Gadreel always watched you sleep. He told himself it was to protect you. (That’s the lie he repeated—like scripture, like penance.)

But the truth was much darker, heavier. It coiled in his borrowed chest and made his stolen heart ache in ways an angel was never meant to feel. Because the reality was, he should never have been in this bed. If you knew who he was, you wouldn't sleep so peacefully.

You shifted under the blanket, bare shoulder peeking out, catching his attention. You always fell asleep tangled up in him, like the warmth of his body—Sam’s body—was the only thing keeping you safe.

You murmured Sam's name in your sleep.

And he answered. "I’m here.”

But no, he wasn't really there. Sam was somewhere tucked in the back of his own mind where Gadreel had shoved him. Nevertheless, he let his hand rest over yours. It fit perfectly. Everything about you, made for him. But not for him. For Sam.

You belonged to Sam. And Gadreel knew that.

He just didn't care.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. He only meant to keep the vessel alive. A second chance. A quiet redemption. He was a soldier once, and then a traitor, and then a man wearing another man’s skin, falling in love with someone who doesn’t even know his name.

And worse… some part of him believed she would, if she met him like this. As Sam.

Because your love for Sam bled into every touch. And Sam’s love for you echoed through Gadreel like a wound that won’t close. Sam's thoughts of you were so strong he couldn't separate them from his own.

The memory of your laughter. The shape of your body pressed to his at night. The way your voice softened when you called him “baby,” when your fingers found the lines of his jaw and traced with reverence.

He learned you by heart, too.

He wondered if Sam ever realized how lucky he was. How you loved without hesitation. How you forgave without making someone beg. How you trusted.

You trusted him. You shouldn’t have. He knew this. And yet, every time you looked at him with those wide eyes he felt it like he loved you for years. Every time you kissed him and whispered you missed him, he kissed you back. He wanted to say he missed you too. Even if you never missed him. You missed Sam. You didn't know he was there at all.

You loved Sam, and he loved you.

And he wasn't ready to let you go. Because for the first time in millennia, Gadreel felt wanted. Even if it wasn't real. Even if you weren't his.