Title: What You Want
Characters/Pairings: Gabe/Naomi
Spoilers/Warning: PG13
Summary: Tag to E24 – Naomi's reaction to the day's events.
Author's Note: this is what happens when you haven't used your shipping goggles in a while and you watch a cartoon marathon with your little one.
They arrive back at the docks around midnight. Naomi is exhausted, but she's also the most experienced sailor in the group and knows the others will only slow the mooring process down if they try to help so she wraps her arm around Elena's shoulder and begins steering the older girl towards the gangplank. Elena smiles sleepily at her friend and whispers, "you're my real best friend," before her head slumps sideways onto Naomi's shoulder.
"I know," Naomi chuckles softly, pulling the princess closer to her as she navigates them around and then off the sailboat. The royal carriage is waiting for them at the end of the pier and Naomi sighs in relief when two of the guards rush forward to take Elena from her.
"Wait," Elena protests as the guards pull her away from Naomi, towards the carriage. "I need to help clean up."
"You need to go to bed. I'm not tired at all," Naomi lies gently, squeezing Elena's hand, "and you can barely keep your head up. Go on."
"But-"
"Go," Naomi urges, flashing Elena a stern look. "I'll get some help from the dockhands."
Elena frowns, but nods and lets the guards lead her away.
Naomi watches them until Elena is nestled safely in the coach before striding back to the boat, calling out to a couple of her father's employees as she goes. They quickly fall in line behind her as she boards the sailboat and then hurry to their stations as she barks orders at them. Once she feels confident that her little makeshift crew can properly process everything, she turns to Gabe and Mateo. Dismissing them with a wave, she says, "Go home guys. I've got this."
"Thanks, Naomi." Mateo grins at her in relief and gives her a quick, loose hug before hurrying away, a garbled "goodnight" yawned over his shoulder.
Naomi watches him, too, until he has disappeared into the night and then marches past Gabe without so much as a glance. She hurries down to the small cabin to start collecting charts and maps, and has most of them sorted when someone clears his throat behind her. Without looking up from the maps, Naomi snaps, "I told you to leave."
"Nay-"
"Go home, Gabe," she says with a groan as a few of the maps fall from the desk to the floor. Naomi immediately stoops down to collect them, muttering curses as she reaches for them.
"Here," Gabe rushes forward, "let me help you."
"I don't need your help," Naomi snaps, looking up at him for the first time since he helped her tie off. "I don't want your help."
The cold look in her eyes is enough for Gabe to stop short. His frown deepens as he tells her earnestly, "Nay, I'm sorry."
Naomi rolls her eyes.
"I am!"
"Look Gabe, we're not…" Naomi stands to face him, the charts forgotten, as she struggles with what to say. "This isn't… We're not together. You and Mateo can fight over Elena all you want." She takes a short, audible breath. "But you didn't have to throw it in my face like that."
"Wait," Gabe scowls, "what?"
"I get it, okay?" Naomi shakes her head. "You're in love with her – have been for a year. I knew that when we started…"
"Fooling around?"
Naomi's eyebrows narrow at the bluntness of his words. "Yes, when we started fooling around."
"Naomi, I think-"
"Just let me finish," she growls, holding up a hand to stop him. "I knew you were in love with her, but I didn't care. I mean, I didn't even really like you very much in the beginning."
Gabe blinks.
"But my feelings have changed over the past couple of months," Naomi admits, and now there's a touch of embarrassment alongside the anger. She's tried - tried so hard - not to fall for him, but after the initial rush of what they were doing had worn off they had fallen into a comfortable pattern and that had caused her mind to wander into places she knew he wasn't interested in."So… We're done here."
"What?"
"It's pretty obvious you're not moving on from her anytime soon," Naomi shrugs stiffly, "and I'm tired of being your consolation prize. So this," she gestures between the two of them, "is done."
"That's…" Gabe stammers, stuck somewhere between incredulousness and outrage. "How can you… I'm not… Consolation prize?"
"That's typically what you get when you can't have what you actually want," Naomi says sarcastically. Then, softer, she adds, "I don't want to be anyone's second choice."
Gabe, she notices, has the decency to look hurt.
"Look, we both knew this was going to end sooner or later," she shrugs and makes a move to step around him when his hand closes around her wrist. She frowns and looks up to find him staring straight ahead, his jaw set. "Gabe?"
"You are not a consolation prize," he says and his tone is steady, determined. "And it hurts me to think that you've thought you're my second choice this whole time. Elena… I admire Elena. She's a kind, intelligent leader who cares so much for her kingdom and there is a part of me that might be a little in love with her." He swallows and turns his gaze to Naomi. "But she doesn't have that smart mouth of yours, or the love of the sea or that sly little grin. She's not you."
"Gabe, I-"
"We're not together," Gabe continues, his hands moving to Naomi's cheeks. "But maybe I want to be."
Naomi moans happily as Gabe kisses her. She's been kissing him for months now – quick, frenzied, stolen kisses that scorch her – but this kiss is so very different – slow and sensual, with a promise of of something more. And, though it's over much quicker than she would like, Naomi pulls away grinning.
"I'm sorry about today," Gabe whispers, his thumb circling Naomi's cheek. "I was an idiot."
"Yes," Naomi agrees quietly, "you were. But I should probably get used to you being an idiot."
"Probably."
They both laugh and Gabe straightens up so he can wrap his arm around Naomi's shoulders. He begins guiding her out of the cabin when he suddenly remembers, "Wait. You didn't like me at first?"
"Um…"