I wrote this one shot because I am loving the interactions between Elizabeth and Franco or Friz as their fans call them. I wanted to write something from Franco's point of view on how he sees Elizabeth and this friendship of theirs. The two have so much potential whether as best friends or romantic partners. I am all in for whatever way the writers choose to take them. I posted this on AO3 a while back so I thought I'd bring it over here. Hope you guys enjoy it!
Not many people have looked upon him with kindness in his life. Fear, hatred and loathing? Yes. He's accustomed to seeing those feelings reflected back to him. Kindness; not so much. He can count on one hand the amount of people who have shown him kindness and it is a pitiful number. Yet, he's proud to count her as one of the few who have thought him worthy of the act. However, these days, when she looks up at him—her indigo eyes shining softly with kindness and just a hint of mirth—he is seeing something more reflecting back at him. He sees an expression completely foreign because it is one he has never experienced much less had directed at him before—that is until she looked upon him so and started calling him her friend.
It is gratitude. Her eyes are filled with gratitude—for him! He knows! He can't believe it either. It's inconceivable that she feels grateful for him, but it's there. He sees it clear as day now that he has finally figured out exactly what he has been seeing in those blue eyes of hers.
It's an amazing thing known as gratitude and he is so honored to see it reflecting back at him from her. He sees her gratitude when she gazes up at him while trying to hide that tiny smile of hers—the one that lifts the corner of her mouth in a little smirk. He knows it's gratitude that she feels for his friendship and the laughter they share. For the hug he offers her when the stress of her life is too much and she blames herself more than usual. He knows it's for the way he has helped her son Jake and for the progress the kid has made. And he knows it is for the quiet moments they share in the art therapy room where they find themselves sketching away their worries during their lunch break, with him sitting on the couch and her humming at the easel. They have so many moments like that and he wouldn't trade a thing for those times with her.
He honestly can't comprehend any sentiment she has for him most of the time unless it's annoyance. That one he understands. He's not exactly the easiest person to be around. To put it simply, she baffles him.
She, Elizabeth Webber, is grateful for him and the company that she keeps with him. Never in a million years did he imagine that a woman such as she would be grateful for his attention much less call him a friend. Square peg, round hole. She doesn't fit his expectations. She defied them all and jumped right out of that neat little box he had placed her in so many years ago.
But that's Elizabeth. His own personal paradox.
She should hate him, even fear him for his past misdeeds, some of them he even committed against her. But she doesn't. She has forgiven him, befriended him and let him in. He doesn't know why she did it but he's going along with this friendship partly because he doesn't understand her and partly because he enjoys being her friend. She makes his days brighter and she shines brightly like the first stroke of yellow paint on a blank canvas. He's starting to get addicted to this friendship and it scares him a bit because he might screw things up and she could take it away.
Honestly, he really doesn't deserve a friend like her. Why would a person like Elizabeth befriend a guy like him? He asks himself that all the time. She is his opposite in almost every way. He's loud and obnoxious. She's quiet and nice. She's genuinely funny and he's sarcastically witty. Then again, perhaps that's why they get along so well. They can snark like champions when the occasion calls for it. Plus she gives fantastic bitch face. Have you seen it? Really it's one of the best he's ever seen.
She's also nice and well he's— not. But he's trying to be for her. She now has him doing nice things for others around the hospital. At first, he went along with it just because he enjoyed the confused looks that he was getting from the staff who didn't know whether to be afraid that his tumor had come back—causing a personality change— or alarmed that he was actually nice underneath his brash personality.
Good times indeed! He still chuckles fondly at the memory of their appalled expressions.
However, somewhere along the way, he stopped being amused and started enjoying the smiles he received in return for a simple "Thank You" uttered to those he worked with. He started looking forward to the smiles instead of cold glares that often occurred when he walked the halls. He often wonders what she's doing to him but finds he doesn't really care because he likes this change in him. It's different; he's different.
Another contrast between them is noticeable to anyone with a functional pair of eyes. She's stunningly beautiful when compared next to his average looks. He has always thought her gorgeous. He even went as far as to call her hot one time just to convey how attractive he finds her. She didn't seem to be impressed at the time but he figures the more he calls her beautiful, she will eventually believe him. The artist in him spotted her classic beauty at first glance. Her delicate features give her an angelic appearance. However, she will be the first to point out that she's nobody's angel and that she is imperfect and deeply flawed. He really likes that about her, her humility.
See that's another thing. She's humble whereas he's an arrogant ass by nature. Ask anyone and they would agree. He's horribly rude and slightly narcissistic. He has no problem letting people know that he is a genius and enjoys treating them like the common folk they are. He doesn't give a shit about what people think of him either. But she does care what people think of her and he has found that she does not do well when faced with the negative opinions of others. No one is her biggest critic more so than herself.
She has practically made self-deprecation an art form. She believes that she is undeserving of love, kindness and forgiveness—that the people of this town have labeled her correctly as a liar, homewrecker and manipulator all because she fought for the man she loved and a chance for them to have a relationship without the binds of their past. He doesn't condemn her for her actions. He actually respects her for them. She fought to keep her family and to give the two of them a chance at happiness. So what that she lied? Who hasn't done that? Other people in this town have committed sins worse than hers. Hell he has a whole list of his own that the town likes to drag out! But to her, she is undeserving of any mercy or forgiveness even though she is the most forgiving person he has ever met.
She went after what she wanted and as a man who has done that himself, he doesn't judge her. Not that he didn't think she deserved better than that idiot Jason Morgan but that's another story for another day.
His little Liz, she has a lot to learn from him.
He's slowly working on getting her to see that the people of Port Charles are hypocrites and that she should not let them decide who she is. She should decide who Elizabeth Webber is—no one else. He will be damned if he will let them continue to break her down and tell her who she should be. She can be anyone she wants.
If she wants to be a liar and master manipulator, good for her. He's been there, done that. He will help her own it and then he will pop the popcorn to share with her as they sit back to watch the fallout of her merry games. He loves games and is always up for a public humiliation or two. Carly would know all about that. But really he hopes she doesn't want to be like his former self, because he kind of likes this do-good kick she has him on. It makes him feel like a hero instead of a villain.
Yet, if she wants to be a super hero too, well he thinks he can pull off blue spandex and a cape. He can be her not so noble sidekick. Super Liz and The Artist to the rescue! Hmm…he would definitely have to work on their names. The two of them deserve much cooler names than that. Perhaps, Friz the dynamic duo. Eh-it needs work but whatever, they would totally kick ass at it because she's Elizabeth and he's Franco.
If she wants to be regal and act like the queen she's named after, so be it. He will be her royal bestie and put the peasants of Port Charles in their place and make them kneel before her if that is her wish. Whatever or whoever she wants to be doesn't matter to him as long as she chooses the role that defines her. He's just glad to have her call him friend and that act alone lends her his deepest loyalty and a lifetime of devotion.
After all she is his only friend. It's the least he can do.
She is so much more than what the hypocritical citizens of this town have labeled her. Yes Elizabeth Webber is his friend and whatever her reasons, she chose to forgive him and accept him as a confidant. She's not the only one who has gratitude shining in their eyes. He will be forever grateful that she calls him friend. His life is so much richer for having her in it. Everyone should have an Elizabeth in their life.
Now his job is to show her why that is so. Why? Because that is what friends do and she is the one who taught him the meaning of friendship.
Thanks for reading and if you don't mind, let me know what you thought in a review. :)