The owner was an open-minded lady with pink hair who, Adam suspected, was in a polyamorous relationship with two men, so the place suited them fine.
Gabriel had blossomed in this new environment. In the beginning, he didn’t know the first thing about computers and smartphones but was a quick learner, and his first joyous discovery was that one could find countless recipes online. He was still a bit skittish around people after growing up so isolated, so it was good for him to be exposed to human contact at work. Once Harika recognized that his talent and enthusiasm for baking went beyond having a job, she’d started training him, and Gabriel sizzled with happiness like a donut in a pan of oil.
Adam and Gabriel bought a small home just outside of town and had lived there since, trying to fit in with the locals by learning their language. The neighbors, while initially skeptical about the big, tattooed newcomer and his twinky boyfriend, eventually opened up and welcomed them as part of the community.
There were days when Adam missed home and the things he used to take for granted, but a fresh start far away from the horrors that had given birth to both him and Gabriel had been necessary.
The church bell ringing nearby meant Gabriel was about to finish work, and while Adam couldn’t wait to see him, he was already salivating at the thought of his daily treat. He loved this routine and didn’t miss the dangerous life he didn’t fully remember anyway. With a childhood as messed up as his and Gabriel’s, routines like having dinner together or chopping some wood for their fireplace in winter were a balm to tarnished nerves.
“You’re back early,” Harika said, approaching him with a cup of coffee. Her black jumpsuit was dusted with flour in several places, but she didn’t seem to mind, and sat next to him, relaxing against the bench while the birds above sang. “Gabriel is almost done in there.”
Adam sighed and, since he lacked a drink of his own, he gently knocked on her cool mug. “You two had a good day?”
“I guess,” she said, shaking her head of pink curls. “It turns out Kitty, our stray, remember? She’s not fat but was actually pregnant. She just gave birth to three kittens and I’ve got no idea what to do with them. You know what? You should come see.” She got up as fast as she’d sat down, and gestured at Adam to follow.
She’d come out of the cafe just to tell him that? Adam’s bullshit-ometer was ringing, but he knew exactly what this was about.
Cloud, the cat who’d been Gabriel’s only friend for much of his life, had died two months prior. Being forced to kill small animals had left scars on Adam’s soul, and he didn’t particularly like pets, but as time passed, Cloud had become his cat too, even though he often hadn’t known how to act around the fluffball.
It had been a sad goodbye, and they hadn’t discussed the possibility of adopting another pet since.
It seemed Gabriel was feeling ready, and had enlisted their employer’s help in convincing Adam to adopt one of the kittens. With pins and needles in his feet, Adam followed Harika into the small bakery that always smelled like a vanilla and sourdough heaven. He walked past the counter, casting a longing look at the creamy, colorful creations behind glass, but this wasn’t the time to request his daily treat.
Harika led him down a short corridor to a back room where they sometimes ate breakfast together, and he stilled, spotting Gabriel on the floor of yellow and pink tiles. Next to him, in a box lined with towels lay the tired Kitty and her three tiny babies.
Adam had been hesitant when he entered, but as soon as Gabriel's big black eyes met his, he knew he wouldn’t refuse.
To further obscure his identity, Gabriel was dying his hair a bright blond nowadays, and got the sides trimmed short while keeping the longer hair on top in a bun or braid. He wore his yellow apron over a set of work clothes—a long-sleeved top and plain black pants, and he looked so sexy in the complete uniform Adam had fucked him in it many times.
His fragmented memories suggested that he’d gone to great lengths to never emotionally attach to his many lovers. He’d considered himself broken and too problematic to love, and if it hadn’t been for the amnesia, who knew if he could have ever opened up his heart to the one boy who shared his pain, and who could love him for what he was.
A former cult member born to be the host for a celestial figure and bring about the Apocalypse. Now a professional burglar-turned-delivery man.
For Gabriel, he was just a man.