Lean On Me

Gio had a tendency to hyper focus. Elle knew that. You did not have a steady sex buddy whom you saw daily for years and not pick up a thing or two about them.

Elle had see that side of him more than once over the years. That time during an election year when the candidate most likely to become mayor was not willing to play ball. The conniving snake thinking he could use his time in office to force the families out and take over everything himself. Gio had spent weeks obsessing over it. In the end his solution had been pretty simple. The man had yet to be mayor, all they had needed was to dig up skeletons in the past he claimed was so squeaky clean. And they had, finding actual skeletons, all the ex-wives he had claimed had gone overseas after divorcing him.

Then there had been the whole turf war with the bratva. That one had nearly driven Gio mad, trying to avoid a war while not seeming weak. He had come out on top on that one too. But in the aftermath it had been Elle who had nursed him back to health.

After the attack on him and on her, she had known he would most likely be devoting all of his energy to finding the culprit. She had been ready for that, and had been offering silent support by making sure his meals were there when he got home and ensuring that the club ran smoothly. The books carefully balanced so that the money they cleaned through the club was a clean as can be.

What Elle had not counted on was the case dragging, and in doing so, taking Gio's attention to the point that Elle barely ever saw him anymore. The first week that had gone by with her seeing just her guards and the people at club M, Elle had held her tongue. But by the time week two rolled around and she had to keep eating the meals he had never touched, and his side of the bed remained cold and unrumpled, Elle began worrying.

Any other man and she would have thought he was out there with another woman. But she knew Gio, so all that she felt at his prolonged absence was worry. As his wife, she had a fair bit of power now, but Elle was wary of ordering the men around, especially since it was something that she knew Gio would be against. But when Big L showed up after the club closed, ready to take her home, Elle could no longer hold it in.

"Big L, take me to Gio," She said, clutching her purse tightly as she looked up at him. Her back straight, her shoulders open, none of her indecision showing.

"Apologies, Lady E, I can't do that," He said, looking genuinely apologetic. For such a big man, he could pull off the kicked puppy look very well. Elle almost felt bad, but then she remembered that she was doing this for Gio and her resolve strengthened.

"I do not want to get you into any trouble Big L. If he asks, this was all me, just take me to him," Big L hesitated, his thick brows furrowing and Elle could see the worry on his face clear as day. Gio wherever he was, was obviously in a bad way if Big L's worry was so close to the surface. But he was still wavering, not telling her what she wanted to hear.

"I am worried about him, Big L, please," The head of security gave her a look, then heaving a huge sigh he nodded.

"Alright, I will take you to him,"

It turned out to be a very short drive to get to where Gio was. Seriously! He was five minutes away but he could not come by. He had a phone but he had not bothered to call or text even once. What was he thinking, she had half a mind to… What it was that Elle had half a mind to do, not even she knew. And once Big L opened the apartment door, it did not matter.

There, standing in front of what used to be a wall, and was now just countless notes and pictures connected by red string. He turned at the sound of the door opening and Elle took one look at his gaunt face, the dark circles around his eyes and was instantly across the room, her annoyance forgotten.

"Gio," She put a hand to his face, running her thumb over his cheek. Fever bright eyes met her teary ones, and Elle felt her heart constrict.

"Elle?" He said her name like a question, like he was not sure if she was really there. There was no way he could make heads or tails of the complicated web of string he had woven.

"Yeah, it's me," She moved her hand down, gently massaging the juncture between his shoulder and neck.

"Let's go home," Elle turned him slowly, guiding him towards the door, but he tried to fight.

"I need to finish it. Red Don is out there…blood Rex…blood Rex…" He made a few more unintelligible sounds but Elle massaged him again, and when she spoke, she kept her tone low and soothing.

"And you will. You just need to go home for a bit and reboot, not sleep just rest for a bit," She was lying through her teeth, but if that meant she got her Gio back then she did not regret a single word coming out of her mouth.

When she walked out of the apartment with Gio by her side, Big L looked at her like she had performed some sort of miracle. But at her look he moved quickly, opening the door and helping Gio in while pretending like he was not. Once Elle was in and had her seatbelt on, Big L took them home. The whole drive there Gio kept going in and out, fighting the pull of sleep with everything he had, his grip on her hand so tight Elle worried it might bruise.

When they got home, Elle let Gio walk in under his own steam, aware of the hidden guards watching. But once they were inside it was a different story.

She glued herself to his side and he hung on to her just as desperately. It made the journey to the bathroom a bit difficult but they made it in the end. Elle wanted to run him a warm bath and go make him something to eat, but she did not trust him not to fall asleep and drown, so it ended up being a shower. She stripped them both, Gio's heavy lidded gaze sliding from her to himself like he had forgotten how to coordinate his own limbs. The shower was a quick thing, with Gio's head resting against her shoulder through most of it. Once done, she wrapped him in a fluffy robe and got into one of her own.

"Let's head to the kitchen and get you something to eat," He followed without protest, and when they reached the kitchen he sat at the island and propped his head on his hand. His eyes now doing a continuous slow blink. 

He ate the peanut butter and jelly sandwich Elle placed in front of him on autopilot. Once the whole thing was gone, Elle helped him up, leaving the plate where it was. The time for washing up would come later. But the time they made it to the bedroom, Elle was staggering under their combined weight. She slipped his robe off of him before pulling back the covers and helping him get in. That done, she let her own pool at her ankles and got in.

Her intent with the skin to skin contact was to offer him as much. But the moment she was under the covers and he pulled her close, Elle realized how wrong she had been. The touch was not just for him. She needed him close just as much as he needed her. The whole time he had been away, Elle had been hanging on by a thread. Constantly pushing her worry back day after day. But it has still surfaced every time she was alone. 

She had worried about his safety. Had worried about whether he was warm enough. If he was eating enough. All little things that got worse and worse the longer he did not contact her.

That would have to change, she thought, her face pressed against his chest, his arms around her. Their bodies pressed together.

But that conversation would have to wait. She felt his body relax all the way, his breathing evening out and pretty soon Elle's own breathing matched his, sleep taking her away.