A/N: Okay, so I've had this in my mind since Adele's new album came out. Specifically after listening to "Can't be Together" (if you haven't heard it, go do it before reading, it's the inspiration to this whole thing). I think that essentially this is what got me all worked up about them again. But I didn't dare to write it, and I certainly didn't know how to end it. This is AU, but I felt the need to explore that. I'm sorry about the angst, and yes, this is some massive angst. I hope you like it, and please don't kill me. Any Adele lyrics I've written here are obviously not mine. Please let me know what you think.

Reflections in the Mirror

"But we need to learn how to love who we're loving
It's hard but we must, we gotta let it go
And turn off the urge to know what could have been
But I will love you forever" - Adele

"Ma'am," Blake called, peeking his head through her office door. Elizabeth looked up from the papers on her desk, meeting his eyes with a smile. "Your 4 o'clock is here."

Elizabeth nodded, and stood from her chair. "How much time do I have?"

"You have the rest of the evening, I didn't schedule anything after this meeting."

She smiled and exhaled. Blake was always one of the most attentive people she has ever had by her side and she couldn't be more thankful for him. She never asked him to clear her schedule for more than the timeframe dedicated to this meeting in the first place, but Blake knew who was participating and he knew fair well that the hour she asked him to block was never going to be enough, not for this particular person. She would never say it out loud, but he knew, and she loved him for that.

Elizabeth inhaled the minute he was in the room, holding her breath before turning to meet him. She didn't need to see him to know that he was there, not after all the years she spent beside him. Every part of her was on alert the minute he walked to the room, and she felt her heart racing in her chest. Turning towards the door, she had a small smile on her face as she made her way towards him.

"Madam President", Henry said, offering her his hand to shake.

Letting out a breath and a small giggle, she shook her head. "Hi Henry, it's good to see you".

Good didn't even begin to describe what she was feeling at that moment, but he was so far out of her reach, that it probably didn't matter anymore. Yet her heart skipped a beat when he smiled warmly at her and nodded.

Elizabeth glanced around the room for a moment as silence fell between them. She asked him to meet her, she just didn't know she would be this terrified when it came down to the actual meeting. "Let's take this to a more private place," she finally said.

"Lead the way."

He followed her through the corridors of the White House, until finally they reached her master bedroom, which was far enough from every other room in the house, and secluded enough so that no matter what happens, no one will barge through the doors at any given moment.

Henry looked around the minute the door closed, noticing all the small details of how this room looked – so many things were familiar, just like the bedroom at their Georgetown residence, which they shared together for a very long time. She moved into the White House, but he never followed, and all that was left behind in that room were memories they made together, slowly disappearing as he made new memories alone.

"You want something to drink?" Elizabeth asked, forcing his attention back to her.

Henry walked over to where she was standing to grab a cup of coffee, suddenly realizing he was standing close. Too close. He didn't mean to get this close to her, and he wasn't quite sure what he was thinking doing that. Such a force of habit, although they've been apart for a long time now. Feeling his breath against her neck, Elizabeth shivered. She turned around, looking up to meet his eyes. They shared a long look, not daring to move from where they were. This is as close as they've been in so so long that neither could remember what it felt like. Then again, neither could forget.

"You said you wanted to talk," he spoke finally, slowly.

Don't, she kept telling herself. Don't. But she just stared into his eyes, unable to move or think of anything but the feeling of her skin on fire just from being near him. She leaned towards him carefully, she wasn't sure of what she was about to do, but she couldn't help herself, not anymore. And then her lips were on his and they both sucked a breath at the familiarity of that feeling but also at the novelty of it all. Her lips were soft, tasting like berries, fresh in the summer. His were warm, so inviting to a place that was once theirs. He kissed her slowly, their eyes closing as they both momentarily allowed themselves to drift into each other, until suddenly, she came back to her senses and tore her lips from him.

"I'm sorry," she started, but Henry just looked at her, wide hazelnut eyes, trying so hard to restrain himself.

This was stronger than him, stronger than them. He placed his hands on each side of her face and pulled her towards him, lips crashing. His tongue found a way into her mouth, his lips moving in hunger against hers. He felt her melting to him, leaning her body even closer, allowing him to devour over her as they moved together in perfect harmony. Suddenly, her hands were fumbling with the buttons of his shirt and if he had any reason left in him, that would've been the time to stop whatever it was that they were doing, but he couldn't bring himself to leave her lips, he didn't want this feeling to end. And whatever it was that was happening, oh that thing that they were about to do, he wanted it so badly, he couldn't think of anything else. When her hands made contact with his toned chest, he groaned into her mouth. He was sure he forgot what her touch felt like, but it was burnt into his skin, so deep he didn't even realize until it all came back to him in seconds. He broke their kiss for air, his hands moving skillfully to her blouse, ridding of every piece of clothing that was on her body. His eyes grew dark at the sight of her in bra and underwear, like he hasn't seen her naked so many times before. Finally undressing her, he knew that now all reason that was still present in his head was long gone. They have gone too far, there was no turning back. She knew that too as she pulled down his pants and boxers and forced his body closer to her again as their lips reunited.

Placing his hands on her waist, he lifted her off the floor, her legs immediately wrapping around his waist. She was so light, he probably forgot how easily he could pick her up in his arms, how easily he used to carry her up the stairs and into their bed, where he could unravel her in all ways possible. He pinned her to the wall behind her and buried himself inside of her then, and they both cried out because god it's been far too long and it felt just as amazing. Moving against her, their lips only parted for a breath of fresh air before finding each other again. It wasn't anything like any of their past love-making. This was hurried, because they both felt like time was running out, and they would soon be pulled back to reality and torn apart once more; it was demanding and needing because after all this time, it couldn't be anything else; it was gentle and familiar but also anything but. Finding each other again, if only for that brief moment, they both climaxed together, as if they needed another reminder as to how good they used to be together. They slid to the floor the moment it was done, and he pulled her to him, wrapping a solid arm around her. She let her head fall against his chest, right where his heart was thumping in her ear, and her legs tangled with his, her hand carelessly resting against his body. They were still panting, trying to catch their breath, trying to come to terms with what had just happened. The sounds of their breaths filling the quiet room, and everything seemed to stand still for a moment.

"I'm dying," she suddenly said. She didn't mean to blurt it out like this, and she certainly didn't plan on doing it while sitting naked in his embrace. She had a whole speech planned out, but everything was forgotten the minute she felt him so close to her.

Henry chuckled. "You're overreacting, I know for sure you had better orgasms before," he whispered playfully in her ear.

A laugh escaped her mouth. "I haven't had one in three years, so thank you for that," she started and he tightened his arm around her. He didn't either, not like this. Nothing was the same as when they were together. Nothing ever will be, he realized then. "But it's not what I meant…"

He glanced at her then, her fingers drawing patterns on his chest, as if looking for any distraction she could find. It used to be her rings, she would fidget with them when she was stressed or scared, but those were left behind, just like him, when they decided to separate. He missed that, when he first saw her. He missed the glimpse of distress in her voice when she welcomed him, and he couldn't help but see just that then.

"What?" he asked.

Lifting her head from his chest, Elizabeth sat up straight and met his eyes. "I'm dying, Henry. I have a brain tumor."

Henry was blinking rapidly, trying to comprehend what she was telling him at that moment. This couldn't be true. He must've heard wrong, it can't be happening. No.

"They can't operate, and it's spread to other places, so chemo won't work anymore," she continued.

He swallowed hard. Wake up, damnit, his mind kept shouting. This had to be a dream; it was too good to be true in the first place, and now this, it had to be a dream. But when she squeezed his hand, he felt his chest tighten. This wasn't a dream, and just like the sensation of their previous act, this pain was real. He was about to lose her forever.

"How…" he had to swallow again. "How much time?" he finally managed to ask.

"Three to six months. But it's going to get nasty at the end. Which is why I wanted to ask if the kids can move in with you now rather than when I'm…"

"No", he shook his head. "I'm moving in here and we are all going to be together under the same roof, until…"

"Henry, you don't have to do this. And I don't want them to see me like this, I don't want to traumatize them."

"Babe, they'll be traumatized from losing you, whether they're living here or with me. I'm not leaving you here alone to die." He couldn't believe this word had left his mouth. He was still trying to wrap his head around all that has happened since he set foot into the White House that afternoon, he couldn't rational using that word then.

"You haven't called me babe in so long," she said quietly.

"You haven't been my babe for so long." This admission was cutting through the both of them like a sharp knife. They haven't had a decent talk since they signed the divorce papers, not about this anyway.

"Yeah," Elizabeth nodded. "But I never stopped loving you," she whispered and a tear rolled down her cheek.

Henry sat up straight. This was all starting to feel too much, the emotional roller-coaster of this day. "You still love me?" he asked, hesitating.

"With every fiber of my being," she admitted. "And I don't except you to love me back, I know you probably moved on. I know I should have. But I wanted you to know, I couldn't think about leaving this world without telling you. You will forever be the only one love in my heart, Henry."

He moved then, reaching for his jacket that was left abandoned with the rest of their clothes when they hastily shed them, his hand digging into the inside pocket to retrieve what he was looking for. With a velvet box in his hand, he leaned back against the wall, his fingers running over the soft fabric.

"I didn't know why you wanted me to come today. When you texted, I was certain you were going to tell me that you started dating someone else. So I had to…" he handed her the box for her to open, her eyes welling with tears at the sight of her engagement and wedding rings. "I have been meaning to tell you for so long, but I could never find the right time. And I always thought I have all the time in the world. That you have all the time in the world. I didn't think… If I had known… Elizabeth, I don't know what I was thinking, leaving you. It was the worst decision of my life and I can't believe I wasted three precious years."

Placing her hand on his cheek, she wiped his tears. "Henry, stop, you don't have to say these things just because I'm dying."

"I'm not," he shook his head. "I love you so much, I will always love you. And I want to spend every second you have left together. Please," he pleaded, blinking the tears that watered his eyes.

He grabbed the ring box from her and took the rings out. Holding her hand in his, he slowly slid them to their natural place on her finger. He had to suck his breath at the sight of her hand decorated by the jewelry that meant the world to him. It was just a symbol, but they both knew, when they got married, that it was more than that. Wear my heart on your finger, he told her back then. And boy, did she wear it with every intention of never taking it off. She moved her hand on the sapphire stone, wriggling her fingers at this odd, yet familiar, feeling of having these on her. Three years wasn't long enough to erase thirty years. She looked up at him, meeting his eyes and allowing herself to sink in to him. They had so many things unresolved, so many issues they never discussed. It couldn't all just be done, just because she was about to depart this planet. But it had to be, because they didn't have enough time to fix everything, and it wouldn't matter anyway. At the end, all they wanted was to be wrapped in each other, until the time comes. She wanted her last breath to be with him by her side and he wanted that too. Against all reason, they somehow found a way back to each other, even if it didn't make sense, even if her mind was telling her it was a mistake. Her heart was beating loudly as she leaned towards him and pressed her lips to his. It was all the reasoning she needed. It was all that he needed.

He pulled her back to his embrace, his hand moving in her hair as they finally allowed themselves to break down.

"I will always miss you at the end of each day," he whispered in her ear.

This wasn't perfect. Far from it. But it will have to do, because this was all they had left. Just each other.

Fin