Can’t Look Away

93: I Think You’ll Have To Take Some Credit

Leaning out of her seat, Sasha placed her glass down onto the coffee table, her eyes not leaving the tiny screen of her phone as she gently reclined backwards into the cushions. She should have been sleeping. The party that had followed the wedding had lasted well into the night, and with everyone having headed home for the night, she knew that she should have been eager to follow Lionel up to bed, but she hadn’t shared in his exhaustion. She was still excited, too happy to let the day end, and when James had sent through the rough footage from the wedding itself, she had found herself unable to resist looking at it immediately. It was blur of excitement and tears. She could vaguely remember walking up the aisle, and the way that Lionel had smiled when he’d seen her for the first time, but in the moment, she had just been desperate to get through it. She didn’t know that she could have handled things going wrong for a second time.

Pressing her finger against the screen of her phone, she scrolled back through the footage slightly before she allowed it to play again, her expression lit up with a sleepy smile as she watched Lionel dip towards her, pressing his lips to hers in their first kiss as husband and wife.

“Look, we’ve found mama”

Sasha let out a soft squeak in surprise before she turned around, watching as Lionel padded into the room, Arlo grumbling in his arms. Blinking a couple of times, she glanced towards the baby monitor that she had left on the coffee table, before she frowned. “I didn’t hear him” she said.

“He didn’t cry” Lionel said “I turned over, and saw that he was getting ready to, so I got to him before he could. Though, I think he was kind of disappointed that I am not you. It’s about his feeding time, isn’t it?” he added.

Sasha’s eyes snapped up towards the clock on the wall, a slightly sheepish laugh falling out of her mouth. She knew that she had been there for a while, but she was surprised by how long it had actually been.

Lionel’s lips quirked up into an amused smile as he slipped into the seat next to her. Without a word, he carefully settled Arlo into his mother’s arms before he pried the phone out of Sasha’s hand. Turning it over, he glanced down at the screen, his expression caught somewhere between soft and surprised. “Is that us?” he murmured softly.

“James sent me the video he took” Sasha replied as she started to feed Arlo “I thought I’d watch it through, see if there was anything I’d missed” she added.

Lionel let out a soft laugh. “We’ve been married for less than twelve hours. How could you have forgotten it already?” he asked.

“I wasn’t really focussed on much else than getting through it” Sasha said “I mean, I don’t what I would have done if something had gone wrong” she added with a small, rueful, shake of her head.

“We’d made sure that nothing could” Lionel quipped “Cassie was prepared to drag Leila out kicking and screaming if it came to it” he added.

Sasha smiled softly, her fingers gently moving through the dark hair on Arlo’s head. “Why’d you do it?” she asked after a moment of quiet.

Lionel, who’d been watching the video on her phone, blinked a couple of times before he turned to look at her. “Do what?” he asked.

“Today” Sasha clarified “Why did you do it?” she asked again.

“Because you were right. We’d already done the waiting” Lionel replied “We’d had our hearts set on a day that didn’t happen, and I didn’t really want to do it again, I just...I thought that we had to. I thought we needed time to get things perfect. It wasn’t until your mother pointed that you were only excited about our wedding plans because they were ours that I realised that we didn’t. As long as it was me and you...” he trailed off, flashing her a slightly bashful smile.

Sasha marvelled at him for a moment, caught on how much she adored his smile, before she shook her head, smiling softly down at Arlo. “I still can’t quite believe that you managed to keep it a secret” she mused “I mean, you told the two worst people you could when it comes to keeping secrets. Cassie’s never been able to lie to me, and my mother, she’s even worse” she added.

“I think I kind of won her over with how romantic I was being” Lionel chirped.

Sasha’s head settled back against the sofa cushions, her eyes blinking sleepily. “It really was wonderful” she cooed.

“That was more Cassie and Carina, than me” Lionel said.

Sasha shook her head. “I don’t believe that for a second” she mused “Mostly because, in an attempt to keep from asking when she and Aiden are going to follow suit, Cassie spent most of the evening going on about how wonderful you are. My mother said something pretty similar, too, so I think you’re probably going to have to take some of the credit” she added, the last few words jumbled by a yawn.

Lionel gently leant forwards, scooping Arlo out of Sasha’s arms before he pressed a soft kiss against her forehead. “I’m glad it was everything you wanted it to be” he murmured “That’s really all I wanted. I wanted you to be happy” he added.

Sasha’s nose gently nudged his before she pressed her lips to his. “I’d have done it anywhere, any time, if it was with you” she murmured.

“I know” Lionel replied “That’s not bad for the guy you decided you weren’t going to kiss before our first date even started” he teased.

The laugh that Sasha let out was bright and happy. “You won me over eventually” she played along “And now you can have as many kisses as you like, for as long as you like” she added, smiling up at him sleepily.

Lionel leant into her again, pressing three soft kisses against her lips, before he moved upwards, pressing one to her nose and to her forehead. “Sounds good to me” he murmured.

Sasha let out a contented sigh, her eyes closing for a beat, before Lionel gently nudged her shoulder. “Come on” he coaxed “You need to get some sleep” he added.

Sasha thought about arguing, but opted against it, allowing Lionel to pull her to her feet before they padded up the stairs, hand in hand.
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Thanks to Twisted;;Symphony for the comment :)