Like You Did Before

Carefully pushing Matilda’s hair back off of her face, Iker quirked a soft smile, watching as her eyes, which had been fixed on the screen of her laptop, lifted up to meet his, a tender smile curving up the corner of her lips. It was a rare moment of quiet. Lola had been put to bed a couple of hours previous, and the two of them had simply been sat in the same room, preoccupied by their own tasks, but every now and again, Iker would find a reason to touch her or Matilda would lean over and steal a quick kiss, reminding the other that they were still there. Things felt lighter between the two of them. They had needed the morning after their fight, they had needed the opportunity to voice more of the things that were holding them back, and whilst neither of them loved how they’d gotten there, they were glad it had happened. They were better aware of where they stood, of how much they meant to one another, and they were hopeful that it meant that things would finally start to fall into place.

“What was that for?” Matilda asked quietly.

Iker shrugged, retreating to his spot on the couch. “It was falling over your face” he mused “I thought it’d bother you” he added.

Matilda had turned back to her computer, but she glanced up at him briefly, offering him a soft smile.

Iker quietly watched her, marvelling at the concentrated expression on her face as she focussed on the screen, before he gently pushed himself up to his feet. Taking a moment, he stretched before he leant over her, kissing the top of her head gently. “I’m going to head up” he mumbled into her hair “Try not to spend the rest of the night out here, eh?” he teased, flashing her an impish smile.

Matilda shook her head, bumping her glasses up her nose. “I shouldn’t be too far behind you” she mused “I just...” she trailed off when Iker touched a kiss to the corner of her lips, an understanding smile on his face.

“I’ll see you when I see you” Iker mused.

Matilda’s ducked her head, wordlessly thanking him for understanding, before she turned back to her laptop.

Iker paused for a beat in the doorway, taking in the sight of her so content in his living room, before he grinned and walked away.

Matilda listened to his footsteps as they moved up the stairs before she glanced at the doorway he’d vacated, a matching smile brightening her features.

~#~
Closing the door slowly, Matilda glanced sheepishly towards the bed, hoping that she wouldn’t wake Iker. She hadn’t intended to spend as long as she had working, but she had gotten caught up in some reading, meaning she had lost track of time. She was starting to do a little more, even though there was still months before Lola’s first birthday, she was starting to get more involved with the work she had left behind when she’d gone on maternity leave, and it had prompted her and Iker to start searching for a nanny.

Hearing the slight whine of the door’s hinge, Matilda cringed a little before she let go of the handle. Tiptoeing across the room, she made it to her bag before she unzipped it, rifling through it’s contents in search of her pyjamas.

“Mattie?”

Matilda jumped at the sound of Iker’s voice, her head accidentally bumping into the corner of the nightstand. “Crap!” she exclaimed.

Iker was at her side in a flash. Coaxing her towards the side of the bed, he helped her to sit down before he tipped her head forwards, parting her hair gently.

“Is it bleeding?” Matilda asked, flinching when his finger caught the edge of the spot that she had hit.

“No” Iker replied “There’s just a bump. I’ll go and grab you some ice” he added before he ducked out of the room, returning a couple of minutes later with a plastic bag full of ice. Quirking a soft smile, he crouched down beside the bed before he gently settled the icepack on her head.

Matilda let out a little hiss in pain before she shook her head, offering him a teasing glare. “This is what happens when you sneak up on me” she quipped.

Iker scoffed, playing along. “I didn’t sneak up on you” he replied “I was in bed, half asleep. You’re just jumpy because you stayed up working until after midnight” he added.

Matilda’s expression softened, something which made Iker chuckle before he touched a soft kiss to her cheek, wordlessly assuring her that he didn’t care. She had always enjoyed her work and he wasn’t about to tell her that she had to change that. It had always been something he had admired about her. “Why is your stuff still in a bag?” he asked after a moment of quiet.

Matilda, who’d been messing with the waistband of his shorts, lifted her eyes back to his. “Huh?” she asked.

“Your stuff is still in a bag” Iker repeated “Why? You know where the empty drawers are” he added, his voice tinged with a little sadness.

Matilda blinked a couple of times. “Do you want me to move it?” she asked.

Iker’s nod was small, almost shy. “I’d like it to be in the drawers” he admitted.

Matilda’s face brightened with a small, bashful, smile. “You’re not going to get annoyed with me leaving my bras around again, are you?” she asked, her voice caught between soft and teasing.

Iker laughed loudly, something which caused Matilda’s smile to widen. “What?” she prodded “You tripped over one, one time and you never let it go” she added, rolling her eyes dramatically.

Iker just smiled at her. He loved that side of her.

Matilda knew that he was staring at her, but didn’t say anything about it. Lifting her hand, she pried the icepack out from underneath his fingers, keeping it pressed gently against her head. “I...I’ve been meaning to ask for you help with something” she said.

Iker offered her a flirty grin, something which caused Matilda to shake her head, her cheeks pink. “Not that” she noted “I’m thinking about finding a new place. My apartment is pretty small and Lola’s going to need the space when she starts toddling around. I want to buy something rather than rent, and I want somewhere nice. I’d love a garden, I think she would too” she added.

Iker quirked a soft smile before he nodded, confirming that he would be happy to help her. He knew that if he spoke, an invitation to move more than just a bag of her stuff into a few empty drawers would come out and he knew that that wasn’t the time for that.