ain’t no ANGEL. @gabriclknox - Tumblr Blog

“i’ve always been crazy, but it’s kept me from going insane.”

INTRODUCING GABRIEL T. KNOX:

#( intro; gabriel knox. )#tw alcoholism #tw car accident #tw death of a child #tw death of a spouse #tw physical injury

WHERE: Neon Moon WITH: @sierragimenez

He’s lost track of how many drinks and shots have been served his way, as well as how many times he’s been up at the microphone to belt out yet another karaoke track. But he doesn't care because tonight, Gabriel Knox feels weightless. It’s a sensation he’s seldom felt over the last year and he’s hard pressed to let it go to waste now that he’s finally gotten a small taste. Gabe is sitting at the bar, nursing another drink when he spots a familiar face in the crowd. "Hey, if it ain't Mike Tyson herself,” he grins, offering Sierra a small wave. "Saw your fight last weekend, didn't know ya had such a mean right hook." Gabe has always liked watching fights. Like the rodeo, he’s felt drawn to it for as long as he can remember, and last weekend, the woman in front of him gave one hell of a show, "Remind me not to piss you off."

#( ft; sierra gimenez. )#( sierra 001. )#tw alcohol

suzymartin:

location: in town, hardware store | open

The overhead doorbell made its distinct jingle to alert the clerk a customer had entered the shop. Giving a glance at the door Suzy hadn’t seen who’d entered the hardware store now but it did mean she wasn’t the only one there anymore. Suzy had been wandering the hardware store for some time now going over the laundry list of projects that need to be done to fix up the house knowing in the back of her mind it would’ve been better to hire a professional to do all of it but Suzy wanted to help her mother out. Nora had the harder job and school was out for the summer so it meant Suzy had time on her hands to kill. “Starting to think I’m about to get in over my head, we’ll see. Pops sure left a lot to be done after he died. At least I don’t have to do any plumbing work thank god…” Suzy said out loud staring at her list again of improvement projects, crossing a couple of lines off the shopping list before popping the pencil behind her ear.

--

The backyard fence at Gabe’s home has been in need of some serious help for a while now and now that summer is here and in full swing, there’s never been a better time to fix it up. He’s striding into the hardware store with his fifteen year old son, Tyler, in tow when he spots a familiar face and hears a voice he’d know anywhere. Sending Tyler down the paint aisle, he makes his way over to Suzy and grins wide, “Nah, I ain’t ever known a task to be too big for Suzy Martin.” He’d heard she was back in town, but between work and his slew of issues at home, he hadn’t gotten around to meeting up with her yet. “How ya been, Suze? It’s been a minute.” Peering down at her list, he gestures back towards the aisle Tyler started down, “By the way, if you need a hand with any of that, lemme know. Got a fifteen year old who could use the experience.”

#( ft; susan martin. )#( suzy 001. )

matiasanti:

the night had been pretty lowkey - one of the things he loved about the griffith. it was never too busy, never too crowded, never too loud but just the right amount that wouldn’t overwhelm him nor his patrons. looking at the clock, matias let out a breath as he swung his white ran over his shoulder. bells rung from above the door forcing matias to glance at the newcomer. seeing gabriel, the man waved and walked to where gabe settled. “i was beginning to think you found someone else. almost hurt my feelings,” he joked with a grin.

--

“Nah, never,” Gabe insists, pursing his lips and shaking his head, “Shit’s just been a little crazy lately.” It’s perhaps the understatement of the year. But Gabe is hopeful that things will begin to look up sooner rather than later. Nodding at the selection of bottles lining the wall, Gabe clears his throat and gestures at a bottle of bourbon, “Mind if I get a drink before we start talkin’ shop?” He asks, shrugging his shoulders lamely, “I’m a better businessman with a touch of bourbon on board.”

#( ft; matias santiago. )#( matias 001. )#tw alcohol

buckwcrd:

“My mom was the same way, sorta, but once she saw how much I loved it, she kinda let it go. Listen, you’re not going against her wishes if it’s something that he’s gonna like and we don’t know if he’s gonna like it or not since he’s never tried it.” Maybe it was the fact that Buck loved what he did which was why he was pushing it so much. “What ‘bout makin’ help out around the ranch? No ties, just seeing if he likes it, y’know? Who knows, maybe he’s the next, I dunno, Jimmy Ward. Or Thatch.” He offered, knowing that of course that would be easy for him to make happen. “Not like we got much of the next generation involved. Bex and Ari don’t seem that interested in it.”

--

Kids didn’t come with instruction manuals, much to Gabe’s dismay, and there certainly wasn’t a how-to guide to single parenting, and so he finds himself leaning on talks like this one for advice and any help he can get. Part of him can’t help but think that Addison would roll over in her grave if she knew her eldest son was part of the rodeo, but the other part knows that if Tyler doesn’t find something to center himself, he’s headed for something far worse than riding a bull. “Well, if it’s somethin’ he’s interested in, I want you to teach him. You good with that?” There’s no one Gabe trusts more than Buck when it comes to bull riding, especially if Tyler decides he wants in. But helping out at the ranch isn’t a bad route either, “Ain’t a bad idea. If anythin’, it’ll teach him some responsibility.” Tossing his cigarette down to the dirt, he crushes it out with the sole of his boot and turns towards Buck when he mentions the next generation of Wards, “You think they’ll come around?”

#( ft; christopher ward. )#( buck 001. )#tw death mention

elizabcthward:

Gabe’s probably as familiar with the Ward’s front porch as Liza is at this point, having been a hand on the ranch for as long as he was, so it isn’t out of the ordinary for the two of them to be shooting the shoot and smoking a cigarette as the day turns to night. Liza may hate being back in Montana but there are some things that make it slightly worth it, and Gabe’s ongoing friendship is one of them. He’s been an annoying little thorn in her side since they were teenagers and somehow he’s become a good friend from that, as well, no matter how much he annoys her. “That’s on you for fucking around and deciding to procreate. ‘Least I’ve had the sense not to.” Not that Liza’s really had much opportunity to bring life into the world, but even if the opportunity had presented itself, she knows she’d never take it. In her mind, there’s no worse punishment than being born into the Ward family. Her eyes narrow at Gabe when he brings up the poison ivy disaster, still not entirely over it even though decades have passed. “My biggest worry was poison ivy because of you. S’a wonder I didn’t smack the shit out of you back then and it’s a wonder I still don’t. I firmly believe your demon kid was sent to you from hell because of that incident.”

--

Scoffing loudly, Gabe rolls his eyes and tugs a quick drag from his cigarette, "Yeah, well, back then I wasn't thinkin' that a thirty minute thrill would turn into an eighteen year commitment, but here we are." At the time, he hadn’t been thinking about the future or just how quickly one decision could reshape the entire trajectory of his life. He doesn’t regret it, he could never regret his journey through fatherhood, but it’s moments like this when he’s buzzed just enough to sit and wonder what his life might have looked like if he’d done things differently. Perhaps that makes him terrible, or perhaps it doesn’t, but if there’s one person he knows won’t crucify him for it, it’s Liza. Chuckling at her words, Gabe smirks and tips his head to the side, serving up his cheek like an offering, “Well, there’s still time.” He knows it’s like playing with fire— he knows Liza isn’t one to balk at the chance of smacking the shit out of him like others might be. Sighing softly, he sips at his beer and shakes his head, unable to fight the smile threatening at the corner of his mouth, "That was the first and last time I tried to impress a girl with 'flowers.' You know I never bought Addison any solely because of that?" Snorting a laugh, he grins over at her, "Tryin' to win your affection scarred me for life, Liza Ward."

#( ft; elizabeth ward. )#( liza 001. )

sawyerdecker:

-

Kids had never been something Sawyer had been interested in. At least her own. However, she could hang out with other people’s children before the inevitable happened and she got annoyed – which would prompt her to return them to their parents, and she went on her marry way. Lochlyn was something different entirely, sassy and so sure of herself. Sawyer liked that about her, and so when she took her on small girl dates, they would bond over the newest toy – or whatever the kid was yearning for now. Sawyer never the one to tell her no, and usually just bought her whatever. She was meant to be the fun aunt, or even stepmother if it was the right person– but she never wanted her own children. “Oh, trust me. I know how she is.” She glanced over at the tiger who really needed a good wash and almost rolled her eyes, before grinning at the thought of the girl throwing a fit over the wore down tiger.

Sawyer shrugged. “Sometimes. Other times maybe not.” She leans back into the porch swing, as her feet are planted firmly on the ground – lightly pushing the swing back and forth as he spoke. Most of the time she didn’t need a reason to drink – as she did it just to be doing something. Other times it was to have fun, or often it was a way to forget. Although, she didn’t want to forget this current moment. Ever since the weekend he and Addison had spent with her in Buckhead, she had been cursing herself for remembering all the little moments – now, she wasn’t sure if she ever wanted to forget them. “Oh, I am so buying her one. It can live on the ranch. Who am I to tell her no?” She laughed at the thought she had asked her assistant to go out and find one just earlier that day. “Well, you know how much I am a sucker for girl dates. Besides, it’s nice. She keeps me entertained most of the time – I think it’s because she goes 90 miles a minute.” She reached her hand out for the bottle. “She thinks I’m cool.”

--

These days, Gabe figures he’s got more reasons to drink than he ever has, but he doesn’t admit that aloud to Sawyer— he’s sure she already knows seeing as how she’s been around to witness a lot of Gabe’s ups and downs over the last year. For just a moment, he’s content to let both of them believe he’s cracked open a bottle of Jack just for the hell of it, even if they both know the truth. Sighing gently as Sawyer pushes the swing back and forth, he glances at the bottle in his hand and brings it to his lips for another sip. He cuts a look over at her, already aware that there’s little point in arguing with her— once Sawyer Decker puts her mind to something, there’s not much Gabriel can do to stop her. It’s a quality of hers that’s both endearing and infuriating. “It’s easy— you just look into those big green eyes of hers and say it, no,” he insists, chuckling softly.

Scrubbing a hand across his face, he muffles a soft curse and sighs, “I got one condition: if she gets a pony, she’s gotta feed it, water it, shovel its shit— everything.” Leave it to Gabe to turn this little adventure into a learning experience. “You insist on spoilin’ her, she’s gonna learn responsibility,” he presses, though there’s a hint of a smile playing at the corner of his mouth. Even if there’s a part of him that thinks getting Lochlyn a pony is the worst idea in the world, the other part of him can’t help but lean into it. “That she does,” Gabe agrees, finding it hard to keep up with Lochlyn most days. Snorting a quiet laugh, he knocks his head in a brief shake, “Cool, huh? Well, she’s a little misguided— one day she’ll learn,” Gabe teases, though as he turns to glance at her, his expression is about as even as he can get it in his current state. But it doesn’t last long. “I’m kidding,” he laughs, handing over the bottle of whiskey, “You’re alright, I guess— for the most part.”

#( ft; sawyer decker. )#( sawyer 001. )#tw alcohol

prairilynmonroe:

it’s a cheap way to get her kicks, delilah figures, but not the cheapest she’s gotten — pulling herself alone into a shabby karaoke bar for a few minutes up on a stage no bigger than your first dream. but that was the wonderful thing about singing: when you did it right, it didn’t much matter where it was done. it all sounded the same. a notion that seemed to be shared by the man currently up at the mic, the broad nature of his back highlighted by the stage lights as he works his was surprisingly well through a journey song. she’s a little drunk, but she’s a lot sure he’s handsome. when he sits back down next to her, she straightens and waits to be noticed. sure enough, shiny new things don’t stay hidden for long.

“oh no, please —”

her soft, manicured hand fits into his larger one, her hold on it delicate. it had been too long since delilah had lived in the prairies, and she’d forgotten all about a good grip.

“delilah. would you still get me a drink if i said i liked it?”

--

Gabe takes his time running his appreciative gaze over her features, committing them to memory, as she takes his hand. She’s attractive and he notices— he’s never been the kind to pretend otherwise, even when his wife was still alive. Her touch is soft, far from what he’s used to, but Gabe doesn’t complain. Instead, he offers her a crooked grin and chuckles softly, “I’d get you two,” he promises, letting go of her hand in order to flag down the bartender again. Resting an arm down on the bartop, he raises his drink to his lips and downs another sip. His eyes narrow from behind the rim of his glass as if studying her, "Why haven't I seen you before, Delilah?” He asks, lips curving into another warm smile as he sets his drink aside and gives her his undivided attention, “New in town?"

#( ft; delilah atwood. )#( delilah 001. )

thatchward:

-

It’s not every day that Thatch is startled by a knock at his door. But the sound of glass rattling in its frame has him bolting upright. He’d had a long day, put in some long hours and he was half asleep on his couch before the sun went town. The show he’d been watching had stopped and when Thatch gathered his bearings he was met with Netflix’s silent judgement in the form of a condescending question that he’s never figured out how to turn off.

The knock is followed by a familiar voice. Thatch drops his feet to the ground and stretches his arms above his head, cracking what feels like every joint in his back. He tells himself that he’s got to stop sleeping here but he won’t remember again until next time he wakes up feeling like his body has been twisted like a wet towel.

“Good,” he says when he opens the door for Gabe. “’least you knew I wasn’t gonna let you in for free.”

--

“When you put it like that, I feel so used, Thatch,” Gabe drones once his friend finally opens the door to let him in. Eyeing the television screen and the oh so judgmental Netflix message he’s certainly been no stranger to lately, Gabe grins wide and glances over at Thatch, “You look like hammered shit, by the way. You just wake up or something?” He teases, knowing damn well that he’s seen better days himself and has very little room to throw any sort of shade at Thatch. But Gabe wouldn’t be who he was if he wasn’t giving the older man just a little bit of grief. Setting his box of goodies down on Thatch’s coffee table, he pulls out an unlabeled mason jar and gives it a little shake, “Here— newest batch of moonshine,” he announces before holding it out to him. “So what were you watching?” Gabe asks, nodding back towards the TV, “Anything good? I need something new to get into.”

#( ft; thatcher ward. )#( thatcher 001. )

rydcrdecker:

.

Whistling at the man still standing by the fence, Ryder tossed the roll of wire in his hand in that general direction before turning back to Gabe. “Aren’t we all,” He agreed, offering the older man a cigarette as he moved to sit on the hood of the pick up for a break. Ryder listened to the man talk about his son as he pocketed his lighter. “Strugglin, is everything alright?” Exhaling smoke, Ryder raised an eyebrow. Either way he nodded. “I think he definitely could. We’re starting summer training in a few weeks he could come by. Long days though,”

--

Gabe wastes little time plucking a cigarette from Ryder’s pack and lighting it. Inhaling a long, steadying drag, he leans back against the side of the truck the younger man is perched on and eases out a smoke stained sigh. “Think the last year’s just weighin’ on him— losin’ his mom, his brother…I dunno,” his voice trails off and he shrugs his shoulders, unsure of really how to put what he’s thinking into words, “I just think he’s lost right now, honestly.” Glancing over at Ryder, Gabe nods and tugs another drag from his cigarette, “Yeah? That’d be great. Long days would be good for him.”

#( ft; ryder decker. )#( ryder 001. )#tw death of a spouse #tw death of a child

junebug-hawthorne:

“I don’t take Tater Tot off the ranch much, but I would totally bring her to meet Opie. I bet they’d get along great.” The Australian cattle dog had an aversion to gophers and her stepmother and that was about it. Both of which did not bother June in the least. A friendly smile spread across her face as the man introduced his daughter and himself. “Nice to meet all of you.” She waved to Lochlyn. The little one reminded her just how much she wished her siblings would have kids. Being an auntie would be the coolest thing in the world and make staying to work on the ranch totally worth it. “Well, I love Zodiac, my brother and I go there every week pretty much. So keep doing what y’all are doin’.” Sometimes their other siblings join them and sometimes they don’t. It all depends on the week and who is around, but Jamie and June went to the Zodiac or somewhere else for wings every Wednesday. It was tradition. “Is it that obvious,” she asked with a laugh. “Yes, I’m Juniper Hawthorne. My Papa Terry owns Willow Creek Ranch.” The upside and downfall of being part of a family that owns one of the biggest ranches in the country. They weren’t Wards, but her grandfather would likely say that was a good thing. “If you want I could help you chase these two on the rest of the trail, it’s not too much further.”

--

“Yeah, you should do it— Oz is good with other dogs,” he offers, thinking it would at least burn some of Ozzie’s energy if he got to run around with another fur friend. A genuine smile passes over his features, pinching thin wrinkles at the corners of his eyes as his daughter returns June’s wave and grins wide. “Nice to meet you as well.” He can’t help but feel the small swell of pride blooming in his chest when June compliments Zodiac. Gabe’s been in charge for years now, but it feels like he’s just now starting to get things where he’d like for them to be, “Thank you— glad to hear it. I’ll keep an eye for y’all— gimme a shout next time you come by.” It’s no secret that Gabe’s appearances at Zodiac have been few and far between over the last year, but it hasn’t been for lack of trying or desire to be there. On the contrary, the brewery is his happy place, or one of them, and now that he’s finally starting to pick up the pieces of his life, he’s making it a point to be there as much as he can. “It is,” he answers with a warm smile. While he’s never met her grandfather, he’s seen the man enough to spot the resemblance between them. Eyeing the trail up ahead, Gabe nods, quick to take June up on her offer, “That would be fantastic, actually. You can probably keep up with them a hell of a lot better than I can.”

#( ft; juniper hawthorne. )#( june 001. )

alonsobeatriz:

“Ozzie.” bea echoes as she kneels down more and accepts all the kisses that the dog has to offer. she’s always been an animal person and had begged her mother for them for so long but when she got her own apartment, it was out of the question even though her sister had tried to convinced her to reconsider. “he’s gorgeous.” she says before rising up and handing the dog over to his owner. “i was half tempted to turn around and book a run for it with your dog but i figured i would have upset someone and i would never upset anyone on purpose.” she says with a genuine smile and a glance at his daughter. they looked like an gorgeous family. a little sweaty but still happy with bright smiles. “it could be worse, imagine what the father’s with no hair have gone through. i also think that you can pull off the grey hair.” she wasn’t blind, and he was attractive. grey hair or not, she doubts there isn’t anything he can’t pull off. she smiles and then focuses on his daughter who is a spitting image of him. “that’s a gorgeous name lochlyn.”

it was original, one she hasn’t heard before and she already fights the urge from giving her a nickname. “Nice to meet all three of you, Locklyn, Gabe and Ozzie.” when he seems to place her, she nods her head despite the flush of her cheeks. she might never get over how embarrassing it is to still be working at the grocery store at her face. “i don’t know about holding the place down. i’m doing my best, but yeah, i’m the manager.” she tacks on with a roll of her eyes. “unfortunately.”

--

“I don’t think Ozzie would have minded,” Gabe laughs, thinking that a night away from the chaotic Knox home would be more like a vacation for the blue heeler rather than an abduction. Cringing slightly, he runs a hand through his hair, grateful it’s still there and not receding yet. It’s one of the few things Gabriel still has going for him. He snorts a laugh, “You think so? So I shouldn’t start buyin’ Just For Men yet?” He asks, unsure he agrees with being able to pull off the streaks of gray, but he appreciates the compliment nevertheless. As she addresses Lochlyn again, he gives the little girl another nudge of encouragement, “Tell her thank you.” Smiling fondly, Gabe turns his attention back to Bea, “Thanks— wish I could take credit for it, but her mom came up with that one.” Sadness tinges the edges of his smile but he doesn’t let it last long, too determined to make today a good day for both him and his daughter. “The pleasure’s all ours. Really, though— I dunno what I would have done if you hadn’t been here to stop Oz.” He’d have likely still been charging after the spirited blue heeler. Whistling low, Gabe knocks his head in a loose shake, “I gotta hand it to ya— I dunno if I could manage a grocery store. I run a brewery, but I can just bribe people with free drinks when they get pissed off and that usually solves everything.”

#( ft; beatriz alonso. )#( bea 001. )

let-me-be-your-home

#( visuals; gabriel knox. )

sawyerdecker:

“You’re daughter left this is in my backseat.” She said with a smile and held the toy as if to prove that she wasn’t a stalker. Though the choice to come all the way back out at this time of night might say otherwise. Gabe had been someone she had known for years - which she met through his late wife Addison. Something she almost felt guilty for, because his presence was almost like a magnet that pulled her in. She took a step on the porch, closing the distance between the two of them, before setting the toy down on the banister of the porch and holding her hand out reaching for the bottle.

“What are we drinking too? Boredom or sadness? I could go for either.” As if that were the only two reasons people ever drink. She glanced up at him before taking a seat on the porch swing, waiting for him to join her. She raised the bottle to press to her lips, before taking a quick swig and passing it back to him. “Just so you know, your daughter asked me to buy her a pony today. I’m inclined to buy her one.”

--

Squinting, Gabe spots the stuffed tiger in the pale moonlight and dips his head in a firm nod, “Ah.” For a moment, his expression sobers and he pinches his lips into a thin line as he straightens in the porch swing. Selfishly, there’s a small part of him that had been hoping she’d ended up back in his driveway for reasons beyond returning his seven year old daughter’s plushie, but he quickly recovers and snorts a quiet laugh, “Thank you— you mighta just spared our entire household from the meltdown of the century if she’d woken up without that thing.”

Smiling gently as Sawyer sets Tommy the raggedy-ass Tiger aside, Gabe glances down at the bottle in his hand and offers it up to her, “Does one really need a reason?” He counters, lifting his shoulders in a lazy shrug as she takes her place on the porch swing. Leaning back against the cushion, he takes the bottle back and raises it to his lips for a quick sip. His head is already spinning the slightest bit from the damage he did before Sawyer arrived, but he finds himself leaning into it— this weightlessness was what he’d been chasing anyway, wasn’t it? But he nearly snaps out of it once her words fully reach him. “Oh god, Sawyer, don’t encourage her,” Gabe drones as he reaches up to pinch the bridge of his nose. But laughter soon follows— it’s all too easy for him to imagine the joy on Lochlyn’s face and just how quickly Sawyer fell victim to it. “Appreciate you takin’ her out though,” he continues, glancing over at her with a warm smile, “It’s all she talked about ever since she got home.”

#( ft; sawyer decker. )#( sawyer 001. )#tw alcohol

WHERE: The Griffith WITH: @matiasanti

He's been meaning to meet with Matias and talk business for a while now, but with work keeping him busy and problems at home driving him insane, there’s been very little left of Gabe to go around. But today he’s finally caught a break and finds himself striding into the Griffith with his usual crooked grin plastered across his face. He’s looking to expand Zodiac’s reach however he can, and the possibility of getting his brews on tap here is a perfect way to start. Spotting Matias, he gives a little wave and settles down on the nearest barstool, “Hey, man— wasn’t sure I was ever gonna make it over here in this lifetime, but here I am,” he laughs, resting his forearms on the bartop, "Swear to god I haven’t been standin’ you up.”

#( ft; matias santiago. )#( matias 001. )

rhodesp:

Her tongue presses against her inner cheek before giving him a teasing glare, “Well, I’m thinkin’ I probably would’ve seen ya’ if you, ya’ know, answered a text every once in awhile. Almost had me writing ya’ a letter and sealing it with wax in hopes you’d respond.” Her expression was soft and filled with only love for her friend, for she only had concern for him, knowing that his life wasn’t exactly picture perfect at the moment. In more ways than one, she could relate in a way, but she wasn’t here to press him about it. Just here for a drink and a good laugh — and if she was lucky, someone to go home with.

“Ya’ know what —” she said up straighter as the palms of her ring-clad hands slapped against the bar, “I think I’m willing to take a chance tonight. Whatta got?” She asked with brows raised, knowing he would never steer her wrong.

--

"I know, I know," Gabe drones as he hangs his head and takes her gentle scolding. As far as communication goes, he’s been one of the world’s worst here lately. Lifting his head, he shoots Phoebe a curious look, "Why don't people write letters anymore, y'know? Shit is way more personal." Though even as he says it, he’s firing off a text to one of his babysitters, checking on the kids. Pocketing his phone, he turns his full attention back on Phoebe and smirks as she sits up straighter and hits him with her answer. “Living dangerously, I like it,” he practically hums as he gives her a nod of approval and pulls a clean glass from the rack. Trailing his eyes over all the choices Zodiac has on tap, he shrugs and begins to pour her a porter, "How about we go to the dark side tonight?” He offers, shooting her a wild grin, “These are also a little stronger, so…you’re welcome, in advance.”

#( ft; phoebe rhodes. )#( phoebe 001. )#tw alcohol

coachdavis:

location: gabriel’s house availability: closed || @gabrielknox

A year ago, he almost lost his cousin and arguably one of his closest friends. Family meant quite a bit to Owen. They were the ones that stuck by even when things got rough or the person was going through a rough phase. Gabe was going through two things that Owen had already been through. Unfortunately, his cousin was going through both of them at the same time. Something he could not quite imagine, not together, but he did know what it was like to learn how to walk again and he still sometimes struggled with the loss of his wife. Everyone dealt with things differently. No one should have to go through it alone, though. That is why Owen did his best to be there and accessible as much as possible. Hopefully without pissing him off or annoying him to the point of no return.

“I think this is try number,” he ticked on his fingers while his other hand stirred the pot of simmering tomato sauce. “Six or seven, I can’t remember. But I swear this is goin’ to be it, Big G.“ He chuckled and glanced over quick. Their grandma’s spaghetti was arguably the best in the world and a staple comfort meal. Sadly, she didn’t share the recipe with anyone else and Owen had decided to make it his personal mission to figure it out. Not only for him and Gabe, but for their children as well. He didn’t even ask if Gabriel even like the meal. It was something to keep him from fussing over him like a mother. "So, uh,” he started the pot of water and turned the sauce to low. “How’s the leg doin’? Pain any better?” Owen took a quick seat at the table, a brow rising to scan him over.

--

At forty-two years old, Gabe’s seen plenty of people filter in and out of his life over the years, but there have been just a handful of constants. Owen Davis is one of them, and while some are quick to point out that they're bound by blood, Gabe knows the loyalty shared between them stretches well beyond their shared bloodline. In many ways, Owen is more like a brother than a cousin. They're also bound by eerily similar traumas and perhaps that is part of why Gabe has been leaning so heavily into Owen's presence over the last few months. It's why he doesn't gripe when Owen shows up practically unannounced and begins cooking in his kitchen. If anyone can understand just a fraction of the weight he's been living with for the last year, it's his cousin.

"Yeah? I like your confidence— it's promising,” Gabe comments as he twists in his seat so that he can better see his cousin. Most people would have given up on cracking their grandmother’s secret recipe, but not Owen. Gabe has to admire the other man’s persistence, or stubbornness— he’s not really sure what to call it, but either way, he’s grateful his cousin has taken to the challenge with such enthusiasm, and so is his stomach. Shrugging, he glances down at his left leg and gives it a slight shake, "Leg's doin' okay," he answers with a soft sigh. The work he’s been putting in with Keziah has been paying off, slowly but surely. "Honestly it's my damn back that's givin' me hell. Keep gettin’ these spasms around the hardware— if I could just get those to stop, I could live with the limp,” he explains, knocking his head in a loose shake as he reaches for his beer.

#( ft; owen davis. )#( owen 001. )#tw physical injury

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

ain’t no ANGEL.