Where We Are

Carefully slipping his key into the lock, Iker pushed the front door open, just about stifling the sigh which itched to fall out of his mouth. he knew that it shouldn’t have bothered him, Melena was somebody that Maia had worked with for a while and it shouldn’t have irked him that she had texted her, but the content of the message had stuck with him, something which had led him to become slightly quiet. It had been slightly ambiguous, the phrase ‘I need to talk to you’ was one which could have several potential meanings, but still it stuck in Iker’s throat slightly. He knew where Maia’s priorities laid, she had made it clear to him more than once that he and Ella came first, but still the idea of her talking to Melena unsettled him, even if it was slightly silly.

Stepping through the front door, he tugged off his jacket before he moved to toe off his shoes, settling them down beside the door.

“You’re being quiet”

Iker, who’d moved to step through the hall towards the living room, startled at the sound of Maia’s voice before he lifted his head, offering her a soft look. “Huh?” he posed.

Maia, who’d moved to pull off her own coat, shook her head before she folded her arms over her chest. “You’re quiet” she repeated “And you have been for the entire journey home. Is there something you want to talk about?” she posed, her voice caught between curious and irked. She knew that there was something on his mind, the look on his face twinned with the way he was attempting to avoid looking at her confided it, and she wanted to push him on it, even if it was likely to be in vain. She wanted to know what it was that was going on in his head.

Iker offered her another soft look before he shook his head, a soft sigh falling out of his mouth. “It’s...”

“Don’t say it is nothing, Iker” Maia interrupted, knowing what was coming “I can see it all over your face. So why don’t we skip the part where you tell me it’s nothing and just get to the part where you tell me what it on your mind?” she posed, timidly pushing a strand of her dark hair behind her ear.

Iker blinked a couple of times, surprised that she had cut him off, before he shook his head. “It can wait” he murmured “Your parents are asleep in our bedroom and I don’t really want to wake them. It can hold, Maia” he added before he turned on his heel, making his way through towards the living room.

Maia watched him step away from her before she shook her head, quickly catching up to him. “Iker” she noted “What is up with you?” she pressed.

“Maia...”

“Talk to me, Iker” Maia interrupted “You never know, I might be able to make you feel better” she added, her voice softening slightly as a soft impish smile appeared on her lips. She didn’t like it, the idea that was being evasive with her was one which irked her, and she wanted to know what it was that was bothering him. She didn’t like the idea that there was something he was trying to avoid talking to her about.

Iker admired the soft smile which had appeared on her lips for a moment before he let out another soft sigh, pushing his hand back through his hair. “You got a text” he murmured “When you popped to the bathroom, your phone vibrated and it caught my attention. You got a text from Melena saying that you needed to talk” he added, his dark eyes peeking at her hesitantly.

Maia was quiet for a moment, her blue eyes mirroring his darker ones, before she shook her head. “You saw that?” she posed.

Iker simply nodded.

Maia took another second, mulling over his words, before she shook her head. “You think she’s going to make me an offer?” she posed quietly.

“Maia...”

“Is that what you think, Iker?” Maia interrupted.

Iker shrugged. “It’s something which has crossed my mind” he admitted softly.

Maia snorted. “Of course it is” she mumbled.

Iker shook his head. “Maia...”

“Do you not remember the conversation that we had after my birthday party?” Maia cut him off “A conversation where I told you that things were different? I didn’t just say that for the sake of it, Iker” she spat, her voice growing slightly heavy.

Iker noticed the shift in her voice before he took a pace towards her, his hand gently settling against her upper arm. “Nena...”

“I am getting tired of going in this circle, Iker” she murmured, lightly shrugging off his touch “I am getting tired of telling you that I am going nowhere. Before, yes, I would have jumped at whatever opportunity Melena had for me, but as you are so fond of pointing out, this isn’t before. I like being here, Iker, I love being here with you and being with Ella, and you need to start putting some kind of trust in that, because until you do, we’re just going to keep having this same fight. I know what happened last time, and I know that whilst you broke it off, I was the reason for it, but it’s not me causing the problem this time around” she added firmly, her blue eyes peeking up towards him tearfully.

Iker held her stare, not missing the tears which had appeared in her eyes, before he shook his head, something which made Maia sigh softly before she took a step towards him, pressing a soft kiss against his cheek. “I don’t want to keep having this conversation, Iker” she murmured “I don’t want to keep having to reassure you that I am not going anywhere, but until you can put faith in my word...this isn’t going to end well” she added, motioning between the two of them.

Iker watched her hand move between the two of them before he shook his head. “I know that” he murmured.

Maia nodded. “I know that you do” she murmured “And I know that this hasn’t been entirely smooth sailing since I showed up to tell you about Ella all those months ago, but I meant it when I said that you two were my top priority. This isn’t just some casual relationship anymore, Iker, we’re not just messing around anymore, and I am on board with us being serious, and I want to know you are too. I’m not interested in going in circles” she added, her fingers messing with her hair nervously.

Iker was quiet for a moment, processing her words, before he took a pace towards her, quickly pressing his lips against hers. Maia startled, not expecting the sudden kiss, but she was quick to respond to it, her arms looping around his neck. Iker held onto her, kissing her for a few moments before he leant back, keeping his forehead pressed to hers. “I’m in if you are” he murmured between light kisses.

Maia smiled at the tender touches before she lifted her head, gently pushing it back through his hair. “I’m not going anywhere, amor” she murmured quietly “I promise you that” she added, sneaking another soft kiss which made Iker smile tenderly. He knew that it was something that he needed to work on, the worry that Maia would leave was one which he needed to learn to swallow, and he wanted to work on it. He liked them, even if they did have their moments, and he didn’t want to lose her.