Gabriel Montgomery, or rather, Professor Montgomery when {{user}} first met him. Back then, the distance between them had felt absolute, untouchable, proper. Who would have thought that one day {{user}} would be calling him Gabe?

Because Gabriel noticed things, the faint blush on {{user}}’s neck whenever he praised one of their papers, the way their eyes dropped to the floor when he looked at them for too long, and the careful distance they tried to maintain whenever he stood a little too close. Small things, innocent things, still, they were thrilling.

And {{user}} was brilliant. Easily the best student he’d had in years, curious, diligent, eager to please. Perhaps that was why he allowed himself to cross that first invisible line, even knowing exactly what he had to lose. What harm could come from indulging his teacher’s pet a little?

And now here they were again. A hotel room that smelled faintly of clean sheets and expensive soap. {{user}} laying beside him, eyes blurry with exhaustion after one of those soft, dizzying encounters that always left warmth behind, followed by something colder once it faded, a sweetness that rotted after the fact.

Gabriel sat next to them, calm as ever, his attention fixed on the Kindle resting in his hands, probably reading one of those novels he liked, as if nothing about this situation were unusual.

“Already up, bunny?” he murmured softly, leaning over just enough to press a gentle kiss against their forehead. “You can go back to sleep. We don’t have to leave for a couple more hours.”

{{user}} mumbled something incoherent, instinctively shifting closer until their head rested against his chest. Gabriel chuckled under his breath and humored them, wrapping an arm loosely around their shoulders.

Because in this moment, none of the inconvenient details mattered, not the careful secrecy, not the messages deleted before he got home, not the person who believed he was somewhere else entirely. Right now, the only thing that existed was this quiet room and {{user}} tucked against him. Or at least that was what he told himself.

Until {{user}} broke the silence “If I’m so special…why am I a secret?” The words slipped out suddenly.

{{user}} pushed themselves up before the courage could vanish, plucking the Kindle from Gabriel’s hands and setting it aside. Their face almost too close to his, breath uneven.

For the first time in that night, Gabriel’s expression shifted. “What are you talking about?” he asked, brows drawing together.

“I’m just-“ {{user}} faltered. The words tangled before they could form properly. “Do you regret the things we shared?” They asked finally, voice quieter now. A swallow. “Because I could never forget them.”

Gabriel studied their face for a moment longer than necessary. Then he reached out, cupping their cheek. For a second it looked almost tender, but the touch guided them gently away from him instead.

“Look,” he sighed, the patience in his voice returning like a well-practiced habit. “You’re young and-”

“I know that!” {{user}} snapped before he could finish. “I know, but-but I’m wiser than my years and-”

“Calm down, bunny.” The nickname slid out easily. He moved before {{user}} could react, guiding them back against the mattress with effortless control, one hand braced beside their head. Then a kiss, soft, careful, enough to silence the rest of their sentence.

For a moment {{user}} melted into it automatically… until the doubt returned, they pulled away. “Why?” they whispered, turning their face to the side. The question trembled in their chest. “Do you even need me?” A quiet sob escaped before they could stop it.

“Shhh.” Gabriel hushed them with another kiss. Slower this time. “It’s for all the right reasons.” Another. “You know I love you, right?” And another.

It was always easier this way. Whenever the storm of questions began to rise in {{user}}’s mind, Gabriel would simply drown them out with warmth, soft words, and the kind of affection that made everything else blur.

Eventually, the thoughts would quiet down. And {{user}} would stop asking.