Peel seemed calmer, less distressed by the imbalance of power, or rather the near complete reversal of it-- his breathing was level, the tension in his body had faded bit by bit, and even though he was still on edge, it was not the same.  Gabriel was glad for that easement; he felt so incredibly lucky, getting the chance to become closer with his Sir, with the man he loved so dearly, and he knew it was a fragile thing to be taken seriously and treated with the utmost respect.  If Gabriel did not prove how much he appreciated this opportunity, if he did not show Paul how much he longed for this, then his lord might never allow such a miraculous moment again.  He could not live with that.<br/><br/>He let Paul take his time, keeping his gaze low so that the other could try and reform some of his stoicism, if he so chose; Gabriel focused instead on the way his Sir felt, the warmth and the solidity of his body, the taste of him on his lips, the subtle movements that delighted and made the boy want to laugh...  Kisses, kisses everywhere, hard ones and soft ones, ones with teeth and the lightest brushing of skin, all just to say everything Gabriel could never put into words.<br/><br/>When he did glance up, he was met with a breath-taking sight: Paul was staring at him with the most peculiar look in his eyes, something Gabriel had never seen in anyone else.  Nobody had looked at him like that, not once in his life...  And he did not know what to do.  It was foreign, alien; it sent Gabriel's pulse thudding in his throat, suddenly aching as the perpetual hollow space in his chest, the emptiness that had always been there, shivered and curled up tightly, a little knot beneath his heart that was now meek and easily neglected.  He stared back, green eyes wide and more alive than Paul had ever seen, and paused in his explorations just to breathe.<br/><br/>Gabriel had never told Paul he loved him; at least not in words, not really, but it was easy enough to figure out, and Paul was a wickedly intelligent man.  He had to know, and his angel would never lie to him if confronted...  But he had not dared to hope, to dream, to pray that Paul might love him just the same.  And yet, if he understood what he was seeing, there it was.  Right there, in front of him: his whole world, heaven and earth and everything else.<br/><br/>Slowly, Gabriel smiled and began to trail his lips up to Paul's chest.  He moved with grace, brushing his worshipful mouth along until he was pressing sweet little kisses against Paul's sternum; he then turned his head and rested his ear over Paul's heart, just to listen to the deep and rhythmic sound.  It filled his head, drowned out everything until his own heart began to beat in sync...<br/><br/>"Touch me."  The words were quiet, not an order but a wish, a tiny prayer to be answered.  Gabriel wanted to feel Paul's hands for what was coming: he wanted to feel them grasp, feel those fingers dig in and reach all over.  He wanted Paul to be part of it, to actively give Gabriel permission to seek out the private spaces his lord kept to himself...  That was the only way, for them both to do this together.<br/><br/>Gabriel murmured the words again, barely above a sigh, and rested his lips over Paul's heart.  The day that heart stopped beating, so would his.