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The Saltwater Room

That night, Betty and I made love for the first time.

I usually hate that term, to me it sounds so corny and cheesy. Like something you'd hear in one of those trashy romance novels my female relatives were so fond of reading, with the shirt-lacking man and woman on the cover in a torrid embrace.

But honestly, that's what it was with Betty.

I wasn't a virgin by any means, but with Betty, I felt like I was. The entire experience was so new and unfamiliar, I felt nervous and excited and completely incredulous as to its happening. However, I know knew there was something here that there hadn't been the previous times.

Pure and truly unconditional love.

I felt like I could give Betty everything she wanted, for once. My heart constricted each time I pulled back and gazed upon her head laying against my pillow, threatening to burst. Her dark brown hair spread over the fabric, guaranteeing that the smell of strawberry would permeate my pillow the next day, and her amber eyes were sparkling, looking at me the way I'd always wanted her to.

As Betty fixed her gaze on me, I found it so unbelievable that I had once hated her. Hated her for what she did to me, what feelings she brought out in me.

But, like I said, the emotions of hate and love aren't that different. Now, I never wanted said feelings to end.

Reality in every sense was suspended. I couldn't believe that after everything, every exchange of insults, and every exchange of the deepest kind of hurt, that she and I were finally here. The closest we could possibly be was now a reality.

It was almost like I was submerged underwater, in the ocean almost. Every word muted, yet every action amplified in waves that hit again and again. And even the loudest sound can't penetrate the barrier of saltwater surrounding me, and the only means of recognition is purely by the sense of touch.

That's what it felt like. For those hours, we were exactly the same, no one had hurt the other, and not one of us felt the emotional baggage weighing us down.

We were flying, to say the least.

As my fingers traced the contours of her soft skin, she laughed softly before I kissed her for what felt like the millionth time that evening. I felt the pressure of her slender fingers on my bare back, and I shivered at the slight contact.

It just felt so good. Being with her in my microscopic bed, the covers laying tangled around our bodies. Betty's hand ran through my hair as I kissed her neck, and I flashed back to everything I'd ever learned about this moment.

Over the years, I'd had a lot of alternative sex education. Meaning it's always awkward, it's ten times better when you're not in love, and never under any circumstances give out a second chance to someone who's screwed you over. Other gems of advice included never starting a relationship, or sleeping with someone who wasn't in your "league".

I was glad I hadn't the sense to listen to them. Before, I would have been considered out of Betty's league. I never thought that myself, in fact, I thought the complete opposite. She was always first and foremost above me. Her intelligence, wit, and compassion were one of the most beautiful things about her. And I'd looked deeper, and by some miracle, Betty looked back.

She'd looked past the boy who had supposedly no drive and had turned to selling sandwiches in a mad haste for money, and in his place she saw a man.

A man who knew from the get-go what he wanted to do with his life, and having the determination to do so. Betty had seen that when no one else at that God-awful place hadn't even bothered to even so much as glance at.

And here were were. Maybe everything had come full circle, there was nothing standing in our way this time around. It was just us, together. Finally.

That vast expanse of space, totally and utterly ours, was so frightening yet exhilarating at the same time.

...

Hours went by, and finally we laid side by side, exhausted and satisfied.

Betty rested on my arm, one hand clasped in between my fingers, the other drawing misshapen circles on my bare chest.

"Is it wrong I still have trouble believing this?" she asked softly.

"It makes two of us, if that's the case." I laughed.

She giggled in response, "It's just...I'm...wow."

I snickered, "I'm that good, huh?"

Betty smacked my chest playfully, "Gio! No, well...yes, better than good. But no. It's just...well, I have something to tell you, actually."

I was silently smiling at the former remark, and gestured for her to continue.

She played with my fingers for a while before speaking, "I...received some news...earlier. About a job, actually."

I squeezed her arm, smiling still, "So soon? See? I told you you were good Suarez, already the job offers are pouring in."

"Actually," she continued, "it was only one. A great one, I'd be able to write about the things I want to write about. You know, politics, sociology, and humanitarian efforts. I'd be writing about the great things that people are doing to make the world in general a better place. It's what I've always wanted to do, to share their stories."

I started to speak, but before I could, Betty sat up. The covers rising with her, and giving me a slight chill as my bare skin was exposed to the air conditioning.

"Gio, it's in Uganda."

And there it was, the piano that I just knew had to come crashing down on my head on the animated version of myself. I swallowed as my chest tensed.

After a few moments, I raised myself up to join her, and struggled to keep my voice level. "You're...you're going to Africa? You're...leaving?"

My voice had betrayed me on this last word, showing my weakness, and I cursed inwardly at myself.

Betty pursed her lips and turned her head toward me, her eyes beginning to water as she stayed silent.

I swallowed again, my heart in my throat.

Suddenly, her face broke into a wide grin, showing her newly brace-free teeth. "Absolutely not, as a matter of fact, I turned them down."

I just stared at her, once again not quite comprehending the course of events this night, or maybe it was day by now, had taken.

"What...What?" I stuttered.

Betty was still smiling, "Gio, I can write anywhere, about anything. My dreams have changed, and the world is connected by the internet anyway. Who knows, I might try blogging, it's the latest craze in journalism."

"But...but Betty, this was the opportunity you've been wanting and waiting for your whole life. You even said that yourself, that this time nothing was going to stand in your way. I don't want to be the obstacle that's blocking the path."

She shook her head, making her dark hair fluff around her shoulders, "You won't be standing in my way. You helped me find the path in the first place, and for the first time in my life I'm actually doing what I want. What I need."

I gaped at her openly still, "But...but...-"

This time it was Betty who interrupted me, as she placed her hand behind my neck and pressed her mouth to mine. Caught off-guard, I reciprocated, and before I knew it our bodies were once again tangled together as we fell back down into the soft flannel of my sheets.

Not wanting to get distracted from the answer I wanted, I broke the kiss, "Betty," I said, looking into her eyes, "why didn't you take the offer? Why stay here?"

"Oh, God Gio," Betty said as she ran a hand through my hair, exasperated, "I didn't take it because I realized I had a better opportunity here. With you."

She paused here to kiss me lightly on the lips, as one hand stroked my bicep, and once again I was tempted to not inquire about the answer. But, for some reason, I couldn't, I had to know.

As I pulled back, she pushed a stray strand of hair out of my face, finally fed up with my backsliding.

"Gio," Betty said softly, "you're the guy."

And that was it. Those three words that I'd said to her over more than a year ago came back to haunt me, but in the most glorious way possible.

My heart threatened to burst out of my chest as our bodies connected again, the yearning somehow even more intense than before. As the kisses became more passionate, the need more present, and the underlying emotion now rushing to the surface with each fervent moment, I couldn't help but think a single thought:

It all started with a sandwich.

...

A/N: Hello readers! Sadly, this is the end of the story, and as I'm sure you all heard, this year is the end of Ugly Betty. I tried to make this chapter the best it could be in lieu of the news, and instead of taking a short while, it ended up taking a month. I was inspired by the song "The Saltwater Room" by Owl City, and I hope that I conveyed the meaning of it well, and I made this everything the story was aiming for. Let me know :)

Oh, I just want the readers to know that I enjoyed writing this story so much, and that I appreciated each and every amount of feedback I got from everyone. Even though this story is already seven months old, I felt as if it had taken just a few short weeks to write.

So, here's my goodbye for this story, but I guarantee I'll be back with more UB. Please read and review! And once again, thank you sooooo much everyone! :)