There is going to be a bit of a time jump between this one-shot and the next one. The next installment will be told from Happy's POV and as you know, writing his POV always makes me so damn nervous.


She came out of the dressing room and looked doubtfully at the reflection in the mirror staring back at her. The dress was too tight and it showed off too much of her breasts. She had to fight the urge to tug the front of the dress up to cover them because if she pulled the dress up to cover her breasts, something else would be left exposed.

Natalie appeared behind her. "Perfect!" She exclaimed, practically clapping with glee. "Oh my gosh, Em. You look so hot. This new you is going to drive him so wild."

Emily kept frowning though the more she looked at herself. She didn't like this at all. This wasn't her. At all. She wore her sneakers and cotton dresses and cardigan sweaters and she wasn't like the other women in the clubhouse. And Happy knew she wasn't like them. She had always assumed that that was one of the reasons why Happy liked her. But after hearing what that crow eater had been saying in the kitchen a few mornings earlier, she hadn't been able to get it out of her head. Maybe she had been sexier to be an old lady.

But the longer she stood in front of the mirror, she hated herself a little more with each passing minute. This wasn't her. She was not the sort to dress in a particular way or change herself for any man. This wasn't her and if this was what he wanted, maybe he would be better off with any of the women who hung around the club.

She sighed softly and Natalie noticed, her own smile fading.

"What?" She asked, sounding almost impatient.

Emily shook her head. "This is ridiculous."

"Looking hot for your man is ridiculous?" Natalie asked, confused and a little incredulous.

"This isn't me, Nat, and Happy knows that," Emily said, turning away from the mirror. "And I'm not going to walk around in this. I don't think I've ever been this uncomfortable."

"You're just not used to it," Natalie put her hands on her shoulders and turned her back towards the mirror. "You'll get used to it."

"I don't want to get used to it," Emily said and with that, she turned away from the mirror again and went back into the dressing room, sweeping the curtain closed behind her.

When she stepped out again, she felt much better in her Converse sneakers, blue and white stripped sundress and her black cardigan. Natalie came out of her own dressing room a moment later, wearing black leather pants. She instantly went to the mirror and turned around to check out her ass.

Emily smiled a little and shook her head. "Gotta go," she said. "I'll see you later?"

"Brunch on Saturday," Natalie reminded her. "And I think you're making a mistake."

"Your opinion is dutifully noted. I'll talking to you later."

And with another smile and a wave, Emily left the women's department, heading towards the exit of the store. She was surprised that not only Natalie had even gotten her to go shopping with her but also that that woman at the club and what she had said had bothered her so much.

She didn't tell Happy about it. They weren't one of those couples who talked about things. She supposed he knew more about her mainly because she talked so much more than him – and she had learned early on that even if she asked questions, he would never answer. But she knew their communication was basically non-existent. She just never seemed able to tell him things that were bothering her. For one thing, he was the first man she had ever dated. The first real man. Every relationship before that had been with boys and a part of her had no idea how to be with an actual man. Especially a man like Happy. Fierce and constantly scowling and so damn frightening and intimidating. He was warm with her, sometimes even affectionate but only when they were alone and not even then was it something she could depend on.

Happy wasn't the sort to sit around and talk about thing sand he wasn't the sort to sit around and listen to her talk about her thoughts or feelings so she had just grown to assume that he wouldn't care. She just kept it to herself – or told Natalie about it – but sometimes, she was lay there with him sleeping beside her and she didn't understand what she was doing. Shouldn't she be with a man that she could at least talk to?

It was just something else she added to the already long list of why she probably shouldn't be with him and yet, something was keeping her with him. Something that had burrowed itself deeply inside of her and wouldn't let her walk away from him.

She drove straight to St. Thomas to report for her shift, changing into her light blue scrubs and pulling her hair back into a braid. She hadn't spoken to or seen Happy for almost twenty-four hours but that was also part of the norm when it came to their relationship. He was off, doing things for the club that she didn't even want to think about because she had looked up what his patch meant on the internet one day. Sergeant at Arms and all sorts of words popped up. Disciplinary. Enforcer. Everything she read had frightened her because it all seemed to fit Happy perfectly and she didn't even know most of him.

She was on a twelve-hour shift and once she stepped from the hospital, the sun was rising with a new day. She got into her car and headed straight home, eager for a shower and some sleep and hopefully, her path would cross with Happy's. If even for just a little bit.

The instant she stepped into the apartment, she knew he was there. He had coffee brewing and Kyle was at his bowl on the floor, eating the cat food that Happy had scooped out for him. She always loved how he bitched about that cat practically on a daily basis and yet, if she had to work, either he would – or he would send a prospect over – to make sure that cat was fed. It was just something that seemed to be such a contradiction to the man he appeared to be the rest of the time.

"Hey!" She called out as she slipped out of her sneakers.

"Hey," he answered from the kitchen. "Wasn't sure what time you were gonna get here."

"What time did you get here?" She asked, dropping her purse onto the table before coming into the kitchen. He stood at the counter in nothing but boxers, cracking eggs into a bowl, and she admitted that she loved with his tattoos were all on full display like this.

"A few hours ago. Gonna be hanging around the garage today if you need me," he said.

She nodded and she felt herself stepping behind him, her arms slipping around his waist and her lips brushing against his back. The action made his own actions still.

"You alright?" He asked after a minute and she knew what he was thinking.

This was way too sweet and too domestic of a scene for them. But she couldn't seem to help herself. Seeing him there, making breakfast, she looked at him and had missed him so much with the time they had been apart.

"Mm-hmmm," she nodded. "Just a long time since I've seen you."

Happy didn't reply to her comment. Instead, he turned around then and she gasped with surprise when he lifted her as easily as if she was Kyle and he settled her on the counter. He stepped between her knees and she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his and his hands began pushing the hem of her dress up her legs. She squirmed a little and kissed him hard, Happy kissing her just as hard in return. One of his hands went to the back of her head, cupping it, gripping some of her hair, and her hands slid up his chest and over his shoulders, pulling him in to be even closer to her.

"Happy," she murmured as he bunched the dress around her waist and her own hands dropped to the waistband of his boxers. His lips had left hers and were now sucking on a patch of skin at the side of her neck a little too hard, definitely leaving his mark. "Happy," she said, more like a whimper now, and she arched her back, pushing herself into him.

He pulled his head back and her eyes fluttered open to find her looking at him, the pools of black staring into her and she felt a tightening in her stomach the longer they looked at one another. She had no idea what he was thinking but suddenly, a thought popped into her own head and it was absolutely terrifying. So damn frightening and yet, it was in there now and had planted itself quite comfortably in her brain like a seedling taking hold of the soil and she couldn't shake it no matter how badly she wanted to.

And she looked at him and was even more scared to realize that she didn't want it gone.

For as wrong as she knew this whole damn thing between them was, she didn't want it to end anytime soon. She had no idea what kind of life they would have – or could possibly have – together but she looked at him and suddenly, she was just so damn tired of thinking about the same things over and over again and never getting anywhere.

She looked at him and he stared back at her and she leaned forward, brushing her lips across his, imagining that she had surprised him with the gentleness and tenderness.

"I love you, Happy," she whispered to him.

She wasn't expecting a response and wasn't surprised in the least when Happy remained silent and just kept staring at her. She stared back and knew she wouldn't take it back even though her instincts were screaming at her to do just that.


Thank you so much for reading and please review!