The Things That You Do

Adding a small pinch of seasoning to the plate of food which he had placed down onto the table, Lionel quirked a small smile, more than a little proud of himself. It had been an impromptu decision, with Alexa having ducked upstairs almost an hour previous to settle both Zachary and Thalia down for the night, he had opted to prepare dinner for the two of them, and he was pleased with the results, even if it was a little thrown together, he wanted to enjoy a little quiet time with just Alexa for company.

They hadn’t had much time to themselves, since Thalia had been born, most of their time had been spent introducing the newborn to their friends and families, and he was keen to make the most of that evening, even if he was sure that Alexa would probably want an early night. He was excited by the prospect of having a couple of quiet hours alone with her.

Stepping around the table, he moved to pour some water into the glass which sat beside Alexa’s plate before the sound of her footsteps reached his ears, causing his smile to widen slightly before he looked up, watching as she padded into the room. “Are they both asleep?” he asked.

Alexa, who’d stopped in the doorway, blinked a couple of times in surprise before she looked up, nodding her head slowly. “Zach put up a bit of a fight” she mused “But he’s asleep now. What’s all this?” she posed, gesturing towards the table.

“I’ve cooked us dinner” Lionel replied as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Alexa, who’d moved to take a seat beside the table, scoffed playfully. “I had figured that out by myself” she quipped “I’m just slightly surprised. I can’t quite remember the last time that you cooked dinner for me” she added, grinning up at him warmly.

Lionel marveled at the warm smile on her lips for a few seconds, noting just how much he liked seeing it, before he shrugged, sipping on his glass of water. “I thought it would be nice” he noted “I mean, I know our friends and family mean well, and that they’re excited about Lia, but it’s been a while since we’ve had the opportunity to sit down to dinner alone together and I thought I’d make the most of it. It’s going to sound stupid, but I am kind of looking forwards to having a couple of hours just for us” he added, a small sheepish smile on his lips.

Alexa lifted her eyes from her plate before she shook her head, a soft smile on her lips. “That’s not stupid” she noted “If anything, I think it is pretty sweet. And you’re right, I can’t quite remember the last time that we sat down to dinner without my mother or brother for company” she added, her voice warm and teasing.

Lionel grinned at her teasing before he flicked his attention down towards his plate, picking at his food for a few seconds before he felt a small nudge against his shin, causing him to lift his stare once more, settling it on Alexa who smiled at him warmly. “What’s on your mind?” she posed gently.

Lionel tilted his head. “Huh?” he posed.

“You cooked dinner” Alexa pointed out with a sideward smile “And whilst you’ve been pretty keen to make a fuss of me for the last few days, it is a strange thing for you to do. So, what’s on your mind, Leo?” she repeated.

She knew that there was something, after his parents’ visit that morning, he had been a little quieter than normal, and whilst the difference in his demeanor was subtle, it was enough for Alexa to take note of, and she wanted to encourage him to talk to her about it, even if she was convinced that he would insist that it was nothing. She wanted him to know that she knew that there was something on his mind.

Lionel blinked a couple of times, slightly caught off guard by her question, before he shook his head. “It’s nothing” he noted “I mean, it was just something my madre said, but it doesn’t matter, not right now at least” he added.

Alexa lifted an eyebrow, wordlessly asking if he was sure, before she nodded her head, not wanting to push him on it.

Lionel watched her for a few seconds, allowing a quiet to settle over the two of them, before he shifted his stare, his dark eyes catching sight of the engagement ring which sat proudly on her finger, a sight which made him let out a muted sigh. He knew that it wasn’t the right time to broach the subject, with Thalia having only just arrived, he knew that the last thing that Alexa was likely to want was to throw herself into the next thing, but a small part of him was tempted to bring it up, even if Alexa was likely to insist that it was still too soon for them to be thinking about it. A part of him wanted to know if it was something which had crossed her mind.

Pushing his food around his plate, he eyed the ring on her finger for a few more seconds, before he quietly shook his head, something which caused Alexa to roll her eyes to herself before she glanced over at him, her blue eyes softening slightly. “Are you sure that you don’t want to talk?” she posed softly “I mean, whatever it is that’s on your mind, you can talk to me about it. You know that” she insisted gently.

“I know” Lionel mused “And I will, but it’s not something that we need to talk about tonight. It’s been a busy few days, with Thalia coming along and everything, and it’s something that can wait a little longer. It’s nothing to be worried about” he added, his voice firm and reassuring.

Alexa looked at him uncertainly. “Are you sure about that?” she posed “I mean, it’s enough to stop you smiling and I haven’t been able to do that for days. Are you sure I shouldn’t be worried?” she asked, her voice caught between teasing and concerned.

Lionel nodded his head quickly before he reached across the table, capturing her hand in his before he pulled it to his lips, allowing him to dust a soft kiss over the back of her fingers, ensuring that he caught her engagement ring. “It’s nothing to be worried about” he repeated “I’m just thinking about a few things, but it’s not anything that should worry you. We will talk, but when things have calmed down a little. It’s been a pretty hectic few days for us and I think we deserve a little down time” he added, flashing her a small smile.

Alexa met his eyes, searching them for a few seconds, before she nodded. “Ok” she mused “But you will...”

“I promise” Lionel insisted, knowing precisely what she was going to ask “Just not tonight” he added, squeezing her hand.

Alexa hesitantly nodded her head before she turned her eyes back down towards her plate, wordlessly hoping that he would share what was on his mind sooner rather than later.