I'm back, enjoy!

(come back to life @Chanceariel)

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Gabriel's POV:

Who is this guy and what the f**k has he done with North?

I swear, this human is not the same grumpy f****r that I met at eleven, I mean, his hugging people! Laughing? Smiling? Blushing? WTF? What the actual f**k. I watch Luke kiss Trouble on the head, I think my nickname is kind of perfect for her, she is totally the cause of all this Trouble.

Corey still looks kind of shell shocked, I guess I would too if I had just almost gone splat, but Raven is being a very overprotective boyfriend and is currently cooing over Corey, like he did go splat. It's at odds with the normally f*****g scary Russian. Somehow Leo has ended up back in Corey's arms and the tiny cub is nestling under the blond's chin. I watch Marc roll his eyes, leaving them to it as he wanders off and explore.

The looks that North and Luke are giving that girl, Trouble, are kind of amazing. Full of f*****g love. And she's returning them right back, I watch Jess flash a smile at Trouble. North almost jumps when he turns and looks at us, I think he might have forgotten we are here. Dumb**s! Trouble smiles at us, from where my f*****g lucky best friend still has his arms wrapped around her.

"Anyone hungry?" She asks, Luke drops his chin to her head, watching us. It's kinda a little f*****g creepy actually, the way his hardly blinking as he stares at me specifically.

"Da!" Raven goes from caring boyfriend to a m*********g pig in a second, Corey just rolls his eyes, still hugging Leo, but before I can say anything he puts it much more elegantly.

"Yes please, sis..." he trails off, sounding scared, but Trouble just grins as the word, her eyes lighting up, Corey continues with more confidence, "We would love some!" I nod as well, deciding I can't interrupt their bonding, even if I just want her to look at me. S**t. I can't be this jealous already! Especially not of her bloody brother. F**K. S**t!

Luke, that f****r, sends me a look, told you so! He keeps his arms around Trouble but bends to whisper something in her ear. Her eyes dart to my face, I can feel my heart speed up when she smiles.

"Ninja's just warning me... about the fact that you're likely going to attempt to attack my clothes!" she lets out a slight laugh, one that lessens the sting, but still, why the f**k did he have to tell her that? "It's not like your missing much, these are the only clothes that I wear! Maybe with the shorts in the hotter months..." she gestures to the outfit covering her body.

I look it over. It's a very good excuse to check her out, fully, not that I haven't being side eyeing her for ages. But this time I have a proper excuse, starting with her dam shoes. They kind of look like a cross between climbing shoes, yes I know what those unstylish things look like, they f*****g hurt too, Luke has dragged me climbing enough to know that there are no nice pairs. Trust me I looked, for ages! Anyway, they look like a cross between those tight m***********g climbing shoes and work boots. I can feel myself scowling, and so far, I've only looked at her shoes! They are so perfectly her that I can't fault them. Warm, by the looks of them, check. Waterproof, I'm going to go with yes, just cus there is no f*****g way that Trouble would not have waterproof f*****g boots. Good for climbing in, one hundred f*****g percent, if they look that like those uncomfortable shoes then they kind of have to be. Stopping her from having her feet crushed by horses or some other animal, those toes do look kind of study. The pair of shoes look like they were handmade, custom designed. I wish I had made them for her, the jealousy is back. I send a glance to Jess's feet, she has an almost identical design, just in slightly different colours. Luke has a light blue pair, North's are slightly different, all in black and much beefier, more work than climbing.

Her long trousers seem to be nothing but pockets, a theme that is echoed by the others that live here. Zips and Velcro criss crossing them. Some of the pockets have things stuffed in them, no doubt they are super useful devices, for every possibly bloody occasion, I imagine. They aren't skin-tight on her, but they do sort of hug her curves, her f*****g beautiful curves, the stuff in the pockets is distorting the fabric though. Halfway up her calves a zip encircles her leg, all the way round, if undone, I assume, it would make them three-quarter lengths. Another zip in circles a few inches above her knees, to create a pair of longish shorts.

My eyes move to her top half. A sightly raggedy denim jacket comes to her wrists, the ends of the sleaves frayed, probably from the amount of climbing she does. The rest is faded, stained in places. It doesn't seem to fit with the rest of her ultra-practical clothes, it doesn't have many pockets and it likely impedes her climbing on occasion. It's unbuttoned, showing what looks very like one of Luke's button-down shirts, at least it's the same pale blue as he normally wears, plus it hands down to halfway down her thighs, reaching well past the end of her jacket, which is short.

I reach her face, which currently has bright pink cheeks, her f*****g stunning hair is in a loose, but practical plait, hanging around her shoulders. Her neck is looped in a thin silver chain, one that they all wear, kind of like those strange matching family's. I want one!

"Four minutes and twenty-three seconds, you owe me Jess!" Luke grins, looking up from his watch.

"What. The. F**K?" I can feel myself going red. Partly anger, partly embarrassment. I watch Sang pull out of Luke's arms as I drop my head, my fists clenching. WHAT THE F**K? Am I that f*****g predictable?

"Please tell me you didn't!" she sounds slightly pissed off. Neither Luke nor Jess say anything, "You did, didn't you?" I barely glace up just enough to see the small blonde lady, Trouble, scowling at them, it's not a scary scowl though, more like a grumpy puppy. Luke winces. Jess goes significantly pinker than normal. "Seriously Lucien, Jessica?", their heads snap up, I get the feeling that she doesn't often use full first names, she steps back again, further away from them.

"It was a joke..." Jess mutters she sounds, devastated, "I muttered something about how I thought Gabriel would spend at least five minutes to look you over..."

"...And I said that he'd get to your hair faster than that..." he trails of as well, Trouble spins round and steps up to me. Her tiny f*****g hand appears in my vision. Why is she standing in front of me? I'm the little f*****g nobody! Her hand moves to my chin, I freeze. Her hand tightens, then gently pushes my chin up. S**t, her eyes. They make me feel slightly weak at the knees.

"So, what do you think?" she gestures to herself again, not ignoring what just happened, but giving me an out, she sounds interested, genuinely interested. Her f*****g stunning eyes don't leave my face as she waits for my answer.

"Very Troublesome!" her eyes flash, a mixture of hurt and laughter fighting for dominance. I offer a nervous grin, "Perfectly you!" she smiles. A proper smile, just for a second then her eyes turn mysterious

"Meanie!" she mutters still with the cheeky smile. Something twists in my stomach, I like it, even though it's not a normal nickname. "Of the best kind of course!" she giggles slightly and lets go of my chin, stepping out of my reach. She sends one look at the two, who still look absolutely f*****g devastated before turning toward the door. Grabbing North's hand on the ways past, half dragging him into the other room.

I watch Corey read the room in an instant, then grab Raven's hand, he follows Trouble's example and tugs him out of the room, the Russian looking confused, but not complaining. Marc takes maybe three seconds longer to work out that me, Jess and Luke need to talk, but the second he does he hurries out, he was already by the door, so it doesn't take long. I glance at my 'best' friend. He winces.

"We really didn't mean anything by it!" Jess bites her lip, "I was... I don't know, I don't want you to steal her!" I can see from Luke's face that the sentiment is echoed. They both love her, Jess as a sister, as family, and Luke as... his everything? Oh F**K! I get it now, I f*****g get it!

"Look, I'm never going to f******g take her away!" I scowl at the idiots, "You need her as much as she needs you, do you think I don't f*****g see that!" they both wince.

"Sorry man, I was stupid and childish!" Luke finally mutters, he meets my eyes, and I can see that he is being absolutely serious, I just roll my eyes.

"Like I f*****g expected anything different from you!" I grin at him, it takes him a second.

"HEY!" then his after me, Jess giggling, I turn, running a lot more quickly than the others who left through the door. Then I stop.

Ok, this is the holy mother of f*****g kitchens. North is standing in front of something, something that I think is some kind of high-tech oven? Really not my f*****g area, but still awesome! Raven and Marc are blocking part of the wall opposite, they both seem to be examining the wall with high levels of concentration. Trouble and Corey are nowhere to be seen, but I can hear voices coming from another door. Complex computer code, again, not my area!

"Pretty cool right?" I hear from behind me. Luke and Jess have got in here now. He pushes gently past me and heads over to help North at the cooker. Jess moves to my side, giving me a half hug, like she always used to greet me with. I catch movement from the corner of my eye, Trouble stands in the doorway.

"All good?" she questions looking from me to Luke to Jess, I see Luke tense, like he wants to race over to her, Trouble looks tense as well. F**K. He is totally in f*****g love with her. I nod, trying not to laugh at the sighs of relief that Jess, and Luke, let out.

Trouble doesn't manage, she lets out a beautiful giggle as she heads over to where the brothers are cooking together. She wraps an arm round their backs leaning her head on North. I feel super bloody jealous of them both, especially when they both drop kisses on the top of her head. Even more when she returns the kisses with peck on their cheeks.

Then she starts to cook, easily fitting in with the two of them. Jess joins them within seconds, Trouble reaches out and squeezes Jess's hand, the two girls have a moment where they just look at each other. Then, as somehow during that super f*****g short eye glance they made up, they end up hugging. What the actual f**k?

Raven and Marc are still examining the wall, now joined by Corey. What the f**k is so interesting about that wall?

"Whoa, where's this?" Now Marc's pointing at something on that stupid wall. North glances at whatever they are talking about, "And who took this picture as you're all in it?" I catch them glancing at each other before North answers both questions.

"That lake is a few miles away on the property and we set it on a timer, I think..." he turns back to continue cooking, now flipping something.

Whirrrrrrrrrrr. Jess starts to blitz something in a blender. Now I want to know what the f**k is on the wall.

The wall is kind of cool, I can see why they are all staring at it . So many f*****g pictures! Of animals and the four currently watching us from the other side of the room, apparently judging our reactions. They are soooooo cool, and so different. In one picture someone, i.e. North has his head under an engine, a bear in the background, in the next his hanging from his knees in a strange room from a set of bars, his hands above his head holding the hand of a small monkey. We spend ages looking at the photos. I love the one of Luke with almost rainbow hair, even if he is scowling at the camera. There are some odd ones, like the one of Luke and Trouble in ninja masks, in stupid film ninja posses, with a dog in a super hero cap next to them.

"This is f*****g weird!" I point at the wall, Luke tenses, his back still to me even as his hand comes out, wrapping around Trouble's waist. Oh S**t. I forgot what happened last time. This is not good!

It's not as bad, I but I still feel awful as she has a panic attack...

Hope you liked this, more exciting stuff to happen soon, I just need some family bonding first...

(Edited 29/12/21)