There Was You

“Mama, have you seen my boots?”

Riley, who’d been putting a pair of shoes on the little pair of feet which hung over the bed ahead of her, turned to glance towards the bedroom door, catching sight of Leo who stood there, a frown fixed on his face. “I thought you put them in your bag last night” she replied “You and your papa spent almost twenty minutes making sure that you had everything. How could you forget your boots?” she asked.

She knew that he was excited, since he had joined his football team in the summer, she knew that he had been counting down to the moment that he started his first match instead of coming off of the bench, and with his coach having told him the previous weekend that that weekend would be the one, the little boy hadn’t stopped talking about it, something Riley loved seeing. He was a lot like Iker, in the seven years that had passed since he had arrived, both his looks and personality had grown to resemble his father more and more, and Riley loved it, knowing that if their son turned out anything like his father, then he was going to grow up into a wonderful man.

“I couldn’t find them” Leo complained “And then papa sent me to bed and said he’s find them, but he didn’t. We need to go soon” he added.

Riley, who’d turned back to trying to tie Freddie’s shoelaces, nodded. “I know we do” she agreed “Where’s papa now?” she asked.

Leo huffed. “I don’t know” he replied “Mama...”

“I know, Leo” Riley interrupted gently, hearing the frustration in his voice “And once I’ve got your brother ready, I’ll help you to look, but right now, Freddie is not making it easy for me to get his shoes on, so if you could just...”

“I’ve got them!” Iker’s triumphant voice filled the room before he reached the doorway, a pair of football boots clutched in his hands.

Leo’s face lit up as he reached up, eagerly taking them out of his father’s hands. “Gracias, papa” he gushed, tossing his arms around his father’s waist briefly before he skittered away, chattering excitedly about the match.

Iker watched him out of the room before he turned back, watching Riley with their younger son for a moment. They’d tried for a while, after Leo’s second birthday, they’d made the decision to try for another baby, but for one reason or another, it’d taken until just after their eldest son turned four for them to find that they were expecting their younger son, but despite the wait, they’d been over the moon. It’d been a more straightforward pregnancy, with them having moved back to Madrid when Leo was just over a year old, Riley had been surrounded by her parents and his throughout the pregnancy and that, along with the fact that they already had Leo, seemed to have help her relax into the feeling of being pregnant before they’d welcomed Freddie into the world.

“Where were they?”

Iker, who’d drifted off, blinked a couple of time. “Huh?” he asked.

Riley, who was pulling a sweater over Freddie’s head, smiled a little to herself before she turned around. “Leo’s boots” she noted “Where were they?” she asked.

“He’d left them in the back of my car” Iker noted.

Riley laughed. “Really?” she asked.

“Under the backseat” Iker confirmed “He must have kicked them off in there last week” he added.

Riley opened her mouth to say something in reply but was cut off by the sound of Leo’s voice, calling for both his parents to hurry up. Shaking her head, she gently smoothed out Freddie’s sweater before she lifted him up, balancing him on her hip as she stood up. “We should...” her voice trailed off as Iker leant into her, sneaking a quick kiss.

Iker smiled at her as he pulled away, lifting Freddie into his arms. “We should” he confirmed.

Riley blinked a couple of times before she nodded, following Iker as he made his way out of the room.

~#~
Trying not to let a yawn fall out of her mouth, Riley rooted through her drawer, trying to find a comfortable pair of pajamas to change into. She was tired, after Leo’s match, they’d headed over to her parents’ house so that his grandparents could make a fuss of the fact that he had not only started for the first time, but scored his first goal, and whilst she had loved watching him grin as people made a fuss of him, the day seemed to have taken a lot out of her.

Finding a matching pair of pajamas, she placed them down on the top of the dresser before she moved to push the drawer closed, only to jump when she felt a light touch against the side of her neck.

Iker, who’d stepped up behind her, smirked a little against her skin. “You didn’t hear me coming?” he asked.

“I didn’t” Riley confirmed “I thought you were still trying to convince Leo to get some sleep” she added as she turned around, smiling up at him gently.

“He was excited” Iker noted “I mean, starting the match would have been enough, but scoring...” he trailed off, shaking his head with a fond smile.

Riley marveled at his smile for a second before she shook her head, gently tucking her arms around his waist. “You love it don’t you?” she mumbled “Your little boy following in your footsteps” she cooed.

Iker laughed as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, hugging her gently. “Our little boy” he corrected “And I’d be happy with him regardless, but do I kind of love the idea of another Casillas maybe representing Real Madrid” he confessed.

Riley, who’d tugged away from him so that she could move her pajamas to the bed, smiled. “He does seem to love it” she noted.

“He does” Iker agreed as he plopped down at the foot of the bed, watching Riley get herself changed “But you know what he’s like. He loved dinosaurs for about a year solid and then, out of the blue, he decided he hated them” he added.

“He’s loved football since he could toddle” Riley pointed out “We’ve got some pretty adorable videos of the two of you kicking a ball back and forth in the garden” she added.

Iker smiled to himself. “I can’t believe he’s nearly eight” he breathed.

Riley smiled at him softly as she sat down next to him. “He’s nearly eight, Freddie’s three” she noted “They’re growing up too quickly” she added.

Iker nodded his head in agreement.

Riley shifted a little in her seat, allowing a few seconds of silence to pass between the two of them before she opened and closed her mouth a couple of times.

Iker caught the movement out of the corner of his eye before he shifted his hand, gently capturing a hold of hers. “Yes” he murmured.

Riley’s eyes widened a little. “You don’t even know what I was...”

“I know that look on your face, Ry” Iker interrupted with a small, knowing smirk “You got that look on your face a few years ago when you asked me if I wanted to try and give Leo a little brother or sister. So, if you’re asking that, then, yes, I’d like that” he added.

Riley blinked a couple of times before she shook her head. “Really?” she asked.

“I’d love a little girl” Iker mused “And I know you would too. I’m not suggesting that we keep trying until we get one, but one more try wouldn’t hurt. The boys are old enough, we’re settled, we’re comfortable...I think now is as good a time as any” he added.

Riley just kept staring up at him, something which made Iker laugh as he leant towards her, kissing the corner of her jaw sweetly. Riley closed her eyes, relishing the feeling of his lips against her skin, before she squeezed his hand, wordlessly telling him that that was something she would like.