Gabriel hadn't thought they be somewhere like this. The place had a maître d' who was dressed better than him, though fortunately he'd at least put a shirt on instead of the graphic tee he'd been wearing when he got Sawyer's message.

Sawyer seemed at home, ordering for both of them with assured confidence while Gabriel just tried to look as small as possible.

"How are you feeling?" Sawyer asked after water had been poured and the waiter had let them know their food would be with them shortly.

"I'm okay."

"Still sore?"

"There's a lot of bruises." Gabriel flushed at the memory.

"Oh? Well maybe you don't hate that so much."

"Please don't," Gabriel whispered, tearing bread into tiny chunks onto his side plate.

Sawyer's hand came to rest on his, stilling him.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of, you know?"

"Easy for you to say. You don't...you don't feel that way."

"Who says I don't?"

"Do you?" Gabriel lifted his head, jaw dropping.

"Well, no. I'm more on the other side of it."

Gabriel was still staring, trying to work out what that meant, when their food arrived. He picked at his alfredo, not really hungry, though he managed to nibble a few bites when he saw Sawyer looking with a frown.

"You don't eat enough."

It wasn't a question, but Gabriel nodded. "I don't usually have much of an appetite." He was going to apologize, but Sawyer suddenly got a shark-like expression, leaning in.

"I bet that makes your pale skin bruise very easily."

Gabriel shoveled another mouthful in, just so he wouldn't have to respond. It didn't seem to bother Sawyer though.

"It's a shame your- Henry doesn't feel that way."

Gabriel felt defensive at once. "How do you know he doesn't?"

"Does he?"

Gabriel shrugged, miserable all over again.

"It doesn't matter," Sawyer soothed. "Not everyone is a fit. And there's nothing wrong with how you feel."

"I didn't know." Gabriel wasn't sure why he felt like he needed to clarify to this man, who he didn't even know, but he did. "Before it happened."

"But there was something. I bet you've been aware for a long time that something's been missing." Sawyer leaned back, smirking, and Gabriel sort of hated how the man apparently knew him better than he knew himself.

He sighed, coming to a decision that he didn't trust, but felt necessary.

"Henry has always been very careful with me. He treats me like I'm precious, and I've known for a while I wanted more. I wanted rougher." He whispered the last three words, shamed, but Sawyer just nodded sagely.

"And now – it's even more, I can tell. What happened- new doors have been opened in your mind. The need will get more; it might not be yet, but it will."

Gabriel wasn't going to admit that it already felt as if it was out of control, like he felt like he might burst if he didn't get something. He suspected Sawyer already could tell, anyway.

He was surprised by a change in subject, thinking Sawyer was the kind of person who would take pleasure in prodding and poking each of Gabriel's weak spots. But he took a sip of water instead, putting his hand back on Gabriel's. "So, why were you free today?"

"I have a few days without school, though I have to practice every day."

"Well, I'm honored you agreed to meet me. Not sure why you don't already have lunch plans though. With Henry?"

"Henry had to go to work. He's tutoring someone."

"Oh?"

Gabriel hadn't intended to just sit here, in this expensive restaurant that was so far out of his league, and reveal all of his personal information to a man he didn't know. But he was overtaken by a need to explain, and to, maybe, have someone understand. So he told him everything – or at least nearly everything, but he felt as though Sawyer inferred the rest with embarrassing ease.

"It isn't right," he said when Gabriel was finished and using one of the linen napkins to clear away the tears from his cheeks. "He has no idea what he has with you. You're amazingly talented, that's clear. But beyond that, he has no idea how lucky he is."

Sawyer leaned forward, uncomfortably close, but Gabriel didn't feel like he could move away, not when he was being so understanding about everything.

"I tell you, Gabriel...if I had you, you wouldn't leave my side. I'd give you everything you need. Even the new things."

Gabriel laughed nervously. "I'm not sure I'm ready to deal with that level."

"Oh? What level would that be?"

"I don't know, and that's the point. But you talk about it so casually. About liking pain and how it's fine, and it's not weird. And then you say you're on the other side. That means you like to cause pain, doesn't it?"

"Yes," Sawyer admitted freely, leaning back again but not taking his hand from Gabriel's. A possessive move that he didn't hate even though he knew how wrong it was. "I could make you feel so good, though. You'd soon forget about there even being a time when you didn't embrace it fully."

"I think..." The discomfort Gabriel was feeling was finally making itself known, and he could sense a cold drop of nervous sweat making its way down his back. "I think I should go. This is wrong. I shouldn't be doing this to Henry."

"Doing what? You've done nothing wrong. But you know he has, don't you?"

"I don't though. I'm worried, sure. But I don't know."

"Well, in that case, you should find out, shouldn't you? Be sure, before you decide what you're going to do next. Before you decide what you're going to experience."

Gabriel tried not to think about that as he made his way home, via main roads only. Sawyer had let him go without argument. He'd paid, and walked Gabriel out, giving him two soft continental kisses on his cheeks. The grip he'd had while he'd done that though, on Gabriel's biceps, hadn't been soft, and had been right over two of his worst bruises, making him hiss with pain and moan with pleasure, even as Sawyer had leaned his head back to get a clear view, looking down at Gabriel and smirking.

When he got home, Henry wasn't there, of course, and he'd had no missed messages or calls – not that Henry ever contacted him while he was working. But it still sent a disappointed stone into his gut. He locked the door of the bathroom, stripping and looking at his bruises in the cracked mirror. He didn't especially like the look of them but, still, when he pressed the pads of his fingers into the marks, and made pain blossom from their center, he couldn't help taking his dick, already hard, in hand. It didn't take long, pressing while he jerked roughly, finishing with a sharp pinch to his hip and a pained yelp. He followed it with a quick, guilty shower, washing the evidence off his stomach and away down the drain.

When he was cleaned up, he curled up on the couch, pretended to read again, but it wasn't very long before he caved, grabbing his phone and sending a message to Ellis.

Are you busy tomorrow? Will you help me do an investigation?

He felt it was casual enough. If he changed his mind, he could play it off as something else. But Ellis responded in minutes, with a cheerful of course I can 😊 and Gabriel knew he was tied in, no matter what excuses he made in his head.

* * * * *

Sawyer went back to his office, frustrated but anticipatory. He'd never gone so slow before: used to just taking what he wanted. But he knew, instinctively, that would be the worst possible choice if he was going to secure Gabriel and make him his.

Dun, dun, duuuuun. Sawyer clearly has something in mind, and Gabe has basically just handed over a huge pile of ammunition by being way too trusting. And he is a man who likes to push once he knows something, even if he is playing it slow for Gabe's sake...