So. Here it is. The final chapter! I don't know whether to celebrate a completed story or be sad that it's over!
More from me at the end :)
18.
He checks the time on his phone. It's hard to believe it's only been three minutes since he last checked, so he cranes his neck to see look at the large wall clock, just to see if the regulator on his phone has somehow frozen. It hasn't.
Ever since Hanna went to New York, he's been impatiently waiting for her to return. Even with Charlotte locked up in jail, for good this time, charged with Annabelle's murder as well as imprisoning, torturing and attempting to kill the two of them, he'd feel much more reassured that Hanna was safe if she was by his side.
Of course, while her safety is her priority, it's not the only reason he's looking forward to her getting home. Her trip was to finalise the end of her relationship with Jordan, therefore giving them the final go-ahead to resume theirs. He understands why Hanna imposed the contact-ban until then, and, as someone who seldom received a hug as a child, he should have been able to cope with it, but it's been verging on painful not to be able to kiss her or hold her or even take her hand.
It's not long until the time she said she'd be back and his body aches with the anticipation of seeing her. Ashley, thankfully, is away at a conference, and so they have the house to themselves for the night. He checks the time again. Only a little over ten minutes to go. He thinks he might combust if Hanna's late.
Then, he hears a key turn in the lock and by the time he's got to the hallway, she's there. Before he has a chance to ask how it went or if she's okay or to even say hello, she runs down the hall, wraps her arms around his neck and presses her lips to his.
He returns the kiss, every nerve end tingling and it becomes hard to breath as their kisses become more needy, more urgent. He seeks out her tongue with his, reacquainting himself with her taste.
Her hands are on his jaw, in his hair, pushing his shirt up and touching the bare skin underneath. He shakes the crutches from his arms so he can reciprocate and tangles his fingers in her soft hair as he kisses her harder.
It's almost impossible to part from her long enough to check. "You did it then?" he asks, breathlessly.
"Mm hmm," she says, pulling him back to her.
He trails his hands down to her lower back, pulling her flush against him, and moaning into her open mouth. He feels her lips curling into a smile against his and the kisses deepen again. There's nothing else, just him and Hanna, her mouth against his and the feel of her body beneath his hands. She's kissing him like she needs to to survive and he hopes that she can tell through his response, that it's the same for him.
He's not sure which one of them increases the intensity a little too much but he almost overbalances and has to cling on to Hanna's shoulder to stop him transferring weight onto his broken leg.
"Sorry," they say in unison, then laugh. He can't help but notice her lips are already red and swollen from the make out session alone.
She stoops to pick up his crutches and looks up at him from her position on the floor, making his body yearn for more.
"Let's take this somewhere you can't fall over." She gives a pointed look towards the stairs.
"You sure?"
She passes him the crutches. "Yeah. I'm sure."
By the time they've made into onto the bed, his lips are aching from missing her and it's a relief when her hand makes contact with the back of her neck and she pulls him down on top of her. He joins their mouths in one long, beautiful kiss, but those that follow are messy and noisy and desperate. His fingers nestle beneath her top, stroking the smooth skin on her stomach and her ribs and eventually finding home on her breast. Her hand lands on top of his, pressing down, showing him she wants him to touch her, to feel her. He takes the hint, and inches her top over her head. As soon as her arms are freed from the material, they land on his sides, pushing his t-shirt up. He helps her remove it and then returns to her. Every touch feels so sensitive now their bare skin is touching.
He pushes a bra strap from her shoulder, the cup expanding enough for him to slip his hand under. She presses up against him, gasping for more contact and the noise going straight to his groin. With another sigh, this time of impatience, she moves his hand from her bra and pushes herself upright enough to reach the clasp. She unhooks it and quickly discards the item.
This time, it's him who moans. His hand resumes its position. "You're so beautiful."
"Shut up and kiss me."
He doesn't need telling twice. He kisses her slower this time, taking in every sensation. His mouth leaves hers, working its way down her neck and her chest, kissing every inch of bare skin that he can. It feels amazing to have her squirming and groaning beneath him after all this time, particularly when her hands find their way to his belt and he feels her hand slip inside his jeans.
He releases her from his mouth so she can reach him easier. She pulls his jeans and boxers down to his thighs in one swift movement and when she touches him, he feels like he's on fire. He would be embarrassed by the noise that keep escaping, but they've never been quiet, not since the teenage days of sneaking around in the no-boys-zone, and he know she likes hearing him as much as he does her.
She rolls them over so that he's on his back and she's half on top of him. "Your leg… I thought, maybe I should…" she says, by way of an explanation.
"However you like, babe."
She's still fully dressed on the bottom half while he's lying there exposed, so he reaches up, flicks the button open on her jeans, teases down the zip and pulls the garments just low enough so he's able to touch her. After another many kisses, she helps him out, removing the remainder of her own clothing, then pulling his off over his cast.
She climbs on top of him, so that she's straddling him, their bodies so close to becoming one. He looks up at her, completely naked, beautiful, and feels a rush of love surge through his chest.
"I love you," he says.
"I love you too."
A while later, they lie a sweaty, exhausted mess, limbs tangled together and chests heaving. Everything feels right for the first time in a very long time. It may make him a terrible person, but he's so glad Hanna broke up with Jordan.
"Did it go okay?" he whispers.
"Okay?"
He chuckles at the look on her face. "No, not that, that, was a million times better than okay. That was amazing." He nuzzles her shoulder with his mouth. "I meant your trip to New York. Jordan."
"I don't want to talk about him," she says. "Not now, like this. But it was okay, yeah. It had to be done." She's quiet for a moment. "There's something else though."
"What?"
"I bumped into Claudia. My old boss? Turns out her new assistant can't distinguish between normal and sugar free gum. She offered me my job back."
"That's amazing, what did you say?"
"I said no."
He shifts himself up on one elbow so he can properly see her face. "I thought that was your dream job?"
"Working for a top fashion house was my dream. Being a gopher for Cruella De-Vil..? I'm through with that."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Totally sure. Besides, it got in the way of us, didn't it? I don't want that to happen again."
"Han, we've both grown since then and we- we know we're going to make this work. It wouldn't happen again. Don't let that be the reason you turn it down."
"It's not. Honestly."
"Okay good." He smiles. "In that case, can I say that I think you can do so much better than being a gopher for anybody, top designer or not. You should take Lucas up on his offer."
"Okay, Lucas is so not good pillowtalk."
"Maybe not. But we're talking about the amazing career you're going to have."
Her attempt at a smile falls flat but he doesn't know why. He waits patiently for her to share whatever it is that's on her mind."
Eventually she sighs. "How am I meant to be successful when I look like this?!"
"What do you mean?"
"All scarred and… ugly."
His chest clenches at the look of pain on her face as much as her words. He takes her hand with the blackened and missing fingernails and brings it to his lips. "You are not ugly. You're the most beautiful person I've ever met and a few scars aren't going to change that."
"That's not how other people think. That's not how I think!"
"Then I'm going to spend every day convincing you otherwise. And as for other people… screw them. You're going to succeed because you're talented and hard-working, it doesn't matter what you look like."
"You don't get it! You don't know the industry. You have to be perfect."
"You are perfect."
He holds his breath and hopes for a smile. He gets it, albeit a small one, and she leans forwards to give him a gentle kiss.
"Okay well I'm going to remind you of that next time you start moaning about the dirty dishes."
He chuckles. "Seriously though, Han, don't let A get in the way of achieving your dreams. Talk to Lucas."
"I'll think about it. Maybe. Right now," she says, her hand trailing down his bare chest, "the only plans I have for the future, are ones that involve you."
He leans forward and captures her mouth in a kiss.
"Ready for round two?" she asks.
A few weeks later
She's woken by early morning sunlight beaming through the thin curtains. After Emily had announced she was moving in with Ali, she and Caleb replaced them in the loft. Lucas had thought of everything else for this apartment but still couldn't manage suitable blackout blinds. Still, it's not a bad way to wake, all things considered. Even though the nightmares have been much less frequent since Charlotte's arrest, it's still a relief every time she makes it through the night without one.
She rolls over to face Caleb. His eyes are shut and he's breathing softly through his nose. He looks so peaceful when he sleeps and she doesn't think she'll ever tire of watching him. She reaches out and strokes the shape of his head, cheekbone, jaw, coming to rest on his bottom lip, keeping her touch as light as possible so she doesn't wake him. He needs his sleep. The bruises have faded now and the cast has come off, but she can still remember each and every wound inflicted upon him.
His eyelashes flutter, as if he knows she's watching him, and she smiles as she watches him wake.
"Good morning," she says.
"Morning, beautiful," he replies. He stretches and one arm strokes her hair. "You good?"
"I'm good. No nightmares," she confirms. "Well, unless you count the one about my mom walking in on us naked."
He grins. "You dreamt that?"
She leans in for a kiss. "Uh huh," she murmurs against his lips. "It started out with an innocent kiss, and the next thing..." She trails a hand down his chest, rewarded by the gleam in his eyes.
"What happened next?"
She reaches under the joggers he slept in and takes him in her hand. "You'll have to wait and see."
His back arches and she watches as his head falls back in that familiar manner, his eyes dark and wanton. But after several deep breaths, he stills her hand.
"As much as I would love to," he says. "We have plans for today."
"We do?"
He quirks an eyebrow. "Yes. We do."
She doesn't know whether to be disappointed he stalled her advances or excited for whatever he's got planned, but when he sits upright to pull her into a kiss, she decides it's definitely the latter.
"Oh, and your mom's coming over for breakfast so, unless your dream was some kind of premonition, we'd better get up."
When her mom arrives, Hanna feels like there's something slightly different about her, though she can't pinpoint what. She looks at her mom through narrowed eyes and when their gazes meet, her mom beams.
"What's going on?" Hanna asks.
"We're having breakfast," her mom says, "even you eat breakfast when it's waffles."
"Okay but you haven't looked like this since that time you got those Louboutins at a discounted rate."
"I don't know what you're talking about, Hanna."
"Hang on, you know what he's got planned don't you?"
Her mom exchanges a glance with Caleb even though he's all the way over in the kitchen searching for something, presumably syrup. "I know some of it, yes."
"What does that even mean?"
"It means," Caleb says, "that you should stop asking questions and start eating your waffles."
She rolls her eyes. "I can do both."
"Yeah, just like how I could eat both my waffles and yours if you're not careful."
She turns back to her mom. "Will I like it?"
"Like what, darling?"
"Will I like whatever he has planned?"
Her mouth twitches into a smile. "You'll love it."
Later, when they're in the car and he's driving her to some unknown location, she asks him why her mom was there. The answer he gives her, that her mom just wanted to see her, has a ring of truth to it, but she doesn't know why she arranged it through Caleb, rather than herself.
"Where are we going?" she asks.
"What's with all the questions?"
"Because you're not telling me anything!" she says.
He laughs. "It's a surprise. That's the whole concept!"
"Okay, well at least tell me if we're going much further! I need to pee."
"Not much further. Promise."
He's true to his word and soon after they reach a glamping site. He leaves her in the car while he goes to speak to site manager and returns a while later.
"So, I know you like camping, but I thought you deserved an upgrade."
The drive along a tree-lined track until they reach a clearing. Hanna rolls down the window and leans out so she can get a better view. An area of decking leads upwards towards a tree house, the fairy lights wrapped around the banister making it look warm and welcoming.
"It's beautiful," she says. "This is my surprise?"
He only grins.
"Hurry up and park, I want to explore!"
They ascend the pine staircase hand in hand and, as they get closer, she takes in the hot tub outside on the decking. Her heart flutters. It's the perfect romantic destination.
"Why didn't you tell me to bring a bikini?" she asks.
"Thought you'd be fine without one."
She elbows him.
He chuckles. "Don't worry, your mom told me which one I should pack."
"That's why you involved her? For a bikini?"
He laughs again but it's a slightly nervous laugh this time.
"Caleb, what's going on?"
He takes her hand and presses a key into her palm. "You can do the honours."
With one final suspicious look at him, she feeds the key into the lock and lets them into their treehouse. It's adorned with fairy lights inside too, lighting up a bedroom that's simple but stunningly styled. She circles the room, knowing that Caleb is just a few paces behind her. On the main table is an ice bucket, a bottle of champagne sticking out of the top.
"Mmm," she says, approvingly, "what are we celebrating?"
When she turns around to look at him, he's down on one knee.
Her gaze falls on the ring pinched between his thumb and forefinger, being held up towards her, and she gasps. Their eyes lock and as soon as she sees him smile, her eyes start to fill.
"Hanna," he says. "From the moment we met all those years ago, you've changed my life for the better. You saved me, and I'm not just talking literally, although you've done that too, but you took in a lonely, messed up kid and provided the love and companionship that I'd yearned for my whole life until that point. I know things haven't always been easy, and- and the fact that you're still here just goes to prove what a remarkable person you are. You're the strongest, bravest person I've ever met. You're talented and funny and beautiful, and, quite frankly, a pain in the arse half the time, but I know that it's impossible to love anyone more than I love you."
She doesn't think her smile can get any bigger or her chest swell any more. A tear trickles down her cheek and as she wipes it away, she realises her hands are shaking.
"You make me so happy, Hanna. Even in the tough times, the dark times, you are the light. I never want to spend another day without you, ever, for the rest of my life. And each of those days, if you let me, I promise I will try to make you as happy and fulfilled as you make me." He takes a deep breath. "Hanna Marin, will you marry me?"
"Are you sure?"
"I've never been surer of anything."
"Then yes!" she says. She flies towards him, cupping his face in her hands and pressing her lips against his.
They remain joined at the mouth as he climbs to his feet and wraps his arms around her. Her fingers tangle in his hair, keeping him close as she deepens the kiss. She hopes he can feel just how much she loves him.
It's Caleb who moves away first and she's about to pull him back to her, when he takes her hand in his. She watches as he slides the ring onto her finger, finally notices the single diamond on it.
"It's beautiful," she says.
"So are you."
She feels his gaze upon her so looks up to meet his eyes. They're damp, just like hers, and sends another rush of love to her chest. It's overwhelming, knowing he feels just as strongly about her as she does about him, but the best kind of overwhelming.
She smiles. "I love you."
"I love you too," he replies.
x
A/N:
First of all THANK YOU for reading my story. I really was unsure of the reception I'd get for this as I know the PLL pages are far less active than they were had I come to the series when the rest of the world did haha. But to get some reviews, faves and follows means so much, honestly. And if I could squeeze one last review out of you, I'd be eternally grateful.
I've loved writing this story, it's been the perfect escapism and project to work on, and I've also loved falling head over heels for this couple. Hanna and Caleb are meant to be, fact! This story, though with a side order of torture and angst and Spencer, is about them, their relationship and their future together That's why the Charlotte reveal was a bit crap. I got half way through and remembered I'd have to include it. I also was about three quarters of the way through when I realised I'd forgotten Ezra. Sorry! But my favourite parts to write and read back have been the emotional bits between Hanna and Caleb and I thiiink (hope) there was enough of them squeezed in.
And finally, just celebrating that I managed a whole happy chapter! Seriously, it's a rarity that happens! Had fun writing this one though so hope you enjoyed it too.
Bye for now...