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blueflyingturtleontheway · 27 days

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So, I've heard some voices here and there lamenting how little Gabe content - especially new Gabe content - there was and you know what? I completely agree, so I thought why not, I can try to add my little droplet into this tiny sea of Gabe appreciation we have here on tumblr.

Summary: Elena visits Gabe in his house for the first time and learns something new about his past.

Word count: 1937

AN: just some friendly fluff really, headcanon heavy, from Elena's POV but Gabe centric

"Oh, watch out, the first step is-" Gabe turned around just in time to catch Elena when she started to fall backwards. "-loose."

"Thanks for the warning." Elena shot him a glare when she regained her balance. In response Gabe only sent her an unapologetic grin and pulled her up on the next step.

"Everyone's so used to it by now that we keep forgetting to fix it with my dad," he explained as they finally reached the first floor.

The stairs led to a narrow corridor, with the same room placement as the bakery beneath it. Two doors on the right, one on the left and a wide opening to the living room at the end. In a few brisk steps Gabe opened the door on the left and invited Elena in with a courteous gesture.

"Welcome to my humble abode, your highness."

Her highness graced him with a nod and slipped by him, into the small room. Elena gave it a quick one over. It was indeed small - in fact, there probably wasn't much more space than what each guard got at the barracks - and the decor wasn't much fancier either. Cream colored walls, a thin bed by the window, a wardrobe opposite of it, one wall taken up by a bookshelf and a small cabinet by another made up basically all the furnishing of the room.

"Humble is a good word." She nodded solemnly, earning herself an eye roll from her friend. They both chuckled.

"Hey, it's your room that's out of the norm, you know?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Elena retorted, thinking about how three or even four such rooms would fit into hers. She walked over to the cabinet and picked up some trinket. "But it's nice to finally see where you grew up."

Gabe couldn't stop a fond smile sneaking onto his lips when he noticed the badge she was examining.

"Yeah and I didn't really get to change much here in the past five years. For example this thing I got back when-"

"Gabriel!" He was interrupted by his mother's voice from the bakery.

"I'll tell you in a moment," he sighed. "Make yourself at home!" He added from the doors and quickly ran downstairs to his parents.

Elena took another look around the room. It wasn't entirely empty, she had to admit that, and the poster of Antonio Agama on the inner side of the door confirmed that Gabe didn't change the decor much since he moved out.

She moved to the bookshelf and moved her hand across the titles - though there weren't that many of them to count. The lower shelves were taken up by some boxes and bags and what could've been a neatly packaged tent. Then finally a whole shelf dedicated to the whole collection of Antonio Agama's books. Elena chuckled to herself when she read some of the more dramatic titles and noticed even one that wasn't in Avaloran. On the next shelf, between other various travel books and biographies, was only one book by señor Agama, titled simply 'The Gecko's Tale'. Driven by a hunch she took it out and couldn't help but laugh when she read the blurb on the back. Although that explained how the whole kingdom found out that she's a bit adventurous too.

Finally her gaze got to the plant on top of the mantle. Hidden so deep in the room, it extended its ivy like stalks towards the sun, climbing a string helpfully hung between the bookshelf and the window.

Down on the windowsill two other plants looked out on the little cobbled square behind the house. Elena leaned in to smell the orchid and noticed something half hidden behind the pot. Slowly, so as not to accidentally damage the plant, she reached for trinket and retrieved it into the light. It turned out to be a wooden doll, painted to resemble a familiar navy and maroon uniform...

"Is this you?" She turned to Gabe as soon as he entered the room and showed him the figurine with a wide smile.

Gabe stopped for a moment. Furrowed his brows as he tried to see what Elena was even holding, and then furrowed his brows even more when he recognised it.

"Of course not," he grumbled, closing the small distance between them. "It's just an old thing anyway."

"It does look a bit like you though." She jumped away from him at the last moment.

Gabe gasped. Elen giggled and moved her hand away when he tried to reach her.

"Why would I even have a figurine of myself?"

For a moment they circled each other, like two lions judging if it's worthy to fight the opponent for a steak, except the steak was now wooden and 15 centimetres high. They both hunched subconsciously and made their steps in the fencing manner.

"I don't know, why does Esteban have a whole wall of his own portraits?" A sly grin slid on her face. "But I see you've decided to match his collection."

"Oh now you've done it." Gabe shook his head to hide his smile and in the split of a second was right by her. Feigning to go right for the prize, he swiped her legs out from under her.

Elena waved her hands in the air giving Gabe just the opportunity he was waiting for. He swiftly yanked the figurine from her hands, giving her the last push to fall backwards completely. He turned his head with a victorious grin, just in time to see her legs rising at the height of his knees. And suddenly the ground was much closer than before.

He folded his arms to his chest, protecting the figurine with his body and rolled on the floor. Though he didn't have to roll far, of which he was promptly reminded by his head crushing into the cupboard.

He groaned loudly and let his body fall limply to the floor.

His pained complaint was answered by Elena's laughter from the bed.

"I'm getting too old for this," he mumbled and Elena's laughter only got louder.

Finally he sat up and lifted the figurine to his face. He carefully examined it for any cracks or splinters, checked if the joints in the limbs didn't fall out and most importantly if the head was still on firm. Finally when he made sure the trinket didn't get damaged, he let out a relieved sigh.

"You're lucky it's still whole," he grumbled, rising to his feet.

"Hey, I was being careful." Elena now sat up too and sent him a playful smirk. "All the way until you decided to trip me like that."

Gabe rolled his eyes again and huffed in pretended annoyance.

"So if it's not a limited edition General Nuñez action figure," Elena continued. "What is it?"

Gabe sat down next to her and thought of an answer for a moment. He changed the position of the little soldier's arms and reached for a pin to put into his hand as a sword.

"It's really just an old toy," he said finally. "But you know, it has sentimental value."

He finally passed Elena the figurine, so she could take a look at it herself. It wasn't as old as she thought at first. The paint was faded, but still held onto the uneven surface of the wood and as she moved her fingers across it, she realized that it must've been all whittled by hand, by someone who put great care in it, but wasn't a professional.

Still the amount of details was impressive, especially in the construction of the thing. She moved the tiny soldier into the proper fencing position and to her delight found out that it fits flawlessly, the wire on the joints creaked quietly, as if it had been waiting for an opportunity to shine for ages.

She glanced between the figurine and Gabe on her left for comparison. The uniform, despite the familiar colours, was a tad different, it resembles more what she remembered from her childhood, than the uniform Gabe was wearing at the moment.

"I got it from my first fencing teacher," he continued.

"The same one who threw coconuts at you driving training?" Elena raised a brow, earning herself a chuckle.

"Yeah, the same one." A sad smile reached the corners of his eyes as old memories resurfaced in his memory. "He was a tough man and always talked about how big an annoyance I am, but -" he gestured to the figurine and shrugged.

"Well, that explains why it looks like you," Elena bumped him with her shoulder. "I'm sure he could've already seen that you'll be a great guard."

"Oh, I don't think he even wanted me to be a guard," Gabe laughed again. "But you know, the situation was a bit different." He pondered something for a moment before continuing. "And to be fair, I didn't even realize that it was supposed to be a guard at the time, I was pretty sure he just came up with the design by himself. I only really connected the dots a few years ago, when I found this old thing again."

Elena nodded silently and put a comforting hand on his arm. She could see that this topic wasn't easy for him.

"Though maybe what you said was the point." He straightened suddenly and his gaze went back to the figurine. "Maybe he wasn't completely against me joining the guard, just... joining the right one."

His smile became wider and it was like his whole face lit up. Elena raised the little soldier's arms to make it cheer. They both laughed at how expressive this piece of wood was.

"So where is your coach now?" Elena asked, caressing the wooden toy one more time.

He only sighed at first and for a moment his gaze became clouded again, before he shook his head to cast the memories away.

"I wish I knew," he sent her a sad smile. "One day he just... disappeared. A few trinkets and one letter is all the proof I have that he wasn't just my hallucination."

Elena's lips twitched in a matching sad smile, but before she could say anything, they both heard a voice from downstairs, calling the unmistakable word 'dinner!'

Gabe clapped his hands on his knees and sprung up to his feet.

"Ah, just in time", he extended his hand to Elena. "I think eating is a much more fun topic than discussing the weird things I did in my childhood."

Elena examined his face for a moment more, but gave up on asking all the questions that pushed to the tip of her tongue. She sent him a smile instead and accepted his hand.

"Oh, you mean you did more weird things?" She made the little figurine gasp.

"I feel like I shouldn't have started this topic," Gabe laughed.

"Oh no, you won't escape now." She poked him in the chest and put the little soldier in his hand. "I gotta know all the crazy stories."

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you something," Gabe raised his hands in defeat. "But you can't mention it to my parents, please, they'll never stop until they tell you my whole life story."

Elena made a theatrical gesture of tapping her lips in thought as she backed out of the room.

"I'll consider it," she sent him a wide grin and in a second turned and ran towards the stairs.

"Hey- wait!" Gabe called out, running right after her to save what was left of his reputation.

#my post #blue's writing #eoa #elena of avalor #gabriel nunez #gabe nunez #gabriel nuñez #gabe nuñez #elena castillo flores #gabe and elena #elena castillo flores & gabriel nuñez #elena and gabe #uuuuh #fanfiction #this is. completely unedited and written mostly in the middle of the night #so i just hope it makes sense XD #but i really wanted to write something and hey a great motivator came so why not seize the occasion #(probably because youre busy blue and should be sleeping instead but do you ever listen to yourself? no)#another day of wondering 'would they fucking say thay'#was this fic prompted by one scene of gabe fondly rolling his eyes at elena that i saw in an amv #maybe #anyway i hope this ficlet reaches the person who inspired it and i hope it brings you some joy :>#i may or may not continue it one day or at keast clean it up a bit and transfer it to ao3 #my accounts been dead there for quite some time now #and back to the fic you guys have NO idea how proud i am od myself that its almost 2K #yes thats a lot for me #i considered whether im able to write those 74 more words but nope i gotta sleep #bonus: blanca and roberto downstairs hearing all the noise in gabes room and the sound of something heavy (gabe) hitting the floor #'remind me is our son 13 or 23' *fond exasperated sigh*#maybe i shouldve added to the note that this fic basically has no context huh

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locitapurplepink · 6 months

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Gabe's Moodboard is finally here !!!

This quote is one of my fave eoa episodes for Gabe. Showing his father that royal guard is what he wanted to be and he finally saw it and accepted him to do his dream job.

@lieutenant-amuel have been waiting for this.

#elena of avalor #eoa #eoa moodboard #gabe nunez #gabriel nunez #gabe #moodboard #lieutenant gabe #general nunez

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lalo-tellmeagain · 11 months

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Here’s Tony’s stunt double Gabriel Nunez making that famous leap.

(Via @ gabejwlkrnunez on IG)

#tony dalton #lalo salamanca #king #better call saul #gabriel nunez

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notmoreflippingelves · 4 months

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Gabe from EoA: 2, 3, 12 and 25 ; Esteban: 2, 7, 18, 19 and 21? :D

So, I really ended up rambling a lot on all the Esteban points (*you're shocked, I know*) so I decided to make that one its own post out of fairness to Gabe.

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

My favorite Gabe moment is probably when he and Rico are competing to be Captain of the Guard (in the El Guapo episode), and Rico gets injured. Although Gabe has the opportunity to win the race and in doing so win the captaincy, he refuses to leave Rico behind and instead helps him up so they can cross the finish line together. That's in essence, who Gabe is. He's competitive and practical and ambitious, but far more than that, he's loyal and compassionate. He won't turn his back on someone who needs his help. Even someone like Rico, who up to that point, had been really unhelpful and condescending to him.

3. Least favorite canon thing about this character?

He only has like 3-4 outfits over the course of the entire show (and one of them is in a dream sequence AU that didn't actually happen). He's a handsome dude. Where are his cute little fits? I know that the guys were always going to get fewer outfits compared to the girls, but Gabe gets especially few. Was it so much to ask for a cute little adventure outfit for him like Esteban and Mateo have? Or perhaps a nice fancy dress uniform for official functions?

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

You know, I don't really think I've made any Gabe headcanons yet, so I'm just going to think one up real quick.

Even though his father still has mixed feelings about Gabe choosing the Royal Guard over the bakery, he is still incredibly proud of Gabe. And when Gabe was made captain, he made him a special "sword" shaped cake to celebrate his promotion to captain. Gabe, of course, brought the leftover cake to work with him the next day, which really did a lot for building team morale.

25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

I liked Gabe from the start and I still really like him now. I would say he's probably in my top 5 characters (after Esteban, Elena, Naomi, and Valentina). What I like about Gabe is that he (and Naomi) is a much needed voice of reason for the team. It's not really all that surprising that he's canonically the oldest of the amigos, since he's certainly the most mature and responsible (even if he can get a bit competitive). He's such a good boy, and it makes me sad that he seems to get so much less love and attention from the fandom compared to Mateo.

#elena of avalor #gabe nunez #gabriel nunez #while i wouldn't say any of the amigos are underrated in the fandom #i do feel that gabe is by far the most underrated of them #which is a shame since i think he was the first one i really loved #and while i do probably like elena and naomi more than him now; its not by much #justice for gabe #but more importantly #outfits for gabe #honestly i'm so h@rny about esteban's adventure outfit and like i think gabe deserves a similar one #sadly they will not let him be shirtless probably #but can he at least get one with shorter sleeves (or rolled up sleeves) and a lower neckline #one that can show off his nice royal guard arm muscles

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lilacthebooklover · 8 months

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We Made a Quiz >:]

Which Elena Of Avalor Character Are You? (buzzfeed.com)

Find out. Tell us (@charismabee and I). We must know.

Have fun! <3

#elena of avalor #mateo de alva #gabriel nunez #dona paloma #naomi turner #esteban flores #buzzfeed quiz #carla delgado #victor delgado #francisco flores #luisa elena of avalor #soup family #soup family elena of avalor #beer jaquin #fiero elena of avalor #fiero #i got fiero help

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scottpetersen · 2 years

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My What-If Injustice 2 Character VS Elena Of Avalor Character Intro Dialogues

Ok. Here I’ll be taking characters from the Elena Of Avalor TV series and typing down the intro dialogue they might have with a certain character from the Injustice 2 video game. Since Injustice 2 features DLCs that allow players to play as characters from other franchises like, for example, Raiden, I figured this would be appropriate. Also, for the Elena Of Avalor characters, I’ll be using them as they appear both before and after the end of the Elena Of Avalor TV series depending on what I think is best suited for the dialogue. With that out of the way, let’s dive right in.

Atrocitus: You feel great rage over the deaths of your parents.

Elena: I will never forgive Shuriki or Esteban for taking them from me.

Atrocitus: Perhaps a red ring is in your future.

Atrocitus: I’ve never felt such rage.

Elena: You haven’t?

Atrocitus: It appears all the suffering you’ve endured in that amulet because of the passing of your parents has made you ripe for rage, Elena.

Atrocitus: You could wear a red ring.

Elena: And just what makes you say that?

Atrocitus: There’s no denying your rage.

Atrocitus: Your magic is fueled by emotion?

Elena: Why do you ask?

Atrocitus: I wanna see if it’s compatible with the blood magic that fuels the Red Lanterns.

Atrocitus: Why haven’t you claimed your vengeance against Esteban?

Elena: Because my parents taught me that getting revenge won’t bring them back and will lead to bad decisions.

Atrocitus: Such great rage. Wasted!

Scarecrow: Your cousins would make very fascinating specimens.

Esteban: You stay away from Elena and Isabel, you monster!

Scarecrow: One lost her parents and decades later, found herself in a world that went on while she was in stasis and the other also lost her parents and has been living with that trauma for 4 decades without aging to help her brain biologically develop.

Scarecrow: You’re an excellent example of an inferiority complex, Esteban.

Esteban: Don’t think you can analyze me that easily, Mr. Crane.

Scarecrow: Oh but it’s so obvious because if you weren’t, you wouldn’t have been so desperate to prove your abilities as royal chancellor to your family.

Scarecrow: You embody a very pure kind of fear, Esteban.

Esteban: And why is that?

Scarecrow: When presented with great power, you fled to your remorse and when presented with great love, you fled to your narcissism.

Scarecrow: Oooohhhh. Quite a few fears in one psyche.

Esteban: Stop it, Mr. Crane.

Scarecrow: Your blend of fears will garner so much interesting data.

Scarecrow: You’ve spent your entire life enslaved by your fear.

Esteban: This is true. From when I was a child to my time in my 50s, my fears always left an immense mark on my life.

Scarecrow: Hm. You’ll be a perfect specimen to study.

Bane: You’re captain of Avalor’s military security force, yes?

Gabe: I am. And I won’t let anyone hurt the crown princess.

Bane: Perhaps you’ll be a worthy opponent.

Bane: You remind me of the security guards I met while I was incarcerated in prison at Santa Prisca.

Gabe: Is that a bad thing?

Bane: It will make breaking you all the more rewarding.

Bane: You might make a worthy opponent, Mr. Nunez.

Gabe: I’ll have you know I fight to help Elena and all of Avalor. Not just for sport.

Bane: Perhaps that will be a great motivator for you.

Bane: You use magic?

Gabe: I only know the basics but it will still be enough to take you down.

Bane: Perhaps my Venom will help even the odds.

Bane: I’ll motivate all of Avalor’s criminals to rise up and overthrow the royal family.

Gabe: Not if I have anything to say about it.

Bane: Then you’ll be the first opponent I defeat.

Black Manta: The Atlanteans will pay for what their king did to my father.

Naomi: Hey. I thought the same thing about the Sirenas for what they did to my grandfather but I realized I had to leave the past behind me and make peace with them. Wow. That sounded kinda dorky but still.

Black Manta: It seems to me you’ve gone soft.

Black Manta: Do you really think you can beat me?

Naomi: You’d be surprised how at well I use my lasso.

Black Manta: Looks like this just got interesting.

Black Manta: You’re very smart for a 15-year-old.

Naomi: You have no idea.

Black Manta: Then you should be smart enough to step aside and let me continue on my hunt.

Black Manta: You forgave the Sirenas even though they killed your grandfather!?

Naomi: My friends helped me realize I had to leave the past behind.

Black Manta: You’re too soft.

Naomi: People from the 21st century actually made vehicles that can travel underwater?!

Black Manta: They’re called submarines and I’m gonna use them to help get revenge Aquaman and his precious Atlantas.

Naomi: Not if I have anything to say about it.

#dc #injustice 2 #atrocitus #the scarecrow #jonathan crane #bane #black manta #elena of avalor #elena castillo flores #esteban flores #gabriel nunez #naomi turner

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smithrowed · 3 months

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#*#gabriel magalhaes #darwin nunez #arsenal #afcedit #2324 #arsliv

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queenofglassbeliever · 6 months

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#elena of avalor #eoaedits #elenaofavaloredits #eoa #gabriel nunez #gabe nunez #naomi turner #gabaomi #gabomi #eoa gifs #my gifs

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elizabethsnowflake · 11 days

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𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖞 𝖘𝖆𝖛𝖊𝖉 𝖊𝖆𝖈𝖍 𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗 🩵

#elena of avalor #naomi turner #gabe nunez #eoa #gabriel nunez #gabaomi

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acacia-may · 2 months

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Lights Will Guide You Home (EOA Gabaomi Love Confession)

A trip to Norberg causes Gabe to contemplate his feelings for a certain "someone special." After Naomi returns from her voyage and becomes chancellor, however, Gabe knows he can hide his feelings no longer, so he takes her to a very special place to finally tell her how much she means to him.

Pairing: Gabriel "Gabe" Núñez/Naomi Turner [Eleteo is briefly mentioned/implied in one line]

Genre: Love Confession, Mutual Pining, First Kiss, Post-Series, Friends to Lovers.

Rated: G

Word Count: 2537

No Warnings Only True Love Here

A/N: Apologies in advance for any inaccuracies. I never thought I'd write Elena of Avalor fanfiction and definitely never thought I'd write Gabe x Naomi fanfiction, but here we are. Also, fair warning, I don't usually write romance, and I don't think I've ever written something this swoony in my entire life. I'm honestly shocked I even had this story in me. But I just found out about and watched "Norberg Peace Prize" yesterday and Gabaomi (basically?) canon?! What a time to be alive! 💖

Link to Story on AO3. Full Text Below the Cut. Thank you for reading! 🌟

Gabe absentmindedly kicked his feet as they dangled over the edge of the dock. It was strange being back here again, especially now that he was sitting here alone.

With a heavy sigh, he gazed out at the dark and hazy horizon line of the sea wondering where Naomi was now, whether she was gazing out at the same ocean, looking up at the same stars in the sky. Gabe supposed he couldn’t see many stars now himself since the sky here was illuminated by the Norberg Lights. He would always be awestruck by how beautiful they were—colorful, majestic, and perfect, but it had been strange. The first time he had ever had the privilege to see them, he knew he had been sitting under the most beautiful sky in the world, but somehow he had found something even more beautiful. He had just never had the chance to tell her.

He had certainly thought about it—had even been seriously considering confessing, but despite all the confidence and bravado with which he usually carried himself, he found it difficult to pluck up the nerve to tell her how he felt, to take the risk of ruining their friendship if she didn’t feel the same way.

It was probably for the best that he hadn’t said anything. After all, she had left shortly after that—before they had even had the chance to talk about anything. He took it as a sign that it just wasn’t meant to be, and he was happy for her. Of course he was. How could he be anything else when he knew how much she had always longed for adventure, to explore the world, and to sail the seventeen seas as the captain of her own ship? It was her dream, and she was getting to follow it, just like he had followed his own dreams to be part of the royal guard and eventually its captain. He wanted that for her—for her to be happy, to get to live her dream, even if there wasn’t a place for him in it.

He supposed the irony of it all was that just as he was realizing Naomi’s dreams didn’t leave a space for him, he was coming to terms with the fact that all of his dreams had her in them. Someday even if he did become the general of the royal guard, he knew it would somehow feel incomplete without her by his side. But he couldn’t compete with her dreams—couldn’t compete with her adventurous spirit, her love for the ocean, and he didn’t want to.

Still…he couldn’t help but hope that the next time he came to this dock, he wouldn’t be alone, the next time he gazed up at the Norberg lights, they wouldn’t be the most beautiful thing there with him. He could only hope that someday she’d want to find her way home—to find her way back to him. If she ever did, he promised himself he would finally tell her the truth.

*-*-*

“Norberg?” Naomi’s freckled nose wrinkled as she tilted her head at him. “Why’d you drag me all the way to Norberg?”

Gabe shrugged, but his mouth curved into a lopsided grin as he dryly bantered, “You didn’t seem too upset by the idea of an outing when it got you out of all that paperwork, chancellor.”

Her new title had been taking a little getting used to, but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy teasing her with it every now and again. He could only assume Naomi’s newfound interest in calling him “general” stemmed from the same place.

“You told me you had something important to tell me, but you couldn’t tell me at the palace. I was intrigued”—she quirked an eyebrow at him—“but I wasn’t expecting a sea voyage. Don’t you think they’ll all be missing us back at the castle and wondering where we went?”

“I already cleared the trip with Elena…er…” He cleared his throat then corrected, “Her Majesty.”

Naomi clicked her tongue. “Still struggling with all the new titles, general?” she teased, and a feeling of pride and accomplishment fluttered in Gabe’s chest hearing her call him that. He had worked so hard to get to where he was now, to become the general of the Avaloran Royal Guard. General Gabriel Núñez certainly had a nice ring to it no matter who said it, but he could admit that hearing it from Naomi made him straighten his shoulders and puff out his chest with pride—perhaps even made him feel a little ostentatious. “You seem to have no trouble calling me ‘chancellor.’”

“And you loved getting to take your boat out. Admit it.”

She met his eyes—snapping blue like the ocean she loved so much, as her lips twitched in the corners. “So this is all for my benefit, is it?”

“Maybe.” He smiled facetiously which only made her frown at him.

“Where are you taking me? You realize it’s already dusk—it’ll be dark soon.”

As Naomi rolled her eyes, Gabe’s mouth twitched into a lopsided grin. That’s exactly what he had been hoping for. He wondered how long it would take her to catch on…if she hadn’t already.

By the time he led her out to the dock where they had seen the Norberg Lights together, it was already dark and, it seemed, there was no reason to evade her questions any longer.

Naomi’s brow furrowed, and she tilted her head at him curiously. “Well, this is a blast from the past…”

“Not too far in the past,” Gabe quipped, but he knew what she meant. After everything that had happened, it felt like a lifetime ago—no matter how much time had actually passed. With a sigh, he took a seat beside her on the edge of the dock just like he had when he had first surprised her here. At least…it had been a surprise for her. It hadn’t been for him. He knew there was nowhere else in the world he would have rather been and no one else in the world he would have rather shared that moment with. The fact that she had been so surprised to see him made him realize he must’ve done a much better job at hiding how he had been feeling from her and, he supposed, in a way, from himself.

As Gabe looked into her eyes now, however, he swallowed hard. He knew he couldn’t hide it anymore—had promised himself that he wouldn’t.

“I came here while you were gone, you know?” he admitted, turning away from her—watching the reflection of the lights in the water. “To see the lights—think about…things.” He paused, swallowed again. “We never really got to talk about it.”

“Is there something to talk about?” Her tone of voice was pragmatic, unreadable. Gabe assumed her expression was probably the same, but he couldn’t look at her. He stifled a light, somewhat self-deprecating chuckle. It was silly to think that the great general of Avalor could be tempted to lose his nerve so easily, but he had just gotten her back—even if it was just as a friend, and he didn’t want to lose her again.

Still, he gathered his resolve and continued, “I wanted to talk to you, but when you left without really any warning or even saying goodbye, I…I took it as a sign that maybe it was just better left unsaid.”

“I’m sorry.”

Gabe’s brow furrowed, and his shoulders stiffened. He hadn’t been expecting that. The question slipped out without him thinking much about it. “Why?”

“I disappeared. It was whirlwind thing and kind of impulsive, but I still should’ve said goodbye. I guess I…I just didn’t want you to try to talk me out of it—to have my last memories of you be of us actually fighting, instead of, you know, pretending to”—she chuckled lightly to herself—“I like our banter, but I don’t want to actually fight with you. I like to think you’re on my side.”

“I am.” He pressed his hand to her shoulder, but she turned away from him. Something panged in Gabe’s chest as her words began to sink in. “You really think I wouldn’t have wanted you to go?” he asked, but Naomi only pursed her lips together and shrugged. “It was your dream. I would never try to hold you back from that.”

“I guess I just thought that…if we talked, I—I might not ever leave.” She paused, staring down at her hands—not at him, never at him. “And there were so many things that I wanted to do. So many promises I made to myself. I had to go.”

Gabe nodded solemnly. “I know.” He swallowed hard. “And I’m glad you did. For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve always wanted to go on adventures, explore the world, and sail the seventeen seas. You don’t have to apologize for following your dreams. I didn’t apologize for following mine. And you definitely don’t have to ask for my blessing. I’m just—” He paused, trying to think of the right word. He knew what she was to him, but he wasn’t sure what he was to her yet. Ultimately he decided on “your friend. You don’t need my permission to follow your dream.”

A slight smile curved in the corners of his mouth as he looked at up at her—found her still staring at her hands. He took a deep breath. “But I will need your permission to follow mine.”

“You want to go to war, general?” she quipped, though he could’ve sworn there was the slightest waver in her voice. “I’m not sure I can sign off on that.”

“It’s not a military dream,” he admitted. “I know my whole life all I ever wanted was to be in the royal guard. And then when I succeeded, when I was a lieutenant, then a captain, and now a general—it’s a great honor and means the world to me. But…when I became general and I finally had everything I ever wanted, I—” He stopped, swallowed hard. “It felt…”

“Empty,” Naomi finished for him quietly. “Like there was something missing.”

Gabe nodded, but his heart pounded—racing and flipping. He tried to calm himself—remind himself that he didn’t know for sure that she was talking about him.

“I kind of felt the same way while I was away,” Naomi admitted. “I mean, being out on the open sea was everything I ever dreamed of, and I was so happy, but…it still felt…kind of hollow, incomplete.” She sighed heavily before lifting her head to the sky—staring up at the lights with wide, blinking eyes. “It’s like the Norberg Lights—they’re so beautiful, and getting to sit here and see them is amazing…but the tradition says you’re supposed to share them with someone special and I know it’s because that somehow makes them even more beautiful, makes them—”

“Perfect.” Gabe met her eyes as she finally looked up at him. He could only imagine she felt the same sense of déjà vu at his choice of words, at the way he was looking at her now, and at the way she was looking at him. This time, however, he reached out to tuck that stray piece of her hair behind her ear. He could feel her tremble at the brush of his fingers against her cheek, and she looked away from him as her face flushed.

Though his own heart pounded, he confessed, “What’s missing…isn’t being a war hero.”

“Well, what do you want?” her voice bantered but wavered, and she wouldn’t meet his eyes again. “To take over a kingdom? Be a prince consort? I won’t advise Elena to marry you, if that’s what you’re asking.” She chuckled lightly. “There’s no way you can beat Mateo—he’s bound to be our prince consort eventually, so you’ll have to move if you want to rule somewhere. But if you want to be the husband of royalty, I’m sure Princess Chloe will have you.”

Gabe laughed, trying and failing to stifle it before the hard, serious lines of his face softened and a tender smile tugged at his mouth. “I’d like to be a husband someday, but only if someone special will have me.” He stroked her cheek with his hand until she finally looked at him. “And she isn’t royalty, so I don’t think I’ll be a prince consort.”

He paused—trying his best not to chuckle as he watched Naomi’s mouth twitch in the corners. But he inhaled sharply as she stared up at him with earnest, affectionate eyes, “Will she have you?”

“I’m not sure. I think her heart might be somewhere else, and I’m not sure I can compete.”

His mouth curved into a teasing grin, and Naomi bantered back, “Really? The great general is backing down from a challenge?”

“The ocean is a pretty powerful adversary,” he quipped, and Naomi chuckled but there was something so kind and so tender in her eyes that it made his stomach swoop and his heart ache.

“And you’re sure her heart’s with the ocean?”

“I’d like to think part of it’s with me—or at least that it’ll find it’s way back to me in the end.” He met her eyes. “That she’ll find her way home.”

“Maybe she already has…”

Gabe pressed his hand to her cheek, and as Naomi’s arms snaked around him, pulling him towards her, he could feel her fingers tangled in his hair at the base of his neck, could feel her warm breath on his skin as she inched closer and closer, before she stopped just a breath away from him as she asked, “You said there was something you wanted to tell me?”

“You don’t know what it is?” he dryly bantered with as much of a chuckle as he could manage, struggling as he was even to breathe.

“I’d still like to hear you say it,” she whispered, the side of her nose brushing up against his. Gabe sighed. His chest ached, but he pulled away from her—far enough to look into her eyes as he ran his hand through her short blonde hair before he said the words he had mulled over in his head over and over, the words he so desperately wanted to say.

“I want you to follow your dreams whether that’s to go exploring, sail the world, and have amazing adventures or to be the best chancellor in Avaloran history. No matter where those dreams take you, I will always be here, will always be on your side, your greatest defender waiting for you to come home, because my dreams are empty without you in them—without getting to share them with you.” He pushed a strand of blonde hair out of her face—hoping the affection in his eyes said more than even his words. “Naomi, I love y—”

He didn’t get to finish that sentence. Naomi threw her arms around his neck and kissed him before he even had the chance.

#elena of avalor #eoa #gabaomi #naomi turner #gabe nunez #gabriel nunez #gabe nunez x naomi turner #gabe x naomi #they're in love your honor #this is the swooniest thing i've ever written #i didn't know i had this story in me #if i hadn't written it myself i wouldn't believe it #thank you for reading #happy valentine's day

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