You say it best when you say nothing at all…
Pairing: McRoll
Little companion to my One for sorrow fan fiction, This can also be read by itself as a one shot too.
It wasn't a particularly special day and yet it was at the same time. It was the anniversary of when Steve and Catherine first met all those years ago at the academy, and Steve could still remember very vividly every moment of that day like it was yesterday.
While she was in her midshipman uniform with her brunette hair up in a bun to keep away from her face, and very little make up on, there was something special about her that made her stand out from all the other female's in her class. It was the way she exuded confidence and how he watched her stand up for herself when a few other male midshipman tried to touch her inappropriately. He had been about ready to go over there and engage when he saw her put them in their place.
It was how when she realised she had an audience and he was watching her, she blushed a little and he felt compelled to know more about her. A lot of women blushed in his presence and yet not one of them except Catherine managed to make his heart skip a beat when she did it.
Sitting in his office, he had managed to find a flower shop that sold some very beautiful flowers but what he was looking for was roses.. Beautiful red roses.. 100 of them to be exact. Smiling as he found a beautiful arrangement that he could pick up later, he paid for them online and would head to the shop in a little while to take delivery of them.
"What are you grinning like a moron for?", Danny had peeked his head in and had been silently watching Steve as he worked at his laptop. Every since Catherine had come back into his life when his mother had died, he had a more relaxed and calming presence about him, and while he was still wary about her being back around, he could sense that she was genuinely sorry for what she had put Steve through and he was trying to just be happy for his best friend.
"It's the anniversary of when Catherine and I first met at the Naval academy and while it was many moons ago and long before we actually began dating, I just knew.. I saw her and in an instant I knew she was the one, so I want to arrange a special night for us and I've just brought roses for her, and I'm arranging to have us stay at the Hawaiian Hilton today and tomorrow night seeing as it's Friday and I thought we could have a weekend away from everything".
Nodding his head, Danny smiled at his partner, "I'm glad, you and Catherine deserve a weekend away from the grind of work and to be able to just relax". Steve smiled and once he booked the suite he wanted to stay at, snd emailed his personal email the details, he closed off his laptop and shut the lid. "Good, I'm glad you think so because this weekend, the team is yours.. You and Grover are in charge and I don't want to be called for any reason, apart from if one of the team is gravely injured or if something is wrong with Mary or Joan".
He chuckled a little but then seeing that Steve was serious and not joking, he raised his eyebrows, "Oh wow, you are serious.. Okay, you got it, no calls unless it's absolutely need to know". Standing up, Steve grabbed his keys and his wallet, and put his laptop in his drawer and locked it. Then he walked over to Danny and smiled, eating him on the shoulder, "Thanks buddy, I appreciate it a lot, now I'm heading to the florist to get the roses I brought and then heading home to pack and let Catherine know our plans".
Walking into the house, he could hear music playing and he smiled, once a upon a time his house was always quiet when he walked in the door, but now there was always music of some kind being played as background music to whatever Catherine was doing around the house. As he walked through the house, he spotted her on the lanai in a summery dress, she was dancing, her hair down and he caught her scent, and stopped for a moment to breathe her in, the combined scent of her perfume and the smell of the ocean nearly brought him undone.
She turned the moment she felt his presence, but didn't stop dancing, however she used the little remote in her hand to turn the music down a little, her heart skipping a beat as she saw what he had in his hands, "Ohh Steve, they are beautiful", and she walked towards him to wrap her arms around him, and kissed him softly, "Just as beautiful as you are, Happy anniversary", he whispered as he kissed her back and wrapped one arm around her as he held the roses in his other hand.
Pulling back slightly, she stared in awe at him and shook her head in almost disbelief, "I can't believe you remembered". While Steve and Catherine didn't really celebrate anniversaries, this one felt a little different.. It was the day she met the love of her life, the man that she one day hoped would become her husband and the father of her children and whilst they hadn't quite gotten to their complete happily ever after yet, she knew they had the best chance now to spend forever with each other. "How could I forget the day you came into my life? While Joe White was instrumental in bringing us together romantically, this day was the start of a beautiful friendship that changed my life forever".
She too remembered that day like it was yesterday and she saw the impressed look on his face when he realised she could hold her own, "You know what really impressed me Sailor? It was how you were ready to step in if you needed to, but you also knew that I needed to be able to take care of it myself.. That if I wanted to be a woman that was respected in the Navy, I needed to do it on my own terms, and not have a knight in shining armour save me".
Pulling back to hand her the roses, he smiled at her, "I know it's hard for women to be taken seriously in the Navy sometimes and I just had this feeling that you could take care of yourself, but I was always there if you needed me to put those guys in their place.. Most of them ended up washing up out of the academy and never graduated, but you worked harder than all of those men and women combined and let me just say, Lieutenant, I'm so proud of you, everything you have accomplished in your life".
Taking the roses and bringing them closer to her nose, she closed her eyes to take in the beautiful scent of the roses and smiled, exhaling slowly and then opening her eyes, and looking at him, "Thank you for always being there for me, and showing me what a true gentleman is.. Whatever issues you still have over how your parents handled things in their lives, I have to say, they did a great job raising an amazing man and I'll be forever thankful to then for raising you to be the man you are today".
Once the roses were in her hands, he took his phone from his pocket, and opened his email, "Well, I hope you are ready to be treated like the princess you are because I've made reservations to stay at the Hawaiian Hilton this weekend.. Starting tonight for two nights, just us, no phone, no work". Looking at the phone and the email receipt he got from the accommodation booking, she wiped a stray tear from her eye, "Commander, you never cease to surprise me, I'd love nothing more then to focus on us over the weekend and celebrate finding each other again and to having another chance".
While Steve had asked her to come back to five-o, she had to think about it for a bit before she finally agreed to come back and work in five-o.. It wasn't that she didn't love working with them all, it was that she didn't want anyone to think she got the job because she was sleeping with the boss, and while the rest of five-o knew that wasn't the case, she saw the looks and comments she got from people, mainly women who found Steve attractive but she rose above that and continued to do her job to the best of her ability.
"Let's go take care of these roses, and then we can go pack for the weekend", he leaned in and kissed her softly, loving the way her body relaxed at his touch, her body buzzing with an excitement for this weekend. They had the odd stolen weekend away when they were both on R&R in the Navy but they had never just been able to get away for the sake of going away. Their jobs always demanded so much of them both and while being an investigator with five-o was demanding as well, the team always made sure they each got leave and there was enough cover.
As she stood in front of the sink, making sure to take care of the roses before putting them in fresh water, Steve stood behind her, leaving little soft kisses all over her skin, she felt goosebumps, he always had this effect on her and she hoped that she could keep herself in control till they got to their hotel room. "In case I haven't told you today, I love you Catherine". He whispered as he continued to pepper little kisses down her neck and shoulder to her shoulder blade.
Though those words were sacred and not often said between those two, their actions spoke louder than words, and she already knew before he even said the words that he loved her, but it still made her heart skip a beat when she heard him say those words. "I love you too Steve". She was looking forward to showing him later just how much she loved him as well.
Author Notes:
This has been a while in the making.. It was originally going to be called 500 roses for my 500th post on my Catherine Rollins insta account, but then as I began writing it today, it really began to take shape and I decided to change the name to the Ronan Keating song, you say it best when you say nothing at all as it just seemed to fit the storyline the best.. While Catherine and Steve don't say those words I love you often, they say it more in their actions and how they look at each other and protect each other while also allowing each other to grow as well. I'm not sure if I should keep this a one shot or to keep it going… I might do another chapter once they get to the hotel and cover their weekend.