Dave woke up to the sensation of eyes studying him, and he tried to pretend that he was still asleep as he felt Erin reach out and stroke his face delicately before sweeping her hand down his neck to splay out on his chest, her fingers starting to pluck at his chest hair. "I know you're awake, darling."
"I was waiting to see if you'd do anything else to wake me up, Topalina," he said before clearing his throat and looking at her. There was a soft smile on her lips, and he waggled his eyebrows at her before tugging the covers down from around them, reaching up to cup one of her breasts, his thumb lazily brushing against her nipple as he watched her eyes cloud with desire. "I wish that we had time to repeat last night."
"Umm, so do I," she breathed out as she scooted closer to him, dislodging his hand as she rested her head on his chest, letting out a deep sigh. "Do you think that I'm easy?"
It was a question completely out of left field, and he tried to pull away from her so that he could look into her eyes, wanting to see the expression there, but she wrapped her arm around his waist in order to hold onto him tighter as she waited for his reply. Letting out a long breath, he spread his hand out across her back, his thumb rubbing against her shoulder blade as he gathered his thoughts, hoping that Erin wouldn't interpret his silence as judgement. "I hate that you have to ask that question, Erin, because I assumed that you were a little more confident in our relationship. What caused these thoughts to bubble up in your mind?"
"Thinking about everything that I lost. I loved being in New York with Penelope and Alex, they were so wonderful to me, keeping me distracted and focused on everything I have to live for. But there were still these nagging thoughts in my mind that I couldn't quite quell. Chiefly, the notion that I moved on too quickly, that I gave you my heart before Alan was even cold in the grave, and what does that say about me? Nothing good. All my friends have been unfailingly kind to my face, but I can't help but feel a few of them look at me askance because of the alacrity with which I tumbled into bed with you. You were the one who was trying to stay honorable through it all, and I was the one who pushed you to take things faster, because I needed to feel something other than the deep well of sorrow that just pervaded everything cell of my body. I love you, David, my darling, my love, but I still feel a little guilty?"
A poignant silence fell over the room as he slipped his hand up her back to bury his fingers in her hair, tugging gently on the strands he caught. "I am so sorry that you feel that way, and that you think I would reject you for being honest and open with me. I suppose, the first thing, the thing that only matters to me, is that I love you. I would love you if you had decided that you never wanted a physical relationship with me. I would love you if you decided that we worked better as friends. All I want for you is to be happy. Are you happy with me?"
"Yes," she breathed out before pressing her lips against his throat. He felt the first tears wet his skin, and he held her closer, nuzzling his face in her hair as he allowed himself to cry with her. "Oh, David, have I messed this all up? Because there's this large portion of my heart that is occupied by you, and I don't know what I'd do if I lost my mooring. I can always return to my house, since we haven't sold it yet, but I don't want to be cut off from you."
That was the moment that he did pull away from her, gently cupping her chin so that their eyes would meet. He could read the sorrow in every line on her face, but he didn't know what the source of that sadness was from – missing her family or thinking she was about to be rejected by him. "I would never cut you out of my life, Topalina. I felt love for you the moment you trusted Penelope and me to help you on the roof. I fell in love with you when I realized that I couldn't leave your side, not when you meant so much to me. You know my history with relationships, you know that I am an inveterate flirt…"
"And I know that you are faithful to a fault, David," she interrupted before pressing her lips against his in a fierce kiss. "I want to marry you, someday. Not right now, it's too soon for that, but I did get us something while we were on holiday." She gave him another kiss before climbing out of bed and padding over to her jewelry box and grabbing something from it. As she came back to the bed, Dave found himself drinking in her body, realizing that they belonged to each other, no matter what they would go through in the future. Erin blushed a little as she reclined back on the bed, holding out her hand, palm up.
In the middle of her hand lay two slim bands, and he picked up the larger one, slipping it onto his ring finger without preamble. "How did you know my size?"
Erin smiled shyly as she slipped her own ring on before drawing her legs up against her chest. "I actually permitted Penelope to do a little hacking to figure that information out. She was all too willing to help me when I told her what I had planned. Though I did have a pretty little speech that I wanted to give you before I put your ring into place."
"I'm sorry, I get a little impatient at times."
"So I've noticed. Anyway, these rings are a symbol of my fidelity to you, and hopefully of your fidelity to me. A small reminder of us when you're out in the field, and I can't hold you close in the night. I pledge my heart to you, David Rossi, and I only ask that you hold this cold heart of mine gently in the warmth of your heart."
"Oh, Topalina, your heart is not cold. It has turned warm through the loving care of myself, and Penelope, and Alex. We've pulled you back from the brink of your overwhelming sorrow, and helped you find a reason to live once more. I will gladly wear this ring to remind me of you when we're out chasing down usubs, bringing closure to yet another set of families."
"And what will you say when someone points it out? I know that Alex and Penelope will keep it quiet, but Aaron is quite observant, and he'll know that there's something different about your hand when you head in today."
"I'll tell my best friend that there's this woman who has wrapped me around her finger and bedazzled me with her smile. That she fulfills this yearning in my heart, and makes me want to sit in front of a fire with her and watch the flames dance as we snuggle and kiss. And if I'm lucky, maybe a little more." She giggled lightly and he leaned in to kiss her before giving her a small smile. "But I think he already knows just how much you mean to me. I think that he'll want to double date the next time Beth is in town."
"That will be nice, tell him that I look forward to that happening. We could drag them along to that delicious seafood restaurant you found, and then out to a movie. After all, in the dark, no one can see if you steal a kiss or two."
"I love the way your brain works, Erin." He glanced over her shoulder to see that they would have to forego breakfast that morning, as it was later than he had thought, and let out a long breath. "Now, unfortunately, we need to get dressed and head to work. Why does the real world never stop for our happiness? And you are happy with me?"
"Incredibly. May I ask one thing of you?"
"Anything, Erin."
"If I feel guilty, and I tell you that I am, would you please reassure me that I have your love? Because I feel that there are going to be times where that false emotion washes over me, especially in the run up to the first-year anniversary of their deaths. I'm going to need you to hold me gently and whisper in my ear that things will be all right in the end. Can I trust you to do that?"
"You can trust me with all that, and more." She gave him a gorgeous smile before leaning in and kissing him deeply, knocking them back onto the mattress. And as their kisses became more frenzied, he knew that they would just have to come in late that day, as there was no way he would give up this sweet moment for anything in the world.
