bsumone | ❝ Nobody knows where you’re going ❞

Dal was still shivering, but it didn't stop him from cringing at every touch from the paramedics. Even the most basic things, like getting his pulse and blood pressure, brought the fear in his eyes into sharp relief. They must have radioed ahead because, as Gabriel requested, they had an interpreter there to help Dal through whatever exams and tests needed to be done.

Once they were there, Dal was silent, mostly just staring off and keeping his hand clenched in Gabriel's sleeve. He fought when they tried to swap out Gabriel's coat for a hospital gown. The compromise ended up being to let him have the coat back after they finally got him to change. After that, he fell silent, simply nodding whenever the interpreter spoke. And after a few uneventful hours, they discharged him with a warning to come back if he experienced any number of a list of symptoms in the next 72-hours.

He was still shaking.

By the time they let him leave, someone (probably from Gabriel's team) brought some clothes: a set of sweats that were a little too big. They weren't Dal's clothes, and at some later time he would be grateful that some stranger hadn't been rifling through what little he had at his apartment. He just hoped to get his own clothes back at some point. It didn't occur to him at the time, in his detached state of mind, that they were evidence now.

Had he let go of Gabriel's sleeve at all the entire time? Probably not and his hand ached from that vise-like grip he kept. There would be questions; from the FBI, maybe from the police, too. He didn't think about any of that. Dal felt stuck in that moment when he'd gasped in the first mouthful of water, then later when he felt his head get light and his body going weak and his vision started to darken. A few more seconds...

He remained silent until they were in the warmth of Gabriel's car, the heat blasting on him as he continued to shake. It was fear. Real and true fear. Then finally, "... can I stay with you?"

Gabriel did as he said and he filled out all paperwork. He made sure to work with the hospital to get it so Dal wouldn't have to pay a single penny. Then, since he was the only one that was trusted right now, he helped him to get dressed and talked to the officers that showed up to say that Dal was in shock and needed the night before they questioned him tomorrow. And that he was going to pick who questioned him.

Dal deserved to have someone be gentle with him. Not interrogated like he was at fault when he was the victim here.

With that, he thanked an agent of his for bringing his car to the hospital before loading his companion into it. At the question, he nodded and encouraged the younger man to rest his hand on his leg. Not for anything sexual but rather because he could handle the car while Dal could have physical contact with him. "You're staying with me, yes. We want to make sure that you're safe. Tonight you can rest and then I'll be the one to get your statement tomorrow, alright? You only have to talk to me in the station tomorrow. I promise."

He'd make sure of that.

"Just hold onto me. I'll get you to my room and we won't go anywhere else tonight."

He could feel the warmth of Gabriel's skin seeping through his pant leg where his hand rested. It's the only warmth he really felt. Even with the vents pointed at him and spilling hot air into the car. Why did it feel like Gabriel was the only thing that was real? Dal wasn't even sure he was. It felt like this was all some fevered dream his brain created in those lost few seconds when the oxygen became just too little. Wasn't he really back in that room drowning? Wasn't that why he was still shivering?

"... I gotta work..." he murmured in a distant tone.

"We'll worry about that later. Right now you need to rest somewhere safe."

Gabriel sped them all the way to the hotel and only parted from Dal long enough to get out of the car to go help him out. Then he got him up to his room to sit him down on the bed. Taking his jacket off, he knelt before him so he could get those shoes that were given to him off.

"You're safe here, Dal. No one can get you here."

Dal just kept his eyes fixed on Gabriel, as if the man might vanish if he blinked or looked away. Once his shoes were gone, he looked down at his bare feet and wiggled his toes to make sure he could still control them. Then he turned his focus back to Gabriel. The terror was still fresh in them and he couldn't shake it. Dal swallowed hard and reached out for Gabrile's hands and clung to them.

"Stay here with me?"

It's not appropriate. It's definitely not the best thing for the case, but Dal doesn't want to sleep alone.

It was in this moment that he had to decide what was better for the victim or what was appropriate. No one could make that decision for him and he knew that. And Gabriel already knew what his decision was anyway. So he gave Dal a very warm smile as he gave those hands a gentle squeeze.

"I'm going to go right over there to change. You'll be able to see me the whole time, alright? Then I'm going to send the recording of our call to my superior. After that we can stay right here. Together. Is that okay?"

"I won't watch if ya don't want..." But he appreciated that Gabriel wanted to stay in his line of sight. The last thing he wanted was to make Gabriel uncomfortable. But he desperately didn't want to be alone and he didn't trust anyone but the man in front of him now. The man who's been so kind and understanding, the one who hadn't judged him from the start, the one who wants to be with him when it's all over, the one who pulled him back from the black nothing that threatened him hours ago.

So he waited, folding his hands in his lap and focusing on them to give Gabriel enough privacy but still keep the man in his periphery. Dal wasn't going to change. These sweats were clean and though a bit large, they'd be comfortable enough to sleep him. And a little less scandalous than a bathroom when they were going to share the bed.

"It's alright. If you need to be able to see me then I don't mind." Going over to his things, he got himself changed then sent the recording to his supervisor as proof so that way there was no way for their killer to get out of this. Dal had been the real one to take him down with that phone call and he was forever grateful to him for that. After deadbolting the door and making sure the lights were dim, he went to get into the bed with the other man.

Right now appropriate didn't matter as much as comfort from trauma did. And no one was going to be able to know about this. So, he reached out and pulled Dal into his arms to invite him to cling again for as long as he wanted to.

"Try and sleep if you can. But if you can't that's alright. I'm still here."

The moment Gabriel was in bed and pulling him close, Dal tucked in close against him. He pillowed his head on Gabriel's shoulder and draped an arm over his ribs, fingers curling into his shirt. His body was still quaking but he felt somehow numb. He breathed out one lone breath, like a sigh, and then he squeezed his eyes shut. He wanted to cry or scream or... something, but he felt nothing. Maybe it was shock. He'd never felt anything like this before he he lacked the language to name it properly.

"I don't wanna," he murmured. "I close my eyes and I just see him standin' over me.

"You don't have to sleep yet if you don't want to," he reassured again, gently running his hand over Dal's back. He didn't mind grounding him until he was able to finally sleep. Which likely would only be when exhaustion claimed him. And how restful that would be was anyone's guess.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do right now. I'm here regardless."

For a moment, Dal's quiet. Then his shiver redoubled and his fingers tightened even more in Gabriel's sleepwear. "I was so stupid..." Stupid to trust someone when Gabriel had done more than insinuate this killer was someone people like Dal trusted. Stupid to think they'd be getting groceries before 6am. Stupid to let himself be victimized like that. "I'm so sorry..."

"Trusting someone doesn't make you stupid, Dal. You were really brave. Because of your actions we got him off the streets and he'll never hurt anyone ever again. Because of you I was able to put an end to all his evil. Perhaps you did fall for his trick at first but you were far from stupid. You are the bravest, most intelligent man I've ever met."

And he meant every word of that. If Dal hadn't kept his composure to do what he did then Gabriel would have needed to identify his body instead.

"It may not feel that way but you are a hero, Dal."

“I wasn’t thinkin’ of any of that,” he admitted. “I just wanted you to find me… one way or the other. I wanted it to be you.” It had to be someone who cared and wouldn’t simply treat him (or his corpse) like high-risk street trash that no one would miss.

Well, Gabriel would’ve been the only one who missed him anyway.

Dal kept his head tilted down so Gabriel couldn’t see his face. He should be angry or sad or something. Maybe it would all come later but right now he just had that thousand yard stare and wanting nothing more than to be exactly where he was: safe with Gabriel, his anchor.

"That doesn't make you less of a hero in my eyes."

After all others had had phones too and yet none had recognized something was wrong to call someone. Dal was very brave no matter his motivations. Gabriel was proud of him for that.

"I'm really glad you did call me. I knew right away that something was wrong."

A tiny smile curled his lips. “Is that ‘cause I always text?” He hoped Gabriel would realize something was off, not only because he called, but also because he wasn’t speaking. Maybe it was a bit of cleverness on his part.

Finally, Dal tilted his head back so he could look at Gabriel. He was still pale and fear lingering in his eyes. But here with this man he felt a degree of safety.

“Thank you for savin’ me.”

Edited (Typo) 2023-03-31 19:47 (UTC)

"Thank you for believing in me. And yes. It was because you never call me."

Gabriel smiled at him and tucked some of that hair back from Dal's face. So beautiful. Truly the bravest man he'd ever known.

"I'm glad you're safe now."

He didn’t feel wholly safe. He felt safer resting there beside Gabriel, wrapped in those strong arms. He’s dreamt of that for a while now. It was nothing like the real thing. Gabriel felt warm and solid against him. Dal could hear his heart beat in his chest and feel the rise and fall of his breathing. There so many details his imagination hadn’t considered.

But these weren’t the ideal circumstances. Far from it. He curled in closer for more contact with the one thing anchoring him in reality. He was going to be lost the moment they were apart, Dal knew and dreaded it. But he had to get back out when the sun went down. Gabriel would have to work away from him at some point.

Then he’d fall back into the spiral of his dark thoughts. Then the shaking would get worse. The fear and horror of seeing that face distorted through the water would haunt him.

“I don’t feel safe without you.”

"I know. But we'll worry about things like that later. Right now you have me and that is what matters."

The rest they could start figuring out tomorrow. There was no need to figure out everything right at this exact moment. Gabriel even brought a hand up to start gently stroking through Dal's hair.

"I'm right here."

Oh, that felt nice. Genuine physical gestures of affection were rare for him — giving or receiving them. He longed for the time when they could be free with them luke this without harrowing circumstances surrounding them.

Dal was so tired but his body was still in its fight-or-flight mode. Sleep would be a long time coming. But as long as he could just rest here in Gabriel’s arms, he felt like it would be fine. Drowsiness could morphing into sleepiness and then into sleep eventually.

He breathed out quietly and the death grip he held on Gabriel’s shirt slowly began to loosen as Dal relaxed. It was at least an hour or more before the tension in his body melted away and his breathing grew slow and steady. Soft mumbles occasionally interrupted his quiet sleep. Every now and them, Dal jolted awake, terrified that he was still in the room, being held under water.

But with Gabriel’s reassurances, he drifted back to sometimes fitful, sometimes calm sleep.

Gabriel was always there to make sure that Dal could see him throughout the day and even into the night so that way he'd know he wasn't alone. He wasn't in that room. He was safe with the person he trusted and they were far from that cruel room.

The next day he didn't ask Dal if he wanted to shower before they left, aware that was something that was going to have to be worked up to and today wasn't that time. Instead, he just took his time with the other to make sure that he was ready to go. Ready to go to the station where he'd already sent word that he would be the officer to get his statement. This was not a time for anyone to be judging Dal while they were talking to him.

He offered Dal a smile. "Are you ready to go? You will be with me the entire time. I won't leave you alone with anyone else."

Was he ready? Probably not. But he was sure Gabriel would be true to his word. As long as he wasn't left alone with some stranger, as long as no one laid hands on him, Dal would be as okay as he was going to be after a traumatic incident.

"I'm ready."

He was quiet on the ride there, trying to steel himself to relive his near death. It wouldn't be pleasant and he could already feel his hands starting to tremble. Dal didn't say anything once they arrived, simply following wherever he was led to recount what happened.

Edited 2023-04-02 00:05 (UTC)

The car ride was quick and Gabriel led them straight to the office of the commanding officer. There were only a couple people in that room but Gabriel got Dal sat down then sat across from him to make sure Dal only had to look at him. Smiling at him, he got the recording device set up and identified who the young man was and why he was there.

"Alright Dal. Take your time and give your statement. Tell us what happened as you remember it. We're here to listen."

He felt like so many eyes were on him. Cold, calculating, eager for all the gory details. To take them away and dehumanize what happened, make it all neat and clean and sanitized. Devoid of all humanity, cold, hard facts.

Swallowing hard, Dal folded his hands in his lap and recounted his story. He spoke of how decent the man had always been to him, of how they would speak casually at the shelter. Of how he asked Dal for help while he was on his way home and everything from there on.

That he called Agent Moreno because he sensed something was amiss when he realized they were going in the wrong direction. Dal described the house and the man’s face in detail. He remembered the prayer and that disgusting shower. He looked down when he got to that part.

“And then you came in.”

Gabriel's superior was behind him and he looked at the commanding officer of the police station as Gabriel hit stop on the recording. He looked severe but there was a certain warmth to his eyes. Not that it was expected for Dal to notice that right now. "That lines up with the call Agent Moreno sent me. You have a copy in your email. It's time we contacted the DA and put an end to this."

With that he dismissed Gabriel who rested a hand on Dal's shoulder. "Let's get you out of here. You did well and we can take it from here. You won't ever have to see that man ever again."

Dal knew very little of the American justice system. He didn't know what happened next in Gabriel's case. Nor did he care to know the details. As long as that man was off the street and others were safe from him, that's what Dal cared about. That's what he was sure Gabriel cared about, too.

The hand on his shoulder jolted Dal back to reality. He even started in his seat, then relaxed when he realized it was Gabriel. He glanced from the other people to Gabriel, an uncertain look on his face.

"I can leave now?"

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