SCORPION - The tape - One shot
Really loved episode 8, and we all know that one way or another Paige's going to find that tape so I might as well get ahead of it.
Paige's POV.
After Sylvester's party ended and everybody started going home, Walter and I decided that we would go to my place tonight. It wasn't really efficient since we were already here, but we agreed that it was best for Ralph to sleep in his bedroom until we installed him a proper place here. Because yeah, Walter offered to make a room for Ralph in his loft and I don't know exactly how he intends to do it since there's not actually much space left there but my two geniuses seemed to already have all the plans in mind and there was nothing that could make me happier than to see them work together so the three of us can live together. It was a big step if I though of it, and Walter and I didn't even properly talked about it, but we were spending all of our time together anyway and it felt like the next natural thing to do.
« Shouldn't we change before going? »
Ralph's voice got me out of my thought. It was true that we were still into those silly costumes and mine was starting itching a little.
« I'm with Ralph. I need to take a quick shower anyway. » Walter said.
We both showered after the mission but then we put back our costumes on so I understood Walter's need to feel clean again. I wanted to shower too but Ralph was obviously exhausted so that would have to wait until we're home.
« Okay well Ralph your clothes are in my bag, you can change here, Walter and I will be down in a few minutes. »
Ralph nodded and Walter and I got up rapidly. I wanted to be quick so I could get back to my son but then I surprised myself watching Walter removing his Robin Hood costume. I remembered the beginning of our relationship, when in spite of the fact that I had already seen him naked, he automatically went to the bathroom to change. Now he didn't have this kind of discomfort at all anymore, to my greatest pleasure.
Walter must have felt that I was starring at him because he turned toward me and gave me a big smile.
« You want to join me in the shower? »
I really did, but I knew that would take us more time than what we had.
« No it's okay I'll just… change and wait for you downstairs. »
Walter looked disappointed for a second but his face turned back to a smile as he said an 'Okay' before disappearing in the bathroom.
As for me, I got my clothes that I put on the chair and quickly put them back on, and I was about to leave when I saw my reflection in the mirror that was hanging on the wall and realized that one of my earrings was missing. Crap, I must have lost it during one of my many change of clothes during the day. Lucky for me, I was in the same room every time so it shouldn't be too far.
So I started to look for it everywhere especially under the furnitures when I spotted something strange under Walter's bed.
It was a guitar. It made no sense, Walter didn't like music, and even if he probably would have no trouble learning how to play, it was pointless for him.
But my surprise grew bigger when I found something else behind the guitar. A tape, with written « For Paige » on it.
I don't know why but my heart started to beat really fast at the sight of this. Did Walter recorded something for me? Maybe he made me a playlist, or maybe he recorded himself saying something? Or… could it be possible that there was a correlation between the guitar and the tape? That seemed highly unlikable, but I had to find out.
I knew that Walter had a cassette player that he used to listen some recordings he did during experimentations so I started to look for it and it wasn't long before I found it (one of the perks of dating a genius was that he had a specific place for each item and he very rarely misplaced things so it was easy to find something in his place).
I put the tape in the player, the headphone on my ears and pressed the button…
Walter's POV.
As I was in the shower, I played back the events of the day in my head. It was a good day in the end. We saved someone's life, caught bad guys, and despite our diverging opinion on the matter of having fun in an inaccurate medieval festival, Paige told me that she loved me anyway so I guess that everything was perfect right now.
I thought about this song thing too. I was relieved after she told me that I'd never have to pretend to be someone I'm not because it meant that I could drop my attempt at music, but the truth was that deep down I wished I could do that for her. I didn't drop it because I didn't want to write Paige a song, the idea actually grew on me (as surprising as it could sound), I dropped it because I clearly sucked at it.
Maybe I would try again one more time later.
When I got out of the shower, Paige was already downstairs so I hurried up and a minute later I joined her and Ralph to leave the garage. I noticed that Paige was looking me with a weird look, one she had when she wanted to talk to me but not in front of Ralph, and I hoped that I didn't do anything to piss her off. But on the very small way from the door to the car she took my hand and kissed my cheek, for absolutely no reason, so I guess that it was about something else. I would have to figure that out once we were alone.
When Ralph was finally put to bed, I almost had forgotten about that but then I saw Paige looking at me in that weird way again, bitting her lower lip.
« Is there something I should know about? »
Paige got closer to me and passed her arms around my neck.
« Well… Apparently it's more about something I shouldn't know about, but I accidentally ran into it… »
I had no idea what she was talking about, I wasn't hiding anything from her. Or maybe she wasn't referring to me, maybe she discovered something and wanted to share it with me.
« Oh yeah? What is it? »
She was now passing her hands through the hairs in the back of my neck playfully and I could see she was enjoying teasing me. Not that I minded but I really wanted to know what it was all about.
« It's… a song. I didn't hear the end though. Such a shame its writer thought it was stupid. It really wasn't. »
Oh boy. She must have found the tape when I was showering earlier. I felt really embarrassed right now because not only she knew that I, Walter O'Brien, had attempted to write a love song, she also knew that I failed.
« It was stupid. You told me that you wanted me to stay true to myself, and I appreciate that. But you know that I'm also willing to make efforts for you. Not to change, but… at least to be the best version of myself for you. But this was too much because I suck at it. »
Paige hadn't removed herself from me, and I mechanically put my hands on her lower back while I was talking, but I could see that she wanted to laugh now and I was a little vexed.
« You see, you're mocking me. »
« No I'm not! Walter I'm amused because I can't believe that you would have done that for me. You know having an handsome man like you writing a song for her is every girl's dream. And that's actually the cutest thing anyone has ever done for me. »
I would never get girls. I can't believe that what I did, or tried to do at least, was the exact thing that would make my girlfriend happy when it sounded like the most silly apologize I could come up with in my head.
« And I don't want to force you to be someone you're not but I have to say… You have a very sexy voice Mr. O'Brien, and I'm dying to know the end of this song. »
I was now agape. So it was true that the singers-slash-musicians got all the girls because it was 'sexy'?
« I uh… I don't have my guitar here. »
« Well you're in luck because I just happen to have one. »
Paige got away from me to go in her bedroom and after I heard her search one of her closets, she came back with an acoustic guitar in hand.
« O-okay so… you want me to do this right now? »
« Unless you don't want to. »
Well I couldn't say no now.
« Okay, let's do this… »
I played a few notes on the guitar and tuned it before starting my song. I didn't even wrote it entirely before but the words just flood out of my mouth. It was a bit hesitant sure, and poorly executed, but now I really knew what Happy meant when she told me to look into my heart.
I closed my eyes during the entire time I was singing because I didn't want to see Paige mocking me, or with a look that meant that it was bad, but when I opened them, her face wasn't expressing that at all. It was more… tender and… passionate maybe.
« I have the best boyfriend on earth. » she whispered before throwing herself at me.
After what we had the best sex we ever had. I was definitely going to keep that guitar close.
I do really suck at writing songs so I left that part to your imagination ahah.
AN : This Saturday I'm entering my overhaul period before my big exam in December so I won't write anything for the month to come. Then I'll be on holidays so I'll be able to update Gravity ! :)