Leuitenant Gabriel Nunez finished his shift as Royal Guard to the princesses of Avalor at midnight. It had been an uneventful day but Gabe (as he liked to be called) was still tired after being on his feet for 12 hours. He headed down to the palace kitchen for a quick snack. Luisa, grandmother to the princesses, had promised to save some of her famous tamales for the guards to have when they were off duty. Gabe appreciated how generous the royal family always was to those who worked at the palace. He easily finished one tamale. hmmm maybe just one more he thought as he removed the jacket of his uniform and got comfortable.
Feeling more than satisfied and just a bit stuffed after his third tamale, Gabe stretched out his arms and widely yawned. He needed to get some sleep. His next shift started in just 8 hours. On his way to his own room, he always took the hallway where the royal family's bedrooms were located. He liked to make sure that everything was in order before going to sleep, even if he was no longer on duty. The way he saw it, he was always on duty. It was his job to protect the Crown princess Elena as well as her little sister Isabel and he took his job very seriously. He had become very fond of both girls and wouldn't be able to get over anything happening to them if he wasn't on guard. He would always wonder "what if".
As he turned the corner, Gabe stopped when he saw Princess Elena, in her night dress, sitting up against her sister's bedroom door. Her knees were curled up close to her, hugged tightly with both arms, head resting upon them. She looked exhausted and it was clear she was fighting sleep. Gabe lifted an eyebrow at her, furrowing his brow, a smirk forming on his lips. What is she up to now? he thought. Elena never ceased to surprise him. She was often difficult to keep up with. At first, this bothered Gabe as he wondered how he was supposed to protect her if she was constantly running off without warning. He quickly learned however that Elena was more than capable of taking care of herself. She was brave and resourceful and he came to trust her judgement, believe in her and believe that she knew what she was doing and if she didn't, she'd figure it out quickly enough. He found himself taking a step back more and more and only intervened when he felt it was absolutely necessary. It was useless arguing with her anyways. When Elena set her mind to something she was going to do it, no matter how dangerous Gabe told her it would be. The best he could do was to support her and help her however he could. So he did. He had gotten to know her pretty well by now. It was easy to become so close to each other when they spent nearly every waking hour in each other's presence. But the closer he got to her, the more complicated his feelings became.
He would be lying if he said he wasn't instantly attracted to the princess. The first time he saw her he could barely take his eyes off of her. He had been assigned as her guard to escort her and her family into the city. He often broke his position of attention to slyly glance her way. He remembered how her olive skin had glowed in the sunlight and long brown wavy hair flowed all around her small frame as she twirled around playing guitar and singing with her Grandfather. When he finally got close enough to talk to her, he admired her thin ruby red lips that matched the color of her dress but mostly he was attracted to her large brown eyes. They were so expressive. So full of hope and ambition. Gabe had put on his most charming smile, one that had often worked in his favor in the past, but Elena didn't seem to notice. Gabe did often let his ego get the best of him. After all, he was tall, strong and handsome. At the young age of 18, he had a position of importance in the guard. He had a lot going for him. Still, Elena would only roll her eyes at him, become annoyed or simply ignore him when he got a little too cocky. She brought him down a notch and he kind of liked it and knew he deserved it. She was different from most girls that he had known in his past. He always found himself unable to contain a smirk when she had cleverly, yet sweetly put someone in their place. Himself included.
Gabe's crush on the princess changed however when they were both introduced to Prince Alonso of Cordoba. During their visit, Gabe was surprised at just how jealous he had become as he watched the young and charming prince try to woo Elena. He hadn't even realized that he was actually falling for Elena on a deeper level but then the thought of her off with Alonso, touring Cordoba all alone, had him feeling overwhelmed. He did his best to keep his eyes on them and then was proud of Elena when she didn't buy into Alonso's self proclaimed irresistibility.
A lot had happened that day. Elena and Alonso had accidentally disturbed and destroyed the homes of the buhitos (small owl like birds) and awoken the Yacalli, A wooden statue whose job was to protect them. The Yacalli set out to destroy the kingdom of Cordoba in retaliation. When Alonso turned out to be completely unreliable, Elena had turned to Gabe for help in saving Cordoba. Gabe listened to her, supported her every decision and faithfully followed her lead. They were successful in communicating with the Yacalli, vowed to rebuild what they ruined and maintained peace between the understanding statue and the people of Cordoba. Gabe was proud to stand by Elena's side but the one thing that really stood out to him about that day was the change in the way Elena looked at him. Maybe it was that she had seen the jealousy written all over his face throughout the day, maybe it was the way he actually stopped and listened to what she had to say about the situation or maybe it was the way they worked so well together to save the Cordoban palace. He wasn't sure but she finally looked at him with a sense of admiration. The look was enough to make his heart flutter. Gabe even thought that just for a moment there was a bit of flirtatious flair in Elena's eyes when she announced to him that they deserved a break after their long day and were going to be touring the kingdom of Cordoba together. Gabe was surprised and wondered if it meant anything special to Elena. All he knew for certain was that their relationship had changed that day and for just that afternoon they weren't a princess and her guard, they were a young man and woman out enjoying each other's company. From that moment on, Gabe's feelings for Elena only began to grow.
It had been months since that day now and so much more had happened. They spent most of whatever free time they had together and even when he was on duty, it no longer felt like actual work. They got along so well and their interactions were easy. Gabe knew though that despite how their relationship, or whatever it was, seemed to progress, he was still her royal guard and needed to maintain a certain level of professionalism. No matter how strongly he felt for Elena, he knew he couldn't act on those feelings.
Gabe had to shake himself from his doting stare and put his best serious royal guard face back on as he stepped forward towards the princess.
Elena looked up when she heard footsteps approaching and instinctively smiled when she saw through her sleepy eyes that it was her royal guard. She flushed a moment at thinking of him as her royal guard. She had lots of guards but Gabe was different. Their interactions had always been more friendly and casual, right from the beginning. Perhaps it was because he wasn't intimidated by her being the crown princess. He was never afraid to speak out to her, even if it was something he knew she wasn't going to like. It wasn't as if he didn't respect her or wasn't loyal to her though. She actually liked that he did it and came to rely on his honesty with her. Plus she knew that everything he did was in her best interest, even if she wouldn't admit it out loud. The fact was, Gabe was the definition of loyal. He stood by her no matter what and always took the time to listen to what she had to say, even if he didn't agree with it. When they worked together, it was actually their differing opinions that made them such a great pair. Elena acted with heart and often impulsively. Gabe acted rationally, always with an air of caution. They balanced each other out nicely.
It wasn't just working together though. Elena loved having Gabe around no matter what. She'd always be disappointed if she'd get up in the morning to find another guard on duty. Often she'd seek him out if she had some free time and convince him to go hike the mountains, play some olaball or go toe to toe with some fencing. They both enjoyed being active and loved any sort of competition, especially with each other. It was never too hard to convince Gabe to go anywhere with her. All she had to do was flash her big pleading puppy dog eyes at him and he'd melt. She knew that Gabe had feelings for her that went beyond being her guard and beyond being her friend and sparring partner. He'd never say anything though. He always remained as professional as he could but it was pretty obvious by the near constant look of admiration plastered on his face when they were together. He was actually terrible at hiding any emotion as his face was far too expressive. Elena found it to be part of his charm.
She didn't always feel that way about him though. At first, Elena found him to be far too full of himself. She had little interest in his attempts to impress her. Not that she didn't find him attractive, she noticed him right away, but assumed he was just another typical, macho, good looking guy with an ego that she didn't have time for. It didn't take long though for her to see the real Gabe. Yes, he tried too hard but he was also an overachiever and eager to please. He had a passion for his work and just wanted to be the best guard he could be and sometimes his confidence could come off as arrogance. As Elena got to know him she realized that he didn't have a bad bone in his body. He genuinely cared about everybody around him. To her, he was like the sweetest guardian angel, doing everything he could to protect her. Not that she felt she needed or wanted the protection. But it was comforting to know that he was always looking out for her. Then there was the way he was with Isabel. He adored Isa. He was always the first person to be there for Isa if Elena couldn't be. Nobody meant more to Elena than Isa did so it warmed her heart to know that Gabe was there for her when she couldn't be.
Elena had been trying to fight her growing feelings for Gabe. She had a lot of things to accomplish before she became queen and finding love was not on the check list. But the more time that went by, the harder it became. When Gabe glanced her way affectionately, Elena now instinctively reciprocated the look, liking the feeling of warmth she felt when their eyes met. She could no longer deny the ever present chemistry between them. Their connection was just too strong now. She began to let her gaze linger with his, even as they walked away from each other, their eyes remained connected and the more she let it happen, the stronger their feelings became.
"Issss there a reason you're sitting out here, on the cold floor, in the middle of the night?" Gabe asked with amused puzzlement as he now stood in front of Elena.
Elena tilted her head down and slightly to the side as her eyes looked up to meet Gabe's. When they did, she smiled gently and her eyes softened to his. He must have just gotten off duty as he was carrying his jacket and wearing only the form fitting shirt that he usually sported beneath it. There was no hiding the way it defined every muscle in his arms and chest. Elena naturally batted her eye lashes at him as she dreamily stared, nearly forgetting the reason she was on the cold floor in the middle of the night.
"Oh!" She said, bringing herself back to reality. "Isa! She was having nightmares." Gabe glanced at Isabel's door, concern on his face as he knew that this was a recurring incident. He turned back to Elena, listening sympathetically as she continued. "I heard her scream so I ran in. She was already awake when I got there so I sat with her for awhile, letting her calm down. She told me that she'd be fine and I could go back to bed but... I just couldn't leave her. I snuck out once she fell back asleep but..."
"You're worried it will happen again?" Gabe finished for her, completely understanding her protective nature. Elena nodded, smiling gratefully at Gabe, glad that she didn't need to explain her actions to him.
"Would you at least like me to get you a blanket?" Gabe asked her with a slight laugh, knowing that she was set on staying. He didn't even attempt to convince her to go to bed.
"Yes!" Elena replied happily. Gabe turned towards Elena's room to oblige. "And a pillow?" Elena called to him
"Of course" he replied as he continued on his way.
"Maybe two pillows?" Elena added again after giving it some extra thought. "No ... one should be just fine... actually yeah... make it two!"
Gabe turned and looked at her, humored and waiting another second to see if she would come up with anything else.
"Please?" Elena finally finished with a toothy and goofy grin, pleading with the very wide childlike eyes that Gabe couldn't resist.
"Of course" He said again, this time laughing a bit and rolling his eyes at her teetering thoughts.
Gabe entered Elena's room and walked over to her bed. He grabbed a blanket that was draped over the foot and gathered up a couple of the maybe twenty pillows that the princess slept upon. Must be nice to be royalty he thought as he compared the luxurious comforts of her bed to his own. He slept on property of the palace, using one of the rooms designated for staff needing to remain close to the royal family. The room was good enough for Gabe and he had no complaints but his small bed, barely big enough to fit his tall body, with plain white sheets and one pillow paled in comparison. No wonder Elena had difficulty being a "morning person" (as Gabe had discovered when he implemented his 5 a.m. training regiment into her fencing lessons). He wouldn't ever want to get up from this bed either. He shrugged his shoulders carelessly, certain he'd never know what it was like and knowing that he was more than content with what he did have anyways.
He headed back out to the dim hallway and found that Elena's head rested upon her knees once again and she was nearly back to sleep. He walked over to her as quietly as he could and knelt by her side.
"Are you sure you don't want to just go to bed?" Gabe whispered to Elena as he placed the pillows by her side and draped the blanket over her shoulders.
"No..." She replied with a sleepy whisper as she lifted her head up and looked at Gabe through squinted eyes that she struggled to keep open. "I need to stay here... for Isa..." She yawned heavily and then forced her eyes to open. "See? wide awake!"
"Clearly" Gabe said sarcastically, raising his eyebrows in doubt. Then reluctantly accepting Elena's plan asked "Would you like some company for a bit? Orrrr someone to actually stay awake and listen for Isa?"
Elena smiled and nodded, pleased with his offer. Knowing that Gabe would be there too, took away the pressure of trying to stay awake. Gabe sat down next to her and leaned himself up against the door.
"Good thing you got two pillows!" Elena said in her usually perky way (although somewhat subdued from the sleep deprivation), as she shoved a pillow behind Gabe's back. He thanked her with a smile and their eyes connected. They gazed at one another just long enough for their hearts to each skip a beat and feel the intimacy of the situation increase. Gabe began to feel a little warm. He nervously cleared his throat and broke his stare. He adjusted himself on the pillow,stretched out his legs and when he felt comfortable on his pillow, crossed his arms across his chest and finally relaxed.
Elena rolled her eyes at how quickly Gabe had turned away from her. For someone who started out acting so confident and charming, he sure got nervous quickly whenever she got close to him. The idea of it humored her. She took her pillow and plopped it in his lap. Gabe tensed up nervously and eyes widened with surprised as Elena laid her head down, facing away from him and wrapping herself in her blanket. She turned her head to look up at him with a sly grin on her face and it was then that Gabe realized she was playing with him, trying to get a reaction. He shot her a knowing glare and she did her best to look innocent. As Gabe chuckled and shook his head at her, he began to relax again despite the fact that Elena remained close to him.
"You're a good sister ya know" Gabe said very matter of fact after he and Elena had been comfortable in the silence for a bit.
"Well I try to be..." Elena said modestly.
"I'm serious, Elena. Isa is really lucky to have you. I mean you're sitting out here in the middle of the night, not getting any sleep just in case she needs you. No matter what you have going on, you always make sure she's taken care of first. You always make time for her. That's pretty special and trust me, she appreciates your efforts. I mean between your family, friends, all of Avalor... really caring about all of them...that's a lot to take on! You handle it really well. Putting everyone else's needs before yours all the time... you're a true leader. You're going to be an amazing queen one day."
Gabe spoke about Elena with gentle admiration and she closed her eyes as she listened to his praise. Gabe wasn't sure why he had suddenly began spoiling Elena with compliments. Perhaps it was the private setting of a quiet hallway occupied only by two close friends, both secretly longing for more that had been calling for such a conversation. He was glad he did it though once he saw the corner of Elena's lips turn up into a smile.
"Well it's my job to protect everyone. I just want to be a good queen and I want to be a good sister." Elena said, eyes still closed. She took a deep breath and tried to hold in a yawn. She placed her hand over her mouth to abstain before finishing her though. "You know what it's like to put others before yourself! Your job is pretty much the same thing"
"Except that I only have to make sure you don't get into any trouble. Which I suppose on some days feels like taking care of an entire kingdom might be an easier task. So... I guess you're right" Gabe snickered.
"I am..." Elena said sleepily but still with a victorious grin "I mean... you're doing it right now... putting others first. You're not even on duty and you're still here taking care of me and Isa"
Elena forced her eyes open to a squint and looked up at Gabe, letting him know that his efforts to go above and beyond his duties didn't go unnoticed. "you're pretty good at your job too" She said smiling.
Gabe wasn't sure if her eyes were just too heavy to keep open or if she had also shot him a wink but he convinced himself that it was the latter. He smiled at her, though she didn't see it. Her head was already lying back on the pillow, eyes closed softly once again.
"I just want to be a good guard" Gabe said mirroring Elena's response to his praises of her.
"You are..." Elena said then let out a long, open mouthed yawn, too tired to even try to suppress it this time. She felt Gabe's hand ever so slightly touch the top of her head and run his fingers down through her hair. Then again. The feeling began to lull her to sleep.
"Well I always pass through this way at night. I guess I just like to make sure that everyone is safe... one last time." Gabe explained, not even conscious that he had started stroking the princess's hair. "If I'm being honest... I don't just do it because it's my job... I do it because I really care about you... about all of you..."
Gabe sighed heavily, relieved that he finally confessed that much of what he did for Elena and her family was because he had deeper feelings. Feelings much stronger than being a royal guard necessitated.
He had hoped that what he said would have gotten a response from Elena but she said nothing. He stretched his neck forward, trying to get a glimpse of Elena's face and when he did, saw that she had once and for all dozed off to sleep. He leaned back against the door disappointed that she probably hadn't heard what he said. He shrugged it off and closed his own eyes, thinking that he'd just rest them a moment, not meaning to actually fall asleep himself.
Gabe opened his eyes, unsure of how long he had been asleep. It couldn't have been too long but it was long enough to feel his neck starting to get a Crick in it. He looked down at Elena, still fast asleep in his lap. He stared at her beautiful face and smiled at how comfortable and at peace she was. Gabe hated that he had to wake her but he didn't have a choice. He couldn't stay there all night. He had to be on duty in the morning.
"Elena" He whispered as he bent down close to her ear, placing his hand on her shoulder.
Nothing.
"Elena!" He said again in a whispered shout. And shook her shoulder gently.
She let out a deep nasal like snort but didn't actually wake. Gabe was taken aback momentarily by the unladylike sound that came from the princess. But his surprise quickly turned into an amused grin. He couldn't wait to tease her about that one.
Gabe shook her in one last attempt to get her up "Elena! You need to get up and go to your bed now"
Elena lifted her head slightly and then let it drop back down to the pillow as she let out a slight moan.
"Elena... it's time to get up" Gabe repeated now feeling like he was talking to a child.
Elena yawned heavily "Yeah... I'm getting up now" She finally said, never opening her eyes though.
Good Gabe thought as he began to shift himself forward in preparation to stand. Just as he began to do so, Elena also began to move. She lifted her sleepy head off the pillow and turned herself around so that she was now lying on her opposite side. She rested one hand underneath her head and grabbed her blanket with the other, pulling it up close to her face as she curled up even closer to Gabe.
It was the complete opposite of what he wanted her to do but still, Gabe tilted his head and looked at Elena with nothing but love in his eyes. The sight of her sleeping next to him was pleasing. But, as much as he wanted to, he knew they couldn't remain there in such an intimate manor. He finally gave up with trying to get her to rise on her own. Instead, he slowly pulled the blanket off of her and gently moved the pillow from beneath her head. He straightened her wrinkled up night gown so that it fell appropriately and then slipped one arm under her knees and gripped around her waist with his other. He pulled her in close to him, letting her head rest upon his shoulder just right. As he easily stood up with her in his arms, she jostled just enough to let out another raspy snore which continued with each long breath she took. Gabe rolled his eyes, both amused and amazed at her ability to sleep so soundly. Some may have found Elena's present state to be quite unappealing... but not Gabe.
Gabe carried Elena into her room, walked over to her bed and laid her atop the pool of pillows. He lifted her legs up just enough so that he could slip them underneath the blankets. He stood up and looked at the young woman who had captured his heart. He took a deep breath in and let out a heavy sigh, knowing that he'd somehow have to push his feelings aside. She was the crown princess, soon to be ruler of all Avalor and he was just her royal guard. Nothing could ever happen.
"Good night princess" He said slightly pained by the facts he was certain to be true. He turned to walk away.
"Gabe?" Said Elena with sweet tranquility, stopping Gabe and making him turn back towards her.
Elena's eyes were barely open and she had a dreamy smile across her face as she looked at him. To be honest, Gabe wasn't positive she was actually awake. Still, she reached out her hand for him. He took it. She patted the side of her bed, inviting him to sit down next to her. Gabe was a bit reluctant to do so, mostly because he felt a little uncomfortable being alone with the princess.. in her room... in the middle of the night. Against his judgement, he sat down, still holding her hand.
"Thanks Gabe" She said through squinted eyes as she managed to sit herself up so she was face to face with Gabe. "You're always looking out for me... and for Isa"
Gabe gave her a quick nod and loving smile in acknowledgement of her thanks. He was happy to always be there for her.
"You're really special..." Elena whispered softly as her eyes closed again, nearly drifting back to sleep.
Gabe was about to guide her back to a lying position to let her sleep when her eyes opened again. Their eyes locked with a force that made Gabe's heart beat faster. He could feel his palm in hers start to get sweaty as she squeezed his hand and pulled him in closer to her. Elena's eyes went from barely awake to wide with interest. The rate and depth of their breaths increased and with each exhale the intensity between them grew stronger. Gabe's eyes drifted to her lips as he imagined the taste of them. He tensed up, using every muscle he could to hold himself back. She's the crown princess, you can't... he reminded himself. Still, he continued to stare into eyes that were calling him to make a move. Elena tilted her head ever so slightly to the right, chin up, her lips parted in preparation to be kissed and she lightly shut her eyelids as she moved her mouth to meet Gabe's.
Gabe watched the princess as if everything was happening in slow motion and then suddenly released Elena's hand and straightened himself up, backing away from her. Elena's eyes shot open. Gabe stood up, keeping his eyes on her. Honestly, he was just as shocked as Elena appeared to be at his actions... or lack of actions depending on how you'd like to look at it.
"Good night Elena" Gabe said awkwardly as he quickly turned around and walked towards the door, leaving Elena behind feeling confused and mostly embarrassed.