Rafael wasn't one for big romantic gestures. He was much more subtle, more reserved, when it came to his personal life and especially his romantic relationships. But, with Gabriela, he could tell he needed to apologize, and she was much more openly romantic than him, so he needed to take a page from her book.

They normally hung out on Sunday nights, but she was still annoyed at him from their fight in the bar, so they hadn't made plans to hang out tonight. Rafael decided this was perfect for a surprise apology.

He bought a dozen red roses and put on a tie of his she loved, the one he wore the night they first met, and made his way over to her apartment. Walking past Central Park, Rafael reflected on their relationship. They were at completely different places in life, but he couldn't ignore how connected they were. Their habits were so similar, their likes and dislikes. He preferred making coffee for two as opposed to making coffee just for himself. His bed was more welcoming with her in it, his laugh was bigger when she made jokes, his kisses were more passionate with her. He had been in love before, and he had many relationships before, but this girl was different. She put a skip in his step, a twinkle in his eye. Rafael felt like he had been at an impasse before, a standstill: working nonstop, no time for friends outside of the squad, no time to reconnect with his culture or roots. Gabriela changed that.

He thought it was time she knew all of that.

Rafael pushed the button next to Gabriela's name outside of her building. "Who is it?" She asked through the speaker system.

"It's Rafi. Can I come upstairs? I'd like to talk to you." A few seconds passed by and Rafael was sweating under his suit coat.

"Okay," she finally replied, and the door buzzed.

Rafael took the elevator to her floor and walked down the hallway of her building. Gabriela was waiting at the door in her pajamas, which now consisted of a Harvard shirt borrowed from Rafi and pajama shorts.

"I feel underdressed," she joked.

"I was going to call, but I thought this would be more romantic, spontaneous." He cleared his throat and presented the bouquet. "For you."

Gabriela took the flowers and smelled them, bringing a smile to her face. "They're beautiful. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Rafael shuffled his feet and put his hands into his pockets. He practiced on the way over, but all of the brilliant oratory he thought of was escaping him in the heat of the moment. "Look, I know we've only been dating for what five? Six weeks?"

"About." Gabriela leaned against the door frame.

"And I know that's not very long in the grand scheme of things, but in that time, I feel like we've gotten to know each other pretty well."

"I agree."

"I feel very connected to you, very - invested in this continuing."

"Okay."

"I'm falling in love with you," he blurted out. This was not going very well and Rafael was chastising himself in his head over and over again when Gabriela stepped forward and placed the softest of kisses on his lips. It was sweet, loving, tender. She pulled away, looked down at her flowers in her hand, and met Rafael's gaze. "I'm falling for you too," she smiled.

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Are you surprised?"

"No? Well, maybe a little. It feels very soon to be saying all of this."

"I think all of that is stupid - wait this long to call them, wait this long to sleep with them, wait this long to say it. I don't care to follow other people's ideas of what I should and shouldn't do. I go with my gut."

Rafael waved one of his hands through her hair. "I like that about you." And he really meant it. Rafael was a very rules oriented person. Sure, he trusted his gut, as all lawyers and cops do, but he was also very careful about playing by the rules. Then again, rules were made to be broken. "Also, I am sorry about what I said in the bar. It was mean and petty and unnecessary. To be honest, I might have gotten a little jealous."

"Jealous? Of Brad? Why?"

"You go to school together, you have friends in common."

"So? That doesn't mean anything."

"He's more age-appropriate for you. There's a lot that comes with an age difference in a relationship. Different friends, different hangout spots, different values. I saw him, the way he talked to you, and I got nervous."

"We've talked about this before, remember? That night we met, I asked you about the age difference, and you said you didn't care. And then the morning after, you said the only conflict would be a moral one, and you said who cares."

Rafael was surprised she remembered. "You have a very good memory. It's a lot easier to talk the talk than walk the walk, especially when I wasn't sure I would see you again."

Gabriela laughed a little and used her free hand to stroke his cheek, to stroke the worry away. "Rafi, I like you for you. And yes, I am aware of how old you are, but I am more interested in your character, and that I absolutely adore."

"Oh, so you adore me now?" He teased her, raising his eyebrows.

"Shut up. Besides, you're the one who's falling in love with me." She teased back.

He moved his hands to her hips and guided her so that her back was against the wall next to her apartment door. She wrapped her arms around his neck, still holding the bouquet of flowers. Rafael put his lips next to her ear.

"Yes, yes I am." He kissed her neck as she giggled and sighed. "Do you want to come inside?" She asked as he moved to the other side of her neck.

Rafael broke contact and stood up straight again. "Absolutely," he grinned. Gabriela used her free hand to grab his tie and guide him into her apartment, and Rafael kicked the door closed.