Happily Ever After, and After | By : AlienEeeter Category: +G through L > Gargoyles Views: 19141 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 2 |
Disclaimer: I do not own Gargoyles, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story. |
A/N:
The first two chapters are setting up for the lemony 3rd chapter--posted with these, so you don’t have to wait. I’m going to keep writing this until I run out of ideas. It may include other pairings at some point, but Goliath and Elisa will always be my main focus.
Admitting the Truth
The sun was lowering in the sky as Elisa stood next to Goliath’s still form stroking the stone between his wings. It was hours until sunset, but sometimes would get the urge to leave her apartment and go up to the castle and just sit with him for a while, and watch him sleep. Xanatos knew, but wisely, he said nothing.
She found she could spend hours there, just waiting. She didn’t like the daytime much. It seemed so lifeless and empty, without him. She sighed and looked at her watch. She was supposed to meet her sister for dinner.
xoxoxoxo
“Long time, no see, sis,” Beth greeted her at the restaurant later that evening. “I’ve been home for three weeks now.”
Elisa sat down across from her, picking up her menu. “You know how it is. Night shift. Your days start getting weird. . .and next thing you know, you’re sleeping until sunset.”
“We worry about you, Elisa. You’ve gotten so distant over the last few years.”
“I’m fine. One hundred percent normal. I mean, normal for my life.”
Beth thought back to Derrick, to Elisa‘s long ‘vacation.’ And of course there were the gargoyles. “I know what you mean. Look, I can’t begin to imagine what it must be like to be in your shoes. I spend all my time in grad school, surrounded by books--”
“Hey--your books are important.”
She smiled. “I know. But even though I don’t know everything that goes on in your life, I’m still your sister. If you ever need to talk, I’m here.”
“Thanks Beth.” She turned back to her menu. “But I’m fine. I’m in the mood for spaghetti. Lots and lots of spaghetti.”
xoxoxoxoxo
Goliath stretched in the moonlight, howling at the joy of being awake again. He turned around, his face breaking into a smile when he saw Elisa waiting for them. For him. He jumped down from the ledge. “Hello, Elisa.” He put a hand on her shoulder, completely enveloping it. Seeing his hand--his claw--on her tiny shoulder pained him. Another reminder that he was a gargoyle, and she was a human.
She smiled, oblivious to his sorrow. “So guys, what’s on the agenda tonight? Nothing strenuous I hope. I’ve got the night off and I want to enjoy it.”
Goliath watched Elisa, sitting on the floor and leaning against Hudson’s legs, sharing a huge bowl of popcorn with Broadway and Lexington as they watched television together. She laughed at Broadway’s ability to recite every line of the old detective movie they were watching, and scratched Bronx’s exposed belly when he collapsed and rolled over in front of them. She was without any doubt, a part of their clan. They had never felt so close to a human before.
*He* had never felt so close to a human before. Watching Elisa reminded him of feelings he had once had for someone else…long ago. His love for Elisa had blossomed from friendship so slowly he never noticed it until it was already there, and she felt it too, but they rarely spoke of it. What was the use?
oxoxoxoxo
Much later that night Elisa arrived at her family‘s apartment, where her sister was staying over her summer vacation. “I have a problem,” she said when her sister answered the door. “I just need to talk.”
“You know it’s two o’ clock in the morning, right? Mom and Dad are asleep.” Beth frowned. “It looks like you need pizza and ice cream. Get in here. We’ll order out--someplace has got to be open at this hour.”
Later they were settled on the floor of the living room, the pizza half-eaten in its box, and each woman digging into a half gallon of triple fudge swirl with her own spoon. “So there’s this guy,” Elisa said finally, mellowed by grease and chocolate. “I think I love him.”
“My big sister, in love? I can’t believe it. How long have you been dating?”
“That’s just it. We haven’t been on a date. We can’t. We’re too different.”
“He’s a republican?”
“No!” Elisa had to laugh.
“The billionaire mastermind of a huge corporation? I’ve seen him on TV and he is hot. I wouldn’t doubt how one could fall in love with David Xanatos, encountering him as much as you do. But Elisa, he‘s married.”
“Very funny!” Elisa pointed her spoon at her sister. “I am *not* in love with Xanatos. No it’s. . .” the mirth left her face. “I can’t even explain it. He’s wonderful. Kind and strong and good. A little naïve sometimes but it only adds to his sweetness…I see him almost every night, but…It’s not enough. I’m so miserable without him.”
“Then it’s obvious. You should have him.”
“But he’s too different--”
“Elisa! Are you black or native american?” Elisa started to answer, and stopped. “Differences didn’t stop our parents. Why is it stopping you? Mom and Dad wouldn’t care what your boyfriend was like, as long as you were happy. So what is it? Is it his family? Would they be upset?”
“Well, no. . .I don’t *think* they would be upset. . .”
“So what are you afraid of?”
Elisa dug her spoon back into the ice cream. “I guess I don’t know.”
“Shouldn’t you be talking to Goliath about this?”
xoxoxoxoxo
Elisa smirked as she got into her car. Of course Beth knew exactly what she had been talking about, and she might be right Still. . . .Her smile disappeared. There were things that were stopping her. She knew it, and so did Goliath.
They could never be a traditional couple. They couldn’t get married, couldn’t have kids. . .not that she ever had much interest in children. Her job was too dangerous for motherhood, and with her strange hours, she would never have the time or energy to deal with the trials that went along with a child anyway.
And then there was his massive size--she had thought about it before--how could they possibly consummate such a relationship? Of course, Demona was not much larger than she and it was obvious that she and Goliath…but Elisa tried not to think about that. It was a thousand years ago. How could she be jealous over such ancient history. . .when she had no right to be?
< You’re justifying it, > she told herself. < Don’t. > Besides, if he wanted it badly enough, wouldn’t he come and get it? < I can’t say anything. > Goliath was such a sensitive soul. < I don’t want to upset him. >
oxoxoxoxo
Goliath awoke, and Elisa wasn’t there. He hated it when she wasn’t there. She had the whole weekend off--unless there was an emergency at the station. Where had she gone? He watched as the younger gargoyles went off in pairs: Brooklyn and Lexington, Broadway and Angela. Hudson and Bronx settled down in front of the television set, prepared to ‘guard the castle.’
“Something wrong, lad?” Hudson asked as Goliath lingered.
“. . .No. I will join the others in patrolling the city.”
But he didn’t patrol, instead flying straight to Elisa’s apartment.
He landed softly on the balcony and peaked in through the curtains. Elisa was there, wrapped up in a blue bathrobe on her sofa, Cagney curled up in a ball at her feet. Her hair was done up in a turban of a bath towel, and the television glowed in the dim lighting of the room. < She doesn’t want to be with me tonight. She wants to be alone. >
He had turned away, wings spread in preparation to fly off, when he heard Elisa’s voice, “Goliath, wait!” muffled through the glass, and by the time he had turned back around, she was opening the balcony doors for him. “What are you, stalking me?”
“No! I--”
“So don’t lurk on balconies and come inside.” She stepped aside so he could enter her home. He didn’t care much for the décor of Elisa’s apartment. It was plush and bright and very un-castle like. But it was her home, and it smelled of her and felt of her, so he liked it.
“You weren’t at the castle, and I was worried. You always come on your nights off.”
She sighed and turned back to fall onto the couch. “I’m sorry. I should have called or something. I just wanted to stay in tonight.”
“Of course. I will go, and let you have your evening.”
She twisted around on the couch to look at him directly. “You--you don’t have to go. You could stay in with me.”
“Someone needs to protect the city.”
“Can’t the others do it? Just this once?”
Goliath sighed and moved over to the sofa, picking up Cagney and putting the cat on his lap. “Very well. What are we watching?”
Elisa glanced at the tv. “Um, Golden Girls re-runs?” She laughed at the face he made. “It’s okay. We can change it. Hey, do you want a soda or tea or anything?” Goliath declined, but Elisa got up to get something to drink for herself, and when she did Goliath saw the expanse of her leg appear from the folds of her robe, all the way up to her thigh, and he was reminded that traditionally, humans did not wear anything under a bathrobe.
It was a good thing Cagney was on his lap, for the sight of her leg at had excited him, if only slightly, and that was something he did not want Elisa to see. He was the leader of a clan of Gargoyles. He was too old for wanton, rookery-aged lust. His shame calmed him, and when Elisa returned, he was, more or less, back to normal. There was a time when he had not thought her attractive, long ago. That had since changed.
She carried a cup of tea in one hand and was rubbing down her wet hair with her towel. “Sorry I’m such a mess. I wasn’t expecting company.”
“You are always beautiful to me, Elisa.” It was not a smart thing to say, and yet it came out unbidden, as if it were the most natural thing in the world to say to her. He was horrified, and yet it felt so right.
She just smiled. “Thanks, big guy.” She settled back on the couch, leaning against his shoulder and tucking her legs up under her body. She rested her mug on her hip and flipped through the channels until she stopped at a romantic comedy. “Is this one okay?”
“Yes, Elisa. It’s fine.” (The truth being of course, that he hated comedies of any sort--he didn’t really have much of a sense of humor. He didn’t like to admit it, but he enjoyed action movies every once in a while, where the good character triumphed over evil and saved the city. Except a movie called ‘Robocop,’ and another one, ’The Terminator.’ Those two rang too close to home.)
Goliath however, was not bored, because during the movie Elisa kept shifting, unable to keep still, until by the credits her mug was empty on the floor, and she was resting her head on his thigh as a pillow, the rest of her completely stretched out across the couch. He had an arm wrapped around her shoulder, and she was soft and warm.
“Don’t you love happy endings?” she asked him without moving.
“Of course.”
“Ever think maybe one day we could have one?” She pulled herself up to look at him. There were two streams of tears running down her cheeks. She had been crying, silently, though the whole movie.
“Elisa. . .”
“I’m tired of this being something we are only allowed to hint at after one of us has just saved the other one’s life. I told myself that I could wait for you to come around, but I just can’t. We need to talk about this.”
He stood up. “There is nothing to talk about. You are a human. I am a Gargoyle. I could. . .I could never be what you need me to be.”
Elisa stood as well, standing close to him. “You don’t know what I need! Like I care about being normal. I’ve been on the force for ten years. You don’t think I couldn’t have gotten a promotion to day shift by now? I’ve been holding back, long before you ever came into my life. You’re a warrior of the night. In case you haven’t noticed, I am too.”
“I know you are.”
“You have told me time and time again that I am a part of your clan. But you just can’t accept me fully, can you? Not if I’m just a human.”
“Elisa, I--” He tried to embrace her, but she backed away.
Her tears were flowing freely in front of him now. “I think you’d better go home, Goliath. This was a bad idea. I’m sorry I brought it up.”
He held his head low and stepped out onto the balcony. “You are not ‘just’ a human.” He opened his wings and stepped up onto the rail. “And I do love you. Goodnight, Elisa.”
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