If It Gave Us Time

Quirking a sleepy smile to himself, Gerard tentatively reached his hands out, carefully sliding Isla’s glasses off of her face before he turned over, placing them onto the end table which sat behind him. it was late, after he’d arrived to talk to her, a couple of hours had passed, and with a film’s credits rolling the background, he knew that it was time to go, even if he was comfortable with Isla curled up at his side. He knew better than to overstay his welcome.

He wasn’t naïve, whilst things had felt better between them that evening, he knew that they were still in a phase of trying to figure things out between them, and he wanted to take it slowly, wanting to allow Isla, and himself, time to grow into their friendship again. It was going to be different, with so many years having passed, the two of them were different and their relationship was almost certain to change, something which made Gerard want to let things happen slowly, even if a part of him was desperate for things to go back to what they had been. He knew that it was going to take him time to get to know Isla now, and her to get to know him.

Quietly settling the glasses down onto the cabinet, he gently turned back over before he reached his hand out, lightly pushing a few blonde hairs back off of her face. “Lala” he murmured softly.

Isla wrinkled her nose a little, but didn’t wake up, something which made Gerard smirk before he dropped his hand, poking her side. “Lala” he repeated.

Isla’s eyes opened with a start, causing Gerard to laugh before he rolled over, laying on his back. “Hola” he chirped playfully.

Isla blinked a couple of times, trying to wake herself up, before she reached her hand out, slapping his shoulder. “Jerk” she grumbled.

Gerard merely turned to grin at her, something which made Isla shake her head before she laid it against her pillow, a soft yawn falling out of her mouth. “Do you have a good reason for waking me up or did you do it just to be annoying?” she asked through another yawn.

Gerard’s smirk softened a little as he watched her yawn before he nodded. “I was about to get out of here” he mused “And I thought I’d wake you up so that you could get changed. It’s pretty late” he added, sparing a glance down towards his watch.

Isla, who’d allowed her eyes to close, quietly nodded her head, allowing another soft yawn to fall out of her mouth.

Gerard shook his head, allowing a soft laugh to fall out of his mouth, before he moved his hands again, lightly tickling her sides. Isla squirmed, trying to avoid his hands, before she let out a series giggles. Gerard laughed too, marveling at the soft sound of her laughter before he looked up, his blue eyes mirroring hers for a split second before they dipped down towards her lips, something which caused him to quickly retract his hands, the tiniest hint of a blush spreading over his cheeks.

Isla frowned a little, not missing how he’d quickly jerked away from her, but she didn’t say anything, instead opted to stretch her arms above her head before she sat up, pushing her fingers through her slightly messy hair. “I thought you were leaving?” she quipped after a couple of seconds, offering him a teasing smile over her shoulder.

Gerard, who’d been watching her quietly, jumped a little at the sound of her voice before he pushed a teasing smile onto his lips. “You act like you don’t enjoy my company” he quipped carefully.

Isla merely offered him a nonchalant shrug, something which made Gerard scoff playfully before he shuffled back to his feet, moving to collect the jacket that he’d shrugged off a while previous.

Isla watched him, allowing a couple of beats of silence to pass between the two of them, before she shuffled back to her feet, awkwardly putting her hands into the pockets of the jeans that she still wore. “I’ll see you again, won’t I?” she mumbled uncertainly.

Gerard, who’d been adjusting the collar of his jacket, tilted his head, allowing a slow smile to spread across his features. “I think that’s a decision for you to make” he replied “I mean, I’d like to see more of you, but you’re the one who keeps storming out of our dinners, so...I think a better question is whether or not you want to see me again” he added, his voice caught between soft and teasing.

He knew that he wanted to spend more time with her, from the moment that he’d seen her in the café where they’d been set up on their date, he’d known that he wanted to be around her again, but he didn’t want to force it, knowing that, out of the two of them, Isla was the one who’d been hurt more by the way their friendship had reached its conclusion.

Isla spared him a slightly thoughtful look, causing Gerard to splutter out an awkward laugh. “Don’t think too hard about it” he teased uncertainly.

Isla let out a small laugh, not missing the nervousness in his voice, before she shrugged. “I guess it’d not be so bad to see you again” she mused.

Gerard shook his head. “You don’t have to” he quipped, his voice caught between soft and teasing “I mean, I’d get it if you didn’t want to. You don’t have to feel obliged to or anything” he babbled.

Isla smiled a little at his babbling before she stepped towards him, wrapping him in a tight hug that, for a moment, caught him by surprise before he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to him. Isla held onto him for a few seconds, enjoying the hug, before she gently stepped back, her fingers playfully poking his cheek. “I don’t feel obliged” she mused “And if I didn’t want to see you again, do you really think I would have gone to dinner with you after the disaster of our ‘date’? Or to breakfast after that? You’re a pain, and I am still upset with you, but there is a part of me that...that’s kind of glad to see you. I mean, it’s a pretty small part but...” she trailed off, a small smile flitting around her lips.

Gerard’s eyes searched her face, marveling at the amusement which was spread across it, before he offered her a small smile. “Then I’d love to see you again, Lala” he enthused.

Isla made a show of rolling her eyes as the word ‘Lala’ fell out of his mouth, something which made Gerard laugh before he leant over, pressing a careful, and slightly uncertain, kiss against her cheek. “I’ll see you” he mumbled quietly as he pulled away, offering her a small smile.

Isla mirrored his smile for a few seconds before he stepped back, padding towards the bedroom door. Watching him pull the door open, she shook her head to herself before she reached towards the pillow on her bed, lightly tossing it at his back. “Piqué” she announced.

Gerard, who’d turned back to look at her once the pillow had hit his back, lifted an eyebrow. “Vasquez” he replied teasingly.

“Next time, answer your texts” Isla chirped before she hurried him out of the bedroom, pulling the door closed behind him.

Gerard stared at the closed door for a few seconds in surprise before he shook his head, unable to keep a smile off of his face. He knew that things would be different, with so much time having passed, it was impossible for things not to have changed at all, but there were things about Isla which were familiar, and it comforted him slightly, even if he knew that not all of her quirks would have remained unchanged, or remained at all. The instances that he’d been around her, and she’d been relaxed, were enough to assure him that there was, at the very least, still something to work on between them.