A/N: Sorry for the delay, life has been chaotic. But, holy moly batman, chapter TWENTY! I definitely did not think this would be a long story when I started it with that first chapter stand alone! Wow. So, our lovely couple has coupled in the wee hours of the night! I mean, it's only been like a day and a half since they arrived at the wedding, but doesn't it feel like, oh I don't know, 19 chapters of will they won't they?! Admittedly, I am not the greatest smut writer, so I hope I did/do them some justice at least.

Fun fact about the 50 shades reference. I, like Walter, usually suck at current pop culture stuff. So when the 50 shades books were all the rage, and the films were coming out soon, my mother had mentioned it in casual conversation and wanting to read them. I knew nothing about it. So, being the wonderful daughter I am, I got her the books for whatever holiday it was (Christmas? Mother's day? I don't know). My stepdad, my brothers, my sisters in law, MY eldest daughter who was like 13 at the time, my ex husband… and my mom… a GRANDMOTHER… all just staring at me slack jawed, mortified on my behalf, as I'm like "I hope you enjoy reading them THOROUGHLY." So then, my stepdad (greatest man you'll ever know), has to explain to me that they are smut books. Asks if I've even seen the movie trailers (which, clearly I had not). He then proceeds to explain the overview of it all. I'm cherry red. Everyone is laughing at me. And long story short, I couldn't look at my mom for like 6 months. This was years ago. I just watched the films for the first time right before writing that chapter. Lol. So, yeah, that's my fun fact Friday for you! Middle aged woman gifting her granny mom a bunch of porno books in front of the whole damn family.

Alright. Anywhoooo.

Onto Sunday! It's WEDDING DAY! What do you think is going to happen? Who's going to win the bet? What's the dirt that Walter has on Betty? Will his plan work?

Let me know! I cherish reading every single review, most have me giggling like a fool! I have most of the next chapter written, so I'll try not to take as long to get that one posted!

Xoxo!

--

The sensation of light feathery kisses tickling her neck, fingers pulling her hair away from her neck, strong arms around her, and oh so wandering hands, she decided instantly, was her favorite way to be awakened.

"Mmm. So it wasn't a dream?" She mumbled through groggy sleep, stretching slightly, a smile spreading across her face, even without her eyes open. Her hands moved to caress the burly one strewn across her abdomen, and behind her head to tangle in the mop of curly hair belonging to the lips on the back of her neck. She also decided that being spooned by this magical alarm clock was the most comfortable she could ever imagine herself being.

"If it is, I'm not waking up ever." The lips mumbled back, continuing to place kisses down to her neck and onto her shoulder, making her chuckle.

Still not opening her eyes, she spun in those strong, perfect arms of his to face him, running her fingers through the hair at his temple, the other along the few hairs present on his bare chest. Her bare breasts pressed tightly against his mid abdomen, and he pulled her impossibly closer. As she settled in, eyes closed to the still early light of morning, she felt his lips come down to take hold of hers, gentle, sweet, loving. His hands moving to softly rub the naked flesh of her back, and carefully brush the hair from her face. The feel on her back made shivers run the length of her spine, in the most sensual and relaxing feeling. If it weren't for his kissing her, the feel of him rubbing her back could easily send her back into the deep realms of sleep. This was everything she had hoped it could be and then some.

"Mmm. If this is the dream, I'm definitely not waking up. But if I'm not dreaming, this is the only way I want to wake up."

"Noted." Another kiss.

With a deep awakening breath through her nose, her eyes fluttered slowly open, being assaulted by the light present in the room, fixing them on the dark chocolate orbs, swirling with unadulterated joy, in front of her.

"Mmm. Hi." Her smile was contagious, giddy and unrelenting.

"Good morning." His smile matched hers, a look of exultation on his face that she had never seen before. He was… happy. Truly happy. It made her heart flutter.

"Yes, yes it is." She replied with a playful smile. "How do you feel this fine morning Mr O'Brien?" She giggled, kissing his lips. She found it was likely going to be impossible to stop doing so. She enjoyed it so damn much.

"Like I could perform an impromptu musical number…" She laughed, picturing such a ridiculous thing.

"Oh, I would pay big bucks to see that."

"And how do you feel, Miss Dineen?" He leaned up on an elbow, looking down at her, loving the sight. She looked so sleepy, and unkempt, her hair a mess all around her, no makeup, no clothing, and just looked absolutely radiant. Looking at her, it felt like he was seeing her for the very first time, that same pang in his chest that had hit him that day in the diner when he first set eyes on her, was hitting him now.

"Oh, I don't know… like the happiest girl in the world." She beamed, again running her hand over his temple, leveraging to pull him down to kiss her again. " And a little dirty… y'know, I may have slept with my boss last night." She giggled, and he so adored the sound and the way her eyes crinkled. He wasn't accustomed to this sort of banter, flirting, being playful about the act of sex, but yet, he found it easy to follow her lead. Enjoyed it even.

"Oh did you now?" He teased back, his hand sliding down her side beneath the covers, making her belly tremble. "Very, very unprofessional."

"We may have even done it outside… against a wall." She added in a conspiratorial whisper.

"Technically, it is a window." He corrected, receiving a playful glare from her in response. "But, uh, I digress. Sounds like this boss of yours must really have a thing for you." His hands traveled over her, as he gently pushed her onto her back, leaning over her more, caressing her flesh, and teasing the waistband of her shorts.

"Yeah… I uh, think he may be a little sweet on me. I think… I may have a bit of a thing for him too." Her hands matched his movements, as she ran them over his chest, his arms, his back, and settled at the elastic of his boxers. "Hey Walt?"

He paused his movements at the seriousness of her tone, a sudden shift in her otherwise playful demeanor.

"Yes?"

"I'm not resigning." His worried expression turned back to a smile, as did hers.

"Good. I wouldn't have accepted it anyway. You know, because I'm sweet on you." She smirked. "Paige?"

She, like him, paused her motions at the seriousness of his tone now. Reversal of roles.

"I uh, was just wondering…" He leaned back a bit, worrying her, as he struggled to find the words.

"What is it?"

"It's just I'm not really sure how to ask this… not without sounding like an absolute moron." He was clearly so nervous, and she couldn't deny it was making her nervous as well.

Her brows furrowed in sadness at his self deprecation, her heart hurting that he didn't feel he could say anything to her unjudged. She pulled up onto her elbow, covering her chest with the sheet, giving him a stern but loving look.

"Walter, you can tell me, ask me, anything, however you are comfortable asking, no changing who you are necessary, and I will never think you are a moron for it. I promise."

She was prepared for anything he might say. Though, very uneasy as to what it could be to have him also so uneasy.

He nodded, leaning down to kiss her.

"Um, okay. Thank you. It's uh, well, it's just that we've been… pretending… all weekend… and well, I would like to ask you… if, um… if you… would, perhaps, like to, um… if you'd consider… well…if you'd be my… girlfriend? For real. Um, it's okay if you don--"

He was quickly cut off by her attacking his lips with hers.

"Walter O'Brien… that' s what you are so nervous to ask me? To be your girlfriend?" He nodded sheepishly. "Well, I don't know why you would find that moronic. There is nothing I would like more than to be your girlfriend, Walter. Will you be my boyfriend?" She internally chuckled at the formality of it, it being very Walter EQ, and also a very 6th grade note folded like a paper football and being passed secretly across the room. She wondered if she should make him a note, write 'check yes or no' while also saying she thinks he's 'super kewl'. Maybe they could play a game of MASH and see if they'd end up together, with a mansion, 17 kids, driving a limo while she was president. But thought better of it. Walter progressing to middle school dating was a huge step forward. She would simply take the win.

"Uh, yes. Yes, I would like that very much." He looked so happy, like a little Walter receiving his first microscope, and it felt instantly like she was on Cloud Nine.

"Well, good, 'cause you've seen me naked…and I wouldn't want someone thinking I'm a tramp just sweating up the sheets… or uh, windows with just anyone." She teased, kissing his chin, then his neck. "And uh. I may want to uh…" She captured his lips as her hand ran down his abdomen, back to the waistband of his boxers. "...get naked… again… with my boyfriend. If he's agreeable of course." She wiggled her eyebrows at him, flashing that smile that she had long ago learned he couldn't resist.

"Oh, I think… he's…" Her hand slipped into his boxers as he spoke, taking his growing erection in her hand, making his eyes roll back at the contact. "... agree…. Y-yes… he's… ohh.. def-definitely… yes… mhmm… agree… agreeable."

She snickered at his attempt to form a coherent sentence as she began stroking him. His lips crashed down on hers, passionate and skilled.

She may be able to reduce him to putty, but he had learned a weakness or two of hers last night, and was always so eager to put his research to work. He pulled from her lips to run his tongue and lips over the very sensitive area just between her collarbone and neck, having discovered that her head would immediately fall back to give him better access, just as his hand slipped up her torso to seek out her breast. Her moan was enough to know that he had leveled the playing field.

She pulled her hand from his boxers and immediately sat up, concerning him, but she didn't leave. Instead she pulled the blankets down, pushed him onto his back, and moved down his body. Sliding her fingers into the sides of his boxers, she pulled them down his legs, thankful for the room being lit with the soft orange and pinks of the rising sun, able to now see his naked, very aroused body fully, standing at attention just for her. It excited her to see him, and, looking up at his eyes, he was excited to see her half naked form on display for him with her breasts free for him to ogle.

He expected her to come back up to him, but instead she positioned herself at the end of the bed, taking hold of him, before lowering her head to run her tongue over the length of his shaft. He gasped, wholly unprepared for her to do that.

"Paige… you don't have to…" He had read once that women did not enjoy this, and he didn't want her feeling obligated to do anything that made her feel uncomfortable. It was making him anxious.

Sensing, and feeling, his sudden turmoil, she moved up his legs to kiss him.

"I want to. But if you don't want me to…"

"It's not that… it's umm… I've never… had that…" He turned bright red, turning his face away from her in embarrassment, and she realized. Walter had never had a woman give him oral sex before.

"It's okay…" She kissed him reassuringly, forcing him to face her again. "Walter, I would like to do this for you… but if you're not comfortable, I won't."

"I don't want you to be uncomfortable." He sputtered out, stroking her hair.

"I'm not. I promise."

Hesitantly, he nodded and she moved back down the bed. First, stroking him with her hand, watching his breathing pattern increase. Then, with eyes trained on his face for any sign of discomfort, seeing only his eyes watching her, she once again lowered herself and started her ministrations, kissing the head of his penis, soft and velvety, before swirling her tongue around it, watching him clench his eyes shut and tighten his knuckles at the sensation, then running her tongue over the length of him, which was bigger than she had expected, and oh so perfect. She heard him inhale sharply.

"Is this okay?" He didn't answer, just nodded with his eyes closed, and she continued, an accomplished grin pulling at the corner of her mouth.

After a minute of easing him into the feeling, she took him into her mouth, the moan that escaped his throat, and the way his hand reached out to touch her head encouraged her on. She slowly began moving down on him, taking him fully into her. Giving oral sex had never been a personal favorite of hers, but she found herself oddly enjoying it, making her own lower region throb. Something about being a first for Walter was exciting. At her age, she knew it was unlikely she'd ever be anyone's first anything, so despite it being far from a romantic endeavor, it held its own sentimental notion to it.

As her head bobbed up and down on him for several long minutes, he gripped tightly to the bed sheet, trying to not lose control. The feeling of her mouth on him like that, sucking, licking, the wetness which was both so warm, and so cool when her mouth would leave him, the way her hands massaged his testicals, and stroked him, was unlike anything he'd experienced before, and he was not able to control his autonomic response to the sensations.

"Paige, I can't… I'm going to…" She seemed excited by his pleading, and it confused him, not that he was in any state to process that. If anything, her motions became more intense, as if she were trying to get him to release.

"It's okay Walter. Let go." She assured, again taking him fully into her mouth, right to her throat, making him groan in pleasure.

He was a goner. He felt the tingling, and before he could stop it, the pulsing moved through his shaft, and to his surprise she didn't pull away, instead, kept her mouth locked on him as he released inside her mouth, guiding him through it.

"Oh Paige…" He moaned, his forehead damp with sweat, despite having done nothing. Paige released him from her lips, kissing her way from his legs, up his stomach, his chest, his neck, letting her breasts rub against him as she finally made her way up to his lips, capturing them in a fierce kiss. "That was…um, wow." He didn't have words, just kissed her hard, letting his tongue duel with hers. Flipping her over onto her back, he rolled atop of her. "Thank you." She smiled, lifting her head up to kiss him.

"You're welcome." She giggled beneath him, wrapping her legs around his, enticing him.

Kissing her hard, he pulled at her shorts, having to break free of her to pull them off her legs.

"Have your legs always been this long?" He muttered in amazement as she giggled. He knelt by her legs, soaking her naked form in, bathed in the natural light of the morning. He was transfixed. She was glowing. He hadn't been sure he'd be able to rise to the occasion quickly enough after climaxing, but seeing her naked, sprawled on the bed, after what she had just done to him, with memories of what it felt like to be with, and inside of her last night, and he was never so happy to be proven wrong. Moving up to her, he kissed her again, before trailing his kisses down her neck, her chest, allowing an extra moment on her breasts, fully enjoying how her body arched as he did, then down the midline of her stomach, her navel. As he kissed her lower abdomen, his hand gently spread her legs before touching her and allowing his fingers to slide into her core.

" Fuuuuck… oh God, Walter." He would really, really enjoy getting used to that. Her hips instinctively rose at his contact, and he continued to kiss downward as his fingers toyed with her. Shifting over, so he was between her legs, he kissed her inner thigh, eliciting a deep moan from her and she gripped tightly to the bed as she arched. "Walter…" She cried out as his tongue, hot and wet, slowly ran over her center. "Holy fuck…. Walter!" His fingers continued their workings, as his mouth came down to add fuel to the fire already burning in her belly. "Oh God. Oh my God."

He may not have had it done to him, but either he was immensely naturally talented, or he had done this before, because he definitely knew what he was doing. She was not about to ask however. It was torture, the most wonderful, intoxicating torture.

He continued for several minutes, and she found herself biting her lip to keep from yelling out. Her hand made its way down and into his hair between her legs, gripping it tightly between her fingers.

He could feel himself hardening by the second, to an almost painful degree, as she wriggled on the bed, her legs over his shoulders, and he had to forcibly hold her hips still as he ravaged her with his mouth and tongue. His tongue slipped inside her as his fingers found a particularly sensitive spot inside of her, and her entire body stiffened, her head rolled back and she bit her lip, hissing in pleasure.

"Shit. Oh God. Waaaalt…" He felt her walls tremble around his fingers as her legs tightened on his shoulders, and smiled against her, and like she had to him, he intensified his motions on her, guiding her through wave after wave of her own climax. Her legs dropped to the sides as she panted heavily, her hand clutching to his curls, her breathing ragged. "Walter…" She huffed out, breathless and yearning, her chest struggling to steady her breathing. He slowly pulled back from her, removing his hand, and climbed on top of her, kissing her passionately all the way up her body until he landed on her lips.

She could taste herself on his tongue and found it incredibly erotic.

She reached down, grasping his very erect member, and guided him into her, groaning as he slowly filled her.

He matched her groan with one of his own, her warmth surrounding him, and the tightness of her climax encircling him like a glove.

"I don't know how I went three years with only imagining this…" He muttered to her, kissing her with so much pent up passion, moving into her with long, slow strokes.

"You imagined this?" She teased, lifting her hips to match him, and take him in deeper.

"Once or twice." He chided, thrusting harder.

"Walter O'Brien… all this time… just having dirty thoughts about your subordinate." She laughed, making him thrust deeper in retaliation.

"Yes…well, Toby is quite the catch." She laughed, squeezing his butt.

"That was a joke! Look at you!" She pulled him down to kiss him through her laugh, as he continued to move deep inside of her. Moving her lips from his, she proceeded to run her tongue from his jaw line, down the side of his neck, straight down to his shoulder making his groan. "Mmm, Nibbles was definitely onto something…"

"Far more enjoyable with your tongue." He chided, capturing her neck with his mouth to repay the favor.

For the next twenty minutes, they learned and explored each other, laughing, moaning, and Walter teasing her for her… enthusiasm, before they each came to climax, and Paige collapsed on top of him.

"If this is how you're going to wake me up every day, this whole girlfriend thing has its perks." She chuckled, kissing his chest, their bodies both sweaty and satiated.

"Well, Ralph wouldn't need an alarm clock either if that's how the morning goes." His chest rumbled as he chuckled at her expense once more.

"I can't help it! You do things to me Walter O'Brien. It's your fault. But, uh, I'll find a way to control… the volume. Don't need Ralph hearing just how much I enjoy my time with you." He rubbed lazily at her back, enjoying the feel of her sprawled over his chest, the weight of her comforting. "Walt?" She was back to that serious tone, and he didn't know how to respond without betraying his insecurities.

"Hmm?" She turned her head up to look at him, still laying it down on his chest, and he used one arm to prop beneath his head to be able to see her properly.

"This weekend… this, uh, side of you. It's been… surreal. Romantic. I'm just wondering if that is going to go back with us to LA? Or… Is that just a Fresno Walter? I fell for you, Walter, all of you, the weird and quirky genius nerd, and I'm beyond happy with that. I just don't want to go back expecting this romantic Walter if that won't be the case."

"Umm. I guess I don't really know how to answer that adequately. I feel different here. More free to be that person than I did back home. But I don't believe it is the location, so much as simply being alone with you, away from everyone and everything, all of the expectations. If that makes sense? Being with you here, has come with no audience of teammates, responsibilities, working hours, or feigning to be just friends. It, and you, gave me the ability to forget all of that and just enjoy being with you."

"I can understand that. It was hard for me to let down those walls back home, too." She drew hearts on his chest with her finger.

"I guess, I was afraid in LA to reveal myself in that way. Afraid of the consequences, afraid of how to handle it all. Here, I was able to do so with less thinking. So, I think when we go back, it will be responsibilities, and work hours and teammates, but, we've established we're not just friends, and have already dropped the walls. So, I would still like to be… romantic Fresno Walter with you."

She beamed.

"I have a good feeling about this, Walter. About us."

"Me too."

"We'll need to tell Ralph."

"Whatever you feel is best."

A sudden thought crossed her mind, and she furrowed her brows processing it.

"Walt…" He lifted his eyebrows in response, rubbing her back. "...yesterday… the date that wasn't a date, that was a date… I thought it was your way of saying goodbye. That whole time… it was your way of saying hello?"

"I hadn't, nor have, any intentions of saying goodbye to you Paige." He chuckled, taking in their naked heep of bodies. "Especially now." She playfully swatted at his chest with a laugh. He could play it off as just being a nonchalant day out, could keep his walls erected, blocking her out, but now that she was in, he never wanted her on the other side of those walls again. "Truthfully? I had hoped it would be date-like, but mostly, I wanted to get you out of here, away from these people. They… don't know you, Paige. I wanted to show you how special you are, how wrong they are about you. I may not be great at understanding humans, but it didn't take much EQ to see that they do not treat you well and that it was stressing you out." She was gazing so intently at him, a stoic face, unreadable, but staring directly into his soul. "After… discussions… with Betty, I just wanted you to have a break from it all, I guess. Have some fun, see the sights, be appreciated for who you are." A slight smile tugged at the corner of her lips, but she remained quiet. "Plus, I really enjoy seeing you smile."

"Thank you." She whispered, her voice strangled with emotion. Kissing his lips, softly, full of meaning, she pulled back. "The whole day, I was just thinking you were trying to fit everything into this day or two that we would have together. It both made me so enchanted, and so very sad." A solemn drawing of her face made his chest hurt. He hadn't even once considered that possibility. He imagined how hard that must have been, how torn she must have felt all day. The way she had seemed sad throughout the day made sense now. "Well, and then we kept getting interrupted every time I tried to kiss you."

"Almost comical."

"Walter… I know you don't want to tell me, and I'll respect that, but should I be worried about what happened last night between you and Nan--Betty?" She quickly corrected herself, refusing to give the woman the respect of being called Nana, even out of earshot.

He stiffened. She noticed.

He didn't want to hurt her. Didn't want her to see just how low Betty thought of her.

"Paige… as your friend, I didn't want to tell you, because I'm concerned for your emotional state, but now, as your boyfriend, I feel even more strongly about that, however, I find myself in a place of honesty being obligatory for building a proper foundation of trust, and I must admit to feeling… confused… on how to handle this."

"I can appreciate both of those aspects, Walter, and I'm thankful that you're communicating your feelings. How about… a compromise?" She leaned up a bit on her elbows to view him more fully. He again raised his eyebrows in answer. "How about a cliff notes version?"

"What is a cliff note?"

"Seriously?" His face told him he was very serious. "Wow, okay. It was a website, where it would give you like a little synopsis of each chapter of a book or the book in full… I don't remember the specifics. It's how 90% of kids in high school survived English class. You'd get all the important info, without having to actually read the book. A little overview, without all the boring details." She was truly amazed by how extensive his knowledge was, and yet, was so limited sometimes.

"That sounds like cheating. And inefficient… and stupid. Why not just read the book?" She giggled at his awe-struck, disappointed in humanity expression.

"Well, because some kids went to parties, socialized, played sports, Walt…"

"Waste of time." He grumbled, before refocusing. "Okay, so the cliff notes version. You want an abbreviated highlight of what transpired? That will ease your mind?"

"If you're willing."

He needed her to know that Betty's behavior, her actions were not a result of something Paige did, so she could release that burden from her shoulders of wondering if she had done something differently, feeling it was her fault.

"Very well. Um.. Cliff notes… Um… it's just that she had some… harsh… things to say… about you…" her squinted eyes told him that wouldn't cut it. Sighing, he continued. "Betty doesn't… well, she doesn't… like… you, has never cared for you… simply because you exist. It's nothing you did, Paige. It's just because you were born. She um, thinks you ruined her family… ruined… Veronica." After he spoke, he realized how harsh it sounded and wanted to kick himself.

"Oh..." Her jaw dropped slightly, and her eyebrows pulled together thoughtfully, her brain running through every childhood interaction with Betty, her eyes shifting in their sockets rapidly as she replayed the memories. How different she always felt from her cousins in how she was treated by her. Like Cinderella to the step sisters. How her cousin's photos and accolades would always be proudly on display, but never hers. She wanted to ask more, for details, but hesitated as she could feel the fragile outer layer of her heart starting to crack. Her resolve could only handle so much, and learning your own grandmother has never wanted you around is a surefire way to make it fall.

"And she has absolutely no understanding of Veronica's death… or, rather, fake death." He added, seemingly oblivious to her inner turmoil.

"She talked about my mom's death? …fake death?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, he should have known she wouldn't just blindly accept his cliff note version.

"Well, um, yes…"

"Walter…"

"Okay, fine. She may… blame… you… for it. Well, actually us. Scorpion…"

"Oh my God. And that's why she's doing all of this?"

"It's why she wants to hurt you, now, yes, I believe that's correct. This is a bit outside of my genius understanding, however." He sighed. "Paige, do you want to know what she said? I'm trying to protect you, but if knowledge would help you more than hurt you…"

"Oh, um. No. No, I, uh, I don't think I want to know. I'm sorry, Walter. I shouldn't have pushed. I um, I really don't know what to say." She pulled up from his embrace to sit on the edge of the bed, pulling at the bedsheet to wrap around her, her face twisted with turmoil.

Walter was quick to sit up, touching her shoulder, attempting to comfort her.

"Paige…"

She had tried for over thirty years to be accepted, loved, by her family. When her father had passed, things only got worse with her grandmother. She had never understood why. Veronica's, albeit fake, funeral, their lack of attendance. Was it really because of her?

Because she existed? What did that even mean?

She wouldn't ever admit it, but she missed her mom. She may not have actually died, but with her falling off the face of the planet, she may as well have. Her mom would know what to do, how to handle Betty. Would tell her something inappropriate, but somehow exactly what she needed to hear to feel better.

In two days she had gotten everything she'd hoped for, and somehow was losing so much as well. She wasn't close with her family, but, she had always thought it was because of Veronica's unfortunate line of work and that she was simply caught in the crossfire. It had never once occurred to her that she were the actual problem, and that perhaps, it was because of her that Veronica had been caught in the line of fire.

The thought plagued her with unrelenting guilt. Had her mom become the way she did because of her, because of Betty's views of her? Had she spent years of her life hating her mother over something that she had inadvertently caused?

Everything she had read last night. Everything she had learned. She claimed to be someone who knew people. Connected with people. How had she missed this? She was a fraud to her own self beliefs, her career, her life. How had she failed to see what was right in front of her face for over thirty years?

She felt her breathing becoming pained, her eyes welling, a deep guttural feeling of despair, guilt and betrayal rising up. She didn't want Walter to see her like this. Things are so new with him. How her family alone hadn't scared him away was lost on her, but seeing her like this certainly would. He would realize what a mess she really was. Would be like everyone in her life… leave.

"I'm fine. I, uh, I'm just… I um… I just… I'm going to go take a shower." She attempted her best forced smile at him, but even Walter would be able to see through it.

"Paige…" He attempted again, worried for her, but she quickly pulled from his touch, standing and walking toward the bathroom.

"I'm fine, Walter." It took everything in her to keep her voice from cracking as she slipped into the bathroom, starting the shower.

Despite her efforts, he could tell how upset she was, and he was quick to follow her toward the bathroom, ignoring his own nudity, solely focused on her. He heard the shower start and stood at the door quietly debating what to do, what a normal person would do… for their girlfriend. Normally, he would just accept her answer of being fine and move on, but he now had the luxury of seeing beyond the facade, could see just how not fine she was.

As she stepped into the shower, the hot water crashing over her, she couldn't hold back the tears anymore and a sob ripped through her soul, reducing her body to a fragile ball, dropped down to the floor of the small shower.

Hands touching her startled her, but not enough to react, and they wrapped around her, turning her body slightly, and wrapping her up in a tight, safe embrace on the floor of the shower. She hadn't heard him enter the bathroom over her sobs, hadn't wanted him to see her like this, so… broken. But now that he was here, drowning in the stream of showering water mixed with the streams of tears falling from her eyes, she found herself clutching to him in desperation, such deep seeded pain escaping, never wanting him to let her go. A gastly, pained noise escaped her as her body shook violently against his, and his arms tightened around her, his head resting on hers, kissing her wet hair, his hands attempting so pleadingly to offer comfort, safety.

"Oh Paige… Shhh. I'm here. I'm so sorry..." He offered, unsure what to say or do. He had never seen her… or anyone… like this before. He was absolutely certain that he lacked the EQ capacity to properly handle this one. All he knew was that his circulatory muscle was breaking for her.

Her mind was swirling so fast with every painful memory, comment, rewriting her entire life. But, in his arms, she just kept seeing everyone who had left.

Her mom.

Her dad.

Countless boyfriends.

Drew.

Tim.

So many friends who couldn't handle her single mom life.

Her family, there but gone.

She couldn't lose him, too.

"Please don't leave me." She mumbled against his chest, so desperate, so pleading, so broken.

He held her as tight as he could muster, water pouring over his face, his eyes, sputtering with his words.

"I'm not going anywhere, Paige." Making an impulsive decision, he pulled her chin up to look at him, both a tangled, wet, naked mess on the tiled shower floor, water rushing over them tenfold, and kissed her, with a kiss that screamed absolutes and truth. Pulling back, he looked deep into her eyes, red-rimmed and puffy, her lashes dripping with a mix of tears and shower droplets. She looked so lost. So worried, fearful, so uneasy. "Paige, I am in love with you. Fiercely, irrationally, hopelessly in love with you. I have been since shortly after we met. So, unless you tell me to, I'm not going anywhere. Now that I know what it means to love you, to be with you, you won't be getting rid of me with some psycho family members or crying in the shower." He chuckled, attempting to brighten her mood some.

She sat there, water cascading over her, unsure she had heard him. He didn't fumble. He wasn't nervous. There was no hesitation. No hallucinating.

Walter had just confessed his love for her.

He wasn't leaving her.

He was fighting to be with her.

"Walter…" She shifted her position to sit up on her knees, putting her hands on either side of his face. "I'm in love with you, too. I can't remember ever not being in love with you." His smile beamed, like he had just been awarded the first place trophy at the science convention. She leaned in, touching her lips to his.

"We'll figure this day out, Paige. Together. I will be at your side for all of it, and anything you need. If crying on the shower floor is what you need, well, eventually the hot water will run out. But I'll brave the cold water for you."

She chuckled, wiping at her eyes.

"We'll figure it out…" She breathed in deeply, leaning forward to hug him close, feeling so comforted by his arms encircling her torso, and feeling his heartbeat pressed against her chest. "Right now, I just want to hug the man I love, who loves me."

"That, I can do." He smiled, pulling her up to her feet, hugging her as close as he could without possessing the scientific ability to meld their bodies into one. "Yknow, if getting soaking wet is going to be the theme of this relationship, we're going to need to invest in more towels." He joked, and for the first time since she left the bed, she smiled.

They'd figure it out, together. And whatever happened today, she would get through it because she had this amazing, bizarre, brilliant yet clueless man at her side. And he loved her. Like, really loved her.