La Maison 5: Darkness (Complete: mxm BDSM)

Chapter 7.1

A/N: A moment of wrapping up the past...

Content clarification at the end, be aware if you want to avoid the full explanation

Over the next few days, Gabriel didn't know what he would have done without Sawyer. He took all the paperwork away and sorted everything out.

Gabriel had been terrified when that big, scary detective had come to the apartment. He'd acted kind, but he'd seen the sharpness of his eyes as he'd looked around. He was so afraid Sawyer would end up getting into some kind of trouble because of him. He couldn't bear it.

But then, if the police had any other thoughts about what had happened, Gabriel didn't even know, and the fear dwindled over the days that followed the visit. Sawyer dealt with them and with everything else. He only even knew that the coroner had ruled it a heart attack – or some fancy name that meant that – because he'd seen it on the death certificate when Sawyer had left it on the kitchen counter one afternoon.

Sawyer had swiped it away, saying he didn't want Gabriel to be upset by it, which he appreciated endlessly, because he had been. Upset at the reminder, and at what the certificate represented.

The depth of emotion Gabriel was feeling over Henry's death had been unexpected. Not because he was sad. Of course he was sad at losing Henry: that was obvious. But he'd become really good, over the years, at keeping dramatic reactions to himself, because Henry had demanded it. He always said unnecessary drama gave him dyspepsia. So Gabriel was finding his sudden inability to hold his emotions in check unnerving. But at least he had Sawyer, who always seemed to be by his side to support him through the difficult times.

Henry had always been so healthy – had even described himself as having the heart of an ox before – so the suddenness of him being gone seemed even more unfair. Gabriel wasn't keeping the drama under wraps particularly well.

But that night, when he'd found the certificate, Sawyer had held him in a tight, comforting hug as he'd cried himself to sleep with the thought swimming behind his tearful eyes that it was the final confirmation that Henry was never coming home to him.

Sawyer even organized the funeral, not needing to ask anything beyond whether Henry had any other family. He was clearly pleased there wasn't, which Gabriel put down to him being aware of how uncomfortable it would have made him, having to meet any family members of Henry's in a circumstance like that. 

Sawyer insisted on paying for it too, even though Gabriel suddenly had more money than he knew what to do with when he had used his lawerly knowledge to organize the life insurance policy payment and transferred all the money into Gabriel's rarely used account.

Gabriel was stunned by it. It scared him a little, so he was grateful when Sawyer offered to lock the details away in his safe until he was ready to think about it.

The funeral was apparently simple to arrange, anyway. With no family, and only friends from within the teaching staff at the conservatory, Sawyer had stuck to a simple announcement in the New York Times, and informing Mr. Brubaker about what had happened, though he already knew because he'd spoken to the police.

Regardless, he was grateful. Sawyer couldn't remove the agony of losing Henry, but he'd removed the pain that having to dwell on it for too long would cause.

* * * * * 

The morning of the funeral dawned bright – clear and cold. Gabriel dressed in his only good suit. He should have bought a new one, but the day had almost crept up on him, with him having nothing to do with organizing it. When he walked into the living room, Sawyer was waiting with a kind smile and a heavy wool coat over one arm.