Work and Play

you gotta go back and read; I'm sorry folks :P

let's just do this shit

[if i'd known ten years ago that technology would be such a wild thing especially with AI I wouldn't have made Zeke Hartigan work at a damn tech company. please enjoy.]

---

Perhaps it was naive to think that I wasn't interesting enough to be a mystery to other people. Naive to think a work friend wouldn't be putting pieces together about me.

Shannon stares, and her smile is small, but her eyes are focused. My body tends to give me away. Nonexistent pokerface.

Secret boyfriend... secret boyfriend... secret... boyfriend...

"That's literally crazy."

"Is it?" Shannon asks, keeping her cool. Too cool. She could be a newscaster. "OrtegaTech employees can certainly date other OrtegaTech employees."

"Do I act like I'm in a relationship?"

"No, you act like you've never looked at a man in your life." Shannon is quick. "Which is more suspicious, maybe."

"I gotta say," I begin, as the elevator reaches the lobby, "Trying to fuck my way to the top would be something, wouldn't it?" I can't believe it comes out of my mouth, seemingly as much as Shannon. We walk out without a word, until we reach the parking lot.

Shannon grabs my sleeve. "Don't do that, Zeke. I'm not accusing you of anything. Aren't we friends?" There's something behind her eyes. More to the story. Something she probably won't mention.

We're friends. Who are colleagues. She also works with HR. "Of course we're friends. My friend wouldn't accuse me of something like that."

"Right."

I'm quiet for a moment. "I'm just being speculated about."

"Zeke--"

"Well I'm not so sure that Gabriel is my secret boyfriend. But you could ask him who his secret boyfriend is. And throw my name in his face if you want to. I don't know how he'd react. He'd probably be offended, if he remembers me at all." I hope I'm not shaking as much on the outside as much as I feel in my chest.

Shannon's face changes on a dime, and she shakes her head. "Shit, I--that was so out of line. I'm sorry--"

"You're realizing that now? You just... kinda... casually implied that I'm sleeping with the company big wig. Just because he said he was bisexual in a commercial. I don't know," I chuckle, stopping by my car. "Anyone else you wanna like... accuse me of fucking?"

Shannon closes her eyes. "I'm leaving the company."

My heart could stop. "What?"

"Zeke, I'm sorry for saying it like that. But I'm not crazy, right? I could tell you all the little things but it's like... I barely remember anymore. I mean... ever since March..." she shakes her head. "I actually have been applying for jobs for over a year now. And when Gabriel came here, I knew he wasn't going to stay for long. But he stayed..."

No politeness here. She won't let it go. "So you're still interrogating me? Wait, wait... you'releavingthe company?"

"I don't think you're sleeping your way to the top, Zeke. I don't know what I think anymore. Maybe... I think I'm tired of being good at my job, and this is the icing on the cake." Shannon exhales, shaking her head. "Super-sleuth, heh."

I can't say anything. Shannon's demeanor is telling me she knows already, and everything I do just confirms it more and more. "Clearly. You're seeing things I don't see."

"I see that you're happy," she nods. "I want it to stay that way. So if you tell me something, I'll tell you something, too."

-----------------------------

The way Gabriel is looking at me has me questioning whether I've lost my mind. He must be thinking the same thing; that I've lost my mind.

What Shannon told me, however, makes all of this worth it.

"Say that again?" he asks, closing his eyes, cupping his hand behind his ear, and leaning my way. I don't know exactly what possessed me to say it the way I did, but he is being dramatic.

"I said... it's perfect timing."

He throws his hands up. "Uh huh. That's what I thought you said. Yeah, yeah." My boyfriend scratches his scalp, shaking his head. Like a dog. "Take me through your thought process, Zeke." At least he's being calm.

"Are you going to let me explain or are you gonna interrupt--"

"Because I certainly can't put the pieces together myself."

I'm quiet for a moment, in case he has anything else to say. "First of all... congrats on the commercial."

"Nope, Babe. I can't do that right now. Talk about the Shannon Briggs thing," Gabriel leans back on my couch, crossing his arms. I do the same on the sofa chair. "You're being really calm and it's making menotcalm."

"I liked the commercial. I think most people probably thought it was a PR move," I reflect on Shannon's words. "I'm being optimistic, though."

Gabriel ditches his stubbornness for a moment, and he grumbles. "Mostly PR. Partially for myself. Please... explain why your HR friend and Clay Edgar finding out about us in the midst of this Roderick Tracy nightmare is perfect timing."

"Cancel the junior internships. Killing one of my projects takes the spotlight off of me," I explain. Gabriel frowns, putting his hands up defensively.

"But your sister--"

"It's okay. I'll have her visit for two weeks while we work this out," I sigh, taking a beat before dropping the bombshell. "In the meantime... Shannon said you and I should let the company investigate us."

"No."

I continue. "And then afterward, when they find that I haven't been unfairly treated or promoted beyond my means, I'll interview for CEO. Harper won't know any of this."

"Nope."

"People are investigated all the time, Gabe. For simple things. Random stuff," I shrug. "Relationships are investigated often in the companybecauseof your whole dating rule."

"The company has no business knowing our timeline," Gabriel says, shaking his head.

"Because you hadn't broken up with her yet?" I ask, crossing my legs, tapping my own knee. Gabriel stiffens. "I don't care. But you know they will. We get a small team to investigate after submitting it ourselves, and it lays off more heat than the investigation being called after I'm CEO."

Gabriel nods. "Fair."

"It won't be perfect, but I'll have the chance to prove that I'm a viable candidate twice by being in good moral standing about my relationship with you, as well as showing that it was my credentials that put me in the running,notdating you. Which nobody would even know about to give me leeway."

He's silent for a moment, and then he nods again. "I... can see that..." He looks off into the distance. "Heat's on, then."

My turn to nod. "I wish things weren't this... serious. No... consequential."

Gabriel shrugs. "This is all your fault."

That makes me gasp, leaning forward so quickly I almost fall off the couch. "The hell?"

"If you weren't so horny for me back then we would've never gotten here," Gabriel says, shaking his head and standing up. "Slut."

I follow his stand, stomping over to him and shoving a finger in his chest. "You're not serious."

"Deadly," Gabriel shrugs, and I see the smirk on his face. Instantly, I soften, though I wasn't totally convinced before. "OTech is going down in flames because you wanted to sit on my dick. Imagine you don't get CEO because I fucked you too good."

"Excuse me? You just came out to the entire company and the Midwestern region in a commercial because you can't stayoutof me."

He puts both hands behind his head, puffing out his chest, and he flops back onto the couch. "Eh... you're right."

"Exactly."I indirectly broke up you and your fiancee.I glare down at him, and he looks up at me through those long eyelashes. "Mr. Biracial, Bilingual, Bisexual--"

"Ah, you say it like it's a bad thing. Turn around, let me see it," Gabriel teases, tapping my hip. "Your ass."

"Stop objectifying me when I'm mad at you."

"You're not mad at me. You love me," Gabriel mumbles, pulling me in by the band of my sweats. He pauses, and seems to correct. "I mean you love my teasing."

Now I feel the need to correct.

I choose not to.

"You just love teasing me."

He looks up at me with those stormy gray eyes. "I mean well,rosa."

"That's new."

"You like it?"

"No," I giggle, straddling his lap, goosebumps already taking over. "But I... love when you try."

Gabriel seems to ponder that for a bit as he wraps his arms around my waist. "I want to try doing things that matter."

I take his face in my hands, kissing his plump bottom lip. "Do I matter to you?"

"Of course."

My voice softens. "Do... me."

He doesn't need much convincing. Gabe kisses me once, sighing dramatically. "If I must."

"If you remember how."

My offhand comment seems to catch his attention, and I see his eyes darken, feelings his arms tighten around my waist. He stares up at me for a bit, and I watch as his feigned offense seems to become actual offense.

"Oh, Zeke. I'm gonna take you very seriously right now."

"I was kidding--"

"'If I remember how,' tsk, like you don't know who you're talking to."

"I mean it's been a while--"

"A WHILE??"

"It feels like... five years, or something--"

Gabe stands up with little effort, hiking me up onto his waist as he shakes his head. "You learned to joke around and just think you'rehilariousnow, Zeke," Gabriel says, clicking his tongue. He smacks my ass, causing me to yelp and grip onto his shoulders as he hoists me up in the air.

I pout. "Ow. You don't think I'm funny?"

"Do you think this is funny?" Gabriel asks, starting to run toward my room with me latched onto his waist, which quickly results in me clinging to him like a bear cub, terrified he'll fall over or knock us into the hallway walls.

"STOP RUNNING IN MY HOUSE!!!"

--

--

Hard to stay annoyed with Gabriel when the sex is this good. Probably why I put up with so much before we were official. We're between rounds now, just laying on each other. Like usual.

"You're quiet," I comment first.

"You stole my line," Gabriel responds. "Was about to ask you what your big brain is cooking up."

"Nothing," I chuckle. "For once." It's him that I'm worried about. "I'm sorry I made things even more complicated--"

"You know, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do," Gabriel says, staring off into the distance as if he can't help it.

I pause for a moment. "You think Ididn'twant to ride your face just now? Or--"

"I mean with OTech. With your life... dating me and such. If you don't want... this craziness... I understand--"

"Hey, hey. What the hell?" I slide even closer to him, practically in his lap. "I'm doing what I like to do. And... I like you. A lot."

"Would you quit the company for me?" Gabriel asks, almost a little too quickly. My first reaction is to be offended, but I have enough of a mind to realize this isn't really about me. It's about what Shannon told me.

"Hypothetically," I shrug.

"What about realistically?" he asks. "If I made sure you were doing better somewhere else."

He's scaring me now. "No."

"Thought so."

"Gabriel... who cares about the investigation? We can still be... semi-secret. The investigation committee can't bethatbig, and--"

"I don't want to keep us a secret. I don't want to even be half as secretive as we currently are," he interrupts. Then a sigh. "I don't see how you can achieve what you want to achieve at OTech. I'm just seeing a dead end."

For us?

"Come on... being anxious ismyjob."

He pulls me closer, kissing the top of my head. "You're doing terribly. I'm picking up the slack."

Maybe I'm just better at hiding it than I was before. Then I get an idea. "We could have a little dinner party. You, me... Jiao... uh..."

"Ms. Briggs?" Gabriel asks with a scoff. "That's gonna be the jist of everyone who knows outright, unless you want to confirm anything for our speculators."

"Why not? Shannon can bring her fiance, Jiao can bring a friend... I'll cook?" It's not like there's much that can go wrong with a good dinner.

Gabriel probably can't even tell how much he brightens at the idea. It's cute. "I think Jiao has made a male friend recently."

"Mmm. Then we can do normal couple things," I smile, turning around to face him. "And we can even kiss in front of people..."

Gabe clicks his tongue. "Ah, I don't know about that one."

I feel my eyebrows furrow. "What? Why not?"

He shrugs. "It's a little weird actually," he says. "Everytime I kiss you, this happens. Watch." Gabriel gives me a peck on the lips, and then goes in for another kiss, deepening it and pulling me tight, grabbing at my ass. It takes less than a second for me to get lost in him, kissing back like my life depends on it.

Once he pulls away, I forgot what we were talking about until he calls it back. "Can't help it. It'd be inappropriate in front of guests."

"You don't have to make out with me every time we kiss."

"I do, though. I really do."

"Try again," I urge, feeling myself turn on yet again.

"I guess we should," he shrugs, leaning in to fully bear hug me, tackling me to the bed before I get the chance to understand what he's up to. I jokingly push him away after another round of filthy kisses, and as I gasp for my breath, he clicks his tongue again.

"Didn't work; couldn't help myself," Gabriel faux-complains, settling between my legs again. "I'm only half-joking."

"You're more than half-hard, so I can tell."

He smirks. "Oh, you felt that?"

I barely even have to make the face that says "of course I feel the limb you're packing between your legs, idiot" before Gabriel is kissing up to me again, hands drifting, wandering.

I can't help but smile to myself as he weaves his fingers with mine, pinning my hands to the bed. I last about ten seconds in silence before my mouth moves faster than my brain.

"What are we gonna cook?"

"...Zeke," Gabriel has been kissing down my chest, and he pauses. "Do I need to cover your mouth?"

I consider it. "But my asthma--"

"You're really funny now. Did you get that from me?" Gabe starts rutting against me again, and I hardly feel like teasing him back. All I want is for him to fill me again. Perhaps I'm spoiled. My half-hearted effort to free my hands is met with an aggressive squeeze, and Gabriel involves his teeth, making me shiver as his mouth trails down my body.

I'm just happy to be here. Happy to be his. "Mmm. I bet if we made ribs then everyone would--mmm!"

Gabriel's hand actually covers my mouth. "I knew you were gonna do that for some reason," he says, kissing between my pecs. With his other hand he works his magic, making sure I'm ready to take him all in again. "I used to think... you weren't paying attention to me. When you talked this much."

I moan into his hand, weakly pulling at his wrist as I feel him push in again, stretching me out and taking over yet again.God,I love this. I already forget that his hand is over my mouth again as I feel myself talking yet again.

"Mmf mmgh--"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. It's big," Gabe teases exaggeratedly. I shake my head. "No? Not big enough for you?"

"MMM!"

"You'll just have to cope," he sighs, shaking out his hair and beginning to grind his hips. I melt instantly, accepting his antics and lazily grabbing at his hips, following his rhythm as he fucks me slowly. "I can see it on your face. You wanna talk about that dinner so badly."

My eyes pop open. All I want is to tell him thathe'sthe one bringing it up right now, but he won't let his hand off my mouth. "Mmf-mn, mmm hmn mgh--"

"That sounds great, Babe. We can do that, too," he teases, giving me a wink as he gets down to business, putting some gusto behind his thrusts, making me adjust my hips to take him better. "Tell me more."

Gabriel finally lets me fully breathe as he smoothly swings my leg over his shoulder. "Gabe--"

"No hesitation, huh? Tell me how you want it if you're gonna talk." He leans in close. "Harder?"

I shake my head. "What I was gonna say is--"

Gabriel shoves himself inside, starting to pound the breaths out of me. "Harder? I can do that, Baby. Absolutely." Without a second thought, Gabriel pulls me closer, practically lifting me off the bed as he slams down.

"Hnngh, I g-give up! I give up," I whine, feeling every thrust rattle my insides. Sometimes I don't think Gabriel knows how big his dick is. He thinks he does.

"That's what I like to hear," Gabriel's eyes close, chest and shoulders involuntarily flexing as he drives into me, intentional and deep. I watch him enjoy me. The determined yet entertained look on his face has me unable to look away, even as I struggle to keep my eyes open and tear-free.

There's a certain levity in him that I can't exactly place. I want to ask, but even if I wanted to conjure useless babble, I can't.

I should be used to it by now. His size, his stature. I'm reminded that he'll always surprise my ass every time I recover. I'll always have to ready myself to slurp him in. The intrusion will always stretch me beyond normalcy.

We've been quietly engrossed in our session for a while now, and as soon as I feel that stir in my stomach, Gabriel surprises me again, pulling out and kissing me passionately. "I wanna fuck you from behind." He smacks my thigh. I must have a Look on my face, because he raises his eyebrows, chuckling. That's what gives me goosebumps. "You nervous or something?" Uh, yeah. He's about to smash me until I'm drooling into this pillow, making hideous faces and worse sounds.

"No! I'm just... close again." I feel myself blush.

"Already?" Gabe clicks his tongue. "A little eager huh?"

I roll over, sticking my ass in the air, making a show of arching my back for him. "Right. I'll pretend you didn't have that 'right there' smirk on your face. As if you're gonna last forever," I mumble.

Gabriel pauses for a moment, and then I hear a scoff. "What kind of smirk?"

I feel gel drip down my ass, and I shiver. "Your 'right there' smirk. Then you switch positions to give yourself some hangtime. Then you're all 'right there, Zeke'. You know." I look over my shoulder.

The look on his face is something different as I catch him. Amused, but something else. He simply laughs, and I feel him push in again. "I didn't know. Now I'm embarrassed."

He'sembarrassed, huh? I can't help but smile myself.

"Whatever," I sigh, ready to make those stupid faces. Ready to feebly reach my hand back to slow him down, and have it pinned behind my back. Ready for the Too Much of it all.

Of course, he grants my silent wishes. I've been taken down by him so many times now, it only makes sense. I accept each and every thrust, feeling my ass ripple with each pounding. I wonder how I must look to him. Wonder what he thinks as I slut myself out for him yet again.

A particular angle has me shaking, and I resist moaning out. I want to last, too. Not that it has to be over after I cum. I just love the effort he puts in. I want to put out.

Nothing gets past him, though. As soon as he feels me getting close, Gabriel focuses in, drilling me hard and forcing moans out of me as I try to bury them in the pillow. "Can't run from me, Baby," he teases.

"Fuck,ugh,shit, mmf, wait-wait--" like clockwork, my hand is reaching back before I can help it. This time though, Gabriel leans down, snaking his arm around under mine, and squeezing at my neck.

Oh,it's been a while since we tried this again. I didn't expect to get off easy anyway. The restriction is welcomed, and I'm lurching toward my next orgasm instantly. Gabriel is right in my ear, fucking deep, hard--

"Fuck,Zeke. Right there? I know you're close now."

"Right fucking there, Gabe,shit!" I choke out, basically going limp as my ass takes every thrust, every plunge.