Gideon's Love

Eyes Open

For the last couple of minutes, Finn struggled to open his eyes. His eyelids felt glued down and heavy. Every time he got them open, bright light forced them closed. He was scared, and it took him a bit to realize he wasn’t dead, but he couldn’t move. He didn’t know where he was or if he was safe.

A sudden touch to his hand made him jerk in fear. His heart sped up, not knowing who was at the other end of that hand.

A soft voice spoke next to him. “Don’t force it, hun. Just take a deep breath.” he calmed down only slightly since the voice didn’t sound like it wanted to hurt him. “You’re in a hospital right now and safe, so just take your time.” A cool hand stroked his forehead, and he relaxed into it. He felt tears slide down the sides of his face. He missed being touched like this. It’s been years since someone touched him without hurting him.

Memories started flooding back, loving hugs and soft smiles mixed with nighttime tuck-ins. He struggled to breathe, remembering his mom; it hurt all the more after finding out his dad killed her. His dad informed him coldly as he tried to kill Finn that he would die crying, just like his mom. He’s never hated another person in his life until that moment. He gave up on his dad right there, and for the first time, he thought of killing someone.

The soothing hand disappeared for a moment, and a click was heard. Behind his eyelids, Finn could tell the light had been turned off. He could still see a soft glow, so somewhere in the room was another light source. The soft voice came back next to him. “That should be better. You can go back to sleep or try to open your eyes again.”

Finn battled against the heaviness of his eyelids until they finally opened. He blinked several times before he could focus on the ceiling above him. He sighed in relief. At least his eyes still worked. He turned his head towards where he heard the voice last. He could make out the fuzzy outline of a small form beside him. He wanted to ask her who she was, but his mouth felt dry. He licked his dry lips and flinched, feeling the small cracks form on the outer corners of his mouth.

The woman got up and moved to a side table. He could hear the sound of water pouring into a cup, and he knew she would give it to him. She gently lifted his head and slowly dripped water into his mouth. He gulped quickly, feeling his parched mouth finally fill with moisture. She put the cup back down and dried the tiny droplets of water that didn’t make it into his mouth.

“Do you want me to raise the bed a bit?” He nodded yes to her question, and he felt the vibration of the bed as it lifted behind him into a comfortable sitting position. Now that he was upright and his vision cleared up, he could see her clearly.

He gasped as soon as he saw her; he knew who she was. He’s seen her on more than one occasion with Dade. He whimpered and looked around the room, scooting as far back into the bed as possible. He could feel his throat closing up as panic surged through him.

It didn’t take a genius for Emma to figure out what was wrong; she knew Dade rejected him pretty coldly. She put her hands out and mumbled, “Oh, f**k. Pooty will have fits if this kid doesn’t calm down.” She looked around and then back at Finn. “Dade isn’t here; he doesn’t know you’re here. Just breathe, it’s fine, you’re fine.”

Finn looked around wildly before his eyes settled back on her. He didn’t understand why she was here if Dade wasn’t. He licked his lips again before croaking out. “Why are you here?” he took a deep breath. “That came out mean, sorry... I just don’t understand why you’re here”. He coughed a bit with his dry throat, and Emma reached for the cup of water again.

He took a few more sips while she explained. “Dade is an ass; I love him to death, but he is what he is. I’m sorry he was a jerk to you, but I’m not here because of him. Do you remember what happened the day you came in here? Do you remember a man bringing you here?”

Finn slowly nodded his head, and tears again pooled in his eyes. He remembered the large man clearly, not just his face but his warmth and scent. He again nodded his head. “I remember everything until they took me into the room, and then everything went black.” At least he was sure he remembered everything; some things he remembered may not have been there, like the scary woman who turned into a monster.

Emma sighed in relief. She walked to the wall right behind him and pushed the call button. “I need to call a doctor here and let them know you’re awake.” She sat back down while studying him a bit longer. “I don’t know what happened, but the man who brought you in is my oldest son, Gideon. He’s been watching over you, and he’ll be back soon, so he’ll be able to answer questions you have.”

Finn looked up at her in surprise. He knew Dade had an older brother but had never seen him. He’s known Farren and Kai, not personally, but he knows of them, and he’s seen them for years without ever talking to them. But the oldest brother has always been a mystery to him. He wanted to ask her more questions and was about to when the doctor and a nurse walked in.

He closed his mouth and waited until the doctor finished his examination; they would keep him for a few more days for observation before he could leave. Still, they were happy to see he was awake now. It meant he was getting better.

As soon as they left, an uncomfortable silence settled between Emma and Finn. She wasn’t sure where to take the conversation, and Finn was riddled with anxiety because he didn’t have answers to the most basic questions like what now? What was going to happen to him? He didn’t know anyone or have friends. He was terrified of his family, and they all hated him.

Finn looked up at her and was about to ask one of his questions, but she was looking at the door. She turned to him and smiled while patting his leg. “Here’s Poo-I mean Gideon. I bet you two have a lot to talk about.” She stood up and gave him another smile. “Remember, he only looks scary. He’s actually a very nice person. One more thing...” She makes a sweeping gesture across her face. “Gideon’s face can’t show emotions, so look into his eyes.” She winks at him before adding, “That’s the only hint I’ll give you to working Gideon. We’ll see a lot of each other soon”. She gave him another squeeze as the door opened, and the most giant man Finn had ever seen walked in.

Finn’s eyes filled his face as he tried to take in Gideon all at one time. Gideon slightly bent his head as he walked in the door so he wouldn’t graze the top of his head on the doorframe. His shoulders were broad and bulky, with muscles straining against a faded black t-shirt with a superhero logo on the front, a big barrel chest leading down to a narrow waist, and mile-long legs with tree trunk thighs encased in dark blue jeans. His eyes quickly flicked over Gideon’s no-no area and blushed when he wondered what was there. Finn took a deep breath as his eyes returned to Gideon’s face. He wasn’t looking at Finn yet since his mom was talking to him, but that gave Finn time to admire the perfect bone structure on his tanned giant.

Finn shook his head, clearing it of that last thought. No, not his. He thought Dade was the most handsome werewolf he had ever seen, but Finn quickly realized it was because he had never seen Gideon. He knows he’s gawking with his mouth open but can’t help it.

Gideon tried to pay attention to his mom, but he really just wanted to shove her out the door. His mom gave him a sniff before nodding her head and tugging on his shirt so he would lean down. She whispered, “Be kind,” and kissed his cheek, smacking him on the ass as she walked out. She turned and waved to Finn.

Finn awkwardly waved back before his eyes swung back up to Gideon. He gulped nervously, looking up at Gideon. He didn’t know what to say. He raised his hand again and gave another awkward wave with a squeaky “Hi.”

Gideon turned and closed the door, and the sound of the door catching echoes in the silent room. Finn gulped again and put his shaky hand back down in his lap. The closer Gideon walked to him, the bigger he seemed to be.

Gideon walked up to Finn and, with a giant finger, gently lifted Finn’s jaw into a closed position. He grabbed a chair and gingerly sat his gigantic frame in the seat. He needed that moment to compose himself. Gideon wasn’t blind. He knew Finn was checking him out and not in just a curious way. He would ignore it the best he could, but that didn’t mean it didn’t affect him. His heart beat just a little faster, knowing Finn wasn’t oblivious to him.

Gideon cleared his throat. He had practiced every day what to say to Finn, but now that he was in front of him, he was as blank as his face. “So....did the doctor talk to you yet?”

Gideon’s deep voice vibrated down Finn’s back, making his toes curl. He quickly nodded his head with his wide eyes still on Gideon.

“Do you remember me?” asked Gideon. He was wondering if Finn was going to blink.

Finn inhaled sharply, let his breath out in a whoosh, and released a shaky “Yes.” He blinked rapidly and looked away momentarily before looking back at Gideon. “Why? I mean, how did you know I was hurt, or I guess I mean...Why were you there?” He scratched the back of his neck nervously. He wasn’t sure how to phrase some of the questions he wanted to ask.

Gideon decided right there to take a page out of his mother’s book and just wing it. It would be easier to start from the beginning and see what happens. Either Finn was going to hate him or not. “Let’s go from the start. Have you ever heard of the story of the five originals?”

Finn quickly nodded his head. “Yeah, I love that story. I’ve read a lot of books about it. Lycan and werewolf history are my favorite subjects. But what does it have to do with why you were in my house?”

Gideon sat forward, and Orias came to the surface. Jet black swirled over hazel until the last parts of the white of his eyes were merged with black. Swirls of black shadows that darkened the room radiated from him. He released a small amount of his aura, making Finn flinch.

Finn gasped as understanding hit him. “You’re Orias!” It wasn’t hard to figure out since only one lycan had pitch-black eyes and could command the shadows.

Orias pushed Gideon back to the surface, and the room lit up again. “Do you know why Orias comes to the human world?”.

Finn knew why; he wasn’t dumb. Gideon came to kill his clan. Looking down with tears sliding down his cheeks, he nodded. “He comes to cleanse the world of evil and restore balance.” Finn wiped his tears with the back of his hand. “Why am I still alive? I’m gross and evil”.

Gideon stood up and reached for a tissue. He sat on the edge of the bed, causing it to dip, sending Finn to his side. A small, muffled squeak and tiny hands pushed against Gideon, making the corner of his lips twitch. He propped Finn back up and mopped his tears. “Who said you’re gross and evil?”

Finn blushed and muttered, “Everyone.”

Gideon knew by ‘everyone,’ Finn meant his dad and Dade. “You’re alive because you’re not gross or evil. And since we only kill gross and evil, you’re safe.”

Finn thought it through while looking deep into Gideon’s eyes. His face showed no emotions, just like Emma said, but his eyes were kind while looking back at him. “Where is my dad?”

Gideon’s eyes hardened, causing Finn to back up a bit and look down at his hands. “Dead.”

Finn inhaled sharply before releasing his breath. He knew he should feel sad, but all he felt was relief. “Would I be a bad person if I didn’t feel sad? Will that make me evil?” he continued to look down until he felt Gideon’s hand ruffle his hair. He snapped his head up, not realizing until right then how close Gideon’s face was. He looked into dark hazel eyes and was nearly lost.

Gideon backed up quickly, putting space between the two. “No, that wouldn’t make you evil,” he answered gruffly. He stiffened up, feeling another presence in the room. “You said you read a lot of history books on the originals. Do you remember who battled next to Orias in some of the great wars?”

Finn’s forehead wrinkled while he raked his brain. He looked back up at Gideon. “Achlys, the demon?”

“Hello, Finley”. Finn’s head snapped to the right at the woman, who just appeared out of nowhere and spoke. He sucked in his breath harshly, causing him to choke on his own spit. Gideon rubbed his back, sending warm shivers throughout his limbs.

Finn’s eyes were glued to the scary lady from the oracle and his dreams. Achlys chuckled and sat down while she watched Finn scoot closer to Gideon. It was all finally making sense and, simultaneously, no sense.

In a high-pitched voice, Finn asked, “Are you Achlys? You were in my room.” He glued himself to Gideon’s side while he watched Achlys.

She gave him a wink and a salute. “Nice to formally meet you, kid. We’re going to be besties, but stop trying to pet me.”

Gideon didn’t think it was possible, but Finn’s eyes widened even more.

Finn sat silently, processing all the information he had just taken in. He looked up at Gideon, no longer afraid, as he realized something big changed his life. He could feel a clean new chapter was about to begin for him. “What’s next? What happens now?” he asked.

Gideon looked back down at him with eyes full of amusement. “Let’s find out together”.