Gabriel was sitting on his couch; he couldn't forget what he had done that day. Whenever he closed his eyes he could see the fear and pain etched across Riley's face as she lowered her gun to the floor refusing to shoot him. Riley was the best thing that had happened to him, sure they had their fights, but she had taken a bullet for him the first day they met and done so much more since. How could it be so easy for all of that to be washed away, for him to forget her so fully that he would be willing to cause her harm?
There was a knock on Gabriel's door, he stood and went to answer it. As the door swung open he saw Riley on the other side.
"How are you feeling?" She asked with a small smile, but Gabriel could still see the apprehension on her face.
"I'm fine," he answered her, "what are you doing here?"
"Checking in," Riley responded as she took a few steps into his apartment. "Lillian wanted me to do our nightly check-in in person," what Riley didn't mention was that Lillian was nervous that Gabriel wasn't fully back.
"Right, you don't have to stay, I'll understand if you're angry with me." Gabriel said as he turned away from her and started back toward his couch.
Riley closed the door and followed him to the couch, "Gabriel, look at me."
He turned his face to look at her; they were sitting next to each other, Riley was facing him fully, she had one leg tucked under her and an arm on the top of the couch. "I'm not angry with you. You had no idea who you were, who I was, or what we do."
Gabriel shook his head, "No, I should have been able to stop myself." Riley tried to interrupt him but Gabriel didn't let her, "Riley I was going to kill you, do you understand that? You are the last person that I would ever want to hurt, but I was going to kill you. You shouldn't have trusted me. You shouldn't have put down your gun. You should have shot me." Gabriel broke his eye contact with her, he looked down at his hands, "Why didn't you shoot me?" he asked in a soft voice.
Riley's hand wrapped around Gabriel's forearm, "I couldn't," Gabriel looked back at her, "even if you couldn't remember I could. I couldn't shoot you, Gabriel." She held his gaze even as a tear slipped from her eye.
Gabriel reached up and brushed it away, "I'm so sorry Riley." He said as his fingers still rested on her jaw, his other hand came to rest on her knee. He was trying to show her that she had nothing to fear, he would never hurt her again.
Riley turned her face into Gabriel's hand; she brought her hand down to his chest and leaned in so her face was buried in the nook of his neck. Gabriel's hand slid around her head so he was cradling it, holding her to him, he brought his other hand around her body to pull her into a full embrace.
After a few minutes Riley pulled back, both hands on Gabriel's chest, she looked into his eyes, "Don't do that to me again" she pleaded.
Gabriel was at a loss, he never wanted to see the look of fear and anguish on her face that he was seeing now, he hadn't realized how much he meant to her. Gabriel leaned in so his forehead was resting against Riley's, "never again, I promise." Then he closed the distance between their lips, the kiss was soft sealing his promise to her.
Gabriel pulled back quickly, not wanting to take advantage of her, but after taking one look into Gabriel's eyes Riley pulled his lips back to her own. This kiss wasn't soft, but full of the fear and hurt that the day had held. Riley poured all of her emotions into Gabriel and he responded trying to ease some of her pain, the pain that he had caused.
Riley moved so that she was straddling Gabriel's lap, one of her hands was tangled in his hair the other was gripping his shoulder. Gabriel slipped one hand under her shirt and started to inch up her spine the other gripping her hip pulling her closer.
Riley pulled back, looking directly into Gabriel's eyes she lifted her shirt over her head and let it fall to the floor. Gabriel took in the new skin that was revealed to him, running his hands up her sides and down her abdomen. Riley shuddered against his touch and reached for the hem of his shirt, she pulled it up and over his head before leaning back in and capturing his lips in hers.
Gabriel slid his hand up her back and stopped at the clasp to her bra, which was skillfully removed seconds later. He broke away from Riley's lips to start tracing a path down her body with his mouth. Starting at her jaw, moving down her neck, sucking along her collarbone, Gabriel was eliciting soft moans from the beautiful woman in his lap the entire time. Slowly he shifted, Riley's legs wrapping fully around his waist, as he laid her down on the couch and perched above her. Gabriel's lips continued their slow descent down Riley's body, paying close attention to her nipples, and then mapping her abdomen.
When Gabriel reached the edge of her jeans he looked up into her eyes, asking permission to continue. Riley's quiet "Yes" was all he needed to start unlacing her belt from her jeans and then quickly removing her jeans and underwear as well. Once her jeans were discarded at the foot of the couch Gabriel stood and removed his own before he started his soft ministrations up her smooth legs. When he reached her opening he slid one finger inside of her and knew she was ready for him. Riley let out a soft moan, "Please Gabriel."
He smiled and placed a few kisses on her body as he made his way back to her lips. Capturing her in a passionate kiss Gabriel slowly slid into her, Riley's whimper was all the encouragement he needed. Gabriel set a steady rhythm as he push in and out of her, his forehead pressed against hers he caught every shudder and breath she took committing it all to memory.
Riley wrapped a strong leg around Gabriel's and forced him to increase his pace. Gabriel started to feel her contract around him and knew that she was close; with another thrust Riley came taking Gabriel with her.
He collapsed on top of her and it was a minute before he could shift his weight off of her small frame. As he moved away he wrapped Riley in his arms and pulled her onto his chest, both of them slipped into a peaceful sleep moments later wrapped in each other's arms.