NOTES: Darcy's POV. Slightly longer chapter. Lol, i Already knew what would happen, so I didn't realize The last chapter was such a cliff hanger! Sorry about that y'all 😂 Anyway, this one will make up for it. VERY cute and sweet 💖 enjoy! ~Vinny

There was an old joke, about people like Fitzwilliam Darcy. 'Nearly 30 and still doesn't know how to talk to girls,' is how it normally goes… Well that wasn't quite true. He didn't know how to talk to PEOPLE; not just women. Especially people that he cared about.

And.. he had never cared about someone as much as he cared about Lizzy, so it stands to reason that he wouldn't know how to talk to her. Except usually, when he didn't think about it too much, he could talk to her just like that, no problem.

But now he was definitely thinking about it too much.

And GOD was he not doing well!

Darcy felt just as awkward as the day they first met. Today felt almost worse. He had been twitchy, and impulsive, and.. made her uncomfortable. Oh god what must she think of him?!

That was why he was currently in the cramped restroom, sitting on the bath mat, and frantically dialing his sister as he tried not to have a panic attack.

Okay, stay calm, he told himself, feeling VERY un-calm, th-this isn't a big deal! You can just tell her that she was right about you, that you're a selfish snob who thinks she lives in a shithole unfit for rats and that you're better than her in every conceivable way, you worthless piece of shit you ar—

Georgiana picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"I think I fucked it up," Darcy blurted out.

"WhAT?" She cried, the sound of a chair scraping backwards as she stood. "What happened?!"

"I- I wasn't polite," he said, gulping down air, "I made her uncomfortable and I don't know what to do now— I'm, uh, hiding in the bathroom now— I don't want to make anything worse."

A short pause.

"You know," Georgiana said pragmatically, "sometimes I can't believe you're almost thirty."

Darcy's brow lowered. "Why, because I can't talk to girls?" He bit out.

"No," his sister answered with a smothered laugh, "because you're just so.. awkward! And that's coming from ME!"

"Yeah, I know I'm awkward! I don't need you to tell me that.. And I'm usually NOT that way around Lizzy, I'm just.. I don't want to tell her that I think she deserves better than this. That she shouldn't have to live in abject poverty— that I can give her more— I want to give her more!... but if I tell her.. I might lose her. And I love her too much for that."

The only sound in the bathroom was echoed breathing, hitching around the edges. "Georgie? Are you there?"

"Yes, I'm here. I just.. wow. If you don't know what to say… tell her what you just told me! It's not going to ruin things. I promise you, it won't."

"I don't know..," Darcy sighed. "But how do I.. How do I even start?"

There was a knock on the door.

Fuck.

Heart in his throat, Darcy called out, "Uh, I'll be.. I'll be out in a second!"

"I know you're not going to the bathroom, Fitzwilliam," Lizzy's muffled voice said.

"...I'll call you back," he said to Georgie.

Slowly, Darcy got up from the floor. Haltingly, he pushed open the bathroom door to find Lizzy standing there, arms folded. Her expression was odd. Darcy.. felt it wasn't his place.. to break the silence.

Eventually, she did it for him. "Come with me."

Leaving no room for argument, Lizzy took his hand, and led him to the window where he had taken refuge not too many minutes ago. She kicked open a latch, and the window slid over to reveal a thin little balcony, just big enough for one (MAYBE one and a half) people.

"Sit," Lizzy instructed, with a smile playing around her eyes.

Darcy complied, putting his back to the thin wall behind them. His long legs were forced to slip through the balcony bars, dangling off the ledge. Lizzy bent down and sat in between his legs, back to his chest, looking out over the balcony.

"This is my favorite view," she said, craning her neck backward to look at him.

"I can see why."

The sun had long since risen, but the golden sunbeams still clung to the horizon like it was their last chance to see the break of day. Cloud ruffled the edges of that golden color. They lined up diagonally, a gray and white chessboard cut-out across the sky. A few birds circled in what little blue remained above them. The city blinked in the distance.

"This is where I came here to think," Lizzy's voice said, "after we.. After I got here."

Darcy put his arms around her, and held her closer to him. He breathed in the scent of her hair. "I was so lonely, without you. You know that, right?"

"I was too," she answered quietly. Her hands settled on his arms, which were locked in front of her in a tight embrace. "I don't ever want to feel that again."

"I'm sorry," he whispered into her hair. "I'm sorry I was rude, and.. and that I didn't listen.. and that I… I… I'm just sorry, Lizzy."

"I know you are. And I forgive you."

Her head twisted around to look at him, bright emerald eyes focusing on his. "So you don't like the hotel room?"

He shuddered a little. "No, I don't."

"Why?"

"Because it's dirty— not your room! Just.. the hotel. It's crumbling, and doesn't look safe, and—"

"No, I mean.. why didn't you tell me?"

Darcy couldn't control how his arms tightened around her. "I don't want you to think.. that I think I'm better than you.. just because I could buy us somewhere better. You shouldn't feel inferior, because of something as stupid as a bank account.. I don't want you to feel like… you are anything but amazing, and beautiful, and perfect."

"I don't think I would say I'm perfect..," Lizzy laughed softly.

"You are," he said, insistently. "To me.. you are."

"For what it's worth…" She turned her face, and slowly kissed his cheek. "I think you're perfect too."

Darcy smiled into a sigh, and his eyebrows lowered a little. "If we're both perfect.. then why can't we just talk about these things?"

"Aren't we talking about them now?"

He pinched her affectionately, chuckling. "Don't get cheeky with me, Liz. I meant why is it so hard to talk about?"

She giggled, then sobered into a shrug. "I dunno," she said, "I guess it's just a hard thing to talk about. Even for perfect people."

He couldn't reach her lips, so Darcy just bent his head down, and kissed the sensitive spot just behind her ear. She shivered at the contact, but he saw her smile anyway.

For a while, they just sat and watched the clouds pass them by.

Then Lizzy spoke. "You wanna go to a different hotel?"

"Dear god, yes."

She laughed at that, and Darcy was left awestruck by how the sound made his stomach flutter, and his lips tug upwards into a bashful grin. He loved her so much.

"Alright," Lizzy said, chuckling lightly, "We'll find a better hotel tonight."

"Not now?"

"Nooo," she murmured. "I want to.. stay here— on the balcony— for.. just a minute more."

Slowly emptying her lungs, Lizzy pressed herself farther into Darcy, until he could feel her warmth bleeding through the back of her shirt. He sucked in a breath. "Okay."

"Mm." A few moments later, Lizzy tilted her head back and asked, "So… the only thing bothering you was.. you didn't want to bother me?"

Darcy cringed. "Uh.. yeah, pretty much."

"Is THAT why you started making out with me out of NOWHERE?!" Lizzy laughed, making Darcy groan in mortification, and bury his head in the crook of her neck.

"God.. don't bring that up…," he mumbled. "I can't believe I did thaaaaat…"

She patted his head, letting her hand linger in his curly hair. "Well…," she said with a smile in her voice, "I've noticed.. you have been more confident lately…"

Darcy raised his head, and an eyebrow too. "Is that.. a bad thing?"

"No, no, not at all! Actually…" He could see just enough of her face to see Lizzy teasingly bite her lip. "..I kind of like it."

"Oh yeah?" He asked in a low voice.

"Oh yeah," she laughed.

Darcy looked back for a moment, at the grimy hotel wall, the unwashed windows, and the messy interior. Then he looked back at the love of his life, and grinned.

"Well… it would be a shame to waste a hotel room.. I mean, I haven't even seen the bedroom yet…"

Lizzy barked out a laugh, and finally twisted herself around until she sat in his lap, looking at him flirtatiously. "Mr. DARCY! Are you trying to get me into bed with you?!"

"That depends," he shrugged slowly, suppressing a smile. "Is it working?"

She didn't answer the question.

"It's the middle of the day!" Lizzy cried instead, smiling, "What about your work?"

"What work?" He grinned. "I don't recall any work."

"Fine," Lizzy sighed, her own grin sparkling back at him. "Let's goOO—"

Her words cut off in a happy little shriek as Darcy scooped her up, kicking open the balcony door and carrying her inside as she laughed and squirmed in his arms. Darcy didn't waste any time kissing her soundly, and stumbling around the hotel room until he stumbled upon the bedroom.

He didn't know where the room was. He didn't know where they were going afterwards. But he knew they would figure it out. Together.

And that's all he really wanted.