Title: Rainy
Pairings: Gabriel/OC
Rating: PG-13 -ish
Warnings: Slight language
Spoilers: none
Word Count: 1,412
Disclaimer: I do not own Gabriel Gray or Heroes. Please don't sue me. :D Thanks!
Prompt: Gabriel Gray is on his way to his shop and catches the eye of a beautiful woman... What would happen? If you pick this plot, explain a little bit of who Gabriel Gray is.
Author's Note: This was for the fic challenge posted by lacrymosastar on the sylargabriel livejournal community. I had a few different ways of ending/progressing with this, but I think this is a nice ending spot. Enjoy! :D

Rainy

Rain. Gabriel didn't mind it. At least no more than the next person. It stripped people of their masks - allowed a glimpse into who people really were. Children would frolic in puddles as their parents pulled them along to whatever destination awaited them. Businessmen would walk straight and proud to their firm while dodging the tiny droplets, seemingly impervious to the world.

Gabriel just walked to his watch shop. Every morning it was the same ritual. Gabriel would leave his apartment, and on the way to his shop he would stop by the newsstand that was just a few blocks away. On such a day as this the newsstand would not open any earlier than it needed to be. Gabriel was left standing in front of it as the older gentleman who owned it slowly opened up the front and slid inside the stall. Gabriel looked over the various magazines and newspapers, deciding which looked the most appealing.

As he reached over to grab a copy of The New York Times, a beautiful brunette haired girl slid up next to him. She was in business attire and came up to Gabriel's shoulders - partially due to the two inch black Patten leather shoes she was wearing.

"Oh, the Yankees lost again!?" she exclaimed to the old newsstand owner. "Ever since they let go of Josie, the team has been down the tube." She sighed and attempted to grab the paper, and in doing so spilled everything in her hands - her purse, coffee, her keys, and the umbrella went crooked and landed in a puddle. "Oh, damn it!" she said amongst other things under her breath. Gabriel couldn't help but feel sorry for her so he quietly shifted his umbrella over her as she retrieved her things. As she straightened she shook the water from her own umbrella and gave a half smile to Gabriel. "Thanks so much." She folded the paper up and stuffed it under her arm, huffing.

"Oh, no problem," Gabriel said as he began to make his way in the direction of his shop. He had a lot of work to do that day for an older gentleman. As Gabriel took a few steps he could hear the woman begin to complain behind him. It seemed that the puddle had rendered her umbrella nearly useless.

"Ugh . . . The office is going to kill me if I come in all wet," she said with a frown.

"Well, it can't be all that bad, little missy," the old stand owner offered. Gabriel turned and approached the woman ever so slightly.

"I could not help but overhear . . . . How far is your office?" he asked with as much confidence as he could muster.

"Only a few blocks away," she said flustered as she fought with her umbrella. "Down that street over there."

Gabriel gave a slight smile. "I-I'll walk you."

She gave a sigh giving up on the umbrella, shaking her head. "Thank you so much." They began walking and Gabriel had to actually quicken his pace to keep up with her. "I hope I'm not keeping you from anything, rescuing me from the wicked rain. It's like they think all of their employees will melt," she gave a low chuckle. "I'm sure some would." As she said this she looked back to him, her smile was half-hearted, as if every drop of the rain was a bit of poison to her soul.

"My work is not far from here anyway," Gabriel said as he looked to the ground. Where had he gotten that sudden bout of chivalrous courage to walk her? He never asked a girl anything of the nature in the past - always afraid of rejection. He was always the quiet boy in the back of the room. Sometimes picked on, but otherwise left alone by everyone.

"Really? Where abouts around here?" she gave a genuine smile this time, hands behind her back as she walked next to him.

"Gray and Sons. . . . small family business. Watch shop," he said with a slight blush. She noticed this and couldn't help but think that he was a cutie behind those thick glasses.

"Aha," she said and then suddenly stopped causing Gabriel to have to go back to keep her from getting wet. "Well, here I am . . . Law offices of the rich and pompous." She walked up next to him, partially to get a closer look. "Thanks for walking me. Maybe we'll see each other around again. It's a big city." Gabriel gave a small smile and shuffled his feet while she grinned - yep, he was very cute.

They gave a quick farewell and Gabriel went to his shop. He had a lot of work to do.

It was about midday and the sky had cleared up. Granted, there was a bit of a haze left over the city because it grew increasingly warm through out the day. Gabriel was just finishing up his last piece for a stately gentleman. As he placing it in a box the door jingled at the entrance of a new customer.

Gabriel shifted and took off his magnifying glasses, looking up. "Can I help . . . ." His eyes widened - it was that woman from the morning. ". . . you!?"

"Hi there!" she said as she walked into his shop. "Nice place you've got here . . . Cozy." She looked around at many of the softly ticking pieces in cases and hanging from every place available. Gabriel noted that she was no longer in her suit, but a denim skirt and a loose fitting band tee shirt. The one thing that remained constant however were those black shoes.

"Is there something that you need?" Gabriel asked cautiously. He didn't think that it was by chance that she chose his shop and his mother warned him about those type of girls so many years ago.

"Oh, well, you mentioned your shop this morning. My grandfather used to be an avid collector - cases and cases of watches," she walked up to him as she said this. "I thought maybe you would like to look at them? None of them are working. My grandfather died years ago and ever since then some have been sold and others have just sat on the shelf."

Gabriel's brow knitted as he took the box from her. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"Ah, don't worry about it. Life is looking up for me!" She made a large wave of her arms and nearly knocked some cuckoo clocks off the wall. "Oops . . Sorry"

Gabriel just stared at her. "Maybe you should sit down then. It will not take me long to look at these." He gave her a courteous smile as she grabbed a chair and he began to work on her watches.

There were a variety of pocket watches and other automatic pieces. All were old, at least from the 40s and back. He took a few out: a Waltham "P.S. Bartlett" pocket watch, a ladies pocket watch with a dragon design on the back casing, and a Hamilton Classic.

"What a collection here!" His eyes lit up. He loved working on these types, not the newer watches that most brought into him.

"Yeah, it's nothing much . . . Just what was left." She rolled over closer to him, looking over his shoulder as he began opening up the backs of some of the pocket watches. "Wow . . . You work so fast, as if you've worked on these thousands of times." She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Duh, of course you have."

Gabriel smiled, "Actually I have not worked on a piece like this yet. My father used to show me catalogues of antique watches, but I've never seen one up close like this." She was amazed at how skilled he was for a seemingly young man. She leaned closer over his shoulder and tentatively ran her fingertips through his short, soft hair at the back of his neck. "Excuse me, can you please hang back a little bit." Gabriel gave a tight-lipped smile and then stopped. "You know, I just realized that we never properly introduced ourselves."

"Oh God, you are right!!" She got up and grinned, hand outstretched. "My name is Theresa."

Gabriel took her hand. His was twice her size. "Gabriel. Gabriel Gray."