A/N: Hi there! I'm so glad so many of you enjoyed the shift to fluff next chapter, and I hope you're ready for some much happier chapters ahead :)

"I love you."

"I love you too. Have fun."

"Shut up."

Hailey laughed and sat back in the driver's seat as Jay slid from her car. "That's rude."

"Well, sorry, but…you suck," Jay replied. He winked and adjusted his jacket before his face softened and he added, "Don't feel like you have to come in once you're done shopping. Take your time at the store and then hang out in the car if you want. I'll be fine."

Hailey shook her head and said, "I'll come in, don't worry about it. Now go before you miss your appointment."

"Maybe I want to miss it," Jay mumbled, but still closed the door and laughed at her expression through the window.

Laughing as well, Hailey watched him make his way into the hospital for his physical therapy appointment then put the car in drive.

She had no intention of shopping. At least, she wasn't going to do as much as Jay might have thought. She would stop at the store and pick up some basics for dinner for the next week, but she had somewhere to be first – an appointment of her own to go to.

While Jay had been showering, she made her own private phone call in the kitchen to prepare for her surprise heart. Jay had loved the one she'd left in his drawer when he'd gone to do one of his word searches while she was showering; she was sure he'd love this special one even more.

The thought of what he'd say upon seeing it made her smile the entire drive downtown.

She actually didn't think he'd say anything bad about it until the tattoo needle was piercing her skin.

The second the blank ink was being pressed into her shoulder, she started worrying that Jay was going to think this was silly. She felt the air get stuck in her lungs as she stared up at the ceiling and gripped the table she was laying on.

The tattoo meant something to her: it was a copy of Jay's hand drawn heart right in the same place he'd gotten shot years before. It represented how much she loved her husband and how far they'd come in their relationship. She thought it was the perfect way to solidify to Jay that this was forever. That despite any mistakes or arguments, she was in this marriage for good.

But Jay wasn't a fan of tattoos. At least, he'd made it incredibly clear that he wouldn't get one himself. He'd said it at one of the few bar nights they'd attended with Dante in attendance before he left for Bolivia. His exact words were that he couldn't think of anything that mattered enough to put on his body – not to mention his fear of needles that he admitted would have been enough to make him faint on the spot.

On the other hand, he never said anything completely against her getting one. It hadn't even come up, and he'd made no reference to thinking that his wife also should not have a tattoo. Tattoos just weren't for him. She could be safe.

There was no turning back now anyways. Without turning her head to even attempt to look, she could tell the tattoo artist was nearly done. The heart wasn't big, maybe an inch in height, and she wasn't having it colored it. It was simple: just an outlined heart.

Thinking of what it was going to look like that night in the mirror as she got ready for bed, she relaxed as best she could and closed her eyes. She breathed in slowly and let it out through her mouth. The pain of the needle on her skin was surely nothing compared to what Jay had gone through when getting shot and didn't even hold a candle to what he'd gone through this time around at Walter Reed.

Maybe Jay wouldn't like the tattoo, but she would. She did. She loved the meaning behind it and didn't regret it for one second. Her husband, her marriage, had survived the worst – just like that bit of leftover scar on the top of Jay's chest. This tattoo was her own symbol that not only had those two things survived, but so had she.

She chose Jay back in a bar and then again in her apartment a year and a half before. She chose him now and every day going forward.

And yesterday, she'd chosen herself.

She chose communication and honesty over secrets and lies. She wanted the best for both of them and for her own heart. Her real heart.

They were meant to outlast time and all the hardships it threw their way. She had never been so sure of anything in her life.

When the tattoo artist straightened up sooner than she expected and invited her to go take a look in the mirror, any of the nerves Hailey had briefly had disappeared. Holding up the left side of her bra, she stared at herself as a wide smile crossed her face.

"It's perfect," she said softly, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Lucky your husband is decent at hearts."

Hailey laughed and stepped closer to the mirror to get a better look. She was just lucky to have a husband that loved and supported her; his ability to draw a heart had nothing to do with how she felt about him.

Though maybe it was a nice perk in this case.

She made sure to stop at the store and pick up everything she'd need for Jay's favorite Greek dish before making her way back to Med. Somehow she managed to show up just five minutes before the planned end to Jay's appointment, and she counted herself lucky – anything to not raise any flags on Jay's end.

She didn't want to keep the tattoo a secret from him forever, but she also didn't want to show it to him right away while she was still processing the fact that she'd actually gotten his heart permanently drawn on her. He'd find out about it when she was ready for him to.

Or when he walked in on her in the bathroom.

Honestly, she could see either of those scenarios happening that night.

Until then, she parked her car and headed up to the physical therapist's office. She was in a much better mood compared to the last time she'd been here, and she knew it was because she and Jay had finally fully addressed everything that had been eating at them. They were free of their past – even if their past just counted as the last six months – and ready to step forward together.

It felt really, really good.

"Hey, you," she said softly as she stepped behind the curtain one of the doctors had pointed out to her.

Jay glanced up from his phone and smiled. "Hi."

"Everything go okay?" she asked, settling into the chair next to the table where he was sitting with ice on his hip and shoulder.

"I've been better," Jay said, letting out a long breath and shaking his head, "But I'll be fine. It's not a big deal."

Hailey nodded and set her hand on his thigh. "I picked up some stuff for Greek bowls for dinner. Maybe that'll cheer you up."

Jay laughed as he brushed his hand over the side of her hair. "It probably will. Gives me something to look forward to. I can make something too."

"Oh, what're you going to make?" Hailey asked with a smile teasing her lips.

"Maybe dessert?" Jay suggested, "Or are you not a sweet person?"

Hailey laughed and countered, "Because you are?"

"I am a 'I like when my wife smiles' person, and my wife smiles at brownies, so that's what I'm going to do," Jay replied.

Laughing harder, Hailey shook her head and quickly stood up to kiss his cheek. "You're ridiculous," she said softly.

"But I'm yours," Jay breathed before slipping his hand down to the back of her neck and gently tugging her closer until his lips met hers.

Hailey hummed into the kiss then returned to her seat lest any of the physical therapists step in to dismiss Jay.

"That you are," she replied. Patting his leg, she winked at him then said, "Tell me the truth about what you did, please. What's hurting and why?"

"Gonna go kick some PT's ass?" Jay said.

Hailey smirked and shook her head. "Just wanting to know what's going on."

Jay sighed and nodded. "Fine."

He glanced at the closed curtains before telling her everything he'd done within the last hour as she was out. She nodded along and continuously swirled her fingers along his thigh. Admittedly, she was only half listening. She'd meant it when she said she wanted to know what he was going through, but she couldn't stop thinking about the sore spot on her shoulder. The thought that she had Jay's simple drawing permanently on her made her own heart skip a beat. She was excited just to get home and go look at herself in the mirror.

Even as the physical therapist came to tell Jay it was time to go and they walked out of Med together, she had to try not to smile to herself. She was damn proud of the tattoo, and she couldn't wait to show Jay once it healed.

It was just going to be a lot harder to hide than she'd expected.

Now that they'd broken down the wall that had been standing between the two of them, Jay returned to wanting his hands on her at all times in their apartment. As she cooked the chicken in the kitchen that night, he stood behind her with his right arm wrapped around her waist while quietly talking in her ear.

She almost burnt the food because of it.

It was addicting and caused everything to slip her mind to the point that when his hand started slipping up under her shirt, she almost forgot about the bandage covering the tattoo and was going to let him pull her clothes away.

"You okay?" he asked when she stepped back from him.

"Yeah, just trying to focus on dinner," she replied.

Jay chuckled slightly and shook his head before brushing his hand over her back and walking to grab out a bowl to start his brownies.

He was right that the pure chocolate would make her smile to the point that she even moved onto his lap on the couch while they were eating them. Feeling him underneath her as he dragged his hand through her hair was nearly as freeing as it'd felt to get the actual tattoo. She was the one who almost spilled her secret that time when she teased at the bottom of Jay's t-shirt, but then he quietly asked that they hold off for the night because his hip was bothering him, and it brought her screeching back to reality.

That night in bed, she sat up against the headboard with his head in her lap. Until he fell asleep on top of her, he talked to her about some plans he had for the next few days while at home alone. She enjoyed hearing that he was coming up with things to keep him busy instead of just sitting around waiting for her workday to end. As he was telling her about how he was going to try to make big breakfasts going forward, she kept running her fingers through his hair and lightly over his nearly faded cuts and bruises on his face.

When his eyes finally shut for the night, her hand drifted up to her shoulder and traced along the bandage protecting the heart underneath her shirt. Again, she smiled at the thought of having it and fell asleep herself while imagining what Jay was going to do when he found out.

She kept the tattoo a secret for approximately thirty-six hours before telling Kevin what she'd done as they drove back to the district from meeting Adam at his UC apartment.

"You seriously tattooed your husband's heart on your skin?" Kevin responded.

Hailey rolled her eyes and said, "It's not anatomical, it's-"

"I get what you're saying, but I think it's hilarious that you of all people did something so…" Kevin trailed off with a soft laugh then said, "Romantic?"

"Hey, I can be romantic," Hailey argued.

"I'm not saying you're not," Kevin laughed, "Just saying I'm surprised. I think it's cool that you did it though, especially given everything you two have gone through. You deserve to be happy together."

Hailey smiled over at him and said, "Thank you. I think we're finally at a place where we can just be happy. He's not healed, but he's on his way. Every day, things get easier for him. He's not that guy who was holed up in a hospital bed for ten days anymore."

"He has hope," Kevin added.

"Yeah," Hailey breathed.

Kevin smiled back at her then said, "He actually called me last night while you and Kim were doing surveillance. Did he tell you that?"

"No." Hailey shifted on her seat to get a better look at him as he drove. "Was everything okay?"

"Oh, yeah," Kevin said, shaking his head at her worry, "Just wanted to talk. I was surprised too, but it was good. He caught me up on some of the PT stuff he's been doing, and he talked for a while about oatmeal. I didn't think it was that hard to make."

Hailey laughed softly and explained, "He's trying to get into breakfast now that he has time."

"Ah, makes sense," Kevin hummed, "Wouldn't have pegged him for oatmeal."

"He's too used to making boring eggs," Hailey explained, "He's trying to change it up."

Kevin chuckled and nodded. "Well, guess I should get him a recipe book for his birthday then, huh?"

Smiling, Hailey shook her head and looked out the window. Jay reaching out to their friends while she was gone was good – a step in the right direction. In a way, it could be seen as asking for help, and she appreciated that.

They really could do this. Their last chunk of healing was not impossible – they just needed help to get through it. They could talk to each other and their friends so that they weren't alone the entire time. Their support system was a damn good one, and they'd been silly to ignore it.

"He didn't really mention you, though," Kevin added as an afterthought, "That kind of surprised me."

Hailey turned back to him and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Kevin shrugged and said, "Just that after you'd gotten hurt, I was expecting him to want to check up on you and make sure you were okay. Really, though, all he talked about that involved you was the fact that he was having some leftover Greek food you'd made for dinner. I guess he asked if I thought you and Kim would be eating during surveillance, but then he said he knew you two liked to get those big sandwiches whenever you work together, and that was that. I don't know, guess I just expected him to be a little more…worried."

In a way, Hailey could see what he meant. Jay had always asked the unit, even when he was still a part of it, if she was okay after something had happened. It was like he was trying to keep gentle tabs on her – not completely overwhelm her with questions, but still ask others if she'd for some reason said something to them that she hadn't told him. She never thought much of it and just knew that was how he was.

Even when he'd gone to Bolivia, it hadn't been long before Kevin and Adam pulled her to the side and told her that if she needed anything at all, she could call them and they'd be there in a minute. She knew they truly meant their words, but she also knew Adam rather well and with one eyebrow raise, he quietly explained that Jay asked them both in a text to keep an eye on her. It hadn't bothered her; she'd almost expected it.

It was probably why Kevin was surprised that Jay hadn't asked about her. He was used to Jay asking questions and wanting to find out how to support her in any way possible.

But she could also see why he hadn't said anything. If they were going to work on trusting each other and building their communication, he wouldn't go around asking questions about her. He was trying to let her have her space so that she could tell him things when she was ready, probably while also giving her something to even talk to him about upon getting home from work.

There was a balance now in their relationship. They weren't putting up walls with the intent to keep the other out; they were putting up fences with gates so they could let each other in when they needed to. They'd come to a new chapter in their story, and she actually liked it.

She thought it was possible.

"Maybe just wanted to give me something to talk about when I got home," she explained softly despite knowing it was much deeper than that.

Kevin chuckled, though, and said, "I guess that's true. Kind of like a normal relationship, right?"

"Maybe," she breathed, "But it's still…"

"Not normal," Kevin sighed.

Frowning, Hailey glanced at him and knew he got it. They'd never had normal relationships. He'd tried to have one the year prior just for it to blow up in his face. They couldn't do normal; they could just pretend to have it.

"We just have to find our new normal," Hailey said.

She hoped Kevin knew that the we was not just her and Jay – it was everyone.

He smiled at her, and she got it.

Letting out a breath, she glanced back to the window at the slowly passing buildings. They could find a new normal. Life evolved and edits were made. Change was the only constant, and she needed to live by that. It was okay to grow as people and couples.

It was also heavy to think about, though, so she quietly asked, "You want to be the one to tell Kim that Adam's eating mac and cheese and hot dogs for dinner tonight or should I?"

Kevin finally let out a loud laugh and replied, "You can tell her. I'll tell her about how Cal told Adam he'd look good with a mohawk and he's actually considering it."

She laughed with him and said, "Deal."

Kevin's wide smile was enough to get her focused back on work and the Becks and Adam's lengthy undercover stint that she was not at all jealous of. None of it was normal, but that was the life they'd all chosen.

So maybe it was normal for them, and that was okay.

It all was.

Jay was happy.

He continued sending Hailey pictures of his breakfast and going to therapy appointments in person. He kissed her cheek when she came home from work and sat at the kitchen island as she'd made dinner, usually finding something he could help her with while she worked.

He started asking questions about work and the terrorism case. Hailey could tell he was genuinely interested in what was happening, but didn't feel like he was necessarily upset that he wasn't included. Left out, maybe, but he wasn't resenting her or appearing jealous. He was talking to her and showing her that he cared.

In return, Hailey would ask him about his day and text him before coming home to see if he needed her to pick anything up that he hadn't already gotten while out in the city. She sometimes sat next to him as she prepared any food and would poke his face with a sauce-covered whisk or a spoon dipped in humus.

It was easy and a perfect change of pace.

It also helped rebuild the foundation that had cracked over the last six months. There were days when Hailey didn't want to talk about work or Jay kept to himself as they prepared dinner, but neither took offense to it. They simply supported the other by soft touches or gentle reminders that they would listen when the other was ready. It was refreshing, but filled with love.

It was what Hailey always imagined their marriage should be.

It carried over a week later when she came home surprised to see Jay without his sling on.

"Hi," she said softly upon placing her keys on the entryway table. Eyeing his button down and jeans, she said, "You look pretty fancy."

"No sweats or joggers," Jay replied quietly while walking over to her, "Sling's gone too."

"I can tell," Hailey said, lightly placing a hand on his left arm, "Were you just doing PT?"

Jay shook his head and finally smiled at her. "Was cleared to take the sling off at the check-up today. I thought I could take you to a proper dinner. I'll drive."

Hailey raised an eyebrow and repeated, "Drive? Babe, you haven't driven in weeks, practically a month-"

"Over a month," Jay corrected.

Hailey weakly laughed and nodded. "Okay, over a month. Are you sure you want to take a shot at driving again on a Friday night during the dinner rush?"

Jay cleared his throat then scratched the back of his head. "I'm sure I could do it."

With a smile on her face, Hailey shook her head in disbelief, but still kissed his cheek and walked into their bedroom.

She had no doubt that Jay would be fine at driving – his right leg hadn't been causing him nearly as many issues as his left. She just wasn't sure if his first time back behind the wheel would be best spent during a busy night. She didn't exactly want to deny him, though. If he wanted to take her on a date and drive her himself to dinner, then she knew it was best to let him do that. Maybe it'd be a shaky ride at first, but it'd still be a ride with her husband. There'd be a sense of normalcy returning to their marriage, and that did excite her.

"Do you want to go?" Jay asked, stepping in the doorway of their room.

Hailey glanced over her shoulder from grabbing out a silky white top from their closet. "You want to split a bottle of wine?"

Jay laughed and pulled his phone from his pocket. "I'll see if I can do call ahead."

Hailey smiled back before bringing her clothes to the bathroom. Making sure to lock the door, she slipped her t-shirt over her head and brushed her fingers over her tattoo. She'd just taken off the protective bandage the morning before and was still getting used to seeing it so clearly on her skin.

But she was ready to show Jay what she'd done, and their first big date night seemed like the perfect opportunity to show it to him.

Hailey wasn't sure where she was expecting Jay to take her, but Gene & Georgetti's was not at the top of her list; however, the smile on Jay's face as they walked into the restaurant told her she should have known it all along.

He looked like he was at home upon settling into his seat, glancing over to the bar to see if his favorite bar tender was there. Upon seeing him, he excused himself to go order their drinks. It made her laugh as she watched him have a short but sweet conversation with the older man before returning to the table with a martini and a whiskey sour "for the prettiest girl in the place."

It made her completely relax and focus on right now.

Work and the tattoo and Jay's appointments all faded away as they stopped being some sad married couple and practically became the boyfriend and girlfriend they were years before when Jay first took her here. Will wasn't with them, but Hailey felt just as happy and flirty as she had that first time.

She found herself reaching across the table to brush her fingers along Jay's left wrist now freed from the sling. Occasionally, he'd wince from any of the stiffness that was still lingering, but, mostly, he welcomed her soft touches and reached over as well to hold her hand as they talked.

It wasn't any of the heavy conversations they'd been having either. It was a lot more focused on the happier "what ifs" of their lives. Future paint colors. Vacation that summer. Embarrassing moments surrounding alcohol. Meals they could have that week. If they'd ever go to space. Silly things that made Hailey smile and remember why Jay was her person.

He made her laugh and shared his martini and caused her cheeks to flush red. He swapped salads with her when she realized hers had bleu cheese on it and ordered a bottle of red wine – the same guy who had barely known anything about wine years before at a long and boring fundraiser when they'd just become partners.

Jay loved her unconditionally and brushed his thumb over her wrist in a way that made her heart flutter, but he also listened as she explained that she'd never want their children to have a pet fish and challenged her stance on penne noodles being the best. This was the Jay she'd grown to love while being partnered together and the one she'd realized she couldn't live without in New York. The supportive, funny, smart Jay who vowed to love her forever.

This Jay helped build the foundation that made the current struggles within their marriage withstand all the cracks. This Jay was determined to repair all the damage that occurred, and he was starting right now.

When they eventually stood from the table, Hailey laughed softly and reached over to grip Jay's left hand.

"Good?" he laughed.

"Might have had a lot to drink," she replied while leaning into him.

"You did," Jay said with a nod, "But you should have. It's okay to do every once in a while, right? You've had a…a rough couple – few weeks – months."

Hailey raised an eyebrow and looked up at him. "And you can drive?"

Jay chuckled and said, "Yeah, I can drive. I was just thinking of how I don't even know the last time you had a night like this – not even just a date, but a night where you laughed this hard and smiled. You deserve more happiness, and I really hope that I can start giving you that." He squeezed her hand before wrapping his arm around her and tugging her close as they walked outside.

Hailey breathed him in slowly then stopped just outside the doors. "Jay," she said softly, turning to face him, "I might not have been at my happiest the past few months, but that is changing. I'm excited and ready for this next step. I love you, and tonight proved that we can do this. Our marriage is going to survive and really turn around. I promise you."

Jay smiled back at her and leaned down to kiss her cheek. "I love you too," he whispered in her ear.

She smiled, rubbing her hands down his sides before stepping back. "You feel like taking a drunk girl home tonight?"

"Only if that drunk girl's my wife," Jay laughed.

Hailey hummed and looked down at her left hand. Holding it up, she said, "Looks like I do have a ring on my finger. Do you have one?"

Jay couldn't hold back his loud laugh as he also held up his left hand. "I think I do."

"Well then, I think you're my husband," Hailey replied, smirking back at him.

Jay winked and shook his head before intertwining their fingers together and tugging her down the street where his truck was parked.

"Just drive slow," Hailey said once they reached it.

"Got the spins?" Jay laughed as he opened the door for her.

"Just some," Hailey admitted, "Help me in the truck?"

Still laughing to himself, Jay grabbed her hand and helped steady her while she climbed up into the truck. Before he could close the door, he stepped up on the footboard and kissed her.

She gasped against his lips, but quickly leaned into him and gripped the front of his shirt.

"Wanted to do that back in front of the restaurant," Jay whispered, pressing his forehead to hers.

She moaned softly and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, trying to pull him further into the truck as she again pressed her lips to his. "Don't stop," she breathed.

"I have to get us home," Jay murmured despite his hand slipping behind her neck and one of his feet pushing him nearly into the cab.

"But…"

Hailey panted for breath softly as the weight of Jay continued pressing her down into her seat. She managed to glance to the right outside the truck where no one was walking past before rubbing her hand down his back.

He'd been right in saying that it'd been a long time since she'd had a night as good as this one. She had already been planning on making it better at home when showing him her tattoo, but that didn't mean they couldn't do anything right now to bridge the gap.

"We never…we never really had car sex as a married couple," she whispered.

Jay smirked and kissed her forehead. "Just got the sling off today. I'm not saying sex is off the table because I was definitely planning on it at home, but I'd rather not push it in the passenger seat of my truck."

Hailey sighed and rested her head back on the seat. "I guess that's reasonable."

Laughing, Jay shook his head and brushed her hair behind her ear. "You're cute when you're turned on." He jumped down from the truck and added, "But we will have car sex the second I'm confident my arm won't pop back out of its socket. Was too damn good the first time to never repeat." With a wink, he shut the door and jogged around the truck to his side.

It left Hailey laughing to herself as she pulled on her seatbelt. When Jay opened his door, she glanced over and said, "It was good, wasn't it?"

Jay hummed his agreement and started the engine, leaving her expecting more of an answer.

"Jay," she said, "This is usually where you'd say you agreed with me."

He laughed while pulling the car out of its spot, but remained quiet for a moment until they were on a straightaway toward their apartment.

"Jay-"

"Was good," he finally said, "Perfect way to prevent a hangover too."

"Do you think that's-"

She was cut off by Jay's hand on her thigh. Glancing down at it, she breathed out slowly and rested her own hand on his.

"Do you think the alcohol made it good?" he asked softly, "Or was it the fact that you were wearing that black dress with the slit up the side that gave me easy access to all of you back there on the seat?"

"You remember what I was wearing?" she countered.

"Mhmm," Jay hummed. He began slowly brushing his pinky finger back and forth until it was right up against the zipper of her pants. "Black dress, black heels, but red bra – the one that clasps in the front that's kind of lacy and see through."

Hailey wet her lips and breathed, "Yeah?"

"Yeah, it's my favorite one," Jay continued, "You don't happen to have it on now, do you?"

"No," she admitted softly, "But I am wearing that black thong from our wedding night."

Jay whistled under his breath and curled his hand into a slight fist, rubbing the backs of his knuckles against her zipper.

Hailey moaned and trailed her own fingers up his arm. "What're you doing?" she whispered.

"Thought we'd get a head start on that sex at home, what do you think?" he answered with a glance in her direction.

She spotted the smirk teasing his lips and nodded. "I'd like that."

"Then sit back and enjoy the ride, okay?" Jay chuckled softly, "We still got a few miles."

Hailey laughed and continued swirling her fingers over his sleeve. "Have you used that line before?"

"Maybe once or twice," Jay said through his laughter, "Did you like it?"

"Let's just say it's good we're married and your hand's nearly in my pants already."

Jay laughed harder, the sound filling the cab of the truck and becoming the best thing Hailey had heard all day.

Maybe even all month.

The handrail in the elevator made Hailey gasp when Jay pushed her up against it. It was going to leave a bruise near the others fading on her back, and she didn't even care.

All she could focus on were Jay's hands slipping beneath her shirt and his fingers trailing up to her bra. Like she'd told him, she wasn't wearing the one with the front clasp that he liked, but that didn't stop him from gripping the front of it and trying to tug it down as the lights ticked up to their floor.

She moaned his name, threading her own fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck as she arched into him.

"Love you, I love you," he murmured in her ear. He kissed the side of her throat and had just wrapped his hand around her back to unclasp her bra when the door opened. "Dammit," he whispered.

Hailey couldn't help but laugh as she placed a hand on his chest and lightly pushed him away from her. "Come on," she said softly, "We have things to do; we can't stay in here all night."

Jay smirked and nodded, grabbing her hand to follow her out of the elevator and down the hall.

She would have loved if he could carry her to the apartment like he had on their wedding night, but she didn't want to push anything and knew there were better, more important things he could be doing than lifting her up right now.

His hand squeezed hers as she unlocked the door and pulled him inside. That first night as husband and wife, she couldn't even remember who had done just that. She'd had her legs wrapped around Jay's waist and her hands in his hair up until the moment they entered their apartment. The second the door was open, she pushed against him until her two feet were on the ground and she could work to unbutton his shirt.

Right now, she did the exact same thing.

When they first slept together days before, she'd been desperate, but still gentle and aware of everything she was doing. She'd been worried that moving too quickly or scratching too hard would perhaps break Jay and stop them from going forward.

Tonight, she didn't think twice about pulling the black shirt from his arms.

If he sucked in a breath while kissing beneath her ear, she couldn't distinguish it from pain or pleasure. She just needed him against her and above her and didn't care how they got there.

For once, they were happy and connected in the best way. There wasn't time to overthink every move she made.

"Bed."

The one word huffed in her ear drew a deep moan from her belly. Gripping Jay's arms, Hailey nodded and pulled him back toward their bedroom.

As they stepped through the open doorway, Jay's fingers brushed against her waist for just a moment before pulling at her shirt and dropping it to the floor. The second the material was pooled at their feet, he pressed his lips to hers and pushed her back onto the mattress.

She let out a breathy laugh and closed her eyes, tilting her head back to encourage Jay's lips to trail down her throat and over her chest. The movement allowed him to blindly reach behind her and finally pull her loose bra straps down her arms. There was a soft sound when it hit the floor, though she could barely hear it over the sound of her heart pounding in her ears.

Earlier, she'd wanted to wrap her legs around Jay's waist, and now she finally could. Her dark jeans stretched uncomfortably against her skin, but she could feel exactly where Jay's fingers had been teasing against her zipper in the car and wished more than anything that he could go back to doing just that.

Until Jay sat up enough to undo his own belt only to freeze completely on top of her.

"Jay," she moaned softly, blinking open her eyes to blearily look up at him. She reached up to brush the back of her hand along his cheek and murmured, "Please."

He blinked himself, shaking a brief look of confusion from his face as he focused on her eyes. He then raised an eyebrow and whispered, "Is that real?"

In the heat of the moment, she'd completely forgotten about her tattoo. All night, it'd been living in the back of her mind, but then she had whiskey, wine, and a taste of sex, and it slipped from her list of things to do tonight. She was almost embarrassed that Jay had literally been able to wipe her brain of everything she'd been wanting to say to him.

So she simply nodded and pushed up on her elbows.

Jay's lips parted slightly, and he breathed, "I drew that."

Again, she nodded.

All words were stuck in the back of her throat as Jay stared down at her in…amazement, shock, awe, disbelief? She couldn't tell.

Shakily, his hand came out to slowly trace along the black ink. He then glanced down at his own chest and whispered, "Oh."

"Same place," she explained softly while sliding her hand down to where the remaining piece of his scar was showing. Brushing her pointer finger against it, she added, "I never wanted to forget the piece of you that made my feelings for you real."

The heat and the tension that had been living in the air broke, but everything still slowed down.

Hailey could name every color in Jay's eyes as he leaned down to first kiss her lips before turning to place a barely-there kiss to the heart etched into her skin. When he straightened up, he continued staring at it. From all the times she'd looked at it herself, she knew she had the smallest of freckles right at the bottom of the heart, so she wondered if he was noticing that as well. Personally, she liked that the tattoo artist had included the slightest of dips at the top where Jay's pen had started; she hoped he could notice that as well.

He leaned down again to press another kiss to the heart, but, this time, it was much longer and harder. She could feel his lips intentionally right up against her warm skin, and it caused her to again close her eyes and tilt her head back. It was more than just a kiss; it was Jay telling her he loved her without words.

Just like he had when he'd first drawn that heart on his letter to her.

"I love you," she breathed.

Jay made a soft noise against her skin then turned to whisper back, "And I love you. Forever."

"Always," she automatically replied.

It wasn't just out of habit or feeling like she had to. It was real and from her heart. She would always love him just like how his heart would always be tattooed on her. He was it for her. Her husband, her dream partner, her best friend, her love. Jay Halstead was hers, and she was his.

Forever and always.

His hands against her skin, gliding down her legs, wrapping them around his waist before pressing into her, were addicting and welcoming. Like everything she'd experienced with Jay over the last few weeks, it felt like coming home.

His face pressed into her throat as he sucked softly above her collarbone all while his right hand continued gripping her waist so that his thumb could rub slow circles against her skin. It set the pace for his hips continuously rocking against hers, her soft moans echoing the movements in the warm air. She dragged her hands down his back, occasionally pressing her fingers into the muscles he was gaining back in physical therapy when he'd push her up the mattress or tighten his hold on her.

It was so much more than their first time the week before. Any of the awkwardness that had drifted around in the background of that night had completely disappeared now. Jay was showing her everything he could do so that they weren't even thinking about what he couldn't.

And it was perfect.

Hailey felt a fog floating around her with each pass of Jay within her. She blinked past the clouds in her vision when he straightened up enough to properly look down at her and slid her hand to rest against the side of his face. Smiling at him, she brushed her thumb over his cheek and mouthed, 'I love you.'

He let out a breathy laugh and snapped his hips particularly hard causing her to close her eyes and tilt her head back. "I love you too," he murmured when she hazily looked back at him, "Wife." His hand shifted enough on the mattress so that his thumb could reach over and brush against her tattoo, and that was her turning point.

His name tumbled from her lips when she arched up against him, her hands falling to her sides to grip the sheets beneath her. She couldn't distinguish her own quiet sounds from his as he leaned down to kiss her one last time before falling apart as well. His movements slowed against her, his body weight falling atop her so that she welcomed the feeling of being grounded by her husband.

He was always the one who could remind her of what was real and what was important. He taught her about love and brought her back to earth when she felt herself getting too close to the sun. He was her anchor when her parents and her past tried denying her a happy, true relationship.

Now was no different. The feeling of him breathing slowly against her throat as his hips rocked against her own simultaneously brought her into a dream like trance while also reminding her that this was real. Jay was here with her, he was healing, and he was back to loving her how he always had.

She wished that it would never end.

When it eventually did and the warmth of Jay spreading through her seemed to finally seep into every inch of her body, he rolled off of her onto his back with his left hand shakily finding her right.

A hesitant laugh of disbelief crossed her lips before she turned her head to look at him staring back at her. "Hi," she whispered.

He chuckled and reached over with his free hand to brush his fingers over her hair. "Hi. Feel okay?"

"Better than okay," she breathed while rolling onto her side.

He groaned slightly as he sat up enough to tug her against him. His hand came to the back of her head to comb through her hair. "Me too," he replied, "I still can't believe you did that."

She raised an eyebrow, but then followed his gaze to her shoulder where his heart was drawn and relaxed. Smiling, she leaned up to peck his lips and said, "No regrets. I love it."

"So do I," Jay said. He lightly traced over the tattoo then nodded to himself. "I did a good job."

Hailey laughed and cuddled further into his side. "You did," she replied, "It's one of the ones from your anniversary letter."

Jay hummed and kissed the top of her head. "My cheesy, corny letter?"

She laughed again and nodded. "That's the one."

"Guess it's not cheesy and corny anymore if you have it permanently tattooed on you," Jay murmured, "It really means something."

"Yeah." She brushed her hand lightly over his warm skin to match her breath against him and closed her eyes.

Sleep could easily overtake her right now, and she knew that nightmares wouldn't accompany it. She was much too blissed out and filled with love to even consider something horrible happening while unconscious.

This was what marriage was supposed to feel like. This was how she was always supposed to feel with Jay.

This was the feeling she wanted to last forever.

And so did Jay.

Because at that moment, as she was just about to slip within the peace she'd been longing for, his voice drifted to her ears and said, "Do you want to get married again?"

A/N: What do you say? Wanna go to a wedding with me? :) Talk soon!