Slow Dancing in the Darkness

31: Being A Papa

“Mama, why can’t I go with you?” Noah grumbled as he sat on his bed, watching as his mother packed his overnight bag. It had been a while, Noah hadn’t spent the weekend with his father for over a month, and Gabriela didn’t blame him for being a little hesitant, especially since Elliot had decided that that weekend was the weekend where he would explain that Noah was going to be an older brother in a few months’ time. It irked Gabriela, the idea that Elena would be anywhere near her son, but she knew that she merely had to let it go. As far as she could tell, Elliot was prepared to be civil about the idea of her marriage to Lionel and she had to be the same in return when it came to him and Elena.

“You don’t want to see your papa?” Gabriela commented, placing Noah’s Barcelona shirt into his bag. The team were due to play Real Madrid at the weekend and she knew that her son would want the shirt, even if he couldn’t be at the match, Noah had taken to wearing the blue and red striped shirt whenever the team played.

“I do” Noah mumbled.

“Then that is why you can’t come with me and Leo this weekend” Gabriela noted gently “Your papa wants to see you, Noah” she added.

Noah huffed. “I want to go on holiday” he mumbled.

Gabriela sighed gently. It had been a surprise, after they’d met with Elliot and Elena, Lionel had gone out of his way to arrange them a trip to get them out of Barcelona for a little while and it coincided with Clasico that Lionel had been forced to miss, his knee still not able to make it through enough training to allow him to make his way back into the Barcelona side. “I’m sorry, Noah” she murmured, pressing a kiss to his head “Maybe in the summer” she added.

Noah offered her a small look before Lionel appeared in the door way. “Elena and Elliot are in the living room” he noted, offering Gabriela a soft look. It was going to take some getting used to, after Elliot’s brief disappearance from her life, Gabriela had gotten used to having Noah to herself, and it was going to take a little while for her to get used to him spending time with Elliot again, and with Elena.

Gabriela nodded her head gently and looked down at Noah. “You ready to go, baby?” she posed, offering her hand out to the little boy.

Noah nodded his head and followed her out towards the living room, greeting his father with a timid look.

“Noah” Elliot grinned, stepping towards the five-year-old.

Noah offered him a slightly wary look before he looked back at his mother. “Mama” he squeaked.

“Noah, come on” Elliot noted “It’s me” he added.

Noah shook his head slightly and retreated back to his mother’s side, clinging a little to her leg. Gabriela sighed and pushed a hand through Noah’s curls, offering Elliot, who looked a little hurt by his son’s reaction, a soft look. “Noah, sweetheart, why don’t you go and say hola to your papa?” she posed, offering him a reassuring smile.

Noah shook his head and clutched at Gabriela’s leg, hiding his face from Elliot.

“I am so sorry, Eli” Gabriela murmured gently “He was fine a second ago” she added. She felt bad for Elliot, Noah had never shown such an adverse reaction to going with his father, and Gabriela knew it must have hurt. Noah had always been a daddy’s boy and to have him turn his back must have stung.

Elliot eyed the little boy before he shook his head. “I should have known” he muttered “Why would he want to come with me when his step-dad is superman?” he muttered with a glance towards Lionel who had been stood quietly behind his wife.

“You think this is on me?” Lionel posed, stepping to Gabriela’s side.

“I’d hardly put it past you” Elliot muttered “My son can’t even look at me” he added.

Lionel scoffed. “Have you ever considered that maybe he’s sick of his padre turning up when he feels like it? You’ve never put him first, Elliot, and I don’t blame him for not being comfortable around you, but I assure you, I have done nothing to change his mind about you” he shot back.

Elliot rolled his eyes. “It must take a lot of effort to always be so right” he muttered.

Lionel went to reply, but Gabriela’s hand on his arm stopped him. Sometimes there was merely no sense in fighting with Elliot. Sparing him a soft look, she turned her eyes down to Noah, kneeling ahead of the little boy. “Noah, sweetheart, why don’t you want to go with your papa? He’s already told me that he has a lot of things planned for you this weekend” she enthused.

“I don’t want to” Noah mumbled “I like it here, with you and Leo” he insisted.

“And you’ll be back here with us on Sunday” Gabriela mused, pushing his hair out of his eyes “Your papa and Elena want to spend time with you” she added.

“I don’t like Elena” Noah muttered “She made mama cry” he added.

“Sweetie, that was a long time ago” Gabriela soothed gently, her hand holding his softly.

“But…”

“Noah” Lionel interrupted gently “Your papa misses you” he mused softly.

Noah furrowed his forehead.

“He’s sorry for not spending time with you recently, but he wants to make that up to you, don’t you Elliot?” Gabriela noted, following her husband’s lead.

Elliot nodded his head. “Of course” he insisted “I am so sorry, Noah, I really am. But I want to make it up to you” he enthused.

Noah looked at Elliot for a moment, his little face furrowed in thought.

“I bought you something” Elliot insisted “I know that since you started spending time with Leo, you started to love football and I thought that was something I could share with you” he noted.

Noah took a couple of tentative steps towards his father, his big brown eyes looking up at him curiously.

Elliot looked at Gabriela over their son’s head before he knelt down ahead of him, pulling out the two tickets which he had stowed in his jacket pocket. “Barcelona are in Madrid this weekend” he explained softly “And if it is OK with your mama, I was thinking me and you could go to the Bernabeu and see them” he noted.

Noah’s face lit up. “Barca?” he spluttered out.

“Barca” Elliot confirmed “If it is OK with your mama, of course” he added with a look up to Gabriela who smiled fondly. It didn’t sit well with her, part of her was wary about ever letting Noah go with Elliot, but she didn’t have the heart to tell him no. Noah’s face was bright with a wide smile and she knew it would be petty of her to say no.

“Of course” she noted gently.

Noah grinned and moved to collect his bag, handing it to Elena whilst Elliot lifted the little boy up. “I’ll see you Sunday?” he posed.

Gabriela nodded. “Adios, Noah” she mused as Lionel placed his arms around her, knowing that letting her son go was hard.

“Adios, mama” Noah grinned “And Leo” he added.

Lionel smiled. “See you soon” he noted softly “Cheer on Barca for me” he added.

Noah grinned and nodded his head excitedly before Elliot carried him out of the room, allowing Gabriela to turn into Lionel’s arms, hugging him tightly. She didn’t like it, letting Noah go still stung no matter how long she had been doing it for, and she doubted she would ever be fully OK with it.
♠ ♠ ♠
Thanks to FootieJo for the comment :)