The Scarecrow and the Princess - Gabriel Gray and Elle Bishop

[thewatchmaker]

Character: Elle Bishop & Gabriel Gray.
Shared Fic: Written with shesellectric
Fandom: Heroes.
Spoilers: For 'Villains'.
Rating: Still fluffy, with lots of angst and self-doubt
Word Count: 500.
Prompt: Who are you really, and what were you before? What did you do and what did you think, huh?... Rick for scifi_muses

Part One by shesellectric

Part Two -
When she’d appeared at the door with another pie in her hands, I didn’t know what to do. She’d been over a few times now. But I was still so nervous I knew I was going to puke. This pretty girl, no beautiful girl, was spending time with me. Again. I wished my father was alive, so he could see that I wasn’t as hopeless as he thought. I prayed my mother stayed away, because I was pretty sure she’d scare Elle off more than her finding out what I’d done to Brian.

How could anyone not have seen the Wizard of Oz? It seemed impossible to me. I’d watched it on TV so many times, even I’d lost count. I was on my second VHS copy, and once I got a DVD player it would be the first disc I bought. But until the VCR died, I couldn’t justify paying the money, and I was very good at keeping that old Sony running.

“You listen to me like I’m the smartest man on Earth,” I said, as I told Elle about the Wicked Witch.

“Well you don’t have all these books for wallpaper, do you?” She teased her eyes the same clear blue as the summer sky. She smelled like cinnamon from making the pie. I still couldn’t believe she made it from scratch for me.

“Well, maybe to hide the ugly wallpaper that’s behind them.” I ducked my face down. I nearly tilted my lips towards hers. Kissing her would be more magical than the ruby slippers. My world would stop being mired in black and white and it would all explode in Technicolor. All it would take is one little kiss. But it was too soon for that, maybe next time.

“Is it that bad?” Elle leaned against me. Her hair was like silk when she tucked her head under my chin.

“Yeah, my mom decorated before I inherited the place.” Elle tightened her grip on my fingers as the tornado came cutting through the Kansas prairies. “Don’t worry. I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”

“I know.” She let out a soft sigh. “I trust you, Gabriel.”

I trust you. It seemed like an odd thing to say. Elle, of all people, knew what I was capable of. Not murder, I’d never confess that to her, but she knew I was willing to kill myself. But she trusted me to protect her.

“That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.” I was too much of a coward to kiss her on the mouth. Instead I just brushed my lips over her temple. Elle tilted her face back. I could see her lips parting. Then I glanced at the movie to break the tension. Dorothy opened the door of their little farm house, and the brilliant colors of Munchkinland flooded the screen. It wasn’t time for me to have that yet. “Oh this is a good part. You don’t want to miss any of this.”