A/N: The Quest for 100 continues today!
Welcome back all! For those wondering where the third part of "Unpack Your Heart" series is, it's well on its way! I'm still aiming for it to be up this month, if not, it will be in February, you have my word!
As for this story, this part of my Quest to have 100 stories posted here on FanFic. This will put me at 99 with story 100 being up tomorrow or early next week, we'll see. This story is VERY heavily influenced by own relationship with my girlfriend as we had a similar journey and talk with one another. Not verbatim, mind you, but pretty close. I hope you guys like it! Enjoy!
A Love That Will Last
It was a rare night when Gotham was quiet. It was even rarer when it was quiet for three nights in a row. It was so quiet, in fact, that Bruce gave Terry the night off. It was then that Terry realized he was either getting old or he was no longer any fun. It was Friday night, Queen University was alive with parties, and all he wanted to do was stay in and watch John Wick for the twentieth time. That movie never got old to him.
Terry heard a knock on his door, confused as to who could be knocking at a quarter past midnight. He got up and opened the door to find Max standing there.
"I'm the biggest idiot on the planet," Max said, immediately.
"Good evening to you, too," Terry said. "Why did you knock? You have a key."
"I don't like using it unless it's an emergency. I mean… in case… you have… company."
"You are, literally, the only person who visits me."
"Depressing."
Terry rolled his eyes. He looked over. She was wearing her formal red dress, high heels, and she actually put on makeup. It was a big date. "Things with Greg not go well?"
"That's one way to put it."
"Oh, boy."
"You got anything with alcohol? And chocolate ice cream?"
"Is your hair pink?"
Max narrowed her eyes at him, "Har, har."
Smirking, Terry opened the door wider, "Get in here."
They sat in his kitchen, which had a good view of the television, but they weren't watching it. Max pulled one of the kitchen chairs to the island counter while Terry placed a carton of chocolate ice cream on the counter along with two spoons. Max started eating while Terry grabbed a bottle of red wine and two glasses.
As he poured the wine, Terry asked, "So, are you gonna tell me?" He looked at Max.
She stared at him, took one of the glasses, and downed a few sips. "Okay. Now, I can."
He chuckled.
She sighed, "I dunno. It's… like… okay, let me start from the beginning."
"A good place for all of my suspects."
She growled at him.
He smiled back.
"Anyway! We went to Chez Dupont."
"A good start for Greg but, somehow, not since you're here and not with him."
"Tell me about it. I mean, it was all nice. He did everything right. Said the right things, paid, and everything."
"I think you're leaving something out. Oh, yeah. The bad part of the date!"
"I'm getting there!"
"Very slowly!"
"Oh, like you've got somewhere go to go!"
He opened his mouth to protest then stopped. "So, you were saying?"
She smiled at her victory. "Anyway, so, everything was going along fine and then he drives me home."
"Should I cover my ears for this part? They're sensitive, you know."
"Like hell, they are. Given how much I know about you and Dana at…"
"You swore to never speak of that again!"
"I only use it as ammo when I need to."
"Just finish your story!"
Max smiled then became somber. "Well… we stopped in front of my apartment and he kissed me. That's when I knew."
"Knewwwwwww what?" Terry asked, confused.
"It wasn't right."
"What wasn't?"
"The kiss."
Terry thought for a second. "Stop me if I'm wrong but haven't you kissed him before?"
"Yeah but… I've never… felt a spark."
"Whoa. Like… ever?"
Max shook her head. "I thought it was just my imagination or something but… after four months and nothing… I told him that I couldn't see him anymore."
He stood up straight. "You told Greg Davers, Mr. VIP, television producer extraordinaire, that you couldn't see him anymore?"
"Yeah. I told you I was an idiot."
He chuckled. "Well done, Gibson."
"Clam it, McGinnis!"
"Just saying."
Max groaned and dropped her head, "I mean, he should've been perfect."
"Perfection is hard to come by." Terry took a bite of ice cream.
"Tell me about it!" She groaned again, lifting her head up.
"Alright, so, tell me: what was wrong? Why wasn't he perfect? Why didn't it feel right?"
"I dunno. It… just doesn't. All the right things were there: job, position, drive, looks. But… when we kiss… nothing. Okay, it's like this: remember how you told me how you and Dana started to not feel right after high school? It's like that only it didn't feel right in the first place!"
He drank some wine and shrugged, "He wasn't the one. It does happen. Sucks when it happens but it does." He took another bite of ice cream.
She took a sip of wine. "You should've seen his face. I've never felt like a bigger piece of…"
"Hey!"
She sighed. "Well, I did."
"Stop that. It didn't feel right and you told him so. There's nothing wrong with that."
"I guess." She exhaled. "I wanted it to feel right. Like, so much I wanted it to."
"I know," he rubbed her arm.
"What's even wrong with me? Am I getting old? Wanting a full-on relationship and all that crap at 23?"
"If you are, we both are. Look at us: it's Friday night and we're at my house."
"True."
"But there's wrong with wanting to be in love. It's a good thing."
She scoffed, "Like we'd know."
"Okay, that's fair. Both of us are from divorced homes but… we've seen some good days."
She smiled. "Yeah, we have." She sighed. "And I want that: good days, to be in love. To have someone love me. I want…" she shook her head, "I just want someone I can come home to, ya know."
"I get it."
"I mean… I can rant about my day, whether he's listening or not, and he doesn't stop me. He lets me drone on and on and loves me even when I'm stupid."
He smiled. "Can't fault you for that." He took a bite of ice cream. "I have a question."
"What?"
"When are you ever stupid?"
She shrugged, "I let Greg get away."
"That's not being stupid. That's him not being what you want. Stupid would've been you dragging it out longer and knowing it wasn't going anywhere."
She rubbed her face, "Yeah, you're right."
He nodded, "But I do get where you're coming from."
"So, it's not crazy."
"Not in the least."
She smiled, "Thanks." She rested her chin on her hands, "What's wrong with me, Terry? Why can't I make this work?"
"He wasn't what you wanted. Not entirely."
"But he should've been. Why wasn't he?"
He shrugged, "Because it's life, Max. It's not always easy."
"Yeah. Maybe I just suck when it comes to guys."
"…She said to the guy she's crying to."
"You know what I mean!"
"Do I? Do I really, though?"
She giggled then sighed. "Well, I guess you have a point. I always end up here with you at some point or another. Maybe I should just date you."
He smirked, picked up another spoonful of ice cream, and, jokingly, asked, "Why don't you?"
She laughed, "Because…" she stopped and thought about it. She thought about it for a while. She tried to come up with a joke or a witty retort but nothing came to mind. Then she tried to think of an actual reason to not date Terry. "Huh."
"What 'huh'?"
"I can't think of a reason."
He stared at her. "You… can't."
"No." She stared at him, "Can you?"
He thought about it for a while as well. "Wow. No, I can't."
They stared at each other for a while. The past five years, and the time before that, played in their minds. Terry stayed in Gotham for obvious reasons but Max had her choice of any school in the county and even some from abroad were asking about her.
But she stayed in Gotham.
That simple act, alone, was never lost on Terry. Even Bruce acknowledged what a phenomenal friend she is to Terry because of that.
They had always been close, that was never a hidden fact. They had gotten closer over the years; keys to each other's apartments, complaining about any random things in their lives, and the like. But this was a step they hadn't really considered.
"What are we doing, Terry?" Max asked. "I mean… all this time we've spent together, we've been together… what are we doing?"
"I dunno." Terry leaned over. "I… always thought of us as just friends." He sighed. "Because I wouldn't let myself to see you as anything more."
"Why?"
"I just…" He sighed. "I know how the life of Batman can be. I've seen what happens to people who love Batman. I don't ever want that to happen to you, Max."
She understood that fear. She'd seen its effects in several ways. "Okay. So, what if I promise that it won't?"
"You can't make a promise like that."
"What if I do because you promise to try and make sure it doesn't?"
"How?"
"Do we lie to each other?"
Terry chuckled, "I can't. You always catch me. And you don't. Not to me."
"So, there you go!" Max smiled. "All of the people in Bruce's life never got the complete truth from him." She shrugged, "Since I found out about this… you… haven't really done that to me. And since high school… I don't think there's anything you haven't told me."
He thought about it. "No point. I want to tell you everything."
She held her smile.
"So… are we doing this? You and me? It won't be easy."
"If I just wanted easy, I would've stayed with Greg."
He shrugged, conceding that point. He thought of one more issue. "We're talking about all of this… but there's one thing we don't know yet."
"What's that?"
He stared into her eyes, "If we feel any sparks."
She stared back at him and whispered, "I was just about to ask about that. Can we… see if we get any?"
He nodded.
He stood up straight walked over to her. Max had no idea that her heart beat could increase that fast just by Terry walking toward her. She didn't say it right away but she already felt sparks going off. Terry managed to hide it better than her but he was feeling something very strong, as well and, more than anything, it was the look in her eyes; it was practically pulling him toward her. He wasn't even attempting to stop it, either.
As Max turned toward him, Terry lifted his hand up and touched her cheek. That was enough confirmation for Max right there; she almost let out a moan just from his touch. Terry leaned toward her and Max moved up quickly to press her lips against his.
Sparks didn't even begin to cover it. This was New Year's Eve in New York and Tokyo with some Fourth of July for some good measure. Max placed a hand on the back of Terry's head to keep him in place, needless as it were since he wasn't going anywhere. Terry wrapped his arm around her waist, causing Max to abandon the chair she was sitting in to get closer to him.
They stopped and took a deep breath, staring at each other.
"Sparks, yeah?" Terry asked, breathlessly.
"I think I'm on fire," Max answered. "That was… wow, Terry, I didn't know you had all that in you."
"Right back at you."
"I, uh… I'm thinking we've covered all of our bases with this."
"I'd say so."
"So… we can give this a shot?"
"I want to. Do you?"
"Yeah."
He smiled at her.
She stared at him, "Is this really happening?"
"I think it's been happening. Are you good with that?"
She smiled. "So good with that."
He placed a small kiss on her lips. "Me, too."