Fallen Angel

Gabe hauled the leather out of the store, balancing it on one shoulder, stains and lacing on the other. Man, he had to get his mid-term project done.

Had to.

Of course, if he'd thought? He'd have picked a cheaper major. $150 for a hide. Damn.

Gabe sighed, heading over to his little baby truck, side stepping the people coming in and out of the computer supply store, the fruteria.

Okay, come on. Mid-term project. Then pizza and beer. And possibly read that stupid damned chapter for Psych 101.

He wasn't really paying attention to where he was going and all of a sudden he collided with a tall body, his leather going in one direction, stains and lacing going in another and paper going just everywhere.

Two hands landed on his arms, steadying him and the guy they were attached to.

"Oh, fuck. Fuck. I'm sorry man. Shit. Let me..." Damn it. He grabbed for the papers, chasing them down.

God, he was a dork.

"It's okay. They're just flyers. For a party." The guy laughed, the sound low and confident. "If the wind distributes them, I don't have to."

"Oh. Oh, still." He'd saved most of them. "I'm sorry, man. Honest. I was carrying the hide and shit." He pushed his braid back, handed over the papers.

"Thanks..." The guy held out his hand. "I'm Ben."

"Gabe." He shook, smiled. "I got to grab my leather. You go to UT?"

Hi. I'm a dork. You're cute.

"Hi Gabe, it's nice to meet you." Ben's eyes were blue and intense, looking right at him. "And yeah. Masters, Computer Science. You?"

"Art. Fine art. I... I work leather. Paper, some." His heart was pounding, those were the finest eyes he'd seen since... well... ever.

"Hence the big old hide." Ben chuckled, the sound fine, sliding down his spine.

"Yeah. Mid-terms. You must be smart, huh? Those guys work hard."

"I've convinced the Computer Science department I am at any rate." Ben just kept looking at him, smiling at him.

He chuckled, nodded. "I bet you do okay."

"I bet you do pretty well yourself. Even if you do run over unsuspecting computer nerds in the street."

He was given a wink and then one of Ben's paper's was thrust into his hands. "The UT GBLT is hosting a Fetish Night. Maybe you'll come." Ben said it like he didn't just mean 'show up'.

"F...fetish night?" His eyes might pop out of his head. "Like fetish?"

"Yeah, like fetish. You know, leather, collars. Wings." Ben looked him up and down. "You'd look fantastic in a pair of white wings and little else."

Gabe blushed dark. Wings. Christ. His back itched just thinking about it. When he'd still been going by the name Gabriel, he'd gotten a full set of wings inked in, shoulder blades to ass. It was silly, he knew that now, but at the time?

He'd felt like a stud.

One finger slid over a hot cheek. "I hope to see you there, Gabe."

"I... I guess it'll depend on work and my project. I...I could try." He was never going to go soft again.

"Oh, please do better than try. I'd like to run into you again."

Like anyone would notice someone like him at a fetish party. "Maybe next time you won't lose any paper."

"No, but I might lose something far more important."

"What?" He shouldered the leather again, confused.

"My heart," murmured Ben, eyes serious as a heart attack.