Chapter Text
The next morning, Noah practically bounced out of bed, his excitement palpable. Today was special dayㅡhe had souvenirs from the zoo to show his friends.
He clutched the lion keychains tightly in his small hands as he hurried to the kitchen, where Pedri was already making breakfast and Gavi was nursing his coffee.
"Papa! Gavi!" Noah skidded to a stop in front of them, grinning. "I'm ready!"
Pedri chuckled, flipping a pancake onto a plate. "You haven't even eaten yet, mijo."
Noah huffed but obediently climbed onto his chair, swinging his legs impatiently. "But we have to go soon! I need to give Juan and Mateo their presents!"
Gavi, still half-asleep, ruffled Noah's hair with a sleepy smile. "Relax, pequeno. We're not late."
Noah pouted but dug into his food with gusto, chattering nonstop about how excited his friends would be when they saw the lion keychains.
Pedri and Gavi exchanged amused glances over his head.
-------
When they arrived at the school, Noah practically vibrated with excitement.
"Papa, hurry!" Noah tugged impatiently on Pedri’s sleeve as they walked toward the school gates. "I need to give Juan his keychain before class starts!"
Pedri chuckled, adjusting the strap of Noah’s dinosaur backpack. "Relax, mijo. You have plenty of time."
Gavi walked beside them, hands stuffed in his pockets, trying to act casual. He wasn’t usually part of the morning school run, but today, he had an excuse—he needed to stop by the electronics store to pick up a new drawing tablet, and Pedri’s car was the most convenient ride.
That was the excuse, anyway. The real plan was far more thrilling: after dropping Noah off, he and Pedri were going on their first official date. A secret one, of course.
Gavi ruffled Noah's hair as they approached the school gates. "You sure you don't want me to walk you to your classroom?"
Noah rolled his eyes. "I'm not a baby."
Pedri chuckled, crouching down to adjust Noah's collar. "Be good today, okay? No experiments, no bitingㅡ"
"ㅡand no setting things on fire," Noah finished with a dramatic sigh. "I know, I know."
Gavi smirked. "Smart kid."
Noah grinned before throwing his arms around Pedri's neck in a tight hug. "Bye, Papa!"
Pedri kissed the top of his head. "See you later, mijo."
Then, to Gavi's surprise, Noah turned and hugged him too-quick but firm, his small arms squeezing Gavi's waist before he pulled away just as fast, cheeks slightly pink. "Bye, Gavi."
Gavi's chest warmed. "Bye, pequeno."
Noah waved before skipping through the school gates, disappearing into the crowd of children.
Pedri straightened up, watching him go with a soft expression. Then he turned to Gavi, a playful glint in his eyes. "So. Ready for our not secret date?"
Gavi laughed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "You make it sound like we're doing something illegal."
Pedri leaned in, his breath warm against Gavi's ear. "Isn't sneaking around half the fun?"
Gavi's face burned.
-------
Noah hurried into his classroom, his heart pounding with excitement. Juan and Mateo were already there, hunched over a puzzle at their shared table.
Noah crept up behind them and suddenly clapped them both on the shoulders. "BOO!"
Juan yelped, nearly falling out of his chair, while Mateo gasped dramatically before bursting into laughter.
Noah grinned, plopping down beside them. "Guess what I brought you!"
Juan's eyes lit up. "What?!"
Noah dug into his backpack and pulled out the lion keychains, handing one to each of his friends. "From the zoo! They're just like the real lion I saw yesterdayㅡhis roar was so loud!"
Mateo examined the keychain with wide eyes. "Whoa! This is so cool!"
Juan nodded eagerly. "Did you really see a lion cub?"
Noah puffed out his chest. "Yeah! And Gavi drew the lion cub for his work! His drawings are so goodㅡthey're gonna be everywhere soon!"
Mateo's eyes widened. "Gavi can draw?"
Noah nodded proudly. "He draws me dinosaurs and sharks all the time! Once, he even drew a T-Rex eating all my vegetables so I didn't have to!"
Juan gasped. "That's awesome!"
Noah grinned. "Yeah! He's the best!"
Mateo hesitated, then asked shyly, "Do you think... he could draw something for me too?"
Noah waved a hand dismissively. "Of course! Gavi's super nice, he'd definitely draw for you!"
Juan bit his lip. "But we don't wanna bother him..."
Noah shook his head. "He wouldn't mind! He never gets mad, even when I'm annoying!"
Just then, a cold voice cut in.
"Oh, really?"
Noah turned to see Miguel, a quiet boy from their class who always seemed to watch everyone with a sharp, calculating gaze. He was smirking, his arms crossed.
Noah frowned. "Yeah, really."
Miguel tilted his head. "You've only known Gavi for a few months, right? How can you be so sure he's that nice?"
Noah's fists clenched. "Because he is! He's always nice to me and Papa!"
Miguel's smirk widened. "And why is he so nice to you and your dad, huh?"
Noah faltered. "Because... because he's our friend!"
Miguel scoffed. "Or maybe he's just pretending to be nice because he wants something."
Noah's stomach twisted. "Wㅡwhat?"
Miguel snorted. "Yeah. Right." He leaned in, lowering his voice like he was sharing a secret. "My mom's boyfriend was super nice at first too. Bought me toys, took me places. Now? He's always yelling at me, telling me what to do. He just wanted my mom to like him."
Noah's stomach twisted. "That's notㅡGavi's not like that!"
Miguel's eyes gleamed. "Face it, Gavi's only nice to you because he wants your dad."
Noah's face burned. "NO! He's justㅡhe's justㅡ"
"See? You don't even know," Miguel said smugly. "But I bet he wants to be your dad's boyfriend. That's why he's being niceㅡso your dad will like him. And then one day, he'll replace your mom."
Noah's breath hitched.
Replace Mom?
Juan gasped. "Miguel, that's mean!"
Miguel shrugged. "I'm just saying. Adults don't just randomly act super nice unless they want something." He smirked. "And once he get your dad, he won't care about you anymore and your dad will leave you behind."
Noah's vision blurred with angry tears. "SHUT UP!"
Before he could say anything else, their teacher walked in, clapping her hands. "Alright, class! Settle down!"
Miguel gave Noah one last smug look before sauntering back to his seat.
Noah slumped into his chair, his earlier excitement gone.
Juan nudged him. "Don't listen to him. Miguel's just jealous"
Mateo nodded. "Yeah! He jealous because you have a cool and nice friend like Gavi"
Noah forced a nod, but Miguel's words stuck in his head like a thorn.
Noah swallowed hard.
What if Miguel was right?
What if Gavi was just pretending to be nice so he could take Mom's place?
What if one day, Papa loved Gavi more?
What if they both left me behind?
Noah's chest ached.
-------
Gavi and Pedri strolled through the shopping district, their arms brushing with every step. Pedri’s fingers trailed along Gavi’s wrist, teasing, before finally tangling their hands together. Gavi tried to suppress a smile but failed, his thumb tracing absent circles over Pedri’s knuckles.
Pedri had insisted on buying Gavi a new digital drawing tablet, claiming his old one was ancientㅡit was only two years old bay the way, but Gavi wasn't complaining.
Inside the electronics store, Pedri hovered behind Gavi as he tested the new drawing tablet, his chin resting on Gavi’s shoulder, breath warm against his neck.
"You sure you don’t want the Pro version?" Pedri murmured, lips grazing the shell of Gavi’s ear.
Gavi shivered. "This one’s perfect."
Pedri hummed, unconvinced, his hands settling on Gavi’s hips as he leaned around him to tap the screen. "But this one has many extra features. It will be easier for you to draw quickly."
Gavi tilted his head back, meeting Pedri’s gaze. "This one's fine. I don't need all the extra features."
Pedri smirked. "You're just saying that because you don't want me spending money on you."
Gavi rolled his eyes. "And you're just trying to show off."
Pedri laughed, "Maybe a little." Then pressed a kiss to the corner of Gavi’s mouth—quick, barely there—before pulling away to flag down a salesperson.
"Pedri!"
After picking out the tablet, they stopped at a small café, sitting at a corner table where they could talk without being overheard.
"You're staring," Pedri murmured, smirking over the rim of his cup.
Gavi blinked, realizing he'd been zoning out, watching the way the sunlight caught the gold flecks in Pedri's dark eyes. "Sorry. Just thinking."
"About?"
Gavi hesitated, then sighed. "Noah..."
Pedri raised an eyebrow. "What about him?"
Gavi toyed with his cup. "He hugged me this morning. Like, actually hugged me. No complaining, no fake gaggingㅡjust... a hug."
Pedri's lips curved. "That's good, isn't it?"
Gavi bit his lip. "Yeah, but..." He hesitated. "What if he doesn't react well when he finds out about us?"
Pedri's expression sobered. He reached across the table, his fingers curling around Gavi's. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there. But Noah loves youㅡthat much is obvious."
Gavi exhaled. "I hope so."
Pedri squeezed his hand. "Trust me."
Gavi smiled slightly, squeezing back.
Pedri smirked suddenly. "So. Movie after this?"
Gavi raised an eyebrow. "What, are we teenagers now?"
Pedri's grin was downright sinful. "Why not?"
Gavi laughed. "Fine. But I'm picking the movie."
Pedri groaned. "Not another horror film."
Gavi's smirk matched his. "Too late."
----------
The rest of the day passed in a blur. Noah barely paid attention to the lessons, his thoughts churning. Every time the teacher called on him, he answered in monosyllables, earning a few concerned looks.
At snack time, he picked at his food, uncharacteristically quiet.
Juan and Mateo exchanged worried glances.
"You're not still thinking about what Miguel said, are you?" Mateo asked.
Noah stabbed a fruit cubes with his fork. "No."
Which, of course, meant yes.
Juan sighed. "Noah, Gavi's nice. Remember when you told us he drew a lot for you? He never gets mad, even when you annoying? And when he lets you go to the zoo with him?"
Noah's grip on his fork tightened. "Yeah, but... what if he's just doing that to make Papa like him?"
Mateo frowned. "Why would he do that?"
Noah hesitated. Then, in a small voice, he admitted, "What if... what if Miguel right that he wants to be Papa's boyfriend?"
Juan and Mateo blinked.
"Would that be so bad?" Mateo asked.
Noah's head snapped up. "Yes!"
The force of his answer surprised even him. Juan and Mateo recoiled slightly.
Noah lowered his voice, his throat tight. "My Mom is gone. And if Papa and Gavi... if they..." He couldn't even finish the sentence.
Juan bit his lip. "But Gavi's not replacing your mom, right? He's just... someone else."
Noah shook his head stubbornly. "Papa's mine. And Mom's."
Mateo hesitated. "But your mom's not..." He trailed off, wisely not finishing that thought.
Noah shoved his lunch tray away, his appetite gone.
-------
The theater was nearly empty, the dim lighting casting shadows across the seats. Gavi had, predictably, chosen a horror movie—something cheesy and over the top—just to hear Pedri groan about it.
Halfway through a particularly ridiculous jump scare, Pedri leaned in, lips brushing Gavi’s ear. “This is awful.”
Gavi grinned. “You’re just scared.”
Pedri scoffed, but his hand slid up Gavi’s thigh, fingers curling possessively. “Not even close.”
Gavi’s breath hitched.
Pedri took the opportunity to turn his face toward him, capturing his lips in a slow, deep kiss. Gavi melted into it, one hand fisting in Pedri’s shirt, the other tangled in his hair. The movie faded into background noise, replaced by the sound of their breathing, the slide of lips, the quiet hum of satisfaction when Pedri nipped lightly at Gavi’s lower lip.
When they finally pulled apart, Pedri’s smirk was downright sinful. “Still think I’m scared?”
Gavi’s pulse raced. “Shut up.”
Pedri laughed, stealing another kiss before settling back, arm slung over Gavi’s shoulders, fingers idly playing with the hair at his nape.
Gavi leaned into him, warmth spreading through his chest.
-------
By pickup time, Noah froze at the school gates, his small fingers tightening around the straps of his backpack. In the distance, Pedri and Gavi stood waiting for him—just like always. But today, for the first time, Noah really looked at them.
Pedri had one hand resting casually on Gavi’s lower back, his thumb tracing absent circles over the fabric of Gavi’s shirt. Gavi, in turn, was leaning into the touch, his shoulder brushing Pedri’s as they talked. Their heads were bent close together, their laughter carrying across the courtyard in a way that made Noah’s stomach twist.
Too close.
Miguel’s words echoed in his mind.
He’s only nice because he wants your dad.
Noah’s throat tightened.
Then Gavi spotted him, his face lighting up as he waved. "Noah! Over here!"
Pedri turned, smiling. "Hey, mijo!"
Normally, Noah would have sprinted toward them, launching into an animated retelling of his day before they could even ask. But now, he hesitated. His feet felt heavy, his chest strangely hollow.
Forcing himself forward, Noah trudged over, his gaze fixed on the ground.
Pedri crouched down to his level, concern flickering in his dark eyes. "Everything okay?"
Noah shrugged, kicking at a pebble. "Yeah."
Gavi ruffled his hair—a gesture that usually made Noah squawk in protest. Today, he barely reacted. "How was school?" Gavi asked.
Noah mumbled something unintelligible.
Pedri and Gavi exchanged a glance.
"Alright," Pedri said slowly, straightening up. "Let’s get you home."
Noah didn’t argue, letting Pedri take his hand as they walked to the car. But when Gavi reached for his other hand, Noah flinched away, stuffing both fists into his pockets.
Gavi’s smile faltered.
Pedri frowned. "Noah—"
"I’m tired," Noah muttered, climbing into the backseat by himself.
Silence settled over the car like a thick fog. Pedri kept glancing at Noah in the rearview mirror, his brow furrowed. Gavi twisted in his seat to look back at him, but Noah turned his face toward the window, pretending not to notice.
He didn't know why he was acting like this. Gavi loved him. He knew he did. Gavi let Noah climb into his bed when he had nightmares. He drew him dinosaurs. He didn’t get mad when Noah burning his apartment or ruined his clothes. He held him through his fever and whispered promises against his hair.
But now, every little thing Gavi did felt like—
...that wasn't fake, was it?
To be continue.