Slow Dancing in the Darkness

“Leo” Gabriela squeaked, her blue eyes wide as they stared at her husband “Amor…”

“You just can’t get it into your head, can you?” Lionel interrupted, his stare moving towards Elliot who stood behind Gabriela, his expression sheepish at having been caught “You can’t just let her go?” he spat.

“Leo” Gabriela warned.

“No” he shot back “I have put up with his crap for long enough” he added.

Elliot scoffed. “You’re the one who muscled in on my family” he quipped.

Lionel shook his head in disbelief. He couldn’t quite wrap his head around the notion that Elliot was still so caught up on Gabriela who, for as long as Lionel had known her, had made it abundantly clear that she had little to no interest in reconciling with her former husband. “Do I really have to spell it out for you, Elliot?” he spat, setting Noah on his feet so that the little boy could run off, not liking being near the argument between his father and step-father.

“You took my wife” Elliot spat.

“She wasn’t your wife when I met her” Lionel stressed “She hasn’t been your wife for almost 3 years. She wants nothing to do with you, Elliot. How could she want to be with a man who treated her as poorly as you did?” he yelled.

“I am sorry for that” Elliot countered.

Lionel scoffed. “Because you saying sorry will make all the shit you pulled on her better won’t it?” he muttered sarcastically.

Elliot snorted. “You make her sound like an angel” he muttered, taking a pace towards the smaller man who didn’t step back from the confrontation.

Lionel smirked “She deserves far better than you. The only good thing that came from your relationship was Noah, you know, that little boy you show up for when you feel like it” he spat.

Elliot tensed his jaw.

“She doesn’t want you back, Eli” Lionel added, his words carefully enunciated “She doesn’t love you” he added before Elliot threw a fist, connecting firstly with the argentine’s nose and then his jaw. Lionel stumbled slightly, caught off guard by the punches, before he attempted to throw them back, only for Gabriela to step between them, her blue eyes peeking up at her husband who sighed gently, wiping the blood away from his nose. “I’ll be in the car” he spat before he sped out of the room.

Elliot snorted. “I can’t believe you want to be with him” he muttered “He can’t even throw a punch” he added.

Gabriela rolled her eyes. “I am sick of having this same conversation with you, Eli” she muttered.

“And I have told you how sorry I am for the way things panned out” Elliot refuted, stepping towards her slightly “Querida, I made a mistake when I thought that I could be happier with Elena than you. You and Noah mean the world to me” he insisted softly as he made a move to take her hands.

Gabriela shrugged off his touch. “You’re incapable of loving anything, aren’t you?” she spat.

“Ela…”

“You’re always after something you can’t have” Gabriela hissed “When I was with you, it was Elena. You wanted her because you knew you shouldn’t and you got some sick thrill out of sneaking around with her. And now it is me because I am happy with Leo. I get my life in order after 2 years of you messing me around, and you can’t stand it for a second, can you? I never did anything to you, Elliot, I let you mess me around for 6 years when we were together and I am done with it. I am so done with you” she hissed before she stormed out of the room.

Elliot watched her go and sighed. He doubted he would have a bigger regret than her.

~#~
“Mama, why was papa shouting at Leo?” Noah murmured as he followed his mother towards the car, his hand clutching at hers.

Gabriela sighed and pulled them to a stop, kneeling down ahead of her son who stared up at her with his doe brown eyes. “Your papa did something he shouldn’t have done” she explained gently “He did something bad and he upset Leo and I think Leo’s probably upset with me too, but Noah, everything is going to be Ok, alright?” she assured him softly.

Noah frowned a little. “Are you going to cry, mama?” he murmured.

Gabriela shook her head. “No, sweetheart” she murmured, pushing his hair off of his forehead before she placed a kiss to his skin. Noah closed his eyes before he shuffled into his mother’s arms, hugging her tightly.

“It will be Ok, mama” he assured her softly.

Gabriela smiled gently and hugged him gently before she moved to lead him to the car, carefully helping him up into his seat. Lionel, who was sat in the driver’s seat, turned briefly, his brown eyes peeking back at Noah before he turned forwards once more, using the sleeve of his sweater to wipe away the blood which still dripped from his nose.

He knew that it wasn’t Gabriela’s fault, he had seen enough for the exchange with Elliot to know that the other man was the one who’d instigated the kiss and that it was Gabriela who had pulled away from him, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t upset. It was a little irrational, if there was one thing he knew about his wife then it was that she hated the man who’d fathered her son, but he couldn’t help but worry. One kiss was nothing, but he didn’t know how things would have panned out if he hadn’t of been standing there when they pulled away.

“Leo?” Gabriela murmured as she slipped into the passenger seat, her face soft as she looked up at him “You should let me look at your nose” she added.

“Later” he mumbled, slipping the key into the ignition.

“Leo…”

“I’m not Ok” Lionel muttered “I am quite upset with you and I’d like for it to be quiet while we drive home, Ok?” he added with a little look towards her.

Gabriela nodded her quietly and rested back into her seat, hoping that things would be OK.