Chapter 115

August 1st, 2024

G had spent the past few days finishing up her place in Saint Michel - there really hadn't been much missing - just a few tiny details to make the apartment a home. Amongst them were a few pictures - of her mom, and Rory and the kids, decisively having skipped the one she had of dad. She'd added a few books, a decent TV in both the bedroom and living room. The fridge and pantry contained basic food items and every item of clothing she had had back at Celeste's estate was now looking very lonely in the large walk-in wardrobe. There simply wasn't much she had brought (or bought).

The surround sound system she'd gotten was blasting one of Finn's playlists, currently playing 'Suddenly I See' by KT Tunstall. G was wearing a loose tank top and a bikini bottom, swaying her hips to the music as she made herself a sandwich. She was at home - feeling free.

Last week had been a good reminder of how important health was - she was fine now, having gotten a clean bill of health just like Finn. Though it had remained a little unclear where the infection had come in the first place. Still - Finn was relieved too. The guilt of potentially having caused her something like that had been eating him up inside.

The garden was looking better too, the pool was cleaned up and G had even hired a building manager whose job was going to be maintaining the place and looking for renters, because she didn't want to spend the last few weeks of this holiday working. Living the holiday to the fullest, in part to distract herself from the hurt inflicted by her dad, was a big part of it, while she was still advised to keep her alcohol consumption low. But as it turned out, Finn was an entertainer even without the booze.

G took a seat on the edge of the pool, and bit into her sandwich, dipping her feet up to her ankles into the cool water, moving them around with pleasure. Finn was in the pool, swimming - actually exercising, and G watched him while she ate, the playlist having moved on to Franz Ferdinard's 'Do you Want To', her head nodding along with the song. Music really was just the tip of the iceberg Finn had been teaching her about - they talked about everything from politics to languages, economics, education and science, the latter being rather G's department.

"Well you certainly look like you own the place," Finn appeared to the side of the pool, his upper arm resting on the edge where G was sitting, to take a breath. The small pool wasn't ideal for laps but it'd do for the time being.

"That was what I was going for," G mumbled, with a smirk, finishing the last bit of her sandwich. She really didn't need to watch herself around Finn much, she could just be her.

Finn's large hand grazed over her thigh, liking the way a slight glimmer of sweat covered her skin, losing himself momentarily in that image of unusual beauty. There was no question he'd fallen so deeply for this girl - this woman. In the very short time he'd seen her through both mental and physical hell, and also some very high highs. Yt to him she wasn't damaged goods or difficult, it was just G. They were each-other's best friends and lovers. He couldn't picture a scenario in which he could ever grow sick of her.

"What?" she asked, waving her hand in front of his eyes, seeing his eyes glaze over.

"Just thinking about how beautiful you are," Finn smiled, and playfully bit into the thigh that was closest to her. They'd had a bit of fun last night in the bedroom with teeth, discovering yet another thing they could do to enhance everything that was already electric between them.

G slipped into the pool escaping his bite, but cradled his head instead, her elbows on his shoulders, his kisses now landing rather onto her neck and clavicle and becoming gentler. G laughed, pushing her head back.

Suddenly Finn stopped and just stared into her eyes.

"I think I want to scare you a little," Finn began, his face dead serious.

G actually did get a little scared of that look. It was a rare look for Finn.

"Maybe this is just the euphoria speaking…," Finn started again, not really needing to explain that he'd been euphoric for both G being fine and a weight having been lifted from his own shoulder for being in blame for her condition. "But I want to tell you I feel like I want to love you forever…," he said, feeling a lump in his throat. "I know it sounds silly," he said, as if retracting a little, truly afraid to make her panic. She'd told him about the time one of her boyfriends had scared her off by suggesting something long term.

G's mouth grimace involuntarily, but it wasn't about him having crossed a line. It was just that with everything going on with her dad, feeling Finn' love was one of the few real things in her life. But it wasn't just about Finn expressing it now or just about her father either - it was deeply touching.

"Forever is a long time," G replied, as if not wanting to believe him. Well, she wanted to believe but she was just scared to.

"Not long enough," Finn replied, holding her tightly, her legs wrapped around his waist in the water where he stood firmly.

"I love you so much," G said, her eyes swelling up with a few tears. She snuggled into his neck, as if he was her safe haven. He was in a lot of ways.

"I'm not going to rush you, not into anything, G. I can't ever own you, I don't want to limit any of your decisions. I want you to live, experience… and I truly hope I can experience a fraction of those things with you," Finn spoked, stroking the side of her face with his fingers. "But I hope that one day you'd feel the same way… You know I am not much for tradition or labels… I think neither are you… but I want whatever is closest to forever in your world with you, whatever it is you can give me," he added, getting a little emotional himself. He hadn't ever said anything like that to anyone before. It was his version of proposing.

G didn't reply, just kissed him with tears falling from her eyes. She wasn't feeling panic, those were tears of happiness. Their kisses were turning salty.

"You might be sick of me in no time - but so be it, or you can go off on your own - travel, live here while I'll be in the city, I'd still wait for you. You're so worth it," he added, wiping her emotional tears away. He felt as if their history was deep enough that some time or distance wouldn't really do anything to it. It hadn't before, so it shouldn't now when they actually loved each other.

"Don't say that..," G exhaled to the former. "I don't want ever be sick of you, I don't want to go off anywhere without you, I don't want to be apart just because I need to 'live'. I live more with you then I ever did alone," G replied. The truth was she just didn't feel alive or safe enough without him. There was of course the question whether looking for safety in an older man wasn't the deep core of daddy-issues, but this was what she felt, without using any filters. And what was the harm in that if he could offer her just that what she needed.

"Is it okay if I scare you a bit more?" Finn asked, feeling like he just wanted to have everything out there.

"More? Really, Finn?" G sobbed, a wide smile on her lips.

"When they said you could be pregnant… I know it's not what you want, it's not what I need either, or want badly enough. But it actually didn't sound like the end of the world. So I just want you to know that if ever… becomes something you want, then it'd be okay. You don't need to hide yourself from me if any of your thoughts on these things change… I know you hate people saying that you might change your mind, and that's not what I am saying. I just need you to know that it'd be okay if you did. It wouldn't change anything for me," Finn expressed, having thought about his unusual reaction to the doctor's words. He was fine without any kids of his own, but with someone like that besides him, he was already very far from being against kids.

G laughed, feeling like a blubbering mess. She was happy. Happy to the core. She had always needed to put up a strong front with this type of statements and while she didn't plan on it, it felt good to know she didn't need to hide anything from him. In his words he'd just assured that he'd be the guy to stick around if anything like that happened.

"I think…," G began with some hesitation.

"What?" Finn urged.

"I think I'd like to marry you," G said, not quite believing her words.

Marriage had never really been something she'd craved for. She didn't need the label or the joining of fortunes, she didn't care about any of it. She just wanted from her own side to show him how much she meant it. Hearing him worry that she might just leave him in a few years, stung. She didn't want him thinking that he scared her too much. She didn't know if it was something smart to do, maybe she really was too young… but at least she's said it.

Finn didn't quite know what to do with himself, and simply pressed his lips against hers. He had a number of hot holiday flings, ones where he'd thought he'd been in love even… but this was the real deal, wasn't it? They'd skipped over the conversations of what they'd be doing after the holidays, and in this context these things had all become self explanatory and obvious. They were in this together, they were in this together deep.

AN: I sobbed, like G, writing this. God. Somehow these two always do it for me.