Like You Did Before
69: What Are You Waiting For?
Lazily tracing his fingers across Matilda’s warm skin, Iker allowed his eyes to fluttered closed, comforted by the feel of the bump beneath his fingertips. He couldn’t help himself. With Matilda’s first pregnancy having fallen when things between them were at their worst, there’d been a distance between him and Matilda that had caused him to curb his excitement throughout her pregnancy, but the second time around, things were completely different, meaning that he could make the fuss he had wanted to make when Matilda had been pregnant with Lola. He’d always wanted to be excited. It was no secret that when he and Matilda had first been together, he had seen a future with her, and when she had told him that she expecting, he’d been elated. It had been complicated, and getting to where they were then hadn’t been easy, but he didn’t have regrets. They had Lola, and in a matter of months, they’d have another baby to adore.
“Where’s Lola?”
Iker’s lips quirked upwards, but he didn’t open his eyes. “Sleeping” he answered “I checked on her when I got up” he added.
Matilda moved beneath the quilt, her lips curling into a sleepy smile. “Is that your hand?” she mumbled, her hand settling on top of the quilt, covering Iker’s which was tucked beneath her pyjama shirt.
“What else would it be?” Iker countered amusedly.
Matilda allowed her head to loll to the side, her blue eyes fluttering open to look at him. “You know we’re both OK, right?” she asked softly.
Iker turned his head to meet her stare. “I know” he confirmed “I’m just...I don’t know, making up for lost time?” he asked, letting out a slightly bashful laugh.
Matilda smiled at him softly before she tilted her head towards him, lightly brushing her lips over his. “You know you’re welcome to fuss about our little bump whenever you want to” she said quietly.
Iker tipped his head forwards, keeping their foreheads in contact for a moment before the sound of Lola’s crying filled the air, causing him to huff out a slightly rueful laugh. “I’ll get her” he said, reluctantly moving to his feet.
“It’s for the best” Matilda mused as she slowly sat up “My parents will be here soon” she added.
Iker blinked at her, causing Matilda to giggle softly. “You spoke to my papa” she announced “You wanted to do dinner, but he’s busy at the restaurant all week, so he suggested coming over for brunch. You made those plans. Did you forget about them?” she asked, making no attempt to hide how amused she was.
Iker opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, trying to come up with an excuse, before he shook his head, letting out an embarrassed laugh. “I had completely forgotten about that” he mused “Why did we make those plans?” he asked.
Matilda, who was stretching out her back, let out a huffed laugh, pointing to her stomach. “We need to tell them sooner rather than later” she mused “I’m barely twelve weeks gone, and there’s already a bump. I think if we leave it much longer, they’re going to think we just didn’t want to tell them” she added.
Iker heard the anxiety in her voice, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he padded around the bed and wrapped his arms around her. Flattening his palms over her stomach, he cradled the small bump that was there before he placed a soft kiss just below Matilda’s ear, something which caused her to exhale a contented sigh. “I love this” she murmured “I love you” she added.
Iker smiled against her skin. “I love you, too” he replied.
~#~
“I think they’re calming down a little”
Iker, who’d been wiping over a glass before he placed it into the dishwasher, let out a surprised curse as it slipped out of his hand, hitting the side of the sink with a quiet smash.
Luis, who’d stepped into the doorway, couldn’t stop himself from chuckling.
Iker stared forlornly at the broken glass for a moment before he shook his head, reaching for the towel on the side. “Is everything OK?” he asked.
“Everything is great” Luis replied “I mean, Adrienne has almost stopped crying completely, but it might take Matilda a little longer because of the hormones. I just thought I’d let you know that we’ve had our moment” he added, sending the other man a pointed look.
Adrienne and Matilda hadn’t noticed. As soon as Lola had toddled into the room wearing a t-shirt that announced that she was going to be a big sister, it had descended into excited chaos, and in the midst of it, Luis had noticed Iker duck out, something he wanted to rectify. They weren’t overly close. The way that things had gone the first time around between Iker and Matilda had meant that there was a distance between Iker and Matilda’s parents that wasn’t likely to be closed, but Luis wanted to show Iker that he and his wife understood what he meant to their daughter. He was what made her happy, and for as long as that was the case, then they wanted Iker to feel comfortable with them. He was a part of Matilda’s family, and by extension, part of theirs too.
The tops of Iker’s cheeks flushed a light shade of pink. “Luis...”
“We want to celebrate with you, too” Luis interrupted “I know things were kind of fraught when Lola came along, and I don’t blame you for still being a little wary, but a lot has changed since then. This is wonderful news, Iker, and I want you to know that we’re happy about the pregnancy, but also that it’s your child. You’re an amazing father to Lola, so we know that this little one is going to be lucky to have you” he added, his voice warm.
For a moment, all Iker could do was stare at Matilda’s father, something which made Luis chuckle before he turned on his heel, moving to step out of the doorway.
“I have a ring” The words were out of Iker’s mouth before he could stop them.
Luis stopped, smirking to himself for a moment before he turned around to look at Iker.
Iker’s eyes were wide, like the words he had said had surprised himself.
“What are you waiting for, then?” Luis chirped “Get on with it and ask her. We both know what she’ll say” he added with a warm grin before he disappeared down the hall.
Iker let out a nervous laugh before he turned back to the sink. Staring into the water, he closed his eyes for a moment before he nodded his head, wordlessly confirming to himself that the time was right.
“Where’s Lola?”
Iker’s lips quirked upwards, but he didn’t open his eyes. “Sleeping” he answered “I checked on her when I got up” he added.
Matilda moved beneath the quilt, her lips curling into a sleepy smile. “Is that your hand?” she mumbled, her hand settling on top of the quilt, covering Iker’s which was tucked beneath her pyjama shirt.
“What else would it be?” Iker countered amusedly.
Matilda allowed her head to loll to the side, her blue eyes fluttering open to look at him. “You know we’re both OK, right?” she asked softly.
Iker turned his head to meet her stare. “I know” he confirmed “I’m just...I don’t know, making up for lost time?” he asked, letting out a slightly bashful laugh.
Matilda smiled at him softly before she tilted her head towards him, lightly brushing her lips over his. “You know you’re welcome to fuss about our little bump whenever you want to” she said quietly.
Iker tipped his head forwards, keeping their foreheads in contact for a moment before the sound of Lola’s crying filled the air, causing him to huff out a slightly rueful laugh. “I’ll get her” he said, reluctantly moving to his feet.
“It’s for the best” Matilda mused as she slowly sat up “My parents will be here soon” she added.
Iker blinked at her, causing Matilda to giggle softly. “You spoke to my papa” she announced “You wanted to do dinner, but he’s busy at the restaurant all week, so he suggested coming over for brunch. You made those plans. Did you forget about them?” she asked, making no attempt to hide how amused she was.
Iker opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, trying to come up with an excuse, before he shook his head, letting out an embarrassed laugh. “I had completely forgotten about that” he mused “Why did we make those plans?” he asked.
Matilda, who was stretching out her back, let out a huffed laugh, pointing to her stomach. “We need to tell them sooner rather than later” she mused “I’m barely twelve weeks gone, and there’s already a bump. I think if we leave it much longer, they’re going to think we just didn’t want to tell them” she added.
Iker heard the anxiety in her voice, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he padded around the bed and wrapped his arms around her. Flattening his palms over her stomach, he cradled the small bump that was there before he placed a soft kiss just below Matilda’s ear, something which caused her to exhale a contented sigh. “I love this” she murmured “I love you” she added.
Iker smiled against her skin. “I love you, too” he replied.
~#~
“I think they’re calming down a little”
Iker, who’d been wiping over a glass before he placed it into the dishwasher, let out a surprised curse as it slipped out of his hand, hitting the side of the sink with a quiet smash.
Luis, who’d stepped into the doorway, couldn’t stop himself from chuckling.
Iker stared forlornly at the broken glass for a moment before he shook his head, reaching for the towel on the side. “Is everything OK?” he asked.
“Everything is great” Luis replied “I mean, Adrienne has almost stopped crying completely, but it might take Matilda a little longer because of the hormones. I just thought I’d let you know that we’ve had our moment” he added, sending the other man a pointed look.
Adrienne and Matilda hadn’t noticed. As soon as Lola had toddled into the room wearing a t-shirt that announced that she was going to be a big sister, it had descended into excited chaos, and in the midst of it, Luis had noticed Iker duck out, something he wanted to rectify. They weren’t overly close. The way that things had gone the first time around between Iker and Matilda had meant that there was a distance between Iker and Matilda’s parents that wasn’t likely to be closed, but Luis wanted to show Iker that he and his wife understood what he meant to their daughter. He was what made her happy, and for as long as that was the case, then they wanted Iker to feel comfortable with them. He was a part of Matilda’s family, and by extension, part of theirs too.
The tops of Iker’s cheeks flushed a light shade of pink. “Luis...”
“We want to celebrate with you, too” Luis interrupted “I know things were kind of fraught when Lola came along, and I don’t blame you for still being a little wary, but a lot has changed since then. This is wonderful news, Iker, and I want you to know that we’re happy about the pregnancy, but also that it’s your child. You’re an amazing father to Lola, so we know that this little one is going to be lucky to have you” he added, his voice warm.
For a moment, all Iker could do was stare at Matilda’s father, something which made Luis chuckle before he turned on his heel, moving to step out of the doorway.
“I have a ring” The words were out of Iker’s mouth before he could stop them.
Luis stopped, smirking to himself for a moment before he turned around to look at Iker.
Iker’s eyes were wide, like the words he had said had surprised himself.
“What are you waiting for, then?” Luis chirped “Get on with it and ask her. We both know what she’ll say” he added with a warm grin before he disappeared down the hall.
Iker let out a nervous laugh before he turned back to the sink. Staring into the water, he closed his eyes for a moment before he nodded his head, wordlessly confirming to himself that the time was right.