Summary: Whenever Gabriel is not around, Elle feels like she is living in a world with no air. Gabriel/Elle one-shot song fic.
Author's note: This fic was inspired by "No Air" performed by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown. It's an awesome song. Of course, Kristen Bell + Zachary Quinto = serve me up some more of that, please. :-)
This story happens in an alternative timeline, two years after Gabriel and Elle met.
Pairing/characters: Sylar (as Gabriel)/Elle, Daphne.
Warnings: Rated M for sexy times, and a pinch of crack. No spoilers.
Disclaimer: I don't own Heroes nor the song lyrics contained within. Hold on a second…nope, I still don't.
No Air
Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air.
Elle rolled over in bed and woke up. She faced her husband, Gabriel, who was already awake and grinning at her. She saw the most beautiful smile she had ever seen on a man. It seemed like a lifetime ago since she had met Sylar, the serial killer who was lonely and confused, needing to find someone to love, and someone who could love him back. She had single handedly given him this love, thus taming the beast and moulding him into the perfect gentlemen. Her special, perfect Gabriel. In turn, Gabriel had tamed her admittedly wild ways.
"Good morning, sweetheart," she said.
"Good morning, chickpea," he replied.
If I should die before I wake
It's 'cause you took my breath away
Losing you is like living in a world with no air.
I'm here alone, didn't wanna leave
My heart won't move, it's incomplete
If there was a way that I could make you understand.
They got out of bed, brushed their teeth, and Elle fixed Gabriel his favourite breakfast: pancakes with maple syrup. She watched him eat. "This is delicious, honey," he said, once again smiling his gorgeous smile. Not for the first time, Elle thanked her lucky stars that the most handsome man in the world was hers. Similarly, Gabriel was thankful that this beautiful woman loved him when he thought nobody ever could.
Gabriel worked as an advertising executive at a large watch company. He had recently accepted a secondment to San Francisco for nine months. Elle had supported him in this move, because it would be good for his career and a nice break from New York City, but now that she thought about it, the distance between the two cities seemed so far! It was their last day together, before Gabriel's flight tomorrow, and Elle dreaded the thought of being apart from her husband.
But how do you expect me
To live alone with just me?
'Cause my world revolves around you
Feels so hard for me to breathe.
Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air
Can't live, can't breathe with no air
That's how I feel when I know you ain't there
There's no air, no air.
Got me out here in the water so deep
Tell me how you're gonna be without me
If you ain't here I just can't breathe
There's no air, no air.
"Have a good day at work," Elle said, and kissed Gabriel on the lips. She playfully zapped him on the nose. "Oww," he said in mock pain, and went off to work to complete bits of paperwork and to study charts.
Elle spent the day cleaning up the house, and watched a couple of episodes of Desperate Housewives. In the afternoon, she started preparing the roast chicken for dinner, as well as Gabriel's favourite dessert, crème brûleé.
When Gabriel arrived back from work, he exclaimed, "That smells wonderful, Mrs. Gray." He kissed her on the cheek.
"Mrs. Gray…you make me sound so old." Elle pouted.
"You'll never get old to me. How was your day?"
"Busy, busy. How was yours?"
"Very work like. There was a nice farewell cake for me. I saved you a slice."
"Thanks."
After dinner and dessert, for which Gabriel sincerely complimented his wife, Elle leaned over and sensually said, "Tonight, we should get physical."
Let's get physical, physical. I wanna get physical...
Er, let's just stick to one song, shall we?
Gabriel lifted an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"
Elle rolled her eyes. "Yes, Gabriel, really. We've planned this for, say, the past two months."
"Okay, then." Gabriel collected the plates and wine glasses and walked into the kitchen to wash up.
Elle thought he was being surprisingly casual about this, but on second thoughts, he had been so calm and collected since he had found her. She followed him to the kitchen sink, and wrapped her arms around him, leaning against his strength.
"Leaving you will be the hardest thing I'll ever do," Gabriel said.
"I know, yet it's going to happen," was the only answer that Elle could give. There was nothing accusatory in her tone; it was merely a statement of fact.
They could not go up to their bedroom fast enough. Gabriel flicked off all the downstairs lights with telekinesis. As soon as they reached the bedroom (Elle had almost popped Gabriel's shoulder out of its socket while pulling him up the stairs; she was that hormonally excited), Elle pinned Gabriel against the wall and attacked him with kisses all over his head and neck. He stripped off her top and pants, and she promptly removed his shirt.
Straddling his wife on the bed, his sweet lips only inches from hers, Gabriel asked, "Are you sure this is what you want?"
"Shut up and ravish me, Gabriel Gray. Ravish me harder than you've ever ravished anything in your life."
Gabriel was only too willing to comply. Their remaining clothes swiftly ended up landing haphazardly around the room. (Gabriel actually managed to throw Elle's bra on top of the bedside table lamp.) They both moaned loudly as he entered her, their bodies thrusting together in perfect harmony.
I walked, I ran, I jumped, I flew
Right off the ground to float with you
There's no gravity to hold me down for real.
Somehow I'm still alive inside
You took my breath but I survived
I don't know how but I don't even care.
Elle would later recall that night as simply the "Best. Night. Ever".
They woke up early the next morning since Gabriel's flight was at 7:15 A.M., and Elle was going to drive Gabriel to the airport. At the dining table, Elle stabbed at her cereal with her spoon, as she stared forlornly at the milk in her bowl. Gabriel watched her with concern.
"Hey, this isn't about last night, was it? You don't regret…"
"What? No! It's not that. I had a wonderful time. It's just that it's hard knowing that we're going to be apart."
Gabriel went around to her side of the table, got down on one knee, and took her hands in his.
"If it's going to be too hard, I can stay. I don't need to go."
"No, don't stay on my account. You should go. Don't worry about me. I'm just being silly."
"You're not silly."
After Elle helped Gabriel get his luggage out of her car's trunk, she hugged him tight.
"San Francisco won't know what hit it, Eyebrows."
Gabriel grinned at her usage of her pet name for him.
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
"Are you sure you'll be okay?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine. Go." Elle put on her best smile for him.
During the drive home, Elle felt a wave of conflicting emotions overwhelming her. She knew her love for Gabriel was stronger than ever, yet she hated him for leaving her alone to suffocate alone in a world that felt like it had no air, and to drown in water that had no limit to its depth.
So how do you expect me
To live alone with just me?
'Cause my world revolves around you
Feels so hard for me to breathe.
Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air
Can't live, can't breathe with no air
That's how I feel when I know you ain't there
There's no air, no air.
Got me out here in the water so deep
Tell me how you're gonna be without me
If you ain't here I just can't breathe
There's no air, no air.
Elle did barely manage to cope on her own, existing a house that felt so empty and too quiet. Gabriel called once a week, which helped somewhat.
After a month, Elle experienced morning sickness, and a pregnancy test confirmed what she thought.
"Gabriel, I'm pregnant."
There was a pause on the other end of the phone line.
"Honey, that's wonderful. We're going to be parents!"
"I know. It's what we wanted."
"I'll come home. I should be with you."
"Come back for a week at most. I don't want to be the cause of unnecessary distraction."
"You are the best distraction for me, Lightning Queen."
So Gabriel flew back to New York City for a week to be with his Elle. When he came back, Elle felt like she had more air to breathe again (while he also took her breath away at the same time, if that makes any sense), which made it all the more harder when he left again.
It wasn't all doom and gloom. Elle phoned her best friend, Daphne Millbrook, to tell her about the pregnancy. Daphne shrieked with so much joy that Elle almost went deaf in one ear. Daphne immediately agreed to stay with Elle until Gabriel returned home. (Gabriel was in full support of this arrangement.)
Daphne was great, the best companion that Elle could have in place of Gabriel. She was patient with Elle's mood swings and ravenous appetite as she expanded. Her ability to do things at supersonic speed definitely made life easier.
Seven months into the pregnancy, Elle received an unexpected gift. A dozen red roses were delivered at the door, with a card that read, "To Elle, my darling, precious wife, knowing that you are carrying our child makes me the happiest man in the world. I cannot wait to return home so that we can start a new chapter in our lives. Your hubby, XX Gabriel."
Elle looked up at her favourite wedding photo, then back at the roses. She burst into tears. Daphne came in and comforted her, by saying, "Don't cry, sweetie. Gabriel will be back sooner than you know it." Elle nodded, smiled, and wiped away her tears.
Got me out here in the water so deep
Tell me how you're gonna be without me
If you ain't here I just can't breathe
There's no air, no air.
Daphne was right. Gabriel returned home a month later (a month earlier than originally planned). Needless to say, they were both overjoyed to be back together again, and thrilled to soon be parents.
A month later, when Elle went into labour, Daphne was invited to attend the delivery as a gesture of gratitude for her support. A healthy baby boy was born, whom Elle and Gabriel named Noah.
The End
The canon pairing of Syelle should have been something like this, but it was not to be. :-(
Review, please. Did this story end too soon? I couldn't think of a better ending.