Chapter Text
The house looks like it came straight out of a magazine.
That’s the first thing Alejandro thinks as soon as he crosses through the illuminated gate and an employee dressed entirely in black opens the way for them inside. From outside, he could already hear the music, deep and elegant, mingling with the constant murmur of voices and laughter. Now that he’s inside, the house seems even more absurd.
The glass walls reflect the warm lights of the space, there are modern sculptures that probably cost more than their entire apartment, and ridiculously attractive people walking around with drinks in their hands as if they were in a movie and not at a real party.
Alejandro adjusts the rings on his fingers as he looks around, still a little incredulous.
“Did Manon herself invite us?” Kenneth asks, looking around the place with wide eyes.
“Yes. I told you we know each other,” Kauê replies calmly, walking with complete confidence.
“You swear?”
Kauê gives him a look, making Kenneth shut his mouth. Drew bursts out laughing from behind and puts an arm around the youngest of the band’s shoulders.
“It seems you don’t realize that famous people exist outside of Instagram.”
Alejandro doesn’t join the conversation as they fully enter the party room. There are all sorts of celebrities: musicians, actors, more models, athletes, even influencers. People he vaguely recognizes from advertising campaigns or magazine covers. It’s not that the band is unknown—they stopped being so a long time ago—but this kind of atmosphere still feels strange to him. It seems too perfect for them to be there.
They belong more to the noise of amplifiers and small dressing rooms than to marble floors and champagne glasses.
The lights are dimmer, with soft colored lights moving around the space like a club, just more elegant, though it still retains the party vibe. There’s music playing, sounding from some point impossible to identify mingling with low conversations, laughter and the constant clinking of glasses and cups.
He doesn’t understand how Kauê ended up involved in these kinds of circles, but Alejandro is grateful for the opportunity. Alejandro knows that being there is almost a blessing. These kinds of parties are perfect for getting noticed, it’s very rare for people outside these circles to be invited. Even so, Alejandro feels out of place. He’s used to going to much louder parties, packed with people there, but for some reason, he feels suffocated.
“We’re going to have a good time, okay?” Kauê gently bumps his shoulder against his.
They walk among all the famous people as if it were a normal part of their routine, as if they’d been doing it for years, waving here and there with relaxed movements so as not to look awkward, though Kenneth tries to hide the fact that he’s completely impressed by it all. He finds it somewhat amusing to watch him be a silent mess trying to act normal.
Alejandro takes a glass from a tray as they continue walking and he observes the garden outside through the glass door. The people outside are gathered mainly near the pool, illuminated from below, the water reflecting shades of blue above them.
They all look so expensive. But he knows he doesn’t look out of place, he’ll probably attract attention, but not for anything bad. His black boots clatter against the shiny floor while he walks behind the others, his dark shirt is half-open, silver chains rest on his neck, and several metal rings glint every time he moves his hand around the glass.
Several people turn their heads slightly when they pass by. Some probably recognize them, others probably only recognize the style. It’s easy to identify a celebrity or public figure just by their clothing.
Alejandro doesn’t feel uncomfortable, he’s not introverted, so he lets himself be carried away by conversations with celebrities he’d never dare to speak to first. But Kauê is the one who’s been greeting everyone as if he’s known them his whole life. Even Kenneth seems to have loosened up, enjoying the conversation.
“It was a pleasure meeting you guys,” Sophia says, a charming soloist and actress. “I’ll definitely listen to your songs, I’m pretty sure they’re great. See you around!”
Alejandro’s attention is drawn to one of the sofas near the window. A blond man sits there, surrounded by people who seem to be listening attentively while he speaks with his hands, relaxed and smiling easily. He wears a simple dark jacket, the top buttons of his shirt undone and his hair is slightly disheveled, which he runs his fingers through, making it a little messier. It doesn’t even make him look bad, on the contrary, it makes his presence seem more striking.
He’s not doing anything particularly flashy, what really stands out is the way he fills the space.
It takes Alejandro a moment to recognize him. It’s not difficult to do so, not when he’s a fairly well-known actor.
Gabriel Bermúdez. Or simply Gabi.
He is ridiculously attractive.
As if he’d felt his gaze upon him, Gabriel looks up and meets his eyes directly. Alejandro expects him to look away immediately, but he doesn’t, Gabriel just smiles at him. It is a small, slightly crooked and overly self-assured smile.
Then Manon appears in front of them and Alejandro breaks the eye contact.
Manon wears a short black dress, it’s simple compared to the rest of the place, but that only makes her stand out more. Everything about her seems carefully natural.
“Thank you for coming,” Manon says with a gentle smile.
“What are you saying? Thank you for inviting us,” Kauê hugs her briefly and she returns the gesture with obvious familiarity.
So, they really know each other.
Alejandro doesn’t know exactly why that seems strange to him. Perhaps because he still struggles to mentally connect the world of Kauê with such events, although he probably should have stopped being surprised a long time ago.
Manon greets Drew first, then Kenneth, who seems torn between acting normal or discreetly fainting on the marble floor, and finally ends up with Alejandro. He expected to find Manon cold, distant and unapproachable. Instead, she seems strangely calm for one of the most recognized women in the modeling world.
“How are you all doing?” She asks, looking at the group in general. “I feel like you keep popping up everywhere lately.”
Drew answers a few questions about the festivals they’ve been playing and their latest single while Alejandro takes another sip of his drink, listening more than participating. Manon pays genuine attention, asking small questions here and there without that blank expression typical of long social conversations.
Manon doesn’t speak like someone trying to be polite out of obligation. She asks specific questions, remembers small details and listens to the full answers without getting distracted by looking around—quite unusual at a party like this. She even mentions one of the festivals they performed.
“I was impressed,” she says. “The energy on stage was ridiculous.”
“Is that a compliment?”
“Definitely.”
“That was the first time you saw us live, wasn’t it?” Kauê asks, receiving a nod from her.
“I had a great time,” Manon says with a smile. Alejandro isn’t used to hearing comments like that from people outside the music industry. “Are you working on something new? I have a feeling Kenneth is about to give me all the details.”
Kenneth immediately opens his eyes, blushing, and points at Alejandro.
“Actually, the one who gives spoilers is Alejandro,” Kauê laughs.
“Hey!”
However, it’s Kenneth who starts talking. About demos, nearly finished songs and recent studio sessions. Drew tries to correct him every thirty seconds while Kauê watches the scene, completely used to it. Alejandro just chuckles.
The conversation continues for a few minutes before someone else calls Manon’s attention from across the room. She thanks them again for coming and then disappears back into the glittering party crowd.
Everything shifts once she leaves. Kenneth and Drew wander off together—the older, moreover, leader always attentive to the younger, having promised his mother he’d take good care of him—and strike up conversations with new people, Drew smiling while he watches the younger boy feign professionalism while secretly thrilled. Kauê also disappears shortly after, greeting people and easily blending into the group.
Alejandro ends up alone, with the empty glass in his hand. He turns his gaze back to the sofa by the window but realizes that Gabriel is no longer there.
He sets the empty glass on a tray and picks up another almost immediately before starting to wander aimlessly. He crosses the main hall again, dodging conversations and people moving about, until he finds one of the open doors leading to the garden. Outside, the air is fresher and much quieter.
The music drifts softly from inside the house, mingling with the gentle sound of the pool water. There aren’t as many people outside anymore, though some linger near the illuminated edge, talking quietly. Others smoke and others are simply glancing distractedly at their phones. Outside, no one seems to be paying much attention to anyone else.
Alejandro walks slowly around the pool, feeling the weight of the glass between his fingers. For a moment, everything seems less artificial, away from the main noise of the party.
In a more secluded corner of the garden, where the lights barely reach to fully illuminate the space, he can see Gabriel. He’s sitting on a low stone wall, slightly apart from the others. He’s holding his phone in his hands, his head tilted down as he looks at something on the screen. The dim lighting casts soft shadows on his face. He looks different away from the living room, calmer, but just as attractive.
Alejandro remains still for a second that seems too long, observing him.
“Did you get tired of being in there too?” Gabriel finally looks up from his phone, surprising Alejandro. He hadn’t realized how close he is to the blond guy.
“A little,” Alejandro says, finishing his approach. The stone wall isn’t too low, but enough that when Alejandro finally stops in front of Gabriel, the difference in levels makes him appear slightly taller.
“I think many here would rather die than be away for even five minutes,” Gabriel says, putting his phone away completely.
“Does that mean…?”
“Those people are here because they want to be seen,” Gabriel replies simply.
“Well… actually, one of the reasons we’re here is to be seen,” Alejandro admits. “But there are four of us in my band and I think the others can do a better job than me for now.”
“I’m seeing you now, shouldn’t that be enough?” Gabriel jokes, making Alejandro let out a small laugh through his nose.
“Alejandro. My name,” Alejandro says awkwardly after realizing he hadn’t introduced himself.
“I know,” Gabriel says, earning a confused look from Alejandro. “I know your band.”
“Really? Why didn’t you start from there?”
For some reason, the blond man’s confession makes him feel embarrassed. He hadn’t expected to be known by him.
“I went to that music festival with Manon and some other friends,” Gabriel explains. “You guys are really nice.”
“Thank you,” Alejandro smiles shyly, absentmindedly playing with his glass.
From there, the yard looks different. It’s quieter and darker, as if it weren’t an extension of the enormous house where a big party is taking place. For a moment, no one says a word. The strange thing is that the silence doesn’t feel awkward. Alejandro is used to quick conversations in these kinds of places. Repeated questions and empty comments, people talking without really listening to the answer. Everyone trying to stay interesting long enough not to disappear from each other’s radar.
Gabriel doesn’t seem to be waiting for the perfect moment to talk about himself, nor does he seem interested in impressing him. Not because he’s well-known and doesn’t need to, but Alejandro doesn’t know exactly why.
“You don’t like these kinds of parties?” Alejandro asks later, somewhat curiously.
“I like noisier environments,” Gabriel replies. “Although sometimes I just like the idea of them more than the parties themselves.”
“What do you mean?”
Gabriel takes a while to respond.
“Sometimes I have fun and a good time. I like to dance and enjoy with my friends,” he says. “But other times there’s hardly any privacy or I only go out of obligation and I get tired of pretending. Then I discover that almost everyone is just as tired as I am.”
“That sounds a bit depressing,” Alejandro says, making a face. And he understands—being a public figure is never easy, but the more famous you are, the more complicated it becomes.
Gabriel shrugs.
Before either of them can say anything else, Gabriel’s phone rings. He lets out a sigh that might go unnoticed by anyone else, but with Alejandro so close, it’s easy to spot. Gabriel climbs down from the wall, standing in front of Alejandro, and the distance between them lessens. Now it is Alejandro who has to tilt his head slightly to look at Gabriel, and he looks Gabriel, from his thick eyebrows, his intense blue eyes, his prominent nose and cheekbones, to his lips.
He is truly an incredibly attractive man, with a face perfect for the big screen.
“It was a pleasure, Alejandro,” Gabriel says, his name sounding soft and sweet in his voice. “I hope we meet again.”