When You Close Your Eyes
19: Trust Me
Carefully moving to hang her coat up beside the door, Isabelle spared a small sigh, her blue eyes briefly peeking back to Lionel who followed along behind her, an undecipherable expression fixed on his features. It had been quiet, after they’d bumped into Elijah, Lionel had barely uttered a word towards her, and it irked Isabelle a little, even if she understood that he had been caught off guard by the presence of her ex-boyfriend, she didn’t quiet see what the problem was. It had been years, she’d not seen Elijah in a little over 5 years, and she couldn’t see why it had upset Lionel so much.
Slipping her feet out of her heels, she carefully moved to stow them beside the door before she moved to pad into the living room.
“Aren’t we even going to talk about it?”
Isabelle, who’d moved to step into the other room, startled a little at the sound of his voice before she shook her head, a soft frown on her face. “I don’t think there is anything to talk about” she noted softly “He’s an ex, Leo, one I’ve not seen in years, and I think you’re overreacting” she added, her tone tentative and soft.
Lionel, who’d moved to follow after her, mulled her words over for a couple of seconds before he shook his head slightly. “You’ve never mentioned him, Isa” he countered, his tone caught between irked and soft.
Isabelle offered him a soft look before she shook her head. “He’s an ex” she repeated softly “One I had broken up with long before I’d even met you, and I don’t understand why this is such a huge problem for you. He’s just a guy, Leo, one I dated for a few months, but it has been over for a very long time. I’ve not seen him in years” she added, her tone rising a little in frustration.
Lionel noted the tone of her voice briefly before he shook his head, a small frown playing at the corner of his mouth. He knew that she was right, whether she had mentioned Elijah or not, he was an ex that she had had before she had met him, but still seeing him had irked the argentine, even if he knew, deep down, that there was absolutely nothing to be concerned about, a part of him was unsettled by the idea of encountering her ex-boyfriend.
Isabelle spared him a soft look, admiring the soft expression he wore, before she stepped towards him, her arms gently wrapping around his neck. “You know” she mumbled softly “You’ve really got nothing to be worried about” she added, her fingers playing gently with the hair at the back of his neck.
Lionel sighed a little before he nodded his softly. “I know that” he mumbled quietly “I just…”
“I know” Isabelle interrupted softly “But, like you told me a few weeks ago when we had a very similar fight, you have to know that I’m not going anywhere. I love you, I’ve loved you for a long time now, and I am not just going to screw this up, not after we’ve put so much work into getting this back on track” she added, her blue eyes mirroring his darker ones.
Lionel held her stare for a couple of seconds before he ducked his head, pressing his lips to hers for a couple of seconds before he leant back slightly, his forehead resting against hers. “I’m sorry” he muttered “I just…Elijah is a pretty good looking guy and…”
“He’s got nothing on you” Isabelle interrupted, offering him a slight smile.
Lionel shook his head a little, a slight hint of pink playing on his cheeks.
Isabelle smiled at the shy expression he wore before she pressed a kiss against his cheek. “Trust me” she murmured against his skin “You’ve got nothing to be worried about” she added, pressing a kiss against his other cheek before she pulled away from him, mumbling about fetching herself a glass of water before they headed up to bed.
Lionel watched her for a couple of seconds before he shook his head, a slight quirked grin at the corner of his mouth. It hadn’t been much, the small disagreement that they’d had was only a slight problem, but he couldn’t help but be a little proud of the way that they handled it. Only a few weeks previous, such a small think would have almost certainly ended in the two of them yelling at one another, and he was pleased that it hadn’t. It was merely an indicator of the idea that things between the two of them were getting back on track.
~#~
“Did everyone get back OK?”
Isabelle, who’d moved to pad into the bedroom, startled a little at the sound of Lionel’s voice before she lifted her head, offering him a soft smile. It had been a couple of hours, after their conversation, they’d spent a little while curled up in front of the television together before they’d opted to head up to bed, and Isabelle had to admit that she had enjoyed their night, even if they had come close to another fight, she was pleased that things till seemed to be Ok between them.
“They did” she confirmed softly “My parents have retired for the night and Grace and her couple of friends are just setting up the other spare room before they go to sleep” she added, moving to collect her pajamas from the dresser.
Lionel, who was sat at the foot of the bed, nodded.
“You should really think about getting some sleep” Isabelle quipped, breaking silence that had fallen around them “You look tired” she added, carefully moving to pull the zip of her dress down.
Lionel watched her for a moment before he pushed himself to his feet, carefully replacing her fingers with his as he trailed the zip down her back. “I’ve been thinking” he mumbled, pressing a soft kiss against the newly exposed skin of her shoulder.
“You have?” Isabelle quipped, turning to look at him.
“I have” he mused softly “My last match, before the holidays, is the 21st” he mumbled softly.
“I know it is” Isabelle quipped, a playful smile on her face.
Lionel rolled his eyes a little before she shook his head. “I was thinking that, maybe, we could head away for the holidays this year” he mused softly.
Isabelle tilted her head. “You mean back to Argentina?” she posed, her eyebrow lifted slightly.
Lionel shook his head. “I was thinking more along the lines of a vacation for the two of us” he corrected gently “I mean, I know we usually head back to my parents, or have them come over here, but I was thinking that we could take a break for ourselves this year. It’s been a while since we went away, just the two of us” he added, carefully brushing some of the blonde hair off of her cheek.
Isabelle blinked a couple of times. “You want us to go away on vacation?” she posed.
“Yes” Lionel agreed “But, if you don’t want to, I get it. It was just a suggestion” he added softly.
Isabelle shook her head softly. “I’d love that” she mused softly.
“You would?” Lionel pressed.
Isabelle nodded. “I would” she agreed softly “But, I am putting you in charge of telling your parents why we won’t be there this year, something I think we both know they won’t take all that well” she added impishly before she stepped into the bathroom, preparing to get ready for bed.
Lionel shook his head slightly. He was confident that a small vacation would be good for the two of them.
Slipping her feet out of her heels, she carefully moved to stow them beside the door before she moved to pad into the living room.
“Aren’t we even going to talk about it?”
Isabelle, who’d moved to step into the other room, startled a little at the sound of his voice before she shook her head, a soft frown on her face. “I don’t think there is anything to talk about” she noted softly “He’s an ex, Leo, one I’ve not seen in years, and I think you’re overreacting” she added, her tone tentative and soft.
Lionel, who’d moved to follow after her, mulled her words over for a couple of seconds before he shook his head slightly. “You’ve never mentioned him, Isa” he countered, his tone caught between irked and soft.
Isabelle offered him a soft look before she shook her head. “He’s an ex” she repeated softly “One I had broken up with long before I’d even met you, and I don’t understand why this is such a huge problem for you. He’s just a guy, Leo, one I dated for a few months, but it has been over for a very long time. I’ve not seen him in years” she added, her tone rising a little in frustration.
Lionel noted the tone of her voice briefly before he shook his head, a small frown playing at the corner of his mouth. He knew that she was right, whether she had mentioned Elijah or not, he was an ex that she had had before she had met him, but still seeing him had irked the argentine, even if he knew, deep down, that there was absolutely nothing to be concerned about, a part of him was unsettled by the idea of encountering her ex-boyfriend.
Isabelle spared him a soft look, admiring the soft expression he wore, before she stepped towards him, her arms gently wrapping around his neck. “You know” she mumbled softly “You’ve really got nothing to be worried about” she added, her fingers playing gently with the hair at the back of his neck.
Lionel sighed a little before he nodded his softly. “I know that” he mumbled quietly “I just…”
“I know” Isabelle interrupted softly “But, like you told me a few weeks ago when we had a very similar fight, you have to know that I’m not going anywhere. I love you, I’ve loved you for a long time now, and I am not just going to screw this up, not after we’ve put so much work into getting this back on track” she added, her blue eyes mirroring his darker ones.
Lionel held her stare for a couple of seconds before he ducked his head, pressing his lips to hers for a couple of seconds before he leant back slightly, his forehead resting against hers. “I’m sorry” he muttered “I just…Elijah is a pretty good looking guy and…”
“He’s got nothing on you” Isabelle interrupted, offering him a slight smile.
Lionel shook his head a little, a slight hint of pink playing on his cheeks.
Isabelle smiled at the shy expression he wore before she pressed a kiss against his cheek. “Trust me” she murmured against his skin “You’ve got nothing to be worried about” she added, pressing a kiss against his other cheek before she pulled away from him, mumbling about fetching herself a glass of water before they headed up to bed.
Lionel watched her for a couple of seconds before he shook his head, a slight quirked grin at the corner of his mouth. It hadn’t been much, the small disagreement that they’d had was only a slight problem, but he couldn’t help but be a little proud of the way that they handled it. Only a few weeks previous, such a small think would have almost certainly ended in the two of them yelling at one another, and he was pleased that it hadn’t. It was merely an indicator of the idea that things between the two of them were getting back on track.
~#~
“Did everyone get back OK?”
Isabelle, who’d moved to pad into the bedroom, startled a little at the sound of Lionel’s voice before she lifted her head, offering him a soft smile. It had been a couple of hours, after their conversation, they’d spent a little while curled up in front of the television together before they’d opted to head up to bed, and Isabelle had to admit that she had enjoyed their night, even if they had come close to another fight, she was pleased that things till seemed to be Ok between them.
“They did” she confirmed softly “My parents have retired for the night and Grace and her couple of friends are just setting up the other spare room before they go to sleep” she added, moving to collect her pajamas from the dresser.
Lionel, who was sat at the foot of the bed, nodded.
“You should really think about getting some sleep” Isabelle quipped, breaking silence that had fallen around them “You look tired” she added, carefully moving to pull the zip of her dress down.
Lionel watched her for a moment before he pushed himself to his feet, carefully replacing her fingers with his as he trailed the zip down her back. “I’ve been thinking” he mumbled, pressing a soft kiss against the newly exposed skin of her shoulder.
“You have?” Isabelle quipped, turning to look at him.
“I have” he mused softly “My last match, before the holidays, is the 21st” he mumbled softly.
“I know it is” Isabelle quipped, a playful smile on her face.
Lionel rolled his eyes a little before she shook his head. “I was thinking that, maybe, we could head away for the holidays this year” he mused softly.
Isabelle tilted her head. “You mean back to Argentina?” she posed, her eyebrow lifted slightly.
Lionel shook his head. “I was thinking more along the lines of a vacation for the two of us” he corrected gently “I mean, I know we usually head back to my parents, or have them come over here, but I was thinking that we could take a break for ourselves this year. It’s been a while since we went away, just the two of us” he added, carefully brushing some of the blonde hair off of her cheek.
Isabelle blinked a couple of times. “You want us to go away on vacation?” she posed.
“Yes” Lionel agreed “But, if you don’t want to, I get it. It was just a suggestion” he added softly.
Isabelle shook her head softly. “I’d love that” she mused softly.
“You would?” Lionel pressed.
Isabelle nodded. “I would” she agreed softly “But, I am putting you in charge of telling your parents why we won’t be there this year, something I think we both know they won’t take all that well” she added impishly before she stepped into the bathroom, preparing to get ready for bed.
Lionel shook his head slightly. He was confident that a small vacation would be good for the two of them.