Here Be Dragons (Completed)

Insurance

The sound of voices echoing through the haunted house basement ended the strange and almost intimate moment between us, and I breathed a sigh of relief as Owen backed away from me, leaving me still trembling on the floor. My fingers shook as I ran them through my hair and I wiped my face again with my hands, hoping I didn't look as wrecked as I felt. The voices grew louder and soon enough several bodies appeared around a corner.

Gabriel was limping forwards, a look of furious determination on his pale face, as Luke propped him up on his injured side. His pant leg was ripped open revealing the small wound that I'd made with the steak knife, though it was cleaned and stapled together with precision. Maybe Sean really was a doctor after all?

Behind Luke and Gabriel strode Nathan and Kota, both looking disheveled and wary as they attempted to slow Gabriel down. Surely, it wasn't healthy for him to be on his leg right now and Kota seemed to agree with my unspoken thought as he nagged at Gabriel to stop walking so fast. Of course, Gabriel ignored him, his crystal eyes zeroing in on me as I tried to erase the evidence of my breakdown. His eyes narrowed before turning to Owen, anger flashing in the depths. 

"Owen, Goddamn it! What did you do?" He bellowed and I involuntarily flinched at the unexpected contempt I heard. I was expecting him to be angry with me, not Owen, so to see his furious glare directed at the suit clad figure at my side was mystifying to say the least. 

Owen pulled out his handkerchief and proceeded to clean his glasses, though there was no real need seeing as they were already spotless. I wondered briefly whether he was stalling or if it was perhaps a nervous tick, something he felt compelled to do when he was uncomfortable or unsure, but I wasn't able to muse over the question for long as Luke hurried to my side. He moved so quickly that I stumbled back a step in shocked fear, expecting an attack. Instead of violence, I was met with gentleness as he cupped my face with his slender hands and scanned over my face with worry clouding his chocolate eyes.

"Why was she crying?" He asked no one in particular, and I winced at the look of absolute sorrow that crashed over his face. I should have shoved him away or stepped back to break the contact he'd established, but the shakiness from my meltdown was still working its way through my body and the warmth of his skin against mine was surprisingly comforting. "Don't cry, Sugar." He cooed as his thumbs caressed the soft skin beneath my eyes, wiping away the remaining moisture from my tears and his tenderness made my already wretched heart twist in pain as it struggled to process the emotions rolling through me.

"Gabriel, you shouldn't be on that leg, you'll only aggravate your injury." Owen's cool and collected voice echoed against the bare cement walls and Luke turned back to the others standing around us, his hands dropping from my face though they didn't leave my body for a moment. His fingers trailed down my neck and over my shoulders before sliding down the length of my arms and ending their trip by grasping my cold, clammy hands in his. Part of me wanted to jerk away from the almost loving touch, but the broken little girl that still lived somewhere inside me basked in the affection. Touch had never brought anything but pain before, but this was so different and she loved every second of it.

Gabriel made a rude noise in response to Owen's concern and shifted his weight, only to wince and slap a hand on Nathan's muscled shoulder to keep himself balanced as he attempted to stay standing without hurting his injured leg more. I felt a sliver of guilt wiggle its way into my chest at the clear pain and discomfort that showed on his face and though I tried to stomp it down, it burrowed deep and nested immovable. 

"I'll aggravate your face in a minute!" He growled as his voice grew impossibly louder, his hands waving around frantically. "I told you, I didn't want you ruining her, and now look! She's cowering against Luke for Christ's sake!"