Page 59 of Witch's Promise

But those questions would have to wait. Right now, they had two injured people who needed immediate attention.

Finn was already hovering over Jessy by the time Gabe and Lucas got Sean to the living room. The healer's hands glowed with white magic as he assessed her condition, his brow furrowed in concentration.

"She's stable," Finn reported, not looking up from his work. "Beaten up pretty bad, magical exhaustion, but nothing life-threatening. I can handle this."

Gabe nodded, relief washing over him in a dizzying wave. Jessy was alive. She was here, she was safe. They hadn't failed her after all.

But the relief was short-lived as Gabe turned his attention to Sean. The other man looked on the verge of collapse, his eyes glazed with pain and exhaustion.

"Hey," Gabe said softly, ducking his head to meet Sean's unfocused gaze. "You with me, Sean? Can you hear me?"

Sean blinked slowly, seeming to come back to himself a bit. "Gabe? I... fuck, everything hurts."

"I bet," Gabe said, trying for a lightness he didn't feel. "You look like you went a few rounds with a dragon and lost. What happened out there?"

Sean opened his mouth as if to answer, then winced, his face going a shade paler. “It's complicated. I'll tell you everything, I swear. Just... need to rest for a minute."

Gabe nodded, tamping down on the burning curiosity and lingering worry. "Okay. Okay, yeah, we can do that. Let's get you somewhere more comfortable, alright?"

Without waiting for an answer, Gabe slipped an arm around Sean's waist, supporting most of his weight. "I've got him," he told Lucas. "Can you guys handle things down here?"

Lucas nodded, though Gabe didn't miss the flash of concern - and was that a hint of jealousy? - in his teammate's eyes. "We've got it covered. Take care of him."

The trip up the stairs was slow and painful, Sean's labored breathing echoing in the narrow space. By the time they reached Gabe's childhood bedroom, they were both sweating and out of breath.

"Almost there," Gabe murmured, as much to himself as to Sean. "Just a few more steps."

He eased Sean onto the bed, wincing in sympathy at the other man's barely suppressed groan of pain. As Sean sank intothe mattress, his eyes already fluttering closed, Gabe felt a surge of... something. Protectiveness? Affection? Or just the lingering remnants of feelings he'd thought long buried?

"Rest now," Gabe said softly, pulling a blanket over Sean's battered form. "We'll talk when you wake up. I promise."

Sean mumbled something unintelligible, already halfway to unconsciousness. Within moments, his breathing had evened out into the deep rhythm of exhausted sleep.

Gabe stood there for a long moment, just watching Sean's chest rise and fall. It felt surreal, having him here in this room.

They had Jessy back, against all odds. Sean had brought her home, had put himself in danger to save her. Whatever had happened between them in the past, whatever complicated feelings still lingered... none of that mattered right now.

What mattered was that they were both safe. That, for the moment at least, everyone Gabe cared about was under one roof, battered but alive.

As Gabe turned to leave, to rejoin his team and face whatever new challenges awaited, he allowed himself one last glance at Sean's sleeping form.

"Thank you," he whispered, the words barely audible. "For bringing her back. For coming back yourself."

Gabe jerkedawake at the sound of rustling sheets, his body tensing for a fight before his brain caught up. He blinked, disoriented, as he took in his surroundings. Right. His old bedroom. Sean.

Sean was awake, shifting gingerly in the bed as if testing the limits of his injuries. Finn had worked his magic earlier, healingthe worst of the burns and cuts, but the exhaustion lingering in Sean's eyes spoke of wounds that went deeper than mere flesh.

"Hey," Gabe said softly, his voice rough from lack of sleep. "How are you feeling?"

Sean turned towards him, a ghost of his old cocky grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Like I went ten rounds with a pissed-off dragon and lost. But hey, I'm alive, so that's something, right?"

The familiar banter hit Gabe like a sucker punch to the gut, dredging up memories he'd thought long buried. How many times had they done this dance? Sean, battered and bruised from some reckless adventure, and Gabe there to patch him up, to scold and worry and secretly marvel at Sean's seemingly indestructible spirit.

For a moment, Gabe was transported back in time. He could almost smell the antiseptic and hear Sean's half-hearted protests as Gabe tended to his wounds. Could almost feel the warmth of Sean's skin under his fingers, see that smile - the one that had always been reserved just for him.

The same smile Sean was giving him now.

Gabe's heart clenched painfully. It would be so easy to fall back into old patterns, to let the familiar rhythm of their relationship sweep him away. But he couldn't. Not yet. Not until he knew more about what had happened, about why Sean had come crashing back into his life after all these years.

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