When We Were

Fifty One: Why Don’t You Come And Sit Down?

For a second, Emilia didn’t quite know what to do.

She hadn’t been expecting it, with Lionel having agreed to start playing for Argentina again, she’d expected that the week which marked the international break would see him travelling with the squad, and for a moment, the idea that he was stood in front of her didn’t register, something which caused him to shift his feet, smiling bashfully at the floor. “I did try and call you” he noted with a little shrug “I mean, if you’d picked up the phone...” his voice trailed off as Emilia stepped towards him, wrapping him in a tight hug. Surprised, he stiffened momentarily before he gently wrapped his arms around her, pressing a kiss against the top of her head.

Isaac watched the two of them for a moment, feeling familiar ache in his stomach, before he cleared his throat, causing Emilia to pull out of the hug, flashing him a small, apologetic smile. “I hate to break this up, but me and Luca need to get going” he noted “I’ll see you in a couple of days, Em?” he prodded.

Emilia nodded before she stepped towards Luca, cupping his cheeks so that she could tilt his head back, allowing her to kiss his forehead softly. “Be good for you papa” she mumbled “I love you, baby” she added.

Luca smiled up at her, showing off the gap which had appeared when he’d lost his tooth a few days earlier. “Love you too, mama” he mused “Adios, Leo” he added.

Lionel offered him a timid smile. “Adios, Luca. Isaac” he mused.

Isaac forced a smile in reply, nodding tightly. “Lionel” he replied before he gently placed his hand on Luca’s shoulder, steering him towards the door “See you later, Em” he added before he stepped out of the apartment.

Emilia watched him and Luca out of the door before she returned her attention towards Lionel, her expression brightening as their eyes met. Biting down on the corner of her lip, she allowed herself to just look at him for a few long seconds before she shook her head, letting out a little laugh. “Aren’t you supposed to be somewhere else?” she asked.

Lionel, who’d moved to settle his bag down beside the door, offered her a crooked smile as he stood up again. “I played the first match and something didn’t quite feel right, so they’re letting me miss the next one as a precaution” he explained “Are you not happy to see me?” he prodded.

Emilia scoffed, but didn’t even attempt to hide the smile which still lit up her face, something which encouraged Lionel to step towards her, wrapping her in another hug that she didn’t hesitate to return, her hands gripping at the material of his jacket. “I’ve missed you” she murmured gently.

Lionel closed his eyes, taking a moment to enjoy the familiar scent of her perfume, before he pulled back, his hands carefully travelling downwards before they stopped, hovering uncertainly over her stomach.

Emilia glanced down, staring at his hands for a second, before she looked back up at his face, her lips curved into a tender smile. “Why don’t you come and sit down?” she asked softly.

Lionel smiled sheepishly and followed after her, watching as she sat down on the couch before he sat down next to her. Hesitating for a second, he spared a cautious glance up at her, receiving a little nod in return, before he set his hands at the bottom of her t-shirt, gently guiding it upwards until it exposed the little bump of her stomach.

Emilia just sat quietly, watching as he hesitantly touched her skin, almost afraid that she’d fade away beneath the contact.

“It looked smaller on camera” Lionel whispered quietly.

“Hm?” Emilia asked.

“I couldn’t see your bump properly” Lionel clarified “But now I can” he added, flashing her a small smile.

“Is it worth the flight?” Emilia quipped playfully.

Lionel breathed out a laugh, but didn’t look away from her stomach, his fingertips still tentatively tracing its newly rounder shape. Smiling happily to himself, he allowed his palm to flatten against her stomach before he leant down, pressing a soft kiss to a spot just beside his hand.

Emilia closed her eyes, enjoying the light touch of his lips against her skin, before she lifted her hand, gently pushing her fingertips back through his hair. “Leo?” she whispered gently.

Lionel glanced up, watching as her blue eyes fluttered open, before he gently shook his head. “Not now” he whispered.

Emilia thought about protesting, about telling him that they couldn’t keep not talking about it, but she stopped herself when he turned back to her stomach, kissing it tenderly. She knew that they had a lot to talk about, a lot of things needed figuring out and preferably before their son or daughter made their way into the world, but she couldn’t bring herself to ruin the moment. It clearly meant a lot to him, the hesitation in his touch and the softness in his smile told Emilia that he was more than a little in awe, and she didn’t want to spoil it. If she was honest, it was a moment that she had been hoping to have since she had first found out that she was pregnant with Luca. They were both happy, they were both in love with the idea of the new arrival coming along, and for a second she simply wanted to appreciate it, not wanting to spoil it with worries and stumbling blocks.

Allowing his hair to slip through her fingers, she watched him quietly, feeling his smile against her stomach before he looked up, his dark eyes warm and happy as they met hers. “I know we need to talk” he noted “And I know that we’ve been putting it off, but I just...I just want this moment, OK? We will talk, Em, because we need to, but not right now. Can I have tonight?” he asked.

Emilia smiled back at him gently before she nodded her head. “Of course” she agreed.

“Thank you” Lionel replied “Now, tell me about how you’re feeling. Jordi said something about morning sickness?” he prodded.

Emilia nodded and began to talk while Lionel gently brushed his thumb back and forth over her stomach, a soft smile on his face as he listened to her, enjoying the familiar happiness that spread through him when they were both in the same place.
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Thanks to FootieJo for the comment :)