NO MAN LIKE HIM

26

Thomas had the idea of watching a movie but he fell asleep even before the one hour mark. Hakim had a fond smile on his face as he watched him dream, head resting over his shoulder. He was so adorable. Hakim didn't want to move and risk waking him up. Yet, the movie was about to end and he'd have to go to bed himself. He slowly turned to the other side and looked at Gigi.

She was the only one who'd watched the whole movie without breaking her focus for a second. Or so she appeared. In reality, Gigi would not be able to tell you exactly what happened in the movie because her whole attention had been on the way her thighs were brushing against hakim's under the blanket. She'd been trying to control herself for almost two hours now, trying not to lean over and kiss this man. When the movie ended, she quickly turned the TV off and got up.

"Well, that was good-Oh?"

She hadn't noticed that Thomas had fallen asleep. Hakim put a finger over his lips to tell her to be quiet. He then held Thomas's head and stood up as cautiously as he could before carrying the boy in his arms. Thomas stirred a bit but didn't wake up.

"I'm going to put him in bed." Hakim said.

"Ok."

Gigi watched him walk out of the living-room. There was something highly pleasing in seeing Hakim carrying her son like that. He definitely would make a great father, she thought and it brought a smile to her face.

Hakim took the stairs with the boy in his arms and walked to his bedroom. He tried to put him in the bed without waking him up but by the time he was pulling the blanket over him, Thomas had opened his eyes and was staring at Hakim, still half asleep.

"The movie...." He said.

"It ended, buddy. It's okay, I will watch it with you again tomorrow, if you want. Now, you just go to sleep okay?"

"Hmmm."

He closed his eyes. Hakim brushed away the hair on his face and following his instinct, he leaned down and kissed Thomas on the forehead. The boy opened his eyes again.

"What?" Hakim asked as Thomas was just staring at him without saying anything.

"...My dad never watched a movie with me." He mumbled. "He never had the time..."

Hakim hummed and placed a hand on Thomas's cheek.

"Your dad was a businessman. It's thanks to him that you have such a good life, okay? I'm sure he loved you unconditionally and that he'd have spent more time with you if he could."

"I wish...I wish I knew him better. I feel like I never had a father...Even when he was alive, he was still a ghost to me. A stranger."

"...I am sorry, buddy."

"It's okay...I hope you get married to mom for real, though...So I can have a new dad to watch movies with..."

Hakim's heart was beating hard. Thomas smiled. The man stayed by his side until he closed his eyes again and drifted back to sleep. Hakim left his bedroom, still thinking about those last words. He felt bad for Thomas. He knew exactly what it was like to not have a father and he wished he could do something so that kid didn't have to grow up with a void in his heart but could he really take the place of a father? Was he strong enough for that?

No doubt, he really loved Thomas but he didn't want him to get attached, not when his relationship with Gigi was still undefined. He didn't want to suddenly disappear from their lives and have Thomas feeling abandoned all over again.

Yet, he couldn't help but think...Why was he fighting so hard with himself? Clearly, Gigi didn't leave him indifferent and she had already confessed her love to him many times. He could have a great life with her and Thomas but then, he remembered why he couldn't do that. Shan. She was the one he was supposed to have a life with and even though he was starting to doubt her sincerity, it still felt wrong to chose another woman over her. Hakim was torn between his desires and what he felt was "right" to do. Until he'd know for sure that Shan was lying to him, he couldn't allow himself to think of a life with Gigi and Thomas.