We Took the Fall

“Catalina?” Fernando murmured as he leant away from her “Nena, are you OK?” he posed gently. He hadn’t meant for it to happen, at no point had he envisaged that he would propose to her in the midst of trying to get into her pants, but the words were out and he knew there was no taking them back. Catalina wasn’t just going to pretend that he hadn’t said it.

“You proposed” Catalina squeaked.

“I know” Fernando sighed, pushing a hand back through his hair “But I swear, that was not my intention for tonight. I know that you’re not there yet, Lina, I know. I am so sorry” he rambled, shaking his head at his own stupidity. Of course he had thought about it, it was the next step that they would take, but he knew that she wasn’t ready. It had taken a lot to get her to move in with him, more than it should have done, and he didn’t want her thinking that he just wanted to rush through things. He was more than happy to wait until she gave the nod that the time was right to propose.

“You actually said it” Catalina mused, her blue eyes staring at the ceiling above them.

“Yes” Fernando mused “I did, but it wasn’t what I should have said. I swear, Lina, I am more than happy to wait” he protested.

Catalina blinked a couple of times before she moved her head, her eyes glancing at Fernando who sat at her side, a worried expression etched onto his features. She knew he hadn’t meant to do it, he had made that abundantly clear in the excruciatingly long minutes that had passed, but she couldn’t help but think he was just saying it. Out of the two of them, he was the more confident and she couldn’t help but think that maybe he had meant to do it, even if the timing was off. She wondered if he had taken Esther’s hints.

“Catalina, I really need you to say something right now” Fernando complained softly.

“Did you mean it?” she enquired gently.

Fernando furrowed his brow. “What?” he posed.

Catalina nibbled on her lip. “What you just asked me, did you mean that?” she posed gently.

Fernando shook his head. “No” he mused “I know that it isn’t what you want right now and I shouldn’t have said it. We’re good the way we are, Lina, and what I said…”

“Do you want to marry me?” Catalina interjected, guiding her stare to his.

Fernando swallowed, but nodded his head. “You know that I do” he mused, his voice just above a whisper “You know that I have since we were younger, but I get if you don’t want to say yes right now, Catalina. It’s only been a few months, we’re still fairly new together, and I entirely understand if you say no to me right now. It’s not like I meant to ask” he babbled.

Catalina couldn’t help but smile a little. She hadn’t seen him ramble like that since he’d asked her out for the first time.

“I am sorry, Lina” he apologized gently “It was the heat of the moment, I guess” he added, his hand gently cupping her cheek as his thumb brushed across her jaw.

Catalina closed her eyes and leant into the contact, relaxing a little. “Do you think about it a lot?” she posed gently.

“About what?” Fernando posed, shifting slightly so that they were a little more comfortable sat together.

“Marriage. Babies. A future” Catalina clarified.

Fernando shrugged gently. “Sometimes” he admitted.

“What do you think about?” Catalina enquired, tilting her head back so that she could look at his face as he spoke. She was curious, in part at least, and she wanted to know what went through his head. It was clearly far more than what had gone through her own mind.

“Do you really want to know?” Fernando asked.

“Yes” Catalina replied.

Fernando nodded his head and moved her so that she sat between his legs, her back pressed to his chest and his arms wrapped loosely around her waist. “I see us getting engaged fairly quickly” he started gently “I was probably going to do it properly at Christmas, but seeing as I just asked in the midst of sex, I think I should probably postpone a little” he noted, earning a little giggle from Catalina who’s fingers gently brushed over his cheeks, feeling freckled skin warm. “I think about us getting married somewhere quiet, maybe a couple of people, but not hundreds. I’d be content if it could just be me and you” he admitted, kissing the palm of her hand lightly “I’d like to stay in Madrid for a while, it’s home for us, and I would like it to be the place our children called home when they came along. I’d love a couple of children, 3 perhaps, but not too many. I’d like a close knit little family” he explained.

“Boys or girls?” Catalina questioned, her eyelids dropping a little.

“I’d love a son” he replied, the pads of his thumbs gently brushing the skin that Catalina had left exposed after his little outburst. “But I’d be Ok with either, just as long as they were happy and healthy and looked like their madre” he added, placing a tender kiss on her cheek.

“Did you ever think like that when you were with Cia?” she questioned timidly.

“Not for a second” Fernando replied “With her, it was all about her, not us. We’re very much an us, Lina” he assured her softly.

“We’d need a bigger place” Catalina noted, yawning.

“Huh?” he mumbled, kissing down her neck gently.

“For the babies, Nando” she yawned “We’d need to get a bigger house” she pointed out.

Fernando chuckled. “I suppose we would” he chuckled.

Catalina rested her head back, leaning it against his shoulder as her blue eyes stared up at him. “It’s a no right now, Fernando” she whispered, her hands squeezing his “But it’s not a never” she added.

Fernando nodded his head. “I shouldn’t have asked” he murmured.

“It’s alright” she whispered “It’ll be a story to tell one day” she added.

“I supposed so” he enthused “I am sorry, Lina” he added.

Catalina lifted her head and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Don’t worry about it” she smiled.

Fernando smiled back at her gently and kissed her lightly before he helped her lay against the pillows, his arms holding her tightly against him as she fell asleep. He watched her for a second before he rested his head against his own pillow. At least it wasn’t a never.