Mac & Cheese
Title: Mac & Cheese
Characters/Pairing: Gabriel/Eden.
Rating: PG
Word count: 982
Disclaimer: Do not own.
Summery: Eden visits Gabriel at his shop, finds him sleeping.
Note: Written for the Anon Rair Pair Meme. Fluff :)
Her hands frame her eyes as she peers into the shop, squinting her eyes into the gloom; as she does the door she's leaning on opens, making the bell above ring. Wincing she slips in and closes the door. The jumbled, persistent but gentle sound of time passing presses in all around her. She has to block it out, it would drive her mad for too long. He told her he was desensitised to it.
"Gabriel?" She whispers and cocks her head as the sound of someone breathing deeply reaches her under the ticktocks. A heavy cloth partition is before her, where Gabriel does his repairs and she draws it apart slowly.
He's asleep on a bed at the back, dressed in pajamas and a pair of slippers sit neat and ready on the floor. She knew he spent most of his time here then at his apartment. That place had a strange stagnate and severe quality to it, something that makes her speak in a hushed voice the few times she had been there. This place was lived in, comfortable. Letting him sleep a little longer she inspects his work station. He had been working on that watch again, possibly late into the night. When she asked him what was so special about it he had shrugged and grown shy but before that his face had brightened, excited that she had asked. He didn't want to bore her he said though she tells him that wasn't possible. His face had flamed.
Moving from the watch she turns and sees atop a sink a half eaten plate of macaroni and cheese. Eden smiles and washes up his plate, the sight of things not put away or cleaned still making her anxious until the chore is done. Once all is stacked away she fiddles around with a small kettle he has, filling it up with water. As she does she turns to regard him only to find him sitting up in bed watching her, making her start.
"Morning."
"Hi! Sorry, I didn't know that you were up, hope I didn't wake you?"
He shakes his head, smiling softly. "No...I'm pleased to see you. Y - you haven't been around lately..." He still smiles but something in his voice makes her still and stare at him closer. His breathing was shallow, a tick under his eye jumps. She had wanted to be more demonstrative but held back. It wasn't professional. And her milquetoast man would probably dissolve...
"I know, I would have told you but it was really last minuet, something I had to do..." She doesn't elaborate and he doesn't press. Truth was she had to go back to Odessa, help Bennet with Company business. Pouring the coffee she jerks her head towards the door.
"You know that you left that unlocked? Anyone could have come through."
"Guess I got lucky..." She hands him his coffee with a smile at his teasing tone and ruffles his bedhead on impulse. She sits on the swivel chair at his work bench as he blushes. A silence settles, the soft discord swelling around them as they drink. After some time Gabriel, with an introspective face, speaks up. "Can I tell you something?"
"Of course, what is it?" She sits forward with keen eyes, but he keeps his gaze towards the front of the shop.
"I leave the door open on purpose. Same with at home, I sometimes leave the keys in the lock, on the outside." His gaze flicks to hers, shamefaced. "I know it's weird."
"Why do you do it?" But she knows.
"So someone will come tell me that it's open, that I've left my keys...so I can talk to someone." He snorts very softly with a smile but it's curdled, off. "Pathetic, isn't it?"
"No, no, no. It's understandable Gabriel. You want to make connections with people but it's hard for you. But you're trying, you're doing it...and I'm here." She whispers, rolling the chair over so she's beside him and takes his hand. She can understand the pressures of isolation and the base need for contact, for compassion. They were more alike then he knew. "I'm your friend."
I'm a total fucking fraud. Eden doesn't let the inner voice, that siren-harpy voice break it's way through for him to see. It would crush him if he knew. It was twisting her more everyday. Not just with Gabriel, but with everyone she interacts with, every time she deceives her friends with a smile on her face and a silver tongue. Gabriel is gazing at her longingly, that curled mouth parted.
"Thank you Eden."
"It's no problem, not ever." Leaning in to kiss his cheek she smells soap and aftershave, cherishes the brush of his skin against hers. The pad of his fingers touch her back, patting and she draws back. Avoiding his gaze she plucks his glasses from the cabinet and slips them on him, brushing her thumb over his cheek before breaking contact. Change this, change this now. Clearing her throat she nods her head towards his small kitchenette with a smirk. "I see that you've been eating more Mac and Cheese. Did you forget what I told you about the lies and dangers of Mac and Cheese?"
He laughs, a little shaky. "Yesss, it's not comfort soul food, it's a death meal."
"Damn right. But it's like one of the only things I can cook, which doesn't say much about me, does it? No more dying slowly food for you or for me. Agree?"
"Agreed!"
"Good! Now get your lazy behind out of bed, you're coming out with me. I'll wait over there to preserve you modesty as you change." She winks and pulls the curtain together behind her back as he laughs. It's an unrestrained and lovely sound that rises over the haphazard sound of ticktocking and drowns it out.
Characters/Pairing: Gabriel/Eden.
Rating: PG
Word count: 982
Disclaimer: Do not own.
Summery: Eden visits Gabriel at his shop, finds him sleeping.
Note: Written for the Anon Rair Pair Meme. Fluff :)
Her hands frame her eyes as she peers into the shop, squinting her eyes into the gloom; as she does the door she's leaning on opens, making the bell above ring. Wincing she slips in and closes the door. The jumbled, persistent but gentle sound of time passing presses in all around her. She has to block it out, it would drive her mad for too long. He told her he was desensitised to it.
"Gabriel?" She whispers and cocks her head as the sound of someone breathing deeply reaches her under the ticktocks. A heavy cloth partition is before her, where Gabriel does his repairs and she draws it apart slowly.
He's asleep on a bed at the back, dressed in pajamas and a pair of slippers sit neat and ready on the floor. She knew he spent most of his time here then at his apartment. That place had a strange stagnate and severe quality to it, something that makes her speak in a hushed voice the few times she had been there. This place was lived in, comfortable. Letting him sleep a little longer she inspects his work station. He had been working on that watch again, possibly late into the night. When she asked him what was so special about it he had shrugged and grown shy but before that his face had brightened, excited that she had asked. He didn't want to bore her he said though she tells him that wasn't possible. His face had flamed.
Moving from the watch she turns and sees atop a sink a half eaten plate of macaroni and cheese. Eden smiles and washes up his plate, the sight of things not put away or cleaned still making her anxious until the chore is done. Once all is stacked away she fiddles around with a small kettle he has, filling it up with water. As she does she turns to regard him only to find him sitting up in bed watching her, making her start.
"Morning."
"Hi! Sorry, I didn't know that you were up, hope I didn't wake you?"
He shakes his head, smiling softly. "No...I'm pleased to see you. Y - you haven't been around lately..." He still smiles but something in his voice makes her still and stare at him closer. His breathing was shallow, a tick under his eye jumps. She had wanted to be more demonstrative but held back. It wasn't professional. And her milquetoast man would probably dissolve...
"I know, I would have told you but it was really last minuet, something I had to do..." She doesn't elaborate and he doesn't press. Truth was she had to go back to Odessa, help Bennet with Company business. Pouring the coffee she jerks her head towards the door.
"You know that you left that unlocked? Anyone could have come through."
"Guess I got lucky..." She hands him his coffee with a smile at his teasing tone and ruffles his bedhead on impulse. She sits on the swivel chair at his work bench as he blushes. A silence settles, the soft discord swelling around them as they drink. After some time Gabriel, with an introspective face, speaks up. "Can I tell you something?"
"Of course, what is it?" She sits forward with keen eyes, but he keeps his gaze towards the front of the shop.
"I leave the door open on purpose. Same with at home, I sometimes leave the keys in the lock, on the outside." His gaze flicks to hers, shamefaced. "I know it's weird."
"Why do you do it?" But she knows.
"So someone will come tell me that it's open, that I've left my keys...so I can talk to someone." He snorts very softly with a smile but it's curdled, off. "Pathetic, isn't it?"
"No, no, no. It's understandable Gabriel. You want to make connections with people but it's hard for you. But you're trying, you're doing it...and I'm here." She whispers, rolling the chair over so she's beside him and takes his hand. She can understand the pressures of isolation and the base need for contact, for compassion. They were more alike then he knew. "I'm your friend."
I'm a total fucking fraud. Eden doesn't let the inner voice, that siren-harpy voice break it's way through for him to see. It would crush him if he knew. It was twisting her more everyday. Not just with Gabriel, but with everyone she interacts with, every time she deceives her friends with a smile on her face and a silver tongue. Gabriel is gazing at her longingly, that curled mouth parted.
"Thank you Eden."
"It's no problem, not ever." Leaning in to kiss his cheek she smells soap and aftershave, cherishes the brush of his skin against hers. The pad of his fingers touch her back, patting and she draws back. Avoiding his gaze she plucks his glasses from the cabinet and slips them on him, brushing her thumb over his cheek before breaking contact. Change this, change this now. Clearing her throat she nods her head towards his small kitchenette with a smirk. "I see that you've been eating more Mac and Cheese. Did you forget what I told you about the lies and dangers of Mac and Cheese?"
He laughs, a little shaky. "Yesss, it's not comfort soul food, it's a death meal."
"Damn right. But it's like one of the only things I can cook, which doesn't say much about me, does it? No more dying slowly food for you or for me. Agree?"
"Agreed!"
"Good! Now get your lazy behind out of bed, you're coming out with me. I'll wait over there to preserve you modesty as you change." She winks and pulls the curtain together behind her back as he laughs. It's an unrestrained and lovely sound that rises over the haphazard sound of ticktocking and drowns it out.