The day had been dull up until last period. We were on our way out of the building, heading toward the bus line, when I noticed three guys hanging near the double doors — the same crowd that had been needling Gabriel since the start of the year.
They saw us coming.
“Well, well,” the ringleader said as we got closer, stepping into the middle of the doorway. “If it isn’t the music nerd and his… bodyguard.”
Gabriel didn’t slow down. “Move.”
The guy laughed. “Or what? Your boyfriend here gonna break my arm?”
I took a step forward, but Gabriel’s arm came up slightly — not touching me, just a quick flick of the wrist that said, I’ve got this.
The ringleader smirked. “What, you think you’re tough now just ‘cause the big guy’s been hovering over you? Newsflash, guitar boy — without him, you’re nothing.”
Gabriel’s tone was calm, almost casual. “You really think that?”
“Pretty sure.”
He stepped closer until they were just inches apart. Gabriel’s voice dropped low, but carried enough weight that I could hear every word. “You’re right. I’m not the strongest guy in the room.” He tilted his head slightly toward me. “But I don’t need to be. You’re gonna move, because you don’t want to find out what happens if you don’t.”
The guy’s smirk faltered. He looked past Gabriel — at me — and his Adam’s apple bobbed once.
“Your move,” Gabriel said.
For a second, it could have gone either way. Then the ringleader stepped aside, muttering something about being late for practice. His friends followed, and the doorway cleared.
As we walked through, I kept my voice low. “Not bad.”
He gave a small shrug, but I could see the faint grin he was trying to hide. “I just… knew he’d back off. Like I could see it in his face before it happened.”
“That’s instinct,” I said. “It’s waking up in you.”
He glanced over at me. “Feels good.”
“It should,” I told him. “But this was the easy part. Next time, you might have to prove it.”
Gabriel’s grin widened, and for a moment, he looked every bit the wolf I knew was buried under his skin. “Then I guess you’ll have to show me how.”
“Oh,” I said with a faint smirk. “I was counting on it.”