Paul's fingers found their place, sliding into Gabriel's hair with ease, a slow meandering touch that made everything melt away...  And then those fingers curled tight, sharp and vicious in their grip as they pulled, inciting a little gasp of pleasant surprise.  It sent a thrill down Gabriel's spine, one he hadn't felt since the last time Paul was around, and he met Paul's gaze with a serenity only shown to him and no one else.<br/><br/>The order was almost casual-- they'd done this often enough, Paul didn't need to raise his voice to get Gabriel to do anything he wanted.  The boy was already there, already in that mindset, willing to do whatever Paul desired, and they both knew it.<br/><br/>The punishing grip disappeared, Paul sitting down and settling himself to watch.  Gabriel fixed the image in his head to hold onto it, to envision Paul there even when he was gone, and then began to do as so delightfully commanded.<br/><br/>He started slow, taking his time with the process: removing his shoes and socks until he stood barefoot on the rug, then working on the buttons of his shirt.  Pale skin appeared inch by inch, barely a different color than the whiteness of his clothes, but the unending snowy landscape was interrupted by something hidden underneath the fabric, hard and unyielding.  Gabriel removed his shirt completely, leaving it abandoned to the side, and Paul could see what was beneath-- a white corset, sitting snugly against Gabriel's ribs and hips, resting just beneath his slim chest.  It was hardened leather, lined just enough to slide a little over the body, and the laces were replaced with mechanical tabs pulled to tighten to the right size.  It left his nipples exposed, left him slightly less breathing room than most people would be comfortable with, with an ache in his bones and red marks dug into his skin...<br/><br/>Black was a color Paul preferred, Gabriel knew that and would have worn a different one, but he hadn't expected Paul this evening.  So this would have to do.  He moved on to his pants and underwear, the belt coming undone and then the last fasteners were taken care of; those too were left with the shirt, ignored, and finally Gabriel was bare except for the restrictive, tantalizing centerpiece wrapped around his waist.<br/><br/>He hadn't worked much, so there were only a handful of old bruises, the ones on his neck by far the most obvious while the rest were nearly faded away; a fresh canvas for Paul to do as he liked, make his mark once more.  The only permanent marring on Gabriel's body were the scars on his arms, the track-marks silvery and webbing out like cracks in porcelain.  Everything else was perfect, everything else was Paul's.<br/><br/>Now undressed as told, Gabriel approached Paul in the chair, moving with the languid grace he always had, and then knelt in front of him with total compliance as he waited for a sign of Paul's approval.