The ripple of water created by movement laps at her feet, swinging her foot back and forth. Her white dress billows in the slight wind, threatening to dip into the pool, her heels having been discarded close by.

Lucy stares out at the twinkling lights decorating the landscape surrounding her, casting a glint to her brown eyes that reflects the same soft glow of contentment.

Lifting the glass of champagne in her hand to her lips, the bubbles tickle her throat as they go down.

She closes her eyes in the soft breeze, and a memory of a shy smile appears before her, boisterous laughter bursting from her as she's swept up in his arms, hesitation long gone.

The longing between the two of them having been flickering in a slow burning ember now threatening to engulf them in its flame. The soaking water not enough to extinguish the heat.

She smiles to herself.

She hadn't been expecting the fall. It wasn't a leap, but more a slow descent she found herself committing to. The thought of the possibilities of where they could go, something she hadn't been half expecting to ever get to. The road long, and the obstacles many.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she anchors herself to him, their foreheads resting against each other, his nose rubbing against her own. A shared breath, a ghost of a whisper against her lips before it was game over.

The breathlessness she felt much different than that of drowning, instead of gasping for breath, she was willingly sinking into the arms of a man who had saved her when she'd needed him the most. The sentiment reciprocated, said as much, shown as his hands, as they find themselves buried in the material of her hips, bringing her forward, pushing her into him, as she hoists herself higher, refusing to let him go.

The floating feeling hadn't let up even after they'd exited the pool rather clumsily. The weight of their clothes hindering their actions, and the same laughter from before echoed in the night, her hair clinging to her face, as his stuck up wildly.

Silence ringing out before them as their eyes met, the blue pools gazing back at her with something akin to hope, she found herself diving in, not for the first time that night.

Wasting no time in launching herself back into his arms once they'd reached the room allocated to them. Refusing to surface for air until the early hours of morning, an arm slung around her waist, pulling her impossibly close, molding her to his chest, the warmth lulling her to sleep feeling like she'd finally found her home.

"Lucy?" She hears, rousing her from her reverie, no longer tucked in bed, but instead still seated at the edge of the pool.

Glancing back, she sees him, tie discarded, shirt unbuttoned, not unlike the look she'd just seen.

"There you are," she laughs. "Did you get lost?"

"No," he jokes, jerking his head back in the cute way she found him doing when he tired to play things cool.

She nods with a knowing grin.

He reaches his hand out, gripping her fingers firmly, helping her up. She wipes at the butt of her white dress, and blushes when she catches him watching.

"What?" She asks, his gaze never leaving her.

"Nothing, just admiring my wife," he says, a sly grin on his face, before he once again sweeps her up in his arms, her hands immediately finding their way to his neck, the ring resting upon his finger pressed up against her ribs, cradling her, her matching one shimmering in the lights. That same boisterous laughter from before howling from her.

"Do you remember what I told you last time?" She warns, but the smile never leaves her red, swollen lips.

"As I remember, I most definitely got it," he teases, peeking at her through his dark lashes.

"Yeah, not that part," she deadpans with a shake of her head.

His face softens from a broad smile to that of a grin. The slight crease around his eyes giving way to a hidden dimple she couldn't see. For in so many ways this moment is not unlike the last one. White dress, tux, pool. But what was once two people embarking on a leap of faith, ready to fall in love with so many possibilities, was now two people standing on solid ground, so full of love for each other, there were no other possibilities, instead just each other. Forever.

"I feel the same," he repeats her words from before, their extra meaning not lost on her, as she leans up, launching herself once more at his lips, his beard scratching at her face.

"So are we gonna get into this pool or not?" She asks, pulling away with a raised brow.

"Yes, ma'am," he says, their past a guidepost, springing forward into a new chapter of their future, together. What was once a black and white movie, now one screaming in color.

xxxxx

so as i was writing another fic, and just as i was about to quit for the night, this happened. this is the product of watching that deleted scene way too many times. i apologize, truly. nothing good can come from 2 a.m. ramblings. but i'm going to post this anyway.