The Things That You Do
67: You Didn’t Have To Tell Me
Shrugging out of his jacket, Lionel made his way upstairs, trying his hardest to be as quiet as he could. It was late, after they’d shared the news of their engagement with their families, they’d spent a while in the restaurant, accepting their congratulations, and whilst he was pleased that the news had gone down as well as it had, he was glad to be home. It had been a good night, between their families meeting for the first time and the news of the engagement, things had gone a little better than even Lionel had been expecting, but he was pleased that it was over with, even if he had been excited to share the news. He was a little relieved that it was out there.
He had been a little concerned, with the way that things had gone between him and Alexa before they’d started to date, he had been a little worried that Madeline or Marco wouldn’t warm to the idea of their engagement coming as quickly as it had, but he was pleased with their reactions, especially since they appeared to have soothed Alexa’s nerves slightly. He knew why she was worried, with him having lagged behind her in terms of admitting his feelings, he knew that she worried that he wasn’t one hundred percent certain of what it was he wanted, but he was confident that her nerves would calm down, even if it did take a little while. He was confident that she would see that he had no intention of going anywhere any time soon.
Undoing the top button of his shirt, he shuffled quietly into the bedroom before he spotted Alexa stepping out of the bathroom, dressed in one of his shirts, something which caused him to quirk a small smile. “Is that my shirt?” he quipped boyishly.
Alexa, who’d moved to stow her clothes in the hamper, jumped slightly at the sound of his voice before she shook her head, a soft shade of pink appearing on her cheeks. “It might be” she quipped “You don’t mind me borrowing it, do you? I wanted something a little loose to wear and this was the best thing I could find” she added, tugging the bottom of the t-shirt down her thighs slightly.
Lionel watched her for a moment before he shook his head, flashing her a small smile.
Alexa returned his smile, wordlessly thanking him, before she padded towards her dresser, collecting her hairbrush from the surface.
Lionel, who’d moved to sit down at the foot of the bed, pulled his shoes off of his feet before he lifted his head, his dark eyes peeking towards Zachary who laid in his crib, cooing softly in his sleep. “Did he go to sleep easily?” he posed.
Alexa, who’d moved to run the brush through her hair, glanced at him over her shoulder before she nodded, a warm smile on her face. “He was out like a light” she mused “I think we wore him out” she added.
Lionel smiled fondly, watching as Zachary stirred a little in his sleep, before he spared a look towards Alexa, allowing a few beats of silence to pass between the two of them before he cleared his throat. “Do you feel better now?” he posed, his voice soft and curious.
Alexa nodded. “I was pretty nervous” she mused “But you were right. They were pretty excited, especially my madre. I am a little worried that she’s going to show up here tomorrow with a bridal magazine” she added with a soft laugh.
“Would that be the worst thing?” Lionel asked nonchalantly, pulling his shirt off his shoulders.
Alexa tilted her head. “What?” she posed.
“Would it be the worst thing in the world if we started to make a few plans?” Lionel rephrased carefully “I mean, I know we’re not looking to do it any time soon, but there’s no harm in coming up with a few ideas. I’d like to set a date eventually” he added, his words thoughtful and deliberate. He didn’t want to push too hard, with things having developed between them quickly, he knew that Alexa was more than keen to take their time when it came to getting married, but he wanted to hint that it was something which was on his mind, even if they did pick a date which was a while away. He wanted to at least have a concrete idea of how long it would be before they found themselves making their way up the aisle.
Alexa stared at him for a few seconds, a little surprised by his words, before she shook her head. “Leo...”
“I’m not suggesting that we do it soon” Lionel interrupted gently “We could wait a couple of years if that’s really what you want to do, I just...I just want you to know that I am serious about this. I didn’t propose on a whim, Alexa, I did it because I see my future with you and I wanted to show that to you” he explained, guiding a sheepish hand back through his hair.
Alexa blinked a couple of times, surprised that he had interrupted her, before she shook her head. “I didn’t tell you that that was worrying me” she murmured, shyly tucking a few loose blonde hairs behind her ear.
“You didn’t have to tell me” Lionel countered, his voice softening slightly “I know that it get to you sometimes, how quickly things have moved between us, and I just want you to know that it isn’t something you need to be worried about. I don’t care how quickly things move between us, Alexa, I don’t care how slow they go, I just care that you and I are stuck together because I am pretty fond of the way things are between us” he added, offering her a soft crooked smile.
Alexa stared at him for a moment, admiring the soft smile which played on his lips, before she gently shook her head, a soft sigh tumbling out of her mouth. “You weren’t sure” she murmured “At the beginning of this, you weren’t sure what you felt for me, and I guess I worry about it from time to time. It’s stupid, isn’t it?” she babbled.
Lionel shifted a little, moving to sit a little closer to her side, before he gently reached his hand up, tucking a few blonde hairs behind her ear. “I wasn’t sure then” he noted “You were my friend, Alexa, perhaps my best friend, and I was very concerned about ruining that, but that went away pretty quickly when we started to date and I can tell you that I am sure of how I feel now. I love you, Alexa” he added, lightly tracing his thumb along her cheekbone.
Alexa closed her eyes at the feel of his thumb before she quirked a soft smile, something Lionel was quick to cover with a tender kiss before he pushed himself to his feet, musing about needing to get ready for bed. Pressing another quick kiss against her lips, he flashed her a boyish smile before he ducked into the bathroom, leaving Alexa smiling to herself. It bothered her, the idea that Lionel was a little behind her in terms of his feelings towards her was one which played on her mind from time to time, but his words had made her feel slightly better, even if she did still want to wait a while before they thought about getting married. His words had comforted her.
He had been a little concerned, with the way that things had gone between him and Alexa before they’d started to date, he had been a little worried that Madeline or Marco wouldn’t warm to the idea of their engagement coming as quickly as it had, but he was pleased with their reactions, especially since they appeared to have soothed Alexa’s nerves slightly. He knew why she was worried, with him having lagged behind her in terms of admitting his feelings, he knew that she worried that he wasn’t one hundred percent certain of what it was he wanted, but he was confident that her nerves would calm down, even if it did take a little while. He was confident that she would see that he had no intention of going anywhere any time soon.
Undoing the top button of his shirt, he shuffled quietly into the bedroom before he spotted Alexa stepping out of the bathroom, dressed in one of his shirts, something which caused him to quirk a small smile. “Is that my shirt?” he quipped boyishly.
Alexa, who’d moved to stow her clothes in the hamper, jumped slightly at the sound of his voice before she shook her head, a soft shade of pink appearing on her cheeks. “It might be” she quipped “You don’t mind me borrowing it, do you? I wanted something a little loose to wear and this was the best thing I could find” she added, tugging the bottom of the t-shirt down her thighs slightly.
Lionel watched her for a moment before he shook his head, flashing her a small smile.
Alexa returned his smile, wordlessly thanking him, before she padded towards her dresser, collecting her hairbrush from the surface.
Lionel, who’d moved to sit down at the foot of the bed, pulled his shoes off of his feet before he lifted his head, his dark eyes peeking towards Zachary who laid in his crib, cooing softly in his sleep. “Did he go to sleep easily?” he posed.
Alexa, who’d moved to run the brush through her hair, glanced at him over her shoulder before she nodded, a warm smile on her face. “He was out like a light” she mused “I think we wore him out” she added.
Lionel smiled fondly, watching as Zachary stirred a little in his sleep, before he spared a look towards Alexa, allowing a few beats of silence to pass between the two of them before he cleared his throat. “Do you feel better now?” he posed, his voice soft and curious.
Alexa nodded. “I was pretty nervous” she mused “But you were right. They were pretty excited, especially my madre. I am a little worried that she’s going to show up here tomorrow with a bridal magazine” she added with a soft laugh.
“Would that be the worst thing?” Lionel asked nonchalantly, pulling his shirt off his shoulders.
Alexa tilted her head. “What?” she posed.
“Would it be the worst thing in the world if we started to make a few plans?” Lionel rephrased carefully “I mean, I know we’re not looking to do it any time soon, but there’s no harm in coming up with a few ideas. I’d like to set a date eventually” he added, his words thoughtful and deliberate. He didn’t want to push too hard, with things having developed between them quickly, he knew that Alexa was more than keen to take their time when it came to getting married, but he wanted to hint that it was something which was on his mind, even if they did pick a date which was a while away. He wanted to at least have a concrete idea of how long it would be before they found themselves making their way up the aisle.
Alexa stared at him for a few seconds, a little surprised by his words, before she shook her head. “Leo...”
“I’m not suggesting that we do it soon” Lionel interrupted gently “We could wait a couple of years if that’s really what you want to do, I just...I just want you to know that I am serious about this. I didn’t propose on a whim, Alexa, I did it because I see my future with you and I wanted to show that to you” he explained, guiding a sheepish hand back through his hair.
Alexa blinked a couple of times, surprised that he had interrupted her, before she shook her head. “I didn’t tell you that that was worrying me” she murmured, shyly tucking a few loose blonde hairs behind her ear.
“You didn’t have to tell me” Lionel countered, his voice softening slightly “I know that it get to you sometimes, how quickly things have moved between us, and I just want you to know that it isn’t something you need to be worried about. I don’t care how quickly things move between us, Alexa, I don’t care how slow they go, I just care that you and I are stuck together because I am pretty fond of the way things are between us” he added, offering her a soft crooked smile.
Alexa stared at him for a moment, admiring the soft smile which played on his lips, before she gently shook her head, a soft sigh tumbling out of her mouth. “You weren’t sure” she murmured “At the beginning of this, you weren’t sure what you felt for me, and I guess I worry about it from time to time. It’s stupid, isn’t it?” she babbled.
Lionel shifted a little, moving to sit a little closer to her side, before he gently reached his hand up, tucking a few blonde hairs behind her ear. “I wasn’t sure then” he noted “You were my friend, Alexa, perhaps my best friend, and I was very concerned about ruining that, but that went away pretty quickly when we started to date and I can tell you that I am sure of how I feel now. I love you, Alexa” he added, lightly tracing his thumb along her cheekbone.
Alexa closed her eyes at the feel of his thumb before she quirked a soft smile, something Lionel was quick to cover with a tender kiss before he pushed himself to his feet, musing about needing to get ready for bed. Pressing another quick kiss against her lips, he flashed her a boyish smile before he ducked into the bathroom, leaving Alexa smiling to herself. It bothered her, the idea that Lionel was a little behind her in terms of his feelings towards her was one which played on her mind from time to time, but his words had made her feel slightly better, even if she did still want to wait a while before they thought about getting married. His words had comforted her.