I Know I Was for a While
45: I Think That Tells You A Lot
Pushing the front door closed with a slight thump, Lionel grimaced slightly, worried that the noise would disturb the otherwise quiet house. He had been gone for a while, with him being unsure of how long Isabel would stick around, he had opted to keep out of the way for a while, but he knew he couldn’t avoid going home forever, even if the last thing he wanted was to spend more time around Oscar’s grandmother. He knew that he had to head back eventually.
He didn’t like leaving Camila alone with Isabel, since the older woman had started to visit, he knew that being alone with the older woman was something Camila had come to dread, but he knew that his being there made things worse, even if Isabel did tend to be polite to his face. He’d been around her long enough to know that there was a large part of her that would have been happy to see the back of him. Hesitating for a second, he listened for any sign of movement before he stepped forwards slightly, toeing off his shoes.
“I was wondering when you’d come back”
Lionel, who’d moved to tidy his shoes away, smirked a little at the teasing tone of Camila’s voice before he lifted his head, settling his eyes on where she stood in the doorway of the living room, a small smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. Shaking his head, he breathed out a soft laugh before he turned towards her, offering her a slightly impish shrug of his shoulders. “I got caught up?” he quipped playfully.
Camila cocked an eyebrow, offering him a playfully dubious look, before she shook her head. “You could have just texted” she mused “I’d have told you that the coast was clear a couple of hours ago” she added as she turned away, padding back into the living room.
Lionel blinked a couple of times, surprised by her walking away, before he followed after her, plopping down into the seat at her side. Allowing a couple of moments of quiet to pass between them, he watched her twist the ends of her hair around her finger before he shook his head, his hand gently moving to capture hers. Knotting their fingers together, he pressed a soft kiss against the back of her hand before he lowered their hands, his thumb softly brushing over the back of hers. “How was it?” he murmured.
Camila, who’d been quietly watching the movement of his thumb across the back of her hand, shook her head a little at the question before she shrugged. “It was how it always is” she mused “She comes over, we force some awkward conversation in between her fussing over Oscar and then she leaves” she added, peeking up at him.
Lionel held her stare for a second, mulling over her words, before he tilted his head. “You sure?” he asked “Because if there’s something you want to talk about, I’ve been told that I am pretty good at listening” he added, a slightly crooked smile tugging at his lips. He could tell that she was annoyed, despite her smiles and her teasing, he could see that there was something bothering her, and he wanted to encourage her to open up to him, not liking the idea of there being something upsetting her.
Camila stared up at him for a second, her eyes studying the warm expression he wore on his face, before she gently shook her head, a soft sigh falling out of her mouth. “She just keeps trying to stick her nose into things that don’t have anything to do with her” she mumbled “I mean, I know that she wants to be around for Oscar, and whilst it’s awkward, I’m glad about that, but she keeps bringing you up, and how quickly things have moved between us, and it just irks me. It’s not her business, me and you” she added as she gently tilted her head, resting it against his shoulder.
Lionel watched her rest her head against his shoulder before he ducked down, pressing a soft kiss against the top of it. “I don’t think she likes me much” he mumbled, smirking a little against her hair.
Camila snorted out a small laugh, something which made Lionel’s grin widen a fraction before he dropped another kiss against her head. “You’re happy, aren’t you?” he asked.
Camila’s eyes widened a fraction, surprised by the question, before she swiftly nodded. “Of course I am” she spluttered.
Lionel smiled. “It’s wasn’t a trick question” he quipped “I was just asking if you were happy, because that’s the only thing that matters to me, that you, and Oscar, are as happy as you can be. Isabel’s opinion of me doesn’t matter, she can hate me for all I care, but if me being around is something that makes you happy, then that’s what should matter to you. You’re right, you and me, it’s got nothing to do with Isabel, but she’s always going to try and poke holes in it because she must see what her stupid son threw away. You and Oscar, you’re amazing” he fussed warmly.
Camila, who’d been looking up at him, smiled back at him goofily, her cheeks flushing a familiar shade of pink. “You mean that?” she quipped playfully.
Lionel nodded without a moment of hesitation. “I asked you to stay, didn’t I?” he quipped “I think that tells you a lot” he added warmly.
Camila merely smiled at him, something which made Lionel grin back at her for a few seconds before he dipped forwards, pressing a sweet kiss against her forehead. “Don’t let her get to you” he mumbled “I think we’ve got a good thing here, Mila, a really good thing” he added, his voice softening a little as his dark eyes met hers.
Camila nodded. “That’s what I told her” she mused “This...us...it’s something which makes me happy, and I have little intention of letting her stomp all over it. I don’t know if I’ve told you this before, but I love you” she added, her eyes shining playfully.
“You told her that?” Lionel asked.
Camila nodded. “I’m happy” she mused “And I don’t want her thinking that she can get in the middle of things and ruin them for me. I wanted to be clear with her about that” she explained.
Lionel was quiet for a second, mulling over her words, before he quirked a small smile, something which made the soft blush of Camila’s cheeks darken a shade. Shaking her head, she shyly pushed her hair behind her ear before Lionel’s hand snuck up her face, cupping her cheek as he guided her into a gentle kiss. Grinning, she kissed him happily for a few seconds before he drew back, mumbling a quiet ‘I love you’ which caused her smile to widen for a split second before the sound of Oscar’s grumbles filled the air.
Pecking Camila’s lips a couple more times, Lionel quickly ushered himself out of his seat and out of the room, something which made Camila shake her head, still unable to get rid of the smile on her face. She knew that it was still early, with her and Lionel both happy to move their relationship along at a slightly tentative pace, she knew that it was likely that they wouldn’t make any big steps forwards for a while, but she was increasingly sure that they’d make them, even if they did take their time about it. There was merely something about the way things were with Lionel that assured her that they’d be together for a while.
He didn’t like leaving Camila alone with Isabel, since the older woman had started to visit, he knew that being alone with the older woman was something Camila had come to dread, but he knew that his being there made things worse, even if Isabel did tend to be polite to his face. He’d been around her long enough to know that there was a large part of her that would have been happy to see the back of him. Hesitating for a second, he listened for any sign of movement before he stepped forwards slightly, toeing off his shoes.
“I was wondering when you’d come back”
Lionel, who’d moved to tidy his shoes away, smirked a little at the teasing tone of Camila’s voice before he lifted his head, settling his eyes on where she stood in the doorway of the living room, a small smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. Shaking his head, he breathed out a soft laugh before he turned towards her, offering her a slightly impish shrug of his shoulders. “I got caught up?” he quipped playfully.
Camila cocked an eyebrow, offering him a playfully dubious look, before she shook her head. “You could have just texted” she mused “I’d have told you that the coast was clear a couple of hours ago” she added as she turned away, padding back into the living room.
Lionel blinked a couple of times, surprised by her walking away, before he followed after her, plopping down into the seat at her side. Allowing a couple of moments of quiet to pass between them, he watched her twist the ends of her hair around her finger before he shook his head, his hand gently moving to capture hers. Knotting their fingers together, he pressed a soft kiss against the back of her hand before he lowered their hands, his thumb softly brushing over the back of hers. “How was it?” he murmured.
Camila, who’d been quietly watching the movement of his thumb across the back of her hand, shook her head a little at the question before she shrugged. “It was how it always is” she mused “She comes over, we force some awkward conversation in between her fussing over Oscar and then she leaves” she added, peeking up at him.
Lionel held her stare for a second, mulling over her words, before he tilted his head. “You sure?” he asked “Because if there’s something you want to talk about, I’ve been told that I am pretty good at listening” he added, a slightly crooked smile tugging at his lips. He could tell that she was annoyed, despite her smiles and her teasing, he could see that there was something bothering her, and he wanted to encourage her to open up to him, not liking the idea of there being something upsetting her.
Camila stared up at him for a second, her eyes studying the warm expression he wore on his face, before she gently shook her head, a soft sigh falling out of her mouth. “She just keeps trying to stick her nose into things that don’t have anything to do with her” she mumbled “I mean, I know that she wants to be around for Oscar, and whilst it’s awkward, I’m glad about that, but she keeps bringing you up, and how quickly things have moved between us, and it just irks me. It’s not her business, me and you” she added as she gently tilted her head, resting it against his shoulder.
Lionel watched her rest her head against his shoulder before he ducked down, pressing a soft kiss against the top of it. “I don’t think she likes me much” he mumbled, smirking a little against her hair.
Camila snorted out a small laugh, something which made Lionel’s grin widen a fraction before he dropped another kiss against her head. “You’re happy, aren’t you?” he asked.
Camila’s eyes widened a fraction, surprised by the question, before she swiftly nodded. “Of course I am” she spluttered.
Lionel smiled. “It’s wasn’t a trick question” he quipped “I was just asking if you were happy, because that’s the only thing that matters to me, that you, and Oscar, are as happy as you can be. Isabel’s opinion of me doesn’t matter, she can hate me for all I care, but if me being around is something that makes you happy, then that’s what should matter to you. You’re right, you and me, it’s got nothing to do with Isabel, but she’s always going to try and poke holes in it because she must see what her stupid son threw away. You and Oscar, you’re amazing” he fussed warmly.
Camila, who’d been looking up at him, smiled back at him goofily, her cheeks flushing a familiar shade of pink. “You mean that?” she quipped playfully.
Lionel nodded without a moment of hesitation. “I asked you to stay, didn’t I?” he quipped “I think that tells you a lot” he added warmly.
Camila merely smiled at him, something which made Lionel grin back at her for a few seconds before he dipped forwards, pressing a sweet kiss against her forehead. “Don’t let her get to you” he mumbled “I think we’ve got a good thing here, Mila, a really good thing” he added, his voice softening a little as his dark eyes met hers.
Camila nodded. “That’s what I told her” she mused “This...us...it’s something which makes me happy, and I have little intention of letting her stomp all over it. I don’t know if I’ve told you this before, but I love you” she added, her eyes shining playfully.
“You told her that?” Lionel asked.
Camila nodded. “I’m happy” she mused “And I don’t want her thinking that she can get in the middle of things and ruin them for me. I wanted to be clear with her about that” she explained.
Lionel was quiet for a second, mulling over her words, before he quirked a small smile, something which made the soft blush of Camila’s cheeks darken a shade. Shaking her head, she shyly pushed her hair behind her ear before Lionel’s hand snuck up her face, cupping her cheek as he guided her into a gentle kiss. Grinning, she kissed him happily for a few seconds before he drew back, mumbling a quiet ‘I love you’ which caused her smile to widen for a split second before the sound of Oscar’s grumbles filled the air.
Pecking Camila’s lips a couple more times, Lionel quickly ushered himself out of his seat and out of the room, something which made Camila shake her head, still unable to get rid of the smile on her face. She knew that it was still early, with her and Lionel both happy to move their relationship along at a slightly tentative pace, she knew that it was likely that they wouldn’t make any big steps forwards for a while, but she was increasingly sure that they’d make them, even if they did take their time about it. There was merely something about the way things were with Lionel that assured her that they’d be together for a while.
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Thanks to Jayme112234, mslou1 and FootieJo for the comments :)