CHAPTER 4
THIRD PERSON POV
"We should all establish the fact that I do not normally cry, I haven't cried in four years," Lydia says, holding onto Gabriel for dear life as he keeps his head buried in her, rather messy, hair, breathing in her scent.
"Do not stress, malen'kaya lisa. We do not on average cry, either," Raven rumbles, crossing his arms and watching the two younger mates embrace each other.
"You mean you don't normally cry?" Lydia asks, turning to look at the Russian in question, a confused look on her face.
Raven breaks into a small smile as he motions his hand like he is swatting a fly, "Da, same."
"No, it's not the same. That was improper grammar, average and normal, though similar in meaning, are not exchangeable in a sentence of that context," Lydia says, turning her head in confusion before a blush covers her cheeks. She didn't mean to sound like a grammar Nazi.
Smirking Raven winks at her, loving the blush and obvious intelligence of his mate. Lydia hisses as Dr. Roberts pulls another long piece of glass from her heel, grumbling under his breath as he cuts glares up at her constantly.
She sat perched on Gabriel's lap, who sat on the end of a hospital table thing, the things with paper on them. His arms were wound around her stomach, clutching her to him, while her arms were wrapped around his.
After she started sobbing in the office, Raven had picked her up and ran around the hospital to find Dr. Roberts, thinking that she was crying cause she was in pain. It was then that Gabriel realized she was hurt, and she was crying because of what he tried to do.
The sound of shrill ringing interrupted Dr. Roberts, who was just about to comment on the fact that they should most likely discuss what had happened, both with the recent mate developments, Gabriel's mental health, and Lydia being forced to scream again.
With a groan, Lydia pulls the clear phone from her pocket out, it had been a new design she was working on that incorporated FRIDAY and the Iron Legion.
Her eyes widened as Happy Hogan's name flashes across the screen. She might have forgotten to alert anyone that they left Stark tower. She might have also stolen the Jet (even though it was hers) because she was grounded from flying it after the last time.
"Before you ask, yes I am still at home in bed, yes I ate breakfast, and no I had nothing to do with anything that has possibly happened in the last four hours," Lydia says as soon as she hits the accept call button.
"So you're telling me that the glass rain that cut fifteen people this morning, caused five car accidents, and ended with a scream wasn't you?" Happy says, his tone light and teasing.
With widened eyes Lydia looks at Raven, an idea coming to mind, "Oh no! A big Russian man just committed vandalism! I must go to stop him!"
"Why would I do vandalism?" Raven asks in a stage whisper, his eyes wide with confusion as he looks around him.
Gabriel laughs softly into Lydia's shoulder, slightly distracting her as she giggles as the sound.
"You don't do hero work, Ly. Much less stopping huge Russian men from vandalism. At least you dad would come up with believable lies."
"Yes, well, I guarantee you that I am not out partying, at a strip club, or doing anything else that Daddy would have had to lie about." Lydia snorts, rolling her eyes as she looks up at the ceiling.
"That sounded ridiculously snotty. Like Paris Hilton having to learn what Walmart is snotty. Do I need to cut your spending again?"
"No, Happy, you don't need to cut my spending. I do need you to send me the info for Mr. Bykov though, now that I think about it."
"You are aware that he is the Russain Mob boss, correct? And you're kinda like the head superhero figure of the Avengers right now, correct?"
"I need to ask him some questions about how to kidnap some people, without actually kidnapping then. I guess I could just drive my car through their house? Or maybe I'll crash the jet into their house. The possibilities are endless."
"I swear to god if you crash that..."
"Sorry Happy! You're breaking up! I have to go, I can't hear you!" Lydia brings the phone away from her face and hits the end call button, rolling her eyes at the men in the room who stare at her with shock. Well Raven stares at her in shock, Gabriel was behind her, and Dr. Roberts simply smiled.
"You are going after their family aren't you?" Dr. Roberts asks, bandaging the last wound on Lydia's foot before standing up with a slight smirk.
"Of course I am. Gabriel has nine brothers from what FRIDAY has told me, none of which was reported blipped but I'm assuming not everyone is gone, and they drove him to suicide," Gabriel visibly flenches at the term, "So I'm going to round them up, scare them like I was scared, then possibly return them to Gabey boy in one whole piece."
"Who exactly where are you planning on targeting first? I have plenty of guns, I am professional Russian just like Bykov, but my gun is so much better," Raven asks, his arms bulging in his t-shirt. He knew the second she figured out about his family she would be on their asses to, but perhaps it would be best to let her handle the boy's family first. She did need to get rid of some obvious anger.
Lydia cuts her eyes towards him, raising her brows slightly in a "Don't think I'm forgetting about you," manner. It was obvious that she was prepared to handle the mate situation, though it was odd that her mates were from two separate Academy teams. And had nothing in common. At all.
"The stick-up-his ass one, Mr. Blackhorn or something stupid like that. He is supposed to be the leader. I have drone's tracking all the members of the team that FRIDAY could get his eyes on..."
"Who exactly is the FRIDAY man, his name is about as stupid as South's name," Raven snaps, jealousy flaring through him at the prospects of sharing his mate with someone named Friday. And someone not in his family.
"He's my AI, Raven. He controls everything I own, have, and do. He's basically this really fucking big computer brain thing that makes like so much easier."
Gabriel pulls away from her hair, joining the conversation with a serious look on his face, as he cuts off the banter between Raven and Lydia, "I'm sorry I did what I did, Lydia. I know it was wrong but it was my only option. And I met you, on the bright side. I know I'll be begging for forgiveness for my sins or whatever the rest of my life. But before I start begging for forgiveness can I help you with my family? I just want to make them better, make them whole again. After all of our glue left we fell apart, and no matter what I did I couldn't get us back together. So can we please fix them, and then I'll spend the rest of eternity begging for your forgiveness and apologizing."
"That was a bunch of words for little man," Raven rumbles, furrowing his eyebrows as he looks between the red-head and the boy. Did she not just say she was going to fix his family? Or maybe she said she was going to kill them? He should probably start listening better.
"Gabriel, you don't have to beg for my forgiveness. Just know that you're going to be attached to my hip all the time because I don't trust you not to do anything stupid yet. And If your not with me I'm leaving you with Raven... and worse case I'll leave you with some extended family members. But I am going to fix your family, you'll just have to let me do it my way. I have had to deal with a whole group who blames the apocalypse on themselves, and that shit didn't sit well for them. So I'll fix your family, and I'll bring your lost family back again. But first, we have to take it step by step. And I'll kill you myself if you ever think about doing that again."
Before anyone can say anything else, Gabriel quickly darted forward and drug his tongue from the base of Lydia's neck all the way to the side of her eye, leaving a long wet trail, "Don't worry babe, I've got you and I'm never letting go. Your f*cking mine now."
"Ms. Stark, your sister just created an explosive in the waiting room and is refusing to give it over," A tech said, poking his head in the door and panting slightly. The mood in the room was absolutely destroyed as Lydia bounces up from Gabriel's lap.
"That's totally unfair! I want to play with explosives too!" She screeches, racing out the door and leaving a wide-eyed Russian, doctor, and Gabriel in her wake.
"We better hurry before they blow up my hospital," Dr. Roberts mumbles, rushing after her with shouts falling off his lips.
"Please tell me they were joking?" Gabriel asks quietly
A loud boom, followed by the smoke alarms, sirens, and sprinklers going off rock through the hospital. Both boys look towards each other, before rushing out of the room they were in after their trouble-making mate.