Slow Dancing in the Darkness

“Do you really have to go?” Gabriela posed from her spot on the bed, her hands folding the polo shirts that Lionel needed ahead of the team’s pre-season tour of Asia. She didn’t like it, the idea of him leaving for an extended period of time unsettled her slightly, and a small part of her wished that she could stop him going. She had almost grown used to having him around all of the time.

Lionel, who had been packing his suitcase, nodded. “They tend to prefer that I do” he noted as he placed another shirt into the bag “I need the training before the new season starts and the match time will be good for me” he added.

“It seems a long way to go” Gabriela commented.

“It boosts shirt sales” Lionel reasoned, taking another shirt from the pile she had made on the bed and settling it in his suitcase “Besides, it’s only for a couple of weeks, Ela. I am sure that you and Noah are going to be just fine with Amelia” he added with a small knowing look towards her.

Gabriela sighed. “A couple of weeks is a long time, Leo” she mused as she rested back against the pillows.

“I know” he noted as he moved to sit beside her “And I am going to miss you too, but I can’t not go. I need the games and the training” he mused.

“Your job sucks” Gabriela noted, a playful pout on her face.

Lionel smiled and pressed a kiss to the side of her head. “I’ll miss you” he grinned.

Gabriela sighed and wrapped her arms around his middle, hugging him gently. “I’ll miss you too” she muttered.

“I have to finish packing, Ela” he murmured as he pressed another kiss to her head.

Gabriela nodded. “I know you do” she mumbled “But you can spare two minutes” she added.

Lionel smiled and hugged her tighter. As silly as it was, he was going to miss her.

~#~
“No Ela?” Javier Mascherano posed as he sat down on the bench beside Lionel, nudging the younger man slightly. He had been a little quiet, on the coach ride to the airport, he’d hardly said two words without looking at his phone, and Javier had to admit it was kind of sweet. It was a definite change from the way he had been the previous year.

“We said goodbye at home” Lionel noted “She didn’t want to bring Amelia here” he added.

Javier nodded. “How’s the baby doing? She’s a couple of months now, right?” he posed.

Lionel grinned and pulled out his phone, showing off the newest picture of Amelia that he had. “She’ll be two months in a few days” he mused.

“She’s beautiful” Neymar quipped from behind the argentines.

“Like her mama” Lionel grinned “She’s starting to look more like Ela with every day, but she’s got my brown eyes” he mused.

Neymar nudged his shoulder. “You really do love this girl, don’t you?” he teased, sitting on the arm of the bench.

“He’s been with her for a year. You’d hope so” Javier returned.

“I’m just saying” Neymar noted, lifting his hands “He didn’t exactly waste any time when it came to marrying her. I can’t be the only one who thought it would be done with by now” he added.

“Neymar” Javier warned.

Lionel shook his head. “He’s fine, Javi” he noted “And he’s got a point. I kind of thought it would be done” he admitted.

“You did?” Neymar posed.

Lionel nodded his head. “Her ex didn’t exactly make it easy on us” he noted with a small shrug “I thought for a while that we’d mess up and have to pick up the pieces of both of our second failed marriage, but it worked out, something I am very happy about” he grinned.

Javier grinned. “We can tell, hombre” he teased “All you talk about is that girl” he grinned.

Lionel shook his head. “I am not that bad” he protested.

Neymar scoffed, playfully nudging his shoulder.

Lionel rolled his eyes, something which afforded Neymar the chance to take his phone out of his hands, scrolling through the pictures. Lionel jumped after him, but Neymar merely held out a hand, keeping him at bay. “You have a lot of pictures on here” Neymar teased.

Lionel merely tried to reach the phone, something which made Javier roll his eyes, quickly taking the phone out of the Brazilian’s hand and handing it back to Lionel, offering the pair a stern look.

“That last picture is a good one” Neymar noted “Whose wedding was that?” he posed.

Lionel smiled down at the picture. It was one of his favourite. “Her cousin’s. We went to it a few weeks ago” he mused before he lifted his head, his eyes fixed on the two men who stood ahead of him.

“Leo?” Javier poked, nudging him.

Lionel looked at him briefly before he peeked back down at his phone, recalling what Gabriela had said at Penelope’s wedding.

“Lionel?” Neymar poked, his hand waving in front of the argentine’s face.

Lionel blinked. “Huh?” he posed.

“You just zoned out” Javier commented as he handed over the argentine’s carry-on bag as their flight was called “Are you already missing Ela that much?” he teased.

Lionel shook his head. “No” he mused “It was just something she said at that wedding. Seeing the picture reminded me of it” he commented with a shrug.

“What did she say?” Neymar quipped.

“She never really got to have a wedding day like Penelope’s. Apparently, when she married Elliot, she did it in a registry office, like she did with me. It just kind of stuck with me” Lionel noted.

“Why? Surely, the getting married part is the important bit” Neymar noted.

Lionel nodded. “Of course it is and I am more than happy with the way it happened, but you didn’t see her face, Ney. She looked almost upset that her cousin had gotten a day like it and that she hadn’t” he noted. He knew that the Brazilian had a point, it was the marriage that mattered and not the wedding, but it had stuck with him. Gabriela had sounded almost disappointed that she hadn’t had a day like Penelope’s.

“So what are you going to do?” Javier posed.

“You two don’t happen to know any event planners do you?” Lionel posed.

Neymar shook his head. “I don’t, but when we get back, you should talk Shakira. She and Ela seem pretty close and if there is one person who could help you to pull it off, it would be her” he suggested.

Lionel nodded his head. A large part of him wanted to give Gabriela the day she deserved.