A/N: I just wanna take a quick moment and thank everyone for your reviews and favorites and follows on my stories. I'm not saying this enough, but thank you, it means the world! Enjoy.
Kurt Weller was exhausted.
He loosened his tie and opened the first two buttons on his shirt just so he could breathe again. The last five days he had spent in this tux and tie and dress shoes, smiling at other people in tuxes and ties and dress shoes – who had looked a lot more comfortable in their clothing – discussing their latest budget changes and stuff he had never heard of before. And printers. Apparently their office couldn't work without printers.
It was the part of being Assistant Director he liked the very least and, to make matters worse, his team had been working on a dangerous case this week and he hadn't been able to join them on their field trips. They had another agent support them, Montez, so they could still split up in pairs of two and he had seemed rather suitable for the job but Kurt still hadn't liked it one bit.
And then, on their third day out, Jane had lost communication with the team for a bit and when Kurt had come to look for them in Patterson's lab he could only hear Montez, Tasha and Reade screaming her name and it had been the absolute worst 3 minutes of his entire life. He had been so glad when she had gotten back – had even managed to break free from the office for half a minute to take her into his arms – and he had her to himself for the rest of the night.
Which still wasn't a lot of time together because when he made it home on time, Jane was still working on something and vice versa.
So on top of talking about all figures that could be mentioned in relation to this office and the constant worrying about his team and especially Jane out in the field, he had an enormous lack in the time-with-the-girlfriend- department and he wanted nothing more than to just get out of those clothes, get Jane out of her clothes and spend the weekend doing absolutely nothing that required putting those clothes back on.
He stepped on the elevator, leaning back against the wall for physical support and tapped his hand to his left chest pocket in habit. The small case was still there and it gave him some kind of emotional support.
He had bought the ring last week and –scared of Jane finding it if he just left it laying around in the house – he had carried it around with him every day since then. While the process of finding the ring had been surprisingly easy – he had fallen in love with it in the first store he had visited – finding the perfect time to give it to her seemed to be so much harder.
At first he had thought about proposing to her on a date night out, with candle light in one of their favorite restaurants, but that had seemed too cliché.. too ordinary for someone as extraordinary as the woman he wanted to marry. But he had never been the most creative person and also not the most romantic one which, up to now had never really bothered him, so he had run out of ideas and had even thought of asking Patterson.. only to decide against it after he remembered the enthusiastic squeal his friend had let out when they had told them about being together officially.
No, he would find the perfect timing on his own and meanwhile he would enjoy all the free time he could get with the most wonderful woman on the planet. And also food – he was getting hungry.
Finally the elevator reached his floor and stepping off of it and walking towards the door of their apartment he felt the last of his energy leaving him, happy to be home. He turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open, expecting to see Jane curled up on the couch reading, only to find it completely dark. With a frown he switched on the lights and took another step into the apartment that seemed way too quiet.
Kurt went absolutely silent, trying to listen for something – anything – that would give him a clue to what was going on. The flat felt empty and the longer he stood there and nothing changed, the worse he felt. He dropped his keys on the sideboard and – without kicking of his shoes or taking of his jacket – he crossed the room in five big steps.
No one in the kitchen. The guest room was empty.
He had the gun in his hand without thinking about it and when he walked closer to their bedroom he led with his gun.
Empty.
He tried the bathroom and didn't find anyone either. But at least he found her stuff.. maybe Jane was just out for a walk?
Lowering his gun and putting it back in the holster he let his shoulders slum a little, the worry still not completely gone. Usually she would send him a text if she wouldn't be at home when he got her. Checking his phone he saw that there was indeed no text.
Everything's okay. He told himself. Maybe she's out running errands… Or forgot something at the grocery store… Yeah. That is probably it.
Sighing and feeling even more tired now, he plopped down on the couch and closed his eyes for just a second, trying to ebb away the panic that had started to rise again. When he opened them again he felt much calmer, even though he still didn't feel content – after all he had been looking forward to time with Jane.
Deciding he could use this time on his own to maybe get some food ready for when she would come home he got up again and walked over to the kitchen counter, only now realizing that he was still wearing his shoes and jacket. He was in the middle of taking his jacket off, when he saw it laying on the counter.
It was a small note. Laying right there, staring up at him. He would've seen it so much sooner if he hadn't been panicking.
Come find me.
It said in Jane's neat handwriting and beneath it she had drawn a small version of the tattoo of his name on her back.
Despite his fatigue he smiled at that. He loved her drabbles and the small notes she always left him and the prospect of going out again didn't seem too bad when he would end up bringing her back home with him. He took the note and the key he had dropped earlier and slipped both into the pocket of his jacket and got going.
Taking the stairs this time – she could've left another clue there – he went downstairs and looked around when he stepped outside. It took him almost a minute to find the next note – on the bench in front of the house where she had met him all those years ago.
It didn't say anything, it was just an arrow pointing down the street and again a drabble of one of her tattoos. The burning rose this time.
He put the note to the other one in his jacket and slowly walked down the street, always on the look- out for another sign of Jane. When he reached the entrance of the park he had almost convinced himself that she would be there, waiting for him, but – right there on one of the fence posts – he found the next slip of paper.
That would've been too easy.
It said with another arrow, pointing further down the street and a drawing of one of the tattoos they hadn't solved yet. He let his finger travel over the detailed picture of something that looked a little like wings with a candle in the middle? He had no idea. But he knew for a fact that it was gracing her lower back.
So he continued walking in the direction she had pointed him, checking for new hints all around. Finding the next one took him a while. It was on a lamp post when he reached the next crossroad, steering him to the left with a drawing of one of the tattoos on her lower left arm that, to him, looked a little like a dream catcher.
He pocketed the sketch and followed the directions until he came to a subway station. Frowning he stopped in front of it, not really sure if she would've led him to the subway or if he should just continue down the road. He knew that she liked taking the train to move around the city – he, on the other hand, hadn't set foot inside a subway since that time where he and Reade had stopped one from being blown up.
His questions were answered when he found another drawing on the stair- rail leading downstairs to the trains. Sighing he admitted defeat and with the latest drawing in hand he made his way underground. It was some sort of star in a circle that he knew was on her left upper back, so much to the left that it was almost hidden when she had her arms down.
Kurt walked through the station cautiously, not liking the narrowness and weird smells, looking for the next clue. Finding this one took him almost five minutes in which he felt like a maniac being stared at by everyone around him. Good thing that New Yorkers were used to maniacs walking around their subways, even though he didn't know if that was supposed to make him feel better.
When he did find it, he realized that it was probably the most obvious place to look for directions – the map on the display right next to the ticket vending machine. It was his favorite tattoo of hers – the bird on her neck – and a note.
Meet me at the sky.
He frowned at the note in confusion before he remembered that place that she loved so much… on a small hill where they went sometimes to watch the stars when you could see any in this city.
Finding the spot he was looking for on the map, he quickly made out the closest subway station and – when he removed the paper from the display he also found a ticket attached to it. Grinning at her thoughtfulness he carefully took the ticket from the drawing, put the drawing in his pocket – which was getting packed – and validated his ticket.
The next train he could take would arrive in about 5 minutes and so he didn't have to rush but could take his time finding the right platform. Standing – because sitting on those benches didn't seem too tempting – he looked around and once again felt completely out of place but at the same time as if he fit right in. He remembered this being one of his favorite things about New York City when he had first moved here. Because of the diversity of such a megacity everyone was the same and not at all alike at the same time.
He only had to ride 3 stations before he got up again and made his way up to ground level again, feeling a lot better when he only had the sky above him. Looking up he could already see the hill Jane sent him to and felt verified when he found yet another sketch. Of a tattoo that sort of looked like a crippled hand that Jane had both on her lower right rib cage and her right forearm.
Almost there.
And it was that sentence - almost a promise - that made him step his pace up a notch and practically run up the hill.
When he had reached the top he finally saw her, looking for him apparently. He saw the exact moment in which she spotted him and the smile that broke out on her face was the healing balsam to his whole exhausting week. Stepping forward to catch her running towards him he buried his face in her neck inhaling her scent hugging her tight to his chest.
"I was starting to wonder if you'd ever find me" he heard her chuckle tino his chest and he only tightened his grip around her "Told you, I'm good with puzzles" he replied with an easy going grin before releasing her from his embrace but pecking her lips instead.
She smiled when he tried to deepen the kiss but moved her head the side to break it.
"That's not fair" he pouted "I came all this way and I'm not even getting a real kiss?"
"You'll get all the kisses you want later" she said lightly "But first… I have something for you."
He could've been wrong but she seemed a little nervous when she tugged at his hand to lead him a little further until they reached a blanket that was laying out on the meadow, with a perfect view over the city lights and a small picnic set up on it.
There were two plates and cutlery and at least five small candles and a basket that seemed to be filled with food. He put his arm around her waist and kissed her on the top of her head "It's perfect" he whispered in her hair and meant it.
He would've never expected this and he wouldn't have missed it if they had just stayed at home, but being here with her felt like the most natural, important place to be and he realized he loved her even more in that exact second. He felt his heart practically swell in his chest with all the love he hadn't even know he could possess. And he knew that this was the moment he had been waiting for.
Clearing his throat Kurt let go of her waist he waited until Jane looked up at him, still seeming a little anxious about something. "I want to ask you something" he started but was interrupted by her.
"No. Me first" she took a deep breath, as if she was preparing for something and gestured for him to sit down. "I- um" she smiled timidly up at him, sitting down as well "I made you another drawing?" she phrased it more like a question than a statement and he wanted to ask her what she had drawn when he followed her gaze that seemed fixated on something right in front of him.
Looking down to where his plate was he found the drawing she had been talking about. This one was on a larger and higher quality piece of paper. It looked just like the first drawing he had found this evening, of his name, only even more detailed. In awe he simply stared at the letters in front of him before staring up at Jane who seemed to be completely out of her depth.
"I know this is not how this is supposed to work. I think" she rambled on and he barely heard her "But I was just feeling this past week.. I've missed you so much and… I just don't want to miss you… ever-"
"Yes."
"What?" she stared up at him, interrupted mid-sentence and with her mouth hanging wide open.
He stared down at the drawing again before he put it down and pulled out the small jewelry box he had been carrying around for the past week. He didn't think her eyes could grow bigger but now that she was staring at him wide eyed, he felt like they were. And they were glazed.
Crouching over towards her he took a deep breath, opening the box and taking a hold of her trembling hand.
"Yes" he repeated in a hoarse whisper "I want to marry you. I want to make you Jane Weller."
Jane Weller?
That were the words on this last drawing she had given him that lay on the picnic blanket innocently while Kurt slipped this modest golden ring with the small green gemstone on his fiancé's finger, feeling – for the second time in less than 3 minutes – that it shouldn't be possible to love someone this much. But he knew it would never stop, his love for this precious human being with the delicate from laying in his arms right now, would only grow stronger.