Hear Your Heart

Crushing another cardboard box, Iker sighed, staring around the vast house which seemed unsettlingly empty. He’d known it would be strange, since he had agreed to trade Madrid for LA, he’d known that it would feel unfamiliar, but standing in his new home made it abundantly clear how much things had changed. He missed his home, his team and his friends, but most of all he missed the little family that he had had to leave behind. It had only been hours, Olivia had made a point of going to the airport with him, but still he couldn’t help but notice their absence. Even if he hadn’t been living with them in Spain, he missed having them around.

“Are you going to unpack everything?” Unai posed as he looked at his older brother. He could tell that he was already a little homesick, even if Iker would never admit it, and he hoped that the presence of him, as well as their parents for the first few weeks would help him out. He needed someone, even if they weren’t the one person he wanted, and Unai just hoped he could settle. Madrid was pretty much all Iker had ever known.

“Eventually” Iker replied “But I don’t want to take up too much space. We’ve still got to factor in Olivia’s things as well as the two bedrooms we will need for Thiago and the new baby” he noted, tossing the used cardboard box onto the ever growing pile in the corner.

Unai smiled. “Did you know that you get this little smile when you mention the second baby?” he poked, moving to sit on the freshly unwrapped couch.

Iker shook his head. “I’m excited” he noted, falling into the seat beside his brother “I didn’t exactly get to see it all when Olivia was pregnant with Thiago, but I am going to be involved this time around and that excites me. I can’t want to start painting nurseries or picking names” he enthused gently.

“You’re a fantastic papa, Iker” the young man smiled.

“I like to think so” Iker mused “I mean, sometimes I worry that Thiago and I aren’t as attached as I would like, but then he gets his little smile on his face and I know that it worked out” he added.

“You already miss them?” Unai posed.

Iker scoffed. “That’s an understatement if I ever heard one” he mused “I was nervous about leaving anyways, when the coach at Madrid told me that they were looking to sell, I didn’t quite know what it would be like or where I would even go, but the one thing that got me through it was the idea that Oli would be here. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love that she is pregnant and I cannot wait for the second baby to come along, but a little part of me wishes she’d gotten pregnant sooner. I wish she was here, Unai” he explained gently. He felt a little selfish, the only reason that Olivia wasn’t with him was because she wanted to do the best by their baby, but he couldn’t help but miss her. If there was anyone he wanted sat beside him in their new home it was his girlfriend.

“You know she’ll be here soon” Unai smiled, patting his brother’s shoulder.

“Yeah” Iker noted “But that doesn’t quell the need I have to hug her and kiss her right now” he noted with a small laugh.

Unai wrinkled his nose. “I am not standing in for her, Iker” he teased, earning a laugh from his brother. He was glad that he at least had someone around.

~#~
“Hola” Olivia mused as her smiling face appeared on the screen of Iker’s laptop. He had managed to refrain for a little while, he’d spent a little time with his brother and parents before he’d had to deal with the club who had scheduled his introduction to the team for the next day, but he was glad to be sat down ahead of his computer, his dark eyes fixed on Olivia who held Thiago in her lap.

“Hola” he mused gently “How are you?” he added.

Olivia shrugged. “I don’t quite know” she mumbled “But I know he misses you. He’s not been quiet for a second until he spotted your face on the screen” she smiled, dropping a little kiss onto Thiago’s head, a sight that made Iker grin.

“I miss him too, which is insane because it really hasn’t been that long” he explained.

Olivia nodded. “How the heck are we going to cope for the next five weeks?” she posed gently.

“I don’t know” Iker admitted “I have already lost count of the times I have wanted to hug you and kiss you and it’s been what? A day?” he posed.

“I know the feeling” she mused “I keep looking at the side of couch where you always sat and getting all sad all over again” she explained.

“I miss you, Oli” Iker noted “And whilst I know you’re looking after our little baby, the selfish part of me wants you to get on the next plane out here just so I can have a hug” he noted, his voice shaking a little.

“Iker” Olivia breathed “Oh, amor, it is OK” she squeaked.

Iker shook his head and wiped his eyes, hating that he had gotten so worked up. “It’s fine” he muttered “I…I guess I am just tired” he added.

“You know, it is Ok to admit that you’re not Ok” Olivia noted “Amor, this is a huge change, bigger than anything you have ever done before, and I know you are scared. I am too and I only have to watch. But Iker, this is going to be fine” she explained.

“It doesn’t feel like that right this second, Oli” Iker spluttered, still wiping his eyes “I miss Madrid, I miss my friends, and I miss you more than anything” he sighed.

“I wish I could hug you right now, Iker” Olivia whispered “I wish there was something I could say or do to make this all OK” she added.

Iker sniffed a little before he peeked up at the screen. “You could agree to marry me” he breathed.

“What?” Olivia spluttered.

Iker shook his head. “I asked you to marry me” he noted.

“Iker…”

“It’s fine” he noted “That was an idiotic thing to spit out in the moment, Oli. I am tired, upset, and I shouldn’t have said it” he explained as he moved to close the chat. Olivia opened and closed her mouth a couple of times before he closed the window, moving to set the laptop on the side. Shaking his head, he leant back against the mattress and sighed, hating how things had suddenly changed.