𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝, 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 - 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘳𝘦 & 𝘤𝘺𝘹 | 𝙉𝙎𝙁𝙒

[cyx.]

f a t h e r x f i g u r ex & xc y x may include NSFW images or links. x o x​

 

[cyx.]

selene hathaway xTHIRTY // THE BRIDE // BROKEN BY BETRAYALx "love is love, even if it is illicit; like light remains light even in the darkness." ♚​ ​ The loud click of Selene's iphone locking sounded as she finally dropped the phone to the bar she was seated at, an explosive sigh of hurtful aggression escaping her plump lips. Her now free hands pushed into her brunette hairline, cradling her head in a slightly bowed position as her eyelids came to a close. It did nothing to stop her from seeing the images that had been posted on instagram, however - if anything, they made it worse. In less than twenty four hours, the thirty year old was set to be married to her fiance. And despite their promises to each other, he had broken several in one night. Not only had he broken their promise to have respectable nights for their bachelor and bachelorette parties, but he'd broken his vow to remain faithful to her. All on the same night. And the evidence was already posted for their friends and family to see; a bunch of lewd photos of Brandon getting lapdances, kisses, and then him sneaking off into the back room with a few barely clothed women. The friends that had gone to his stag party were cheering him on in the videos and pictures, indicating that no one there was thinking about the fact that he had a wedding to be apart of the next day. Selene was a ebbed murmur in his intoxicated mind, and it stung like nothing she had ever experienced before. The bartender cleared his throat apologetically when he noticed the tears that were trailing down her freckled cheeks, and set a drink in front of her once her bright eyes lifted to meet his. "Just a refill, on the house." An appreciative nod forced her hands to release from her hair, and Selene lifted her left arm to wipe her sleeve over her cheek, collecting the tears that were still clinging to her cheek. With a soft sniffle, she reached for the glass afterwards, bringing it to her lips. A healthy mouthful was taken of the rum and coke mixture, and as she set it back down, she released an agitated groan. Coming to lean on her elbows, her right hand lifted to inspect the engagement ring still clasped around her left ring finger, and her eyes narrowed dangerously as she toyed with it. There was a long moment of contemplation, and she gripped it securely, about to slip it off when she heard someone approaching her. Footsteps weren't uncommon at the hotel's bar, not at all.. but the seat beside her was taken by a figure she recognized instantly, and her hands folded down into her lap like she'd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Selene attempted to mask the sheepish feeling of wanting to take her engagement ring off with a weak smile towards Gabe, a long time friend of her fiance, but it was hard to force the corners of her mouth to turn up. "Why aren't you with Brandon?" she asked, a little coldly, and then immediately sent him an apologetic glance. "Sorry.. I saw what Jeremy posted.. It's not your fault."​ ​ ​

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[Father Figure]

gabe whitaker xTHIRTY FOUR // THE BEST MAN // WOLF IN SHEEPS CLOTHINGx "he doesn’t deserve her. not because he’s unworthy, but because he’s blind to what he has." ♚​ He did not answer right away. Instead, Gabe Whitaker slid onto the barstool with an unhurried air of a man who knew exactly what he was about. The sharp line of his jaw was accentuated in the light, and the smell of his aftershave was subtle enough to be caught even with the faint tang of liquor in the air. Gabriel, or Gabe for short, had always been a bit of an enigma even to his friends. A brooding figure, some angst-ridden philosopher wasting his time in academia, practically one step away from being an emo. But at least it gave him some kind of personality beyond the shallow shills that most people happened to be in the 21st century. At least when Gabe spoke, he actually had something to say worth hearing, instead of the vapid nonsense that spewed in practically meme formats out of modern humanity’s mouth. Gabe’s eyes were always dark, unreadable, but there were a few things that made him stand out beyond his obvious cynicism with the species known as human beings. He was a loyal friend, he was never impulsive, and he had always been warm towards Selene without ever trying to make a move on her. Her words hung awkwardly in the space between them, but Gabe took his time in responding. “Don’t apologize,” he murmured, his voice a smooth blend of understanding and something harder to place. “If I were in your shoes, I’d be angry too. Betrayal cuts deepest when it comes from someone you trust.” He leaned an elbow casually on the bar, his posture open, nonchalant, but his eyes never left hers. He noted the way her fingers curled into her lap, how her shoulders seemed weighed down by disappointment. She looked so small, so fragile in that moment, and he wanted her to feel it. Not out of pity, but because Gabe wanted her to see Brandon for who he really was. An absolute piece of shit who should never have gotten the woman of his dreams. His dreams, and Gabe’s. The man opposite of her had never confided his crush to anyone, never once spoken out against her dating his friend, but he had always had his reservations. He knew the kind of man Brandon was, flawed like most, and how easily led around by a piece of ass. But seeing Selene here like this, seeing her upset, it made him hate Brandon a little. Enough to try his hand at consoling her. The bartender interrupted, coming over to ask Gabe what he wanted, and he settled for a simple crown and coke, his eyes never really leaving Selene even as he spoke the words. And once they had privacy again, he leaned closer so he could speak to her without having to raise his voice in the endeavor. “Look, I’m not going to defend him. What Brandon did, it’s not just a stupid mistake. It’s a choice, one that shows exactly where his priorities are. You deserve better than that. You’ve always deserved better than that.” His head turned just slightly so that he could lock eyes with her, letting the words sink in, a little bit of his own anger darkening his expression, as though Brandon’s actions offended him personally. As he did so, his hand came over, familiar as it touched her knee, and he gave a small squeeze. It could be a squeeze of commiseration, or more, but the perfect placement of that hand, not too high on her knee, meant that Gabe left it open to interpretation as he continued. “If I’m being honest, I don’t know how you’ve put up with it for this long. You’ve given him everything, and he doesn’t even see it.”​

 

[cyx.]

selene hathaway xTHIRTY // THE BRIDE // BROKEN BY BETRAYALx "love is love, even if it is illicit; like light remains light even in the darkness." ♚​ ​ The moment the man beside her told her not to apologize, it was like he'd opened up the dam. Selene burst into a small whimper as her eyes filled more chaotically with tears, and she turned her head to keep the sight of the way they swelled from his view. But she was aware just the shake of her shoulders and the refusal to look him in the eye would give her away. After a moment or so, she held her breath and forced her head to turn back towards him, desperately willing herself to calm down. The hands within her lap fiddled, her fingers on her right hand gripping the sleeve end of her left arm, giving it a tug and then smoothing her thumb over the material in a small effort to try and relax her nerves. Luckily, the bartender's slight interruption gave the woman the moment she needed to get her small whimpers and breathing under better control, and by the time he was slinking off to make Gabe's drink, she had resorted to wiping the tears away with the edge of her long sleeve. As her eyes connected with the figure to her left, her lower lip quivered still, but she managed to hold back the sobs and defeated breaths much better now. Those red-lined hazel eyes penetrated Gabe's features as she steadied herself, coming to lean her right arm up on the bar to turn her body slightly more towards him, wanting him to know that he had her attention. And to her surprise, he leaned closer to her as well, shifting closer to get past the ambient noise that lingered around them. Instinctively, she did the same as she reached for her drink, lifting it to her lips as she listened to what he had to say. And it was obvious from her facial expression that she didn't know what to really think about Gabe's words - at first she almost smiled, but that was quickly wiped away by the rim of her glass. And when it lowered from her mouth, there was a thinly pressed line in its wake, indicating she didn't really believe his last few statements. There was a small moment of hesitation as she contemplated what to say to him, and her lips had just parted as her glass was set back down when his eyes caught her own, and she immediately felt frozen. The expression on his face, and the one prominently lingering within his gaze, made Selene swallow thickly. Her heart rate picked up, and she was left staring into their voids as he gave her a small insight to his personal thoughts and feelings. Once his hand came in contact with her knee, the bride-to-be shifted slightly, the pressure of his warm palm causing her to break free from the small trance his eyes had given her. Clearing her throat, her gaze lowered from his face, almost like she was ashamed of what he pointed out next. Those eyes traced his hand, but she didn't make an attempt to relieve her leg of its presence. "I.. thought with the proposal, things would be different." she admitted dryly, holding back the shake that wanted to desperately escape within her words. Those hazel eyes lifted to his once more, and she set her drink firmly down, no longer obscured by the deer in headlights effect he had given her moments before. "He'd been doing good - I think. For all I fucking know, he's been lying about working late again." A deep sigh escaped her plump lips, and she shook her head, teetering on the edge of sorrow and anger. "I just don't understand what the fuck I did.. Things were fine - we were fine. He literally went on this hour spiel last night about how I'm the woman of this dreams, and he'd never be able to see himself walking down that aisle with another woman to follow him to the alter. And then this?" Selene scoffed, rolling her eyes as her left hand rose to tuck a chunk of hair behind her ear. "Am I that fucking gullible - do I have 'giant doormat' written on my forehead?"​ ​ ​

​

 

[Father Figure]

gabe whitaker xTHIRTY FOUR // THE BEST MAN // WOLF IN SHEEPS CLOTHINGx "he doesn’t deserve her. not because he’s unworthy, but because he’s blind to what he has." ♚​ Gabe allowed her a few moments to get a small measure of control, not necessarily upset with the anguish she was experiencing. He let her drown in it, letting her mull her way through the myriad emotions, and they were important ones for her to deal with. Betrayal was not just the prominent one. There was anger, guilt, and sadness. A boiling cauldron that might bring the entire wedding crashing down, and maybe rightfully so. But Gabriel was not sure that was what he wanted, not even sure when you got to the crux of it if he cared one way or another if Selene continued through with it. But what he wanted her to see was the fact that he was there, that he was truly and honestly the one she could rely on. Now, and in the future. His hand lingered on her knee, warm and steady, just enough pressure to suggest he was trying to offer her comfort. Though the placement was something most of their friends would question if they caught them there in the bar. When she finally stopped speaking, her voice trembling, somewhere on the edge of despair, he responded. Mulling his words as though considering her final question with the weight that it deserved. “Gullible?” Gabe echoed softly, a faint scoff breaking through his otherwise sympathetic tone. “Selene, you’re not gullible. You’re trusting. There’s a difference.” He withdrew his hand slowly, deliberately, wanting her to miss the sensation of his touch, and he reached for his drink. He took a long hard gulp, letting it burn down his throat with a sigh, but even as he did so his eyes stayed locked on hers. And once he was done that sympathetic voice continued. “You believed in him because that’s who you are. You give people the benefit of the doubt. You see the best in them, even when they don’t deserve it. That’s not a flaw, it’s…,” he paused before whispering the last word, barely heard by her ears. “Beautiful.” There was an intentional pause in what he was saying, making sure to increase the tension the tiniest of bits, wanting her to feel like a live wire in his presence. As if being near him was the only thing real. He leaned forward even closer, narrowing the space between them, a confidant. Speaking as if his words were a secret meant only for her. As he did so Gabe reached out to touch her again, but this time it was not her leg that he took hold of, but her now free hand. A far more intimate action than the previous overture. There was a reason that people were so emotionally on edge regarding holding hands in the 21st century. It was intimate in a way that sex itself lacked, engendering a connection. Two people who cared about one another. “You’ve always been more than he deserved. You’ve got this spark, this strength, but Brandon? He’s weak, Selene. And weak men, cowards, screw up when they don’t know how to hold on to something true. Someone valuable.” His hand gave hers a hard squeeze, as if he knew the words were painful, but he continued. His expression was contemplative still, but there was an edge of vulnerability he rarely allowed anyone to see. “I know it’s not my place,” he said, though every word was calculated to linger. “But I hate seeing you like this. Seeing him drag you down. You’ve spent so much time making yourself smaller, trying to be perfect. Trying to be what he needs. But what about what you need?” ​

 

[cyx.]

selene hathaway xTHIRTY // THE BRIDE // BROKEN BY BETRAYALx "love is love, even if it is illicit; like light remains light even in the darkness." ♚​ ​ Beautiful. The way Gabe's words penetrated Selene's body was as though she'd never comprehended a compliment before in her entire thirty years of living. His tone shook her to her very core, and her eyes narrowed into skeptical slits. Surely he wasn't talking about her. Her weaknesses weren't beautiful. And that's exactly what she considered her willingness to trust someone like her fiance - a weakness. He had shown her before what he would do with that trust, and had worked tediously hard to build it back up.. only to send it crumbling in one fateful night. Despite her unwillingness to see what Gabe was addressing from his viewpoint, his words rattled her cage like a fed up prisoner that was tired of being locked away. She felt herself long to hear his voice within her ear, and every subtle breath from his words to crawl along her skin like a wisp gliding along her lobe. Selene couldn't take her hazel eyes off of him as he spoke to her, and she didn't notice her body instinctively lean towards him when his voice would drop - luring her in with his honeyed tone and endearing words. Her weight was secure against the bar, luckily, preventing her from sliding from her bar stool as she eased towards his siren call, right hand dancing along the rim of her glass. That left her left free for him to grasp, and the moment his palm applied pressure to her own, it was like he'd lit a match and pressed it to her skin. A fire she didn't know could exist blossomed, licking up her arm from where his hand grasped her own. Another deep exhale escaped the woman's slightly parted lips, but this time it wasn't laced with a helpless anger - there was something else that clung to the release of air from her lungs. Something that the look in her eyes gave away if one were to look at her hard enough. Accompanied by the slight shift in her posture, adjusting herself in the bar stool, it wouldn't take a body language analyst to see that she was beginning to warm up to her fiance's best friend. And her hand squeezed back when his pressure enclosed tighter, welcoming the intimate embrace with a ghost of a smile. "What about it?" she questioned softly without missing a beat after his question. "I thought I had everything I needed. Everything I wanted." Her right hand shifted, fingers dancing down the glass to grip it and raise it to her lips. Her eyes remained steadily on Gabe's as her lips kissed its rim, and then with a graceful tilt of her head, she leaned back to swallow the rest of the liquid in one fluid mouthful. As the glass came back down to the surface of the bar, Selene's eyes came to rest once more on the man in front of her. "I'm starting to realize that there's a lot more out there that I haven't had a chance to experience yet. And that I'm getting really tired of waiting around for Brandon to get his head out of his ass." The bartender came to relieve her empty glass, and Selene caught his attention before he had a chance to walk away. "Two espresso martini shots.. and keep them coming." The bartender gave her an arched brow before he smiled, and with a nod, retreated with her empty glass to work on her order. When he took his leave, Selene's eyes shifted back to Gabe, and she gripped his hand a little tighter with a knowing smile. "Stay with me? I.. don't really want to be alone right now. I'll even indulge your shot of choice, and you can tell me about what I need." That knowing smile remained, hoping he would be a little impressed that she had remembered one of his favourites.​ ​ ​

​

 

[Father Figure]

gabe whitaker xTHIRTY FOUR // THE BEST MAN // WOLF IN SHEEPS CLOTHINGx "he doesn’t deserve her. not because he’s unworthy, but because he’s blind to what he has." ♚​ What she needed? Gabe could hazard a guess or two at that point, and some of what he said would probably not be appreciated by anyone who knew that Selene was to be married tomorrow. And Selene had rather pointedly not asked what he needed, and it seemed quite clear that she probably knew the answer to that too. Was there a possibility if he made his move now that the lovely woman would take him up on the offer? Or did he just need to wait a little bit longer, letting inebriation take hold? When she placed the order for his favorite shot an eyebrow kind of shot up, just a little humored at how well known he was by her, another reminder that maybe there was something to the two of them that should not exist. And maybe that it was a little bit of fate that they would be sitting right here, right now, with one another. After all, if he had to be honest with himself, this was not the first woman he had been interested in that Brandon had stolen away from him. His hand squeezed a tiny bit in response to her, and he decided that maybe a little confession was the best answer he could immediately give. There was an introspective tone in his voice as he began, sharing a story Selene had not heard before. Something he had not planned to say. ”You know, this isn’t exactly unfamiliar territory for me.” Gabe paused, a wry smile touching his face, self-deprecating in every way imaginable. “It’s kind of funny, actually,” he said, with zero humor in that tone. “In high school, before we met you, Brandon and I were into the same girl. Katie. She was one in a million. Sometimes people simply say she was the one. The one that got away. Sweet, smart, and cute. I thought I had a chance with her, but you know Brandon. Had to have her. Charming, the life of the party. It didn’t matter that I had known her first. The second she saw him, it was over. And I had to stand there, smiling, acting like it didn’t kill me that she picked him.” His eyes narrowed mildly as he remembered the past, as if he were reliving it all over again, and in a way, Gabriel must have been if he had any attraction to Selene. “That’s just the way it’s always been. Suddenly I’m the guy on the sidelines. Wondering what I did wrong. I’m not telling you this to make it about me,” he said, meeting her eyes. “I just want you to know I understand what its like, to give everything, to have it taken away. To always wonder. To be collateral damage to someone else’s good time. To watch someone get the girl you want and know that you have to stand there and see it happen all over again.” There it was, finally laid out for them both to do what they would with it. Gabriel’s cards on the table. Luckily, maybe for them both, the bartender returned and interrupted them. Two espresso martinis. It let a lull in the conversation take place, a moment they could both ponder what they intended to do. Gabe reached out to pick his up, giving it a slight consideration, before tossing it back in one smooth motion. Savoring the taste. And then he finally got around to answering the question she had asked to begin with. “I think you need someone to show you that they care more about you than they do themselves. That’s what I think.” ​

 

[cyx.]

selene hathaway xTHIRTY // THE BRIDE // BROKEN BY BETRAYALx "love is love, even if it is illicit; like light remains light even in the darkness." ♚​ Intrigue was the first expression that took hold of the woman's pale face; her eyes were still lined with a pinkish hue from the tears she had shed, and their drying trails still lingered on her freckled skin. But those hazel eyes remained locked to the man at her side, her hand still grasping his own, as he spoke. And upon hearing his words, that this was a typical scenario that Gabe had found himself involved in when it came to Brandon and women, her eyes narrowed. The cogs in her mind began to shift into gear, and a flutter took hold within her chest as she connected what he was saying. "To watch someone get the girl you want and know that you have to stand there and see it happen all over again." Selene swallowed thickly, and her teeth bit into the inside of her cheek, securing the soft skin in a painful pinch to keep her from voicing anything. But she could feel her body reacting, even without adding to his confession. She could feel her stomach beginning to twist and knot, bubbling up words she had never intended on sharing with anyone but the woman in the mirror. The hand that was clasped within his own twitched, and her fingers curled tighter, pulling his hand closer to rest within her lap subconsciously. Even her lower body shifted to accommodate the new position of his hand, as though her body couldn't resist getting closer to his touch; to feel the fire he licked upon her skin from the simplest of pressures. Or was that the alcohol finally kicking in? The bride-to-be parted her lips finally, about to respond, when the bartender approached. The flush that had started to spread over her cheeks grew considerably when she realized she'd been so close to reciprocating his words, and she forced her throat to clear to try and stuff the sudden comprehension away. Her free hand lifted to grasp her shot, and she downed it almost immediately, feeling like she needed the additional liquid courage - and she couldn't have been more right in her assumption as Gabriel began to speak once more. Those hazel eyes took to him once more, and the bite she made to her lower lip was noticeable as his words echoed in her mind. Her gaze dropped to his lips briefly, and her teeth released her lip, before they lifted back to his eyes once more. She could feel her thighs spark, tingle, and want to guide her off the stool she was comfortably sat upon towards him. To severe the distance between them. Luckily, she was able to resist the temptation of her body, and she set the empty shot glass down, never once taking her eyes off of him. "And? Do you want to be that man, Gabe?" she asked boldly, her tone drastically changing from the meek woman who'd been crying just minutes before. She felt something inside of her stir, and her mind flared with a hazy desire to taste the shot from the man's lips. "Would you.. care about me more than yourself?" Her left hand shifted, coming to press his own against her upper thigh, purposely positioning his finger over the tear in her skin tight jeans to feel her skin through it. A nagging voice in the back of her mind asked her what she was doing, but she ignored it and danced her fingers up to his wrist, securing the pressure behind how she had positioned his hand, giving him silent permission to explore her thigh as he saw fit. "No one's going to take me away tonight."​

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[Father Figure]

gabe whitaker xTHIRTY FOUR // THE BEST MAN // WOLF IN SHEEPS CLOTHINGx "he doesn’t deserve her. not because he’s unworthy, but because he’s blind to what he has." ♚​ For a moment Gabe simply forgot what all his intentions were in the face of Selene’s beautiful, vulnerable, heartbroken hazel eyes. And for a split second he wondered as to the reasons for what he was doing, the worthiness of a man who would manipulate someone who was hurting this deeply. Would she forgive him if she ever understood his intentions, or would she never know and thank him for showing her that someone wanted her as deeply as he did. Was willing to do whatever it took to simply have her cast her gaze his way. Did he feel any guilt concerning his friend, a man he had known for most of his life and certainly all of his adult? No, not in the slightest. His friend had pissed away any measure of sympathy he might have deserved the moment he had brought tears to Selene’s eyes. No, there was no guilt, and as the realization struck him that he needed to be that man for Selene, so too did his worry that he was even slightly in the wrong. This was what he wanted, to drown in her eyes, and as she moved closer to him, he reciprocated. Leaning in as she repositioned his hand so that they were a scant few inches apart. The sensation of the room around them becoming muffled, his focus completely on her, and the warmth of her body as he inhaled her scent. God, what a beauty. Her skin was softer than he had anticipated, the sensation of finally getting to touch her making his heart lurch in his chest. That skip preceded his heart beginning to hammer, blood racing through his veins, and most especially to his loins. Not that it had required much incentive for him to be interested in Selene. His hand did not so much caress as it gripped, squeezing her perfect thigh as if his fingers had always belonged there. A small sigh left his throat as he came close, the faint heat of his breath finding its way to her ear as his head came near enough that he could whisper to her without being overheard, and to prevent the din of the crowd from stopping her from hearing him. And yet other than that delectable grip on her leg, Gabe had maintained nothing but composure and consideration in his actions with her. Most men would have failed miserably at that task. “I’ve thought a lot about if I can be that man if you’d let me. I don’t know about tomorrow, or the next day, but tonight…tonight I am that man for you. And if nobody is going to take you away…” And with those words Gabe moved his head just enough that the hint was there, the subtle nonverbal movement that was part nuzzling and part nonverbal communication for his companion to turn her head in time for his lips to find hers. And Gabriel knew how to kiss. His lips molded to hers with perfect aplomb, bordering between gentle and demanding. It was a slow indulgence as his tongue teased, testing, but not pushing into anything that was unseemly in public. Treating her with a respect that might have come as a surprise if someone did not realize he actually cared about her. There might have been a drive to have more, to get her to give in, but it was still done with artistry that would lull even the most cynical into his trap. And as the kiss broke, as Gabe’s hand slid just slightly up further along her skin, the telltale hint of a finger pressing under the confines of her jeans, he whispered against her lips. “Do you want to get out of here?” ​