(This is my first ONCE fanfic so forgive me if it doesn't quite suit your fan needs. The narrator in this story is never revealed. So it's up to you to decide for yourself who exactly is wooing our favorite therapist. Let me know what you guys think! Good day (or night) to all!)

Disclaimer: I do not own ONCE nor any characters in the show.

My Happy Ending

I feel so nervous as I move forward to sit in his lap, my knees resting on either side of his hips. My hands rest against his neck as his hands move almost instinctively to my waist, gently holding me in place. I can feel his pulse quickening under his collar as I listen to his breathing become more shallow, telling me he's just as nervous as I am. I want to reassure him just as he's done for me so many times before when I felt insecure or afraid. I want him to know that it's okay.

We can move at whatever pace we feel comfortable with. We can explore what we want and stop at anytime. It's the least I can do for the man who had done so much for me and the people of this town. So I press a little closer to him as I gently take his soft lips. For a moment he's still, as if savoring the moment, until he begins to move his lips against mine. My heart skips a beat, the way it always does when we kiss, and I breathe in his comforting scent. It relaxes my beating heart and my hands move to cup his face as one of his hands moves to the small of my back.

I can feel that familiar want for him rise in me as my tongue ghosts his lips as if asking for permission to move further. I want to see more of him, feel all of him, feel his touch against my skin, feel his warmth mingle with mine. Before I was able to contain myself, hold it all in even if it hurt, because I never wanted him to feel uncomfortable or give him any more than he could handle. I knew he deserved more than that, but being with him now after everything we've been through, I can only he hope he never tells me to stop. As strong as I've been, as strong as I can be, my resolve can only last so long, especially when it comes to this wonderful man.

Archibald Hopper... I would hate to ever put him in a position he didn't want to be in, but denying myself him again and holding it all in would drive me insane. I guess I should consider myself lucky for falling in love with a therapist. He opens his mouth just a little to allow me passage and I breathe a quiet moan as I savor his taste. It's like tasting memories.

Memories of searching so long for a man like him to bring light into my life and love me without condition or judgement despite the mistakes I've made and the regrets I still carry. It's all I can do to keep from tearing off his clothes as his one hand moves behind my neck, his fingers entwining in my hair, while the other rests on my thigh. I try to control myself, but my hands act against me as one carefully removes his glasses and places them on his bedside table and the other begins to loosen his tie. His lips stop moving and he pulls back, looking at me a bit hesitantly. I wonder if he wants to stop and at the same time, I hope that he doesn't.

"I... I've never... done this before." He tells me between breaths. I stroke his face for a moment, looking into those beautiful eyes that always seem to gaze into my soul, piercing past whatever defenses I put up until I feel vulnerable. Yet his voice brings a comfort that makes me yearn to feel like that in a way that I never knew I could. Before him, feeling vulnerable never felt so amazing.

"It's okay." I speak softly as I smile reassuringly, "Just relax and let me help you for a change."

His expression becomes unreadable as I take his lips again. I keep waiting for him to pull back again, to gently push me away or tell me to stop, but he returns my kiss with a reserved passion that I hadn't felt from him before. It only drives me past the point of logic and reason as I undo his tie and toss it aside, my hands working on the buttons to his shirt. His hand on my thigh moves up to stroke my hip and pull at the hem of my shirt as I trail heated kisses down his neck to his shoulder. I suckle and gently bite at the skin as I pull his shirt off, earning a soft moan from him as he moves to pull my shirt over my head.

He tosses my shirt aside and our lips connect again as one hand moves behind my head, entangling in my hair, and the other strokes my now bare stomach. My hands stroke his chest, feeling, massaging and touching every exposed inch as if I'm trying to put it to memory. His fingertips exploring my curves ignite a fire in me that I never felt with anyone else before, making me grind my hips against his. This elicits a groan from him as his hand on my stomach travels to my lower back to support my weight as he moves us onto the bed until he's laying above me, our lips never parting. I let out a slight gasp as he moves his hips against mine, his fingers toying with the straps of my bra.

I feel as if my hands can't move fast enough as I feverishly fumble with his belt, wanting to see him just as he was about to see me. Just as he always sees me. Exposed and vulnerable... He's the only man who could ever make me want to feel that way and even turn it into something incredible. Just like this...

...

I pant against his shoulder, trying to catch my breath as the waves of bliss ebb and flow between us, slowly fading into sweet oblivion. I can feel his hot breath against my neck as he nuzzles my face for a moment before pressing his lips against my cheek. I move my face to the side to catch his lips again as he removes himself and lays on his side, taking me with him in his arms. No words are spoken between us as he turns off the light and pulls the covers over us. I feel like no words are needed, laying there in his embrace, my leg still draped around his hip, and breathing softly against his chest.

He kisses my forehead and strokes my side gently as exhaustion takes over and we both drift off into a deep sleep. Whatever happens from here on out, I know I'll never regret this moment and somehow I know he won't either. If the world ended tomorrow, I would die at his side knowing in my heart that this moment, this little moment here being wrapped in his warmth...

...would be my happy ending.

Fin.

(Thank you for the taking the time to read this! I hope you enjoyed it! Please be sure to leave a review! I've also been considering making a more M-rated version of this story. Let me know if you'd like me to or if I should just leave this as is. Thanks again!)