I Know I Was for a While

“Are you sure that you know what you’re doing with that?” Camila teased as she stepped passed Lionel, moving into the living room before she took a seat on the couch, gently moving to lift Oscar out of Lucille’s arms. It had been a couple of hours, after the sound of the doorbell ringing had disturbed them, it’d taken them a little while to get themselves ready for the day, but with everyone having gotten dressed and enjoyed breakfast together, they were ready for the festivities to start, something which Camila had been more than looking forwards to, even if she had been slightly apprehensive about the prospect of her mother meeting Lionel’s parents for the first time. The three of them seemed to have gotten on well from the moment that her mother had arrived at the front door.

Lionel, who’d been studying the video camera which sat in his hands, rolled his eyes a little at the tone of Camila’s voice before he lifted his head, offering her a playful smirk. “I think I’ve got it under control” he mused “But if you’re worried, you could always take over” he added, holding the camera out towards her.

Camila, who’d been quietly fussing over Oscar, spared him a brief look before she shook her head. “I trust you” she quipped, her voice caught between warm and playful.

Lionel offered her a small smile before he turned back towards the camera, fiddling with it for a few more seconds before he held it up, grinning triumphantly. “It’s ready to go” he mused.

Camila marveled at the proud smile that he wore for a second before she shook her head, diverting her stare down towards Oscar who sat in her lap. “You ready to open a few more presents, little one?” she quipped, pressing a soft kiss against his cheek.

Oscar quirked a wide grin before he started to babble, something which made everyone in the room smile. “I think that’s probably a yes” Lucille fussed, taking a sip of the mug of tea that she held in her hands.

Camila nodded her head in agreement before she carefully shuffled off of the couch, settling down onto the floor in front of the Christmas tree. Leaning forwards, she located a few presents with Oscar’s name on them before she turned around, grinning up at Lionel who stood a little away from her. “You sure it’s working?” she asked, her voice caught between soft and teasing.

It was something she hadn’t thought of, with her focus having been fixed in making sure that the day ahead of them was a good one, Camila had given very little thought to recording it so that they had something to look back on in the future, but Lucille had, something which had led to her handing over a video camera to Lionel almost as soon as she had stepped through the door, something Camila was grateful for, even if she hadn’t thought about it herself. She adored the idea of having a reminder of the day to look back on in the future.

Lionel caught the slightly nervous sound in her voice before he nodded, offering her a reassuring smile. “Certain” he mused.

Camila offered him a slightly dubious look before she nodded her head, something which made Jorge, who was sat on the couch behind her, smile gently. “I’ll check it” he mused “Why doesn’t Leo join you, Mila?” he posed as he stood up, gently taking the camera out of Lionel’s hand.

Lionel spared his father a small grateful smile before he shuffled forwards, plopping down into a spot at Camila’s side.

Camila watched him sit down before she turned back to Oscar, offering him a slightly impish smile. “Why don’t we start by finding Leo a present, eh?” she asked.

Oscar made a soft sound before he reached his hands out towards Lionel, something which made the argentine grin before he leant forwards, gently lifting him out of his mother’s arms. Camila took advantage of movement and leant towards the tree, scanning the array of presents for a few seconds before she spotted the one she was looking for. Quirking a shy smile to herself, she lifted it up into her hands before she turned around, hesitantly holding it out towards Lionel. “From Oscar” she mused simply.

Lionel, who’d been trying to stop Oscar from crawling too far out of his reach, quirked a crooked smile. “He chose it himself?” he quipped.

“He had a little help” Camila played along, shrugging her shoulders playfully.

Lionel breathed out a soft laugh before he moved to take the gift out of her hands. Flipping it over a couple of times in his hands, he playfully shook it to see if he could guess what it was before he moved to tear the paper off, leaving him holding a small, nondescript box. “Mila?” he asked, sparing her a slightly bemused smile.

Camila merely smiled at him timidly, wordlessly encouraging him to open the box.

Lionel shook his head, a slightly bemused laugh tumbling out of his mouth, before he flipped the box open, his eyebrow lifting as he spotted the contents. “You got me Barcelona tickets” he breathed, confusion very much evident in his voice “You know that I am probably going to be playing in this game, right?” he asked.

Camila, who’d gathered Oscar back into her lap, nodded, her teeth gently nibbling on her lip. “I do know that” she mused “And the tickets...they’re not strictly for you. I called Gerard a couple of weeks ago, I asked him what your first home game was going to be after the winter break, and I asked him to see if he could get a couple of tickets. I was thinking that...maybe...me and Oscar could...” she trailed off, a blush prominent on her cheeks.

Lionel, who’d been staring down at the tickets in confusion, blinked a couple of times before he lifted his head, the slightest hint of a smile playing on his lips. “You want to come to my match?” he breathed “Both of you?” he added, sparing a quick glance towards Oscar who grinned up at him from his spot in his mother’s lap.

Camila followed the line of his stare, a shy smile playing on her lips, before she nodded her head. “If you want us there” she mused “I mean, it’s Ok if you don’t, we can just give the tickets to...” Camila’s words trailed off as Lionel leant into her, pressing a firm kiss against her lips.

Letting out a soft giggle, she lightly cupped his cheek, allowing the kiss to linger for a couple of seconds before she pulled back ever so slightly, her dark eyes gazing up into his. “You like it?” she asked, her fingertips gingerly brushing against his jaw.

Lionel caught her hand and pulled it against his lips, allowing him to press a tender kiss against her palm. “I love it” he enthused.

Camila’s face lit up with a soft smile before the sound of someone clearing their throat reached their ears, causing them to share a slightly sheepish glance before she lifted her head, glancing towards Lucille. “Mama?” she asked innocently.

Lucille rolled her eyes, but couldn’t wipe the doting smile off of her face. “As cute as you two are, there are still a lot of presents under that tree” she mused “Do you two think we could speed this up a little?” she poked.

Lionel let out a slightly nervous laugh before he nodded. “I think we could probably manage that, Lucille” he mused.

Lucille playfully thanked him before she caught Camila’s eye, flashing her a quick wink which caused her daughter’s already pink cheeks to tint a shade darker.

~#~
Re-watching some of the footage that his father had caught, Lionel quirked a small smile to himself, a little amazed by how well the day had gone. He had been nervous, despite his parents liking Camila, and Lucille being fond of him, he had been slightly concerned that they wouldn’t necessarily warm to each other instantly, but his worries had been unfounded, something which had made for a more comfortable day than he had been expecting.

Watching part of the footage that showed Camila’s face lighting up as Oscar crawled towards her, Lionel let out a soft laugh before a soft knocking reached his ears, causing him to pick his head up, sparing a look towards Lucille who stood in the kitchen doorway, a familiar doting look on her face. “Mila was wondering where you’d gotten to” she mused “She’d have come looking for you herself, but Oscar fell asleep against her and your mother was keeping her occupied, so I thought I’d do it for her. What are you up to?” she asked, not missing the look on his face, one she had noticed seemed to be specially reserved for her daughter.

Lionel shrugged. “I was just looking this over” he quipped, gesturing to the camera “My papa caught some good footage” he added, setting it down on the countertop.

Lucille nodded. “I’m sure he did” she mused “I mean, you, Mila and Oscar...you’re adorable together” she fussed.

“You think?” Lionel asked, sparing her a slightly bashful look.

Lucille grinned. “Are you kidding?” she teased.

Lionel let out a bashful laugh, something which made Lucille’s grin widen before she shook her head, stepping a little closer to him. “You know” she mused, disturbing the comfortable silence which had passed between the two of them “I kind of came here today expecting to see you ask my daughter a certain question” she added, offering him a suggestive look.

Lionel studied her expression for a second before he caught her meaning, something which caused him to splutter slightly, a blush quickly filling his cheeks. “You thought I was going to...that I’d be....” he stumbled out.

Lucille nodded. “It crossed my mind” she mused “I mean, I know it’s not quite been a year yet, but I just had a feeling about it. It would have been pretty romantic” she fussed gently.

Lionel blinked a few times, still trying to wrap his head around what Lucille had suggested, before he shook his head, a shy smile pulling at the corner of his lips. “Maybe” he quipped “But honestly, it’s not quite what I had in mind” he added.

Lucille arched an eyebrow, a slightly amused smile on her face. “You have something in mind?” she asked.

Lionel shifted a little on the spot before he nodded a little. “Maybe?” he quipped “I mean, you’re right, it’s not quite been a year yet, and both me and Mila, we’re pretty happy going slowly, but my mind might have drifted ahead a little. I love her, Lucille, I love her so much” he insisted earnestly.

He knew that it was too soon, with him and Camila yet to reach their first anniversary, he knew that things like him proposing were a way off down the road, but that didn’t mean that he hadn’t let his mind wander a little, even if it wasn’t a conversation that he and Camila had had. He had little doubt that he wanted to take steps with her sooner or later, or that Camila was on the same page as him.

Lucille looked at him for a few seconds, her eyes searching his, before her face lit up with another smile. “I know you do” she mused “And you know what? She and Oscar, they’re both incredibly lucky to have someone like you in their lives and I hope they have you for a long time to come” she added.

Lionel merely offered her a bashful smile, something which made Lucille’s smile grow before she stepped towards him, pressing a soft kiss against his cheek.

Admiring the blush which had lit up his cheeks, she flashed him another small smile before she padded out of the room, leaving him alone for a couple of seconds before he shook his head, a bashful laugh falling out of his mouth, a little amazed that Lucille had thought that he could consider proposing that day. He couldn’t deny that it had crossed his mind, in the last couple of months, the thought which he had always dismissed on sight to begin with had started to creep into his thoughts more and more frequently, and he had stopped dismissing it immediately, even if he did always manage to convince himself that it was too soon or that it would scared Camila. He couldn’t deny that the thought had lingered.

Staring at the floor for a few seconds, he briefly mulled over Lucille’s words, before he smiled to himself, a little part of him vowing that when he thought he had found the right moment, he would take it.