Elle had been sleeping, but the gun fire woke her. The smell of metal and burning rubber overwhelming her. Wherever she was, it dark and it was scary, and no matter how hard she screamed, no noise came out. There was a sudden flash of light, the gunfire stopping altogether. Off in the distance she saw Gio, standing with his back to her and she ran to him, her lungs burning with every step she took but she did not stop until she reached him.
"Gio!" She called, glad for the return of her voice, but he did not answer. Continuing to stand facing away from her. She came to stand beside him, but he still ignored her, staring into the distance, his eyes unblinking.
"Gio," She called again, her voice soft, filled with fear, but he still gave no indication of having heard her. When she touched him, he fell against her and Elle put a hand to his chest trying hold him up but something was wrong. Gio was cold, and not just the slight chill of someone who had been outside too long. This was the cold of someone who had stopped breathing long ago, and when she pressed her palm more firmly against his chest, the gentle thrum of his heart was gone. Blood gushing sluggishly from his chest, running between her fingers and down to her elbow, staining her entire arm.
Another shot sounded and then she was bleeding too. Helpless to do anything as she slowly sank to her knees. Her eyes fixed on the hole in Gio's chest, unable to look up and see his face.
She was dying and the last thing she would ever see would be the wound that killed him. A sob caught in her throat, and another gunshot followed, this one blowing right through the side of her head and taking the world away.
The next time Elle became aware, she was crying in the car, with her was Gio instead of Big L. Unlike with Big L where she had at least had some forewarning, the attack came out of nowhere. One moment the two of them were laughing as they chatted about this and that. The next thing she knew, a bullet ripped through the window and made a neat hole in Gio's skull. He did not even have time to react, a small smile still on his face as he slumped over the wheel, his eyes lifeless. His blood coating the interior of the car, herself included and as the now driverless car crashed the world vanished once more.
The next time Elle came to, she was screaming at the top of her lungs. But this time there was no gun, no bullets whizzing past and shattering her world. There was just Gio's own dagger buried in his chest. The entire blade deep within him, having slid right between his ribs, puncturing a lung and drowning him in his own blood. His eyes looking over at where she sat, no longer seeing.
She screamed again. This time it was an endless call of his name.
"Gio! Gio! Gio! No! No! Gio! Gio!" She could not see, could not breathe, but somewhere in the darkness of her grief, she heard a voice. A familiar voice.
"Don't cry, it is going to be fine. Nothing is wrong, just open your eyes," Elle knew that voice, she knew it like her own. But it could not be…Gio?
"Elle, wake up," The voice came again, sounding worried and she decided to take a leap of faith. To trust the sound of Gio's voice even if that meant she risked opening her eyes to yet another horror.
She followed it, gasping awake to the sight of him holding her close, his worried eyes on her.
"It is alright, cara. It's alright, Elle. It was a dream, nothing more, I am right here," He took her shaking hand in his, placing it against his heart. In the exact position it had been in when she had fallen asleep.
She let out a low sob. She knew logically that it was just a nightmare. He was fine, she could see him, alive and well. There were no wounds, no holes in him, he was not covered in his own blood, his eyes alert and very much alive as he looked at her. But she still needed proof, she needed to feel him.
Taking his hand in hers, she held it against her heart. Then she moved it lower, to her secret core.
She needed him to make her scream in something other than fear. To make him cling to him out of something that was not terror. And Gio, bless the man, understood. His touch fire across her clit, his fingers dipping into her like her cunt held hidden secrets. Going fast, then slow, then fast again until she whimpering. Needing more but still greedily sucking up his fingers.
"Gio!" She had not expected to come like that. But she did, the release shooting through her, her body coming off the bed.
When he pulled his fingers out of her, it was not to let her go. He coated her nipples with her slick and then took turns licking each nub, her oversensitive leaning into the touch despite everything.
It was the first time they had ever had sex while the sun was out. It was also the first time they had ever done it on an actual bed. They'd had sex on the floor, against walls, on benches, on chairs, on his desk, even on the stage at Club M. In those instances they had always had to separate quickly and redress. But here in the comfort of Gio's home, the only reason to get up was to get cleaned. And afterwards Gio did not leave her and not return like he always did in their prior encounters. He only left to get them snacks and water. Settling back down with her in his arms after they were done eating. The two of them just enjoying each other's company, cuddling. It was nice, and this time when Elle fell asleep, she did not awaken for hours.