I Know I Was for a While

Allowing a tired yawn to fall out of his mouth, Lionel stopped at the foot of the stairs, his ears filled with sound which emanated away from his kitchen. It had been a little while, since things between Camila and Noah had finished, a couple of weeks had passed, and whilst Camila was still struggling to wrap her head around what had happened, she had started to feel a little better, something which pleased Lionel, even if she did still flinch whenever Noah’s name came up in conversation. He was pleased that she was starting to look a little more like herself. He knew that she was still struggling, on more than one occasion, he had found her starting tearfully down at her phone or crying quietly in her bedroom, and whilst she seemed to be getting better, he knew that she still had a way to go.

Closing his eyes for a couple of seconds, he tried to wake himself up a little more before he padded through towards the kitchen, his dark eyes settling on Camila who stood beside the stove, dressed in one of his old t-shirts and a pair of pajama bottoms. Blinking a couple of times, he allowed his eyes to look her up and down before he cleared his throat, something which caused Camila to lift her head, offering him a small smile over her shoulder. “Buenos dias” she greeted.

Lionel offered her a slightly sleepy smile in return before he stepped across the room, moving to pour himself a glass of juice. “You’re up early” he noted, taking a sip of his drink “Everything Ok?” he asked.

Camila, who’d turned back towards the stove, smiled at his question before she nodded. “Everything’s fine” she noted “I woke up a little while ago, feeling nauseous, and instead of going back to sleep I came down here. I spent a while watching TV, but I started to feel hungry, so I decided to cook some breakfast. You want some?” she added, looking at him once more over her shoulder.

Lionel, who’d been quietly staring at her, caught her looking back at him before he blinked a couple of times, a sheepish smile passing over his face. “I’m sorry” he mused “I stopped listening. What did you say?” he added.

“I asked if you wanted something to eat” Camila repeated “I’ve made plenty of food, if you’re interested” she added.

“I’d love some” Lionel mused.

Camila nodded her head before she turned back towards the stove, allowing a couple of beats of silence to pass before she tilted her head slightly, catching Lionel’s eye, something which made her smile gently. “You do know that you’re staring, right?” she quipped playfully.

Lionel blinked a couple of times, surprised by her voice, before he breathed out a small laugh. “Lo siento” he mumbled “That’s my shirt, no?” he asked.

Camila looked down, sparing a brief glance at the t-shirt she wore, before she shook her head, a soft blush spreading across her cheeks. “It is” she confirmed “I’m sorry. I just...I was getting ready for bed last night and my pajama shirt felt a little tight, so I grabbed this. You don’t mind do you? I mean, I can go and change” she added.

Lionel shook his head. “It’s fine” he noted.

“You’re sure?” Camila asked “I really don’t mind changing” she added.

Lionel shook his head again, offering her a small smile. “It’s really fine, Mila” he noted, just about refraining from adding a comment about how the t-shirt suited her.

Camila offered him a slightly dubious look, wordlessly asking if he was sure, before she quirked a small smile. “I’ve got a little bump” she announced, disturbing the momentary silence which had passed between the two of them.

Lionel, who’d moved to place a couple of plates down onto the countertop, turned back to look at her. “Hm?” he posed.

“I’ve got a little bump” Camila repeated “I mean, it’s not very noticeable, but...” she trailed off, grinning shyly as her hand hesitated at the bottom of Lionel’s t-shirt that she wore. After a second’s pause, she gingerly lifted the t-shirt up slightly, showing off the small bump that she carried.

Lionel watched her lift up shirt before he quirked a small smile, his dark eyes surveying the bump for a second before he guided his stare up to her face, his cheeks flushing a slight shade of pink as he met her eyes. “It’s very small” he commented “I mean, it should be, you’re only a few weeks gone but...” he trailed off as Camila let out a soft laugh, something which caused the blush on his cheeks to darken a shade.

Camila grinned at him, marveling the blush which had spread over his cheeks, before she turned back towards the stove, collecting the pan of food that she’d been cooking. Stepping towards the table, she served up two plates before she moved to take her seat, wordlessly offering the one opposite her to Lionel who quickly took it. Watching him sit down, she offered him another small smile before she started to eat, allowing a comfortable silence to settle over the two of them.

Lionel poked at his food for a couple of seconds, allowing the silence to linger, before he shook his head. “Have you thought about what you want to do next?” he asked tentatively.

Camila tilted her head. “What do you mean?” she asked.

Lionel hesitated for a second, carefully thinking over his next words, before he let out a soft sigh. “I’m more than happy for you to stay here for as long as you need to, or want to, but I was just...you’re going to have a baby, Mila” he stumbled out.

Camila quirked a half smile. “I had noticed that” she joked gently.

Lionel shook his head, still trying to find the right words. “I just thought that you’d want to have your own space” he clarified “You know that I’d be more than happy to help. All you’ve got to do is ask” he added.

Camila looked at him for a second, quietly mulling over his words, before she reached her hand across the table, gently taking a hold of his which fidgeted with his cutlery. “I’ve got a lot of things to figure out” she mused “I mean, with Noah...with him making the decision that he has, I’ve got a lot of things that need to be figured out before this little one makes his or her first appearance, and my own place...it’s on the list, but right now...do you mind me staying for a little longer?” she added, her voice softening slightly.

Lionel didn’t hesitate in shaking his head, a comforting smile on his lips. “You know I don’t” he noted

Camila squeezed his hand tightly, something which caused him to squeeze back for a second before he let her hand go, returning his attention back towards his food. Camila stared at him for a second before she mimicked his action, a faint smile playing on her lips. She knew that she had a lot to figure out, with the baby on the way, the list of things she need to sort out was long and daunting, but having Lionel around made her a little more confident, even if she was still overwhelmed by how things had worked out. She felt a little better having him around.