I Know I Was for a While

Leaning inside of his locker slightly, Lionel’s fingers whirred over the screen of his phone, typing out another message to Camila. It had been a while, after they’d celebrated their first Christmas together, and welcomed in the New Year, a little over a week had passed, and with Barcelona due to play their first league match of the year that night, he had left Camila and Oscar at home, getting ready to come along to the match, something which he had been looking forwards to since Camila had explained why she had bought the tickets. He knew that it wasn’t the biggest deal, since he’d met Camila, she had come to more than one of his matches, but still it meant a lot to him, even if he knew that he would see very little of her and Oscar whilst they were at the stadium. The mere idea that they would be there was enough to put a small smile on his face.

Finishing typing out the message, he placed his phone down on the shelf inside of the locker before he turned away from it, moving to pull his training shirt over his head. Collecting his match shirt, he turned it over a couple of times in his hands before he pulled it over his head, his ears filled with the hum of his phone. Pulling his shirt down, he made a move to collect the phone, but was caught off guard as Gerard leant around him, stealing the phone out of his grasp. “Hey” he complained.

Gerard merely offered him a teasing smirk. “What is with you and this thing today?” he quipped “I mean, since you showed up, you’ve barely looked away from it and that’s not like you. Are your texts more interesting than us, Leo?” he added, his voice warm and teasing.

Lionel shook his head. “It’s just Mila” he noted “She and Oscar...they’re here for the game” he added, a sheepish smile on his face.

Gerard’s smirk softened slightly before he shook his head, a hand sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. “Of course she is” he noted “I remember getting the tickets for her now. It’s Oscar’s first match, isn’t it?” he added, offering the phone back out towards the argentine.

Lionel quickly took the phone, scanning over the message that Camila had sent back to him, before he nodded, trying, and failing, to hide the smile on his face. “Yeah, it is” he mused “In fact, Mila just sent me this” he added, turning his phone around to show off the picture he’d received. It was a cute one, both Oscar and Camila were grinning at the camera, and Lionel could just about make out the familiar Barcelona stripes beneath Camila’s coat, something which made his smile widen a little, a little amazed that she had opted to wear the shirt.

Gerard admired the picture for a split second before he lifted his stare slightly, admiring the grin that Lionel wore across his features. Quirking a grin of his own, Gerard shook his head before he stepped back towards his own locker, tossing a comment over his shoulder. “Don’t let her go, amigo” he quipped “Not when you keep smiling like that” he added.

Lionel, who’d quickly diverted his attention back towards his phone, let out a quiet scoff at the defender’s comment, but didn’t reply to the defender’s comment, instead focusing on replying to Camila’s text. Typing out a quick reply, he tossed the phone into the bottom of his locker before he moved to slip the captain’s armband around his arm, quietly hoping to himself that that game was a good one.

~#~
“Is he warm enough?”

Camila, who’d been quietly adjusting the hat which sat on the top of Oscar’s head, let out a quiet laugh at the sound of Lionel’s fussing before she turned to look at him, admiring the shy smile which played on his lips. It was late, with the match having kicked off late and Lionel having had to give a few interviews, Camila had been stood around for a while, but she hadn’t been tempted to leave, even if Lionel had been quick to insist that she could depart as soon as the match finished. She had wanted to wait around for him. “I think so” she mused “But he would probably be warmer if we hadn’t had to wait around for you. What took so long?” she asked, her voice light and playful.

Lionel offered her a shrug. “Interviews” he quipped “It was my turn to give them and they took a little longer than I expected. You didn’t have to wait around” he pointed out with a small laugh.

Camila shrugged playfully. “My mother dropped us off before kickoff and we need a ride home” she mused “We thought you probably wouldn’t mind giving us one” she added.

Lionel, who’d moved to lift Oscar out of her arms, arched a playful eyebrow. “Is that the only reason you’re still here?” he asked.

Camila feigned thought for a second, something which made Lionel scoff before he shook his head, grinning down at Oscar. “Your mama is mean to me, Oscar” he quipped, a feigned pout of his face.

Camila rolled her eyes playfully before she stepped a little closer to him, pressing a soft kiss against his cheek. “You played well” she mumbled “Your goal was...it was a lovely” she babbled as she met his stare, a soft flush spreading across her cheeks.

Lionel quirked a shy smile. “You think so?” he asked.

Camila nodded, timidly fiddling with the ends of her hair. “I liked it” she mused with a slightly timid shrug.

“Gracias” Lionel replied with a small smile.

Camila smiled back at him shyly, allowing a few moments of silence to pass between them, before Oscar let out a small grumble, pulling both Lionel and Camila’s attention down towards him. Smiling, they watched him stretch and yawn for a couple of seconds before he reached his arms out towards Camila, mumbling the word ‘mama’ sleepily.

Camila, who’d move to reach out to him, stiffened slightly before looked up, meeting Lionel’s face which was lit up with a warm smile. “Did he just...?” she spluttered.

Lionel merely grinned at her, nodding his head.

Camila was quiet for a few seconds, her eyes flitting between Lionel and Oscar, before she stepped forwards, quickly wrapping the baby in a soft hug before she peppered a few soft kisses over his face. “I’m so proud of you, sweetheart” she mumbled softly, unable to keep the smile off of her lips.

Lionel watched the two of them quietly, not wanting to ruin the moment, before he quietly shook his head to himself, unable to stop himself from allowing a smile which mirrored Camila’s to spread across his face.