Love in Another Universe (Gabenath)

The bracelet

Gabriel looks at Nathalie sitting with her head leaning against the headboard of the mattress.
Her eyelids are already halfway closed as she sits there looking like a sleepy angel.

He notices the lazy look on her face from where he is positioned on the bed, and thinks she is the most perfect thing in his life right now. Since the moment he met her, his life has sweetened up with her sole presence.

He's realized that he has completely fallen in love with her, and that's something he would've never expected or imagined.

He's so in love with her that he now can't imagine his life without her.

———

Gabriel sits up to press a small kiss to her neck, as he allows his hands to play in her hair.

"Are you sleepy?" He mumbles into the crook of her neck.
"A little." She says.
His hands leave her hair to grab her left wrist and lay something on top of it. The cold press of something on her wrist makes Nathalie open her eyes and see what it is.

Her eyes widen as she sees a stunning gold bracelet with rubies and diamonds on her wrist. The red rubies and diamonds shine with all their might as she stares at the beauty of the jewel in front of her.

"Do you like it?"

Nathalie doesn't respond. She's absolutely shocked to have been given such a beautiful and clearly expensive gift.

"Gabriel... it's..." Her loss of words causes her to finally look up at him, and immediately she notices the great anticipation in his eyes.
"It's beautiful, Gabriel... you shouldn't have..."
Gabriel shakes his head as he grabs her wrist and finishes putting the bracelet on her.

"You deserve this and more."
He brings her wrist to his lips, and kisses her right below the bracelet.
"I love you, Nathalie." He mumbles as he continues kissing her.

"I love you too, Gabriel." There's pain and sorrow in her chest. And she's got immense guilt building inside her gut as she realizes how perfect and kind Gabriel Agreste is.
He deserves a better woman than her.
A woman that doesn't lie or steal from him.
An honest woman, who he can truly trust.
A woman that is free to love him, and that isn't a danger to him or his loved ones.

Not her... the fraudulent and deceiving woman she is.
She's simply a liar who isn't even able to love him freely, the way he deserves to be loved.

———

Nathalie gently pulls her hand away from him and takes a hold of his face, obligating him to finally look at her.
Her eyes are oddly shiny and there's guilt painted all over her face, as her eyes scream what her mouth can't.

"What's wrong, Nathalie?" His voice is slightly shaky, and he sounds so confused that she wants nothing more than to hug him and make all his uncertainties disappear.

"Gabriel... I..." she wants to tell him, inform him that she knows who The Supreme is and what he is obligating her to do. That she doesn't want to do this anymore, and that she is sorry for lying to him. That she wishes they could run away, far away and be together forever.

But she can't. Nathalie knows that telling Gabriel who The Supreme is will only endanger him and his son, and she'd rather die than ever letting that monster touch him. She knows that she can't hide from The Supreme, that he'll find her no matter where she goes.

"I... love you, Gabriel." She finally tells him. "I love you so much, please don't ever forget it. Don't ever forget that I love you and that I will always love you."
There's a puzzled look on his face, as he listens to her words. He isn't sure why they're so filled with sorrow and agony, and why there seems to be a great shadow across her beautiful face.
"Nathalie, what's wrong? I feel like there's something you aren't telling me..."