If It Gave Us Time

“You’re really not going to spend New Year’s Eve with me?”

Isla, who was carefully tucking the last clip into her hair, smirked amusedly at sound of Gerard’s question before she turned, sparing him a brief look over her shoulder before she turned back to the mirror, brushing a few stray hairs back off of her face. “You knew that I wasn’t” she mused “I mean, since Luna and Evan got engaged, you know I’ve been planning her bachelorette party and you knew it was tonight. You don’t get to pout. Besides, Luna did offer to invite you to Evan’s party and you turned her down. You had your chance” she added, her voice teasing and smug.

Gerard, who was leaning against the frame of his bedroom door, watching her, shrugged. “I hardly know him” he mused “And I highly doubt that he’s going to want his future wife’s best friend’s boyfriend tagging along, no matter how charming and fun to be around I am” he added nonchantly.

Isla scoffed playfully, something which made Gerard roll his eyes before she turned around, the smirk that she had previously worn melting into a familiar self-conscious smile. “How do I look?” she asked quietly.

Gerard smiled a little at the question before he shook his head. “You really need to ask me that?” he asked.

Isla shrugged. “I’d like to know if I look awful” she mused “I mean, I did try really hard to find a dress that I liked, and this was the best I could do, so if it looks terrible...” she trailed off, not missing the amused smirk that had started to spread across his face.

Shaking her head, she felt her cheeks flush pink before looked up at him, her blue eyes mirroring his. “I look Ok?” she asked.

Gerard nodded. “Beautiful” he confirmed “So beautiful you might upstage the bride-to-be” he added.

Isla scoffed. “You’ve seen Luna, right?” she mused.

Gerard merely offered a look, something which made Isla shake her head before she turned back towards the mirror, straightening out her dress. “You have plans for tonight?” she asked, glancing back at him via the mirror.

Gerard caught her gaze, flashing her a quick wink, before he shrugged. “A few of the guys are coming by” he noted “But it’s going to be a pretty quiet night. We’re back in training after the winter break” he added, letting out a soft laugh as he watched the blush on her cheeks darken slightly.

Shaking his head, he stepped a little deeper into the room before he settled his arms around her waist, allowing him to dip down and kiss the top of her head gently. “You coming back here tonight?” he mumbled into her hair.

Isla nodded before she tilted her head back, looking up at him. “I’d planned on it” she mumbled “I mean, unless you’d rather I didn’t. I could always go back to my parents’, but I’ve not been back there since...”

“Lala” Gerard interrupted gently “Nena, I was just asking if you were coming home tonight. I thought maybe you’d be staying with Luna” he added, a slight laugh falling out of her mouth. It was still a touchy subject, despite her having spoken to her parents a couple of times since Rodrigo’s announcement, he knew that she was still reluctant to be around them, and he wasn’t about to push it, not when it meant that she had spent every night since at his place with him.

“Oh” Isla mumbled sheepishly.

Gerard pressed another kiss against the top of her head, chuckling quietly to himself for a few seconds before the front doorbell echoed, something which caused him to gently nudge Isla forwards. “That’s going to be Luna” he mused.

Isla nodded. “Probably” she confirmed “I should...” she trailed off, gesturing towards the bedroom door.

“Probably” Gerard mocked playfully.

Isla rolled her eyes, but couldn’t stifle her smile. “I’ll try not to be too loud when I get back” she mused “I’d hate to ruin your beauty sleep” she teased.

Gerard merely rolled his eyes, something which made Isla giggle softly before she stepped towards him, pressing a couple of quick kisses against his lips. “I’ll see you later, Piqué” she quipped before she stepped away from him, offering him a small wave before she made her way out of the room.

~#~
“Aren’t you supposed to be with your friend?” Gerard teased as he trapped his phone between his ear and shoulder, his hands busy with the box of leftover food which he was packing up on the counter ahead of him. It was still relatively early, but with the team’s schedule, things were starting to wind down for them, something Gerard hadn’t expected to be true of Isla’s night.

She had spent a while planning it, almost from the moment that Luna had announced her engagement, Isla, who’d been Luna’s obvious appointment as her maid of honor, had been putting plans in place for her bachelorette party, and he was surprised that Isla had found a second to call him. He had assumed that she had every single minute mapped out and hadn’t factored in a couple of minutes to talk to her boyfriend.

Isla scoffed playfully. “I am with her” she chirped “She’s just busy drunkenly cooing down the phone to Evan, so I thought I’d give you a call. How’s your night been?” she asked.

Gerard moved to hold the phone in his hand. “It’s been alright” he mused “I mean, it’s been nowhere near as fun as it would have been if you were here, but...” he trailed off, not missing the sound of snickering which emanated away from the door.

Lifting his head, he rolled his eyes slightly at a couple of teammates who stood there smirking, before he returned his attention to the phone, smiling softly as Isla made a joke. “You’re having a good time, aren’t you?” he asked.

“I am” Isla confirmed “I mean, Luna got drunker a little sooner than I was expecting, but she seems to be having a wonderful time. We’re probably going to stick it out until midnight and then I’ll take her home. I shouldn’t be back home much after one” she added.

Gerard couldn’t contain the smile that lit up his face at her use of the word ‘home’, something which made his friends mutter teasingly, smirks still lighting up their faces. “I’ll wait up for you” he noted “I mean, the sooner we have the first kiss of the new year, the better, right?” he added brightly.

Isla laughed. “You’re such a dork” she quipped.

“But you love that about me” Gerard returned.

“Maybe” Isla teased “Anyway, I was just checking in. I should go and stop Luna getting into trouble. I’ll see you soon?” she asked.

“Can’t wait” Gerard replied, his voice caught between soft and teasing. Shaking his head, he listened to her laugh and say goodbye before he moved to stuff his phone in his pocket.

“Isla?” Lionel chirped with a smirk.

“Shut up” Gerard mumbled as he made his way out of the room, his cheeks glowing a soft shade of pink.

~#~
Wobbling a little on the spot, Isla gripped onto the stair railing, trying to pull her heels off of her feet without falling over. She was back later than she had expected, with Luna having been a little worse for wear, it had taken her more time to get away from her apartment and take a taxi back to Gerard’s place that she had thought it would, but she was glad to be there, more than ready to get changed and head to bed. Tugging at her shoe, she wobbled a little more before she succeed in getting it off, something which made her let out a small sound in triumph.

“You need a hand?”

Isla, who’d moved to try and pull her other shoe off, let out a small squeal, something which made Gerard, who’d been waiting her over the railing, laugh. “Sorry” he quipped “You were just being so loud that I had to come and see what you were up to. You Ok?” he asked, trying, and failing to stifle his laughter.

Isla merely glared up at him.

Gerard shook his head before he climbed down the last few steps, plopping down on the last one. “Give me your foot” he noted, patting his lap.

Isla frowned, but complied, placing her foot in his lap as she held onto the railing.

Gerard messed with the fastening on her shoe for a second before he gently tugged it off of her foot, tossing it onto the floor beside the other one. “There” he announced “Now you might be quiet and I might be able to get some sleep. I’m getting old, you know” he quipped playfully.

Isla scoffed, smiling gently. “You’re what? Six weeks older than me?” she asked.

Gerard merely shrugged, something which made Isla shake her before she stepped around him, plopping down onto the step beside him before she leant over, resting her head on his shoulder. “I’m a little drunk” she announced.

Gerard, who’d wrapped an arm around her, smiled and kissed the top of her head. “It was a good party then?” he asked.

Isla nodded. “I think so” she mused “We had a lovely dinner at one of Luna’s favourite restaurants and then went to the nightclub where she and Evan met. She had the whole place buying drinks for the bridal party” she added.

“You had guys buying drinks for you?” Gerard quipped, feigning jealousy.

Isla nodded. “Gorgeous guys” she played along.

Gerard nudged her side. “They have nothing on your amazing boyfriend, though, right?” he asked.

Isla grinned up at him, pretending to think for a second, before she leant up, pressing a soft kiss against his cheek. “It’s hard to improve on you” she mused “I kind of fell in love with you, twice. It’s pretty hard to top that” she added.

Gerard laughed bashfully, a sound which made Isla’s smile soften before she patted his thigh, wobbling slightly as she tried to stand up. “I’m glad to be home” she mused “And it’s sweet that you waited up for me, but I am so ready to get some sleep. I’m going to head up” she added.

Gerard, who’d helped her to stand up, let out another laugh. “Home” he mused “I like the sound of that. We should make it a permanent thing” he added, making a joke he’d made many times before.

Isla, however, didn’t roll her eyes like usual, instead offering him a small nod as a soft, somewhat tipsy, smile lit up her face. “I think we should” she announced.