Title: Nightly Conversation

Rating: K+ for safety

Note 1: This is a stab at Gabe/Elena friendship, yea... It turned out to be romance a little but the main thing is they are together and it's a bit angsty. Please leave reviews! I'm going to keep writing regardless, but they really help the motivation.

Note 2: Some Spanish/Mexican notes I've picked up on.

Por favor: please (although this is a bit self explanatory).

Gabe heard sobbing around 2 a.m. as he strode by the princess's bedrooms once again. Concerned, he knocked on the door of Princess Elena's room cautiously. She was sobbing as he hesitantly knocked on the door. He heard scurrying from the other side of the door and it opened. He looked at Elena's tear stained face as her dark eyes meet his amber ones.

"Go away," she mumbled trying to pass her crying off as sleepiness. Forget about being her guard, he thought silently to himself, and focus on being her friend. That was probably what she really needed right now. He put his foot between the frame and the door keeping it from closing all the way.

"Gabe," she said her voice low and tired with a warning in her voice. Promptly ignoring her tone, he only wanted to talk to her. He held on to the heavy door and only watched Elena try to wipe away her tears.

"As a guard it's not right to do this. As your friend I'm asking you to talk to me. What's wrong?" he hoping he wouldn't get in trouble, but she blinked once at him.

Elena was taken a back for a moment. She had to admire his bravery for going up against her this late at night. Then for his duty as her friend before smiling at being touched at the sentimentality. Looking at the carpet she opened the door again letting him in.

The first thing he noticed was the portrait on the floor of her room. She must have found it somewhere as something in him twisted noticing it was King Raul and Queen Lucia. It was a portrait of her entire family from before Shuriki's rule, as he could make out Esteban and Isabel. Elena must have found it recently to be crying. Her former self beaming up at him with a proud look on her face. Gabe grew quiet as Elena looked at him before looking back down at the portrait.

"I found it cleaning out under my bed. It was supposed to be for dad's birthday. His birthday would have been today," she said before covering her mouth choking back a sob. Instinctively, he hugged her as he would find family mourning for his father and hugging was his only solution. She stiffened up before hugging him back. Then she started crying again as he looked down at the painting.

When Gabe got the job, he thought he was going to be a guard to a 50 something year old woman who had to go train to get rid of Shuriki. She had done her mourning and she was prepared to take her throne back. Why he got hired instead of someone older he just shrugged off.

Then when a girl about his age came via magic to get rid of her, he understood why he was hired. Needless to say his expectations about the job had drastically changed. Now he realized that she didn't have a chance to do anything much for herself. All she had done was work and this was her time to, well… Gabe just hugged her closer as he rested his chin on the top of her head. Not saying anything, he just let the girl cry on his chest. He didn't want to ruin the intimate moment.

"I'm sorry, you don't need to see me crying," she said as she wiped her face, pulling away from him. A little disappointed to be separated.

"Elena it's okay to cry, I've done it myself," he said as she looked at the painting still. She probably remembered getting it done like it was yesterday. He looked down at his own feet not wanting to interrupt her thoughts. Right now, she wasn't a princess and he wasn't a guard, they were friends. As her friend, he was just going to let her talk and act moody.

"I like to think that I'm going to be this strong fearless leader, like my dad one day," she said as she pursed her lips. "I never even got to see his full reign."

Soothingly, he rubbed her back as he watched the tears full. If there was one thing he learned from his aunt Maya, it was to keep his mouth shut, she always said he knew just how to kill a mood. Elena pulled her knees up to her chest as he just side hugged her.

"For what it's worth, I think you'll be like that. You might need a little guidance but…" He let his words just drop unable to finish the sentence. Gabe gently wiped away a piece of hair from her face. "If you remember them and keep them in your heart they'll never fully go away."

The room remained silent as they heard the clock just tick. It was going to be morning soon and she started to nod off.

"When did you get to be wise?"

"I've always been wise," he cracked before sobering up, "Well I know how you're feeling." He thought of his dad that he remembered a little bit of every day. The way that he would tell bed time stories in a dramatic way. The way he would make them Navidad presents out of carvings. Gabe could feel himself becoming emotional but then he realized that he should be strong for Elena.

He got up and picked the painting up before propping it up against the window. She looked at it before smiling and touching the face of her father.

"Thanks for the encouragement Gabe," she said getting up to go to bed. "Do you know what it's like to lose your parents?"

"Shuriki killed my dad," he said as he closed his eyes briefly before meeting hers. "It wasn't her directly but it still hurts knowing that she was the cause of it."

"I'm sorry."

"You're okay, but I know how you feel. I remember seeing the men bring my dad home and my mother just openly weeping. He had been beaten pretty bad and his neck…" he said as he winced at the memory. "Her guards had some kind of powers. I've never felt right around it. It's not something that I can protect the people I love from. I don't want to see you hurt like that."

Silence enveloped them as it grew quiet. Gabe realized that he just about said that he loved her, albeit disguised behind backwards words. Elena looked down at her bedspread biting her lip thoughtfully. She stayed quiet as he thought about just hugging her close, but thought better of it. Instead, he adjusted himself ready to leave her room. It was almost 3 now and she would be sleeping for a short amount of time.

"I should probably go-"

"Stay with me please," she said her dark eyes meet his and a hand touched his shoulder. He only sighed before agreeing, it wasn't like he could say no.

"Princess-"

"Por favor?" A hopeful look on her face as she bit her lip and eyes wide. She wasn't giving him a puppy dog smile but a genuine look of hope that he couldn't say no to. Taking a deep breath, he just nodded at her quiet.

"I'll have to leave by morning," he said giving in.

"Thank you."

He laid down next to her after taking his shoes off. Next to him Elena only smiled lazily next to him. She closed her eyes and her breathing slowly became heavy.

"Goodnight," he said as he kissed her cheek.