Slow Dancing in the Darkness

“I’ll see you tomorrow evening?” Lionel mused as he held Gabriela close, offering her a light smile. He didn’t like it, leaving for away matches had started to become harder since he’d found out about their baby, but he knew he had little choice. The season was starting to slow down, after a defeat in the quarter finals of the Champions League, Barcelona were only playing one match a week, and Lionel couldn’t wait until the summer where he would have all the time in the world to spend with Gabriela and the children.

“I’ll be here” Gabriela smiled “Good luck” she added.

Lionel smiled and pecked her lips lightly before he stepped away, collecting his bag from beside the door. “Adios, Noah” he called out to the living room where the little boy sat, eating his cereal in front of his cartoons. “Adios, baba” he murmured, ducking down slightly to press a kiss against her growing bump.

Gabriela giggled gently and pushed him back slightly. “You need to go” she reminded him gently.

“I can spare a few seconds” he murmured “I hate leaving” he added.

“I know” Gabriela cooed softly as she linked their hands, leading him carefully towards the door “But it’s your job and you don’t have a choice” she added gently. Lionel rolled his eyes a little before he ducked into her, stealing another soft kiss before he made his way out of the door, bidding her goodbye. Gabriela watched him go before she closed the door, making her way towards Noah who was engrossed in his show.

“Come on, Noah” she mused as she stepped ahead of him, switching off the screen “We need to get you ready for your papa” she noted gently.

Noah pouted a little, but followed her towards his room, quickly picking out clothes to wear for the day. Gabriela smiled at him gently and moved to pack his overnight bag, stopping as the doorbell rang. “That’ll be your papa” she mused “You finished getting ready and I will go and get it Ok?” she noted before she stepped out of the room, pulling the front door open to Elliot who’s eyes, almost instantly, fell on her bump. They’d talked about it, Gabriela had told Elliot not long after she had told Noah, and she knew that the idea didn’t sit well with her ex-husband who insisted on complaining whenever they were in the same place.

“Eli” she greeted softly.

Elliot made a small noise.

“Noah’s just getting ready” Gabriela commented as she closed the door behind him “He should be ready to go in a second” she added.

Elliot nodded his head slowly before he looked up at his former wife, not missing the glow about her skin. She was a beautiful pregnant woman, she had been when she had carried Noah, and part of Elliot hated that it wasn’t his son or daughter that she was carrying that time around. She had gone from strength to strength since she had gotten with Lionel and Elliot couldn’t stand it.

“How’s Elena’s pregnancy coming along?” Gabriela posed, trying to ease the tension slightly.

“Fine” Elliot mused “It’s going to be another boy” he added.

Gabriela smiled. “Noah wanted a brother” she mused.

Elliot sighed. “I hate it, Gabby” he confessed gently.

“Eli…”

“Hear me out” Elliot interrupted.

“I did hear you out” Gabriela replied, her arms folding over her chest “I’ve heard you out what feels like hundreds of times and I can’t listen to it again. You never take responsibility, you never accept that you were wrong to lead me on like you did and never apologize for all the shit you put me though. Elliot, you don’t get that I am not in love with you anymore and I can’t listen to the same shitty lines again” she explained gently before she excused herself, mumbling about hurrying Noah along.

Elliot watched after her and sighed, quietly following her into their son’s bedroom.

“I don’t want to marry Elena” he murmured.

Gabriela shook her head. “Then you shouldn’t have proposed to her” she mused, her eyes fixed on Noah as she adjusted his sweatshirt.

“It was a mistake. All of it” Elliot noted.

“You don’t say” Gabriela muttered as she turned to face him” Elliot…”

“My father’s expanding his business” he interrupted “He’s starting to open up offices abroad and he wants me to head up one in London. I told him I’d think about it, but if I did go, I’d want you and Noah to come with me, Ela” he announced.

Gabriela stared at him. “Do you not know what is going on around you, Eli?” she murmured “I have a life here, a husband who I love and a baby on the way. Why would I leave that behind for you?” she posed.

Elliot let out a small sigh. “I want things to go back to the way they were, Ela” he insisted gently “I fucked up, letting you go was the worst thing I have ever done, and I want to make things right. You can leave Lionel…”

“For what, Eli? Another 6 years of broken promises? You don’t want me, you just think you do. You’re not cut out to be committed to one woman Eli, you have Elena and you want me, you have me, and you want Elena. You’re not meant to settle down and I am not going to run out on something that makes me happy on a whim of yours because it’s now my turn to be the object of your affections. It’s over, Eli, me and you is never ever going to happen again and I am done with telling you that. I love my husband, I am going to have our baby, and I am not going to give it up to run away with you” she explained carefully.

“I need you” Elliot spluttered.

Gabriela sighed. “I wish I could believe you Eli” she murmured “I wish I could see something in you that would make you different from the ass who I divorced, but you’re the same. Arrogant, self-absorbed. I’ve lost count of the amount of times that Noah’s come home and told me that he’s spent more time with Elena and Elise than with you. You’re the same man, Eli, the asshole who hurt me, and I can’t believe a word you say” she muttered as she moved towards Noah’s bed, collecting his overnight bag.

“And if you could?” Elliot posed.

“Eli, you have no shot with me” Gabriela noted firmly “I love Leo and I am going to have our baby with him, but that doesn’t mean I want you to stay the same. I may hate Elena, but she deserves a man who can love her and give her what you promised and never gave me” she explained softly. She didn’t want him back, she never would, but she wanted to see him change for the better. As much as she disliked Elena, she and the baby she was having deserved a version of Elliot that was capable of giving her all the things he promised.

Elliot sighed.

“You can be a wonderful man, Eli” Gabriela assured him “You just need to work on it” she added before she moved to press a kiss to his cheek. Elliot, however, was quicker, pressing an insistent kiss against her lips.

Gabriela pulled away and threw her hand out, narrowly missing his cheek.

“Ela…”

Gabriela shook her head and thrust Noah’s bag into his arms. “Go” she muttered “I’ll see you Sunday when you bring him back” she added.

Elliot sighed. He doubted he could just let go.