Lean on Me

Part Two - Chapter Twenty-Five: Looking after Fernando

Cassidy smiled relieved as her mother put the twins into the car, the brunette had called her parents to take the twins for the day while she looked after her husband; she had never believed in man-flu until now.

"Thanks for doing this," Cassidy said softly smiling smiled at the twins, they had both recovered well from the bout of illness and while their father was still tucked up in bed, they were going to spend the weekend with Cassidy's parents to give their mother a break.

"It's fine," the older woman hugged her daughter knowing that the brunette had been running herself ragged with looking after the twins and her fiancé; it wouldn't surprise Andrea if Cassidy fell ill next having been around a lot of people who had been.

Cassidy pulled back from her mother, she didn't know what she would have done if her mother hadn't of called to take the twins for the weekend; her sister had moved into a new apartment that Fernando had provided for her since she hadn't wanted to get under her sister's family's feet for longer than she needed to.

"So I'll bring the twins back Monday morning," Andrea said with a smile, she had no doubt in her mind that Fernando was sat upstairs sulking; he'd been tucked up in bed since he had fallen ill two days earlier, his cold had made the footballer a little clingy with his fiancée.

Cassidy nodded her head, she had never been away from the twins for more than a few hours and she knew that this was only practice for when she went on her honeymoon with Fernando without them for a week.

"Don't look so worried, it'll be fine," Andrea said knowing that her eldest daughter was a little nervous to be without the twins, she kissed her daughter's cheek.

***

"Here you are," Cassidy said walking into the bedroom, she grinned at the sight of Fernando curled up in bed; he was wrapped up in the bed sheet and was wearing a warm set of pyjamas that the brunette had gotten him for Christmas.

Fernando snuffled as he wiped his red nose, he looked at his fiancée with a weak smile as she handed him some Cocido madrileño; it was a chickpea-based stew from Madrid and Flori had sent it to her when she had heard Fernando was ill.

"How are you feeling?" Cassidy asked setting the tray on Fernando's lap, she glanced at his empty glass; she sighed as she straightened up, she moved to collect the glass before Fernando stopped her.

Fernando rested his hand carefully on her arm, he looked at her pleadingly as she looked at him confused; he knew that he had been clingy for the last few days and he hoped that she didn't mind.

"Por favor," Fernando said gently as he sniffled, he felt like he was dying and wanted nothing more than to curl up with Cassidy for a few hours; his long brown hair stuck to his warm head making him uncomfortable.

Cassidy sighed as she leant forward and pressed a kiss to his head, she knew what he wanted and she was more than happy to give it to him.

"Let me get you another drink and then I'll curl up in bed with you," Cassidy said making Fernando smile at her weakly, he nodded his head as he turned his attention to the soup; he frowned in distaste, he hadn't been able to really taste anything that morning and he was a little disappointed.

Cassidy collected the glass and smiled as Fernando tried some of the stew, she knew that he was a little upset that he was ill; they hadn't had Nora and Leo around since the week before the twins fell ill.

Olalla hadn't wanted her children to catch anything from the twins and she had even been a little smug when Fernando had fallen ill; she was refusing to even let Nora and Leo speak with their father to wish him well.

Cassidy headed downstairs to get Fernando another drink, she knew that he was missing his children but there was little she could do against Olalla's wishes.

Cassidy quickly poured Fernando a drink and headed back upstairs, she knew that there was little she could do since it was nothing more than the common cold.

***

"Gracias," Fernando murmured cuddling against him, her fingers running through his hair as Cassidy watched the television; she knew that he had missed having her to himself and now that they were alone, he seemed more relaxed.

"It's okay... you sound better," Cassidy said continuing to trace her fingers through his hair, he nodded his head; he did feel a little better and he knew that in a couple of days, he would be expected back at training after this weekend.

Fernando made a small noise of contentment as he closed his eyes, he couldn't wait to call her his wife and he wished that he had more time with her; he loved being a father and football was his life right now but he didn't have a lot of time with Cassidy and he hated it.

"I love you," Fernando said opening his brown eyes, he felt a little better having her with him now; he looked at Cassidy as he thought about how much she meant to him and what he would do for her.

"I love you too, now get some sleep," Cassidy said pressing a kiss to his cheek, she smiled as he cuddled closer to her warm body; he sniffled as he held her close as he looked at her as he thought about something.

Cassidy turned her attention to the television, she knew that in a couple of days he would feel better and then he would be fine; she doubted that when he woke up tomorrow that he would want to spend the day in bed.

"Elope with me?" Fernando said softly before he coughed, she had spent a lot of time planning their wedding day but he couldn't resist asking her; she was the woman that he loved and wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Cassidy blinked in shocked looking at Fernando, she stared wondering if she had heard him right or if she had imagined him saying something about eloping; she swallowed as her fiancé gazed at her waiting to see what she would say.

"You want us to elope?" Cassidy asked looking at him, she watched as he nodded his head and shifted nervously; the brunette wondered what had made him say something like that, they already had their wedding booked for June and now he wanted them to elope.

Fernando took one of Cassidy's hands and kissed it, he knew that he would give anything to have her as his wife and he wasn't sure if he could wait another five and a half months to call her that.

"We'd still have the main wedding in June for our friends and family but I don't think I can wait five and a half months to call you my wife," Fernando explained, he swallowed as he reached over to take his drink from the bedside table; he sipped on it as he looked at Cassidy.

Cassidy watched him as she considered what he had said, she knew how much this meant to Fernando and she wasn't sure that she had it in her to say no; she sighed as she looked at her engagement ring in thought.

"I will consider it..." Cassidy said carefully, she didn't want to make him a promise about anything until she had thought if through; she knew that it was something that she would have to seriously think about.