Disclaimer: I do not own Nat or Stephen :(

AN: this fic is un-beta-ed. Be warned!

Summary: After the team returns Stephen knows he has to open up to Nat.

Seconds

Sometimes it just takes a couple of seconds to realize that you love somebody, sometimes you know someone for years and never thought of him or her as a potential love interest but then suddenly, within a second or two, your whole world changes and this person becomes the one for you…

Stephen found himself climbing through the ruins of a hospital, searching for Natalie. Never before he had been so scared to lose someone as he was then. In this very moment the realization hit him, she's not just a co-worker, she's more, much more and if he'd lose her, then he would lose himself as well.

As they were on their way back to the United States all thoughts of leaving the NIH were forgotten, all he thought of was how he could tell Natalie what he felt for her. He was quiet for almost the whole flight and he knew that his silence worried her, probably everyone. He should be worried about himself because he had almost been killed as well, but he wasn't. He didn't care about that much, his last thought would have been that Natalie was fine and that would have been okay, that was all he'd have needed to know.

The plane landed and they were supposed to go home, but they didn't carry on as if nothing had happened, they all had faced death in one way or the other in the last days and the shock was still settling deep in their bones. Stephen thought about offering Nat a ride home but he didn't know how to make her believe that he was more okay than she was. In fact she was the only one of them who seemed to be calm.

She must have been thinking about him as well, because she walked over to him after the others had left and asked him if he was alright. Even though he nodded she didn't believe him. "Come on Stephen, you know you can talk to me." She told him softly, her hand brushing over his upper arm.

He couldn't help but smile about the sweet gesture. He placed his hand on hers and gently squeezed. "Thank you." He knew if he'd tell her about his feelings now she would think it was only a knee-jerk reaction, but if he wouldn't tell her now then he'd probably never find the courage to do so.

"Do you want me to drive you home?" She tilted her head and returned his smile.

"I was about to ask you the same question." He confessed.

She chuckled. "You were quiet during the flight."

"I was thinking about some things." He shrugged.

"Thinking about what?" She raised an eye brow and turned to lead the way to her car.

He followed her. "You." There, he had made the first step. He couldn't take this back now, couldn't stop his confession from being spoken out to her.

"Me?" She turned around, throwing an asking look at him.

He just nodded and kept on walking. After the shock about his comment had fainted she followed him. "You were thinking about me?"

"Yes. You scared me, you know."

"Scared you?" She asked, curious and worried at the same time.

"When I arrived at the hospital and there was nothing left but ruins. I thought you'd… I thought you probably didn't make it." He felt how his voice started to shake as the thought of losing her returned to his mind.

She sighed softly and stopped walking again, reaching for his arm to make him stop as well this time. "You were worried?"

"Scared as hell fits better." He gave her a shy smile.

"I was scared as hell as well, when you were searching for Miles," She grazed his cheek with her hand. "They could have killed you."

Surprised and relieved at the same time he slipped his arms around her waist. "They didn't."

"No, they didn't. And I'm fine as well." She was now holding his face with both her hands.

"I'm glad that you're fine."

"Do you still plan to leave the NIH?" She asked after a moment.

He swallowed hard. "I don't know. I need to see my son more often, but… I'd miss you."

He chuckled softly. "You can still see me even if you don't work here anymore."

"Would you let me see you away from work?" He asked with a boyish grin on his lips.

"I would, yes. But I'd lie if I'd say that I wouldn't miss working with you." Her hands slipped down to rest on his chest.

"I'll consider that." Then he closed the gap between them and kissed her, first gently then more passionate as she allowed him to deepen the kiss. He pressed her closer against him, wanting to feel her as close as possible.

After a long time she let her lips loosen from his and smiled at him. "I wanted to do this for so long." She confessed.

His smile grew wider. "Nat, I… I think that I'm in love with you."

"You think?"

"No in fact I'm pretty sure." He planted a quick kiss on her nose.

"I love you, too." She kissed his lips softly. "Always did."

It had taken her seconds to fall in love with him and it had taken him seconds to realize how much she meant to him. Seconds that changed a whole future, a lifetime.

THE END