Spoilers: up to end of Season 2.
A/N: Betaread by the brilliant fififolle.
He takes it back. He walks out. He leaves the wrong girl crying. He never knows for sure, but he should have, should have turned back and taken her in his arms and thanked God she was alive, that he was alive.
But no, he'd left with the wrong girl, betrayed them all because he was scared of getting hurt and just wanted to be loved. He didn't get any of that in the end. They all got hurt, they all got pain.
It's five years later. They could have died another dozen times each year, hell, each month practically. But it's a sunny day with clear blue skies, no hint of danger, when he finally says sorry as they sit in loungers on the balcony.
Abby just says I know and he wonders if she knows what it is he's apologising for. How many things could there be? Probably too many to count by her score. It's almost like he's failed her each and every day he hasn't said what he meant to and he can't stand to fail another time. Connor doesn't want to be sorry anymore.
"I love you."
"I know."
That's how it ends, silence descends. It doesn't matter if she says it back, not anymore. Yes, no, whatever – there will be an answer and it will have to be okay. It's like a retraction of a retraction, to match the confession long past, and it feels good to get it off his chest this time.
"I love you too, you prat," she says, like he's stupid for having any kind of doubt whatsoever about that.
"Cheers," he says, chinking his glass against hers.
"Oh no, don't think you get away with a half-hearted toast, you'll have to do better than that. I have been waiting YEARS."