A/N: So my constant need to keep my music collection on shuffle presented me with this - a songfic based on Taylor Swift's "The Way I Loved You" and 5 Seconds of Summer's "Amnesia".
Myka
Sighing softly, Myka Bering let herself into her downtown Denver apartment and switched on the small stained glass lamp she kept on the table by the door. Locking up behind herself, Myka methodically put her keys into the bowl by the lamp, and shrugged off her coat and hung it in the closet before she removed her shoes and placed them neatly underneath her coat. She walked slowly into the kitchen and switched on the light over the stove, casting a soft glow over the small area. Myka placed her purse on the countertop before burying her head in her hands. Looking up, she stared out of her windows at the lights of downtown for a while, before reaching into her purse and retrieving the small box that had been presented to her earlier that evening. Cracking it open, Myka chewed on her lower lip as she took in the flawless diamond ring nestled inside. Even in the low light of her kitchen space, the stone sparkled. Like the man who had proposed with it, the ring was perfect. And yet, as Myka studied the ring and thought back to the events of the evening just passed, she felt nothing; no passion, no fire, no surge of happiness, just a dull void. Myka snapped the jewellery box closed and dropped it on the countertop before she rested her chin in her hands. People were going to think that she was crazy. Declan Haines was the kind of man that mothers wanted their daughters to grow up and meet. He was tall and handsome, took care of himself physically, and was always well presented. He spoke with a trace of a British accent, which had been one of the things that had drawn Myka to him on their first encounter. Myka had been helping out in her father's bookstore on her day off from the Secret Service when Declan had walked in. He'd browsed for a short while before approaching Myka and requesting help. Myka hadn't noticed the good looks or the perfect hair, but his accent got her attention long enough for a conversation to be struck. She really had not been in the right headspace to even consider dating, and she'd told him as much when he'd asked her to dinner while she was ringing up his purchase. Declan had conceded that time, but he'd been gently persistent. Myka's mother called her every few days to report that Declan had been back to the store. After a few weeks, her mother softly broached the idea of Myka taking Declan up on his offer. Myka had taken the time to step back and assess her situation, and how she'd gotten to where she was. She'd had to go right back to that pivotal moment, when she had taken that leap, kissed Pete Lattimer, and told him that she loved him.
The first few weeks with Pete had been pure and unadulterated joy. They were in love, and every little thing they did together felt like it was for the first time. There was a skipped heartbeat for every smile, a thrill for every touch. Even as the Warehouse shut down around them, they laughed and played and kissed and just revelled in every moment they had together. It was their perfect time. Myka couldn't believe how easily their partnership rolled into a relationship. Pete fit her. He knew her. He loved her. The honeymoon period however came to an abrupt halt when life after the Warehouse suddenly presented itself to them all. Artie chose retirement, and Claudia elected to take on some travel before Caretaker duties kicked in. The Regents came through with a position with the ATF for Steve based in New Mexico, and then came to Myka and Pete with Secret Service roles in Boston. Even Myka had been taken by surprise when Pete had said he didn't want the role. Pete wanted to do something he loved for the rest of his life, and after the thrills of the Warehouse, he was fairly certain that his heart wasn't in the agency anymore. It was Claudia who did some research and suggested the comic book store that had recently gone up for sale in central Boston. With Pete's love of popular culture and comics, it was the perfect fit, and the matter seemed resolved, though Myka still worried that Pete was making a regrettable choice. Pete and Myka relocated to suburban Boston, to a cute double storey that Pete had not been able to resist carrying Myka over the threshold of. Their first few weeks were a blur of new schedules and unpacking, but Pete and Myka were always able to find their way back to each other at the end of the day. Then one day, they just didn't. Myka had stayed back late at the office, and by the time she came home, Pete was already asleep. He hadn't moved when she'd climbed into bed, and when she woke up the next morning, his side of the bed was empty. Their pattern changed in subtle motions, too small to notice at first, but when the visible cracks eventually started to appear, Myka felt like she was the only one that was seeing them. Pete's habits, which had seemed so cute back in South Dakota, started to irk her. Pete left wet towels on the floor after he showered, and there were always crumbs in the bed from cookies and popcorn. His socks and underwear never quite made it to the laundry hamper, and the laundry hamper in turn rarely got emptied. Myka would come home late from work and find Pete shirtless and asleep on the couch with the TV on and a comic book over his face, while the house around him looked to be in a permanent state of disarray. Pete didn't seem to know how to clean, and it drove Myka up the wall. And then there was the constant flirting with other women. When they finally found opportunities to go out together, Myka couldn't ignore the way Pete smiled and winked at their waitresses. She had always laughed or rolled her eyes at his antics before, but now they were making her angry and distressed, and Pete couldn't understand why she was so upset. Myka began to stay in the office for long periods of time just so she wouldn't have to face up to him, but eventually, she had to go home. The tipping point for their first fight was when Myka came home one night and tripped over Pete's shoes, which had been left sitting right in the middle of the doorway. Myka had managed to catch herself before she hit the floor, but something inside her mind snapped. Growling deep in her throat, she threw her bag and coat to the floor and stormed to the living room, where as she predicted, Pete was asleep on the couch, with art supplies strewn all around him. Irritated beyond all measure, Myka rolled up a discarded comic book and smacked Pete over the head with it. Before he even had the chance to shake himself awake, she launched into him, screaming and shouting out all of her pent up frustration. Pete had tried to give her the puppy dog eyes that had won her over so many times before, but Myka was having none of it, so Pete switched onto the offensive. The argument felt like it lasted for an hour, but was really only a few minutes, and ended with Myka storming up to their room and locking the door behind her. Pete spent the night on the couch, but the next morning when Myka came downstairs, the living room and kitchen were spotlessly clean, and a full breakfast was waiting for her on the table. This time, the puppy dog eyes worked, and for a short time, things stayed calm. The pair went another spell where they barely saw each other, passing like ships in the night, but the night of their reunion spawned their next big fight. Pete offered to take Myka to dinner, which Myka welcomed, until dinner turned out to be a dirty sports bar with all-you-can-eat wings and waitresses in low-cut tees. Pete was his usual flirty self towards the bar staff, leaving Myka seething by the time their date was over. They drove home in strained silence, but Myka's switch was flicked when Pete asked her what was wrong as they pulled into their driveway. She launched out of the car and into the pouring rain, shouting accusingly at her partner until he got out of the driver's seat and started yelling back. They screamed insults at each other from across the yard, each more ridiculous than the last, until they were standing so close their noses were touching. Rain was beating down on them both. Pete silenced Myka's next shout by placing his hand on the back of her neck and pulling her into a kiss. The screaming passion that had been feeding their argument seeped into their touch, and they melted into each other, soaking wet and burning with desire. And so the cycle continued. Pete and Myka drove each other to breaking point, fought like dogs, and then wordlessly and passionately made up. It was wild and crazy, but Myka couldn't help but feel exhausted by the whole situation. Her work was suffering badly, and she felt nauseated and tired 90 percent of the time. One afternoon, Myka caught her reflection in the bathroom mirror in the office and saw herself fully in the harsh fluorescent overhead lights. Her hair was unkempt and dull, there were dark circles under her eyes, and she was pale and thin. Life with Pete, riding the rollercoaster of emotions with him, was tearing Myka apart. God knew she loved him, but they were terrible together, and as much as it pained her, long term, life with Pete was going to destroy her both mentally and physically. Myka didn't want to hurt Pete, so she went about her business as usual, but quietly applied for a transfer to the Denver office. The look on Pete's face the day she packed her things and left, however, would be burned in her memory forever.
It had been just over a year since Myka had left Pete. There had been no attempt at contact. Myka spoke to Claudia and Steve regularly, and inevitably Pete's name would come up from time to time, but she knew nothing substantial of his life now. At her mother's gentle urging, Myka had finally taken Declan up on his dinner invitation, and had fallen into a comfortable rhythm with him. Declan was smart, had her taste in books and music, and enjoyed a glass of good wine with dinner. Myka's mother fawned over Declan, her father took his advice on business matters, and even her married-with-children sister stared at him like he was the perfect specimen of man. Myka herself could only find one fault in Declan Haines, and that was that despite the fact that he made her laugh, was chivalrous and kind, and looked at her like she was a queen, there was no passion, no fire, no spark. Declan Haines was perfect, but he wasn't Pete Lattimer, and there was no convincing Myka's heart otherwise.