Very Brave
Title: Very Brave
Characters/Pairing: Gabriel/Maya
Rating: PG
Word count: 1,422
Disclaimer: Do not own.
Summery: Maya races to Gabriel, who's done something slightly mad
Note: Shameless fluff! But might post some creepy next...
Her footsteps are fast, so fast that she wobbles on her wedges but she tries to keep up with him. It doesn't matter if he out races her, she knew where he was going but she'd rather catch up with him then run anymore then necessary. Rounding the block she comes to a stop, catches her breath. She was in shape but she could hear him wheezing loudly and saw his fingers pressing at a stitch in his side. He didn't get out much. Puffing a breath, gaining composure, she walks into his shop with her heart thundering.
"Gabriel?" A moan is issued in response to his name, suffering and winded. She looks around at the clocks on the walls for a moment, gentle sound of them buffeting her every time she holds a breath.
"...Please leave me alone, I just wanna be alone now." She can't see him, he's behind a curtain. She sways forward, touching it with her fingertips.
"Don't be embarrassed Gabriel...I'll stay behind here if you like?"
A silence follows, filled with their heavy breathing until he speaks. "...ok."
"Ok, good. I just wanted to apologise for what happened, they were idiots to laugh at you."
A snort is heard and he speaks scornfully. "More like I was the idiot and they realized it before I did."
"No Gabriel," she grips the cloth in her hand, inhaling the musky old scent of it. It was comforting. "You're not an idiot, what you did, it was very sweet Gabriel." He scoffs again but his voice is much more soft, less resentful.
"Crazy more like..."
"Sometimes being a little crazy lets you do brave things. It was very brave what you did, I could never..." She trails off, feeling her face heating as she remembers his words, the powerful look in his eyes. "W - why did you ask me to -"
"Please don't say it, I'll just - just..." He sounds pained, extremely embarrassed and can't finish. Maya licks her lips and tries to find the parting in the curtain, not wanting to cause him pain but needing to set things right if she can.
"Ok Gabriel...the question, why did you ask me that?"
Another breath held silence and then another quiet, hindering response. "Because, because I didn't want you to go...I don't want you to go. I - I was trying to help." Maya feels her chest constricting and then expanding with feelings of gratitude. Her eyes well up. Her visa was expiring soon and she would have to leave. Leave the only family and friends she has.
"Gracias Gabriel, gracias. You're so sweet, so nice, I'm very touched..." Sliding her fingertips down the end of the curtain she pulls it aside, creating a small gap to peer through. He's seated at his work station, hunched over and leaning on it. As she appears he turns and gasps, red faced and puffy eyed and he spins his chair around, back to her.
"God! I can't even look at you. I'm sorry but would you please just go? I want to be on my own..."
Maya pulls back, hands grasping the curtain in her hands. She looks down, battling with herself and then up with a smile. "After I ran like a hundred blocks to speak to you? You ever tried running in these things?" She only wears them for church and parties, or when she feels like being spruced up more then usual. She sucks in a breath when he turns after a full minute and then stands, offering the chair to her. "Gracias, you're a gentlemen..." She grins and he returns it but his face is twitching and sweaty as he tries to smile polity at her. Incredibly uncomfortable. He moves back from her and sits on his bed and Maya lifts her brows at the sight. He just becomes more shamed face.
"Oh god, you must think I'm a freak. Or even more of one then you previously thought..."
"No! Gabriel would you stop putting yourself down?" She scolds lightly, leaning over to be closer to him. He just puffs a laugh, slumps against the wall and looks up at the dirty window above.
"Easier said then done...I mean really, what just happened was ridiculous, I lost my mind." His hands are clasped together, fingers entwined so hard they were growing white. Maya wheels herself over to him, brushing her skirt over her knees. She places her hand on his leg and he jumps, looking down at her. She tilts her face, taking in his appearance.
He was strange, she could see it, feel it, the first time they had met. It was like seeing someone stuck in the wrong time, back when men always wore Fedora hats and had their pants immaculately creased, she couldn't imagine him in jeans or a T-Shirt. Always in cardigans, always buttoned up no matter the weather and always so neat. Her more laid back attire, her wild hair made her feel unkempt in his presence. But he was shy, he was very withdrawn that he gave off a unapproachable vibe. But once talked to, once he had been interacted with you could see how much it meant to him. He was so lonely and without any friends, so isolated that it makes her feel awful to imagine what it must be like to live so alone. Maya thinks he's so friendly and sweet towards her, always there with a smile to greet her, always hovering near her. She could see he had a crush on her but knew he would never do anything about it and she didn't see the point. She would have to leave soon.
Maya smiles at his eccentricity, loving it. "Thank you Gabriel, right from the bottom of my heart. I can't tell you how touched I am by what you did, I know it took so much for you to say it." She places her knees on the bed and shuffles to him, grasps his shocked face in her hands and kisses him lightly on each cheek. He doesn't touch her but grasps the bed sheet in his fists, overwhelmed. She pulls back, looking into his eyes and he doesn't look away, enthralled. She smiles and sweeps the hair across his forehead that had become disarrayed in the run.
"You're still going to leave?"
She continues brushing his hair softly but her eyes grow sad as she nods. "Si, I have no choice." Saying this she catches his eye and it's her turn to feel a swell of embarrassment. He offered her a choice and she's turned him down without words. Moving to sit next to him she sighs, reaching for his hand between them. He loosens the rictus feeling fingers and laces them through hers lightly. He looks at the side of her face, smiling shyly and she turns to him, tilting at his content face. "Ahh, that's better...You know what me and you should do?"
He shakes his head, still smiling. "No, what?"
"Go sight seeing."
"Really?" He frowns as she nods vigorously.
"I am a tourist Gabriel! I was hoping that my brother would show me those places but he's hopeless, doesn't know his way around New York any more then I do!" She laughs, eyes crinkly and he grins. She lifts their clasped hands up, swinging. "So will you?"
"Sure, not really sure where to start."
Maya shrugs her shoulders, slipping off the bed and brings him with her. He towers over her, even with her heels on. She rubs her hands over his chest for a moment, looking up into his face. "Show me your favourite places...then we can go see the Statue of Liberty! After that I'll make you some dinner. How does that sound?"
"Tempting?"
"Right answer." She bites her lip and doesn't move. She still got her hands on him and she can feel his breathing starting to quicken. She plucks at his cardigan. "I'd like to keep in contact with you Gabriel, write to you, would that be ok?"
He swallows, smiling brightly as he nods. "Of course, I'd love that."
"Good! I'll write you a letter," she looks around his shop,"because I don't think you have a computer." He confirms that he doesn't and she smiles, plucking at his cardigan again. "Didn't think you would, pen and paper would be more fitting for you." She takes his hand and leads him from the shop.
Characters/Pairing: Gabriel/Maya
Rating: PG
Word count: 1,422
Disclaimer: Do not own.
Summery: Maya races to Gabriel, who's done something slightly mad
Note: Shameless fluff! But might post some creepy next...
Her footsteps are fast, so fast that she wobbles on her wedges but she tries to keep up with him. It doesn't matter if he out races her, she knew where he was going but she'd rather catch up with him then run anymore then necessary. Rounding the block she comes to a stop, catches her breath. She was in shape but she could hear him wheezing loudly and saw his fingers pressing at a stitch in his side. He didn't get out much. Puffing a breath, gaining composure, she walks into his shop with her heart thundering.
"Gabriel?" A moan is issued in response to his name, suffering and winded. She looks around at the clocks on the walls for a moment, gentle sound of them buffeting her every time she holds a breath.
"...Please leave me alone, I just wanna be alone now." She can't see him, he's behind a curtain. She sways forward, touching it with her fingertips.
"Don't be embarrassed Gabriel...I'll stay behind here if you like?"
A silence follows, filled with their heavy breathing until he speaks. "...ok."
"Ok, good. I just wanted to apologise for what happened, they were idiots to laugh at you."
A snort is heard and he speaks scornfully. "More like I was the idiot and they realized it before I did."
"No Gabriel," she grips the cloth in her hand, inhaling the musky old scent of it. It was comforting. "You're not an idiot, what you did, it was very sweet Gabriel." He scoffs again but his voice is much more soft, less resentful.
"Crazy more like..."
"Sometimes being a little crazy lets you do brave things. It was very brave what you did, I could never..." She trails off, feeling her face heating as she remembers his words, the powerful look in his eyes. "W - why did you ask me to -"
"Please don't say it, I'll just - just..." He sounds pained, extremely embarrassed and can't finish. Maya licks her lips and tries to find the parting in the curtain, not wanting to cause him pain but needing to set things right if she can.
"Ok Gabriel...the question, why did you ask me that?"
Another breath held silence and then another quiet, hindering response. "Because, because I didn't want you to go...I don't want you to go. I - I was trying to help." Maya feels her chest constricting and then expanding with feelings of gratitude. Her eyes well up. Her visa was expiring soon and she would have to leave. Leave the only family and friends she has.
"Gracias Gabriel, gracias. You're so sweet, so nice, I'm very touched..." Sliding her fingertips down the end of the curtain she pulls it aside, creating a small gap to peer through. He's seated at his work station, hunched over and leaning on it. As she appears he turns and gasps, red faced and puffy eyed and he spins his chair around, back to her.
"God! I can't even look at you. I'm sorry but would you please just go? I want to be on my own..."
Maya pulls back, hands grasping the curtain in her hands. She looks down, battling with herself and then up with a smile. "After I ran like a hundred blocks to speak to you? You ever tried running in these things?" She only wears them for church and parties, or when she feels like being spruced up more then usual. She sucks in a breath when he turns after a full minute and then stands, offering the chair to her. "Gracias, you're a gentlemen..." She grins and he returns it but his face is twitching and sweaty as he tries to smile polity at her. Incredibly uncomfortable. He moves back from her and sits on his bed and Maya lifts her brows at the sight. He just becomes more shamed face.
"Oh god, you must think I'm a freak. Or even more of one then you previously thought..."
"No! Gabriel would you stop putting yourself down?" She scolds lightly, leaning over to be closer to him. He just puffs a laugh, slumps against the wall and looks up at the dirty window above.
"Easier said then done...I mean really, what just happened was ridiculous, I lost my mind." His hands are clasped together, fingers entwined so hard they were growing white. Maya wheels herself over to him, brushing her skirt over her knees. She places her hand on his leg and he jumps, looking down at her. She tilts her face, taking in his appearance.
He was strange, she could see it, feel it, the first time they had met. It was like seeing someone stuck in the wrong time, back when men always wore Fedora hats and had their pants immaculately creased, she couldn't imagine him in jeans or a T-Shirt. Always in cardigans, always buttoned up no matter the weather and always so neat. Her more laid back attire, her wild hair made her feel unkempt in his presence. But he was shy, he was very withdrawn that he gave off a unapproachable vibe. But once talked to, once he had been interacted with you could see how much it meant to him. He was so lonely and without any friends, so isolated that it makes her feel awful to imagine what it must be like to live so alone. Maya thinks he's so friendly and sweet towards her, always there with a smile to greet her, always hovering near her. She could see he had a crush on her but knew he would never do anything about it and she didn't see the point. She would have to leave soon.
Maya smiles at his eccentricity, loving it. "Thank you Gabriel, right from the bottom of my heart. I can't tell you how touched I am by what you did, I know it took so much for you to say it." She places her knees on the bed and shuffles to him, grasps his shocked face in her hands and kisses him lightly on each cheek. He doesn't touch her but grasps the bed sheet in his fists, overwhelmed. She pulls back, looking into his eyes and he doesn't look away, enthralled. She smiles and sweeps the hair across his forehead that had become disarrayed in the run.
"You're still going to leave?"
She continues brushing his hair softly but her eyes grow sad as she nods. "Si, I have no choice." Saying this she catches his eye and it's her turn to feel a swell of embarrassment. He offered her a choice and she's turned him down without words. Moving to sit next to him she sighs, reaching for his hand between them. He loosens the rictus feeling fingers and laces them through hers lightly. He looks at the side of her face, smiling shyly and she turns to him, tilting at his content face. "Ahh, that's better...You know what me and you should do?"
He shakes his head, still smiling. "No, what?"
"Go sight seeing."
"Really?" He frowns as she nods vigorously.
"I am a tourist Gabriel! I was hoping that my brother would show me those places but he's hopeless, doesn't know his way around New York any more then I do!" She laughs, eyes crinkly and he grins. She lifts their clasped hands up, swinging. "So will you?"
"Sure, not really sure where to start."
Maya shrugs her shoulders, slipping off the bed and brings him with her. He towers over her, even with her heels on. She rubs her hands over his chest for a moment, looking up into his face. "Show me your favourite places...then we can go see the Statue of Liberty! After that I'll make you some dinner. How does that sound?"
"Tempting?"
"Right answer." She bites her lip and doesn't move. She still got her hands on him and she can feel his breathing starting to quicken. She plucks at his cardigan. "I'd like to keep in contact with you Gabriel, write to you, would that be ok?"
He swallows, smiling brightly as he nods. "Of course, I'd love that."
"Good! I'll write you a letter," she looks around his shop,"because I don't think you have a computer." He confirms that he doesn't and she smiles, plucking at his cardigan again. "Didn't think you would, pen and paper would be more fitting for you." She takes his hand and leads him from the shop.