Page 47 of Witch's Promise

The cool night air hit him like a physical blow, clearing some of the fog from his mind. Gabe took a deep, shudderingbreath, finally allowing himself to really look at the destruction surrounding him.

What had started as a joyous celebration now looked like a war zone. Overturned tables, shattered glasses, and tattered decorations littered the ground. Here and there, scorch marks and magical residue spoke of the battle that had raged just hours before. It was like something out of one of Gabe's nightmares - the kind that left him drenched in sweat, gasping for air in the dark of night.

Gabe tilted his head back, staring up at the star-studded sky. It seemed obscene somehow, that the universe could be so vast and indifferent while his world crumbled around him. He squeezed his eyes shut, fighting against the tide of despair threatening to overwhelm him.

He couldn't lose his dad. He wouldn't. The alternatives were too horrifying to contemplate.

"Gabe?"

The voice startled him, though some part of him had known Sean would follow him out here. Gabe turned, taking in the sight of his ex-boyfriend silhouetted against the warm light spilling from the house. Sean looked uncertain, his hands shoved deep in his pockets as if he wasn't quite sure what to do with them.

"You okay?" Sean asked, then immediately winced. "Fuck, sorry. That's a stupid question. Of course you're not okay."

And just like that, something inside Gabe broke. All the fear, the guilt, the crushing weight of expectation - it all came crashing down on him at once. Before he could stop himself, he was moving, closing the distance between them in three long strides.

Gabe collided with Sean's chest, his arms wrapping around the other man's waist as he buried his face in the crook of his neck. For a heart-stopping moment, Sean froze, his body goingrigid with surprise. But then, slowly, hesitantly, his arms came up to encircle Gabe.

"I can't do this," Gabe sobbed, his words muffled against Sean's shirt. "I can't... fuck, Sean, I'm not strong enough. I'm not good enough. They all expect me to save everyone, to have all the answers, but I don't. I don't know what I'm doing, and now Dad might die, and Jessy's gone, and it's all my fault, and I just... I can't..."

He trailed off, choking on the words as tears streamed down his face. Gabe waited for Sean to pull away, to offer some awkward platitude or make an excuse to leave. It's what he deserved, after all. To be left alone with his failure and inadequacy.

But Sean didn't let go. If anything, his arms tightened around Gabe, one hand coming up to cradle the back of his head.

"Hey, hey," Sean murmured, his voice low and soothing. "It's okay. Let it out. I've got you."

And Gabe did. He cried like he hadn't allowed himself to in years, great heaving sobs that shook his entire body. He cried for his father, lying broken and poisoned in that too-big bed. For Jessy, scared and alone in the hands of God-knows-who. For the coven that was now his responsibility, whether he was ready for it or not.

But most of all, he cried for himself. For the scared little boy who had always tried so hard to be what everyone needed him to be. For the man he'd become, carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders and slowly crumbling beneath it.

Through it all, Sean held him. His presence was steady, grounding in a way Gabe hadn't realized he'd been missing. When the storm of emotion finally began to subside, leaving Gabe feeling wrung out and raw, Sean still didn't let go.

"I'm sorry," Gabe mumbled, suddenly aware of the wet patch he'd left on Sean's shirt. "God, I'm such a mess. I shouldn't have-"

"Don't," Sean cut him off, pulling back just far enough to meet Gabe's eyes. His expression was soft, a mixture of concern and something deeper, something Gabe wasn't ready to put a name to. "Don't apologize. Not for this. Never for this."

Gabe managed a watery smile, feeling simultaneously exposed and oddly comforted. "When did you get so wise, huh?"

Sean's answering smile was tinged with sadness. "Let's just say I've had my fair share of breakdowns over the years. Figured it was time to be on the other side of one for a change."

The simple honesty in those words hit Gabe like a physical blow. There was so much unresolved between them, so many hurt feelings and misunderstandings to work through. But in that moment, standing in the wreckage of his father's birthday party with Sean's arms still loosely encircling him, Gabe felt a flicker of something he hadn't allowed himself to feel in years.

Hope.

Chapter 14

Sean

The moment felt suspended in time, fragile and precious. For a brief, selfish instant, Sean wished it could last forever. Here, with Gabe in his arms, the weight of the past didn't seem quite so crushing. The guilt that had been his constant companion for years receded, if only for a heartbeat.

But of course, reality had a way of intruding on even the most perfect moments. The sharp ping of Gabe's phone cut through the night air like a knife, shattering the illusion of peace they'd managed to create.

Gabe pulled back, his eyes red-rimmed but clearer now. "That'll be my team," he said, his voice rough with spent emotion. "They're here."

Sean nodded, trying to ignore the pang of loss as Gabe stepped away. His team. Another reminder of how much had changed, of how little Sean truly knew about Gabe's life now. What kind of job required a "team" to show up in the middle of the night after a magical attack? It was just one more mystery in the ever-growing list of things Sean didn't understand about the man he'd once known better than himself.

"I should go meet them," Gabe continued, running a hand through his hair in a gesture so achingly familiar it made Sean's chest ache. “Would you mind waiting here? I'll be right back."

"Sure," Sean managed, forcing a smile he didn't quite feel. "I'll be here."

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