Chapter Text
One Week Later…
It never seemed like it would happen, but Liv had grown used to living alone again.
It had only been a week since she came home from Hawaii. Two since Brian broke things off. But still, she was getting back to the way things were before he they started dating, and she was finding she wasn't hating it as much as she thought she would.
She had full control of the television again and didn't have to watch the sports channel every night just to keep him content while she ate her reheated dinner. She didn't go through wine as much, although she had been working on a glass every night, which wasn't bad considering she wasn't getting full on drunk by herself. That ugly lazy boy was out of there and she was quick to replace it with a pretty, decorative chair that brightened the place up.
There were things she disliked, though. Like missing the presence of another person living there. The left side of her bed was cold in the morning, properly made and smelling like fresh linens. She hated missing the smell of his shampoo mingling with the hot air drifting out of the shower and into the room. No more waking up to breakfast already made for her and coffee sitting next to a full plate.
Those things made her sad, alone on nights like this, but she was learning to get over it. She was back to work and her mind was occupied again with her job, which was too important to jeopardize by not being focused. She saved all those sad little memories playing in her mind until she was home, on the couch, feet kicked up on the empty sofa and a movie playing on the television.
Tonight, she was watching an old Harrison Ford flick. Just the right amount of action that she didn't feel like she was at work, but just the right amount of mystery to keep her mind engaged. She glanced at her phone on the coffee table, next to her glass of wine and contemplated checking it for any missed calls or texts.
She hadn't contacted Rafael at all in the week she'd been home, and he hadn't reached out either. Which, when either of them had the time or energy to hold a conversation, she wasn't sure. He was a workaholic, like herself, and she figured he liked his free nights just as much as she liked hers. Still, during this week, she had thought about him a lot. Many times, during her lonely lunch periods at work, she had thought about sending him a simple hello, asking how his day was.
For some reason, she always hesitated, telling herself she would do it later. But, later never came. Things picked up on her shift or by the time she got home, she was too tired to do much else but lay on the couch and keep herself from passing out too early.
Her thoughts were broken from the man she met on vacation by a few short, hard knocks. She furrowed her brow and glanced at the clock on her phone. She never had visitors this late at night, and a little anxiety bubbled in her gut as she stood and walked to do the door. That anxiety burst in the pit of her stomach when she looked through the peep hole and saw Brian standing outside the door, hands in his pockets and head looking down at the ground.
Liv swallowed and pulled back from the door, gathering her thoughts quickly before she threw it open and stared at him, lips parted, eyebrows knit together and a slew of emotions racing through her. He looked at her, slightly surprised, and then smiled a little, although it was more of a sad, sorry smile than a happy one.
"Hey."
Liv didn't respond, too busy trying to force her mouth open to say all of the things she had been wanting to say to him for two weeks now. There were things she didn't have the ability to say when he had been sitting there on the couch before she left for Hawaii, and she had had time to gather those things and come up with a speech she planned on reciting to him sometime in the future.
Now, she couldn't think of anything she planned to say. Brian noted her not greeting him and shuffled forward a little, nodding towards the apartment.
"Can I come in?"
Liv licked her lips and stepped aside a moment later, backing up to let him in. He didn't take off his shoes or his jacket and she knew he didn't plan on staying long, which she was fine with. This healing thing she was trying to do would be hindered if he did try to get comfortable and stay longer than he should. She would be afraid of what she would say or do to reverse all of the progress she made in the past weeks.
He glanced at the new chair and smiled. He knew she hated that godforsaken brown chair and that made her smile a little as well. He took to the spot where she had been sitting and sighed heavily, eyes focused on the wine glass sitting by her phone. She stood near the doorway for a moment, watching him, before she took a seat on the new chair and curled her legs underneath her. They sat there for a moment, listening to the sounds of Harrison Ford exchanging fire on the television before he spoke.
"How have you been?"
She shifted a little and crossed her arms, "Fine. You?"
"Fine. Still…trying to figure this whole living alone thing out."
She nodded. She wanted to ask where he was living now, but she didn't really want to know.
"Weird, isn't it," she said, "Hard to sleep at night, sometimes. But it'll grow on me."
He nodded, leaning forward to lean his elbows on his knees. He was getting ready to say something but she beat him to the punch.
"Why are you here?"
He looked at her and licked his lips, lacing his fingers together, "I just wanted to clear the air. I know I didn't exactly let you say what you needed to say before I left and I…I just don't want you to hate me. I love you, Liv, I always will. I don't want there to be this strife between us."
Tears stung her eyes, hearing what he was saying. She hated that he could see them gathering in her eyes and that there was too much to stop them from rolling down her cheeks. He dropped his head as she tried, in vain, to stop them from spilling. God, how she hated looking this emotional and hurt in front of someone who, essentially, broke her heart.
"You really hurt me, Brian. Coming home to see your things packed after I worked all day…it really sucked."
"I know."
"And to not talk to me first? Why would you just up and leave and not try to stay and fix things?"
He sucked in a breath, "Because, there's nothing to fix, Livi. We both know that. We could have talked for hours and hours and a week later, we'd be back to the same old routine."
She wanted so desperately to be angry, but in that moment, she knew there was no way she could disagree with what he said. He was so calm and soft spoken, and it struck her, deep down, that this was never meant to be long term between them. It wasn't in the stars, or cards, or fate and the sudden dawning realization rendered her speechless.
When she looked into her future, she didn't see Brian. She didn't see him at all. He continued while she sat there and stared down at the rug, lips parted and tears slowed.
"I didn't want that. You don't want that. What would we do if we woke up one day, ten years from now, married and miserable and decided to call it quits? We'd resent the hell out of each other and I never wanted that with you. I didn't leave in the best way possible but I did it to protect us both, Livi."
Brian sniffed loudly, bringing her gaze back up to his. His eyes were shiny but he didn't shed a tear. He was strong and he would remain strong, for her sake. She found the corner of her mouth raising as she settled back into her chair, bringing her legs up to wrap her arms around them.
"Always trying to save me."
"No," he chuckled, "That's your job, babe."
They laughed, genuinely, and then quieted down. They sat in silence, looking at each other, understanding passing between them. Brian shifted forward and she knew he was going to get ready to leave, and she found herself ok with that.
"Don't hate me, Liv."
"I could never hate you," she sighed, "You aggravate the hell out of me and make stupid decisions sometimes…but I could never hate you."
He stood and she stood with him, meeting him halfway and circled her arms around his neck. They shared the embrace for a long time, holding each other as explosions sounded softly from the television. Finally, when they both pulled away, she found herself oddly at peace for the first time since he left that night two weeks ago. He smiled down at her and grazed his thumb against her cheek. She thought for a moment he would kiss her, but he didn't, and she was grateful for that. That was the last thing they needed.
"I gotta get going. I'm meeting a few friends for drinks." He patted her arm and walked around her, letting his hand linger until he was out of her space. She walked behind him, a small smile still on her face. He turned back to her as he opened the door and stepped into the frame. "We good? I was expecting you to throw things or try and give me a black eye. You're pretty calm. Which, is good, don't get me wrong. That's what I was hoping for."
"Brian," she stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, "We're good. I mean, don't expect me to ask you out to lunch anytime soon. We need space from each other, but…yeah, we're good."
He nodded and then grinned. He looked relaxed and happy. It was a look she hadn't seen in a long, long time from him. It made her feel instantly better for feeling so calm and peaceful about this all of the sudden.
"I love you, Liv."
She smiled, "I love you, too. Have fun. Be safe. We'll talk sometime."
And with that, he was gone. She closed the door to her apartment and that was that. With the click of the lock, it was settled and done, and she backed up against the wood and released the biggest sigh she could muster. Her body deflated and tears pricked her eyes.
Not sad ones. Relieved ones. Happy tears that she welcomed because she hadn't broken down and lost her mind like she feared she would. This was the best outcome she could have hoped for and she got it. She may have lost the man, who she thought was the love of her life at one point, but she found peace after the storm, and that was more than she could ask for.
When Yelena walked into his apartment, dressed in jeans and a blouse, with a ring on her finger that was bigger than the one he got her, he feared he was going to lose his shit.
He'd been preparing himself, all day. Pacing around his office, putting off work in favor of drafting up a small speech of what he was going to say to her when they met up. He'd thrown the piece of yellow paper away as soon as he finished writing it, deciding to wing it. He was kicking himself for doing that now. Before, he had all of his thoughts out on paper and seeing her now, shifting back and forth on her feet by the front door of his apartment, they were all jumbled and up in there and impossible for him to reach.
He bounced his leg and sat back on his sofa, swirling the amber liquid of his favorite scotch around in the glass in his hand. They'd been like this for a good two minutes now, and he was making it plainly obvious he wasn't going to be the first one to speak. She owed him an explanation, like she promised she would give, and he would wait all night if that's how long it took her to gather the courage to speak.
He wondered if she could see the hurt he was trying to mask. His face bore no expression and his posture was relaxed against the leather cushions, while she looked positively on edge and out of sorts. He couldn't deny taking some pleasure in that. She did leave him standing at an altar, by himself, in front of over a hundred of their family and friends, in an expensive suit and a reception and honeymoon that cost more than an entire month's salary.
He wanted her to know how badly he was burned by her, but at the same time…he just wanted to get over it. And he had been since the middle of his vacation in Hawaii. Sure, endless sex with a woman who was a stranger (yet oddly, the person he felt the closest to) seemed to help, but so had time. This whole week had been filled with work, and after-hours drinks with colleagues who were at the wedding, attempting to make him feel better. He spent the night at his mother's apartment for two days straight, in his old room, just to appease her worry of his mental state.
He had thought that once he returned home, he would grow lonely and depressed and not want to leave his apartment, unable to think of anyone but Yelena, and how happy she was with the man who he thought of like a brother. But, it had been nothing like that. He had been healing. But, this little meeting was threatening to reopen the wound. He cleared his throat and set his glass on the coffee table, choosing to lace his hands together in the space between his knees.
He looked at her, noting how upset and nervous she was. He felt a sliver of guilt, knowing his demeanor was making her feel that way, but he shook it off. He shouldn't feel like that at all.
"So. You're engaged?"
His voice came out a little rough, startling her.
Yelena swallowed and nodded hesitantly. She tucked her hand away in her back pocket and Rafael wanted to roll his eyes so hard, he feared they would fall out of his head. She shifted back and forth on her feet, biting her lip between her teeth.
"You can sit, if you want. I won't make you stand by the door."
She sat in the leather arm chair adjacent to where he sat. Far enough that they had no risk of touching one another, but close enough that he could see the dried tear tracks down her cheeks and her slightly puffy lips. She had been crying and the guilt he was feeling tripled in that moment. He sighed and hung his head, shaking it.
"Lena- "
"No, Raf. No, don't speak. Just let me talk. I'm the one who did this," she stuttered and sniffed, bringing her hand to cover her mouth. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, discreetly wiping a tear from her cheek. He forced himself to stay put in his seat, rather than get up and comfort her like he wanted to.
"I know what I did to you," she said after a minute, "I know how bad I hurt you. I hate myself for doing it. Always will."
She shifted in her seat and placed her purse down on the floor. He glanced at the ring and then looked up at her face, nodding so she could continue. The faster the went the better. She could leave, and he could go back to healing. They'd live in the same city, apart from each other and go on with their lives. But, since she was hear and willing to talk, he had some burning questions he wanted answered. Now was the perfect time to ask.
"Why did you do it?" It hung in the air between them. Yelena sniffled and stared at him with wide eyes. He went on. "Was it because I was working all the time? Did you just…not love me anymore?"
She hung her head and picked at her fingernails. It was something she did when she was distraught. Her answer was one word and powerful enough to make that little ache in his chest hurt that much worse.
"Yes."
He nodded. She continued on, "You were always gone and we'd argue all the time about you working and I know how much this job and what you do means to you, but…I felt pushed aside. Like I was sharing you with your office. I confided in Alex one night after you missed a dinner date."
"Why didn't you confide in me? Yelena, we could have worked this out. Unless…you stop loving me before that?"
She didn't have to answer for him to know that was why.
"Alex just…got it. He understood me. We talked, really talked, for the first time in I don't know how many years. Things happened…and I just couldn't stop. Before I know it, we're engaged, and I didn't want you to find out and I'm so sorry, Rafi, I really am. I didn't want to tell you I'd been cheating on you for two years and I didn't want to get stuck in a marriage I knew was all lies. I didn't want you to find out one day, a couple years from now, and have it end in yelling and screaming and a divorce."
Rafael stood up and walked towards the window in his living room, leaning against the sill. He felt tears stinging his eyes and he didn't want her to see him cry.
"Rafael. It hadn't been working for a long time before Alex. We both know that."
Yeah, he knew that. He never wanted to admit it to himself, but he knew that. He told himself he loved her every day, and he did, but now he wondered how much of that was him trying to convince himself rather than his true feelings. Certainly, what he felt for her now was a strange mix of love, contempt, and sadness, but before? He was sure he was head over heels for her.
Now, he was second guessing he ever was.
"I know you'll never forgive me," she said quietly. The leather arm chair squeaked as she stood and the chains on her purse clinked together. He turned to his side, crossing his arms over his chest to look at her. Her eyes were red, and she looked grief-stricken, but there was undeniable happiness in her eyes as she looked down at the ring on her finger.
And he cracked a small smile at that. He loved seeing her happy. Above all else, that was always what he strived for her to be. Happy. Loved. That was what he tried and failed to do when he worked all those late nights at the office. That's what he was trying to do when he proposed to her. She may have broken his heart with the lying and the cheating and leaving him on their wedding day but…no one deserved to be unhappy. In some weird way…he was sort of glad she ran out on him. The hurt was going to be there for a while, as well as the embarrassment, but she may have just saved them a lifetime worth of misery and hatred towards each other.
"I don't deserve for you to forgive me. And if you hate me the rest of your life, then I understand that, too."
"I don't hate you, Lena." His soft words struck her by surprise. She had been imagining this conversation going a different, as had he. "Look, you did a shitty thing. You left me in front of all of our guests and ran off to be with another man but…" He trailed and shuffled towards her. He stopped when they were inches apart and he took her hands in his. He felt a tear slip down his cheek and not more than a second later, her body wracked with sobs. "He makes you happy. I can see that. That's all I wanted for you. That's all I want for you now."
She took a shuddering breath and fell into his arms. He wrapped her up and let her cry on his shoulder, her tears staining the t-shirt he wore. He smoothed a hand over her hair and grinned, feeling so much lighter than he had in the past two weeks. Actually, he hadn't felt this light in a really long time. It would take a lot of time, but he would mend. He would learn that relationships could be good. They could be wonderful.
He suddenly thought of Liv, like he had all week, and promised himself he buck up and call her soon, like he intended on doing after he got home from Hawaii. Of course, she was probably as busy as he was, and throwing herself into work like he was to forget. He wondered just how she was doing with her situation. Yelena brought him back to the now when she pulled away and smiled at him. He chuckled and wiped away her tears with his hands, smiling as she searched around in her purse for a mirror.
She groaned when she saw her reflection but put it away and smiled at him, "I am happy. I'm very happy. And I'm happy that…maybe, one day, we can be friends again. Because I don't want to lose you from my life forever."
"You won't," he reassured her. God, it had only been ten minutes and he was already feeling normal again. Hawaii (and Liv) had done more for him than he originally thought. Her smile brought another rampant thought to his mind and he was quick to point a finger at her, "But don't you think that means I want to see Alex. He'll be lucky if the next time I see him, I don't knock his ass out. You know I can do it. I've done it before."
She threw her head back and laughed and he smirked, looking down at his clenched fists. He let them go and tried to reign in his excitement at the thought of punching Alex. Eddie, too, but that was before he talked to the man just two days ago and settled the problem he had with him.
"I know. I have no doubt you could lay him out flat if you wanted to. Walk me to the elevator?"
He nodded and led her out, not bothering to lock his door. As they walked down the hall, she asked him about Hawaii. He knew she thought he got rip roaring drunk every night and wallowed away in his hotel room, but he convinced her he managed to get out, make some friends (one special friend) and enjoy the beach. She didn't quite believe but that was alright. She still felt an insurmountable amount of guilt and he would let her have that. A part of him enjoyed that she felt guilty, but that cynical, bitter part of him would fade with time, too.
"Thank you, Rafi. For everything. I know it doesn't seem like it…but you changed my life for the better. And I'll always love you for that."
She hugged him again and he let it linger for a moment, enjoying holding her one last time and then letting that go when they pulled away. "Go. I'm sure you've got things to do. A wedding to plan. Hey, don't go through Valentino's for catering, they cost me an arm and a leg. And if you invite me to the wedding, make sure there's an open bar so I can drink my feelings away."
She laughed as she got on the elevator and winked at him as the doors closed. And when they closed, he felt like all was right with the world again. This time, when he went back into his apartment and settled for the night, he would do so with a small smile on his face and ready to face the morning.
Two Months Later
"She froze. It's common. Her standing still while he does it won't hold up in court."
Liv rolled her eyes as Harris rebutted and Amanda smirked at her. This case was turning out to be a doozy and a major headache. Jocelyn Paley, the writer of an erotic novel detailing similar situations, gets raped, and no one wants to call it that. The thought made her roll he eyes.
"If we can even get it to court," Munch threw in, "Everyone's packed up and left after the scandal at the D.A.'s office. Who wants to take this case on with that mess happening over there?"
"I've got someone…," Harris smirked, turning off the security video. He turned towards the detectives with a smug look of determination. "Rafael Barba."
Liv's heart nearly stuttered to halt in her chest at the name. She must have visibly jumped, because Amaro gave her a weird look from beside her, but she didn't bother to glance at him. Amanda piped up, "Isn't that the guy who got those two guys convicted for raping a prostitute?"
"Heard that was a tough case," Fin said right after, but Liv could barely hear it over the sound of her heart beating. She raised a hand to her chest and tried to regulate her breathing. Her reaction may have been overboard, but she hadn't heard that name in over two months now, and having it thrown, so suddenly at her, was a bit of a shock.
They hadn't spoken since Hawaii. Not a text or a phone call. At one point in these past two months, she had gotten a little upset that he hadn't contacted her, but easily dropped that because communication worked both ways. Then, she figured, he was still trying to work things out and she didn't want to disturb him. Work had picked up as well, with everything happening with Cragen and the D.A.'s office. She was working overtime every week, and barely spent any time at home. Eventually, texting and calling him was an idea that was pushed to the back of her mind all together.
Which was normal. She was positive he was working a lot, too. Or, maybe he didn't think about her at all or the time they spent together in Hawaii. She wouldn't blame him if he didn't. What they did there was strictly meant to stay in Hawaii. But, she thought they had the beginnings of at least a great friendship. Maybe, he didn't see it that way. Or, there was always the possibility he had worked things out with his ex.
"…Liv? Hello? You in there?"
Liv jumped away from Amanda's hand waving in her face and looked around to see everyone staring at her expectantly. "What?"
"We're going with Harris down to the courthouse. Barba's in trial right now, but we can catch him after," Amanda explained then after a beat, "You ok?"
Liv nodded and stood up, giving both her and Harris a curt smile and going to her desk to retrieve her blazer. A grin split her lips as they walked out of the squad room and towards the elevator, and the butterflies in her stomach didn't stop the whole way there.
Transferring to Manhattan was the best decision he'd made in a long time. He smirked at the defendant who he'd just taken down about ten notches and it only deepened when the judge dismissed for the day and he was left with that poor, poor defense lawyer. He was a good guy, but he had nothing but a measly story that he had just stepped all over.
He clapped the man on the shoulder as he walked away and stood a little taller, feeling like a king in this place. Back in Brooklyn, he had made a name for himself, and he was doing it here. Day one and people already knew him, mostly because of his more high-profile cases that were nearly impossible to win. These past two months had been the best and worst of his life.
Moving here was part of the best and he was silently thanking Craig, his colleague across the hall for dropping the job notice in his E-mail just a week ago. He grabbed up his suit case and turned on his heel, intending to get back up to his office to get some more of his things unpacked, but he stopped and froze upon seeing Olivia standing there.
It took him all of two seconds to begin walking towards them, a smile growing on his face. There was a small on hers as they locked eyes. He had known the likelihood of running into her was strong, but he hadn't been expecting it to be this soon. But, he knew better. Part of the excitement of being here was running into her again, at some point.
He hadn't communicated with her since Hawaii, and part of it was his own self-doubt. Would she want to hear from him? Was she so busy, would she even have time to pick up his call or shoot him a text back? They were lame excuses, he knew, and he missed her. He missed her quite a bit.
But now?
"Captain Harris," he greeted, "Bring your daughters to work day?"
It was a lame joke and he wanted to burst out laughing when he saw Liv's eyes trying not to roll and her smile falling into a smirk. He kept his eyes trained on her as Harris introduced Detective Rollins, who he'd heard about before. He gave her a cursory glance and shook her hand briefly before he slid them back to Liv and reached for hers.
"And this is Detective Olivia Benson."
He nodded at her and sighed as their hands came to touch. The spark he felt when her palm slid against his wasn't imagined if the look in her eye was anything to go by. He knew they must have looked odd, holding each other's hand instead of shaking it, and staring into the depths of their souls. He could see Amanda exchange an odd look with Harris, but he didn't care, and Liv didn't seem to either. Instead, all he could focus was on her. She looked to have the same problem.
"Nice to meet you, Olivia Benson."
Her smile widened. So, did his.
"Nice to meet you, too, Rafael Barba."
Six Years Later…
The air smelled just like she remembered it and she took deep breaths of the fresh, ocean scent. It was mingled with the scent of food from a restaurant down the street and loitered with the sound of distant music playing on the beach and the tourists navigating their way around on the street below.
Hawaii was just like she remembered it the first time, but with a slightly different twist. The last time she was hear, she had been angry, and sad, and upset, and a plethora of other feelings she couldn't be bothered to accurately recall. Her time had been spent drinking and spending time with a strange man from Brooklyn, who also happened to be here with a broken heart. She certainly hadn't looked at this beautiful state the way she was looking at it now.
Before, she didn't appreciate the blue skies and blue oceans, or the weather, or the palm trees swaying in the light breeze. The mountains in the background were huge and wondrous and so was the culture. It was a beautiful place to be, and she was so happy to be back. This time, under different circumstances.
Two arms wrapped around her waist and she giggled when lips attacked her neck, accompanied by a rough beard and warm breath against her skin.
"Penny for your thoughts," Rafael breathed in her ear and she shivered, leaning back into his embrace. He still had his sunglasses on, but he had changed into a colorful, Hawaiian print button down that was more stylish than it was touristy, and he looked so relaxed, she wasn't quite sure it was her husband she was staring at.
Husband. Yeah, they were husband and wife now. Took them five years to get here, but they did. Married with a son and honeymooning in Hawaii. It was so funny how much life had changed in the past couple of years with this man.
They'd been through the wringer, that was for sure. Being abducted, death threats, losing a squad member, all the arguments between them were outweighed by all the good times. Winning those unwinnable cases, bringing justice to the ones who thought they were lost. Loving each other and making up when their words got the better of them. They'd been through so much together, it was almost unreal that they made it here, but they did.
Rafael had come and gone within the six years he had been with SVU. His leaving was sprung on her in surprise, and she would have still been angry with him for telling her nonchalantly over dinner one night had he not proposed to her right after he did it. This man left the only career he'd ever known just so he could marry her. 1PP and Jack McCoy not breathing down their backs every time she was on the witness stand for one of their cases was nice, but breaking in the new D.A., wasn't all that great.
"Just thinking about how tired your mom's going to be when we get back."
"That woman has more energy than me," Rafael joked. She chuckled and turned around in his embrace, lifting the glasses from his nose into his hair.
"Enough for a hyper five-year-old for an entire week? I may have to have Amanda and Sonny step in some days and take him off her hands for a few hours."
"That's a good idea if you want to deal with an offended Lucia Barba. I don't recommend it but, hey, he's your son, too."
She smiled and kissed him, letting the idea go as she scratched her fingers across his beard, "Remember when we were here last time?"
"How could I forget," he said flatly. There was no forgetting that vacation for either of them. "It was the best and worst vacation ever taken."
She had to agree with that. Freshly dumped and heartbroken and meeting the future love of your life at the same time? You couldn't even write stuff like that.
"Crazy how life works, huh?"
"Insanely crazy. I wonder if we would have still met had we both opted not to go on the trips. Do you think so?"
"Yeah," she answered honestly, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. She couldn't imagine not meeting him, but one could never truly know. "I'd like to think so. I hope we would."
"I could imagine us not liking each other at all when we first met and then slowly falling in love with each other over time."
She hummed in agreement, "And you would take forever to ask me to go out with you just like you took forever to ask me to marry you."
He reached down and pinched her on the butt. She slapped his chest in turn, "Admit it."
"Whatever, the point is…ah, never mind. It's too cheesy."
"No," she grabbed his arms when he tried to turn away from her and she forced him to look at her. He couldn't just say that and walk away and expect her to drop it. She secretly loved it when he said cheesy, corny stuff like that. She gave him hell for it, but deep down, it made her insides turn to mush. "Now you have to tell me."
He sighed and rolled his eyes, bringing his hands to rest on her hips and pull her back against his body. He rested his forehead against hers and took a deep breath, "I was just going to say that I think we would have found each other because we were meant to be together. Like…you're my soul mate and it just took an extra-long time and a whole lot of heartbreak to find you."
His voice was soft, so soft the wind could have carried it away, but she heard it and she wrapped her arms around his neck. She kept their foreheads together and ran her fingers back over the stubble. God, she loved this man and he loved her. More than life itself, like he said during his vows. She could never have imagined not having him in it.
"That wasn't that corny," she said back softly.
Rafael chuckled and kissed her, eventually letting her out of his embrace when she decided they had wasted enough time and declared that they were both starving and in need of one of those sugary margaritas. He followed her into the room and leaned against the doorway, watching as she picked up her phone and read a text message about their son from his mother to him, smiling at the picture that was attached to it.
Back, when he arrived here for the first time, he never would have imagined life would turn out like this. Married to the love of his life, with a son whom they both loved more than the anything, and a happy future ahead of them. Life had changed drastically in such a short amount of time, and that was ok. Yelena leaving him at the altar was the best thing that could have happened, he was now realizing, kick starting this whirlwind that he called the past six years.
"Babe, let's get going. I know you're starving and I don't want to deal with a hangry Rafa."
She scooped up her bag and slung it over the tank top strap on her shoulder, holding her hand out for him to take. He trekked into the room and took it, pulling her in for a long, soft, lingering, loving kiss.
"I was miserable, you know, the first time we were here," he said, and she nodded, patting his chest.
"So was I. But, what was it you said? Misery loves company?"
"And you're the best company I've ever had."
She rolled her eyes at his lame joke, like she always did, and tugged him towards the door. "The hunger is starting to mess with your mind. Let's go."
He let her lead her out of their room and out of the hotel, content to follow her anywhere she would take him.