Claire unlocked the door and walked into the bare apartment.
"Good evening, Claire dear." Gabriel propped up from the room with a wide smile.
"Good evening, cuore mio." Claire reciprocated the smile. He approached her and embraced her.
"So… I did a thing and I've managed to get that bloody bed in here. I did get Alex to help so if he complains you know why."
"Alex?"
"After I passed all my responsibilities to Gordon, I went to see Alex to tidy up some of the last formalities. Anyhoo… who knew that mattresses weigh a tone."
Claire walked to have a look into their new and still very bare bedroom.
"How did you get into my old flat?" She furrowed her brows.
"I bumped into George and he helped me find the building owner. The few lads that George knows helped to drag this thing down the stairs." Gabriel explained. "My brace's battery run out half way through so that was very kind and helpful of them."
"How is George?"
"He didn't swear me out so I'd say that he is good."
"That's brilliant."
"I did get a lot of your things out of the storage. I haven't gotten to the desk yet but maybe soon. If we get time."
"It sounds like you had a busy day."
"I needed to keep my hands busy to get out of my head. Although, in retrospective, I should've used the bodyguards to help out a bit. I've just realised that at least ten people sat in the cars near the apartment while I was dragging that mattress up the stairs with Alex. Live and learn, I suppose."
"Live and learn." Claire nodded in agreement. "How did it go with Gordon."
"It was tedious. Gabriel sighed. "I think I am preparing for an eventuality that Diamond Corporate might cease to exist."
"I see." Claire mumbled.
"What happened to you today?" Gabriel turned around and pecked her cheek.
"I…" Claire stuttered. "I saw your mum." She looked down, unable to face Gabriel.
"Did she leave yet?" Gabriel asked directly which made Claire look back up. She didn't expect it.
"Yes."
"I suspected she will. Good for her."
"I was worried that you will be upset that you didn't get a chance to say goodbye."
"I am sad. But I understand." Gabriel wrapped an arm across Claire's back as he looked back at their new bedroom with satisfaction.
"I went to see Samuel. He seemed fine with my current work and projects, and he was keen to get in touch in a few weeks to confirm my contracts and projects. For now, there's no issue there." Claire leaned her head onto Gabriel's shoulder. "Then I went to see Pierre." She went silent.
"Seeing that is the last one you mentioned, somehow I feel that this one is the worst."
"Pierre's team, the mission, everything has been compromised. Someone broke in and stole all the information. They know that I am alive. They know that your mum is alive. They know where our family and friends are." Claire sighed. "All the information that was there to protect us is gone. The task force fell apart but Pierre is working with someone else now. They are trying to work out the threat this will pose. Agent Summers was the one that told me about it. She was very calm and nice but… I think she knows that we have no chances."
"As much as the news tries to say that I'm a spoiled brat, my father is still evading prison. I don't think this will change. He cannot escape the law."
"I think we have to prepare for every eventuality."
"My Will is very simple. Almost all goes to you and a bit to Eva just to make it seem like I care about her." Gabriel spoke with a smile. "I don't care for a funeral so don't bother."
"My Will was already executed so I don't think there's anything else to add."
"I have a gun." Gabriel said quietly. "I can get you a gun."
Claire hesitated. "I have a gun."
"Then we all have guns."
Claire was silent as she looked at Gabriel. She couldn't comprehend why he was this causal and still smiling at her.
"You do realise how serious this is, right?"
"It is very serious." Gabriel nodded but his smile still rested on his lips.
"Why are you smiling then?"
"Because even though it's tough, we've already made it through so much. Also, as a typical new couple, we have a flat with barely any furniture. My contributions to tonight is an instant ramen I grabbed on the way with the change I had in my pockets. I hate the digital age and no cash. Life would've been much simpler a few years ago."
"I'm sorry. I forgot to get any shopping."
"Ramen, Claire dear, we have ramen noodles."
Claire smiled again at Gabriel as they've walked towards their kitchen area and Gabriel eagerly prepped the noodles.
"I didn't watch the news since the morning. How are the things with the stocks?"
"DC lost another 5% in value so a total of 10% loss, or 17% of the peak value. It was still going down when I last saw it." Gabriel answered honestly as he passed Claire a plastic bowl filled with noodles.
Claire thanked him and then walked into the main living room that overlooked the swimming room and which had a beautiful sunset behind the tall windows. Claire sat down cross-legged on the floor, watching the red colours of the sky. Gabriel sat beside her. He was wearing his black trousers and white shirt which had the top two buttons undone. Once they finished slurping on the noodles, they stayed by the window until the sky darkened. Gabriel spoke softly of something unbothersome. He then offered his left hand to Claire and led her to the bedroom where her old bed, the only purchase she has ever made for her old flat, was placed. Gabriel planted soft kisses on her cheeks, then brushing against her lips, then her neck.
Claire reciprocated the kisses, keen to feel someone so close to her, making sure that he was still there.
Maybe it wasn't the right time, or maybe it was, to delve into the depths of their passion. But the kisses became more ravenous and clothes quickly vanished revealing their changed bodies. Claire was thinner, her ribs sticking out more than ever before. And Gabriel's shoulder and crevice of the neck had a deep red scar across it from the bullet and the surgery that followed. Gabriel took the metal brace off, and with his shaky hand he gently drew circles across Claire's bare ribs. He didn't voice his concern for what she looked like now. He was just happy that she was there and that he could touch her again.
Claire forgot what it really felt like to be embraced by Gabriel and to feel his bare skin against hers.
Before long, her gentle moans sounded into Gabriel's ear, making him excited. He was still gentle, careful, just like before. At first, every touch seemed calculated, then he became more greedy. But it didn't bother Claire. She trusted him even when he pulled her down closer and held his arms tightly around her preventing her escape.
She felt him deep inside, she felt his muscles flex as he moved, his warm breath on her neck and she heard his panting just by her ear. She dug her fingertips into his back as if she tried to draw him closer.
And after, they laid together, as close to each other as they could.