Cape Crossed

Chapter Seventeen

Jake's apartment was busier than he'd seen it in a long time. People were milling in and out dropping boxes and pushing furniture. Some people he recognized and some he didn't. Sebastian definitely didn't recognize the elderly woman bossing him around in the kitchen. Nor did he recognize the man she doted on like a son. He was fine with them being strangers as long as they kept making those delicious smells come out of his tiny kitchen.

Across the room, Hannah and Claudia were standing close together pointing out spots on the wall. That had bad feelings chasing themselves up and down his spine. They all fell away when she caught his eye and smiled widely.

She'd been smiling like that since he'd come home. Even when he convinced her to get rid of her wobbly dining chairs that were chipped. Hannah had called it character, he called it a hazard. They'd used Warren as a final deciding factor on whether to keep his newer chairs or her 'character' filled chairs. Hannah had used that loss to win the argument of which bed frame to keep. She called it fair.

Warren shuffles to his side, pushing a box into Jake's hands. "So, you've thought this through right?" He asked.

Jake rolled his eyes and nodded his head towards the office room. Warren followed him and pull the door almost closed, leaving it open just a crack. The box turned out to be full of Hannah's clothes and he shot Warren a quick questioning look before he shoved it under his desk.

"I spent hours thinking this out, I know what I'm doing," Jake insisted. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the large wooden bookshelf behind the desk. "You still think it's a bad idea?"

"I think it's dangerous," Warren corrected him.

"What's the worst that could happen really? So she finds out, fine. She'd understand what I was doing and we'd live happily ever after." Jake shrugged and glanced at the door.

"Unless she's actually friends with a cape," Warren hissed. He stepped closer and lowered his voice even further. "She might just play on those high morals of hers and sell you out."

"She wouldn't," Jake insisted. He grabbed Warren by the collar, dragging the smaller man towards him. Warren's eyes glinted purple for only a moment, but that was all it took.

Jake's eyes shut of their own accord and images played across the closed lids. Hannah, finding him with his hands around a cape's throat. Hannah, being held an interrogated for information about him by the capes. Hannah, pulling his mask off. Hannah, her face behind a mask. Hannah, a lifeless body in front of him.

Hannah.

Hannah.

"Jake?" Both men locked their attention on the door as it creaked open. They broke apart and forced smiles onto their faces just as Hannah poked her head through. "There you are."

"Yep, here I am." Jake fought to control his voice as he moved towards her. He didn't make eye contact with either of them, he couldn't. Either one of their looks would only start a new nightmare.

"Your face is all weird," Hannah noted, trying to rub some color back into his cheeks.

"I'm fine, let's go," Jake mumbled and moved past her.

Hannah glanced at Warren before letting herself be pulled along and out of the room. She couldn't be sure but it felt like there was something lurking in his eyes. There was a gentle press on her mind, a feather light brush of nothingness.

"Where were you two sneaking off to?" Sebastian teased. He'd turned the corner just as they left the room completely and was eyeing them suspiciously.

"We weren't sneaking," Hannah scoffed. Of course it had been Sebastian looking for her. Her imagination had nearly gotten the better of her then. Ever since Hijack had cornered her for help she'd felt eyes on her at every turn. The feeling had gotten so strong she'd had Claudia and  Finn stay with her a few nights just to be sure no one was actually following her. She worried her lip between her teeth as the feeling returned. Just a feeling.

"Hello? Earth to Hannah," Jake called out to her again and she finally focused her eyes on him. "Space out much?"

Hannah glanced between both men who were staring at her intently. Another light brush to her mind and suddenly she felt safe. She glanced at Sebastian appreciatively and turned her full attention to Jake. "I was just thinking about how I was going to fit all my things in your tiny bathroom."

"Our tiny bathroom, and I already cleaned out the cabinet for you," Jake explained.

"I don't think I need a full cabinet, a shelf is fine," she muttered. Her cheeks flushed red when she saw Sebastian stifling a laugh.

"I carried in your box marked bathroom Han, you're going to need a trunk for all that," Sebastian managed to say between snickers.

"Did you have something to ask us or did you just come to help mock me?" Hannah snapped.

Warren nudged past them with his phone to his ear. He only made a few grunts and unintelligible mumbles but Sebastian frowned when their shoulders brushed.

"Is everything ok with him?" Hannah asked.

"Yeah just...family stuff," Jake assured her. "I'll go talk to him." He kissed her cheek quickly and ran off after the petite man weaving him way between the meandering swarm of people in the living room.

"Who is he again?" Sebastian asked her once they were alone.

"A friend of Jake's from work," Hannah muttered. She and Sebastian moved in closer together and lowered their voices further. "I've got this feeling..."

"You wanna keep an eye on him?" Sebastian guessed. She nodded in reply. "Could just be a feeling."

"I know, I'm probably just overreacting again. But if I'm not...Jake's too close to him for it to turn out any sort of good."

"Don't worry, nothing is going to happen to Jake. Not ever," he promised. Henry called out for him from the kitchen and Sebastian quickly straightened up. "Food is ready by the way."

"I'll be right there," Hannah said with a little sigh. "Oh and thanks, for that mental hug."

"Mental hug?" Sebastian raised and eyebrow. "I'm telekinetic Han, not telepathic. I don't touch the brain, too messy and squishy." He shuddered and hurried out of the narrow hallway leaving Hannah alone with her feeling and the creeping dread.