Gabriel and Matt

Gabriel and Matt is a former friendship and current rivalry in Carter Corp.

## Overview

Gabriel and Matt is an on going rivalry seen between Gabriel Simons and Matt Ortega in certain story routes. The two come off as work rivals at first with an uneasy tension between them but their dislike for each other actually runs deeper. It runs off jealousy for each other and spite, especially since they used to be friends. They used to hang out in bars and clubs and actually got along, but started to get competitive because of women, as Gabriel would get more women than Matt by using his status and wealth. This frustrated Matt even more later on as Gabriel is still able to use his status and wealth to win the player over and do more things for her.

Their "friendship" got worse after they met the player, as they both fell for her and liked her, but she chose Gabriel over Matt which left him spiteful towards Gabriel, and got mad at him for breaking her heart one time and got into a fist fight with him at Starlite. The two don't seem to like each other at all but will sometimes tolerate each other for the sake of the player. There's sometimes a feeling that two of them have mutual respect, but other times no respect at all.

However, this doesn't stop Gabriel from being extremely jealous of Matt and his friendship with the player, even getting mad that Matt pet sit her cat while she was in San Francisco one time. Gabriel hating Matt due to jealously can be understandable in some aspects though since the player does feel something for him, and can end up with him in the bad ending. Gabriel tries to work on his jealousy towards Matt and still sustain a professional relationship with him at work, especially due to him being his superior, and even paid for his trip to Atlantic City along with the player and Lisa Parker. (Which is what frustrated Matt)

In Matt's route, there is still an uneasiness between them but it isn't as bad as it is from Gabriel's route, this is due to Gabriel not being in love with the player from his route and the player feeling nothing for him either, she is only with Matt out of the two. Gabriel did ask the player out for drinks though before she started dating Matt, which seemed to annoy Matt. Gabriel and Matt still don't seem to get along though and Gabriel seemed shocked by the news that him and the player were dating, but only asked that they keep it professional at work which showed that he supported the two dating, but this could be due to his respect for the player.

Sadly, Gabriel was constantly having to stop Matt and the player from arguing at work though and he even separates the two from sharing cubical after they broke their promise of keeping their personal lives out of their work lives. Gabriel even had to suspend Matt from work when Matt crossed a line and disrespected him at work by trash talking him. Gabriel seemed disappointed in Matt and the player (mostly Matt) for not being able to do their work and keep their personal lives out of their business ones, which still shows that Gabriel is Matt's superior and often only views him as one of him employees, which is for the best considering how dysfunctional the two can be outside of a work setting.

## Trivia

* They were both the very first love interests in the Is it Love? series, Gabriel was the first main love interest and Matt was the first second love interest.
* They are both 2 of the 8 original Is it Love? characters and 5 of the original love interests.
* This was the first on screen rivalry and the start of the love interests in a story route having animosity for each other.
* They both appear in secret images in Gabriel's route.
* Neither of them really get along with Cassidy Sparke despite her having crushes on both of them at some point.
* They both had Facebook accounts in the early versions of the games.
* They have both been involved in a love triangle that involves them, the players and an antagonist (Cassidy in Gabriel's case and Lana Escobar in Matt's), and they both have previously had sex with the antagonist in their pasts.
* They are both on the cover of the Is it Love? Art Book and have art featured in it.
* They have both been the male best friend in story routes, Matt being the male best friend in all story routes except for Jake Stewart's and Mark Leviels', and Gabriel being the male best friend in Jake's.
* Both of their story routes were originally adapted from books written by Claire Zamora.
* They were both based off of real life actors, Gabriel was based off of Chris Hemsworth and Matt was based off of Ian Somerhalder.
* They are both possibly right handed.
* They can both be considered as the unofficial third "love interests" in another characters story route. (Gabriel in Jake Stewart's and Matt in Daryl Ortega's).
* They both used to be on the cover of Gabriel's story route (until it was updated).
* They are only in 2 secret images together, both of which have the player in them.
* Due to them both being original characters, they (along with Lisa Parker) were the first characters ever advertised in the Is it Love? series.