The Things That You Do
62: Are You Asking Me?
Sparing a small glance towards the door which stood ahead of him, Lionel let out a small sigh, trying to stifle the knot which twisted in his stomach at the thought of going back inside. He knew that it couldn’t be avoided, with Alexa and Zachary due to be kept in hospital overnight, he knew that he couldn’t hide away from Alexa for too long, but a small part of him wanted to shy away, even if it was just for a few seconds longer. He wanted to avoid her for as long as he could.
He felt awkward around her, with his proposal still hanging over the two of them, he wasn’t quite sure about how to act around her, and he wanted to make the most of the time he had away from her, even if he knew that he couldn’t stay away from her or Zachary for too long. He wanted a little more time to think over what it was that he wanted to say to her. He knew that they couldn’t avoid it for long, with her family likely to come and visit Zachary sooner rather than later, he knew that they needed to talk about what had happened, and he knew that it couldn’t wait, even if a small part of him did want to delay it for a while longer. He knew that they had to talk sooner rather than later.
Glancing at the door once more, he briefly contemplated walking away, before he shook his head, stepping through the door and into the room.
Alexa, who was quietly cooing to Zachary, startled a little at the sound of the door opening before she lifted her head, a half-hearted smile appearing on her lips. “I was wondering where you’d gotten to” she mused “I thought maybe you’d gotten lost on your way back” she added, a slightly awkward laugh falling out of her mouth.
Lionel, who’d moved to sit down in the seat beside the bed, grimaced a little at the awkward sound of her laugh before he let out a gentle sigh. “I’m sorry for not getting back sooner” he mumbled “I just... I needed a little time to think. I mean, this morning...” he trailed off, his dark eyes settling on Zachary who laid in his mother’s arms, his big blue eyes blinking sleepily.
Alexa followed the line of his stare, not missing the soft expression that had appeared on his face, before she let out a soft sigh. “Did you mean it?” she breathed, disturbing the awkward silence which had settled between the two of them.
Lionel, who’d been quietly staring at Zachary, blinked a couple of times at the sound of Alexa’s voice before he tilted his head. “Hm?” he posed.
“Did you mean it?” Alexa repeated “What you said this morning. Were you serious?” she added.
Lionel hesitated for a split second, mulling over her question, before he nodded his head tentatively. “I know that I didn’t time it very well” he mumbled “I mean, you’d just finished pushing our baby into the world, and me saying that...I didn’t mean to say it right at that moment, but I did want to say it to you eventually. I was sort of waiting for the right moment to bring it up” he explained haphazardly.
Alexa tilted her head, her expression hard to place. “You want to marry me?” she asked quietly as she gently leant over, settling Zachary down into the crib which sat beside the bed.
Lionel quirked a faint smile before he nodded. “I know it’s not something we’ve talked about” he noted “I mean, we’ve only been together for just over a year, and a lot of that time has been spent preparing for him, but it’s a thought that’s crossed my mind from time to time. I knew that it has taken us a while to get to here, and I know that, at the start of this, I was an idiot for not seeing what was right underneath my nose, but the last year or so, it’s been amazing and I want to keep that going. We don’t have to get engaged, I don’t even know if it is something that you want, but I know that I don’t want to lose you, Alexa. I am so in love with you” he explained softly.
He knew that he had caught her off guard, since their relationship had become serious, he doubted that he could recall one time that they’d even discussed the idea of marriage, and he wanted to reassure her that it was something that could wait, even if he was certain of where he wanted to go. He didn’t want her to feel as though her answer was going to make or break their relationship.
Alexa stared at him in awe for a moment before she gently shook her head. “Leo...”
“I understand if it is a no” Lionel interrupted gently “I mean, I can’t recall a conversation we’ve ever had about marriage, and if you want to say no to me right now, that’s fine, but I...”
“I want to get married” Alexa breathed, cutting him off.
Lionel’s eyes widened. “What?” he spluttered.
Alexa quirked a timid half-smile. “You’re right” she mused “I mean, I can’t remember a time where we’ve ever talked about getting married, but I am sure that it is something I want” she added.
Lionel merely stared at her, something which made Alexa giggle timidly before she gently offered her spare hand out towards him. “Are you asking me, Leo?” she posed, knotting their fingers together.
Lionel glanced down at their hands for a second, smiling coyly to himself, before he lifted his head, his brown eyes mirroring Alexa’s blues. “I could say all sorts of things right now” he mused “I could sit here and tell you how amazing I think you are, and how stupid I was to missing you for as long as I did, but I don’t think I could find the right words to express it, even if I spent hours on it. I don’t think I know the right thing to say, so I will just ask. Alexa, mi amor, will you marry me?” he asked, his voice warm and soft.
Alexa blinked a couple of times, trying to get rid of the few tears which had appeared at the corner of her eye, before she offered him a slight nod of her head. “Yes” she breathed.
Lionel closed his eyes, basking in the sound of her voice for a moment, before he pushed himself up, pressing a kiss against her lips. Alexa startled at the sudden kiss, not quite expecting it, but she warmed to it quickly, a wide smile appearing on her lips. She knew that it wasn’t going to move quickly, with Zachary only just having arrived, the chances were that any talk of a wedding would be held off for a while to come, but she couldn’t help but smile at the idea that they were engaged, something that Lionel was quick to mirror.
He felt awkward around her, with his proposal still hanging over the two of them, he wasn’t quite sure about how to act around her, and he wanted to make the most of the time he had away from her, even if he knew that he couldn’t stay away from her or Zachary for too long. He wanted a little more time to think over what it was that he wanted to say to her. He knew that they couldn’t avoid it for long, with her family likely to come and visit Zachary sooner rather than later, he knew that they needed to talk about what had happened, and he knew that it couldn’t wait, even if a small part of him did want to delay it for a while longer. He knew that they had to talk sooner rather than later.
Glancing at the door once more, he briefly contemplated walking away, before he shook his head, stepping through the door and into the room.
Alexa, who was quietly cooing to Zachary, startled a little at the sound of the door opening before she lifted her head, a half-hearted smile appearing on her lips. “I was wondering where you’d gotten to” she mused “I thought maybe you’d gotten lost on your way back” she added, a slightly awkward laugh falling out of her mouth.
Lionel, who’d moved to sit down in the seat beside the bed, grimaced a little at the awkward sound of her laugh before he let out a gentle sigh. “I’m sorry for not getting back sooner” he mumbled “I just... I needed a little time to think. I mean, this morning...” he trailed off, his dark eyes settling on Zachary who laid in his mother’s arms, his big blue eyes blinking sleepily.
Alexa followed the line of his stare, not missing the soft expression that had appeared on his face, before she let out a soft sigh. “Did you mean it?” she breathed, disturbing the awkward silence which had settled between the two of them.
Lionel, who’d been quietly staring at Zachary, blinked a couple of times at the sound of Alexa’s voice before he tilted his head. “Hm?” he posed.
“Did you mean it?” Alexa repeated “What you said this morning. Were you serious?” she added.
Lionel hesitated for a split second, mulling over her question, before he nodded his head tentatively. “I know that I didn’t time it very well” he mumbled “I mean, you’d just finished pushing our baby into the world, and me saying that...I didn’t mean to say it right at that moment, but I did want to say it to you eventually. I was sort of waiting for the right moment to bring it up” he explained haphazardly.
Alexa tilted her head, her expression hard to place. “You want to marry me?” she asked quietly as she gently leant over, settling Zachary down into the crib which sat beside the bed.
Lionel quirked a faint smile before he nodded. “I know it’s not something we’ve talked about” he noted “I mean, we’ve only been together for just over a year, and a lot of that time has been spent preparing for him, but it’s a thought that’s crossed my mind from time to time. I knew that it has taken us a while to get to here, and I know that, at the start of this, I was an idiot for not seeing what was right underneath my nose, but the last year or so, it’s been amazing and I want to keep that going. We don’t have to get engaged, I don’t even know if it is something that you want, but I know that I don’t want to lose you, Alexa. I am so in love with you” he explained softly.
He knew that he had caught her off guard, since their relationship had become serious, he doubted that he could recall one time that they’d even discussed the idea of marriage, and he wanted to reassure her that it was something that could wait, even if he was certain of where he wanted to go. He didn’t want her to feel as though her answer was going to make or break their relationship.
Alexa stared at him in awe for a moment before she gently shook her head. “Leo...”
“I understand if it is a no” Lionel interrupted gently “I mean, I can’t recall a conversation we’ve ever had about marriage, and if you want to say no to me right now, that’s fine, but I...”
“I want to get married” Alexa breathed, cutting him off.
Lionel’s eyes widened. “What?” he spluttered.
Alexa quirked a timid half-smile. “You’re right” she mused “I mean, I can’t remember a time where we’ve ever talked about getting married, but I am sure that it is something I want” she added.
Lionel merely stared at her, something which made Alexa giggle timidly before she gently offered her spare hand out towards him. “Are you asking me, Leo?” she posed, knotting their fingers together.
Lionel glanced down at their hands for a second, smiling coyly to himself, before he lifted his head, his brown eyes mirroring Alexa’s blues. “I could say all sorts of things right now” he mused “I could sit here and tell you how amazing I think you are, and how stupid I was to missing you for as long as I did, but I don’t think I could find the right words to express it, even if I spent hours on it. I don’t think I know the right thing to say, so I will just ask. Alexa, mi amor, will you marry me?” he asked, his voice warm and soft.
Alexa blinked a couple of times, trying to get rid of the few tears which had appeared at the corner of her eye, before she offered him a slight nod of her head. “Yes” she breathed.
Lionel closed his eyes, basking in the sound of her voice for a moment, before he pushed himself up, pressing a kiss against her lips. Alexa startled at the sudden kiss, not quite expecting it, but she warmed to it quickly, a wide smile appearing on her lips. She knew that it wasn’t going to move quickly, with Zachary only just having arrived, the chances were that any talk of a wedding would be held off for a while to come, but she couldn’t help but smile at the idea that they were engaged, something that Lionel was quick to mirror.