Claire was happy listening to Gabriel tell her about his uni years, telling her of all the stupid things he and his friends did, laughing in disbelief at some of them.
"Oh God, we got so drunk that night that Alex texted his lecturer." Gabriel remembered. "He messaged him that he is sorry about his divorce and that it's probably because he is bald. He asked for an extension and finished the message with 'Keep slayin ma boi'."
Claire roared in laughter again.
"And let me guess, he got the extension." She said through the tears.
"Oh yeah, he did. He still failed and had to retake it. I had to sit his ass down and supervise him so he gets it done properly that time."
"Oh no. So in short he owes you his degree."
"Don't get me wrong, he is smart, but also stupid."
"I know." Claire nodded, resting her head on Gabriel's arm. "He is smart, but he's always late, always working towards deadlines and often forgetting about them, always disorganised. It must be that ADHD that my uncle insisted he will grow out of." Claire chuckled.
"What?" Gabriel looked down at her in surprise.
"Alex has untreated ADHD. My uncle is one of those that believe it to be a made-up condition so he kept saying that Alex will grow out of it. I am yet to see that happen." Claire explained. "That's also why Alex is hesitant to get help. It's not a manly thing to do, you know." Claire said mockingly.
"Well…" Gabriel shifted uncomfortably.
"You surely don't share that sentiment?" Claire looked at him in surprise.
"Not quite but I get where he is coming from. Ever since I was a child, I was told to man-up meaning hiding what I truly felt, especially if it was anything other than anger, because that was the only acceptable manly emotion. It's hard to go past it and seek help, knowing that you will have to be vulnerable and show your other emotions than just anger."
Claire caressed his cheek without thought.
"I think it's hot when a man is confident enough to be that kind of vulnerable with anyone." She mumbled.
"How much did you drink tonight?" Gabriel asked with a laugh.
"Only one glass of rosé." Claire smiled at him.
"You've just implied that you find me hot. I'm not sure whether you've realised."
"I did." Claire nodded. "Every time you open up and tell me of your past and present, of your thoughts, and your feelings, I find it irresistibly hot."
"That's interesting…" Gabriel mused.
"Well…" Claire hesitated. "I might find emotional connection the most attractive."
"I'm pretty sure there's a name for it." Gabriel said carefully.
"Indeed." Claire nodded. "Zoe gave me a whole lecture about it. It's demisexuality. Like, I still have preferences and I still experience some level of aesthetic attraction, but my sexual attraction is based on emotional bond, which frankly, is dependant on how open and genuine someone is willing to be with me."
Gabriel stared at Claire who was looking through the photos, smiling at her, seeing her in a new light. She was opening up to him without feeling anxious. It was heart-warming. She shifted and laid her head on his thigh as he sat cross-legged. She laughed at a picture she just found. Gabriel started playing with a loose strand of her hair, now more focused on her than the photos. "I think I need to know, a Hawaiian shirt?" Claire asked as she pointed at the photo.
"Again, very fashionable in my days." Gabriel insisted.
"I'm starting to think that you definitely weren't the cool kid." Claire laughed.
"Yeah, probably not." Gabriel agreed.
"Oh my goodness, there's a photo of you in braces! That's so cute!"
"Cute?" Gabriel frowned.
"You did look very cute as a kid." Claire said decisively. "Look at those round cheeks!"
"Do you have any photos?" Gabriel asked curiously.
"Not that many. I think my parents have most of them in their apartment at Julian Estate."
"That's a shame. I was curious what baby Claire looked like."
As Claire looked through the photos she had a sudden realisation which she didn't say out loud. Gabriel didn't have a single picture with his father. He had many with his friends and his sister, a few with his mum, but not a single one with his father. She mused at it silently, unwilling to bring it up. She looked up at Gabriel from the photo, realising that he was no longer looking at photos but her. She smiled at him, noticing his chin folds as he looked down. She found it rather endearing.
"You shaved." She said out loud unsure how she felt about it, caressing his smooth cheek.
"You don't like it?" Gabriel asked with worry, instinctively touching his face.
"It's not that. I don't think I saw you with a clean shaved face before. I'm just not used to it." Claire mused, looking at his perfectly chiselled face. "It makes you look younger." She scowled as she noticed a small cut on his neck. "Did you catch yourself during the shave?"
"Yeah. I'm really clumsy with it. That's why I tend to stick with the stubble."
"I see." Claire studied his face carefully.
"What do you prefer?" Gabriel asked her curiously.
"What do you mean?"
"Shall I shave? Grow out my stubble? Or maybe a beard?"
"Whatever is the most comfortable for you." Claire said even though she secretly hoped that his stubble will make a return.
"Well, when I'm clean shaved I won't scratch you when I kiss you." Gabriel said in thought as he leaned down and planted a kiss on Claire's cheek, gently rubbing his smooth cheek against hers straight after, which made her giggle. "But then I have a baby face which I don't think works that great at work. Stubble makes me look more mature so that's why I stick to it at work. I haven't grown a beard out yet. It feels like too much effort, not to mention the fact that the hair at the top of my chin doesn't grow as fast, so I always end up with a wonky beard on the sides of my jaw, and barely anything in the middle." Gabriel straightened out again, thinking out loud about his facial hair.
"Do as you like." Claire said with a smile. "Do what's most comfortable for you." She sat up twisting around to face him. "Frankly, I'll kiss you no matter your facial hair."
"Will you?" Gabriel tilted his head in disbelief.
"Boys with pretty faces don't need to worry about growing beards to hide things behind them." Claire said with a tease. "It doesn't matter what you'll choose, I'm sure it'll look great on you."
"Boys with pretty faces?" Gabriel repeated after her with a peal of laughter. "Does it mean…?"
"Oh shush, don't act like you don't know." Claire said as she leaned in and kissed him, placing her hand on his smooth cheek. Gabriel was frozen, stunned by the suddenness of her move. He slowly laid down on his back as Claire leaned over him and kissed him passionately. Without a thought he caressed her, moving his fingertips across her back, feeling every part of it, too afraid to let go of his control, focused on what he was doing, trying to keep a reign on his hands that were so tempted to explore further, to study Claire's every curve.
Claire broke off the kiss carefully, laying down beside Gabriel and placing her head on his chest, feeling his chest going up and down rapidly, smiling at the reaction she caused.
"I know that circumstances aren't ideal but would you like to go out tomorrow night? We haven't been on a date in some time. I know that it's weird with twenty bodyguards around but…"
"What do you have in mind?" Claire asked excitedly.
"Maybe a classical concert at the philharmonic orchestra?"
"Sure." Claire nodded. "Do you know what's on?"
"Baroque night. So anything from Vivaldi to Schütz."
"That sounds nice." Claire agreed. She lifted herself to Gabriel's disappointment.
"Where are you going?"
"I can't sleep like that." She said with a charming smile.
"Do you still think of sleeping here?" Gabriel asked hopefully.
"Depends if you want me to."
"You know that it's a yes. It'll always be a yes."
"I'll be back soon then." Claire said as she left the room.
As she returned not long later in her knee-length nightie, she was surprised to find that Gabriel listened to some music as he flipped through something on his tablet, already in his pyjamas and with wet hair.
She got into the bed, and without invitation, she put her head on Gabriel's chest.
"What are you reading?" Claire asked curiously.
"I've just booked stuff for tomorrow." Gabriel said, kissing her head, surprised that Claire didn't read anything and that she was paying her full attention to what he was doing.
"Thank you." She snuggled into his chest, already feeling drowsy.
"I hope that you don't mind if I check my emails?"
"No, not at all." Claire shook her head trying to move away to give him privacy.
"Where do you think you're going?" Gabriel grumbled pulling her back in.
"I didn't want to accidentally pry upon your messages."
"There's nothing that I would be hiding from you. Besides, my work emails shouldn't be kept from you seeing as you own half of the company." Gabriel said as he opened his email right next to Claire's face, holding one arm around her. "I don't want to keep any secrets from you."
"As much as I'm glad to hear it, I am a huge advocate for privacy within the relationship." Claire grumbled.
"Would you like to be updated about Guildford's case?"
"I'm not sure." Claire frowned.
"It's rather positive news."
"Go on then."
"There are at least two more women who came forward and the evidence gathered is very strong. My lawyer is building the case and it should be filed soon. With other women providing the evidence it is already an almost instant win."
"Don't you think that you're causing too much havoc in the upper circles?" Claire asked as her eyes were already closing.
"I have been causing havoc in upper circles since I remember." Gabriel said honestly. "I think I have more lawsuits under my name than anyone else."
"Not sure if that's something to be proud of."
"Some of them I'm really proud of, some I rather not admit to." Gabriel said honestly.
"I'd ask but I rather not know tonight." Claire grumbled, as she barely could utter these words, falling asleep within moments. Gabriel smiled as he went through his emails whilst hugging Claire. He was glad that the misunderstanding about Alex didn't completely ruin the night and that they'd managed to recover, once again.
He had some understanding as to why they struggled. They both had trust issues, they both were once broken by another person, and they both struggled with being vulnerable. And each time they argued, or accused each other of something, was due to their past trauma rather than their trust towards each other.
Their following day was rather calm, with Claire hiding away and working in her study, with Gabriel popping in and out to ask her for advice, as well as to help her with her report, which turned out that didn't have a mistake at all in the end but Claire just misread her own calculations when she re-read it.
Their evening was also joyful with Claire and Gabriel sharing their opinions on different designs, their industry, and music.
Gabriel booked the private balcony for them which Claire was astonished by, excitedly listening to the music with her eyes wide open at the beauty of it. Gabriel kept glancing at her, more mesmerised by her than the show.
"Oh my, he pulled it off!" Claire exclaimed, blushing from excitement after the piano solo.
Gabriel chuckled, holding her hand, whilst she almost bounced out of the seat.
Once the show was over, Gabriel led her down the stairs towards the back of the stage.
"Mr Moore, thank you so much for coming to tonight's performance." The conductor welcomed him. "I hope that you enjoyed it."
"I did." Gabriel said with a smile, looking back at Claire. "And so did Claire."
"Oh yes, I did very much." Claire nodded enthusiastically.
"I think we would be happy to donate to the foundation to upkeep this level of professionalism." Gabriel suggested. Claire looked at him curiously. "Claire, I think the donation should be made in your name. It'll be a good way to start your charity engagements." Claire looked at Gabriel with her eyes wide open, unsure what to say. "I think we can start with £50 million." Gabriel said as he took out the chequebook. "Now, Claire, you decide whether you want to go by your maiden or married name…"
"I don't want either. If you want to donate anything in my name, make it anonymous." Claire said sternly.
"Of course, if that's what you want." Gabriel smiled at her, writing the cheque out.
"Sir, this is beyond generous." The man spoke with a shaky voice, looking at the new cheque being written with his eyes and mouth wide open.
"I am only donating this money because Claire seemed to enjoy the show. I need to make sure that she has the same standard of entertainment available during our next visit."
"Of course, sir. I'll ensure of that." The man nodded keenly.
Claire looked at the empty stage behind the curtain, still quiet, observing everything she could, taking it all in. Her curiosity made Gabriel smile.
"Would it be okay if we have a peek on the stage?" Gabriel asked quietly.
"Of course, sir."
"Claire might show particular interest in the piano, would it be okay if she tried it?"
"Of course." The man smiled as he noticed Gabriel's loving gaze on Claire. "Would you like a moment to yourselves?"
"If that's not trouble." Gabriel looked concerned.
"Not at all."
"I promise that there will be no damage done." Gabriel said with a reassuring smile. The man bowed to him before hurrying away, leaving them alone.
"Would you like to have a look?" Gabriel asked softly as he walked up to Claire.
"What?" Claire looked embarrassed as if she was caught red-handed.
"Come on." Gabriel grabbed her hand and walked onto the lit-up stage with her. He pulled her into the spotlight, nudging her in front of him, standing beside her and letting her be in the centre of bright lights. Claire froze, looking at rows and rows of empty red-cushioned seats, with gold-painted frames, pillars, and a stunning hanging chandelier that reflected lights into millions of shining stars. Gabriel stood behind her, his hand gently brushing on her arm. "You were mesmerised by the piano concerto earlier." Gabriel said with a smile. "Would you like to see what it feels like?"
"Oh no, I couldn't." Claire shook her head.
"I've asked and the conductor was more than willing to let you."
"It's a Steinway & Sons piano. I dare not think how much it's worth."
"As far as I'm aware, the most expensive grand piano is worth about £2.5 million, and we've just donated £50 million." Gabriel smiled.
"Why did you do that?" Claire asked worriedly.
"You were absolutely spellbound during the concert and I loved seeing you watch something with so much fascination. It is my way of ensuring that you'll get to enjoy this place for at least a few years to come." Gabriel smiled. "I know that you hold that money in complete disregard, but I hope that you realise that it can do a lot of good." Gabriel looked down in thought unsure what to say.
"Thank you." Claire said softly, her eyes glimmering with genuine excitement. Her eyes landed on the grand piano. She was still unsure about the idea but she slowly made her way across. She sat down on the cushioned bench, looking at the shiny keys. "Any requests?" She asked Gabriel with a smile.
"Surprise me."
Claire hesitated, contemplating the song choice. At first, she thought of all the baroque artists that they'd listened to tonight, but she decided to play something more suitable for them. She looked at the keys, unsure how to start, but as soon as her hands touched them, the melody vibrated through the entire hall, echoing between the empty seats, balconies, and pillars. She closed her eyes, focusing on the music. Gabriel couldn't believe that she could play this well from her memory without looking at the keys. The song came to an end, and as it did Claire opened her eyes and smiled at Gabriel. Gabriel clapped, applauding Claire.
"Thank you." Claire stood up and bowed before him. Bursting into laughter straight after.
"Did you ever consider becoming a professional pianist?" Gabriel asked curiously.
"No, not really. I didn't want to make it into a chore and make a career out of it."
"I see. What was the melody you've played?"
"Penn ar roc'h." Claire said with a smile.
"Stunning." Gabriel said earnestly. She put her hand on his arm as they left the building. As soon as they walked out into the night, Claire's phone started buzzing violently. Claire frowned at it. "What's the matter?"
"Your best friend is pestering me."
"Alex?"
"Yeah. He wants to meet for a coffee tomorrow."
"If you don't want to, just say no." Gabriel said with a shrug.
"He's my cousin after all." Claire said with a sigh.
"What's the problem?"
"I'm still rather busy. I don't think I want to go out on the weekday."
"As I've said, you can always say no. But shall I remind you that Alex will turn it against me?"
"I'm the one overworking myself. You have nothing to do with it."
"From the outside, I'm still your boss." Gabriel said with a weak smile.
"From the outside? You ARE my boss."
"Oh no, Claire. I have absolutely no control over you or your department. If anything, we're closer to business partners. But honestly, you're probably with more control over me."
"Don't play a victim." Claire grumbled.
"Now, look at the sky." Gabriel changed the topic. "The night is clear enough that you can spot falling stars. Remember to make a wish."
Claire looked at Gabriel sideways, wondering what her wish should be, but the answer was clear. She wanted everything to be over and be able to be with Gabriel without continuously feeling like she was on the edge.
"Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight: I wish I may, I wish I might have this wish I wish tonight." Claire said with a wide smile as she closed her eyes.
"What did you wish for?" Gabriel asked curiously.
"You know the rules, I can't say otherwise it isn't going to come true." Claire smiled as she turned around to face him. She planted a quick kiss on his lips before turning back round and trotting away.
"Where are you running off to?"
"Catch me if you can!" Claire shouted behind him.
"That's not fair! You had a head start!" Gabriel yelled behind her setting off into the run. He barely caught up with Claire, lifting her into his arms without a thought, scooping her up. Claire laughed as she wrapped her arms around Gabriel's neck. Her eyes glistened in excitement as she smiled at Gabriel who held her close to him, too stunned by her beautiful eyes to be able to say anything.
"I think we should get rid of that marriage contract." Claire said her passing thought out loud. Gabriel's heart sunk immediately, his smile vanished, and without thought, his hands gripped into Claire.
"What?" Gabriel barely managed to utter.
"I think we should date, get engaged, and then marry. I think we should do it properly." Claire said as she buried her face in Gabriel's neck. "Or maybe not. We can just pretend that that wicked contract is not there and do it like normal couples do, working our way towards the real thing."
"The real thing?" Gabriel repeated mindlessly, yet he felt a little bit more at ease that she didn't try to break up with him.
"You know, a couple that genuinely wants to be together regardless of a signed bit of paper." Claire sighed.
"Claire, I wanted to be with you from before we signed that paper. For me at least, it always was a real thing. I am not proud of how it came to be, but I…" Gabriel sighed, unsure how to put his feelings into words. "I want to be with you, Claire."
"I want to be with you." Claire said back, leaning in for a kiss. Gabriel still held her in her arms. Once they broke off the kiss Claire wriggled her feet in the air. "Would you mind putting me down?"
"I'm not risking you running off again." Gabriel said as he pressed his forehead against Claire's.
"If I didn't want you to, you would never be able to catch me." Claire said with a light laugh. "Besides, I don't want you to pull a muscle or something."
"This is the only reason I ever go to the gym." Gabriel said with a smile. "God, you're like a feather." Gabriel grumbled, feeling her ribs under his fingertips.
"Obviously you're going to the gym too much." Claire laughed as she unwrapped her arm and placed her hand on his chest. "Definitely too much."
"Duly noted. So, what's my wife's type?" Gabriel asked as he started walking slowly down the pavement, still holding Claire in his arms.
"My type? I don't know." Claire said her blatant lie. "I think it'll be someone of average height, blonde, brown eyes… you know." Claire teased him.
"Really?" Gabriel squinted his eyes at her.
"No." Claire shook her head. "Tall men, with dark hair, and blue eyes all the way. Exactly like Jacque." Claire continued with a laugh.
"Jacque? Well, it didn't cross my mind that he might be my competition too. Are you trying to break my friend group apart?"
"You silly thing." Claire shook her head. "You're my type."
"Really?" Gabriel asked in disbelief.
"Really." Claire nodded as Gabriel, at last, put her down beside the car. He opened the door for her before getting into the driver's seat. "So, how does it work? How come sometimes you use Klaus and sometimes you drive yourself?" Claire asked curiously as she strapped the seatbelt across her chest.
"I usually use Klaus when I've drunk or I'm tired and I feel like my driving capabilities are impaired. Why? Is my driving that bad?"
"No. I like when you're my personal chauffeur. I find it rather ironic."
"I'm happy to be of use to you." Gabriel laughed as he put a CD in the player, in his slightly old-fashioned way, before driving into the night. Claire was silent, looking at him from her side, and smiling. Once again, feeling calm and peaceful as Gabriel drove the car. He was focused on the road, quiet himself, humming to some melody. The simplicity of the moment made it the best part of the entire evening.
Claire wished Gabriel good night as they returned to the villa, giving him a kiss and a hug before departing into her own room. That was the deal, after all, the night before work was separate to let them have the rest they need without disturbing each other, but somehow Claire couldn't settle without Gabriel's arm around her, or the sound of his breathing, or his smell.
The following afternoon, Claire met up with Alex having a catch-up with him where he mostly talked to her besides asking her a bit more about her work.
"Look, sorry about Gabriel on Saturday." Alex said as he passed Claire a cup of coffee that he ordered for her.
"It's alright." Claire smiled at a reminder of how ridiculous a misunderstanding they had over it.
"I always was curious how he is at work. So, now that he isn't eavesdropping, you can tell the truth." Alex sat down opposite her with a cheery smile.
"Hmmm… that's a bit of a difficult question." Claire mused. "I feel like he changed a lot in the past few months, as a boss too. He is working on a new policy to ensure that all of his employees are treated with respect and if there are any complaints, especially of sexual harassment nature, the contracts with the customer will be considered breached without further investigation necessary. I think it shows that he really trusts his employees and puts them above any possible profit." Claire said with a slight smile. "But, then there's a side where he can be brutally honest and he doesn't condone incompetency. Thankfully, I don't think I ever was on the receiving end of that one."
"Of course not, Claire. You're a bloody smart girl." Alex said with a warm smile. "But I must ask, how did your role as CDO come about? It's not that I doubt your skills or specialism, but you must be the youngest person ever to get that high up within the corporate."
"It's a little complicated," Claire said carefully. "We had a significant disagreement over a project, and then another, and another. I didn't think I could manage it anymore as it felt like we were butting heads at every corner, so I decided to resign. Gabriel wasn't best impressed when he received my resignation letter. He was eager to negotiate the terms of a new contract if I were to stay. The next day I received a pay rise and I gained full autonomy over my department so that we can stop butting our heads together over how it was run, but to have a full say in what my department was going to be, I needed to be on board of directors, so that's where that one came from." Claire explained purposely omitting all of the other additional terms of the contract.
"You never stop to amaze me, Claire." Alex laughed. "Do you have to deal with him a lot?"
"Almost daily at this stage, but since he can't say anything about my department and micromanage me, it kind of turned out that we have a lot of similar opinions and we often help each other with any new policies. We have a peculiar partnership in that aspect." Claire smiled.
"I'm glad that it's working out for you then." Alex said as he leaned back. "Dad mentioned that you have a meeting with him tomorrow. He didn't clue me in, but he suggested that I should join in later down the line. I hoped to put it out there so you have time to think it over."
"Thanks, Alex. For now, I'll stick with Uncle Adam as it is closely related to mum. But if things get a little hard, I may ask you for help too."
"Sure, give me a shout whenever. Even though dad definitely has much more experience under his belt."
"Yeah, that one might not be as nice as other cases he worked." Claire said looking down at the cup in her hands.
"It'll be fine." Alex said reassuringly although he had no idea what the issue was. "So, you're not interested in Jacque?"
"No." Claire shook her head with a slight chuckle. "But thanks for the consideration."
"If I remember correctly, he's your type." Alex said curiously.
"Why do you even know that?" Claire asked with furrowed brows.
"Because Zoe was drunk one night and she told me all of your dirty secrets."
"To hell with her." Claire mumbled under her nose. "I'm not interested in dating at the moment." Claire said her half-lie, telling herself that it was true as she and Gabriel weren't technically dating if they were already married.
Alex chatted with her for a little longer before Claire used her next meeting as an excuse to run off, knowing that if Alex was back in the city, he was going to bother her more soon enough.
"How was your coffee?" Gabriel asked as Claire run into the elevator in the lobby.
"Good, thanks." Claire said out of breath.
"How's Alex?"
"Not yet suspicious." Claire said with a smile. "Although, he was asking about you. He was curious what kind of a boss you are."
"Oh no. Did you tell him the truth?"
"Yes."
"So, he now knows that I'm a tyrant?" Gabriel asked with a smile.
"Of course." Claire teased him.
"That's great. I may get an earful about that later." Gabriel sighed as he looked at his phone. "He's been already pestering me too."
"What about?"
"It covers just about everything. Want to have a read?"
"Not particularly." Claire said honestly.
"He's been pestering me to give him my new address." Gabriel said carefully. "He wants to visit to talk over something."
"Oh yeah, he wants to apologise for being a jerk to you on Saturday." Claire remembered.
"Yeah, what a nuisance." Gabriel said as he put his phone away, smiling at Claire. His phone started pinging again. "Seriously, that coffee must've had some extra caffeine." He grumbled at which Claire laughed.
"If you'd like, I'll give you some space on Saturday. You can have your friends over then and I'll stop by at Zoe's." Claire suggested.
"As much as I appreciate the offer, he can meet me somewhere else if he wants to. It's your home too, I don't want you to feel like you have to leave because my friends are coming over."
The elevator stopped on the thirty-sixth floor.
"I'll see you later." Claire said with a smile.
Gabriel gave her a silent nod before he sighed and took out his phone again.
In the evening, Claire was excited to finish early enough to return home with Gabriel.
"I'm genuinely surprised that you've texted me." Gabriel said with a smile as he met Claire in his office. "I am pretty sure that it was the first text you've ever sent to me."
"You know, you've been nice to me so I thought that I should be nice to you too for once."
"If I knew that it only took a night to Philharmonic, I would have done it earlier." Gabriel chuckled.
"As much as I appreciate that gesture, I actually appreciated something else much much more." Claire said carefully, automatically reaching for her necklace that she still hasn't taken off.
"Shall I get Madeline Taylor to break more of your jewellery so I can score points for getting it repaired?"
"I think that one will be enough."
"You're in a very good mood." Gabriel noted as he packed his briefcase.
"Yes, I am. I've decided that I don't have time to just randomly have mental breakdowns so I have started scheduling them. My current schedule allows for one tomorrow."
"Efficient. I like it." Gabriel nodded in approval as he walked around his desk. "Which side of the building shall we leave?" He asked as he pointed at a black door near his desk.
"So, rumours are true. You do have a private entrance!" Claire laughed. "Explain why you terrorised so many in the main lobby then?"
"Mostly just you." Gabriel admitted.
"I see." Claire tilted her head. "How did that work?"
"What do you mean?"
"How did you know when to terrorise me?"
"Come on, let's not talk about Gabriel of the past, now." Gabriel said as he invited her towards the door, which led to a short corridor and a small private elevator.
"If I promise to not judge your current self, will you share what you did?"
"I knew that you parked in the car park across the square, so I would wait for you to pull in before I walked in myself." Gabriel admitted, blushing.
"Wonderfully creepy." Claire decided. They went all the way down to the underground parking where Klaus already waited.
"The first time I caught you in the elevator though was an accident." Gabriel said defensively.
"Chill your beans, no need in trying to make it any less creepy. It won't work."
"I know." Gabriel agreed as he held the door for Claire, getting in after her.
They briefly chatted about work on the way, but for Claire, it was the biggest relief to be back home early enough to have an actual evening at home.
"I'm thinking a nice dinner is needed." Claire said as she wrapped her arms around Gabriel's neck as soon as they stepped in and she took her coat off. "It's been a long day." She sighed, but the smile didn't leave her face.
"What about this, I'll make dinner and you go and have a relaxing bath or something. Then, after dinner, we can either watch something or go to bed." Gabriel said with a smile, placing his forehead against Claire's.
"Hmm… it sounds like a perfect plan." Claire smiled. She stopped abruptly as she caught something in the living room from the corner of her eye. She froze. Gabriel followed her gaze and carefully let go of her. Someone was sitting there, drinking coffee, whilst sitting on the sofa.
Claire quickly took two steps away from him, trying to come up with a plan in the hope to evade the situation.
"Well, f*ck." Gabriel said in a whisper that only she could hear. He ruffled his hair nervously.
"Well, good night." Claire whispered to him tapping him on his shoulder and heading for the stairs. She hoped that it would be the quieter option, and less likely to alarm the unexpected visitor.
"You can't just leave it like that!" Gabriel screamed quietly. His voice might've been a whisper, but his annoyance was clearly heard, and seen as his cheeks turned red.
"He's your best friend. I think it's more of your problem than mine." Claire said in a whisper hoping that Alex didn't notice her yet.
"He's your cousin."
"Who ditched me for you, time and time again. He's obviously more yours than mine." Claire decided, walking up a few steps.
"You're not running off." Gabriel grabbed her by her arm and pulled her back.
"I'm not running off, I'm hiding away." Claire hissed.
"Did your mood swings stop yet?" Alex asked with a wide smile, standing up as he looked in their direction. His smile vanished as he noticed Gabriel holding Claire's hand. "No." He said in a low voice. "No, no, no." He repeated in disbelief.
"Who let you in?" Gabriel barked at his friend. "How did you find our house?"
"Our house?" Alex repeated his face slowly gaining the murderous look. "No, Claire, you can't be dating him." Alex said coldly. "Claire, you're too nice for him."
"Is that the way to talk about your friend?" Claire asked sharply as she rolled her eyes, still contemplating the idea of hiding away.
"And this is why I didn't want to give you our new address." Gabriel persisted. "I knew that you'd only be a nuisance to us."
"Hang on." Alex was processing Gabriel's words. "Do you live together?"
"Yes." Claire replied, still angry at Gabriel for stopping her escape plan.
"No, I'm not having any of this. Claire should be treated with the respect she deserves. She can't be used like this!" Alex decided, almost ready to fight Gabriel as he started walking towards them across the living room.
"Claire isn't used in any way." Gabriel said calmly. "I think." He looked at Claire with concern. Claire looked at him as if she wanted to ask him why he had to say such a thought out loud.
Alex walked up to Gabriel. "You piece of shit, keep your hands off Claire."
Claire took a few steps back, afraid of Alex's backlash. Gabriel's face showed clear determination as he let go of her hand and stepped in front of her acting as her shield. Claire knew that this wasn't going to go down well. Alex was equally passionate in his rage as his optimism. And, well, it was Gabriel.
"Calm down, Alex. It's not what you think." Claire tried to help the situation but it worked in the opposite way, or rather, the only thing it did was draw Alex's attention to her instead.
"Not what I think?! What man lives with their girlfriend under one roof, without even a ring on her finger?"
"Alex, stop it." Claire said sternly.
"No, you don't get a say in it. You're a child." Alex waved his finger at Claire. Claire bit her cheek to stop herself from throwing obscenities at him.
"Don't talk to her like that. She's an adult and you should show her some respect." Gabriel was losing his cool. After all, no one could ever disrespect Claire.
"F*ck off from my family, Gabriel. You can have pretty much any girl you want so f*ck off from Claire ."
"Oi, back down." Claire called out to Alex.
"Is it any reassurance that I haven't laid my finger on Claire? She has her own space in the house." Gabriel tried to negotiate his way out of it.
"F*ck, am I going to believe you." Alex turned red, now looking back at Gabriel. "You tell me to show respect to Claire, do you even respect her?!" Alex started yelling. "Do you know what people will start saying about her because of this? Do you know the scandal it'll cause? She'll be called a sl*t, and a wh*re…"
"Enough, Alex." Gabriel interrupted him angrily.
"Don't you have any self-respect, Claire?" Alex turned towards her with a hint of disregard.
"Don't talk to my wife like that!" Gabriel roared in Alex's face.
The room fell silent. Alex stared at Gabriel, whisky Claire hid her face in her hands, knowing full well the consequences of Gabriel's words, cussing him out in her mind.
"What?" Alex uttered at last.
"I was going to introduce Claire as my wife to you on Saturday." Gabriel said more calmly. "Once Claire realised that you're my friend, she asked me to not disclose it. I would never disrespect Claire, so please stop implying so."
"You've got married?" Alex turned to Claire in disbelief. Claire nodded. "My best friend and cousin got married and didn't even tell me? Never mind the invite?" His disappointment made Claire feel deep guilt.
"We didn't have a wedding ceremony." Gabriel said rather coldly.
"So, you eloped?"
"Yes." Gabriel nodded.
"Why, Claire? You always dreamed of a big wedding." Alex sounded sad as he spoke to Claire.
"That was when I was fifteen. A lot has changed since I was a teen." Claire said with annoyance. She dropped her hands and clenched them into fists. She was getting angry at both of the men in the room. "You would've known if you didn't just abandon me."
"I've still called you regularly. Even though you did disappear off the surface of the Earth a few months back. I came here to see what happened to you." Alex furrowed his brows. "The main reason I came back was to find you and make sure that you're okay."
Claire scowled at him before walking out to the courtyard.
Gabriel rubbed his chin, knowing full well that he screwed up. Alex wasn't feeling much better about it either.
"You're an asshole." Alex said to Gabriel.
"Yeah." Gabriel agreed, following Claire out, with Alex a few steps behind him. "Claire, wait!"
"Fuck off." Claire replied, still walking away towards the gate, and putting her jacket back on.
"Claire!" Alex called after her.
"You can fuck off too!" Claire turned around, all red. "I don't want to see either of you right now! You!" She pointed at Gabriel. "I've asked you for one thing and you couldn't keep your mouth shut. And you!" Her finger moved to Alex. "You vanished years ago, barely taking interest in my life, so don't come parading back and expect me to be like I was back then. And don't you dare treat me like a child! You both could've acted better and showed me a bit more respect!" She stomped her foot, as her anger was too much to express in words alone. "Fuck both of you!" She roared. A few bodyguards nearby turned their heads around.
"I'm sorry, Claire, dear." Gabriel started apologetically.
"No, Gabriel. I don't want your apologies." Claire looked at him coldly, in such a way that he felt a chill down her spine. She turned around and walked away.
Alex and Gabriel stood still, wondering what to do next.
"You know, I think she might be right." Alex said at last. "I'm sorry, mate."
"Oh, screw you." Gabriel uttered under his nose. "I'm not good enough for Claire, you say?"
"You think you are?"
"Fuck no, but it hurt when you've said it."
"How am I supposed to feel about you fucking…" Alex started.
"Stop it there." Gabriel cut him off sternly. "We haven't slept together in that sense. I am not willing to hear that from you when you've made wrong assumptions."
"You haven't slept with your wife?" Alex furrowed his brows. "I mean, that's fucking weird, man. I don't want to know, but like, why?"
"Because I respect her." Gabriel said honestly.
"What the heck?"
"None of your business anyways."
"I'm your best friend."
"So, you want me to share every detail of our intimate relationship with you?"
"Ew! She's my cousin!" Alex was conflicted.
They looked as the gate closed behind Claire who needed some space and to walk it off.
"Look, I didn't know that you were related." Gabriel said calmly, letting out a long sigh.
"Well, I didn't know that you were married." Alex said suddenly bursting into laughter. "F*ck me, you've got married before the rest of us? I mean, that's unbelievable."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Gabriel scowled at Alex.
"You never dated, you refused to go out to the club, you had this weird thing about women…"
"Weird thing about women?" Gabriel raised his brows.
"You kept saying that you'll ever sleep with a woman only if you're in a serious relationship because you don't want to make it seem like you're using them."
"How is that weird?" Gabriel asked confused.
"Sexiest Man 2018? There are thousands of women who would want to be used by you." Alex looked at the gate where Claire disappeared. "And you've picked one who has iron walls the height of Eiffel Tower around her." He finished. "Look, it's none of my business, but if you haven't…" he gesticulated awkwardly. "Do you think it may happen?"
"Do you even want an answer to that question?" Gabriel asked him.
"No." Alex shook his head. "But… you might've got yourself a life of celibacy."
"I am aware of it being a possibility."
"I'll kill you if you cheat on her though." Alex said angrily.
"Talking about mood swings." Gabriel scoffed. "Besides, I am not going to cheat on her. Stop being stupid. You act as if you just met me."
"It kind of feels like that. Like meeting Claire's boyfriend for the first time. I kind of want to beat you up, but also… you were my best friend for over ten years. It's confusing, man." Alex sighed. "Never mind the fact that you're acting all different."
"Do I?" Gabriel was surprised by the statement.
"Last year, I'd already had my teeth punched out and my jaw dislocated for the fallout we just had. Your temper is different. Never mind the fact that you quit smoking. I've been telling you for the past ten odd years to do so and you never listened."
"Claire didn't like it." Gabriel said with a shrug.
"So that was the key to everything? Get Claire to say that she liked or didn't like something?"
"Quite possibly."
"So, what's going on with you? Why are you acting all weird? Is it because of Claire?"
"Sort of. She was the reason why I've decided to clean up my act."
"Good for you, but how did you manage it?"
"Antidepressants and therapy." Gabriel answered honestly.
"You're in therapy? I never thought that was possible. Not with the Mr Strong who doesn't feel anything."
"Turns out that I did feel a lot." Gabriel said with a smile. "Now, tell me, how are you related to someone so extraordinary and you're you?"
"Yeah, I don't know." Alex smiled back. "Will she be okay?"
"Two bodyguards are following her pretty much at all times so I don't think she'll get hurt. I think that she needs to burn off her steam."
"So, Claire has her own space in the house?"
"Yeah, she has her own bedroom and study. Even though I consider the grand piano to be her part of the house too."
"Prove it to me." Alex grumbled. Gabriel rolled his eyes but he led him back inside. Alex peeked into Claire's bedroom and study, not walking in so as to not evade her privacy. He was somewhat satisfied that Gabriel was honest with him. They walked back downstairs, just in time for Claire to come back. Her cheeks were flushed and she still gave them a death stare as soon as she looked at them.
"Keep it quiet." Claire said sternly to Alex. "If uncle knows, so will my mum."
"Yeah, I don't think dad would be best impressed with it. Never mind Aunt and Uncle." Alex nodded. "But I'll keep my mouth shut."
"Good." Claire nodded as she took her jacket and shoes off. "As for you…" she turned to Gabriel. "I'm still angry at you."
"I know." Gabriel nodded looking down shyly.
"Good." Claire said as she walked into the living room, Alex and Gabriel a few steps behind her.
"How long have you been married?" Alex asked curiously.
"Ehmmm…" Claire looked at Gabriel trying to come up with an answer. "About five months."
"That sounds serious." Alex looked at Gabriel. "You never went past the second date before."
"I have now." Gabriel said with a weak smile.
"I still stand by my words. Claire is too nice for you."
"Yeah, I don't think I agree." Claire bit her lip.
"As long as you promise to be mean to him, you have my blessing." Alex gave in at last. "Even though I don't think I'd be able to look in the mirror ever again. You're such a baby, Claire. I can't…" he sighed.
"Baby?" Claire scoffed. "I'm twenty-five, not fifteen."
"I know. I haven't seen you in so long that it isn't processing." Alex admitted. "Welcome to the family, I guess." He said to Gabriel before adding through his gritted teeth. "If you hurt her, I'll hunt you down."
"Again, how are you two even related?" Gabriel mused smiling at Claire, hoping to make her smile.
"If my parents find out that I'm married before I get a chance to tell them in person, I'm going to hunt you down." Claire said coldly at Alex. "And you're going down with him." She turned to Gabriel.
"I see it now." Gabriel said teasingly at which Claire scowled at him. "Sorry. Too early, is it?"
"Why are you even here?" Claire asked Alex.
"I came to apologise to Gabriel for being a bit of a dick to him on Saturday. I might've had a slight change of heart about that by now."
"How the heck did you know this address?" Gabriel realised that he still didn't share it with his best friend.
"As if it's that hard if I'm your designated lawyer." Alex shrug.
"Are you?" Gabriel asked with a raised brow.
"I became your lawyer when I've got you out of prison. You never revoked my privileges, so I used it to check your records, and I found a significant purchase on them."
"Prison?" Claire asked curiously, her anger vanishing immediately.
"I'll explain later." Gabriel said honestly.
"Which time?" Alex asked.
"I'm pretty sure at least a few were your fault." Gabriel said with annoyance.
"How many times were you detained?" Claire asked with worry.
"I was in custody on several occasions." Gabriel admitted as he ruffled his hair. "The longest one was 96 hours."
"You forgot about your 10-day stay." Alex reminded him.
"Well, I had a shitty lawyer." Gabriel barked at him.
"I did it for free though." Alex shrugged.
"And I'm supposed to be okay with this sudden reveal?" Claire asked as she turned pale.
"It's nothing that bad." Alex said in Gabriel's defence. "At least three times were my fault when we were at uni and I've started a fight after getting drunk. Gabriel was always unfortunate to be there at the wrong time."
"What was the ten-day custody for?" Claire asked. "I thought 96-hour custody was an exceptionally long already. Norm is 24 hours, isn't it?"
"First of all, how do you know?" Alex asked her with raised brows.
"I'm friends with Zoe, how do you think?" Claire asked back, which pretty much answered his question.
"Secondly, it might've been my fault." Alex admitted. "I stupidly made a joke that Gabriel threatened to blow up the entire station if they don't realise him. They did not like the joke and kept him for ten days due to the Anti-Terrorism Act."
"You are a horrible friend." Claire decided as she stared at Alex in disbelief. Gabriel smiled under his nose, but he tried to hide it in his hand.
"Well, yes." Alex nodded in agreement.
"I was about to make dinner, if you'll excuse me." Gabriel said, hoping to make his own escape.
"Dinner?" Alex raised his brows at Gabriel.
"Gabriel's been learning to cook recently." Claire said with slight pride, even if the newly gained information didn't put her at ease.
Gabriel looked at Alex before letting out a long sigh. "Do you want to stay for dinner?" He offered.
"Sure. I'm curious now." Alex nodded eagerly at which Claire rolled her eyes, knowing that it was going to be a long night.