A Warm December

[Gabriel Fletcher]

[adminapproval=30331357]The last thing Gabriel had been expecting to receive by post was an invitation to Prue's funeral. He'd hoped, perhaps naively, that Saveli might one day invite him back down to stay, or just to hang out together while her father was out. But this? It was unusual, that was for sure. He supposed she needed him for emotional support, which made sense, given for how long the two had been best friends. Sure, they'd had their ups and downs, but in the end they always came back to each other.

The funeral was... Well, it was like a funeral, except slightly more uncomfortable, since Gabriel had to be careful stay out of Monty's way lest he be physically removed from the grounds. He wasn't sure if Saveli's father even knew he'd been invited, and he didn't think it was worth the risk of finding out. Even though it was a funeral, and everybody was solemn and tearful, Gabriel was glad to be near Saveli, if only for a little while. On several occasions throughout the afternoon he thought he might approach her, but he wasn't sure he'd be able to get very close with her boyfriend Reuben clinging to her the entire time. Gabe's jaw tightened when he thought about it. He was happy for Sav - no, really, he was. Reuben was a good guy, a nice guy, the kind of guy Saveli deserved. But that didn't mean he could look at the two of them together without wondering whether the territory they'd left unexplored could have been something beautiful.

Towards the end of the afternoon, however, Gabriel saw his chance. Reuben had Rudolf had wandered off somewhere together, and Saveli was slipping out of the church doors - presumably for some air. Checking Monty wasn't watching, Gabriel swiftly followed. The air outside was thick and hot, but it was slightly more tolerable than inside the church, and even pleasant in the shade. "Hey," Gabe said, taking care not to smile. It was difficult - her presence did something to him he'd never quite found the words to describe. But he managed. "Sorry - I wanted to say hello, but I thought I'd better catch you alone. How are you holding up?"

 

[Saveli Pendleton]

Fresh air had never felt so freeing as when Saveli stepped out of the church where her sister's ceremony was being held. Since hearing the news of her sisters death a chill was in her bones, keeping her cold in the summer heat of Australia. Sav had tissue balled up in her hands, as she tried to think of anything worse than being so out of sadness that tears no longer fell. There was nothing that Prudence would have loved more than the view of the trees, the view of the birds in their branches singing songs that denoted love and life - how could things be taken away from someone so fast. More than anything Saveli was frustrated that Shiloh wouldn't divulge how her sister passed. Did Sav not deserve to know? She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes, clinging tightly for a moment to the memory of their last talk. She'd called from school about making some list - some important thing that meant she had great grades. She was burning bright, and lived more in her short time than Sav could probably live in a hundred lives.

When a voice reached the silence of Saveli's pity party she jumped and turned to see Gabriel. "Hey, glad you could make it." Saveli moved and gave a hug to Gabe, then wrapped her sweater back tightly around her. "I'm as okay as i can be you know." She nodded, sniffling. "Thank you for coming. She would have liked you I think." It was a lie, but wasn't that what she was supposed to say? Seeing Gabriel stirred up broken emotions in Saveli and more tears presented themselves. "I just don't get it. Everything was going great for her, for us, we talked at least once a week. I talked to her before Roo and I... before his birthday. and She was fine. She was going to have a movie night inside. I was so excited to tell her everything about us spending the night together. Who do i go to now?" She asked, tears spilling over pallid cheeks like a waterfall, flowing freely with no shame.

 

[Gabriel Fletcher]

Gabriel glanced towards the church doors as he hugged Saveli, paranoid somebody would come out and see them - and by somebody, he meant either Reuben or Monty. It was a miracle he hadn't been asked to leave already.

The Durmstrang graduate shrugged. Truth be told, he couldn't have cared less whether Prue would have liked him or not. He knew Saveli was lying for him, and wondered why she'd bothered. Probably to spare his feelings. "Sure," he said. Of course he'd come; he'd never have given up the opportunity to see Saveli, even under less than ideal circumstances such as these. They'd been brought together again, and that was all he needed.

The talk of Reuben spending the night made Gabriel's jaw tighten, but truth be told, he'd assumed they'd been hooking up for months already - in fact, he was surprised more than anything to discover they'd waited so long. Typical of Reuben to wait until his seventeenth birthday, because almost certainly it had not been Saveli suggesting they abstain. "Hey," he said, thumbing the tears from her cheeks. He'd forgotten about the risk of somebody seeing them. "You have me. You know that, Sav. You'll always have me." And he meant it - just about. Few things could have driven him away from Saveli now. "I'm your best friend, remember? You can tell me anything."

 

[Saveli Pendleton]

Saveli felt herself trembling with grief the moment that Gabe's hand was on her face. She felt all resolve to being a grown up die and she was reduced to a mess of tears, and sadness, and an overwhelming need for comfort. Saveli sank toward Gabriel, leaning against his tall form, forehead placed against his collarbone so as not to cry on his clothing. Saveli felt her shoulders shaking with each teardrop that fell. She shook her head gently. There was a moment in which Saveli wanted to be selfish and ask how Prudence could leave her like this. It wasn't Prue's choice though. It wasn't as if anyone had a choice on when they were going to die. Saveli sniffled a little and shook her head again. "I just, things were going to well you know. She was planning her future and I was planning mine and we were supposed to be a part of each other's future, Gabriel. She was going to be my maid of honor, and I was going to be hers and... and, it's just not fair." She spoke almost childishly. ''I can't lose anyone else. I just can't. What am I supposed to do now? What if I lose Monty, or you, or Reuben"

 

[Gabriel Fletcher]

Gabe stroked Saveli's shoulder as she cried into him, making soothing sounds to comfort her. It was unfortunate, Prue's death. The girl had lost so much family already. Gabriel knew just how that felt - well, sort of, because technically he'd never really known his mother to begin with. But he knew what it was like to feel alone in the world, and he understood how difficult it could be to trust that loved ones wouldn't slowly drift away, and he was damned if he wouldn't do everything within his power to keep that from happening to Saveli. "I don't know," he said. "People are s**t, Sav. They tell you they'll be there forever, and then one day they just... they die, or they disappear, or they stab you in the back. But I swear - I swear I'll never do that to you. You and me, against everything, always. No matter what happens, I'll be here for you. I promise."

 

[Saveli Pendleton]

Saveli moved and wrapped her arms around Gabriel, mostly to support her knees which wiggled like those of a day old fawn's. Every word he said was painful. Did Gabriel believe the same as she, did he know that this would happen. Everyone would leave and there would stand Saveli in the rubble of it all. She only cried harder at the thought. Sav squeezed Gabriel's ribs, pressing his body close to hers to feel another heartbeat for comfort that at least she was still alive. "I'm so selfish for worrying about how everyone's abandoned me. Prue died, she lost her life. And here I am still breathing but crying because I'm afraid to be alone. What kind of a person am I?" She asked, sobbing.

 

[Gabriel Fletcher]

Gabriel shook his head. "You're not selfish, Sav. You're human." Death does that to people - reminds the living that they're mortal, that all of their loved ones are mortal. "You're just scared, and that's OK. I'll keep you safe. I'll be here." He wasn't sure what he was saying any more, or whether it would be of any comfort. What else could he do? In just a moment, he'd have to let go of her, have to go back home, where she'd be too far away to hold and comfort. "You know you can visit me, don't you? You have my address. Any time, just come. It's my own place. It'd just be you and me." He buried his face in her hair and closed his eyes, willing her to consider his offer. Just once. That was all he wanted.

 

[Saveli Pendleton]

Saveli was soothed easily by her childhood friend, adn soon the shivering stopped and she felt uncomfortably warm when the grieving cold left her body. She pulled away from Gabriel, hearing Viviana in the distance calling out for her. Without looking back up Sav nodded. "That would be nice. Like old times. We could watch a film or something yeah?" She asked, finally willing her grey eyes to meet his. "I have to get back to the thing. Thank you for coming. i really do miss you Gabriel." For once she spoke his first name in full instead of a nickname. Sav then looked behind her and headed back to the air conditioned building, stirring in her mind the things he said about how people leave. Wasn't that the reason Prudence wouldn't date for a while? She always told Sav a future should be sustainable with just herself in it - but was Saveli sure hers was without Roo or Gabe... perhaps it was time to change those things.

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