I Know I Was for a While
74: You
Walking quickly into her bedroom, Camila quickly plopped down on the end of her bed, her hands quickly gathering the tablet which she had left on the end table as the sound of an incoming call filled the air. She had been expecting the call for a little while, with the time difference between where she was and where Lionel was, she knew that he’d call in the evening, but she was lucky to have caught it, even if she had been waiting for it for most of the day. She had only just caught the sound of the incoming call whilst she had been settling Oscar down across the hall.
Padding around the bed, she shuffled into the middle of it before she settled the table against her legs, quickly accepting Lionel’s call. “Lo siento” she mused “I know I missed your first call, but I was just settling Oscar down. I’m glad that you called back” she added gently.
Lionel, who’d been adjusting his camera slightly, quirked a teasing eyebrow. “You thought I wouldn’t?” he asked “I mean, we’ve not had the opportunity to speak like this for a couple of days. Did you really think it’d let it slip by so easily?” he added, his voice warm and playful.
It had been a couple of days, after he and the squad had departed for their tour of America, he and Camila hadn’t found a chance to speak to one another via anything other than text, and he had been looking forwards to it, even if they had sent texts back and forth. Sending a few messages didn’t bear any comparison to actually seeing Camila’s face.
Camila shrugged, her expression a little sheepish, something which made Lionel shake his head, a soft laugh spilling out of his mouth. “You know, your shyness doesn’t really come across in your texts” he teased softly.
Camila shook her head, trying, and failing, to hide the blush which had been quick to spread across her cheeks, before she lifted her hand, gently pushing her loose hair off of her face. “Did you call just for this?” she asked “Because if you did, I can just hang up now. Oscar’s asleep and baby’s taking a break too. It’d be a wonderful opportunity to get an early night” she added, her eyes shining playfully.
Lionel let out another soft laugh before he shook his head, his expression softening slightly. “Do you need to get some sleep?” he asked “I mean, I’ve been looking forwards to speaking to you all day, but if you need an early night...”
“I’m fine, Leo” Camila interrupted with a soft giggle “I was just messing with you. My mother’s been around a lot in the last couple of days, Isabel too, and they’ve been helping out with Oscar which has afforded me the opportunity to get some sleep when I need it. I’m OK” she added.
Lionel blinked a couple of times, surprised that she had interrupted him, before he tilted his head slightly, something which made Camila smile back at him gently. “You don’t have to look so worried” she mused.
Lionel shook his head. “Sorry” he mumbled “I just...”
“I know” Camila replied gently “But everything is fine here. Me and baby, we’re fine” she insisted with a small smile.
Lionel glanced at her for a few seconds, his dark eyes admiring the soft smile that lit up her face, before he nodded his head, a sheepish smile of his own blooming across his face. “How are things with Isabel?” he asked.
Camila shrugged. “The same as ever” she mused “She comes over to see Oscar, we make some pretty awkward small talk, and then she goes home. It’s been a little better since we had that talk, though, which is a good thing. She even seems happy for us now that baby’s on the way” she added.
It wasn’t something that they talked about a lot, with Lionel not being keen on Isabel, and Isabel not being keen on him, the argentine tended to try and avoid mentioning the older woman, but Camila had to admit that things had improved slightly between her and the older woman, even if she did still feel awkward around her. After the conversation that they had had, Isabel seemed to be more content to keep her nose out of Camila and Lionel’s business, something which was a great relief to Camila who merely wanted things to be as simple as they could be.
There was no denying that it was complicated, with Camila’s relationship with Lionel only becoming more and more serious, she knew that Isabel had her worries about her relationship with Oscar, but she was pleased that the older woman had backed off slightly, not wanting to deal with the stress she had caused previously whilst she was preparing for the arrival of the new baby.
Lionel quirked an eyebrow. “Really?” he asked.
“As happy as she can be” Camila replied with a small shrug.
Lionel looked at her for a second, mulling over her words briefly, before he shook his head. “How’s Oscar?” he asked, wanting to change the subject.
Camila’s face lit up at the mention of the little boy, something which made Lionel smile too. “He’s good” she enthused gently “I mean, he’s been a bit fussier than normal, but I’d guess that’s because you’re not here. I think he misses you” she added, her voice caught between playful and soft.
Lionel let out a familiar bashful laugh, his fingers sheepishly scratching his beard. “You think so?” he quipped.
Camila nodded. “He keeps asking for his papa” she mused “That’s you, isn’t it?” she added, her voice growing slightly shier.
Lionel noticed the slight shift in her voice before he moved to reply, only to be cut off by the sound of Gerard’s voice, something which caused him to roll his eyes slightly before he returned his stare towards the camera. “One of the coaches wants a word” he quipped “I’ll be right back” he added before he disappeared from the camera’s view.
Camila stared at the empty space for a couple of seconds before Gerard’s face slipped into view, something which caused her to tilt her head. “You’re not Leo” she teased lightly.
Gerard grinned. “You noticed that, did you?” he played along.
“I think I can remember what my boyfriend looks like” Camila quipped.
Gerard offered her another crooked smile, briefly contemplating playing along with her, before he shook his head. “How are you, Mila?” he asked.
“I’m OK” Camila mused “I mean, I’m pretty pregnant now, but, contrary to all of Leo’s fussing, I am doing OK” she added brightly.
Gerard let out a small amused laugh before he shifted the camera slightly. “I have something to show you” he quipped.
Camila tilted her head slightly, but didn’t say anything, watching as Gerard shuffled around the room before he stopped, angling the camera towards a spot on the wall, focusing in on two pictures that had been stuck to it. Camila frowned for a second, trying to recognize the pictures through the camera’s slightly blurry resolution, before the image cleared up, something which made her shake her head, a slightly bashful smile lighting up her face. “What’s that?” she asked.
Gerard’s face popped back into view. “He takes them everywhere” he quipped “Usually, they’re stuck on the inside of his locker door at home, but when we go on away trips, he takes them with him and sticks them inside his locker. You didn’t know that?” he asked.
Camila, who was still studying the two pictures, shook her head slowly. “No” she mused gently.
Gerard smiled. “These aren’t the original pictures” he noted “As Oscar’s got bigger, the picture’s changed a couple of times, and I am guessing that this is baby’s latest scan, but...”
“What are you doing?” Lionel’s voice interrupted.
Gerard flashed Camila cheeky grin before he handed the tablet back to Lionel excusing himself quickly.
Camila giggled a little before the camera refocused on Lionel, something which made her shake her head, a soft smile lighting up her face.
Lionel admired the look on her face before he tilted his head slightly, his forehead slightly furrowed. “What are you smiling at?” he quipped.
Camila merely offered him a nonchalant shrug, not able to shake her smile. “You” she replied simply “You’re cute” she added.
Lionel let out a slightly bemused laugh, slightly caught off guard by her comment, before he shook his head, trying to start a conversation only to be thwarted by the sound of another knock at his bedroom door. Letting out a long sigh, he closed his eyes for a second before he glanced at the camera, something which made Camila shake her head, a soft smile still on her face. “There’s always tomorrow” she mused “If you call a little earlier, you might even catch Oscar before I settle him down” she added.
Lionel quirked a half smile. “I’d like that” he mused.
Camila grinned at him briefly before she lifted her hand, pressing a kiss to it before she blew it at the camera. “Adios, Leo” she mused before she closed the call, leaving Lionel smiling gently at the empty screen.
Padding around the bed, she shuffled into the middle of it before she settled the table against her legs, quickly accepting Lionel’s call. “Lo siento” she mused “I know I missed your first call, but I was just settling Oscar down. I’m glad that you called back” she added gently.
Lionel, who’d been adjusting his camera slightly, quirked a teasing eyebrow. “You thought I wouldn’t?” he asked “I mean, we’ve not had the opportunity to speak like this for a couple of days. Did you really think it’d let it slip by so easily?” he added, his voice warm and playful.
It had been a couple of days, after he and the squad had departed for their tour of America, he and Camila hadn’t found a chance to speak to one another via anything other than text, and he had been looking forwards to it, even if they had sent texts back and forth. Sending a few messages didn’t bear any comparison to actually seeing Camila’s face.
Camila shrugged, her expression a little sheepish, something which made Lionel shake his head, a soft laugh spilling out of his mouth. “You know, your shyness doesn’t really come across in your texts” he teased softly.
Camila shook her head, trying, and failing, to hide the blush which had been quick to spread across her cheeks, before she lifted her hand, gently pushing her loose hair off of her face. “Did you call just for this?” she asked “Because if you did, I can just hang up now. Oscar’s asleep and baby’s taking a break too. It’d be a wonderful opportunity to get an early night” she added, her eyes shining playfully.
Lionel let out another soft laugh before he shook his head, his expression softening slightly. “Do you need to get some sleep?” he asked “I mean, I’ve been looking forwards to speaking to you all day, but if you need an early night...”
“I’m fine, Leo” Camila interrupted with a soft giggle “I was just messing with you. My mother’s been around a lot in the last couple of days, Isabel too, and they’ve been helping out with Oscar which has afforded me the opportunity to get some sleep when I need it. I’m OK” she added.
Lionel blinked a couple of times, surprised that she had interrupted him, before he tilted his head slightly, something which made Camila smile back at him gently. “You don’t have to look so worried” she mused.
Lionel shook his head. “Sorry” he mumbled “I just...”
“I know” Camila replied gently “But everything is fine here. Me and baby, we’re fine” she insisted with a small smile.
Lionel glanced at her for a few seconds, his dark eyes admiring the soft smile that lit up her face, before he nodded his head, a sheepish smile of his own blooming across his face. “How are things with Isabel?” he asked.
Camila shrugged. “The same as ever” she mused “She comes over to see Oscar, we make some pretty awkward small talk, and then she goes home. It’s been a little better since we had that talk, though, which is a good thing. She even seems happy for us now that baby’s on the way” she added.
It wasn’t something that they talked about a lot, with Lionel not being keen on Isabel, and Isabel not being keen on him, the argentine tended to try and avoid mentioning the older woman, but Camila had to admit that things had improved slightly between her and the older woman, even if she did still feel awkward around her. After the conversation that they had had, Isabel seemed to be more content to keep her nose out of Camila and Lionel’s business, something which was a great relief to Camila who merely wanted things to be as simple as they could be.
There was no denying that it was complicated, with Camila’s relationship with Lionel only becoming more and more serious, she knew that Isabel had her worries about her relationship with Oscar, but she was pleased that the older woman had backed off slightly, not wanting to deal with the stress she had caused previously whilst she was preparing for the arrival of the new baby.
Lionel quirked an eyebrow. “Really?” he asked.
“As happy as she can be” Camila replied with a small shrug.
Lionel looked at her for a second, mulling over her words briefly, before he shook his head. “How’s Oscar?” he asked, wanting to change the subject.
Camila’s face lit up at the mention of the little boy, something which made Lionel smile too. “He’s good” she enthused gently “I mean, he’s been a bit fussier than normal, but I’d guess that’s because you’re not here. I think he misses you” she added, her voice caught between playful and soft.
Lionel let out a familiar bashful laugh, his fingers sheepishly scratching his beard. “You think so?” he quipped.
Camila nodded. “He keeps asking for his papa” she mused “That’s you, isn’t it?” she added, her voice growing slightly shier.
Lionel noticed the slight shift in her voice before he moved to reply, only to be cut off by the sound of Gerard’s voice, something which caused him to roll his eyes slightly before he returned his stare towards the camera. “One of the coaches wants a word” he quipped “I’ll be right back” he added before he disappeared from the camera’s view.
Camila stared at the empty space for a couple of seconds before Gerard’s face slipped into view, something which caused her to tilt her head. “You’re not Leo” she teased lightly.
Gerard grinned. “You noticed that, did you?” he played along.
“I think I can remember what my boyfriend looks like” Camila quipped.
Gerard offered her another crooked smile, briefly contemplating playing along with her, before he shook his head. “How are you, Mila?” he asked.
“I’m OK” Camila mused “I mean, I’m pretty pregnant now, but, contrary to all of Leo’s fussing, I am doing OK” she added brightly.
Gerard let out a small amused laugh before he shifted the camera slightly. “I have something to show you” he quipped.
Camila tilted her head slightly, but didn’t say anything, watching as Gerard shuffled around the room before he stopped, angling the camera towards a spot on the wall, focusing in on two pictures that had been stuck to it. Camila frowned for a second, trying to recognize the pictures through the camera’s slightly blurry resolution, before the image cleared up, something which made her shake her head, a slightly bashful smile lighting up her face. “What’s that?” she asked.
Gerard’s face popped back into view. “He takes them everywhere” he quipped “Usually, they’re stuck on the inside of his locker door at home, but when we go on away trips, he takes them with him and sticks them inside his locker. You didn’t know that?” he asked.
Camila, who was still studying the two pictures, shook her head slowly. “No” she mused gently.
Gerard smiled. “These aren’t the original pictures” he noted “As Oscar’s got bigger, the picture’s changed a couple of times, and I am guessing that this is baby’s latest scan, but...”
“What are you doing?” Lionel’s voice interrupted.
Gerard flashed Camila cheeky grin before he handed the tablet back to Lionel excusing himself quickly.
Camila giggled a little before the camera refocused on Lionel, something which made her shake her head, a soft smile lighting up her face.
Lionel admired the look on her face before he tilted his head slightly, his forehead slightly furrowed. “What are you smiling at?” he quipped.
Camila merely offered him a nonchalant shrug, not able to shake her smile. “You” she replied simply “You’re cute” she added.
Lionel let out a slightly bemused laugh, slightly caught off guard by her comment, before he shook his head, trying to start a conversation only to be thwarted by the sound of another knock at his bedroom door. Letting out a long sigh, he closed his eyes for a second before he glanced at the camera, something which made Camila shake her head, a soft smile still on her face. “There’s always tomorrow” she mused “If you call a little earlier, you might even catch Oscar before I settle him down” she added.
Lionel quirked a half smile. “I’d like that” he mused.
Camila grinned at him briefly before she lifted her hand, pressing a kiss to it before she blew it at the camera. “Adios, Leo” she mused before she closed the call, leaving Lionel smiling gently at the empty screen.