Check Yes, Juliet.

Author's note: Yes, still working on "Awake", but I heard one of my favorite songs today. "Check Yes Juliet" by We the Kings, and I thought… omg…MALTARA.

It's sort of a songfic. Based entirely off of the song. If you haven't heard the song, I suggest you give it a listen. : )

Enjoy!

Since it was May, the rain was heavily pouring down, complete with gray skies, all shielding San Francisco.

And I, Mal Fallon, was sick to death of being alone. It was nights like this when I wished I had a normal woman to date, and fall in love with, and marry… one that would stay in with me on nights like this, and pig out and watch cheesy romantic movies with me.

Yes, girliest fantasy ever. But when you find "the one", it doesn't matter what they want from you. You'll do anything they ask. Even doing nothing on a Friday night, just because it's raining… the sick thing… I could only think of one woman, that I knew so far, that wasn't family, that I would do anything for.

Anything.

Natara Williams, my partner, she was worth everything.

But when I say partner, I don't mean romantically. I mean at work, at the San Francisco Police Department. Only she was a Special Agent for the FBI. And her crazy intelligence that she gained from the years and years spent in the field was one of the many things that made her the sexiest, most beautiful woman in the world to me.

But here's the kicker… she has a fiance. District Attorney Oscar Santos.

She seemed happy with him. And I really shouldn't say that. She seemed happy, sure, but she wasn't overjoyed. She wasn't really ever overjoyed. And it was a ruse. Because nobody ever saw Natara get excited about anything… not even her own wedding. Except when she was with me. I had the privilege of seeing that gorgeous, mesmerizing Natara smile that could easily melt the earth.

And if only they all knew.

If only she knew… her and I… we were meant to be together.

I sighed, fiddling with the remote on the table. It was going on ten o'clock. I was about to call it quits, and venture off to bed for the night. Besides, I didn't have anything better to do, and I was sick of thinking about her. It was all I did anymore.

But, to my surprise, my phone chirped from it's place in the corner on its charger. I wandered over, wondering who it possibly could have been. Instinctively, I assumed it was Kai. After all, he only asked me to come over and play video games with him like every night. I always had some pretty decent excuses as to why I couldn't. For example, my bird died…or the better.. I have to go to my sister's and babysit… Yeah, I've never done that. And I wouldn't. Even I she begged. But by far, the best excuse… Kai, sorry. I have a date with this girl I met at the Anime convention. I'll tell you all about it on Monday. Natara and I always made up side-stories for the girls that I was supposedly going on dates with. It turned into a game, and to be honest, it was one of things that we hadn't done in a while. I missed it.

But regardless, I stopped answering Kai's texts and calls when I ran out of excuses. But luckily for me, it wasn't Kai.

It was the woman that my heart raced after.

Natara.

"Mal, it's meeeee. Come save me! Oscar's making me eat this disgusting caviar! It's literally the most atrocious thing. Seriously. Come save me?"

I was already out the door after my eyes read, "Mal, come save me."

Another text beeped on my phone, and it was her again. And I hadn't even replied yet.

"Just kidding! Don't come over. Hahah he'd kill us."

I shrugged. Whatever.

After walking through the pouring rain about six blocks, I arrived at the upscale apartment building that was her and Oscar's. I knew that their apartment was only about three stories up, so I did something daring.

I noticed the pebbles decorating the tiny bushes and flowers in the garden, and picked up several larger ones.

I held my breath for a moment, then I went for it. I tossed one up at what I knew to be their window. I hit it.

I kept tossing rocks at her window, when I noticed a tiny shadow approach the glass. As the glass creaked open, I stood stock-still, mesmerized by her stunning features. She attempted to look angry, but couldn't. That adorable Natara-smile took up half of her face. She glared at me. "Romeo… what are you doing here?! I was totally kidding!"

She began to speak in a harsh whisper. I knew Oscar had to be around. "I wasn't. Come on, Juliet. Lace up your shoes. Run away with me. We won't ever look back." I flashed her a cheesy grin, letting the rain hinder my vision. Yeah, I was soaking wet. But I didn't care.

"What would Oscar say if I ran down there to go hang out with you?! What would anybody say?"

"Nothing! Come on! Let's go get some Chinese Food. I'm not moving until you come out with me."

She sighed deeply, rubbing her temples. "Malachi…."

"I'll keep tossing rocks at your window, Nat. Let's go. Hurry!"

Before another moment passed, I watched the window shut and she disappeared. I hoped she was coming down. And if she did, I decided I wasn't letting her go back up there. Well, only to get her things maybe, so she could stay with me forever.

No. No. We could get her new stuff.

After less than five minutes, I watched my fuming partner slip through the front doors, holding her rain coat over her head as she joined me outside, underneath the canopy in front of the door. "You've got some nerve…" She muttered, spitting rain water out of her mouth lightly.

"Yeah? Is the evil stepmother upset with me?"

She shook her head, again, trying to look angry, but failing. "Mal! Stop! You can't call him that! He's my fiance…"

"I never called him that. But you did… just now."

Again, she sighed and shook her head.

After a moment of silence, the two of us glanced up at the dark sky in unison. The rain poured down harder and began to bathe the city. We shared a glance, where our eyes locked and I couldn't keep my knees from wobbling. Her stunning, green eyes always did that to me. She was just amazing.

"Where are we going?" She mumbled.

I smiled. Finally, she agreed. "Your favorite place, of course. My treat, too."

She shared another earth-shattering glance with me before speaking again. "Lucky me. Let's go."

I reached me hand out to her, beckoning for her to take hold of it. As she did, I began to sprint through the streets of San Francisco. With Natara tailing me, her soft hands laced with mine. I carefully dodged puddles as did she. We laughed when giant trucks sped by and showered us with massive amounts of water.

After about ten minutes of this, we reached the Chinese take-out place right underneath my apartment, where we ordered her favorite, Mongolian Beef, and then my usual. But instead of eating at the restaurant, we decided to go up to my apartment and dry off, considering we were soaking wet.

After she changed into one of my t-shirts and basketball shorts, which she looked undeniably sexy in. I couldn't argue that, let alone take my eyes off her, and I tossed her wet clothes in my dryer. Just as well, I hopped into some sweats and decided to be daring… I didn't need a shirt.

I tossed her a heavy comforter to use while we watched her favorite movie, Seabiscuit. She loved anything with horses in it. And after she wolfed down the entire container, she pouted at me, eyeing mine. I hadn't finished yet, but I was pretty full, so I let her have the rest.

Even if I was starving, I probably would have given her that almond chicken.

Even though she was draped with my comforter, she was still shivering. Probably because her hair, which had gotten a little longer, and reached just under her shoulder blades, was still soaking wet. I sighed. My next moves were careful.

I snuck onto the couch, from where I previously was, which was the tiny recliner. I began to inch closer to her. And despite her uninterruptible fascination with the movie, I started up a conversation. "Was Oscar pissed that I came to save you from the fish eggs?"

She looked in the corner towards me, but not making eye-contact. "No. He was in the shower. Luckily for us, or else I probably wouldn't have been able to escape."

My next question was risky, but I went for it, determined to do whatever it took to make her mine. "Do you honestly feel like a prisoner in your life, Natara? That isn't normal…"

She waited a minute before finally meeting her gaze with mine. "Sometimes. But because I know that Oscar isn't particularly fond of us hanging out, being friends… I don't know. It's because we're so close, yet we're just friends, but we're boy-girl. It's juvenile, I know. But I feel like he'll hate me, you know? If he knew about stuff like this… he doesn't realize it's normal for us."

Shit. Friend-zoned. Again. "He does care about you. He just doesn't understand you fully yet, I guess."

I watched small tears gather in the corner of her eyes. It was a sight that I couldn't stand. "Then… never mind."

She swallowed back her tears and turned back towards the movie. But I didn't let her. I gripped her chin softly and moved in front of her gaze. "Talk to me."

She shook her head, and I knew she was about to cry. I watched her chin rattle up and down in a minimal jitter, while the pout that she always did as a joke became real. She still wasn't speaking. She truly wanted to bottle everything up.

"Come on. You know that I hate seeing you so upset. Talk to me. Please?"

After a minute, she summoned up the courage to speak. "Then why are him and I getting married? I keep having doubts and I feel like… I feel like…" She trailed off, her voice growing quieter.

"You feel like?" I questioned, pulling her back into the conversation. Trying to get her to really talk to me.

"I feel like this entire marriage was arranged. I don't love him, Mal. There, I said it. Are you happy?"

Before I could even react, or try to comfort her, she sped out my balcony door. I didn't have time to take it in, what just happened. I always knew these things about her. But her admitting it, yeah, it was a little shocking. Natara kept a front up and she felt like she had to impress everybody. Maybe she finally realized that I loved her. And that I didn't care if she cried, or was upset, and I'd be there for her no matter what.

I ran after her, and I'm not sure why. She obviously wanted to be alone. But while she was down, and vulnerable, well… maybe that's when I should tell her? The timing couldn't have been any worse. But while she was admitting personal secrets… I needed to admit one, as well.

I peeled the door open, seeing her leaning over the railing, simply contemplating. I snaked one arm around her shoulder and gently pulled her into me. "Don't worry. Maybe you two just aren't met to be?"

The rain muffled her soft sobs as they smacked against the hard metal of the railing and the soft clay of the bricks. "I'm getting old, Mal…" She nuzzled into me, letting me comfort her, finally. I felt honored. "… Who is meant to be, for me?"

This was it. This was the moment.

"Could be anybody. Could be even… me?"

She stood completely still. Frozen in time. When she didn't move, I wondered if I had crossed the line. Yeah, I shouldn't have said anything. I definitely shouldn't have. What if I lost her? My best friend? All because of my stupid crush on her? I wanted to take it back. "Are you… are you… what are you saying?"

I stuttered, forgetting she was still in my arms, I didn't even realize, at the time, that I was gripping my shirt that she had on, in fistfuls. "I don't know what I'm saying. Nevermind."

A tiny smile crept onto her lips.

I looked away, begging for this beautiful awkwardness to end. "Let's try something dangerous." She suggested.

I waited.

Her soft, perfected lips inched towards me. And I couldn't believe what was happening. Did she… Could she have.. Felt the same as I did?

As her lips closed in around mine, my world turned completely upside-down. I felt like I was flying high above the city, and everything was perfect. The rain didn't matter. It only made her amazing, sculpted lips that much more kissable. I wound my arms around her tightly, lifting her up even higher. Her perfume still filled the air, despite the rain, and I felt nothing but true bliss. It occurred to me, that whatever it was that we were trying… in my expert opinion, it was working.

Eventually, to my dismay, she pulled back and locked eyes with me. "Well… what do we do now?"

I shrugged. "We run away together. Right now. We tell no one. And if anybody says anything bad about us, we punch them. And you can stay here. In my arms. Forever. Sounds good?"

I chuckled, hoping she would realize that I was moderately kidding.

To my surprise, she nodded. "Actually, nothing in this world sounds better."

I continued, but no longer kidding. "Let's go to Vegas. Get married?"

She nodded, biting her bottom lip. "Right now."

I picked her up again, her legs latched around my waist for support. As the rain began to slowly disappear, I carried the woman of my dreams inside, kissing her and touching her all over, while still supporting her weight. Not like she was even heavy, though. Her soft fingers grazed my bare abdomen as she continued to plant soft kisses along my neck and collarbone. "Mmmmm…let's take care of some business first."

I smiled, before I even could comprehend what I was doing, I was leading us towards my bedroom. I was in a "Natara" haze. She had full control over me. But I truly didn't care. It was what I wanted for so long.

And I finally had her. Forever. She left Oscar.

And she wasn't ever going back.

Juliet found her Romeo.