I Know I Was for a While

Messing with the strap of the bag which sat on his shoulder, Lionel stared at the door ahead of him, trying to work up the nerve to tap his hand against it. It had been a while, after Camila had had the baby, a couple of days had passed, and with him due to fly to Seville for Barcelona’s league match that night, he wanted to let her know that he was leaving, something which made him a little apprehensive, even if he did always stop in to tell her that he was going. The last thing he wanted was to disturb the baby or Camila. He still felt a little uncertain, even despite Camila’s insistence that she was happy for his help, he still wasn’t quite sure about how to act when he was around her or the baby, and he didn’t want to wake them up, knowing that it had taken Camila a while to get the little boy settled.

Readjusting the strap of his bag, he spared the door another uncertain look before he took a hesitant step forwards, lightly tapping his hand against it. “Mila?” he called softly.

“You can come in, Leo” Camila replied.

Lionel hesitated for a split second, briefly contemplating telling her that it was alright, before he nudged the door, stepping into the room slightly. “I know it’s early” he mumbled softly.

Camila, who was sat up against the headboard of her bed with the baby in her arms, quirked a small smile at his mumbling before she shook her head, her spare hand patting a spot on the bed at her side. “It’s OK” she mused “We’ve been awake for a little while now anyway” she added, sparing a doting look down towards the little boy who laid in her arms.

Lionel, who’d taken a couple of steps into the room, admired the soft look on her face for a couple of seconds before he quirked a small smile, something which Camila caught out of the corner of her eye, a small smile of her own tugging at the corner of her mouth.

She knew that he still felt unsure, the looks that he often gave her and the nervous smiles that he often wore confided it to her, and she knew it would take a little time for him to adapt to having the baby around, but she was confident that he would, even if it did take some time. She had no doubt that Lionel, who’d been wonderful with the baby since he’d arrived, would grow to love having him around.

Smiling to herself, she watched Lionel step towards the side of the bed before she reached her hand out, gently tugging on his wrist until he sat down next to her. “Did you need something?” she asked quietly.

Lionel, who’d turned his attention towards the baby, blinked a couple of times at the sound of Camila’s voice before he lifted his head, his dark eyes looking up into hers. “I just thought I’d drop in” he mused “I’ve got to leave in a little while so I can catch the team’s flight to Seville, and I thought I’d come in and say goodbye. I didn’t mean to...” he trailed off as he spotted the grin on Camila’s face, something which caused him to shake his head, trying, and failing, to hide the soft hue of pink which had covered his cheeks.

Camila giggled a little, amused by his shyness, before she shifted her hand, knotting her fingers through his.

Lionel glanced down at their hands for a second, his thumb lightly skimming over the back of hers, before he shook his head, a nervous smile on his face. “I’m sorry” he mumbled “I guess I am just...I’m just nervous. I promise you, I never normally babble this much” he joked softly.

Camila quirked an eyebrow, but didn’t tease him, instead opting to lift his hand so that she could press a soft kiss against the back of it. “It’s OK” she mused “It was always going to take a little time, and I don’t blame you for being a little unsure. We’ll figure it all out, won’t we?” she asked gently.

Lionel, who had his eyes settled on their hands, nodded his head a little before he looked up at her, offering her a crooked smile. “I hope so” he mused.

Camila smiled back at him softly for a few seconds before the baby let out a small sound, pulling both her and Lionel’s attention down towards him. Gently readjusting her arms, she helped him to get a little more comfortable before she turned her eyes back towards Lionel, not missing the way that his smile had softened as he looked at the baby. Allowing a few beats of quiet to pass, she admired his smile before she gently shook her head, looking back down at the baby. “What do you think of the name Oscar?” she asked.

Lionel blinked a couple of times, surprised to hear her speak, before he tilted his head. “Huh?” he spluttered.

“Oscar” Camila repeated “What do you think of it as a name? I’ve been reading the baby name book when I’ve been trying to settle him down at night, and it’s one of the ones that I like best. What do you think of it?” she asked, offering him a curious look.

Lionel stared at her for a couple of seconds, mulling over her question, before he nodded his head slowly. “It’s a nice name” he mused “And if you like it, then you should go for it. I think it suits him” he added, offering her a tentative smile.

Camila was quiet for a couple of seconds, mulling over his reply, before the soft hum of Lionel’s phone vibrating in his pocket filled the air, something which caused the argentine to shake his head ruefully as he quickly ushered himself back to his feet. “That’s my alarm” he quipped “I’ve got to get going. It’s a late match, so I will probably be pretty late home. I’ll try to be as quiet as I can” he added, sparing a look down towards the baby who stirred a little in his mother’s arms, letting out a soft sigh.

Camila nodded. “I’ll probably see you when you get back” she mused “He’s not exactly a fan of letting his mama sleep” she added.

Lionel smiled a little at her joke before he hesitated by the edge of the bed, something which made Camila shake her head gently, a soft smile pulling at the corner of her mouth. “You’re not going to kiss your girlfriend?” she teased shyly.

Lionel’s eyes widened. “My what?” he breathed.

Camila breathed out a nervous laugh. “Was that too much?” she asked.

Lionel shook his head slowly. “No” he mused “I just...it surprised me. You’re my girlfriend?” he asked.

“I hope so” Camila replied “I mean, I know we’ve only had one date, but...” she trailed off, smiling up at him gently.

Lionel marveled at the look on her face for a few seconds before he let out a nervous laugh, something which made Camila’s soft smile widen a fraction. “That’s a good sound, right?” she asked.

Lionel just grinned at her for a split second before he dipped forwards, pressing a couple of quick kisses against her lips. Camila held onto him for a second longer than he’d been expecting before she allowed him to pull away, a soft blush on his cheeks. “I’ll see you later, Mila” he breathed “And you too, little guy” he added, gently brushing his fingertip over the bottom of the baby’s foot.

Camila watched the small interaction before she gently shook her head. “Oscar” she corrected softly.

Lionel smiled at the name. “I’ll see you later, Oscar” he corrected before he took a step away from the bed, moving to collect the bag that he’d left in the doorway.

Lifting it up onto his shoulder, he offered Camila and Oscar a wave before he stepped out of the door, leaving Camila smiling after him. She knew that it was going to take them time, with Oscar having arrived, their relationship, which was still in its earliest stages, was something which was going to have to take a backseat for a while, but still she was optimistic about them, even if things were going to take a little getting used to. She couldn’t help but hope that things between her and Lionel worked out.