There Was You

Taking a sip from the mug of tea that she had made for herself, Riley gently plopped down onto a stool, staring out of the kitchen window quietly. It was early, when she had spared a brief glance at her phone before she’d left the bedroom, it’d read a little before eight in the morning, but despite her not having plans until that afternoon, she had opted to climb out of bed, half anticipating that when she did, she would find Iker stood in the kitchen.

It had always been the plan, with Porto due to play a game two days before Christmas day and Riley wanting to spend as much time as she could with her parents before she went back to work in the New Year, she and Iker had decided that she would travel ahead to Madrid and stay in his house, but the game having been played the previous night, she had half expected him to be there when she woke up, something he hadn’t been.

Stifling a yawn, she took another sip of her drink before she set it down on the counter, allowing her to reach into the pocket of her sweater, pulling out her phone. Pressing the home button, she watched the screen illuminate before she felt something brush against her waist, causing to her tilt her head downwards, smiling a little when she recognized Iker’s watch. “I was just about to text you” she noted, glancing at him slightly over her shoulder.

“I would have called” Iker replied, pressing his chest against her back as his arms wrapped around her waist “But it’s still early. I really thought you’d still be asleep” he added, pressing a kiss against the top of her head.

Riley couldn’t stop her smile growing a little when he kissed her, something Iker was quick to notice, smiling gently into her hair. “Have you been up for long?” he asked.

“Half an hour or so” Riley replied “I remembered you saying that you’d probably be here early and I guess...I guess I was kind of looking forwards to seeing you” she added, her cheeks flushing a light shade of pink.

Iker briefly thought about making a joke, quipping that they had actually seen one another only a couple of days previous when he had dropped her off at the airport in Porto, but he stopped himself, not missing the small flip his stomach had done at her words. “I got the first flight out I could” he noted “I guess I was kind of looking forwards to seeing you too” he added, squeezing her waist gently.

Riley grinned bashfully, her eyes fixed on his arms around her waist.

Iker leant around slightly, dipping his head so that he could catch her eye, something which made Riley giggle softly, her hand gently cupping his face. “Hi” she greeted gently.

Iker turned his head slightly, kissing her palm softly. “Hi” he replied.

Riley held his stare, her smile unwavering for a moment, before she shook her head, clearing her throat a little. “I should...uh...I was just about to go and take a shower” she mumbled.

Iker nodded. “I won’t get in your way” he mused “Have you eaten yet?” he asked.

Riley shook her head.

“Then I’ll get to work on breakfast” Iker quipped with a grin.

Riley couldn’t stop herself smiling return, something which she found was happening more and more. There was no denying that things had been good between them for a while, after their stumble, it seemed that things between them had only gone from strength to strength, and whilst Riley was wary of getting ahead of herself, she couldn’t help it. There was something different about being around Iker, something she was pretty sure she’d felt from the outset of their friendship, and whilst she did still feel nerves about them from time to time, she knew that they were starting to fade. She was getting more and more used to them.

~#~
“So, what is the plan for tomorrow?”

Riley, who was sticking down a fold of wrapping paper, turned to glance at Iker over her shoulder. “Huh?” she asked.

“Tomorrow” Iker repeated, plopping down onto the couch behind her “You know, we’re going to your parents? I wondered what the day would be like” he added, his voice warm and playful.

Riley rolled her eyes, turning back to the half-wrapped present in front of her. “It’ll be busy” she mused “My papa in particular likes us all to adhere to the same routine we’ve had since we were kids. We’ll have to be there before eight in the morning” she added.

“Eight?” Iker asked.

Riley nodded. “Breakfast at eight” she mused “Then presents. He’s a stickler for board games, we’ve played the same three in the same order since I can remember. Then we’ll have a couple of hours to ourselves, he usually dozes off in the middle of the morning until my mama wakes him up to help with dinner” she added, laughing a little to herself as she flipped the present over, moving to scribble out a label.

Iker nodded his head slowly, something Riley caught out of the corner her eye, smiling softly. “I did warn you” she quipped.

Iker quirked a grin. “Did I say that I didn’t want to go?” he retorted playfully.

“Your face is very honest” Riley replied.

Iker shook his head.

“It’s a lot” Riley mused “I mean, my papa gets a little overexcited, and then there’s Tilly who will be doubly excited before Christmas day means that there’s only a couple more days before her birthday. Throw a very pregnant Eva into the mix, with Garrett fussing around her, and my mama who will almost certainly spend most of the day trying to drop hints...” she trailed off as Iker’s hand turned her face, guiding her into a soft kiss.

Stilling slightly, she hesitated in returning the kiss for a beat before she gave in, kissing him gently for a second before he pulled away, softly tucking her hair off of her face. “I want to go, Ry” he murmured “I love your family” he added.

Riley’s eyes softened. “Yeah?” she asked.

Iker nodded. “They’re great” he insisted “They’re warm and welcoming. They’ve made me feel as though I am already part of the family” he added.

Riley grinned softly. “They love you too” she mused “And the fact that they do and you do...that’s a bigger deal than you know” she added.

Iker tilted his head curiously, something which caused Riley to shake hers, her eyes dropping back towards her lap. “It’s just a good sign is all” she mumbled “I mean, if this is a long term thing...if we’re a long term thing...it means a lot to me that my family are as crazy about you as I am. And they are about you. I just...I really like that” she stumbled out uncertainly.

Iker watched her for a second, taking a moment to think about what she had said, before he quirked a faint smile. “You think this could be long term?” he pressed tentatively. They weren’t the type of couple that had a lot of conversations about their future and he didn’t want to scare her away from the topic. He was itching to see if they were on a similar page.

Riley opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, a little surprised by his question, before she shrugged. “Maybe?” she noted “I mean, I know we’re taking things slowly and I am...I like that and I am not trying to change that, not when things are going to well, but I just...I don’t know that I can put into words how much better things are now that you’re in my life. I love you, so freaking much, and the more time we’re together, the more I struggle to stop myself from thinking ahead a little bit. I mean, six months is no time at all, and I know that but...I don’t know...” she stumbled out, her words thoughtful and considered, but still unsure.

Iker’s eyes widened a fraction, something which caused Riley to shake her head, a faked laugh tumbling out of her mouth. “Riley...”

“I knew it” Riley interrupted quietly “As soon as I said it, I knew it was too much” she added.

Iker shook his head quickly. “No” he insisted “It’s not too much” he insisted.

“Your face is too honest, Iker” Riley repeated, shaking her head softly.

“I just can’t believe I am hearing you say that” Iker retorted “Riley, only a few months ago, you were telling me how scared you were to give yourself to this relationship. You were terrified that you were just setting yourself up for a fall and now...I see my future with you, Riley, I have done for a while” he insisted, his face lighting up with a soft grin.

Riley just stared at him, something which made Iker laugh softly, peppering her face with light kisses as he mumbled a quiet ‘I love you’, words that never failed to light up Riley’s face.