should come tonight or not. I wasn’t sure if you would want to see me again.”

“I haven’t stopped thinking about you since that night. I could not forget you, Gabriel.”

Hearing that deeply upsets Gabriel; it hurts to know that Andy was feeling exactly the same as him the entire time. It hurts even more to know that Andy hadn’t bothered, or at least tried, to keep in contact. Had Gabriel been in possession of Andy’s phone number or email address, he would have been the one to get in touch, instead of waiting nine months for a phone call that never happened. Gabe was the one without the means, he had no number, no nothing. Of course there was always godforsaken social networking, Twitter in particular. He’d thought of it countless times. He had the tweet composed, and then rewritten it again and again. It had been prepared to perfection, ready to send, but it just didn’t feel right. It was inappropriate, too impersonal, too public. The internet was clearly not the place for something so intimate.

Gabriel’s voice is small and afraid, “Why didn’t you call?”

Andy’s chest rises and falls as he takes a deep breathe, “I was ashamed…”

Pulling his upper body away from Andy, Gabe glares harshly up at him. His heart all of a sudden thumps painfully and dully, his previous buzz vanished, the sense of rejection weighing heavily on his chest. “Ashamed? Ashamed of what? Me?”

“No! I was never ashamed of you. You’re perfect!” Gabe’s heart flutters slightly, but is still confused. “I was ashamed of myself. After only knowing you a few hours, I already had you in bed. I’ve never been so out of control. I felt like I took advantage of you.”

The sting in Gabriel’s chest softens slightly, he understands. He knows it must be hard for Andy, especially considering who he is and all. Being the lead singer of an extremely popular rock band will definitely have its perks, but even more disastrous drawbacks. People don’t treat him like they would a stranger on a bus. They don’t know him, yet they judge him. Every person Andy meets, he has to separate the genuine from the fake. There are going to be people that want to take advantage of him. Gabe didn’t want that. He didn’t consider himself as a fake, and he certainly didn’t want Andy for his fame or the status he would potentially acquire from dating the singer.

Gabriel couldn’t explain what he felt that night; it didn’t make sense to either of the two men. He couldn’t explain what had drawn him to Andy, he hadn’t gone out that night on the prowl for a musician. He had simply gone to listen to the music with Everly. It was purely by chance that the pair had stumbled across each other that night. It was long before Gabe knew what he wanted, and he wanted Andy. Not because of the fame or whatever, but despite the short time they knew each other, there was an understanding on such a level between the two that neither had experienced before, and they knew they never would again. That thought absolutely terrified both of them, but the exhilaration was an incentive they can’t ignore.

“Don’t be ashamed, you didn’t take advantage. Don’t ever think you did. I wanted it just as much as you did, probably more. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have let myself be there.” He rises onto the balls of his feet, for extra height, to whisper in Andy’s ear; his voice low and husky. “That night was absolutely perfect.”

Andy stares into Gabriel’s inviting eyes, quickly understanding the needs of the younger man. With a new sense of longing in his eyes, Andy leans down with hungry lips. It is a messy clash of teeth and tongues, moulding against each other in a lustfully eager dance. Andy pulls Gabe’s body even closer to his, whilst Gabe’s fingers wind into Andy’s short hair, tugging softly at the ends. Gabe is the first to pull away, not because he had had enough, but he wants — needs — more. A quick kiss in the car park is by no means enough to satisfy the burning thirst he has acquired. There is no stop in him now. His hands guide Andy’s to settle on the lowest part of his back, before his palms cup the hollowed, yet still healthy cheeks of Andy. His gaze is strong, and determined.

“Make it happen again.”