She wanted him; God, how she wanted him. But when the faces of Zach and Grace flashed in her mind, she broke off the kiss, instantly missing the warmth of Will's lips.
"What is it? What's wrong?" he was asking.
"I-can't. I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking."
"It's my fault, Alicia. Not yours. None of this is your fault. I should have never-"
She averted her eyes. "Will-."
"No, listen to me, Alicia. Look at me, please..."
Reluctantly, her eyes moved to meet his. "But-."
"None of this is your fault, okay? And don't ever think that it is. Not Kalinda, not Peter and certainly not this. Now I can't deny that I don't love you. I do still love you. I always have and probably always did have feelings for you but I won't act on them. Not till you're ready. And if you're never ready then… well, that's okay too."
She rested her head against his chest content to hear his beating heart once more. "I'm just… so tired, Will. I can't think anymore."
"I know. I'm tired too, actually. And this game sucks! What in the hell is with Henderson tonight?" He shouted Throw the damn ball! Don't just stand there! How hard is it to throw a basketball? Damn! Can you believe this game?"
She opened her eyes but for a moment and then closed them again. "Can you just hold me until I fall asleep?"
He smiled and tuned off the television. She felt him lean forward to grab the blanket and unfold it, gently draping it over her body and across his legs; his sock feet propped on the coffee table. And then he kissed her cheek, her brow and then her forehead. "Goodnight, Alicia."
At that moment, nothing mattered except for the fact that she was in his arms.
"Goodnight Will. I love you."
"I love you too, Alicia."
Right here, right now. It was exactly where she needed to be.
THE END
A/N: This story was intended to be a one-shot and when it began to grow, I wasn't sure where to go with it. But thank you to everyone who read and reviewed. I sincerely appreciate it and I appreciate your patience. I hope it was worth the wait!