A/N: Hola peeps! I'm back with another oneshot. Title is lame I know, but refers to the fluff overload in this story :) I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did writing it. And remember I'd love to hear what you think of it! Don't really know how well I captured them in this... it's so hard to write stuff about the finale. I mean who knows what happened after that light. Maybe nothing, but the Jater in me likes to imagine that something like this happened :) anyway... enough rambling from me!
Disclaimer: As usual I don't own a thing... except my imagination and the many mistakes ;)
Gut-wrenchingly Glorious.
She can't take her eyes off of him - can't believe the love of her life is sitting next to her, close and real. She barely registers the echo of the church doors behind them, only tearing her eyes away to take in the light that spills into the room. It envelops them, warm and bright and they lock gazes again. It's not blinding but she still feels compelled to close her eyes. She leans her head on his shoulder and waits, ready and excited, for whatever comes next.
When Kate opened her eyes again, it felt like waking up from a much needed deep sleep. She felt a little disorientated as she blinked against the sunlight streaming in from familiar windows. The faint sounds of crashing waves filtered through the windows and a warm summer breeze made the sheer curtains billow and Kate slowly realized she was in her old house. She was wrapped in white soft sheets; lying on her bed in the bedroom she'd never stopped thinking of as theirs. Her breath caught in her throat and for a terrifying split second she feared that it had just been a dream...
A gut-wrenchingly glorious dream.
But the warm weight of his hand still entwined with hers stilled her racing heart and she turned to see him lying beside her, fast asleep with a serene smile on his face. A soul-deep happiness took flight in her heart at the sight of him and her own smile was instantaneous.
It was the same happiness running through her when she saw him again for the first time in a lifetime. Really saw him. Remembered him. It had taken all of Kate's strength not to run to him and fling her arms around him and never let go. But somehow it had been enough just to see him again. To hear his voice and see his smile had been like a balm to her bruised soul. Seeing him again, alive and well had washed away any fear or uncertainty about the unknown they were about to face. He would remember like she did. He would understand and they would face it together. And in the end her patience had been rewarded. She would never forget the way he had looked at her when they were reunited again in the church; as if he'd been drowning and she was his air. His eyes had been lit with an unimaginable joy, the same joy that had enveloped her. Taking his hand in hers had felt like coming home.
Looking at him now it still felt like that. With their entwined hands still between them, Kate scooted closer to Jack and tentatively reached out to stroke his cheek with the back of her free hand. His smile widened slightly in his sleep at her touch and an almost inaudible sigh escaped him. She continued to trace his features, reacquainting herself with the feeling of his skin beneath hers, running her fingertips through his soft hair, along the curve of his ear, along his jaw line. The gratitude she felt for having him back, for finally being together again was immeasurable. Her life had never been the same without him and if he ever asked about it she wouldn't lie. She had been miserable at first. Trying to move on and be happy after the island… after she lost him was the hardest thing she had ever had to do. But she had never let him or their love fade from her heart. She had carried the memory of him and all that he had given her, with her all her life.
And somewhere hidden deep inside her there was a part of her that had never lost hope that she'd see him again. It was the same part of her that couldn't deny the supernatural things she had seen on the island. The same part that did believe in destiny. The part of her that had believed in fairy tales and happy endings as a child.
But never in her long life had she believed that a place like this could be. A place where death and time didn't matter, only love did. A place where she and Jack could be together and have the life they had always wanted. They could be who ever they wanted to be, do whatever they wanted to do and go wherever they wanted to go. They would be forever young and madly in love. Forever free of misery, monsters and the island.
Jack stirred in his sleep, distracting her from her reverie. She brought their entangled hands close to her, wrapping his hand in both of hers and brushed his knuckles with her lips, planting a soft kiss there. His eyes fluttered open in response and after a moment of confusion, they settled on her, warm and inviting as ever. The smile on his face stretched into a grin as understanding dawned on him.
"Hi." She whispered, planting another kiss on the hand still wrapped in hers.
"Hey." He replied his voice as soft and low as hers.
He pulled her slightly closer, his free hand reaching out to tuck a wayward curl back behind her ear, a gesture so natural, so familiar it made her ache. She leaned into his touch and put her hand over his, keeping it there. She closed her eyes, taking it all in, breathing him in.
Opening her eyes again, he was still looking at her, the love in his eyes making her own smile stretch wide. It was real, but still so hard to fathom.
"I've missed you so much Jack." She admitted to him again, unable to keep it all in.
A shadow passed over his features, his smile fading. He looked away for a second, taking a deep breath as if he was fighting tears. And Kate knew exactly what he would say. She didn't need his apologies. They both did what they had to do; she wouldn't hold that against him. Not now, not ever. She wasn't going to waste this… this chance to be together forever with regrets and tears of grief. Now was the time to be truly happy. To forgive and move on
He looked at her again, the pain in his eyes taking her breath away, and she realised that he needed to say it, despite her not needing to hear it, so she let him.
"I'm… I am so sorry… I never wanted things to turn out the way they did." He told her, his voice low and earnest, his eyes desperately imploring for her to understand.
"I know, it's okay Jack… I know." She answered him, squeezing his hand, conveying with her eyes what she couldn't with words. She had always known that if he had had a choice he would have come home with her. In the end his decision to stay and fix the island was something he had to do, regardless of their love, or he would never have found peace, and she had wanted that so much for him.
He seemed to believe her, but his smile was slow in forming. And Kate understood that it would take some time for the old wounds to heal completely, but thankfully they had all the time in the world.
She kissed his palm in an effort to comfort and leaned closer to him. In response he wound his arms around her waist, slowly pulling her as close as humanly possible. Her own arms wrapped tightly around his neck, her head coming to rest at the hollow of his throat. She nuzzled into his neck, sneaking her leg in between his. He tightened his hold on her and buried his face in her curls. Memories of the last time they had been this close flashed before her eyes and she couldn't keep the tears at bay. Her own wounds hadn't healed completely either.
Their embrace was loving but fierce. Him tenderly stroking her back in soothing circles, her caressing the back of his neck with her fingertips. She had no idea how long they stayed like that, all tangled up together. She revelled in the intimacy, breathing him in, marvelling at how wonderful it felt to be back in his arms where she belonged. How many times had she ached for his embrace? Longed for his soothing voice? Knowing she would never have to miss him again, made her feel so safe. So unbelievably happy. And the flow of tears stopped.
Jack pulled away slightly after what felt like hours. He kept one arm around her, but he tucked his other hand underneath her chin, gently urging her to look up at him.
All pain was gone from his eyes now. The look in his eyes and his warm breath against her mouth made Kate tingle from top to toe as if he had never kissed her before. He leaned in slowly, resting his forehead against hers, searching her eyes, almost as if he was asking for permission. She eagerly closed the distance between them, their lips reuniting in a tender smile.
If Kate had her way, they would spend most of eternity like this.
Wrapped up in each other.