''Missing someone isn't about how long it's been since you have last seen them or the amount of time it has been since you last talked. It's about that very moment when you are doing something and you wish that they were right there with you.'' Unknown Author
As Derek sat down on the bed in the cold hotel room he felt the headache come up. He had felt it somewhere the entire day and now it was finally poking his head out. He sighed and rubbed his temples for a few minutes. All the built up frustration had apparently become too much, again.
It had started happening more often these last couple of weeks, maybe months. He had tried everything to try to stop them, those terrible pains, but he hadn't found anything effective yet. He laid down on the cold sheets and looked up at the ceilings. He turned his head and looked over at the phone on the bedside table.
He could give it a shot... Derek sat back up again, waited a moment for the dizziness to disappear, and picked up the earpiece. He dialed her number and it only rang twice before he could hear her voice.
''What?!'' Was the first thing he heard. ''Calm down baby girl, it's just me,'' he said with a grin. Her agitated voice immediately changed into a sweet, surprised one, ''well, hello there,'' she said. ''What can I do for you?''
''Nothing, just wanted to talk to you,'' he answered as he laid back down.
''Okay, about what?'' She asked with a frown and a smile.
''Ehm...'' he began, now he had to actually come up with something.
''Wow, did I already make you speechless?'' She asked him and he could hear her chuckle.
''You sure did,'' he answered. What else was he supposed to say?
''So, what's up?'' She asked as she sat back on her bed.
She heard him sigh, ''I just really wanted to hear your voice,'' he admitted. He figured he might as well just tell the truth, somewhere deep down she probably already knew that.
''Really?'' She asked and raised an eyebrow, ''I thought things were getting more serious with that Adriana girl.'' She said; disgusted by the thought of the miss world-like girl Derek was currently dating.
''I don't think she'd be too happy if I'd call her at this hour,'' he said, rubbing the top of his head. The sweet voice of his baby girl was already making the headache disappear.
''So you thought you could call me?'' She asked, pretending to be annoyed. ''I'm your second choice?''
''No, you were my first choice all along,'' he said. Truth be told: he couldn't think of a single reason why he'd want to talk to Adriana. She appeared to be perfect, but she wasn't nice. The 'perfection' on the outside had ruined her on the inside, making her extremely arrogant. The last thing he wanted to listen to right now was her blabbering on about how awesome she was doing and hear details on the last pair of shoes she had bought.
''Well, that's nice to hear,'' she answered with a smile even though he couldn't see it. ''Things not going so well with Adriana?''
''I think I have to end it.''
''Another girl not right? Let me tell you: if you keep going like this you're just going to date half of all the girls in the city, realize they're not perfect enough and then end it. And the other half won't want to date you because off all the things they've heard. This way you'll never meet the right girl,'' she said.
Derek bit down on his lip. What he really wanted to say was: 'I've already met the right girl; she just doesn't know it yet.' And then he could just tell her. ''I guess,'' was what he really said. He couldn't tell her; she didn't feel the same way and it would ruin their friendship. And that was the last thing he wanted.
He wouldn't be able to deal with his job if he didn't have her with him every step of the way, even if it was over the phone most of the time. His headache had even faded away just by hearing her voice. He could feel himself become sleepy and tried to fight it; he didn't want to sleep yet. He wanted to keep talking to her.
He shifted on the bed, trying to get more comfortable.
"Look hot stuff, you're awesome but even you won't find a girl if you're just going to be picky. Adriana is...'' Penny swallowed hard before continuing, ''a great girl. Try to make it work!''
Derek smiled into the phone, ''great advice!'' Penelope could hear the drowsiness in his voice. ''Derek,'' she began. It was best to end the phone call and let him sleep she decided.
''Penelope,'' he said, smiling at the sound of her name. He could feel his eyes closing, ''I love you,'' he said with a grin. There he finally said it; it was out. And when he woke up from this dream she would never know a thing. He could live his life with Adriana; he would take Pen's advice.
Penelope knew he was half asleep and didn't know what he was saying. She knew he was probably already pretty much asleep and thinking he was talking Adriana. ''Look, sweetie I love you too, but you should go to sleep now,'' she said.
''No, I mean I really love you! I love you like crazy. I was told that you are great, which I already knew, and that I should at least try to make things work. So that's what I want to do,'' he said, burying his face a little deeper into the pillow.
Penelope smiled a bittersweet smile. She had just told him that Adriana was great and that he should try to make things work with her. And now he was already dreaming about doing that?
Derek couldn't believe how much easier it was to open up about your feelings when you're dreaming, he could just tell Penelope everything and never have to worry about the consequences. He could ask her to marry him and there wouldn't have to be worried about being rejected, since it was his dream and he could decide the outcome.
''I love you,'' he said in a singing voice as he rolled onto his back, seeing his face in front of him. ''I've wanted to say this for so long and now I finally can!''
Penelope smiled at the sound of happiness in his voice. She hadn't realized things between him and Adriana were that serious.
''You have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen, I love your soft hair. I love the softness of your skin when you hug me. I fell in love with your smile the first moment we met,'' Derek continued, happy that he could finally get this off his chest. ''I loved you even more when you told me you love me too. I felt like the happiest man on earth but I wasn't ready to show it.''
Penelope smiled at the confessions he was making, it was rather amusing. She just hoped she'd one day meet a man that would say those things about her. She could feel jealousness come up, 'ugh, now I'm jealous of Adriana', she thought with a disgusted look on her face.
''I just hate it that you can't see how much I really love you, but I'm happy I can finally tell you now! You know what? We should get married!'' He said. ''As soon as I get home we should get married. We don't need a big wedding; we can just go down to city hall and make it official. Just anything so I can finally show you how much I love you!''
'Wow, he's getting carried away,' Penelope thought as she listened to him blabbering on in a sleepy voice.
''I just want to shout if off of the rooftops: I'm in love with you, Penelope Garcia!'' He said.
'Aww, that's...' Penelope's jaw dropped, ''wait! What?!'' She sat up straight in her bed, barely believing he had just said that. ''Just... what?!''
Derek's eyes flew open and his jaw dropped. His heart was racing, ''did I just say all those things out loud?'' He asked.
''Yeah,'' she answered with one hand clasped over her mouth.
''So I wasn't dreaming all those things? I wasn't saying all those things to you in my dream? I actually said that to you?'' He wanted to slap himself in the face, 'this isn't happening, this isn't happening,' he kept telling himself.
''You really said that to me,'' Penelope said as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and got up. She started walking out the room. 'Derek is in love with me', she thought.
''I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to... I mean...'' Derek muttered, not quite sure how to explain it.
Penelope listened to him over the phone, keeping a tight grip on it as she sat back down on the side of the bed. She could feel a smile grow on her face and a tear run down her cheek.
''I'm not sure how to... ehm...'' Derek tried to take a deep breath but it was kind of shaky. ''Penelope, I'm so sorry! I...''
''I love you too,'' she interrupted him.
''You don't understand... I don't just love you, I'm in love with you!'' He said, trying his best to explain it to her. ''I'm sorry; I thought I was talking to you in my dreams.''
''I thought you were talking about Adriana,'' she said quietly.
''I'd never want to marry her!'' Derek quickly said before realizing it, ''oh my God! I asked you to marry me! I can't believe I...'' Derek sighed as he rubbed his eyes. How could he admit that?
''Is that true? Do you really want to marry me?'' Penelope asked softly.
Derek took a deep breath. He wasn't sure if she was ready for the truth but he couldn't deny it now, ''yeah.''
Penelope smiled, ''what else do you want?''
Derek's jaw slightly dropped. It certainly wasn't the answer he had expected, ''I just want us. Everything else is negotiable,'' he said.
''A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and man cannot live without love.'' Max Muller
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