Fortitude
Title: Fortitude
Rating: PG
Pairing: Gabilliam
Summary: william's afraid of everything. Gabe might be able to help him. AU.
Author Notes: One of the Gabilliam 100 fics. I wrote this a while ago, but finally decided I liked it enough to post. :P
William was not even close to brave. He was scared of everything, so scared of just existing and talking and being around people and being alone. He was just scared.
He was scared to work and live alone so he lived with his parents. He was scared to go shopping so they bought stuff for him. He was scared to talk to people so he had no friends. He stayed at home and read books because that was the only thing that wasn't scary.
Everything changed one day when his parents weren't home and the doorbell rang. William panicked and decided not to answer it. They didn't stop. He finally opened the door.
"Mr. Beckett?" a man asked.
William nodded.
"I'm afraid I have some bad news," the man said. "It seems your parents were killed in a car crash."
William stopped breathing and blacked out.
He ended up being sent from family member to family member. Nobody wanted to take care of the boy who was afraid of everything.
Finally, they found a place for him.
"Look, we just can't take him, we just can't afford it," his aunt said. "But I know somebody would take care of him. He's not actually a relative. He used to be my neighbor but he moved. He's good with crazy people. He could do it."
"We'll leave him with anybody who will have him," the man in charge of him said. "Address?"
They drove William to the house, rang the doorbell, introduced the man who was supposed to take care of him as Gabe, dropped his stuff off, and drove away, just like that. Gabe seemed nice, but William was still scared. Gabe wore too many bright colours and smiled too much and William didn't know what to make of it.
But Gabe was nice. He mostly left William alone and made him good food and bought him new books. He talked to William a lot, even if William didn't talk back, and told him stories about everything. And sometimes, every once and a while, William could actually get up the nerve to talk to him back.
"So, William, why are you so afraid of everything?" Gabe asked.
William was so taken aback that he automatically blurted out, "What?"
"Why are you so afraid?" Gabe repeated.
"Because I am," William said. "Because everything is so scary."
"It's just, most of the stuff you're afraid, everybody gets through it. Yeah, bad stuff happens some of the time, but good stuff does too. You can't avoid bad stuff just by hiding. Bad stuff can happen no matter what," Gabe said. "You should know that."
William nodded. He did know that. "But why risk more bad stuff?"
"Because it's worth it," Gabe said.
William just shook his head and went upstairs.
A few days later, William actually came to Gabe. "So what if I think it's worth it?" he asked.
"What do you mean?" Gabe asked.
"I want to stop being afraid. I want to see if it's worth it. But I'm still scared. I can't just get over it," William said.
Gabe nodded. "Would you be willing to talk to a doctor? You could get medicine. It would make it easier. You could learn how to stop being afraid."
William considered it. "Would you go with me?"
Gabe smiled. "Of course, kiddo."
William smiled back. "Okay," he said.
The day of the appointment William freaked out and hid in his room.
Gabe went to get him. "Come on, William. You said you could do this."
"I can't," he said. "I'm too scared."
"I'll be with you. You'll be okay," Gabe promised.
William shook his head. "I won't."
Gabe went over and gave William a hug. At first, William froze, since he hadn't gotten a hug in a very long time. But slowly, he relaxed into it.
"You're going to be okay. You can do this. You are brave, William," Gabe said.
"No, I'm not. I'm obviously not," William said, shaking his head.
"No, you obviously are. You have anxiety issues that make you scared of everything, but you've still managed to do a lot of stuff," Gabe said. "You've got the fortitude to get through this, kiddo."
William slowly nodded, hugging Gabe closer.
Finally, they broke apart from the hug.
"Come on, kiddo, let's go do this," Gabe said.
William nodded and then, with a surprising flash of courage, leaned over and kissed Gabe on the cheek.
Gabe grinned at him. "Let's get the anxiety over with first, then we'll deal with this," he promised.
"Don't you like me?" William asked, feeling hurt.
Gabe laughed. "Oh, honey. I do," he said. "But you're way to scared of me for this to work right now."
William smiled. "Yeah, you're right."
"Soon," Gabe promised. "Soon, you won't be afraid of everything anymore."
"Thank you," William said quietly.
Gabe just smiled at him.
Rating: PG
Pairing: Gabilliam
Summary: william's afraid of everything. Gabe might be able to help him. AU.
Author Notes: One of the Gabilliam 100 fics. I wrote this a while ago, but finally decided I liked it enough to post. :P
William was not even close to brave. He was scared of everything, so scared of just existing and talking and being around people and being alone. He was just scared.
He was scared to work and live alone so he lived with his parents. He was scared to go shopping so they bought stuff for him. He was scared to talk to people so he had no friends. He stayed at home and read books because that was the only thing that wasn't scary.
Everything changed one day when his parents weren't home and the doorbell rang. William panicked and decided not to answer it. They didn't stop. He finally opened the door.
"Mr. Beckett?" a man asked.
William nodded.
"I'm afraid I have some bad news," the man said. "It seems your parents were killed in a car crash."
William stopped breathing and blacked out.
He ended up being sent from family member to family member. Nobody wanted to take care of the boy who was afraid of everything.
Finally, they found a place for him.
"Look, we just can't take him, we just can't afford it," his aunt said. "But I know somebody would take care of him. He's not actually a relative. He used to be my neighbor but he moved. He's good with crazy people. He could do it."
"We'll leave him with anybody who will have him," the man in charge of him said. "Address?"
They drove William to the house, rang the doorbell, introduced the man who was supposed to take care of him as Gabe, dropped his stuff off, and drove away, just like that. Gabe seemed nice, but William was still scared. Gabe wore too many bright colours and smiled too much and William didn't know what to make of it.
But Gabe was nice. He mostly left William alone and made him good food and bought him new books. He talked to William a lot, even if William didn't talk back, and told him stories about everything. And sometimes, every once and a while, William could actually get up the nerve to talk to him back.
"So, William, why are you so afraid of everything?" Gabe asked.
William was so taken aback that he automatically blurted out, "What?"
"Why are you so afraid?" Gabe repeated.
"Because I am," William said. "Because everything is so scary."
"It's just, most of the stuff you're afraid, everybody gets through it. Yeah, bad stuff happens some of the time, but good stuff does too. You can't avoid bad stuff just by hiding. Bad stuff can happen no matter what," Gabe said. "You should know that."
William nodded. He did know that. "But why risk more bad stuff?"
"Because it's worth it," Gabe said.
William just shook his head and went upstairs.
A few days later, William actually came to Gabe. "So what if I think it's worth it?" he asked.
"What do you mean?" Gabe asked.
"I want to stop being afraid. I want to see if it's worth it. But I'm still scared. I can't just get over it," William said.
Gabe nodded. "Would you be willing to talk to a doctor? You could get medicine. It would make it easier. You could learn how to stop being afraid."
William considered it. "Would you go with me?"
Gabe smiled. "Of course, kiddo."
William smiled back. "Okay," he said.
The day of the appointment William freaked out and hid in his room.
Gabe went to get him. "Come on, William. You said you could do this."
"I can't," he said. "I'm too scared."
"I'll be with you. You'll be okay," Gabe promised.
William shook his head. "I won't."
Gabe went over and gave William a hug. At first, William froze, since he hadn't gotten a hug in a very long time. But slowly, he relaxed into it.
"You're going to be okay. You can do this. You are brave, William," Gabe said.
"No, I'm not. I'm obviously not," William said, shaking his head.
"No, you obviously are. You have anxiety issues that make you scared of everything, but you've still managed to do a lot of stuff," Gabe said. "You've got the fortitude to get through this, kiddo."
William slowly nodded, hugging Gabe closer.
Finally, they broke apart from the hug.
"Come on, kiddo, let's go do this," Gabe said.
William nodded and then, with a surprising flash of courage, leaned over and kissed Gabe on the cheek.
Gabe grinned at him. "Let's get the anxiety over with first, then we'll deal with this," he promised.
"Don't you like me?" William asked, feeling hurt.
Gabe laughed. "Oh, honey. I do," he said. "But you're way to scared of me for this to work right now."
William smiled. "Yeah, you're right."
"Soon," Gabe promised. "Soon, you won't be afraid of everything anymore."
"Thank you," William said quietly.
Gabe just smiled at him.