Chapter Text
Barba slipped a couple of files out of his briefcase, flicked through each until he found the correct papers and then placed them on Olivia’s coffee table. He calculated that they could be finished in less than an hour, then wondered whether his friend would be eager to have a quiet Friday evening alone or open to some company.
His attachment to her company was only growing over recent months. While in the past he might have relished a quiet evening at home with no pressing work, lately his empty apartment had seemed less appealing. He glanced at his watch and assuming that their bedtime routine would take several more minutes, he stood and walked through to the kitchen to help himself to some of the scotch he knew that Olivia kept in stock for him. He was contemplating whether to be presumptuous and pour her a glass of wine when his cell rang.
He looked at the screen and frowned.
“Carmen?” Barba answered.
“Sorry to call so late, sir,” she replied quickly, “…I just wanted to let you know that the airline called to say your Monday flight has been cancelled. I went through your available options and re-booked for the 8 am flight. I also changed the booking for your car, so you’ll be picked up an hour earlier. I know you’d rather arrive at the hotel early than feel rushed. As you’re a speaker at the conference, I also called the hotel and arranged for you to book into your room as soon as you arrive.”
Barba nodded gratefully, “Carmen, you are a wonder, thank you. Are you sure you wouldn’t like to go to Florida and give the lecture in my place?"
Carmen laughed warmly, “I think it advisable that we stick to our strengths, sir; I’ll see you on Thursday and if you need anything…”
“...I know, just call. Remind me to speak to someone about getting you a raise on my return,” he told her sincerely.
"Consider it done,” Carmen joked. “Have a good trip, sir.”
Barba smiled, “Enjoy having a few days of peace, I’ll see you on my return.” He ended the call and turned to find Noah looking at him with a broad grin. “Hey, amigo, what happened to bedtime?”
“Mommy said that I could get a drink!” He was gripping onto a long-forgotten empty glass and bit his lip with excitement as he bounced on his toes.
The lawyer shook his head with a little confusion, when Noah had said goodnight less than ten minutes ago the little boy had looked exhausted, but now he was practically bouncing off the walls.
“You’re going to Florida?!” Noah asked eagerly. “Like…where Disney World is?!”
Barba’s eyes sparkled as he put two and two together. “Amigo, I am going to Florida, but I’m going to stay at an extremely boring hotel and attend an even more boring conference. It’s a work trip.”
“Near Mickey!” Noah reasoned, clearly not even slightly put off from his train of thought.
He laughed, leaned back against the kitchen counter and folded his arms. “Florida is a big place, Noah, much bigger than Manhattan. My hotel is actually near to where Mickey lives…although I highly doubt he frequents law conferences.”
“I could come with you!” Noah suggested with growing enthusiasm. “You could do your boring work stuff and then we could go see Mickey! You’re a really important man, Uncle Rafa, Mommy said so, I bet we might even get to meet Mickey!”
Barba was a little speechless, struggling to figure out how to explain the impossible nature of Noah’s plans when Olivia suddenly appeared.
“Noah, are you bothering Uncle Rafa?” She asked with a patient smile, he was always easily distracted when his favourite uncle was visiting.
“Uncle Rafa is going to take me to DISNEY WORLD!” Noah announced excitedly.
Olivia looked at her friend with a bemused smile.
“Noah, I already explained that I’m going to Florida for work,” Barba shot Olivia a pained look and silently pleaded for backup.
Noah’s excited expression immediately dropped from his face and then with a very quiet voice, he asked the question he hadn’t even considered. “Y-you don’t want me to come with you?”
Barba was horrified to see tears welling in his young friend’s eyes. “Noah, I can’t just take you away on vacation. Not to a business conference and not without your mother…” He crouched down in front of Noah and tried to explain.
Olivia quickly caught up. “You know Uncle Rafa has a lot of very important work to do. You wouldn’t ask me to take you to work with me, would you?” She asked carefully
“I understand, Uncle Rafa does very important work…” Noah nodded sadly, all the joy that had been on his face moments before had vanished, “…and I would be in the way.”
“Noah, nothing could possibly be more important to me than you,” Barba assured quickly and didn’t even notice the surprise on Olivia’s face, “…but I have promised lots of people that I would talk to them at this conference. I need to talk to them about the important work that I do with your mommy, you wouldn’t want me to break that promise and let them down, would you?”
Noah nodded sadly as he met his uncle’s concerned gaze.
“Also, your mommy isn’t going to allow me to just take you away on vacation…and imagine how sad and lonely Mommy would be if we left her here all alone?” Barba smiled at him encouragingly.
Noah sighed and nodded sadly.
Olivia ran her hand over Noah’s head. “There is no one in the world that I would trust more than your Uncle Rafa to take you on vacation, my sweet boy, but Uncle Rafa has work to do…who would look after you when he was busy?”
Barba was momentarily shocked at the revelation that Olivia would trust him to take her precious son away on vacation, but he was only just beginning to process that revelation when Noah announced his new plan.
“So Mommy could come with us!” Noah suggested hopefully and looked at Olivia. "We could all go together! We could play while Uncle Rafa works and then we could all go to Disney World!” He suggested with a bright smile.
“Mommy has to work…” Barba began to try and stave off another of Noah’s Master Plans. He looked up and was struck dumb by Olivia’s expression - she looked thoughtful, but clearly not quick to dismiss Noah’s suggestion.
“Noah, leave your Uncle Rafa in peace now, go and get into bed,” Olivia directed him firmly, “…I’ll be through to tuck you in in a few minutes.”
Noah said goodnight to Barba and then turned to slowly walk away - he looked sad, but also a little intrigued by the fact that his mommy hadn’t actually said no.
“How long is this conference?” Olivia asked as soon as Noah had vanished into his room.
“Four days, but I’m flying home on Wednesday evening,” Barba told her cautiously. Surely Olivia wasn’t actually considering Noah’s suggestion?
“And when do you give your lecture?”
“First thing Monday afternoon.”
“And you feel obliged to attend the whole conference?” She continued a little tentatively.
“Well, no…but some of the talks looked interesting enough to be worth my time and work is manageable right now. What are you thinking?” Barba frowned with intrigue.
“I could take a few days, Noah and I could get a room…” Olivia suggested with what looked like a slightly nervous smile.
“You’re not serious?” Barba asked with raised eyebrows.
“Noah was too little to remember much when we went to Europe and he’s spent almost all of his life in Manhattan. It would do him good to visit somewhere new. Would you even feel able to step back from the conference?” She asked.
“You’re sure you would want me to tag along? I know my trip inspired the idea, but you and Noah could just go on vacation together?” Barba suggested.
Olivia’s enthusiasm seemed to drop a little and she nodded. “Yes, I’m mean…sure we could. The conference is important and I’m sure that you don’t want to waste two days of your life being dragged around Disney by my over-excited kid.” She shook her head and forced a smile. “I guess both Benson’s have a habit of getting a little carried away.”
Barba’s fast mind was working overtime to catch up.
Noah’s suggestion.
Olivia’s idea.
Then the unmistakable sadness in her eyes when he’d tried to give her a way out of inviting him along. His words had clearly led her to believe that he didn’t want to go and he panicked as his invitation seemed to be quickly drifting away.
“No, wait…” he cut in quickly, “…I mean, I really do only need to attend on Monday and well…if you would like me to come with you. I guess I could…”
Barba’s heart started to speed up at the smile which now bloomed on Olivia’s face. Their relationship had seemed to be changing lately, they were exchanging calls and messages on their days off, hanging out after their work was over, and both seemed to stretch out their time together. He had spent months convinced that he was fooling himself, that he wasn’t her type…but could they actually have a chance together? Maybe this trip could be an opportunity to find out.
“You’re serious?” Olivia asked with genuine excitement.
“I never take vacation time. Where’s the harm in taking a couple of days so that I can spend some time with my two favourite people?” Barba asked, then wondered if he was being a little too honest.
“Rafa,” Olivia beamed, “…you’ve just made my little boy’s year.”
“You could have taken him alone,” Barba contended.
“Did you see his face? He doesn't just want to go to Disney, he wants to go with us,” Olivia insisted. She instinctively wrapped her arms around him now, thrilled that Noah had someone else in his life who he respected and admired, someone worthy of that admiration. Barba was clearly willing to put him first, maybe even to the detriment of his career. “You’re a wonderful man, Rafa,” she told him quietly as her friend recovered from the shock and wrapped his arms around her.
Barba blinked when he felt tears well in his eyes and tried not to focus on the smell of her hair and how perfect his friend felt in his arms. It had been a long time since he had truly embraced someone like this, and never once in his life had it felt this good. Like two pieces fitting together.
They fell silent and held on for longer than would be typical of a ‘friendly’ hug, although neither was brave enough to acknowledge that, as both of them revelled in their closeness.
Olivia’s instinctive act had finally hit home, but rather than release him, her arms tightened. This felt amazing, so much more than the need to touch, but more accurately the need to hold him. To connect. If she let go when would be the next time?
“Are you okay?” He finally asked.
Olivia’s eyes opened with a little panic - and then she regretfully, and very slowly, peeled herself away from his arms. She smiled and nodded. “Sure, I guess I hadn’t realised how much I really needed a hug,” she admitted with partial honesty, “…it’s been a while, you know?”
Barba smiled at her softly and forced himself not to reach out to her again. “Well, I’m always available for hugs, whenever you should feel the…need,” he coughed and rolled his eyes at his own clumsy wording, “…maybe not in either of our offices though, we could start rumours.”
Olivia laughed softly and nodded. “Noted,” she agreed, “…I’ll keep that in mind…for the future.”
“For the future,” Barba repeated.
“You’re sure about this trip? We’re talking Micky and princesses and talking chipmunks, the whole nine yards…” Olivia checked teasingly.
“I actually always wanted to go when I was a kid, but that was never going to happen,” Barba confided, “…and going with you two is even better.”
Olivia smiled a little sadly and nodded, it was easy to forget that Barba didn’t come from money, he was surrounded by people who were born into privilege every day of his life, but he got to where he was through the intelligent application of a great mind, combined with sheer grit and hard work.
“How about we stay at the conference hotel for one night and then I’ll look into getting us a room a little closer to the resort? I could ask Carmen to move my flight home to Friday?” Barba suggested.
“Is the conference even near to the resort? Won’t that be expensive?” Olivia asked cautiously.
“Maybe an hour away…but this is on me, if we’re really doing this then we’re doing it in style,” Barba insisted with an enthusiasm that genuinely surprised Olivia.
“Rafa, no…” She protested a little weakly. She didn’t want him to pay but she was suddenly reluctant to dampen his obvious excitement.
“Please, Liv? I really want to do this. I don’t have much to spend my money on except expensive suits. How about we make some memories instead?”
He smiled broadly, his nose scrunching and eyes crinkling in a way that Olivia felt powerless to refuse him. She could usually keep her head at work, but outside of work, it was becoming increasingly difficult to deny her overwhelming emotional and physical attraction to him.
Several minutes later, Olivia appeared in Noah’s bedroom doorway, she smiled broadly at him when he looked up at her from his bed. “Guess which very lucky boy is going to have the week off school so that he can go to Disney World with his mommy and Uncle Rafa?”
Noah’s squeal of excitement could probably have been heard in Brooklyn.
tbc...