Can’t Look Away

Scratching the back of his head sleepily, Lionel ambled down the stairs of Sasha’s house, the distant sound of her alarm still blaring somewhere behind him. She had warned him that she had set it. When he’d playfully told her the night before that he was too tired to drive home, she had retorted by warning him that she had an appointment with a new mum early in the morning, but he had insisted that it would be fine. They didn’t often get the chance to spend a whole night together, and when the opportunities arose, he was prepared to take them however they came.

Stifling a yawn in his hand, he shuffled into the kitchen, only to startle slightly when he caught sight of Cassie and a handsome man eating breakfast at the counter. “I didn’t think you were here” he said “Sasha said...were you here when we went to bed last night?” he asked.

Cassie shook her head, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. “I wasn’t” she confirmed “I needed to get changed for work, so I came back this morning. Has Sasha not mentioned our rule?” she prodded, sparing a deliberate glance down at his chest.

Lionel spluttered, the tops of his cheeks flushing pink. He knew that his t-shirt was currently sat on the floor beside Sasha’s bed. “She has” he confirmed “I just...I didn’t know that we had company” he added.

Cassie glanced up at the man next to her, her smile growing slightly shier, before she turned back to Lionel. “This is Nolan” she mused “My boyfriend. Nolan, this is Leo. You’ve not met my room-mate yet, but this is her boyfriend” she added.

Nolan stood from his seat, extending his hand to Lionel with a warm grin. “It’s good to meet you” he mused.

Lionel shook his hand, returning the warm smile. “You, too” he replied.

“Leo?”

Lionel turned around at the sound of Sasha’s voice, smiling softly as she shuffled into the kitchen, his t-shirt on. “Your alarm finally stirred you, then?” he quipped “I thought I was going to have to bring coffee up to you, and you know I keep forgetting how you take it” he added.

They were settled. After he’d met her parents a few weeks previous, their relationship had settled into a comfortable routine, and Lionel was enjoying it. He liked learning about her. When Sasha was comfortable, she was bright and talkative, and he loved learning little things about her and hearing stories about her and her friends, even if he had yet to meet most of them. He liked watching her open herself up to him more and more.

“No sugar, and the smallest splash of milk” Cassie quipped impishly.

Sasha, who’d been sleepily glaring at Lionel, tilted her head slightly, her eyes widening a fraction at the sight of Cassie and Nolan at the counter. “What are you doing here?” she spluttered.

“I live here” Cassie retorted with a wide smile “I can’t believe you let your boyfriend ignore our rules when I am not around” she added, rolling her eyes exaggeratedly.

Sasha’s stare bounced around the room, moving from Cassie, to Lionel, before it finally settled on Nolan, causing her to squeak embarrassedly as she tried, and failed, to pull Lionel’s shirt down her thighs a little more. “Cassie!” she protested “Where was the warning?” she added.

“I texted” Cassie replied “I told you to be decent because I was on my way home. It’s not my fault you didn’t look at your phone” she added, trying, and failing, to keep the laughter out of her voice.

Sasha’s cheeks flushed pink as she shook her head, offering Nolan an embarrassed smile. “Sorry” she said “It’s still too early for me” she added.

Nolan waved a hand, dismissing her apology. “Don’t worry about it” he mused “I told Cassie to call” he added, sparing Cassie a playful look.

Cassie rolled her eyes, but her smile grew shier again. “Sasha, this is Nolan” she mused “This is Sasha, my room-mate, and my best friend. Please, don’t hate each other” she added.

Nolan laughed softly before he held a hand out to Sasha, allowing her to shake it gently before she smiled up at him. “It’s good to finally meet you” she mused “I hope Cassie’s warned you about how terrible I am at first impressions” she added teasingly.

Nolan grinned. “She might have mentioned it” he quipped “But she also told me that I’d never regret getting to know you, so...” he trailed off with a playful shrug.

“You won’t” Lionel quipped, placing a mug of coffee into Sasha’s hands and touching a light kiss to her temple.

Sasha smiled down at the mug, the pink of her cheeks darkening a shade.

“Do you two have time for breakfast?” Cassie prodded “I mean, maybe after you’ve given Leo his shirt back, Sasha. Do you have time?” she asked.

Sasha glanced up at the clock on the kitchen wall before she nodded her head. “I don’t need to be in the shower for a bit yet” she mused “Just let us go and get changed, and then we’d be happy to join you. I can’t wait to show Nolan the pictures from your birthday party last year” she chirped as she took a hold of Lionel’s hand, guiding him out of the room as Cassie protested.

Giggling, they progressed back up the stairs before they re-entered Sasha’s bedroom. Once the door had been pushed closed, she peeled off his t-shirt and tossed it towards him before she picked up her pyjama shirt, pulling it over her head.

Lionel watched her for a moment before he shook his head, moving to collect his t-shirt from the bed. “Nolan seems nice” he quipped.

Sasha nodded, running a brush through her hair. “He does” she confirmed “I’m glad I’ve finally got to meet him. Cassie’s been talking about him for a while now” she added.

Lionel padded towards her, touching another light kiss to her temple. “I’ll see you down there” he mused.

Sasha smiled at him via the mirror in front of her.

Lionel kissed her cheek softly before he padded out of the room, tugging the door to behind him.

Sasha busied herself for a few more minutes, smoothing out her hair and pulling a hoodie around her shoulders, but before she had the chance to leave the room, her phone buzzed in its spot on the end table. Letting out a light sigh, she walked back across the room and picked it up, reading the text from her brother which lit up the screen. It was an invitation to dinner, a family dinner, and he had insisted that she bring Lionel with her, a request which was enough to cause the good feeling in her stomach to fade and be replaced by a familiar nervous ache. He’d met them all. Her parents, James, Ellie, Olivier and Leila, Lionel had spent time with each of them, but still the thought of them all being in the same place worried her. She had no idea how Leila would react, how Olivier or Lionel would react, and she worried about finding out.

Shaking her head, she texted James back, insisting that she needed to talk to Lionel about it, before she left the phone behind and left the room, wanting to focus on that morning and getting to know Nolan.