Gabriel stepped out of the plane into the pouring rain. For a moment he felt a pit in his stomach as he didn't see Claire. He looked around in anticipation but he couldn't see her. He slowly walked down the steps.
"Gabriel!" She shouted as she run through the airfield. She was soaking wet even though she run with a folded umbrella. As Gabriel came down onto the asphalt, Claire run into him with so much force that he barely kept up straight. She embraced him and buried her face in his neck. "I've missed you so much, cuore mio." She said into his ear, sobbing and laughing at once. "I'm sorry. There was traffic and I didn't know if I'll make it in time. I'm sorry." She mumbled nervously. "The ring road has flooded from the heavy rain…" Claire explained quickly as she took a step back. Gabriel smiled as he moved her wet hair off her face as it was stuck to her cheek. He leaned in and kissed her, suddenly stopping her nervous apologies for being barely thirty seconds later than what she wanted to be.
As the weather was cold, their kiss warmed them up. Claire's warm lips seemed more tempting than ever before. She reciprocated his kiss with unspeakable tenderness, placing her cold fingers on his cheek. She cried happy tears as she felt overwhelmed.
"I know I've been away only for four days but it felt like an eternity, Claire dear." He said after breaking off their kiss and pressing his forehead to Claire's. "I've missed you so unbelievably much. Every minute away from you hurt so much."
"I've missed you, too, cuore mio," Claire admitted. "I'm sorry, I've broken the umbrella." she laughed as she pointed at the folded umbrella in her hand.
"How?"
"I tripped as I came out of the car and fell onto it. It snapped in at least three places." Claire looked down at the umbrella in her hand with some upset.
"That's okay. Let's go home, Claire dear."
She nodded gently lacing her fingers into his left hand. She rested her head on his shoulder as they walked. Something somehow didn't quite feel right but then it did. He was home with Claire. That was his place. His home was with Claire.
The drive home was quiet in a peaceful kind of way. Claire was keen to rest her head on Gabriel's arm and he was keen to rest his chin on the top of her head. Her hair was dripping wet, and so was his. This flooded Gabriel with the memories of their first passionate kiss in the rain after… after Claire was chased by his father's henchmen who intended to harm her. After they were saved by George who lost his daughter to his father's heinous crimes, and whose wife was on the run to escape the imminent death that she would face from Michael of his men. Gabriel felt a pit in his stomach as he could finally join the dots and as he now understood the hatred they felt towards him. He understood why Claire's dad was so wary of him and so anxious, but also defensive, and why he lied as he tried to hide Claire's whereabouts. The thoughts lingered for the rest of the ride but Gabriel remained silent.
"Claire, during the last banquet…" Gabriel asked as they'd barely walked inside the villa and Claire was helping him take his coat off. "I saw you with my father. What did he tell you?"
Claire stiffened at a reminder.
"Nothing new," Claire replied as she looked up at him.
"Claire…"
"It was the usual combination of reminding me just how much of a nothing I was and how he was going to destroy me. For a change, he was mostly focused on the latter."
"Did he tell you how he was going to destroy you?"
"He told me that I will be dead," Claire said quietly.
Gabriel let out a sigh as he pulled her in closer.
"I will not let it happen, Claire dear." He whispered in her ear. "You're mine and no one can take you from me."
Claire looked up again in utter surprise.
"Someone's rather possessive." She smiled at him.
"Oh, Claire dear, I thought you knew that already." Gabriel smiled back at her. Claire moved away briefly, taking her sweater off and placing it on the side. As she did, Gabriel's heart stopped. As sweater pulled her top up, he noticed a dark bruise across her ribs. He strode towards her and lifted her top to examine it. "What happened?" He asked as he looked at her.
"I had a small accident."
"A small accident?!" Gabriel's words were sharp as he furrowed his brows.
"Well, in a whole spectrum of things, it was a small accident. I only have a few bruises." Claire said quickly pulling her top down. "Let's get you resting." She said decisively leading Gabriel upstairs. Gabriel wasn't ready to let go of it yet.
"Claire, what happened?" He asked sternly as he followed her into his bedroom. Claire quickly started sorting out the pillows and duvet to move them into a more comfortable position.
"Lay down first," Claire ordered. Gabriel moved around and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"You're avoiding an answer. What happened?"
"I fell down the stairs," Claire mumbled quietly. "I've slipped and fallen all the way down. Honestly, I think they should be carpeted. It would have definitely made the fall a little less painful."
Gabriel wasn't sure whether to believe her. He grabbed her with his left hand and pulled her closer so that she stood between his thighs. Without a word, he lifted her top to see the bruise again. It was deep blue and purple. Gabriel closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself down. He reopened his eyes and looked up at Claire as if he tried to beg her to never hurt herself again. He gently touched her skin, but she flinched in discomfort. His next instinct surprised Claire as he leaned in closer and gently kissed her ribs as if his kisses could take her pain away. "You're mine, Claire dear, and I do not like when my things are broken or hurt." He said in a low voice. He then slowly moved and kissed the other bruise that he spotted on her side. Goosebumps appeared on Claire's skin under his kisses. She was silent, too flabbergasted by Gabriel's behaviour. She looked down upon his head of ruffled hair with pure admiration.
"What happened to you in the States?" Claire asked with a smile.
"What happened was that I've missed you so much that it hurt me to my core. I missed you when you were gone before, but now, somehow, it was worse. Every fibre of my body was in agony, yearning for you. Every minute of being unable to see you, hear you or touch you was a torment. It was like nothing I'd ever felt. It was worse than a withdrawal from the worst addiction." Gabriel looked into her eyes as he placed his left hand on her side. "I cannot live without you and hence I've decided that you're mine forever. I cannot be without you. I need you to exist. I need you more than the drowning person needs air. I need you more than a starving person needs food. You are my life. You are my everything." Gabriel looked at his eye level and planted a kiss on her still slightly uncovered abdomen. "You are mine." He concluded. He suddenly stood up and switched places with Claire, pushing her onto the bed. "How many bruises do you have?"
"Not that many," Claire answered with a worried smile.
"Not that many?" Gabriel raised his brows as he repeated. "How many?"
"Well, I haven't counted." Claire chuckled as Gabriel kneeled on the bed above her.
"Let me count them." He said decisively as he rolled up her sleeve. As expected, there were a few minor bruises on her arm. Gabriel groaned in disapproval before he planted a kiss on each of them. He leaned over, supporting himself with his left arm which thankfully has mostly healed and the sprain didn't seem as bothersome. He then moved to her other side, rolling up her sleeve again and kissing each and every bruise. He then moved up to Claire's face, planting kisses on the cheeks, forehead, nose, eyelids, and lips.
"I don't remember any bruises on my face," Claire said as she laughed. Her cheeks blushed.
"It's for a good measure." Gabriel smiled. Claire shifted and buried her face in his neck, inhaling the very scent that she missed so much.
"Gabriel…" Claire said quietly, her smile weakening. Gabriel stopped and looked at her, his eyes filled with worry.
"Yes, Claire dear?"
"You should rest." She sounded concerned. Gabriel tried to decide how to respond as he gently caressed her head.