Disclaimer: I don't own anything related with or to 'Dominion' like characters etc. I am just a fan of the show and actors.
Summary: He was nervous but thought he had nothing to lose. Maybe he was wrong.
Pairing:
Gabriel/William
I was listening to 'Shallows' by Daughter and 'Fix Me' (Acoustic) by 10 Years
He wasn't scared and found that odd.
What would happen, if Michael told Claire or his dad and General Rieson?
Would he really care?
Yes. He loved Vega and all... okay most of its residents, well some more than others.
It would suck to see the look of hatred and betrayal on the faces of the people he cared for the most or strangers but he was doing what he thought was right.
Even if, he had a foot on each side of the lines that are good and not so much because he knew that Gabriel wasn't all that evil.
.
Sure, he had felt pain before. Hell, that turned him on but this wasn't the same.
Knowing why, Claire would marry him did not make him any happier. It made him feel wrong.
Oh.
This emotion was nothing compared to what he felt that night, years ago.
As he witnessed his older siblings and mother die before his eyes and all because of him but he had been a scared child, well he wasn't that anymore.
That, was something he would never be able to forget even though he tried hard to repress the memories.
Nothing escaped his notice but he had learned at an early age to mask his feelings, play them for others by honing his poker-face and to just feign ignorance.
Why was he thinking of that now? Some other day would be more appropriate but he couldn't help feeling guilty for cheating, even though his fiancé was most likely a cheater herself.
He knew that Claire and Alex had a 'thing' it was plain to see but he wondered… No. He didn't want to nor would he judge her, they were friends first then whatever circumstances made them out to be.
However, he would ask her to cut that out before either of them said 'yes' at the altar. They deserved at least that much respect for themselves and each other.
.
.
Michael gave him a once over as he stood near a metallic table and held a whip at his left hand but said nothing.
Would he be punished as badly as others?
He hoped the archangel would make it worse so that he- Gabriel's face appeared in his mind and his heart seemed to skip a couple beats as he moved to sit down.
He made contact with a chair but his ass hurt and he made a small hiss noise then moved to stand quickly, the action did not make things better.
Surely, Michael knew of his 'outings'.
At least now he knew there nature. If not the culprit.
That did not sit well with him, ha.
Still, he could probably manage to get out of this. Yet he was curious as to what Michael held over him, so to speak.
Otherwise why would he go out of his way confront and actually offer the punishment be by his own hand? Well maybe that was to save him the embarrassment, questions or whatever would come their-his way if caught.
They made eye contact and he knew, he was fucked at least until he could deflect suspicion or something else happened.
Deep down he knew he wanted to be caught and in this exact situation. All along, he had been playing with fire. Just waiting for the right time to move so that he could be burned and relish in the agony.
What could he say? He was a masochist that had no qualms with pushing back when he was done with their bullshit but he always tried to be civil and do what he felt right in the long run.
His missed nothing, not the way Ethan checked him out a few times in addition to the way chandler Becca eyefucked Michael in public but would play it off when someone spoke or he looked at Alex the way she knew he would never be able to gaze at her.
Or the way his father would get this sort of far-away look and when he snapped back to focus.
All William could see written in his gaze was, 'why couldn't you have died instead of them' or 'I should have killed you when I had the chance but you are all I have left of them'.
Now was not the time for this.
"I don't mean to be rude but can we move on with this? I fell in the mud a few minutes ago and I think I have bruises." He had spoken the words in a quite tone but tried to be polite and direct as possible.
"Take off your shirt, William."
The words he was going to protest with died in his mind before they made there way to his mouth and he complied slowly then left it on the chair next to him.
More to give himself time to think than trying to do it sensually but in an instant Michael had him up against the top of the table and sat on his body as he stayed a few centimeters from William's face then gave him a weird look he couldn't decipher.
"I take it Gabriel is compromised? I'm not sure whether to be surprised it was you... yet something tells me I should have known."
"What- why do you say that…or that it's him...a guy? Claire's my fiancée and I told you, I fell." He had wanted to stay quiet but it was as if word-vomit caught a hold of him.
"What do you take me for? I can smell and sense him off you. His grace and your soul-?" He sniffed at younger man's neck slowly then moved away a little as William gave a wtf look but Michael did not care.
He was preoccupied trying to figure it out.
"This is strange. Why would- Damn. Uriel is summoning me and now of all times. Your secret is safe but you are…" He cut himself off as he handed him his shirt back then spoke again but a bit kinder.
"We will resume punishment another day, for now get some sleep William."
"Wai-" He did not even get to finish his word, the archangel was off him and gone. The room felt bare without his presence but he did not care and took the whip with him as he put his shirt back on.
Someone could find it and ask question, at least that's what he told himself.
The for the twelfth time that week Gabriel was the only thing on his mind but this time Michael's words made him ponder what he could possibly be implying.
.
.
Walking home and managing to not be stopped by people in the street was more of an unpleasant and difficult feat than he had originally thought but he excused himself quickly then kept to his path.
When he got home the first thing that he did was take a shower and burn his clothes even though he really liked them but he had to hide the evidence.
It was bad enough that Michael already had this over him but he would play it cool. He stepped out of the bathroom in one piece, feeling a mix of a million bucks and woe.
Picked out then began to change into something modestly conservative but comfortable and more his style as to not arise doubt.
He hadn't expected his father to be up or around the house so early. On the other hand, he didn't think David would barge into his room abruptly but he pulled on a shirt just in time and gazed at him questioningly.
"Father?"
"William."
"What are you doing-?" He didn't get to finish his question because his dad gave him a glare but he wasn't in the mood for his shit and wanted to go to sleep so this would have to end quickly.
"I know what you did and I warned you that Claire was just playing you like a fiddle. You're an idiot." At the words, his father tossed him a piece of fabric he recognized all too well.
Maybe this was Karma.
One thing he knew for sure, his father wouldn't make things easy for him.
After this ordeal was over, he would break words with his fellow members in the Black Acolytes.