Secrets

"I hope Alex wasn't bothering you." Claire said quietly as she took her nightgown off and started getting herself ready for bed.

"I've known him for nearly ten years, I think I can manage." Gabriel said as he started undressing. Claire smiled at him as she started applying the hand lotion.

"Managing him in controlled periods of time is different than having him around 24/7. And don't say that I didn't warn you."

"He got me arrested before, I expect anything from him." Claire put away the cream on the bedside table and walked up to him to help him take his sweater off. "You don't have to do this. I need to learn how to do this myself." Gabriel said in embarrassment.

"I shouldn't admit that but I take a particular pleasure in undressing you." Claire's voice chirped up and she gave him a much more radiant smile. Gabriel laughed out loud. "You feel so cold." Claire noted as she brushed against Gabriel's skin.

"I might take a warm shower. If you don't mind waiting for me."

"Of course not. I'm not planning to run off tonight." Claire smiled again.

"Please don't ever run off." Gabriel planted a kiss on Claire's forehead before he walked into the bathroom. Claire lay down in bed reading a book when Gabriel reappeared with a towel wrapped around his waist. Claire looked up at him and gulped, quickly looking away and blushing.

"I thought you liked undressing me." Gabriel laughed as he walked across to the closet to get his neatly folded pyjamas. He also carefully placed his arm in a sling as he found it much less irritating in that way.

"You're too attractive for my eyes to bear." Claire said half-jokingly. Or at least it came across as that, yet she very much so believed it.

"Are you sure that's why you can't look at me?" Gabriel tilted his head. Claire slowly looked back up at him. Her eyes glanced over a very fit man in front of her. Even if he did lose weight recently, he was still very well-sculpted. He turned around to put his pyjamas down and Claire's eyes caught a glimpse of the scars across his back.

"I have never seen anyone as beautiful as you." Claire said in such an earnest tone that everything turned upside down inside of Gabriel and his heart skipped a beat. Claire gulped again as she carefully took in the view of Gabriel.

"Would you like to…?" Gabriel ruffled his hair in his nervous response. Claire put the book away and gave him a nod. It was a simple signal and he understood it, letting go of the towel which dropped onto the floor. He walked up to the bed and then kneeled at the end of it, pulling the duvet off, uncovering Claire in her silky nightdress. Claire pulled him towards her eagerly, kissing him deeply and passionately. This time it was different. Claire wasn't as nervous, and they were both more comfortable with each other. It felt more natural than before. They were also better at recognising their non-verbal cues.

Afterwards, Claire lay cuddled up to Gabriel, more comfortable than ever.

"How are you feeling?" Claire asked him.

"I'm tired but I'm managing the pain much better than before." Gabriel put on a slight smile, his lips barely curving upwards. Claire nodded.

"What about your mood?"

"I'm okay." Gabriel looked down. "I'm much better than I ever was before without the medication."

"I know you well enough to know that something is still off." Claire said as she started drawing circles with her fingertips on his arm.

"I can sense that you're hiding things from me and I'm anxious." Gabriel answered honestly.

"I am." Claire admitted directly. Gabriel stared at her with his eyes wide open. "There are a few things I'm cautious of telling you about as I am wary of your state, but you must know that I'm managing them and everything is under control."

"I don't like not knowing."

"I know." Claire let out a sigh. "A burst pipe was just an excuse to get Alex here. He was being followed recently and I was hoping that he'd be safe here, under your protection." Claire said honestly. "He was very anxious and frankly, I wasn't sure how long before your dad's henchmen will act out and harm him. My uncle, with the rest of his family, is currently safe. It has been a bit of a last-minute decision to have Alex represent me in court tomorrow."

"Why are you telling me now?"

"Because I don't like keeping secrets from you, cuore mio."

"You've been hiding away a lot in the study today."

"The company has been under a cyber attack. As far as we're aware, it was detected very early and successfully stopped, but we're currently on high alert. I am keeping tabs on it."

"Cyber attack?"

"A ransomware attack on a few of our computers. Thankfully it was stopped before it reached any computers with significant enough data. It was caught in a few admin computers and currently, none of the client's data was affected nor any data that would be problematic if leaked. But IT is working hard to ensure that all the latest security measures are in place. Mark and Gordon know and are managing it."

"Anything else?"

"Hmmm…" Claire thought carefully.

"Alex mentioned something about your mum."

"Yes." Claire went quiet again. "She was recovering very well and her rehabilitation has been going amazing, but recently she went through a bit of regression and she's bound to the wheelchair again. They're doing some tests and at the moment they don't know why it happened."

"I'm so sorry." Gabriel pulled Claire in closer.

"You've increased the security." Claire pointed out her own observation.

"I did." Gabriel nodded. "It's a precaution. Since the case became a criminal case, and it's being wildly publicised tomorrow, I have a feeling that my father will be more intent on harming you. I won't allow it, Claire dear."

"Thank you for protecting me." Claire said as she snuggled her face closer, tickling Gabriel's chest with her hair.

"Thank you for taking care of me." Gabriel said as he moved the hair off Claire's face. "What were you reading? I think it's the first book in weeks that I've seen you read that isn't law."

"I know, it's shocking." Claire chuckled. "It's a series of poems inspired by space and life, and what makes us human. It reminds me of something I've heard before."

"Go on."

"I couldn't help but ask for you to say it all again. I tried to write it down, but I could not find a pen. I'd give anything to hear you say it one more time, that the universe was made just to be seen by my eyes." Claire recited the lyrics of a song that were etched into her brain after repeatedly listening to it for years when she was laying alone in the dark in her shabby apartment. She looked up to see Gabriel who looked at her full of admiration. His face softened and his smile spread into his eyes.

"Is it a poem?"

"A song."

"Oh. I'll have to listen to it tomorrow." Gabriel said decisively. "So, I've heard you quote Dickens before."

"Indeed. I did a lot of work on classical literature in college and I've read most of his works. I've read it so many times that I think it's permanently stuck in my head."

"Any good Dickens quotes for the present moment?"

"I can think of a few." Claire answered as she lay on her back. "I wish you to know that you have been the last dream of my soul."

"I hope that real love and truth are stronger in the end than any evil or misfortune in the world." Gabriel said in response.

"I didn't realise that you were a Dickens fan yourself."

"David Copperfield and that's all. I have some knowledge of other books but I barely made it past the first few pages."

"I don't think we ever got back to the books we've exchanged."

"No, we haven't."

"Well, your favourite book has a shocking plot twist and I loved it."

"I don't think I ever cried while reading a book before but that's what your favourite book did to me." Gabriel admitted. "I don't think I ever felt so close to the main character that was so different to me before. It was amazingly well written."

"I'm glad you've liked it. I was worried that it was a little too heartfelt for you."

"How so?"

"You did come across as a little stone-hearted when I first met you."

"Stone-hearted?!" Gabriel was put off by the statement. "I had emotions!"

"Yes, indeed. You had plenty of rage." Claire answered half-honestly.

"Oh, you little…!" Gabriel pulled Claire closer and tickled her side which resulted in a peal of loud laughter. "Picking at me and my faults like that."

"I didn't know that there was anything else to you other than your hatred towards the entire world!"

"I don't even have a counterargument." Gabriel admitted as he stopped and pulled Claire into yet another embrace, spooning her, feeling her warm and naked body press against his.

"I was wrong, of course." Claire admitted as she planted a kiss on Gabriel's tip of the nose.

"Were you?" Gabriel asked in surprise.

"Turns out that anger was one of your two emotions. Secondary one was responsible for your continuous sulking."

"How charming."

"As always, cuore mio." Claire suddenly turned serious. "I'm joking, of course."

"Are you? I agree that I was an angry dickhead when I first came across you."

"Maybe on the outside, but on the inside… you're actually quite nice."

"You've almost made it believable this time." Gabriel laughed.

They spoke for most of the night, almost completely forgetting that the next day will be yet another fateful day.