Ryan sat back, relaxed, and took a sip of red wine. Quinn sat down next to him. "Ryan, I don't know what you did, but thank you. I love you so much for whatever it was." She smiled at him.

Ryan smiled back. "I turned on my irresistible charm."

Quinn slapped his arm. "Stop it." She rubbed her palms against her knees, preparing herself. "Your dad said something to me today."

Ryan set his glass down on the coffee table. "What did he say?"

Quinn laughed. "You love me?"

"Of course I do, you know I do."

"No… As in… 'in love with me'."

Ryan's eyes grew wide. "That's…"

"I'd get it. We've been through a lot together."

Ryan fidgeted with his hands. "Of course I do. And it has nothing to do with Alaska. I've loved you since we were kids and… I don't know." Ryan looked at Quinn in the eye. "I guess I never really realised it until you were gone and you came back and I—" Ryan broke off when the front door opened. Quinn spun her head around and shot an angry look at her brother, Matt.

"Sorry…" he said meekly. "Did I interrupt something?"

"Yes!" Quinn said.

Ryan smiled. "No." He looked down at Quinn. "We'll talk later."

He was already at the elevator when Quinn caught up to him. "I'm scared. Of losing everything. I get mad at everyone who says we'd be good together 'cause if we take that chance I could lose my best friend. I can't lose you again."

"You won't." He took her hands. "Quinn, I always knew I'd see you again."

Quinn sighed. "What are you doing?"

"What?" Ryan frowned.

"This understanding crap? Either be firm with me and tell me that we're taking the chance, or tell me everything that you just said was a joke: that you do love me but only as a friend."

Ryan smiled, closed the distance between Quinn and the wall, and, seeing the smile play on Quinn's lips, closed the distance between him and her.

When she was a kid, Quinn always wondered what it would be like to kiss Ryan. And now she knew. Not only that, but she had also wondered what it would be like to have Ryan's body next to hers. She giggled as Ryan moved next to her, his hand grazing her bare thigh. She pushed closer to his body as he traced her jawline with his nose until he got to her lips. "Was that firm enough for you?"

Quinn laughed. "I don't know. It could have been a bit firmer." She kissed him, remembering the awkward silence in the car as he drove with her back to his place, the argument they had when he insisted he couldn't make love to her just yet, not until he'd come to terms with everything that had happened between them, until he'd overcome his need to not cause her any physical pain. She remembered the look on his face when he'd finally accepted defeat and they began kissing again.

Quinn smiled as Ryan propped himself up on his elbow, rubbing her shoulder with the other hand. "Promise me something…"

"What?"

"Next time… just take me… no hesitation?"

"I can do that…" he assured as he climbed on top of her. "I think I can definitely do that."

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