Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the character of Gabriel Gray, he belongs to NBC's Heroes. This is merely fan-fiction of my growing obsession with him. I do, however own all rights to Addien Van Bevan.
Author Notes: Plot building - I'm planning on many more chapters and installments on this story. It's an ongoing piece of work.
Addien drug herself up the apartment stairs, her chest feeling as if her heart were pumping cement. Fumbling with her keys she approached her apartment door to find it ajar. Addien's eyes widened, fear snapped her sober and dried the saliva in her mouth. Creeping towards the door she pushed it open and glanced around. Stepping inside, nothing was missing, everything was, remarkably, just as she left it. Glancing at the time on the stove she read 2:17AM. "Where did the time go?" she asked herself softly. "And what in the Hell happened to my door?". Walking in farther, she noticed feet draped over the arm of her sofa - Trademark argyle socks told her who it was. She made her way around and found Gabriel, asleep, on her sofa.
Addien carefully pulled his glasses from his face, folded them, and laid them softly on the coffee table. Tiptoeing into her closet she pulled a small quilt from storage and covered him. She softly brushed his hair from his face and whispered goodnight before crawling into her own bed, washed with exhaustion, still feeling the subtle pang of sorrow in her chest. A moment of dread for the morning ahead of her drifted into her mind as she slowly fell into sleep.
Morning came silently, as Gabriel awoke on Addien's sofa. Pushing the quilt from his body and reaching for his glasses, he knew she had come home. Stretching like a cat he rustled his hair and walked quietly toward her bedroom. Pushing the door open with his fingertips he saw her, laying peacefully sprawled across her bed. One bare leg protruded from under the covers and hung limply over the edge of the mattress. Pushing his weight onto the end of the bed, he checked to see if she would stir; when she did not, Gabriel crawled slowly up toward her, laying with his face next to hers, listening to the soft, steady sound of her breath.
Gabriel had drifted off to sleep as he woke up a couple hours later, Addien had cuddled her body up to his, her arms tucked delicately into her chest, with her head pressed into his. Pulling the blankets up around them, he wrapped his arm around her back, and pulled her snug against him. Laying his head lightly atop hers, she breathed her in. Her scent was one of pine and rain, she smelled of freedom, he felt free. For the first time since he had met her, he felt truly free with her lying motionless in his arms, silent but the sound of her breath.
Addien woke, eyelashes fluttering, attempting to focus the picture in front of her. Her eyes locked on Gabriel's face. Attempting to be stealthy, she peered over at his arm hugging her close, a spark of joy kissed her face with a smile. Confusion set in, and she couldn't understand how this had happened. Wiggling her body, she got out from under his arm and scuttled to the end of the bed. Looking down at him, she squinted her eyes in disbelief. 'What in the Hell is going on?' she asked herself, throwing her arms up in the air and diving in the closet for her pants. Every sound she cause made her snap her head over to the bed where Gabriel still lay silently. Slipping her shirt on, Addien slowly crept toward the bedroom door.
"Addi…?" she heard groggily from beyond her shoulder. She turned to find Gabriel sitting up in her bed staring over at her. "What are you doing?" he asked, smiling sheepishly and rubbing the side of his head.
"Nothing. Wh - What are you doing…" her eyes drifted over to him "… in my bed." she added quickly, dropping her arms limply to her sides.
He laughed softly and got up. "I was cold, I think." he grabbed his cardigan that was drapped over the lamp beside the bed and turned to her. "We need to talk, Addien." his voice was much more serious now, and Addien swallowed hard.
--
Addien slumped over on the sofa as Gabriel sat too, and turned to face her. "What's going on, Addien? These last few days, you've been… everywhere. Is something the matter?" he asked, his eyes heavy with worry. "I just don't know if I've done something to upset you. I left you a whole bunch of messages… you listened to then, then left?" he sighed "I had to break into your apartment, if I hadn't… If I hadn't I wouldn't have even seen you this weekend." Gabriel went to brush the bangs away from Addien's face, but she pulled away.
Addien drew in a breath, dropping her eyes to the floor. "Gabriel…" she began, struggling to muster up the courage to tell him the truth. She couldn't. "Gabriel, I'm moving." she exhaled, refusing to look at his face. The moment the words left her lips, Gabriel's expression dropped, his shoulders slung down, as he tipped his head in an attempt to see her eyes.
"What? How long have you known? Why in the fuck did you wait so long to… Jesus Addien. What the fuck?!" Addien had never heard him curse before. Her body shrunk back as if absorbing blows. Gabriel stood quick and threw his arms through the air. "Why? Where are you going?" he demanded, slamming his hand into the wooden table in front of them, causing her vase of flowers to shatter on the ground.
Addien stood, "Because I need to! I need to leave, I can't watch yo-…" she halted herself, rephrasing quickly, "I can't stay here." she took in a few sharp breaths and forced her eyes to lock with his. "I'm leaving tomorrow." she uttered, watching Gabriel's jaw fall slack. She tightened her fist at her side and tried to quell her lip from quivering.
Gabriel stared at her for what seemed like eons, his eyes searing her flesh before he shook his head and turned away. Seizing his jacket he stormed out of her apartment, slamming the door so hard on his way out the hinges shuttered, and the picture of them fell to the floor.
--
Addien made her way around her apartment, packing the necessities, and abandoning the rest. She shoved clothes into her bag, along with her books of poetry, and her scrapbooks. Turning to the window, she pulled the curtains open and let the dawn's light warm her skin. Grabbing a pen she wrote a note to Gabriel, with that she tacked a poem, knowing he wouldn't be able to come back before she was cities away.
Lugging her bag over her shoulder she made her way down the hallway, pausing to slip a note under her mother's door, and kissing the steal apartment numbers, before she trudged on, past Gabriel's door, as the tears welled up inside her eyes, that moment of doubt, 'this is a mistake!' her heart screamed, throwing itself at the mercy of her sternum. Touching the faded wood, she turned and exited the apartments, dropping her key inside before the doors locked her out.
Addien sat alone by the bus stop, the morning's dewy-tears still clung to everything, moistening her shoes, her hands, her face. Slipping her headphones on she waited quietly, until a hand upon her shoulder startled her. Ripping the buds from her ears she craned her head around, to find a middle-aged man in a suit before her. "Yes?" she asked, starting up at him.
"Are you Addien Van Bevan?" he inquired. As Addien nodded 'Yes' a small grin tugged up the sides of his lips as she pulled away from his grip becoming tighter on her shoulder.
"I've waited a long time for this moment, Addien…"