I was initially going to space this fic out a little bit more, and take a month or so to publish it. But I'm sure everyone knows that tomorrow is a pretty big day in my country, and depending on how it goes, my mental health is at a pretty considerable risk. I didn't want to leave this fic unfinished should I drop into a dark place again, so I pushed to get it done before.

I want to thank everyone who has favorited, followed, read, reviewed. I am blown away by the response to this fic, and I smile when I read your reviews. You guys are incredible. Happy episode day, and I hope you enjoy this final chapter.

Walter's bed was comfortable.

They'd been lying there for the better part of an hour, her on her back, him on his side right up against her, their lips never separating but for breath.

His hand was resting on her stomach, the pads of his fingers pressing lightly against her shirt. He slowly pushed against a button until it popped open, allowing him to slip his fingers through and touch her skin. Paige's hand was resting on his chest, but she pulled it back as she felt his fingers slowly running over her stomach. She undid the rest of her buttons then grabbed his hand, drawing it up over one of her breasts. He rubbed back and forth with his thumb, and she sighed into his mouth. "That's nice."

"Mmmm," he responded against her lips, scooting a little bit closer. She thought he mumbled something else as his hand gently massaged her breast, but she couldn't make it out.

"I like it when you're touching me," she whispered, and she thought she felt him shudder in response.

"I love you," he murmured, sliding his hand along her side, down to her hip, trying to pull her even closer. She slid an arm around his neck, kissing along his jawline. She could feel the heat radiating between their bodies, his scent all around her. It was almost overwhelming.

But it was almost overwhelming in the best possible way.

She moved to kissing his neck, enjoying the soft sound the action pulled out of him. He'd never been kissed like this before, of this she was certain, and she wanted him to feel good, and feel safe, and know that he could completely trust her, with anything and everything. Just mere days ago, she'd been terrified that he'd never feel safe with her again, and here they were.

His finger traced along the top of her underwear, and her muscles clenched in anticipation of him touching her. But he didn't – not at first – and as he breathed into her ear while she continued to press kisses to his neck, swirling her tongue on his hot skin, his hand teased her again, running lightly over the front her underwear but still not dipping between her legs.

"Walter," she whined, her spare hand sliding down between them, pushing her underwear partway down her hips. He took the hint, sliding his hand down, and she gasped when his fingers finally pressed against her, starting to explore, gliding easily over him because she was already incredibly slick. She pushed her hips against his hand, sighing against his neck and shuddering when he found her entrance and drew his fingers across it several times before he slowly pushed a finger inside. Her hips bucked involuntarily as he pulled back and rapidly thrust his hand forward again. "Ohhh, God."

He lifted his head, and she thought he was going to put his lips back on hers, but he just looked down at her, studying her face as he crooked his finger, stroking her from the inside, making her leg twitch again at the same time as another moan escaped her lips.

He added a second finger, quickening the tempo, and she tipped her head back against the pillow, whimpering. He had her. She was at his mercy. He lowered his lips to her throat, seeming to enjoy the vibrations that met his lips when she moaned while he was kissing her there. Her hips rocked against his hand as his fingers continued to move, sometimes thrusting, other times curling inside her to hit just the right spot. Her eyes opened, staring upward without the ability to focus on anything, then fell closed again, letting out a long, low sigh that steadily increased in volume. "Don't stop," she begged, panting loudly, feeling herself teetering on a glorious precipice. "I'm close, I'm close," she chanted, quietly, staring up into his eyes, somehow even more turned on by the way he was looking down at her as if he wanted to memorize exactly what she looked like when she was like this. The hand that was on his back slid up to his neck, gripping it from the back, and when his lips lowered again, to her neck, to her jawline, she tipped her head down to capture his lips with her own again.

The sensations he was creating with his fingers slowly becoming overwhelming, Paige's free hand pressed against the mattress, curling around the fitted sheet. She opened her mouth and his name escaped between their lips. His pace quickened in response, his fingers moving furiously, his thumb beginning to rub around her clit, nudging at it as he looked down at her face, and she choked his name again, her body spasming, her legs closing around his hand as her muscles clenched around him.

She became keenly aware of her breathing as her vision slowly returned to normal, and she tipped her head to look at him. Walter was looking down at her, his hand now resting gently on the soft skin just below her naval. When her eyes focused on him, he gave her a small smile and lowered his head, nuzzling her cheek with his nose. "You okay?" He whispered.

"Uh huh," she said, pressing her cheek against him.

"I love you," he whispered, as if it was possible someone else could hear and he wanted to keep the exchange just between the two of them.

She opened her mouth to reciprocate, because given their history, she wanted to reciprocate every time, looking into his eyes and making sure he knew that she meant it with every atom in her body. But his lips were on hers again, his hand sliding back up to her breast, and she shivered at his welcome touch.

Their lips separated, briefly. "I love you," she said, just as quietly as he had, sliding a hand up to his face.

"I like this," he murmured, pulling her closer. "Being close to you. Being alone."

They were both almost fully clothed – and yet Paige couldn't remember the last time she'd been in a situation that felt this intimate.

Walter pulled back, pushing up on his arms slightly, and looked down at her, clearing his throat and seeming suddenly hesitant. "I, uh…" he said. "I've never…"

Paige cocked her head. He had history. Hell, he had history with her.

He furrowed his brow. "I've never gone down on someone. Before. But, uh…" he licked his lower lip. "Do you…do you like that?"

Paige hesitated, her mouth open, but only managing an "oh, uh…"

Of all the men she'd dated, of the four she'd been intimate with, Drew was the only one who had ever had his head between her legs. Paige considered this much more intimate than traditional intercourse and she had to really trust – and really want – a person before she would ache for their mouth on her.

Did she like it? Hell yes. But was she ready for it?

She let out a nervous breath, and Walter rested a hand on her stomach. "Please don't be uneasy," he said, looking concerned. "I just…last time was so quick, and traditional, and I…I want to love you. In whatever ways you want. I just…wanted to offer. I want to do whatever you want."

She reached for his hand, and he looked down, watching as she pulled it up to her mouth and ran her tongue along the crease between his thumb and forefinger, back and forth, her spine tingling. He kept still, watching her. "Like that," she whispered after another moment, releasing him.

He lowered his head, kissing her again, and this time when their lips separated, she away slightly, pulling her shirt over her head and lifting her hips so he could help tug her skirt and underwear the rest of the way down her legs.

He kissed between her breasts, and she realized that he was the kind of guy who would kiss all the way down her body rather than just settling between her thighs. She hadn't experienced that before. Sitting up, he unbuttoned his own shirt and took it off, dropping it off the bed and leaning back over her, kissing her in the same spot his mouth had just vacated. Then he inched a little lower. Paige's heart was pounding, and she swore she could feel it in a dozen different places. She looked down her body, where he was busy pressing kisses to her stomach, his mouth inching toward where she desperately wanted him to be.

Walter kept on kissing her stomach, going no lower than just where her hips bones started, sucking lightly on her sensitive skin and making her wiggle. She wondered if he was taking so long because he was nervous too, or because he was a tease.

And then – Paige's leg jerked, a tiny involuntary motion – Walter was touching her again, the heel of one of his hands pressing between her legs. She pushed her hips forward, gasping when he kept his hand perfectly still and let her. She ground against him desperately, needing friction, needing more, and looked down her body at him, watching as he continued to kiss around her abdomen. His mouth moved lower, and she whined as he removed his hand and began to kiss the inside of one of her thighs.

"Walter," she said, her voice cracking as she bent a leg and dug her foot into the mattress. She was aching to be touched again. He obliged, his tongue coming into contact with her and beginning to move in an identical way that she had just showed him on his hand. She clenched, moaned, and cut the moan off with a grunt, suddenly incredibly aware of just how much his touch was affecting her and feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Oof," he grunted, lifting his head and giving a cough. He raised an eyebrow at her, a playful glint in his eye as he wiped his mouth on the side of her leg. "Are you trying to drown me?"

"Sorry," she said, sitting up on her hands as a laugh escaped her, even though she didn't find it funny, oh god. "You just…" she tried to draw a larger, slower breath, so she could speak in a complete sentence, you're just really good at that, but Walter lowered his head again, licking straight up her center and swirling his tongue around her clit, and she yelped in pleasure, clapping a hand over her mouth and looking down at him with wide eyes as her hips jerked against him.

He lifted his head again – but not before he lightly blew on where his mouth had been, making tears spring to her eyes as she struggled to stay quiet. She needed to moan. But she couldn't. "Paige," he said with a playful smile, "no one else is here."

"Sorry," she said again, feeling her cheeks flush. She knew no one could hear them – and she knew she hadn't been quiet when he'd been pleasuring her with his fingers. But this…this was just more intimate than what they'd been doing before, and she found herself incredibly self-conscious of every reaction – both physical and verbal – that she was having. And he had just started – she had always had really wet orgasms from oral. She wanted to relax and enjoy it – her body certainly was already – but her mind wouldn't allow her to let go. Her mind was almost ashamed.

Walter looked at her with sudden concern. "Are you okay? Paige," he added when her lower lip trembled, and she pulled it back between her teeth. "Paige, what's the matter?" He rubbed her hip gently. "Do you want to stop?"

She shook her head. If she'd been asked to predict which one of them would be nearing a nervous breakdown and which one would be taking on a comforting role tonight, she would have guessed wrong. "I'm sorry," she said, tears springing to her eyes. "I just…it's just…" she put the back of her hand against her mouth as she tried to get composed. "It's has been a really long time since this has happened and I'm just a little overwhelmed."

"When was the last time?" He asked.

"When…when Ralph was two."

The realization of just how long made his eyes widen. "Oh."

"This specifically is just…I feel more vulnerable than when your head is up here. It's not normally a part of my sex life…when I have one."

"We can stop," Walter said again, keeping his eyes on her as he kept stroking her hip. "Or we can try something else."

"No." She took a deep breath and let it out. "Walter, what you're doing is so good. You feel incredible. I just need a minute."

"Okay." He scooted up a bit, putting another kiss on her stomach, right over one of her stretch marks. She ran a hand affectionately through his hair. Her body wanted his mouth back where it had just been; she could feel her pulse at the apex of her thighs, but her brain – her brain, such irony – hadn't caught up yet. She panted lightly, as he kept kissing her, staying above her hips, watching her face. She whimpered quietly, staring back at him, wanting to beg him to move lower but knowing if he did, right now, she'd falter mentally.

"This all okay?" He asked, and she nodded, because it was, it all felt surreal, she wanted him desperately, she wished she didn't have this mental wall to clear.

"You are stunning," he said, lifting up and looking down into her eyes. "You know when I was, uh, in space…" he chuckled, almost looking embarrassed. "You were…or, I'd imagined you were wearing the dress that you wore when we danced at the art fundraiser. And you told me what the dress was called. I told you that…it should have been called a galaxy. Because it contained a heavenly body."

Paige was feeling so many things – desire, love, anxiety – that were all at the forefront of her mind and overwhelming her so badly that she almost couldn't focus on what Walter had said. But when his words registered, she burst out laughing.

Walter grinned, and she was relieved that he seemed to have intended for the story to be comic relief. She lifted a hand to his cheek. "That's so sweet," she said, still chuckling, smiling up at him gratefully. She'd spent so long trying to be a safe space for him that she hadn't fully realized that somewhere along the line he had become the same to her.

"You know I've uh, I've never experienced this before," he said. "Wanting someone like this. Actually being attracted to someone as opposed to just understanding that someone was conventionally attractive. I suppose it made me rather…over the top…when my O2 levels were low."

"I'm sure I was all over everything you said to me," she said.

"I'd rather have this," he said, lowering himself and kissing her shoulder. "This is real."

A tiny moan passed through her lips as he kept kissing her, tongue swirling over her sensitive skin just inside and below her shoulder. His story had provided her with a short armistice from the battle that her body was fighting with her mind, but once his lips were back on hers, she ached for him again. Walter trailed his tongue over one of her breasts, then ran it back and forth along the underside. He couldn't have known – but he'd reached their most sensitive region. Paige panted harder, her arms suddenly feeling weak from keeping herself sitting up. She thrust her chest up against his mouth, moaning again, louder this time, as he kept on, kissing, licking, sucking gently.

He placed a kiss between them, slow, tender, then moved to one of her nipples, his tongue swirling around it, and she couldn't take it anymore. "Walter," she said, her voice barely coming out, and when he lifted his head, she shifted her weight to one arm and pushed lightly on his shoulder with the other.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yes," she said immediately. "Please." She thought she might break one of the beams that held the garage together if he didn't have his mouth on her right now.

He nodded, stretching up to kiss her on the lips, and she could still detect her own taste, faintly, on his lips from when he'd been down there before. It made her want him even more, and she groaned as her clit throbbed, almost painfully, aching to be touched.

He slowly began to descend down her body, quicker than he had before, but still not rushing, until he was settled back between her legs. He turned his head, kissing her thigh gently, then looked up at her. "Does, uh…" He cleared his throat. "Does it make you more or less nervous when, uh…I do this?"

She almost asked him what he meant, then she realized he wasn't sure if not getting right down to it increased the feelings of hesitance. She let out a slow breath, leaning back against the pillows. "Maybe…just for tonight…just get started."

"Okay." He cocked his head. "You'll tell me if…"

"Yes." She nodded. "Yes."

Paige closed her eyes just before she felt him come into contact with her again – but the touch was not immediately where she expected. His hand had slid up, finding one of hers. She clung to it like a lifeline.

He gently began to suck at her lower lips, and she whimpered, both from the sensation of his mouth on her and from the emotions that coursed through her when he took her hand. That action had long been a source of comfort for both of them, from the afternoon in the fire to the aftermath of Megan's death to the bomb in the garage to a week ago in Colorado and so many other little instances where this very contact had given them both immense security. If she needed any more reassurance that she was safe with him, this was it.

Walter kept on, doing exactly what she'd instructed him to do earlier, then switching it up, sometimes licking with the tip of his tongue, sometimes flattening it. Paige gasped, feeling him squeeze her hand reassuringly in response. She loved him all the more for it. What on Earth had she done to deserve feeling this adored?

His tongue circled around her clit, seeming to take note that her sharp intakes of breath happened when he was perusing along the left side, so he focused there. His tongue ran up and down the left side, never quite touching the pulsing, darkening bundle of nerves. "Oh my God," she breathed. "Walter, that's good."

She pushed her head firmly back against the pillow as her hips pumped against his face, feeling his free hand wrap around one of her legs to hold her in place. She whimpered, twisting almost onto her side before falling back, her whimper turning into a moan when Walter followed her movement, his mouth never leaving her.

She gripped Walter's hand tightly, sighing loudly when he increased his speed, drawing her knees closer together in an attempt to make sure he didn't move away now. With his free hand, he pushed on one, forcing them apart, his tongue swirling around her clit, faster still, and Paige lifted her free hand to one of her breasts, rubbing her thumb over her nipple.

Walter's name rushed from her lips, the first syllable clear, the second unintelligible, more of a yelp, and her muscles contracted rapidly as her hips jerked against his face. Walter kept his mouth on her, licking, sucking, all with a gentleness that made everything more intense because God was it clear how much he loved her.

Her legs were shaking, and he brought his left hand up as he kissed the inside of her right thigh, rubbing her gently from hip to knee. She put a hand over her forehead, panting.

Walter crawled up the bed and kissed her deeply, and she sucked on his bottom lip, needing air but willingly foregoing it for the moment. Walter pulled back, wrapped his arms around her, and rolled them so he was on his back, his arms wrapped around her, keeping her close. He looked pleased when he saw her face – she knew she was grinning like an idiot but she couldn't help it. "We save the world at least once a week," she said, smiling down at him, "but if I had to rank the most incredible things you've ever done, well, that would be near the top of the list."

He chuckled, smiling at her, the love she knew he felt for her overflowing his eyes. "You know how I was looking out at the moon earlier? When you came up here?"

"Mmm hmm."

"I was thinking. About you and me. All the moon does is orbit the Earth. And you're my whole world, Paige. Everything I am just circles around you."

Paige felt like she was actually melting, and she figured she was in as good a place for it as any.

"But I'm not entirely. Like the moon." He tipped his head to the side. "The moon has a side to it that we never see. All she does is orbit around the Earth, but she never lets us know all of her. And…and I want to share everything about me with you. I…" He trailed off, looking at her with such intensity that she thought she might burn up right where she lay. "I trust you with every vulnerability I have, Paige. And I hope that you always feel like you can trust me right back. I want to be that person for you. I want to be your oasis."

She lowered her voice again – even though there still wasn't anyone around. "You are."

His arms were wrapped around her lower back, and she felt his hand rubbing her skin gently. It made her extra aware of their every point of contact, from where their stomachs pressed together, to where his other hand rested respectfully high on her hip to where his desire for her was evident between her legs, though still within the confines of his pajama pants. Paige pushed her hips back and down against him, watching as he closed his eyes and groaned softly. "So," she said, quietly. "The moon just rocked my world, so how about I make you see stars?"

She tried to scoot down his body, but was met with a surprising resistance when he clamped his arms around her, preventing her from going anywhere. "No."

Paige was more than a little surprised – and she wasn't sure if it was moreso because he stopped her or because he so quickly understood her awful metaphor in the first place. "But…what about you?"

He shook his head. "I've never been able to…more than once. And maybe…with you…I could. I don't know. But I uh, I don't want to try tonight. Because tonight, if I only can once…I want to be inside you."

Now it was him that looked uncomfortable, and she ran a hand gently along the side of his face. "Okay." She pushed her bottom, upward, asking him to release her, and he removed his hands from her lower back, reaching for the waistband of his pants and wiggling them down his legs, kicking them off the side of the bed.

Paige, kneeling with one leg on either side of him, leaned forward and kissed him, resting on his upper body, her hips in the air, as she reached down between them and ran her hand over his boxers, pleased when she heard and felt his breath hitch. She lifted up off of him, smiling, her hand growing bolder, massaging him through the fabric. He put his hands on her thighs, tipping his head back and grunting. "Paige."

"What?" She asked with a smile. "I can't tease you a little bit?" She put her hand on his stomach, sliding it down, stopping where skin met fabric, the same game he'd played with her earlier.

"Paige," he said again, agitated. His fingers pressed into her skin.

"Are you going to get overwhelmed when I touch you?" She asked.

"Maybe," he grunted. She could hear his breathing. She liked that. She was in control now – at least for now. Grinning, Paige leaned over to kiss him again, then spit into her palm and slid her hand into his boxers, wrapping it around him. He responded by grabbing her hips, trying to push her down, and after tugging at him for another minute or so, she obliged, placing both hands on the mattress, one on either side of him, and lowering herself, slowly rocking her hips forward and back, grinding down on him and making him groan. Her arms trembled; the friction felt good and she let out a quiet moan herself, frustrated at the layer of clothing between them while simultaneously smug at how hard she'd gotten him and how much teasing she still had to do.

She lowered herself, kissing his stomach, his muscles tightening under her touch. She swirled her tongue on his skin, her hips continuing to move, and his hands slid up her legs and around her bottom, holding her in place, fingers pressing into her skin. Her tongue found one of his nipples and lightly traced around it, and she heard him say something that she couldn't quite make out. She continued to tease his nipple, remembering how self-conscious he was about her seeing them when she was helping change his bandages after he'd been in space. She was glad he didn't mind now, because she was quite enjoying the reactions she was getting out of him.

She sat up, lifting her hips off of him, helping him tug his boxers the rest of the way down his legs. He reached over, opening the drawer at his bedside table, and pulling out the condoms that he'd been keeping there, the deliberately half empty box that was a prop for immigration. Paige watched as he covered himself. Then she leaned forward again, rolling her hips along his length, pleased at the way his eyes rolled back as they closed. She smiled smugly. She loved teasing him.

But the way he brushed her clit every time she moved back and forth over him was making her arms weak, and she no longer had full control over the game. She stopped moving and looked down at Walter. "You okay?"

He looked back at her. He wasn't quite panting, but his mouth was open, and his gaze was one of the most intense things she'd ever seen. But there was still a slight hesitance in it, something she knew she'd have missed if she didn't know him so well. "Hey," she said, lifting up slightly. "No pressure."

"L…last time…"

"Just pretend this is our first time," she said. "It can be like that night never happened." Reaching down between them, she guided him to her entrance and kept him there, her lips clinging to his head, seeing his abdomen clench and his hips lifted slightly. She'd initially been hesitating only to wait for him to give her the okay, but she lifted up slightly, not letting his small thrust get him anywhere.

"Paige."

She grinned. When he put his hands on her hips again, she repositioned, then slowly began to lower herself onto him. "Last time neeever happened. Don't think about it."

Walter tipped his head back and groaned. "Ah, that's not going to work." He drew in a breath. "It's all burned into my memory."

"Then how about this," she suggested, "it happened, but it didn't count. Because we weren't together in the way we are now."

"Uh," Walter grunted. "Okay."

"Good." Paige pushed down around him a little more and stopped, biting her lip.

Walter looked at her with concern. "You okay? Paige?"

"My legs are too weak for this," she said, blushing slightly as she saw Walter's smirk, delighted in the obvious reason why.

He sat up, sliding his arms around her back and smiling as he looked into her eyes. "Mmmm yeah?" He asked, his confidence clearly bolstered. "Why is that?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Because," she said in a low voice, "you're not just a genius at computers."

Walter rolled them over, holding her tightly so he wouldn't slip out of her. Once she was on her back, Paige hooked her legs around him, placing her hands on the sides of his face, and pressing her nose to his as he slowly began to thrust. She wrapped an arm around him, her hand pressed firmly against his back, and she curled her other arm around his neck, tipping her head to the side. She ran her tongue along the outside of his ear, sighing into it when one of his hands returned to her breast, rubbing the pad of his thumb over her nipple. "Yes," she breathed, curling her hand in his hair. Tightening her legs around him and pulling him deeper inside her, Paige wonder if her breathing was as heavy as she heard it.

Walter's eyes were open when he lifted his head, looking down at her again, and when their eyes locked, she kept hers open, and suddenly, she was transported back to Vietnam, when they were holding on for dear life, debris flying everywhere as the tornado engulfed them, but neither she nor Walter had closed their eyes. They'd never talked about it, but she felt that if she couldn't see him as he held onto her, that their grip would fail. She wondered if he'd thought the same thing, as he risked being blinded to keep the eye contact with her.

Tonight, there was no risk of that. But she was mesmerized, yet again, by the intensity she saw in his eyes, and they stayed like that, staring into the windows of their souls, as their bodies continued to move in tandem.

Eventually, Walter lowered his head again, kissing her on the mouth, then on the neck. She tightened herself around him, consciously, and she heard him groan, a sharp ha against her neck. She did it again, another ha, and then "good God, Paige." His breath was hot on her neck as he stopped thrusting, and she could feel him trembling in the effort it was taking not to move. He lifted his head, breathing hard. "Are you doing that on purpose?"

She smirked and repeated the effort, causing his hips to start to move again, against his will, as his eyes fell closed and he groaned. Paige bit her lip, stifling her own sound, and tightened again, causing his hips to pump faster. "Paige, stop." He stilled again, grunting loudly, then panting heavily with the effort, then pulled his hips back, drawing all the way out of her. "Can you…"

She nodded, understanding, and sat up and reached out, placing her thumb and fingers where he needed and squeezing firmly, counting to ten in her head. He gasped in relief when she released him, then gave her a warning look. "Do not."

"But I like watching you come undone like that."

"Not…before you."

She lay back again. "Walter, tonight has been so…"

"I know." He knelt between her knees, rubbing one of her legs gently. "But I'm not ready for it to end yet." He looked down between her legs, sliding his hand down her leg, and she whimpered quietly at the memory of his touch. He moved his hand back up, all the way to her knee, then back down, this time running his thumb over her clit. She closed her eyes, her hips bobbing against his hand. When he eased slowly back into her, he kept his hand moving, making her yelp from the intensity of the stimulation. He leaned over her, balancing on his forearm, dropping his head to kiss her. She eagerly captured his lips, absorbing his groan as his hips began to move again, and she thrust up to meet him, feeling herself begin to tense, building toward release, the extra stimulation and her two earlier orgasms making her tighter, making it not take her as long. Walter was moving slowly again, deliberately, whispering his love for her between kisses, and she breathed the words right back at him, because she'd gone without saying them for so, so long.

She whispered his name, her eyes falling close and her mouth hanging open as he moved to kissing her neck, both his arms now working to keep his upper body controlled. "Oh God." She started to moan again, the sensations so powerful she thought she might actually, literally come apart. He picked up the pace, and her hips quickened in response, her heels digging into him, god damn. Her fingers were twisted around his curls and she didn't realize how tightly until he shook his head in protest. So instead she pressed her hand flat against the back of his head, keeping him where he was, his tongue teasing her neck, growing sloppier by the minute.

"I'm…Paige…" Walter managed, his breath coming in quick bursts against her neck. "I'm so close."

"Me too," she gasped. "Don't…don't stop." I'm going with you. Let go, it's okay. You're always okay with me. She wanted to say the words, but her mind was blurring; forming a coherent sentence would be an impossible task. She could feel him try to slow his tempo, felt his entire body shake as he grunted in frustration, desperately still trying to delay the release his body needed. She tightened her legs around him, pumping her own hips harder, faster and tightening around him again, on purpose, in a steady rhythm. He groaned loudly against her neck. "Come for me, Love," she managed, the term of endearment easing off her tongue as if she used it all the time. She grabbed one of his hands, moving it to her breast, and he flicked and pinched at her nipple, driving her over the edge mere moments before he plunged deep into her one last time and stilled, his hips firmly in contact with her own.

They were both gasping, and she felt hot, from the effort that they'd put, the flush that was spreading across her body, and from his own body heat, radiating off of him and making her sweat even more than she already was. "Oh God," she said, running her fingers through his hair. "Oh, Walter, I love you."

Her legs were weak; she wanted to lower them, but she didn't. He was breathing hard, his head buried in her neck, and she kept her legs around him as he lay on top of her, wanting him to know that she loved when they were this close together, and she wasn't done with him just because their night was at a natural stopping point.

When he lifted his head to look down at her, she saw his eyes searching her face. "Are you okay?" He asked her, yet again.

"Yeah," she said with a smile. "I'm really, really good." She ran the backs of her fingers lovingly down his cheek. "Are you okay?"

"I'm here with you, aren't I?"

She shook her head, marveling at just how often the words that spilled out of his mouth were exactly the right words to say. "Yeah," she said quietly, continuing to stroke his face. "You're here with me."

He leaned down and kissed her again, slowly, sweetly, and she closed her eyes, savoring the closeness. Whatever he thought he hadn't given her before, he clearly had no such worries tonight.

As well he shouldn't. Paige couldn't remember ever feeling this overwhelmingly loved. "Walter?" She said quietly against his lips.

He lifted his head slightly. "Hmmm?"

"I always say it's a cliché when this happens in the movies, but…" she bit her lip. "Tonight was amazing. I…I'm so happy."

"Happy?" He asked, a smile coming over his lips. "I make you happy?"

She chuckled. "You need me to tell you that?"

"No, I suppose not. I just…I like hearing you say it." He lifted up and off of her, rolling onto his back. She closed her eyes, stretching and shifting to her side. When she opened them, Walter was on his feet, picking up his boxers and stepping back into them. "Do you want anything?" He asked, gesturing vaguely to the floor.

"Nah." She wiggled, tugging the covers out from under her and scooting underneath them. She wanted to ask him if he was comfortable cuddling, but she knew that might have to wait for another day.

But they would have other days. They were going to have a lot of them.

He got back in bed, easing under the covers, and tipped his head to look at her, giving a small smile, again appearing almost shy. "You…planning to stay over there all night, or…"

She grinned, closing the distance between them, putting her head on his chest and sighing contentedly as he wrapped his arms around her. One of his hands found hers, and they lazily linked fingers as he kissed the top of her head and, again, told her that he loved her. She mumbled it back sleepily, her wedding ring reflecting off of something in the dim light. Or maybe there was no glint at all. Maybe it just looked brighter to her now.

She had a feeling that everything was going to look a little bit brighter from this day forward.

Thanks for reading. :)