Chapter Text
Gerard felt the goosebumps rising on his flesh as the elevator climbed.
Two floors left. One.
A polite ding, doors parted, and the crackling electricity permeating the whole level hit Gerard like he’d just grabbed onto an electric fence.
Still, he found that he moved, his feet carrying him forward even while the rest of his senses reeled. A bellboy rattled down the hallway, pushing a cart with empty silver trays. He professionally slid his gaze off to the side as they passed, but Gerard marveled at his coolness. The bellboy, evidently, didn’t seem to sense anything strange. Didn’t seem to notice the pulsing waves of energy radiating from the door at the end of the hall: the best suite in the place.
They hadn’t discussed it beforehand. When they had gotten dinner together at a highly-recommended Glaswegian hole in the wall where they could be fairly certain not to run into wandering fans, Gerard imagined they’d either part ways or he’d be invited back to Grant’s room. What he hadn’t expected was to be asked to wait. What he hadn’t expected was to be given homework.
But really, that was all his fault.
He should have learned by now that Grant always had their own plan in mind.
A step more and he was in front of the door, and it was as if he had stepped into the eye of a storm. He tested it, taking a pace back. There, almost unbearable waves of power crashing into him. His adrenaline spiked, lizard brain caught between fight or flight. A step forward: calm. A distinct absence of rushing in his ears, his pulse settling back into a more normal rhythm.
Grant was something else.
He raised his fist to knock, but the door opened before he could make contact with the wood.
Grant was there: shirtless and tall, looking very much like a misplaced Grecian statue until you reached the cunning smirk, until they caught you in their piercing gaze. “Just in time,” they said, Glasgow accent making it sound just a little musical. Gerard heard the notes ring back in his head, an automatic process of his brain. Just in time... Just in, just in, just in time...
A beat, but Grant still filled the doorway. “Can I..” Gerard said, gesturing to be let in.
Grant’s smirk widened a little more. “Do your homework, dear?” they asked instead, making no move to let Gerard in.
Gerard faltered for a moment before reaching into the messenger bag slung across his body, pulling out a bundle of neatly folded squares of paper. Grant held out their hand expectantly, taking the papers when they were offered. “Ah, knew you would.” They grinned now, pleased.
Gerard felt a warmth spreading from the top of his head, all the way down his neck. God, he was glad to have pleased them.
“O-of course,” he said, trying to stay cool about it. “So can I…?”
Grant shook their head, making a playful tutting noise. “I’ve done a lot of work up here, you see. The entire suite’s been cast as a sacred space. Can’t allow you in with anything from the outside, or it’ll disrupt the barrier,” they said nonchalantly, though their eyes still glittered with mischief. “Come in, please, but you’ve got to leave your things out here.”
“But…” Gerard turned behind him to look for the bellboy, but the elevator must have already carried him away. The tastefully carpeted hallway was empty. He tentatively slid his bag off over his head. “I don’t want somebody to take anything,” he said nervously.
“No need to worry about that, lad. I’ve made sure no one new will be visiting this floor for the night,” Grant answered, gesturing for Gerard to put his bag by the door.
Magic or money? Gerard wasn’t sure what that implied. In any case, he obliged, dropping his bag in the corner.
He moved forward but Grant reached out to stop him, hand against his shoulder. “All of it, dear. Anything that isn’t you has to stay.”
Ah, and now he understood Grant’s impish smirk.
“Grant,” Gerard hissed, turning frantically to check for cameras. “God damn it I can’t be naked in a hotel hallway. Just let me in and I’ll undress by the door.”
Grant chuckled and shook their head. “You know the rules, Gerard,” they said, rolling their tongue on the Rs in Gerard. “Took me ages to cast. I don’t want to be doing it again tonight.”
“But-”
“Come on, no one’s around. Be quick about it then and no one’ll know.” Grant held their position firm in the doorway, their body itself a door against the rest of the suite.
Gerard huffed, checking again for anyone in the hallway. It remained empty, and Gerard hesitated for another moment before grumbling and yanking his shirt off over his head. “Can’t fucking believe…” he muttered under his breath as he tossed it on top of the bag.
Grant just smiled. “Good lad,” they said as Gerard frantically yanked open his jeans, aiming to shimmy out of everything as fast as possible to make it behind the safety of Grant’s door.
Gerard felt like his whole body was blushing. Fucking 45 and here he was, stripping down in a hotel for potentially anyone to see. “You did this on purpose, you ass,” he accused as he shoved his briefs down and stepped out of them, along with his socks.
“Please, love. You’re on my side of the pond now. It’s arse,” was Grant’s only reply as a fully naked Gerard shoved past them and into the room. True to their word, Grant shut the door behind them, and Gerard felt like maybe that meant his dignity was somehow only mildly bruised by the ordeal.
“Thank you for indulging me,” Grant said gallantly, giving Gerard a minute bow before putting their arm around him and guiding him further into the suite.