Myles sat in the internet café amazed at how much fun he was having. He absolutely loathed computers. Never having worked with them much, he kept away from them. When he worked in the bullpen, he didn't need to know too much about them, because he could always count on Tara. His job now required basic knowledge of certain programs, but not much internet usage. Somehow, he had been able to avoid learning more than necessary. But, now as he sat in the internet café with Tara, he no longer loathed the computer. Rather, he loved it.
They were sitting close together, talking and laughing, as she loaded software on his new laptop. Occasionally, their hands would touch, causing sensations to travel up his arm. The thrill of sitting next to her, made his heart thud harder than it had all day, and he realized with some surprise, that he had never been so affected by a woman's presence.
It was kind of funny really. He had come to DC, expecting a week of seeing his sister and her family. Totally believing that he would deal with the grief all over again, and possibly even have to fight depression. Instead he had spent very little time with his sister, which she was gracious not to seem upset about. Rather, he had spent the week getting to know someone whom he had worked with for years. Realizing things in her that he had never seen before. Building a bond with a small child who had become as much a part of his heart as the woman sitting beside him.
As she sat giving him a tour of the net, and setting him up with a private email account, a conversation he had a long time ago popped in his brain. It had really been more of a conversation Bobby had with D right before Darcy had moved away. As he recalled now, Bobby had asked D how he knew that Donna was the girl he wanted to marry. Dimitrius had explained that Donna had been helping him with algebra when he realized that he was actually enjoying it. It was that evening that D realized he wanted to be there for her, help her enjoy the things that she disliked. Thinking about it, Myles had to admit, that tonight he felt the same way. This woman made even learning the computer fun and exciting, and in his heart Myles knew he wanted to share more than this week with her.
After leaving the café, they had dinner at a small Italian restaurant that had been one of Myles' favorites when he lived in DC. The meal took on a solemn tone as Myles remembered that tonight they had to say goodbye. From the look in her eyes, it was on her mind too.
As they walked towards the car, Myles reached over, enveloping her small hand in his own. "Want to go for a walk?"
"Yeah, that would be nice." The weather was mild for late October, and they walked in comfortable silence for a while. After a while, Myles felt Tara's hand move slightly, and a pang of regret passed through him, as he thought she was going to remove it from his. Instead, she laced her fingers through his own, sending new shivers of delight through his body.
"Tara," Myles voice was unsteady, and he tried to calm his heart. "I want you to know that I have had a really great time this week." Both stopping , Myles turned toward her. "When I came here last weekend, I honestly never expected it to end up like this."
Tara's free hand moved towards his, and he gladly closed his fingers around hers. "This has been the best week I have had in a long time, too." He saw tears pooling in her eyes.
"I am going to miss you--and Samuel. This may seem a bit cliché, but I feel like I have come home. Not just being in DC, but being with you." His confession was surprising, even to him, as he did not plan it. However, he didn't want to take it back. Instead, he wanted to open his heart so she could see all the things he couldn't find the words to say. Without saying another word, he moved his hand from hers, and gathered her into his arms. She responded by wrapping her arms around him, and laying her head on his chest. "Wish I didn't have to say goodbye." He heard his own voice say the words, even as he felt his throat tighten, and tears fill his eyes.
"Me too." Her voice was not much more than a whisper, and he felt her arms tighten slightly around him. For what seemed like an eternity and a brief second all at the same time, they stood holding each other. Finally, they turned and walked back to the car. Tara was quiet on the way back to the hotel, but Myles didn't mind. It seemed they were both overwhelmed by the emotions that had come to life during their brief time together. Sometime during the drive, their hands had found each others again. Tracing his thumb across her knuckles, he smiled again at the thought that she never seemed turned off by his scars. He knew she hadn't seen them all, and he hoped that one day, he could show her, and she would still feel the same way. For now however, he was thankful for what he had.
As they pulled up to the hotel, he longed for the evening not to be over. "Want to come up? It's a suite, so it has a nice sitting area, and I could make some coffee."
"I'd like that. I can't stay long, but a little while would be nice. Although, if you don't have decaf I better skip the coffee. Caffeine this late at night, I would be up until dawn."
Together they took the elevator to his room, and spent the next hour just talking. Finally, it was the time they both dreaded. She had to leave, and he knew it. Standing, he embraced her once more.
"Myles, where do we go from here?" He had asked himself that question more times than he could count in the past couple of days, but he still had no answer.
"I suppose we spend some time getting to know each other better. We can visit. Take it one step at a time. Is that ok with you?"
Looking into the green depths of her eyes, he felt his heartbeat rise. He still had his arms around her, their bodies touching. Tightening his grip, her head inch towards him slightly. Right before their lips met, he thought he heard a small "Yes" in reply to his question.
The kiss lasted only a brief moment, but it was a kiss rich with emotion and promise. Myles pulled his head back slightly, and was grateful to see the smile on her face. They stood together another few minutes, their foreheads touching, just feeling content. Finally, she broke the silence. "I need to go home. Tracy will need to go."
Myles tore himself away from her, wishing he could instead just hold her a little longer. Walking to the desk, he grabbed two boxes and handed them to her. "This one is for Samuel. Tell him I said good bye, and that I will come to see him soon. The other is for you. Just to let you know I care, and to say thank you for this week. Don't open it now. It is for later. For when you miss me---if you miss me." Suddenly he became insecure. Even after tonight, maybe she would go about her normal life and forget about him after he was gone.
As if reading his thoughts, she lay the packages down, and came back to him. Wrapping her arms around his neck she kissed him lightly. "Trust me Myles. I will miss you. Thank you for the gifts, and for how you treated me and Samuel. For the first time since Bobby died, my heart feels like it is alive. All because of you." Without waiting another second, he wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her again. It started innocently, but soon became passionate, and he felt himself being carried away. Pulling himself away, he saw in her eyes the same passion he felt. Taking her hand, then retrieving the boxes that she had laid down, he guided her to the car.
"I will call you when I get back tomorrow. And I will be online every night. I will write to you so much you will think I am stalking you." She laughed at that, even though there were tears streaming down both their faces. Placing a hand on either side of her face, he kissed her tenderly one more time. "Goodbye for now."
"Goodbye." With that she got in her car, and looked up at him for a moment then turned back to the road. Tears of both joy and sadness flooded his eyes, as he watched her car disappear.