Some other time, Gabriel would choose to worry about the dependence and the faith Andrew placed in him. For now, he nodded, satisfied and reassured just the quickly by the conviction in what was said. That and the look in Andy's eyes were enough, though he worried there would always be some kernel of what if. Gabe wanted to crush it beneath his boot heel. Andy was doing everything right. Giving him space. Not making any secret of the fact that he cared, but not pressing the issue. Gabe felt it reciprocated in every cell of his body. Maybe that was why he was worried about being abandoned. Because he'd given so much of himself to Andy that when he walked out, parts of Gabe went with him. Hearing that Andy was talking to a Death Eater was adequate reason to be afraid. Walking away from them could mean much worse things than a broken heart.
Gabe looked down at their hands, too. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he shook his head. "It's not that I - maybe I'm selfish. I don't want them taking one more moment of your time. You don't belong with them." It was only a little childish, right? And it was only a fraction of the things he wanted to say, some of them held in check for the past four years. "You have a heart. I've seen it. They don't. None of them." Rarely one to take sides, even when refusing to do so put him at risk, Gabe felt it was necessary just then. Andrew was capable of so much more than darkness and evil.
He looked up through his lashes. "I love you, Andrew. I told you at dinner that night, I never stopped." Which meant that he was the one with the greatest power to hurt Gabe, not some crazed wizard living in the woods.