A/N: This is one of my FAVOURITE chapters

"Will, where are we going?"

It was a question she'd asked maybe ten times in the last fifteen minutes, and was yet to find out the answer to. It was a Friday. After a long week of fielding various media and sponsorship commitments, JJ had been awoken by her mother at 7am for unknown reasons. She'd then spent the morning being coaxed into packing an overnight bag after being told that Will had a surprise for her.

She still had no idea where they were going, and judging from the route numbers, it looked like they were heading away from Pittsburgh.

"You'll have to wait and see darlin'," Will said warmly, a cheeky grin playing around his mouth. "I promise you'll like it"

"How do I know you're not taking me to your secret lair to butcher me up and sell me on the internet?" JJ joked.

Will laughed. "Your sense of humour is appallin' JJ. Besides, we've been together for two years. Don't you think I would've done it by now?"

"You never know with these murderer types," JJ chuckled. Will shook his head, grinning at his girlfriend's twisted sense of humour.

They fell into a comfortable silence, nothing but the sound of the radio between them. Leaning her head against the window, JJ watched as the scenery of Pennsylvania whipped by them beneath a dreary grey sky. Deciding to stop pressing the matter of where they were going, she decided to just enjoy the drive.

It was just over an hour later that they pulled up outside an isolated, yet beautifully maintained cabin that looked out over the lake upon which it sat. Even under the rainy sky, it was a beautiful, private slice of heaven. Ivy climbed up the rough hewn walls, making the cabin look as though it was buried beneath the canopy of trees.

"Where are we?" JJ asked softly as Will cut the ignition.

"Conneaut Lake. This is my parents' cabin," he replied with a smile, reaching over and taking JJ's hand. "It's one of my favourite places in the whole world. I thought it would be the perfect place for us to spend our anniversary together... especially since I've been wanting to bring you here for a long time"

"It's beautiful," JJ breathed, taking in every inch of the picture before her.

"Come on," Will said, pushing open the door and climbing out of the car. "Let's take our stuff inside"

It didn't take them very long to move their bags into the cozy confines of the cabin, the rain continuing to drizzle around them as they did.

"I'm going to put this food away and find us something for dinner. Why don't you take a look around?" Will suggested as they eventually closed the front door behind them.

"I can help you," JJ offered, setting her overnight bag down beside the sofa.

Will shook his head. "It's alright, it'll take me five minutes. Go get your bearings, I'll join you in a sec"

Smiling, JJ obliged. Leaving Will as he carried the box of food to the kitchen, JJ headed into the adjoining rooms. The first bedroom she walked into was clearly the master bedroom, with another door leading into the bathroom. All the walls were either rough hewn brick or log sided, giving it a very rustic, cozy feel. The window on the other side of the room looked out towards the lake. The cabin appeared to have been built at the top of a slope, which carried straight down through the clearing to the water's edge. A rough path had been weaved through the undergrowth down towards the lake; probably from Will and his older siblings over the many years his family had spent at the cabin.

Before heading back through the main living area, she stole a quick peek into the other rooms, although there wasn't much more to see, and then into the bathroom.

For a small forest cabin, the bathroom looked like a luxury. A spacious two person shower took up the far wall, complete with a half height window that looked out into the thickets of trees beyond. It was complemented by a large countertop and mirror, the toilet tucked away in a small alcove behind the door.

Thinking that she couldn't wait to drag Will into the shower with her later that evening, she bit back a grin and left the room.

Noticing that Will had gone back out to the car as she passed through the main living area, she walked over to the glass sliding doors and stepped out onto the deck. The air was cold, and the rain was still drizzling down in a persistent manner as it had been all day. Even with her hoodie, the chill touched her skin, but the view beyond the edge of the railing was more than worth enduring a little bit of the cold.

Leaning against the wooden partition, she smiled as the fresh rainy breeze gentled tousled her hair. Straight ahead of her was the lake, the same view they had from the bedroom... but out here, it was all the more beautiful to behold. The sun, while partially hidden behind the darkening clouds, managed to break through every so often, sending dazzling rays of light down to bounce off the shimmering surface of the water. The only sound to be heard was the gentle lapping of the water at the lake edge, accompanied with the soft tapping of rain drops on the roof.

It was so peaceful. A break from the media whirlwind and training commitments that had swallowed JJ in her entirety for the past few years. As much as her success was worth every sacrifice... it was nice to slow down and enjoy life at its normal pace.

"Enjoying the view?" came Will's voice as he stepped out onto the deck to join her.

"It's incredible," JJ said softly, turning to look at her boyfriend. "Thank you for doing this"

"My pleasure," Will replied, approaching her and looping an arm around her waist as he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.

Leaning into his side as they looked out towards the lake, JJ looped her arms around his midsection, her smile never leaving her lips.

She was content. Right here. Already, she never wanted to leave.

She would make every second of their weekend together count.

"Hey Will"

"Mm?" Will replied absently, failing to notice the Snapchat video JJ was recording on her phone.

"Maybe I should cook?"

"Not unless you want us to die," Will said seriously, making JJ laugh. Quickly adding the video to her story, she exited the app and tucked her phone back into her jeans as she got up from the couch.

"So Master Chef... what's on the menu?" she asked, walking up to the counter and leaning against it.

"Old favourite of my dad's... Cornish game hens with garlic, herb and lemon, garlic mash, and sherried mushrooms. It's a bit of a mix and match meal, but I've always loved it," Will said with a smile. "It's almost done"

JJ's stomach growled, and for the first time all day, she realised how hungry she was. Will laughed, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Bit hungry?"

JJ grinned. "Just a bit"

"Dinner won't be long," Will promised, leaning over and pressing a kiss to JJ's temple as he passed her to get to the oven.

Hours later, dinner was well behind them, as was a long, hot (in more ways than one) shower. As the heavy rains had rolled in and the temperature had dropped, Will had lit the fire. Now, they were on the couch, watching the flames dancing behind the grate. JJ had her back against the arm, her legs draped over Will's lap as he absently traced circles on her thigh.

"Do you remember the first time we met?" he asked quietly, breaking the comfortable silence they'd been sitting in for almost half an hour.

Turning her gaze from the flames to Will, JJ tipped her head in thought. "Yeah... how could I forget it?"

"It was gym class... when we were eight. We had to do the rope climb, and you kept beating everyone every time you did it," Will continued. JJ felt the corners of her mouth twitch into a smile.

"I got mad because I was being beaten by a girl who had bigger muscles than me, and I called you the Incredible Hulk. Your very first reaction was to stamp on my foot and break my toe," Will chuckled.

JJ laughed. "I remember now. You had to wear a moon boot for three weeks"

Will nodded, his grin remaining. "Even back then though... I had a bit of a puppy crush. When the teacher asked me how I'd hurt my foot, I lied and said I'd been mucking around and kicked the wall. I kept the same story up with my parents... I didn't want you to get in trouble"

"Even though I broke your toe and beat you in the rope climb," JJ giggled.

"Even though you broke my toe and beat me in the rope climb," Will agreed, reaching over and taking one of JJ's hands.

"I think you were just jealous I had bigger muscles than you," JJ chuckled.

"JJ, I think you still do," Will said seriously, making her laugh again.

He loved the sound of her laugh. He loved seeing her happy. Whether it was on the international stage or alone with him, nothing made him happier than seeing his girlfriend smiling. The life she lived was stressful and intense. It was important, not just to her, but to Will, that she was still the bubbly, happy person he'd always known her to be.

"It's so nice to be here... away from all the craziness. I think sometimes, my gymnastics is like a vortex. It just sucks me in until everything in my life revolves around it. I mean, I love it... but it gets really tiring," JJ admitted softly after a few moments' silence.

Squeezing her hand, Will shifted so he was a little closer. "You know I'm really proud of you... you give up so much, just to do this incredibly demanding sport that you love... you have so much drive and determination, and it blows me away every time I watch you compete. I remember watching Trials back in 2012, and when your name was called, I nearly started crying myself, because I just remember thinking how all your hard work had paid off in the ultimate dream," he said quietly, running circles on her hand with his thumb. "Whenever it all gets too tiring, or you just need to wind down... you know I'm right here for you"

Through oncoming tiredness, JJ smiled. "Thank you. It means a lot"

Seeing the exhaustion in her eyes, Will gently patted her thigh. "Come on. Let's get some sleep," he said, shifting her legs so he could stand up before he coaxed her up off the couch. Yawning as she got up, JJ leaned into Will's side as he guided her into the main bedroom.

Minutes later, she was snuggled under the covers, her eyes already drooping closed as Will drew the curtains and took off his shirt. She felt the covers shift, the mattress sinking as Will slid in beside her. Then he was right behind her, one arm draped protectively over her as they both settled in for a good night's sleep.

"I love you," he murmured in her ear, fighting back a yawn as he did.

"Love you too," JJ mumbled, barely awake.

It was no longer than ten minutes before both of them were sound asleep.

When JJ awoke the next morning, the sound of rain continued to patter down on the roof. She could hear noises coming from the kitchen, and a glance to her left confirmed that Will was already up and making breakfast.

Grabbing her phone from the nightstand, she brushed her hair back from her eyes as she pressed the home button.

A number of notifications greeted her. A ton of messages from Aly, Simone, and McKayla, as well as her mom, followed by an array of Twitter notifications.

Opening Twitter first, she had a quick scroll through the mentions.

tutagymfan: JJ's snapchat story, omg, all my goals *heart eyes*

krhuger: JJ's cooking apparently killing everyone is me on so many levels *laughing face*

Giggling, JJ retweeted the tweet from krhuger.

jareaumanar: JJ and her boyfriend are all my goals *crying face* *heart eyes*

kayceelee98: If Will's Instagram post to JJ didn't make you cry, you're not a true fan *crying face*

'What Instagram post?' JJ wondered, frowning as another message from Aly came through.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE AWAKE, BUT IF YOU ARE, GO LOOK AT WILL'S INSTAGRAM!

Sending Aly a quick reply back in the form of an OK!, JJ switched over to the Instagram app. It took her all of a few seconds to find the post everyone seemed to be losing it over, Will having apparently tagged her in it earlier that morning.

It loaded to a picture of her that had clearly been taken the previous afternoon, when she'd been standing on the deck taking in the view. Will had captured it in one of the split seconds where the sunlight had broken through the clouds to cast a beautiful glow on everything it touched. She was looking to the side, allowing a glimpse of the smile on her face. Contrary to what most of the online world always saw of her, she felt like it showed more of her personality than any other picture. It was a simple moment, captured perfectly forever.

Scrolling down a little further, JJ's eyes fell to the caption beneath it.

Most of the world only knows her as Jennifer Jareau, World and Olympic Champion in gymnastics. I'm one of the lucky few that knows her as just Jennifer Jareau. Just JJ. The world knows her as the girl who can flip and tumble like it's nothing, the girl who can be counted on to always nail a beam routine. I know her as the girl who always laughs at her own jokes (even when they aren't that funny), can't cook to save her life, and sucks at walking. She's the girl who is so humble that it's like she's not even aware of how amazing she is. She's the girl whose favourite pastime is making me watch awful movies which she always falls asleep during, or poking me awake early in the morning when I'm dead asleep. She's the girl who is so beautiful that I had to do a double take the first time I ever met her (even though she later broke my toe on purpose). She's the wind beneath my wings, and I can't imagine being with anyone else. It's been a privilege these last few years to watch her compete with the best of the best and make her dreams come true. Even after all she's achieved, she's the most down to earth, wonderful person I've ever had the luck of knowing.

Four years ago, I fell in love with my best friend. Two years ago, I was brave enough to take the leap into the unknown, and it resulted in the most meaningful relationship I've ever built with another person. Jennifer Jareau, you're my light, my love, my heart. To me, you're perfect. I love you more each and every day I spend with you, and I hope I get to spend the rest of my life waking up to your beautiful smile. I love you so much my beautiful girl. Don't ever change.

It was so sweet, so beautifully and honestly written, that she had to sit there for a minute and let it process. He was just too damn good to her.

Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she got up, stretching as she slowly walked out of the room, her phone still clutched in her hand. Stopping at the edge of the lounge room, she watched with a smile as Will bopped along to whatever music was playing on his earphones as he kept a close watch over whatever was cooking in the pan.

She was quick about taking another Snapchat video of him, captioning it with "anyone need a dancing frycook?" before she flicked her screen back to the Instagram post and approached him in the kitchen.

He saw her out of the corner of his eye as she walked up, breaking into a big smile as he pulled his earphones out of his ears.

"Hey you," he said happily, his smile reaching from ear to ear. "Happy anniversary"

JJ reciprocated his smile. "Happy anniversary"

"How did you sleep?" he asked, glancing back towards their breakfast before turning off the heat.

"Really well," JJ replied. "But even better was waking up to this"

Holding up her phone to show him his post, she couldn't stop smiling, her eyes bright amongst the dull light of the kitchen.

"I meant every word," Will said sincerely, setting down the spatula he'd been using and pulling JJ into a tight embrace. "I'm sorry if it was a little too public for your liking, but I love you and I want the world to know it. You're everything to me, Jennifer Jareau"

JJ wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest as her heart swelled.

Just too damn good.

Breakfast had been followed by the exchanging of anniversary gifts (a Pandora bracelet and charm for JJ, and a silver cuff bracelet with their anniversary date engraved on the underside for Will), and then followed up with donning layers of clothing to head out for a trek through the surrounding wilderness.

Will had taken so many photos of JJ as she demonstrated her natural agility through the obstacle course of the forest. They'd shared so many laughs (JJ stepping into what she thought was a shallow puddle and discovering it was in fact about a foot deep, and Will failing to notice a fallen log in front of him before he fell over it) and many moments where they had just appreciated everything that was around them.

It had been a fun, special, and carefree day, filled with sweet kisses and warm hugs as they enjoyed what the cabin's location had to offer.

A romantic dinner, followed by a hot shower had almost brought their special day to a complete close.

Almost.

"Make love to me," was JJ's breathless instruction as they stumbled out of the bathroom in nothing but towels, already too engrossed in each other to find their footing.

Hands roamed each other's skin, along mapped out trails of touches they had followed many times before. There was a little more heat, a little more passion behind every movement, every touch, every breath.

Sensual touches interspersed with passionate kisses, the towels lying now forgotten on the floor. The curtains were still open, moonlight washing over them as they wasted minutes, hours, touching each other in ways only they knew how.

It built up steadily until they couldn't wait any longer. Sitting up against the head of the bed, Will pulled JJ into his lap, wrapping his arms around her to keep her close.

When their bodies met for the first time that night, there was a neediness hanging in the air above them. JJ's fingers tightened on Will's shoulders, her nails leaving marks on his skin as they both started to move together.

It was somewhat frenzied at first, their heavy breaths and soft groans the only sounds to permeate the still night air. But JJ didn't want the moment to be wasted. As good as it felt to keep going, she wanted to slow the pace.

Enjoy the journey.

"Slow down... just slow down," JJ said breathlessly, clutching Will tighter as her hips instinctively rolled against his.

"What's wrong?" Will asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Nothing... I just want to be here... right here, in this moment... with you," JJ breathed, flicking her lust clouded eyes up to meet Will's.

Will pulled her flush against him, their bodies pressed together as one. Keeping one hand on her back, he brought his other hand up to her face, gently pushing back a loose strand of her hair and tucking it behind her ear.

"Right here is perfect," he whispered, leaning in and capturing her lips in his.

To them, it wasn't just sex. For that small moment in time, they were joined as one, not just physically, but emotionally as well. For JJ, it was one of the most overwhelming sensations she'd ever felt. Her heart was not just hers, but Will's, and in that moment, she didn't know if it was possible to feel stronger sensations of love than the ones that were currently flying through her chest like butterflies.

As close as they were, right now, Will was experiencing the same emotions, an onslaught of feelings he had never expected to feel. He loved this girl, so goddamn much, more than he could ever portray in words or actions. His heart and soul wanted to project outwards from his very existence, and the only thing keeping him grounded was the feeling of JJ's warm skin pressed against his body.

In the midst of it all, they moved together once more, their hips rocking in a rhythm that felt older than time itself. Hours that were probably only minutes seemed to pass. It was gentle, beautiful love, the physical proclamation of just how much they meant to each other.

Bathed in the moonlight streaming through the window, they clutched at one another as the release rolled over them, not an explosive climax, but a gentle wave. Whimpers escaped their lips as they folded into each other, their bodies tangled together, completely spent of energy. The sheets had barely settled over the forms of their bodies when JJ felt something unexpected stirring deep inside her chest. Without warning, hot tear drops spilled from her eyes and onto the pillow below. She'd hardly registered that she was crying when Will tightened his embrace around her and gently kissed away the tears lingering on her skin.

"I'm sorry," she stammered, her voice shaking slightly as it broke the silence that had engulfed them. "Sorry"

"It's alright," Will said softly, brushing her hair out of her eyes once more.

Breathing deeply as she grounded herself once more, she flicked her eyes back up towards Will's. In the light from the moon that was bouncing off the surface of the lake in the distance, Will could see the tears in her eyes, clinging to her lashes, like jewels on her skin.

"I've never felt love like that before," she breathed. "It was so... powerful"

Remaining silent, Will pressed a kiss to JJ's forehead, running gentle circles on her lower back with his thumb. He didn't have to say anything more for JJ to know that he too had felt the astonishing pull of their love for each other.

"I love you," he breathed, his free hand coming up to cup her cheek. She smiled through what was left of her tears, covering his hand with her own. Now that her vision had cleared, she could see tears in Will's eyes as well, and it touched her deeply to know he'd been just as overwhelmed as she had been.

"I love you too. More than you'll ever know," she said sincerely, pressing her lips to his, sharing a passionate kiss as he snaked his arms around her and pulled her right up against him.

When they broke apart, JJ closed her eyes, tucking her head beneath Will's chin as a soft smile played around the corners of her mouth.

She wasn't tired, and she certainly wasn't ready to sleep. But right now, she just wanted to savour the beautiful moment. She wanted it to last as long as forever would allow.

They never left each other's arms all night long. After two more rounds of impassioned lovemaking, they lay, exhausted, wrapped up in each other. Drifting in and out of sleep, they stayed there until well after the sun had started to rise, talking, laughing, and loving. Now, more than ever, they were certain of the deep emotional connection they shared.

To them, it was forever.

And forever was beautiful.