You Loved Me Once

Placing the last plate down onto the dining room table, Lionel smiled to himself, pleased by the setting he had been able to create. It wasn’t like him, when it came to dates, he tended to prefer heading out, but with Alba still intent on keeping their relationship quiet, he had wanted to treat her, wanting to show just how appreciative he was for her help. He knew that it was a big deal for her, having him stay with her, and he wanted to let her know that it was appreciated, even if he did spend the nights on the couch, he was merely grateful that she had offered to help him at all.

Hobbling away from the table slightly, he padded towards the row of candles he’d set up before the sound of the front door open and closing reached him, something which made him smile a little. “Alba?” he called.

“Who else would it be?” Alba countered as she padded into the room, her blue eyes widening a little “What have you done?” she posed.

Lionel shrugged. “I’ve not had the chance to spoil you for a few weeks and I figured, with you at work all day, I’d take the chance to set something up. It was a little difficult with the crutches, but I think I did an OK job” he mused with an impish grin.

Alba shook her head. “You did this for me?” she squeaked as she looked up at him.

Lionel nodded. “I wanted the chance to spoil you a little and seeing as you still don’t want people to know about us, I figured I would set something up here as a way to thank you” he enthused as he placed an arm around her waist.

“Thank me?” Alba posed, leaning him into slightly.

“You didn’t have to let me stay and I am grateful that you did” Lionel replied softly.

Alba shook her head. “I’m your girlfriend” she mused as she placed her arms around his neck “It’s sort of my job” she added, offering him a small smile.

“I know” Lionel enthused “But I know it was something that you weren’t sure about and I am glad that you did it” he added before he dipped down, stealing a soft kiss.

Alba smiled into the soft kiss for a moment before she stepped back, offering him another soft grin. “You really didn’t have to do this” she mused “Especially since you’re supposed to be resting” she added with a look towards his knee.

Lionel rolled his eyes. “You’re not my doctor” he pointed out.

“No, I’m not, but I am also not explaining to your team that you made it worse by walking around on it when you were supposed to be resting” Alba countered.

Lionel offered her a look before he shook his head, moving to pull out her seat for her. “Just take the gesture, Alba” he mused with a half-smile.

Alba offered him a small grin before she took the seat, watching amusedly as he set a plate of food ahead of her. “You’re getting better at cooking” she mused.

“I kind of have to, don’t I?” Lionel teased “You’ve tasted some of the best food the city has to offer and I don’t want my cooking to known as the worst thing you’ve eaten” he grinned.

“You’re safe from that” Alba grinned, gratefully taking a bite of the food he’d plied her with “I went to a dinner party a few years back at the home of one of my colleagues and it was awful. It was safely the worst thing I’ve ever eaten” she noted.

“Worse than the meal your aunt cooked when I met your extended family?” Lionel quipped. It was more common, for a few days, Alba had seemed more content to talk about their past, and it pleased him slightly, even if they hadn’t quite reached the elephant in the room, he was glad to see her more willing to talk about the happier times they’d shared.

Alba scoffed. “That was hardly a meal. Mine was mostly raw” she insisted with a grin.

“At least you could tell her. I had to stomach two mouthfuls trying to be polite” Lionel teased.

“You were sick for a week” Alba reminisced.

“And you took care of me” Lionel added “You’re always took care of me” he added, his tone shifting slightly.

Alba shook her head. “You did your fair share” she mumbled gently “You were always protective” she added, her eyes peeking at him briefly.

Lionel sighed. “Alba” he murmured, knowing precisely where her mind had jumped to.

“Why did you never say anything?” Alba muttered, pushing her food around her plate “I know why you left and what you thought you were doing, but you could have spoken to me, Leo. I hate the idea that you felt as though you couldn’t” she explained gently. She didn’t want to ruin the mood, clearly Lionel had gone to a lot of effort to surprise her with a romantic dinner, but it was on her mind, even more so since she and Gerard had spoken.

She knew the defender only had good intentions, he had always tried to look out for the shier argentine, but it merely gotten Alba thinking. She was worried, she was worried about her parents, the press and Lionel’s friends, but mostly she was concerned that it wouldn’t work. She worried that she would only end up hurting him.

Lionel shook his head. “Do we have to talk about this right now, Alba?” he protested gently “I thought we could have a nice night” he added.

Alba offered him a look before she sighed. “I am worried” she admitted “This is good right now, me and you, it’s working, but it is going to change, Leo, and I don’t know how OK I am with that” she murmured.

Lionel shook his head. “Nothing has to change right now, Alba” he protested “This, it works, and I want it to keep working” he insisted.

“I want that too” Alba admitted “But I’ve been thinking. I want to be with you, you know that, but I don’t think I want to hide anymore” she added, messing with her skirt shyly.

“Alba?” Lionel pressed, leaning a little closer to her.

“I want to tell my family” she murmured softly “I want to get it over with and if we survive that, I will be surer about us, but right now, it doesn’t feel right. When it is just me and you, it works, but it’s not always going to be just me and you, is it?” she posed, her blue eyes mirroring his darker ones.

“It can be for now” Lionel reasoned.

“I want them to hear it from me” Alba mumbled “And the longer you’re here, the less likely that is. I want to tell them, get it out in the open, and then see where that leaves us” she explained.

Lionel shook his head. “They’re going to hate it” he insisted.

“They are” Alba confirmed “But if we can make it through that, I will be surer and that is something I need right now. I need to know that we’re not just going through the motions because we think it is the right thing to do” she insisted.

Lionel mulled her words over for a moment before he sighed, nodding his head. “OK” he agreed “We’ll tell them” he added.

Alba offered him a small smile before she turned her attention back to her plate of food, picking at it. She knew that it wasn’t going to go well, her father in particular was going to have an issue with her decision to get back with the man who’d broken her heart, but she wanted to do it. She wanted to see how their relationship handled it.