Note: Out of all the Fictober 2023 one shots I've written for this year, this 1 just might be my personal favorite. :) It's a beautiful idea that came to me when I was trying to sleep 1 morning, and the words just kept coming to me as I shaped it, and well. It's really beautiful!
I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.
The first time Hetty and Granger woke up next to each other was after it was revealed that the mole was after Sam's family. Nothing real intimate happened, Granger could see that Hetty didn't really want to be alone, and he offered to stay with her for the night.
It happened again after the child bombers case, with a bit of cuddling included after Hetty admitted that she was more distressed by the case then she thought
'It's okay to admit you get scared sometimes for the team. I don't think it's weak.' Granger said.
'They came really close to getting blown up, Owen. By kids! Any one of them could've triggered any of the bombs.' Hetty shakily replied.
'But they didn't. They are that careful, and that's good. I'll admit, I was worried about them too. But everything turned out okay in the end!'
'I'm just, too old to lose any of them.'
Putting his arm around her. 'Yeah, I am too.'
The next time it occurred was when Hetty was fearing that something bad was going to happen.
'Can you stay over tonight? I don't feel like being alone tonight..' Hetty meekly asked.
'Sure'. Granger replied.
Later, in the bedroom.
'Thank you for being patient with me today.' Hetty said.
'I'm just relieved you're not sick. Is it about the mole?' Granger asked.
'In a way. What if someone ends up getting hurt? What if you get hurt again?'
'We don't know if that'll happen. Maybe we'll all be okay in the end.'
Hetty still wasn't convinced.
Sighs. 'We can't predict the future, Lange. But, we can try to feel better in the present.' Granger said, trying to help.
Hetty smirked. 'That sounded, not half bad! Where did you learn that?'
'Spur of the moment.'
And the next time it happened? It was when they had to work a late night case. Hetty wasn't unhappy at all, she just felt like waking up next to her partner.
'Mmm. Did we sleep all morning?' Hetty sleepily asked.
'Yeah. It's after 1 now.' Granger replied. 'Gotta say, I was kind of surprised when you asked me to stay over, you definitely weren't unhappy.'
'Well, maybe it's possible that, I like waking up next to someone I like.'
'You saying that, you like this? Like, actually like this?'
'That sound too foreign to you?' Hetty asked.
Chuckle. 'No! I'm just stunned to hear you admit that you like waking up to see my ugly face.' Granger replied.
'Oh come on! You're beautiful! I'm the one who is ugly!'
'Not even close!'
They both laughed.
'Is it possible that we're, both enjoying this, not just you?' Granger asked.
'I think so. Waking up next to you, feels nice actually. Maybe you feel the same about me' Hetty replied.
After that, Granger tried to stay over as much as he could over that summer.
'What's the smile for?' Hetty asked.
'I've been having this weird feeling lately. Like I look at you, I feel something inside me that's not indigestion or heartburn. Like I want to tell you something big, but I get too nervous to do so. Any idea what it is?' Granger replied.
'Well sure! It sounds exactly, exactly like… Like… (mumbling) When someone is in love with someone.'
'Like what?'
'Oh! Oh, it sounds like you just have butterflies. That's all.'
Feeling slightly deflated. 'Oh. Well, guess I should've thought of that. Well (smiling), Good night.' Then he turned off the lamp.
'Ohhh wow! Wow!' Hetty rapidly thought in her head. 'He loves me!'
But then the mole hunt esculated, and Hetty wanted to stay as focused as possible to save her job. So, it would be a while before Granger stayed over again.
And then, just as it looked like things might improve, he revealed he was sick, and probably didn't have long to live.
Hetty then decided it would be better if she ended whatever fling they were having right there to spare herself a broken heart.
Sadly, she would end up finding out the hard way that true love feelings for someone, don't just vanish on their own.
When Granger left the hospital a few months later and disappeared, Hetty thought she'd never see him again. She tried to get over him, but deep down inside, she knew she missed waking up next to him.
A year later, after barely surviving 3 months of forced captivity overseas, she was really struggling to feel better inside despite her team's best efforts to cheer her up.
Then all of a sudden, Granger came back to her life 1 day! He had miraculously gotten better thanks to his daughter's determination, and had been trying to contact her, but was unable to several times.
Hetty didn't really know what to make of it.
'You made me believe you were dead for a year, and now you think you can just waltz back into my life and pick up where we left off?! Are you out of your mind?!' She exclaimed.
'Maybe a bit.' Granger muttered.
Callen later told him what had happened, and he felt like a pile of poop after hearing it all.
He showed back up at her house with flowers.
'I know what happened, I'm very sorry, truly. If you let me, I will try my hardest to make up for this past year.' He said.
Hetty was skeptical, but intrigued
'Come in. I know you'll just stay out there until I let you in. And those flowers are pretty.' She replied.
As the days went by, Granger tried to be there for her as much as possible. But Hetty was still hesitant to let him sleep with her.
Until the day she met up with Keane to try and convince him to see Nate.
'I need to talk to someone. Please come upstairs.' Hetty said. And Granger followed.
Living room.
'Keane is just struggling so hard, and it hurts.' Hetty started.
'Because it reminds you of your own pain?' Granger asked.
'Yes. I'm okay right now, but the flashbacks, the awful memories, the dreaming, sigh. I worry it'll be with me forever. Cursed forever to live out a nightmare.'
That hurt to hear.
'You're not cursed. You're not in captivity anymore, you're the smartest woman I know, you're just here. (rubbing her cheek). I've got you.'
Hetty lightly smiled.
After that, she began to open up to him more, and it started to feel like they were getting back to what they were like before he left.
And then, her team was forced to do a suicide mission in Mexico, and she witnessed them being blown up from OPS. She and Owen raced off to Mexico to save them, and that night, they embraced each other more tightly then they ever had before.
'I'm so scared right now!' She whimpered.
'Shh shh shh. I know. I am too! But we'll bring them home, alive preferably.' Granger soothingly replied.
The next day, they found them and got them safely home. They were both hugely relieved, but Hetty was still really sad.
'Can we please go somewhere else for the time being? I really don't want to go home right now.' She sadly asked.
'Of course.' Granger replied.
As the weeks passed on, Granger stuck by her at every turn, determined to make her feel better, and kept feeling butterflies.
Hetty felt his love with everything he did, and she could feel her love for him grow even more so then a few years ago. And then 1 day, she finally felt the courage to tell him something very important:
'Remember a few years ago when you told me of an odd feeling in your stomach when you feel something for someone and you want to tell them something big, but you feel too nervous to do it?' Hetty asked.
'Yeah, you said it's butterflies, why?'
'It's not butterflies, it's love. And that's exactly what I'm feeling right now for you. Your desire to comfort me whenever I needed it, it made me realize that I care about being with someone who will be that comforting presence in the morning and at night, and those not so good days, and I want that someone to be you! I love you, Owen Granger, will you officially be my boyfriend?!'
Stunned silence.
'Yes, yes I will!', Granger eagerly replied. Then he picked her up and hugged her.
They spent 1 more night at the resort they were at, then they went home. Happy to be the loving presence in each other's lives.