It was bliss to know that so much comfort and warmth could be found in the simple caress of someone's lips. Honestly, Kate had never felt so at ease in any form of contact, and despite her racing heart, she'd felt like the world was slowing as she faded into a sweet, sensible kiss, shared with Max, of all people. It was satisfying to have some correspondence to her churning inner-thoughts and when Max had said those four words of reciprocation, Kate felt like she'd melted away from the warmth and joy of simply being loved. But then it hurt her, like the moment in a car crash where your life flashes before your eyes, or the second the plot twist thickens and hero becomes villain, or the instant it takes to fall in love, a sudden dastardly realization struck Kate like a blunt force to the head: what would her family say about her now? Now she had taken the plunge of no return, diving deep into the downward spiral of sin; surely everyone would turn to stare at the once saint catholic girl who had brought the eyes of the lord shining down from the heavens to judge those sinful students who walked the wretched halls of Blackwell with their reckless views and careless abandonment of purity. But alas, none of that would matter anymore, for Kate had chosen a new path; she had chosen Max Caulfield, over death, over salvation, and over all things she'd once preached to the world. Kate never believed in forever, but she did believe that it would all somehow work out, as long as Max was by her side to guide her.
Meanwhile, Max had felt the bittersweet guilt of using her rewind abilities against Kate bubbling up inside of her. She knew, be it as it may, that most other options would be to break the Charming, Precious Angel's heart, and that was something she would never quite live down, rewind or not; just the mental snapshot she had taken of the tears that were pouring down Kate's rosy cheeks was enough to send a shiver of solecism through the time-traveler's conscience. Max did, however, feel a spark, a jump-start to the engine that is her heart, when their lips collided and that was enough for her to draw to conclusion that among the many things that made Kate Marsh special, she had also brought Max a new sense of compassion that she seemed to cherish. Love wasn't a word that could describe how either of them felt, those four letters simply could not hold to the task of expressing how deeply they cared for one another; if there ever was a word, Max was sure she would find it, but for now, love would have to do.
The two spent the rest of their afternoon together, chatting away the dissipating daylight, studying for classes Kate had missed, just enjoying being within one another's company, really. Max knew that at some point they would have to have a serious discussion about their future together, and the bumps that lie on the road ahead of them; she had only imagined that this wouldn't go over very well with Kate's family members, particularly Kate's aunt who was already raging up a storm from the Vortex Club viral video. Kate seemed entirely calm, regardless, and for that, Max fell into a similar state of tranquility; both of them reveling in the beautiful simplicity of their deliquescing state.
Maybe it was the quiet resolve that had brought this story to a close, or maybe the reason rested simply with their acceptance; regardless of how they came full circle, the important thing is that with every day that lie in wake, brought a chapter that they wrote themselves, a path carved by choices entirely two them, for every saint has a binding past, and for every sinner, a future of bright possibilities...
A.N.) Thank you everyone who supported this story, it really means a lot to me, but now that my plot for this particular fanfiction idea has ended, I must draw this thread to a close. Feel free to follow/favorite me for I may post other stories related to this one but for now, This is all. Farewell, faithful readers~