Title: Work In Progress (S5 Finale)
Pairing: R. Castle and K. Beckett
Summary: A look at things from Kate's POV
Disclaimer: I don't own Castle
Words: 6 392
AN: This was originally meant to be a one-shot, a quick little story, however I have received several requests for more. I know what it feels like when the story is cut short, leaving you wanting more, so here I am with another chapter for 'Work In Progress'. Have you guys checked out my new story 'One Time Too Many' yet?
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KB POV:
Lying on my side, I stared at the empty side of my bed. The sheets were smooth, not tangled or twisted from a passionate night, there wasn't an indent on the pillow from where somebody had laid there head. It was a depressing sight, another reminder that he just wasn't here anymore.
As if though I needed another reminder, I was perfectly aware of the fact that he was gone, that we were no longer a part of each other's lives.
And that it was my entire fault that I had been the one to run, to place so much distance between us. Distance that I doubted would ever be bridged, not after what I had done. Not after the way I had handled things and treated him.
The sheets were undisturbed except for the fact that my hand was clutching at them. It must have moved of its own accord some time during the night, no doubt seeking him out, the warmth and comfort that only he could provide. It was something that I would never have again.
This job had blinded me to what truly mattered, I had been blinded by ambition and the need to prove myself and in the process I had lost the thing that meant the most to me. The person that meant the most to me and no job in the world would make that right, or replace him.
I had given up my home, friends and family alike, for this job.
And I was unhappy, depressingly so. Not a day went by when I didn't regret my decision, longed for what I had once had. Yet it wouldn't change anything, I had to live with the consequences of my decision now.
I rolled over onto my back, glancing briefly at the alarm clock while doing so. It was almost time to get up, to start another day, to get to work. A job that I was starting to hate more and more, but it was my only comfort now, my only distraction although it was a poor one. It could only keep my thoughts away from him for but a few moments.
Slowly I got up, dragging my feet as I got ready for the day ahead of me. Yet another day that I wasn't looking forward to in the slightest, another day spent without him.
My apartment was empty, barren of any personal affects. I didn't have the heart to decorate it, or even unpack the few things that I had brought along. This wasn't my home; it would never be my home for New York was my home. The only place I wanted to be was by his side, the place I felt most at home at.
It was the place that I felt safe and loved, wanted and cherished.
But it was all gone, thrown carelessly away and I had no one but myself to blame for what had happened. For the situation I now found myself in, alone in a new city, no friends or family to lean on for support.
The memory of him kneeling before me, eyes piercing blue as they stared at me intently, with a ring in his hand suddenly came to mind. I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, recalling the events of that day, that moment. The pain that gripped my heart tightly was deserved.
I would never be able to be punished enough for what I had put him through.
I was a glutton for punishment, accepting it without so much as flinch and willing more to come my way. The last time I had been this way was when my mother had passed away, I had been distant, lost as I tried to navigate what had become of my life.
I had built up walls over the years to protect myself, to keep from getting hurt but in the end, I still got hurt. And this time around it was because of the walls, because I was too guarded, not caring about how my actions would affect others.
Not caring about how my actions would affect him.
I wanted to curl up from the pain that loomed in my chest that took over every waking moment that I had as well as those that I spent trying to rest. But I didn't deserve even a single moment's reprieve from them.
When I had first started this job, this lofty job, I had thought that I would be out in the field more often than not. However in the three months that I had been here, I could count the number of times I had been out in the field on my fingers with more than a few to spare.
I missed the action, having adrenalin course through my veins as I chased someone down, all I done now was sit behind a desk and fill out paper work. I hated it, I hated everything about DC, but I kept my mouth shut and my head down and just went through the motions without complaint.
And even if I did want to complain about the situation I now found myself in, be it works wise or the lack of friends, there was no one to complain to about it. Everyone that I cared about, that had supported and cared about me, was still in New York. I was completely alone here.
When I reached the agency, I settled in behind my desk ready for another day of paperwork. I arrived early in the morning and left late at night, trying to spend as little time as possible in my new apartment. I hated the place.
I just wanted to go home and curl up with him, home being the loft.
Throughout the day all I could think about was him, I was exhausted beyond belief, having had trouble sleeping over the last three months. Even as I nearly feel asleep behind my desk I still refused myself the luxury of coffee. I had only had one cup since moving to DC.
I had managed only a single sip of it before spitting it out.
So much had changed in my life over the last three months, all for the worse. I was lonely, in a completely strange place without anyone to talk to or depend upon, my new apartment was empty and void of anything personal, even my wardrobe hadn't escaped unscathed. All I wore now a day was a plain black suit to work, and when I wasn't working just sweats and a large shirt of his that still held a bare trace of his unique scent.
There were so many things that I missed about him, his warmth and comfort, the safety that I felt when he held me, his charming smiles and crazy theories. There wasn't a thing that I didn't miss, even the things that had once drove me mad and frustrated me, and I now missed dearly. I just wanted him back.
I needed him back in my life, but I wasn't good enough for him, he deserved better than me. He always had, before we had gotten together I had tried to change, to become whole and a better person for him, and I had thought it was working but sadly I had been wrong. No matter how hard I tried to become better, to improve, I still wasn't good enough for him.
I didn't deserve him, he had been right that day at the swings, he did deserve better.
He was a good man with a kind heart who loved fiercely, and I had been underserving of that love. It had never been the other way around, I had pushed him away, determined to ignore what he felt about me believing that he was nothing more than an arrogant play boy. But I had been wrong, so very wrong.
Over the years I had seen him grow, watched as his true personality came to the surface that of a good and kind-hearted man. A man who deserved the very best, not some broken woman who couldn't tell him just what he meant to her, who had to hide and run when things got overwhelming, in short not me.
When things had been at a standstill between us, I had blamed him for it, believing that he was dragging his feet and unwilling to get serious about us. I had felt unappreciated, frustrated and confused. Over the last three months though I had come to the realization that it was my fault that we had been at a standstill in our relationship, my fault that we weren't moving forward and progressing along.
I had made him scared and insecure with the way that I had behaved in the past, fleeing as far as possible with a moment's notice when things got too much for me. I had always dictated the way that our relationship grew, having to control everything and he had accepted it. Yet, for a reason that I couldn't understand I had blamed him for not taking charge.
There were a lot of things that I blamed him for, a lot of times that I had been unfair towards him. He truly did deserve better than me, the knowledge that I had treated him in such a way made me sick to my stomach.
I should have held on tight to him when I had had the chance and let him know just how much he truly meant to me. Instead I had been distant at times, hiding behind my walls, unfair and downright cruel to him. I wish that I could go back in time and make things right, treat him the way that he deserved.
When I got to my apartment that night, I locked the door behind me before taking a seat on the couch. I wasn't hungry; my appetite had all but disappeared causing me to lose a drastic amount of weight over the last three months. I just simply wasn't hungry; I wasn't in the mood for anything, even something as simple as food.
The only thing that I wanted was to return to New York, to return to him.
But things would never be okay between us again, would never return to the way that they were. I would never be held by him, get to be at his side and hear his voice rasp out my name during the night as he slept or in the early hours of the morning when he woke up, I would never get to see him beam at me again.
I would have none of that ever again; I had forfeited so much when I had decided to take this job, things that truly mattered to me. I had given them all up for this job, this meaningless job.
There were so many things that I had wanted with him, for not only myself but for us. Marriage, kids, the whole nine yards and the American dream. He was my 'one and done' and now he was gone.
The life that we should have had together, the future that should be ours, was gone, over, before it even truly got started. And it was my entire fault; I had been selfish and cruel. Wrapped up in myself instead of concentrating on what was important, us.
My gaze landed on the book that was lying on the coffee table before me, the last book he had written. The one that ended the Nikki Heat series once and for all, I hadn't read it yet.
I couldn't bring myself to; when it had been released I had gone down to the closest bookstore and bought it immediately. Staring at his picture on the back of it for the entire walk back to my apartment, yet I hadn't been able to open it.
I didn't want to know how things ended, how he had ended our story on his terms. I didn't want to know but every day I stared at the book, stared and stared until I went to bed.
That night as I lay in bed, my eyes fixed on the empty spot beside me all I could think about was him. How I just wanted to reach out and touch him, feel his warmth, enjoy the comfort of being held by him. But he wasn't here.
As I feel asleep memories of the time we had spent together drifted through my mind, each so very precious and longed for. I didn't just simply want him in my life; I needed him in my life.
He was the most important person that I had ever had in my life and I had tossed him aside.
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Staring at the paperwork on my desk the next day, I felt my eyes start to glaze over. Everything looked the same; I leaned back in my chair, staring up at the ceiling as I tried to force myself to wake up. With every day that passed it was starting to get harder and harder to do.
To pretend that everything was okay, to pretend that I wasn't slowly dying on the inside.
I abruptly stood up, feeling energy surge through my body. I knew what I had to do, it was the only thing left for me. I walked out of my office, not caring that I was leaving a mountain of paperwork unfinished.
Not even ten minutes later and I was stepping foot outside the agency's building feeling lighter than I had in months. The warm rays of sunshine warmed me up, making me even more determined, more energized. With a brisk pace, I half jogged to my apartment, ideas running rampant in my mind.
I had to plan, to try and work out how to do things properly, but I couldn't come up with anything.
I wasn't normally one to wing things; just go through with something without consideration and careful planning. But I had to take a leap of faith with this, I just had to.
Enough time had been wasted, there was no more to waste, no time to plan and consider, and no time for backing out. I was doing this, I had to do this.
I didn't even bother to close the door to the apartment behind me; I changed hastily out of my dreary black suit, gathering a few things that I needed before I was out the door again.
I didn't pause for even a moment in my quest until I was seated in the plane bound for New York. Even then after running around for more than two hours, scrambling to get things in order, I was still restless. My stomach churned and before I knew it, I was emptying it out in the cramped little bathroom.
I was nervous, dreadfully so, I had no idea what to expect when I arrived. Although I was sure of one thing it wasn't going to be pleasant at first, my actions had hurt him badly. Maybe he was even angry at me, for all I knew he could regret ever having met me; regret everything that we had ever shared together.
I just had to try though; I was willing to do whatever it took.
I shakily made my way back to my seat, my stomach still churning once I was back in my seat. I felt tense, scared, if not downright terrified, I could only pray that things worked out.
That I could make him understand, get him to forgive me even if I would never forgive myself for what I had done to not only him but us.
The night that he had found the boarding pass I had felt like a cornered animal ready to lash out and bite who ever came to close. I had been selfish and cruel, horrible towards him. From that night on things had just gotten worse and worse, a steady downward spiral that we couldn't get out of, one that I had caused.
I placed my hand on my stomach, trying to soothe it. I had no desire to throw up again.
The moment the plane landed, I was ready to jump out of my seat and run to the loft. Instead, I forced myself to remain calm taking in a few deep breaths, still the desire to get to him as quickly as possible remained firmly in place. I eagerly rushed out of the airport, hastily clambering into an awaiting cab. The address spilled out of my mouth without a second thought.
When the cab finally pulled up outside of the building what felt like an eternity later, I stumbled out of it, tossing a few notes at the driver. I dashed through the lobby, sparing a glance at the elevator to see that it was several floors up; I had no patience to wait for it. I shoved open the doors of the staircase, moving swiftly up them, my feet pounding on the steps.
My breath was catching in my chest not from exhaustion but emotion instead, I was nearly home. For the first time in three months I was close to him, my heart swelled rapidly, love blossoming in it freely. I wanted nothing more than to leap into his arms, beg him to forgive me and rush him right to the court house so that we could be married.
I needed him more than I had ever needed anybody else; I hoped that he still loved me, that he still wanted a future with me despite how much I had hurt him. That he still had enough faith in us, in me, to take another leap of faith, this time with me. That he would be willing to try again, to give me another chance.
My head spun, elation building up inside of me. I had to make things right, I just had to.
Finally I reached his floor.
I banged my fist on the door, eager to just lay eyes on him. Over and over again I pounded on his door, straining my ears to hear if he was approaching. Again and again, my hand collided with the door.
But there was no answer.
I wanted to curl up in front of the door and wait for him, even if it meant him tripping over me on his way out in the morning. Instead I reached into my pocket, feeling around for a set of keys only to come up empty handed. I had left them in DC in my haste; I searched again through my pockets, panic starting to well up inside of me.
With trembling fingers I dialled his number, bringing the phone up to my ear, determined to see him, to speak to him as soon as possible. I heard a strangled gasp coming from my left; I whipped around ending my staring contest with the red and metal door, only for my eyes to land on him.
Rick.
Finally, after three months of not seeing him he was before me. I wanted to run right up to him and cling with all my might onto him, but all I could do was stare into those deep blue eyes. So intense and piercing, they had always managed to hold me captive even when I hadn't wanted them to.
He wrenched his gaze away from me, now staring at his feet; I wanted him to look at me again. To look at me as he always had but he didn't. Tears welled in my eyes against my will but I done nothing to fight them, he looked so sad and defeated, and soaked to the bone.
It had been raining hard and clearly he had been out in the rain, his hair was plastered down across his head, his clothes clinging to him. A small puddle of water gathering around his feet and his lips were a faint blue.
"Rick." I hardly recognised my own voice; it was soft yet thick with emotion.
The moment I said his name, his eyes snapped up to mine. In an instant the sadness that I had seen moments before, the defeat, was gone instead anger now filled them.
"Rick please let me explain." I pleaded earnestly.
I had to get him to hear me out, the sooner the better. I had to talk to him now before his anger got the better of him, before we wouldn't be able to talk. All I needed was a chance for him to hear me out, to let me explain things and beg for another chance.
He walked right past me, not even sparing another glance my way. I shrunk in on myself, feeling invisible. I wanted to grab a hold of him and beg him to listen. But my arms wrapped around myself and I watched on silently as he entered the loft, closing the door firmly behind himself. It was clear that I wasn't invited, that he didn't want to have to deal with me and my selfish ways.
I walked towards the door, feeling clumsy as I stumbled over nothing but air. My hand reached up of its own accord, the same hand that reached across the bed every night for the last three months searching for him. I bowed my head against the door for a moment, resting my hand against the door knob.
I had to do this.
As I turned the door knob, I took a deep breath. I had to be strong, there was no more running away. I closed the door behind me as my eyes adjusted to the dark loft; he was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, hugging himself. My heart ached at seeing him in so much pain.
Slowly I walked towards him, uncertain about what to do now that we were so close, now that I was in the loft and mere feet away from him. Not knowing what else to do, I sat down beside him, watching him closely. I was trying to find some sort of clue as to what I was supposed to do now, but I had nothing.
"Why are you here?" He asked several moments later, his voice was rough.
That raspy quality that I so loved waking up to reaching my ears, I didn't even have to think about my answer. Without a pause, I opened my mouth.
"I'm meant to be here, here and not somewhere else, not anywhere else." I answered without the slightest bit of hesitation. My voice was gentle, wanting to keep him at ease yet even I could hear the note of determination in it.
"I doubt that." He gritted out through clenched teeth.
My heart constricted painfully at his words, I had to make him believe me. I had to prove to him that what I was saying was true, that this was where I was meant to be, but words had never come easily to me. And even now, here I was unable to think of what to say.
"Rick, I know I made a mistake. I know that." My voice was soothing, that determination from earlier still lining my voice. "And I'm sorry, so sorry, but we can try again. I can try again, please just give me another chance. I can make this up to you."
Words spilled from my mouth without thought, sincere and apologetic words. But all he done was stare ahead, I grew more and more desperate. Pleading turned into begging as I watched him gaze ahead. Still he done and said nothing.
I watched as he blinked slowly, seemingly struggling to keep his eyes open. A shiver racked his frame, halting my words as I finally noticed that he was freezing. He was still in wet clothes.
I grabbed a hold of his arm, dragging him to his feet. He had to warm up before he got sick, as I watched him shiver and curl in on himself as we made our way to the bathroom, I couldn't help but to feel selfish yet again. Here he was freezing cold and all I had been doing was running my mouth.
I held onto him tightly as I led him through the study, into the bedroom. I longed to curl up in the bed with him, to simply hold and be held by him; it had been far too long since I had been here. It had been far too long since I had simply just been with him.
"Why?" He asked quietly, facing me fully.
"What?" I asked confused, not understanding what it was that he was asking.
"Why?" He repeated slowly, seemingly trying to gather his thoughts. "Why did you… Why wasn't I…?"
He trailed off, brow furrowing as he tried to voice what he was thinking. But I now understood what he was trying to ask, I could remember when we had just started our partnership he had been so very arrogant and cocky back then. It had been something that had annoyed and frustrated me, but now seeing how insecure he was, I longed for the days where he had been so self-confident and assured.
I knew that I had caused him to become so insecure, to doubt himself; my actions had led to this. I had been breaking him piece by piece, slowly but surely, and I hadn't even realized. Tears stung at my eyes again, but now wasn't the time to cry.
I had to get him warmed up afterwards we could talk, have a true heart to heart.
"Not now, first we need to get you warmed up." I muttered quietly, not able to meet his eyes as I started to unbutton his wet shirt.
I could feel his eyes on me, staring at me, wanting an answer to his question. A moment later he grabbed my hands, pulling them away from him. He spared me a brief glance before looking away, stepping away from me.
"Get out." His voice was quiet and strained.
Pain burst throughout me at his words, I immediately dropped my eyes to the floor. I left the bathroom, closing the door behind myself feeling dazed. I stared around the room helplessly, trying to gather my thoughts.
I had to endure; there would be no running from this. The time for running was well and truly over, I had made the decision to come here, to make things right between us. I wasn't about to give up not after only the first hurdle.
I stumbled my way into the living room, sinking down onto the comfortable couch where we had spent hours just cuddling and watching movies. Everything had been so easy back then, I had been happy but I hadn't allowed us the chance that we deserved. I had cut our happiness short.
I looked up as he came into the room, watching as his jaw clenched. But he remained silent, moving on into the kitchen without looking in my direction again. I quietly got up from the couch, following him wordlessly into the kitchen.
When he turned around, he almost dropped the cup of hot chocolate he had just made. I stared up at him, taking in every detail. I had missed him so much, the last three months hadn't been kind to me and from the look of things they hadn't been kind to him either. He had lost some weight, bags were under his eyes, and a look of scruffiness had settled about him.
"Rick please." My voice was thick with not only emotion but the remains of my tears that I had shed earlier while sitting on the couch.
He just stared at me for a moment, his eyes softening and turning a lighter shade of blue but it only lasted for a moment. A hard look took over his face, his jaw clenching slightly and his eyes darkening.
"I don't think there is anything left to say anymore." His voice was quiet when he spoke.
"But-"I interrupted feeling determination washing over me again.
"Enough Kate!" He shouted out seemingly losing his temper.
I was surprised, having seen him this way so very few times. He wasn't one to lose his temper; I stared dumbly at him for a moment. Flinching slightly in place as he threw the full cup into the sink, it broke into small little pieces but he ignored it completely as he glared down at me fiercely.
"You left, lied to me, kept secrets. You made your choice and got the final say." He growled out between clenched teeth. "So don't come here, into my home after three months of nothing on your side, after rejecting me and then tell me what I have to do."
"Please." My voice was soft once I finally managed to find it.
Several tense moments later that felt like hours to me, he let out a resigned sigh, his shoulders hunching as he stared down at the ground. His small nod was all the encouragement I needed to say my piece.
"This was something that I had never imagined happening for me before, this job was more than I thought I would ever be able to achieve in my career." My voice was soft and steady as I spoke. "And I wanted it so badly Rick, a new purpose, a grander achievement. It is a great opportunity just like I thought it would be, but DC isn't my home."
"I don't belong there, I don't belong somewhere were you aren't. I was clouded by my ambition, by the opportunity, I know that now. I just wanted it. And it cost me the one thing I wasn't willing to pay."
"I know that I'm not the easiest person, that I can be difficult. Keep things close to my chest and just, not share. I know that, but with you, I want to share. I want to open up. You were right that day on the swings, you do deserve more."
"You could find some beautiful uncomplicated woman in the blink of an eye who would love you fiercely, who wouldn't be nearly as difficult as I have been. But I know that neither one of us will ever be able to move on, not you and certainly not me."
"Just let me make it up to you, give me another chance. I promise that you won't regret it, won't regret me. Please Rick, I can make it alright again, just let me."
As I spoke my voice gained confidence, I could tell that I was capturing his attention more and more. He was staring at my face, taking me in completely as he simply watched me.
I had thought that I had gotten through to him, gotten him to understand but what I saw in his eyes changed my mind immediately. I placed my hand on his arm trying to get him back to the present with me and not lost in his thoughts, but he pulled away from me abruptly.
My heart shattered, he didn't want me touching him. He couldn't seem to stand my touch, I wanted to curl into a little ball and just be swallowed up by the ground.
"It's your life, right?" He asked his voice hard.
"Rick please, I was foolish. Scared, just…" I ended with a quiet sigh, running a hand through my hair in frustration as I tried to gather my thoughts. "I made a mistake that was one of them, it's our life. Not just mine, I know that now, please believe me."
My words were quiet, pleading and earnest. I needed him to believe me; I couldn't be without him for a moment longer.
"Three months of nothing, after rejecting my offer of marriage, the lies the betrayal, and you think just showing up at my doorstep with a few words is going to fix everything?" He asked incredulously, staring right at me.
"Rick…" My voice was unsteady; I was at a loss for words.
I was uncertain about what to say, about what to do. But I had to make this right, I just had to.
"Your right, I was right. I do deserve more." He voiced quietly, I could see determination filling up his eyes as he spoke.
"No wait, Rick, please… I…" I was floundering, completely aware that I was ill prepared for this conversation.
But there was still one more thing I had up my sleeve; I shoved my hand into my pocket fumbling as I pulled out the gold band. Stumbling to my knees as my nerves started to take over yet again; I stared up into his blue eyes.
"Marry me?" I asked my eyes pleading with him, my lips was trembling as I stared up at him.
He looked so very shocked; I imagined that I had looked the exact same way three months ago when he had asked me this very question.
I had bought the ring more than two months ago; I had been walking home after a dreary day at the agency. Lost in thoughts of Rick, which was nothing unusual, along the way home I had taken a wrong turn. When I had finally noticed, after being bumped by another pedestrian, I had looked around completely lost.
But I had gotten distracted yet again, as right across the street from me was a jewellery store. Its glittering windows and displays had drawn me in for some reason; I had made my way into the little shop. Moving straight to the engagement rings, I had spent more than ten minutes just staring at the diamond encrusted rings.
None of them had been nearly as beautiful or perfect as the one that he had offered to me. I had moved away from the rings, feeling tears forming in my eyes yet instead of leaving the shop, my eye had caught another display.
That day I had bought the simple gold band, going back three days later to pick it up as I had to wait for them to engrave it. 'Always' was engraved in an elegant script on the ring.
"Kate?" He asked sounding so very confused in this moment.
"Rick, the moment I got on that plane I knew that I had made a mistake. Hell, the moment I said no. When you get a hold of something good, of that special someone, you never meant to let go. But I did, I've regretted it every day since then. You, Rick, are my special someone, my one and done."
"I promise to be here no matter what, to keep in trying to earn your forgiveness, to be the woman that you deserve. I love you, am in love with you, and that will never change."
"Will you marry me?" I repeated breathlessly.
He stared down at me, mouth agape; I was on my knees before him with a ring in hand and asking him to marry me. I could see that he didn't know what to do but I remained quiet, just staring up at him as my heart thundered away in my chest like mad hoping and praying that he would say yes.
We locked eyes, him staring deeply into mine as I stared into his.
"Yes." His voice was rough with emotion. "Yes, I'll marry you."
My heart leapt for joy, I was both pleased and relieved at the same time. He had accepted my proposal, he had actually said yes. I could only stare up at him; my heart was welling up with love and pleasure. He had actually said yes, I could hardly believe it.
I got to my feet unsteadily feeling dazed with relief and happiness, he reached out to steady me and I felt even happier in that moment.
I knew that things weren't going to be fixed magically overnight, that we still had problems that we had to face. Things that we had to talk about, regrets that we had to overcome but now here was another chance. Here was another chance to do things the right way this time around.
I was going to hold onto it with both hands and never let it go, I was never going to let go of him again no matter what came our way.
"I love you." I whispered to him, staring into his eyes as I slid the ring into place on his finger.
A sense of rightness filled me in this moment, this was where I was meant to be, and this was who I was meant to be with. Not off on my own in DC but right here with Rick, this was the place I was meant to be.
And I would never give it up or take it for granted again; I would never give him up. It was high time that I learned to appreciate just what it was that I had, who I had. It was time that I appreciated the man who loved me so fully and was willing to forgive my foolishness. To appreciate the man who had never turned his back on me.
He stared down at our clasp hands held between our bodies, mine looked so very small tangled up with his. We fit each other perfectly, we always had.
"What now?" He asked softly, staring down at the gold band that I had just placed on his finger.
"I'm home, we home. I think it's time for our happily ever after." I breathed out quietly, still overwhelmed by everything that had just happened.
I swiped my finger against the ring gently, still in disbelief that he was wearing it, that I had finally given it to him. That it was where it belonged, that I was where I belonged once again.
"Here?" He asked wanting clarification, certainty.
"Yes, here." I answered firmly me voice softened as I continued to look at him. "Always."
"Always." He answered back, a promise as he looked into my eyes.
This was my home, there was nothing left for me in DC, no job to go back to as I had quit, the apartment that I had been staying in was cold and empty. This was where I belonged, with him.
He was my one and done, my always.
FIN.
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