Gabriel Brown: Collection of Short Alaskan Bush People Fan Fics

More

You weren't sad. But you weren't particularly happy either. Sitting on the fallen log in the quiet forest, it was peaceful and calm outside. Inside you, however, was a raging storm.

Gabe was wonderful. It was as simple as that. He was sweet and generous and thoughtful. And you loved him from the minute you saw him. That had been simple, too. His smile and his first shy words to you had torn through your heart and left you with a Gabey-sized hole that only he could fill.

But the two of you had been together for three months and in all that time, he had never told you he loved you. It bothered you in a way you hadn't been able to express to him. But in another way, you could almost convince yourself that you didn't miss hearing the words. Because every day you were together he showed you how much he loved you.

Whenever you were happy with him, Gabe's thick arms stole around your waist and he swung you around, lifting you off your feet and trying to twirl you around himself like a baton. And when you were angry at him, Gabe faced you with his fists planted firmly on his hips, his wide chest pushed out to you.

"Hit me." He would command and you would try not to laugh.
"Noooo." You balled your fists, still angry, but you would never hit him.
"Then if you want to hit me, put 'em up!" He would swing up his fists and crouch down, ready to spar.
"Stop it, you crazy man." You laughed.

Gabe's fists would drop and his arms slipped around your shoulders and the anger would quickly subside, replaced by his warmth and quiet strength.

But it was when you were sad that Gabe didn't know what to do.
"I'm sorry." He would apologize for everything and nothing.
"It's not you, babe." You reassured him.
"Then what is it?" His sweet smile normally lifted your spirits.

This time, though, you couldn't get happy no matter how much he smiled at you.

"Where are we going with...this?" You said finally, flicking a finger back and forth between the two of you.
"Going with what?" He said as his head moved forward and his lips murmured softly against your neck.
"Us." You answered shortly.

He pulled back and looked into your eyes. For months you thought you had seen your future every time you looked into his blue eyes. But after three months and no declaration of love from him, you weren't sure anymore. Yes, it was wonderful that you 'felt' love from him, but it had begun to be a worrisome thorn in your side that he never said the words, 'I love you."
Gabe sat down beside you on the fallen log and took your hands in his.

"I thought 'us' was going to be a couple for the rest of our lives." He tone was careful and a little sad.
"But every time I tell you I love you, all you say is 'more.'" You squeezed his hand and frowned up into his face.

The seriousness of your words apparently didn't resound with him, because his grin expanded and he actually began to laugh. You didn't want him to see your tears of hurt so you dropped your head and rested it on his shoulder, rubbing your forehead on the tight muscles as the tears fell.

"I love you more than I can say." Gabe stopped laughing, lifted your face and pressed his lips to the tears on your cheeks.
"Say it anyway, Gabey."
"I love you." He said confidently.

You opened you mouth to speak but no words came out, you were so overcome with emotion at finally hearing the words. You grabbed at his shirt.
"What took you so long to say that?" You had to know.
His frown surprised you. "I thought I had been saying it when I said the word, 'more'."

You had to confess you had heard his family say that all the time, but it didn't mean anything to you. It wasn't a response you began to say yourself and it certainly wasn't something that you ever said to Gabe. And when he said it to you, all you felt was confused. But you hadn't felt confident enough to ask him to explain. You dropped your eyes, ashamed that you had been so fearful that he didn't really love you to ask the one question you wanted the answer to.

He thought he had been telling you he loved you all along. His way of doing things was so different from yours that you sometimes wondered how you stayed together as long as you had. But you did love him and you did see him as the only man you would be with for the rest of your life. And you knew he loved you.

"You have been saying it, Gabey." You slid yourself onto his lap and wrapped your arms around his waist. "I just didn't understand."

"I do love you." Gabe held you tight and kissed your forehead.
You didn't doubt his words anymore. You knew he loved you no matter what words he used.

"I love you." He said again, just in case you needed to hear it one more time. You didn't need it, but it was still wonderful to hear again.

You smiled up into his face, ran your fingers through the soft curls of his sideburns and let him know how much you loved him in a word that meant so much to him.

"More, Gabey."