Stand By You (Reaper(Gabriel Reyes)xReader)

Chapter 3

After a long day of work, (name) walks into her apartment, where she's greeted by the familiar sight of Reaper -- Gabe, since the mask is off -- on her couch. "Hey, (nickname)." She smiles at him quizzically. "Hey, Gabe. How'd you get in here?"

He stands, starting to take a step forward, then wraithes the rest of the way, rematerializing pressed against her. "You should really leave that window closed, (name). Anyone could get in here." His tone is amused and teasing. Definitely Gabe. Noticing his closeness, she tries to push him away from her, a faint pink dusting her cheeks. This does not go unnoticed by him, and, as Gabe steps back, a low chuckle escapes him. "Something wrong, (nickname)?" She feels her face heat up, a lump in her throat. "N-no."

She pushes past him, trying to hide her quickly reddening face. "How about some tea?" He chuckles again as she rummages through the cupboards, trying to keep her cool. She realizes she left the mugs on the top shelf, and stands on her toes, feeling around the shelf for two mugs. She suddenly feels a pressure against her back and looks back to see him, an innocent smile on his face. She swallows as he grabs the mugs she had been looking for, and sets them on the counter, lingering there for a few moments longer before wraithing back to the couch. "You know how I like it."

She takes a deep breath, and makes the tea, calming down a little. She smiles as she walks over to the couch and sits next to him, handing him his mug. "So..." she pauses, trying to find her words. "Is there something wrong?" He takes the tea from her. "No." She raises her eyebrow at him. "Then why are you here?"

Gabe shrugs, taking a sip of tea. "What, I need an excuse to see you?" She feels her face flush, and quickly turns away, desperate to avoid his eyes. "Yes! I mean, no. I mean-- I don't know." He chuckles before taking another sip of tea, disguising the sly smile on his face. "You okay there, (nickname)?" She looks back up at him, confusion etched into her features.

She didn't understand why he was acting like this. Their relationship had always been based off a routine. Consistency. This, whatever was happening now, was far from that, even farther than what had happened since the first time he took off the mask. "I-I'm fine. I'm fine." She stands abruptly, walking back over to the kitchen, putting her untouched cup of tea on the counter. She can hear his deep laugh filling the space from across the room. "You don't seem fine, (name)." There's another presence pressing against her back as he continues. "Why don't you tell me what's wrong?"

She swallows, unsure of how to deal with this new side of him. He chuckles low in her ear, causing an unwelcome shiver to go down her spine and her face to redden again. As quickly as he came over he's back on the couch again. (name) takes a shaky breath, which for reasons she can't explain is more stable than the rest of her. "Re— Gabe are you sure you're alright?" He laughs, shaking his head a bit. "Hardly. Come sit with me."

She makes her way over to him and sits beside him, an ample amount of space between them. A silence falls over them, the atmosphere shifting into something more comfortable as the time passes. She feels herself relax, noticing him stretch his arms along the back of the couch allowing his fingertips to brush against her shoulder. (name) reflexively leans into his arm, staying there when he doesn't pull away.

"You don't need an excuse to see me." He looks over at her with a slightly smug smile on his face. "Glad to hear it."

She leans against his side, testing the waters to see if he'll pull away. He doesn't. "I... I actually like it when you just visit." He stays quiet, allowing the fall back into a comfortable silence. She feels her eyelids go heavy after sometime, allowing them to close as she leans into him.

She notices a shift and feels his arms wrap around her, picking her up. Still groggy, she tries to get his attention. "Gabe... where are we going?" He carries her down the hall to her bedroom and lays her down on the bed. "Your room. You need some sleep." She grumbles a thank you, quickly taking a liking to the more caring side of him. He sits on the bed for a moment. "Go on, get out." He scoffs. "Just what kind of a person do you think I am, (name)?" She opens her mouth to reply, but is cut off. "Actually, don't answer that." He gets up and walks back to the door, chuckling. "Good night, (nickname)." She's already asleep.

When she wakes again, (name) gets out of bed, rubbing her eyes. When she walks back to the living room, he's waiting on the couch, asleep. She smiles at the figure fast asleep on the couch. She makes her way over to the kitchen to get rid of her cup of tea that was now cold from the hours earlier. She walks over to the couch and decides to take advantage of the space between Gabe's arm and his side, allowing herself to press against him. His arm reflexively wraps around her and she smiles. He stirs shortly after, grumbling a hello to her. She giggles. "Good morning to you too, you big softy." He looks down and rolls his eyes at her. "Softy?" She shoots him a smug grin. "Yes." He pulls his arm away from her, letting it fall over his face. "What's that even supposed to mean? I'm terrifying." She scoffs, standing to face him. "Yeah right. You came to visit me, drank tea, cuddled me and then fell asleep on my couch. Real scary." He laughs. "Whatever you say, (name)." He's quiet for a moment before letting out a frustrated groan into his hands. Concerned, she kneels down so she can get a better look at him. "Gabe?" He looks down at her, almost angry. "I hate that I care about you. I shouldn't let myself care about you." She tilts her head in confusion. "What do you mean?" He raises his voice in an angry desperation. "What would happen if someone found out about you, (name)?" She puts her hand on his face, forcing him to look at her. "It doesn't matter what happens to me. There are others who can help patch you up. I'm really nothing special, Gabe, please don't wor—."

It takes her a moment to process the feeling of lips pressed against hers. It was a sensation she hadn't felt in a long time, and one that was nothing short of intoxicating. He pulls away, his hand now pressed against her hand on his face, holding it there for a moment. She stays silent for a few moments, her mouth hanging open slightly in disbelief, trying to process what had just happened. He releases her hand and moves it from his face, using it to pull her in closer to him. He leans in to whisper in her ear. "(name)... you're incredibly special. There is no one else who I trust more." He moves back up to her lips, brushing his own over them for a moment. "But, Gabe, I—"

She's cut off for the second time by his cold lips moving against hers, and her stomach is flooded with butterflies that she can't justify as he pulls back again. Gabe suddenly looks away, a look of guilt and nervousness written clearly across his face. She swallows, drawing up the courage to speak. "Gabe?" No response. "Gabriel?" He sighs, still looking away. "I forced myself on you... I'm sorry, I shouldn't ha—."

(name) grabs his chin and turns him to face her, pressing her lips onto his. She can feel him tense in surprise, and she pulls away with a smug smile on her face. He's smiling like an idiot, eyes ever so slightly unfocused. "Glad we're on the same page, then." He leans in to kiss her again, and (name) finds herself feeling a way she hasn't in a long time. Happy. Ever since that first day, everything about this, about them, has shifted and changed into something (name) couldn't even begin to explain. She comes to realize that, as their relationship continues to shift, and the routine continues to change, maybe she doesn't mind it so much after all.