Welcome to Gaia! ::

Lotor smirked, "Firstly, text your chief that I will meet with him tomorrow afternoon, say 4? Maybe you could come with us to make sure he doesn't try to shoot me." He winked, "Then, when you are done, come to the bedroom and I'll explain to you what I am planning. A hint?" He leaned down and whispered in Gabe's ear, "Those nanos can be used for several unorthodox pleasures." He stood straight and went to the bedroom to set everything up, making a pile of pillows for Gabe to sit on and against, essentially making a throne of pillows. He stripped down to nothing and waited for his mate to join him, excited for what was to come.

((TIME SKIP 5))

Gabriel rolled over to his stomach and propped his head up with a pillow. He watched Lotor read his emails, feeling the slight annoyance Lotor felt while reading through their bond. He sighed softly when Lotor explained. “We expected that to happen… people are going to be surprised by all of this… people don’t know the real you, and most are stupid… it’ll take time for them to accept the ‘new’ you…” he sighed softly and ran a hand through his hair, feeling annoyed himself at some people ignorance. He rolled out of bed and walked over to his phone, opening his message from his chief. He read it quickly. “I’ll see if he wants to met sooner.” He sent out a quick text before Lotor walked up behind him and pulled him into his chest, an arm around his waist.

Gabe leaned back and tilted his head to smile up at Lotor. “Yes.” He said, dropping his phone on the dresser before he followed Lotor to the bathroom. Gabriel watched Lotor’s back a moment, feeling his mate’s worry with a frown. He followed Lotor into the shower and wrapped his arms around the male, pressing a cheek to Lotor’s shoulder. “Hey, it’s going to be okay. People are going to adjust… we just need to ease them into everything and give them time.” He said, trying to send comfort through their bond. Lotor seemed to relax a bit.

But with his next words, it was Gabe’s turn to worry. Immediately he felt his heart race at the thought. That sounded like a terrible idea! His arms tightened a bit around his mate and he was glad Lotor couldn’t see his face… though he knew the male could feel his stress and worry through their bond. He shook his head finally and pressed his forehead to Lotor’s spine. “Not funny, Ni miri.” He muttered softly. A fresh wave of panic sparked when Lotor mentioned trying to set up a lunch meeting with his chief. This was a conversation he feared having… he wasn’t sure how Lotor would react but… “Lotor… I’m not sure I’m ready to tell people about us…” his shoulders were tense as he waited for Lotor’s reaction. “It’s not because I’m embarrassed or ashamed of us…” he added quickly, then sighed softly. He needed to explain… “I think… I know that when the department learns of our involvement, I’ll be benched… and most likely, all of my cases over the past year, maybe more, will be called into question... Everyone’s going to assume I’ve been compromised and they’re going to worry I’ve been compromised for a while…” He sighed, relinquishing his hold in case Lotor wanted to get away from him. “But maybe telling the chief now, while I’m off duty would be best. I don’t know…” he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, sounding lost and frustrated. He needed advice… tell them now, or tell them later? “I will tell them… We can tell the world… eventually… just…” he looked up at Lotor, worried, scared, and a bit hopeful… hoping Lotor would understand his hesitation.

Gabe jerked at Lotor’s exclamation. The male whirled around, face flushed, but he didn’t look angry. He started to explain, and Gabriel felt so relieved. Lotor understood. He released a breath he didn’t even know he was holding. He leaned into Lotor’s hand, closing his eyes for a moment. They fluttered open, and his brows pulled together until Lotor found the word he was looking for. He chuckled a bit at that. “Actually, I can definitely see him doing something like that.” He looked down for a moment, thinking. “That actually wouldn’t be such a bad idea… the hospitals would probably feel more comfortable around you with an armed officer around too…” he mused softly.

He washed his hair and body as Lotor continued to talk. “Once I get back to work, coming here every night would be a bit of a hassle. Not to mention dangerous… Your hideout would probably become public knowledge eventually.” He said with a grimace. He didn’t want the world to know where Lotor lived… that was a disaster waiting to happen.

They finished with their shower and Lotor got out first. Gabriel stood back, rinsing off once more before he turned the water off and slipped out of the shower. He started to dry himself off when Lotor asked about his plans. “I was hoping to do some research on the computer.” He said with a soft shrug. “I also want to go through another book of your notes.” He wrapped the towel around his waist and walked out into the bedroom, heading to his suitcase. “Got a new project in mind? Is it my universal translator?” he asked with a smirk. “Or maybe you’d prefer to just teach me yourself?” He pulled out a simple T-shirt and some jeans. Casual enough for lounging, but not so much that he would have to change before meeting with his chief later. He dressed quickly, his mind drifting off to the different things he wanted to research… some were simple things (current news about Lotor’s pardon) others were not so simple (new information on the Company, the building Lotor exploded)… he paused and looked up at Lotor.

“I never told them that you were with me…” he took a careful voice. “When we were kidnapped and I was drugged… I didn’t… I couldn’t really remember much, and I didn’t know what was happening to us… So I kept your name out of my debrief…” He knew he probably should have told Lotor this earlier… but it had slipped his mind until now. “So, if anyone ever asks, you weren’t there… you didn’t go on a rampage… you didn’t blow up the building.” He said simply. He didn’t think it would ever come up, but they needed to be on the same page… just in case.

With that settled, Gabriel turned his attention to breakfast. “If you want, I can make breakfast and bring it to the lab? That way you can get started on your project?” he offered.

Gabe nodded at Lotor’s suggestion. “We can bring it up to the chief.” He said. Maybe the department needed to send out a memo or something… just to explain. The human smiled when Lotor mentioned forgetting to eat when in the middle of a project. He would make sure that didn’t happen anymore. He grabbed his phone and slid it into his pocket. “Okay, Ni miri.” He turned his head and leaned in, kissing Lotor briefly before they parted ways. He went to the kitchen while Lotor headed to the lab. He made a simple breakfast (eggs, bacon, pancakes, toast) and arranged it on two plates. He left his plate in the kitchen and took Lotor his plate, waiting until the male acknowledged him and the food. He smirked and kissed his mate before he returned to eat in the kitchen. But before that, he grabbed one of Lotor’s notebooks from the library. He read while he ate, smiling pleasantly to himself as he studied Lotor’s notes and handwriting. His phone dinged a message from his chief. It seemed his chief was pretty busy today, so four was the earliest he could meet them. He nodded to himself and returned the phone to his pocket. Once he was finished eating, he bookmarked his page and took the dishes to the sink. He packed the dishwasher, and cleaned to counters. A silent trip to the lab recovered Lotor’s empty plate. With the dishwasher packed, he started it and headed into the lab.

Gabriel didn’t try to disturb Lotor while he worked. He just monitored Lotor with a soft look of affection and took a seat in Lotor’s master chair. He could hear Lotor working behind him, muttering softly to himself from time to time. Lotor’s system was amazing, and so easy to use. Research went fairly smoothly, and Anna helped access the more ‘difficult’ files. Gabe updated himself on the Company case, even allowed Anna to hack into the files since was removed from the case and no longer had the proper clearance. ******** that… he had been researching and following the Company for years… Anna also gained him access to the building where he and Lotor had been held. The pictures made his stomach turn, mostly due to his own memories of the place. But he wanted to know what the current speculations were… and it didn’t seem like any of it had been tied to Lotor, which was good. To end things on a lighter note, Gabriel roamed the internet, reading public opinions of Lotor’s pardon… many people were supporting it… and of course, there was a sizable population that was afraid and rejected it. He tried to avoid those posts… but there were many. Luckily Lotor seemed well distracted with his work… he didn’t seem to pick up on Gabe’s anger/discomfort/stress over what he was reading.

Gabriel half turned in the chair when Lotor called out to him. Luckily his screen was showing more happy twitter posts. “Hmm?” he smiled and turned forward again when the male draped over him. He chuckled at the suggested… “Maybe something reinforced.” He mused, keeping his eyes on the screen a moment more before he closed everything and followed Lotor into the bedroom. He grabbed his wallet, badge, and off duty weapon, sipping on his holster. “Ya. It’s an official meeting. So his office at the station. You’ll get to walk in through the front doors, without handcuffs even.” He teased softly, but he was still a bit nervous. He hadn’t thought about the car situation. His was still back at his apartment. He nodded a bit at Lotor’s suggestion. He would still probably park on the street so none of his coworkers saw him driving around in a strange car. Gabe rolled his eyes at the car. “It is a bit ridiculous.” He teased, leaning into to kiss Lotor softly on the lip. “I’ll wait for you in front of the station.” He rolled his eyes again at the name change. “Actually, it’s Officer Lake… Though it’s probably expected you’ll still call me by your ridiculous nicknames… just not Gabby.” He glared at his mate in warning for a moment.

His glare broke into a smile and he chuckled as he opened the door of the bug and slipped in. “See you soon.” He said as he closed the door. “Anna, please take me to the station. Park a block away on the street please.” He requested and leaned back into the seat. He put his hands ‘on the wheel’ to keep up appearances. Once Anna parked the car, he thanked her and slipped out. He was waiting at the entrance of the station when Lotor pulled up. “You can’t park there.” He ordered, playing his part, but also messing with his mate. He smiled at the male and took an extra step closer to the alien, ignoring the stares they were starting to get. “Thanks for coming down.” He held his hand out to shake Lotor’s, a demonstration to everyone around them. Lotor was requested to be here. He wasn’t a threat.

Gabriel rolled his eyes when Lotor confidently walked away from the car and Anna drove off. People another them gasped and whispered amongst themselves, obviously impressed… Gabe, being cheeky, acted like it was nothing. He rose an eyebrow at the alien, smirking as he shook the other’s hand. “Oh, so you do know my name.” He teased, acting as if they hadn’t spent the last couple of days in each other arms, learning anything and everything about one another. It was kind of nice, to play this little game with Lotor… almost like they were roleplaying as strangers… that could be hot… he stored the idea away from later as he walked up to the doors with Lotor. He opened the door for the alien and stepped in after him, hiding a smirk when the bull pen quieted.

He confidently walked with Lotor, side by side, deeper into the building. “At ease, Hodgens. No need to get your panties in a twist.” He said as they past by a blond hair, blue eyed male… whose hand was twitching next to his service weapon. Gabe paid the rest of the on lookers no mind and directed Lotor to his chief’s office. He knocked on the open door, but his chief already knew they were there (the silence of the bull pen was warning enough). “Chief.” He greeted, stepping inside when the male rose of his desk. He moved out of the way and let Lotor step into the room and greet his chief. He slipped his hands behind him, clasping them in place. He wasn’t sure if he was going to be asked to leave or if the Chief would close the door for their meeting. He had to hide the smirk when Lotor started to speak… he was good at story telling and playing along... But it was still strange to hear Lotor speak like this… not twenty minutes ago the alien was towering over him, kissing him, speaking lovingly in his ear. It was nice to know they could have both a personal relationship and a work relationship…

The chief gladly took Lotor hand, with no outward sign of hesitation. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.” He said with a smile. He looked up at Gabriel. “Do you mind closing the door, Lake?” he asked, inviting the male to stay for this conversation. “Yes, having a way to contact you directly in the future will help both of us I think.” He said, taking a seat at his desk. He nodded, one jerk nod before he spoke. “Yes, I received word of your pardon yesterday, before the president’s announcement. I was also made aware of your entanglements at the local hospitals. I was hoping to offer my department assistance on that.” He said, intertwining his fingers on his desk. “I imagine the hospital staff will feel more comfortable if you had an escort, at least for now…” he suggested, sounding non-threatening… but to a keen observer, it was obvious the chief would feel more comfortable if Lotor had an escort all the time… not just at the hospital.

“Also…” The chief’s voice got a bit more serious as he pulled out a file from his desk drawer. He set the file in front of Lotor, gesturing for the male to read it. Gabriel glanced at the folder over Lotor’s shoulder. “There have been some reports coming in from other branches that are troubling… We’ve afraid it might have something to do with the Company…” He gave the man a moment to read the file. “It seems the Company had a vast web of connections in the criminal world… and now that they are out in the open, other parties are scrambling for the top.” He sighed and leaned back in his chair. “You always seemed be one step ahead of the Company’s plans… So, I’m requesting, asking, if you’d consult with my department on these cases.” He said, almost grimly. He knew getting Lotor’s help would be the fastest way of preventing more bloodshed, but he still didn’t trust the alien yet.

Gabriel glanced over the file, then looked up at his Chief. “Whose running point?” he asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest. His chief looked up at him as he spoke. “Hodgens.” Gabriel’s eyes narrowed a bit. Hodgens and Lotor would not get along… but after the kidnapping and hospital stay caused by the Company, Gabriel knew his chief was weary to put Gabe on the case. He glanced at the back of Lotor’s head, then back to his chief as he clenched his jaw. He was practically screaming at Lotor through their bond ‘He’s not going to put me on this case without EXTERNAL pressure’. Sometimes, Gabe wished their bond came with telepathy.

The chief frowned when Lotor bluntly responded with ‘no’. He looked at the alien confused and a bit offended, remaining still in his seat as the file was pushed back to him. He opened his mouth to ask why, but Lotor was already explaining. The chief’s jaw tightened as he ground his teeth. A brief look of surprise flickered on his features when Lotor gave terms. The chief’s brown eyes looked up at Gabe, then back to Lotor, still with a soft frown as Lotor explained his reluctance to work with Hodgens.

Anger erupted in Gabe and vibrated through their bond when Lotor spoke about Hodgens. The officer turned his head to the door, like he could see through it and glare at the male who threatened his mate. He fisted his hands, feeling his nails dig into his palms. The slight pain was grounding. Pissed, he turned his glare to the chief. He knew the male wouldn’t have asked for help if the department wasn’t desperate. So, if the chief was wise (he was), he would cut through the red tape and put Gabe as lead on this case… essentially making Lotor his unofficial partner. Good thing Gabriel didn’t have a full time partner right now… and after the kidnapping, he knew he was going to be demanded to take on one… hopefully having Lotor around, he could deter that.

The chief was surprised to learn of Lotor’s motive for kidnapping Gabe all those times. Though, the alien could be lying… He hadn’t put Gabe on the case for two reasons… first, the Company case was too personal with Gabe’s recent involved… but also, he wasn’t sure Gabe would even want to be around the alien… I mean, Gabriel had been kidnapped multiple times by the alien… why would he want to work with Lotor? He looked at Gabriel, silently questioning him. Did he really want to do this?

Gabriel recognized the concern and his features softened slightly. He knew his chief was trying to look out for him. “If I may, chief… Put me on the rotation for Lotor’s armed escort.” He said, signaling that, yes, he was okay with working with Lotor. He gave his chief a short nod, a look of understanding in his eyes.

The chief sighed softly, a short huff of breath, as he looked from Gabe to Lotor. “Fine. I’ll give the case to Officer Lake… and I’ll put him on the rotation for your escort, though I would like to have at least two other officers on the rotation. I’ll give you a list of available officers to pick from… does that work?” He asked, sounding a bit annoyed accommodating the alien.

The chief nodded and listened as Lotor looked over the case and gave his opinion. He did frown when Lotor mentioned keeping his hideout a secret, but he did his best to hide his true feelings on the matter. “Yes, of course.” He said, instead. They shared a few more words about the escort rotation and the case before they stood and parted ways. The chief gave Gabe a look and a nod before he took his seat again.

Gabe focused on what his mate was saying, but he was still fuming. The look the chief gave him was telling… he’d be meeting with the chief privately after he walked Lotor out. Out in the hall, alone, Lotor spoke and Gabe tried to give him a reassuring smile, but it came out as a grimace. “No promises… I’ve never like Hodgens… Now I like him a lot less…” he practically growled. They walked back through the bull pen like it was no big deal. Gabe rolled his eyes at Lotor’s goodbye, a means to hide the small surprise of hearing Lotor use his last name. “Later, Lotor… Stay out of trouble!” he called after the alien before he turned to re-enter the station.

Gabe was kept busy for the next two hours or so. First the chief wanted to make sure he was comfortable with working with Lotor and this case. Of course, Gabe assured the man that he indeed wanted to work on this case with Lotor. He then had to met with payroll and such. He’d return to active duty by the end of the week. He was also informed he would have to go through a psych eval when he returned to duty. He wasn’t looking forward to that, but he understood the reasoning behind it. After all the administrative stuff was handled, he was ‘jumped’ by his fellow officers, all asking about his new ‘partner’. Some were curious, others were cautious. Luckily, Hodgens avoided him… probably angry Gabe stole his high profile case.

When Gabriel could finally pull himself away from the station, the sun had already set. He sighed and headed out, waving goodbye to his coworkers. He headed to Lotor’s bug, making sure no one was following him. He slipped into the driver’s seat and ran a hand through his hair. “Hello, Anna… I wouldn’t put it past the chief to have someone try and follow me… so if you could, make it look like I’m heading to my apartment before you lose them.” He sighed and leaned back in his seat. “Hopefully that won’t take long… I want to go home.” He said, and quickly realized ‘home’ meant wherever Lotor was. He smiled softly and relaxed as Anna took control and started their drive.

When the bug finally pulled into the Lair garage, Gabriel practically jumped out of the car. He needed to see Lotor right now… it had only been a few hours, but still… he sighed and rubbed his thumb across his bonding mark. This feeling would lessen, but… He checked the library and bedroom first. No sight of Lotor… he was either in the kitchen or in the Lab working. He decided to go to the lab first, then the kitchen. He was searching for his mate with tunnel vision… nothing around him mattered. “Lotor?” he called out, hoping the genius would hear him and give him some kind of hint as to where he was.

Gabe heard Lotor’s voice coming from the lab. He smiled when finally, Lotor was in his sights. He had to stop himself from running and throwing himself into Lotor’s arms. He casually, but briskly, walked over to the chair and curled into Lotor’s lap, sighing as he buried his nose into Lotor’s neck. “Hey there.” He said contently. He was finally home. Why had today been so bad? Yesterday hadn’t felt like this… maybe it was because he had watched Lotor on the screens? And maybe because he was in Lotor’s home? Whereas today he had been completely separated from his mate… he internally shrugged and melted into Lotor’s embrace.

Gabriel grunted softly when Lotor told him about the tail. “Figures…” he said gruffly, but otherwise didn’t move, still snuggled into Lotor’s neck and shoulder. He whined ever so slightly in protest when Lotor rearranged them and turned his attention to the screens. Gabe quickly forgot his protests when Lotor started talking about the case. “Already? Wow… you work fast.” He commented, turning his attention to the list of names.

He couldn’t help but smile and lean back into his mate at Lotor’s amused tone. His mind was buzzing with thoughts about the case. But Lotor silenced it all when he leaned in and kissed him stupid. He pulled back breathless and it took a moment for Gabe to register Lotor’s words. “Hmmm… what do you have in mind?” he asked. He turned slightly, and kissed Lotor again, licking the alien’s bottom lip until he gave Gabe access. Carefully, without breaking their kiss, Gabriel rotated himself until he was kneeling across Lotor’s lab, caging him in with his thighs. He grabbed the back on the chair and buried one hand in Lotor’s hair, tilting the alien’s head back, deepening their kiss with a stifled moan.