Work Text:
Taking a deep breath, Nadia smoothed out the fabric of her skirt as she and Milo stepped out of the car outside his childhood home. She would have thought that after averting an international war, meeting her boyfriend’s family would feel like a piece of cake. But nerves rattled around so harshly inside her that it was hard to believe he couldn’t hear them.
‘Jonah, Rachel and Stuart,’ she murmured, although she’d committed all three names to memory several miles ago.
She’d always been good with family. As long as they weren’t xenophobic, she’d been born with the knack of winning people over. One ex had even complained that his parents liked her more than him, and while that hadn’t been quite true, it hadn’t been too far off the mark.
I can do this.
The issue was that this time, meeting the family mattered. Nadia had gone into every relationship with good intentions, but she’d been realistic. She’d never caught herself fantasising about marriage or imagining what their children would look like.
Not until now. This was the first time she’d ever met the family of a man she could see herself spending the rest of her life with. If they didn’t like her, she couldn’t just shrug it off as a minor annoyance. She might very well have to put up with their dislike until the day she died.
Milo circled the hood of the car to join her on the pavement. His hand wrapped around hers, firm and reassuring and so very, very warm. She interlaced her fingers with his, grateful for that grounding touch.
His gaze darted across her face, reading her far more intently than she’d like. ‘There’s no need to worry,’ he said for the third time that morning. ‘They’ll love you.’
She’d been trying to hold in her anxiety for the past few days, embarrassed at just how badly this was affecting her. What did it say about her that, despite being Chief of Staff at CTU for three years and playing a key role in preventing countless threats, this was what overwhelmed her?
But she couldn’t contain that fear any longer. If she didn’t get it out now, it would burst free later, and that would be even worse. ‘But what if they don’t?’ she whispered. ‘What if they think I’m wrong for you?’
He shot her a charming grin. ‘Impossible.’
On any other day, that would’ve made her heart skip a beat. ‘Milo…’
Clearly realising how little that helped with dispelling her nerves, he sighed. ‘Nadia, I’m serious. I’ve been talking you up to them for so long that they like you already. You could forget their names and they’d still be willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.’
‘Really?’ She couldn’t fight the urge to smile at the thought of Milo talking to his family about her. Trying to muster up a teasing tone, she asked, ‘And how long has it been exactly?’
‘Since we first started working together.’ A faint blush tinged his cheeks, and the racket inside her calmed for the first time that day.
Nadia wasn’t in this alone. They hadn’t put words to how they felt about one another — at least, not the word she felt and hoped he did too. But in moments like this, flashes shone through, and she knew — just knew — Milo was right there with her. Maybe she was a step or two ahead; maybe he was. But that hardly mattered when they were so clearly walking the same path.
And she couldn’t hold the truth in any longer.
Nadia glanced over at his childhood home. A neat, pebbled path wound up the front lawn, and off to the side, a solid tree towered over the fence line. Its boughs were laden with beautiful pink and white flowers.
‘Come with me.’ Gently, Nadia tugged on his hand and led him over to the shade, letting the sturdy trunk shield them from view of the house. ‘I know this isn’t the best time or place, but there’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while now, and I can’t go through that door without saying it.’
Milo’s forehead creased in confusion. ‘What is it?’
Letting out a deep breath, she met his steady brown eyes – eyes that had quickly become the last thing she looked for before bed each night and the first thing she sought out when she awoke. ‘The reason I’m so worried about meeting your family – the reason I care so much – is because of how much I care about you. The last six months have been the happiest of my life, and it’s all because of you. You’re brilliant, and brave, and you care so much more than you want the world to know. I love that you always draw a line in the sand and do the right thing, even when it puts your life or career at risk. I just… I just love you.’
She heard Milo’s breath catch at her confession, then suddenly, he was standing so close to her that all she could see was him. ‘Nadia, the reason I’m not worried about you meeting my family is because they know how I feel about you. They’ve seen how I light up whenever your name is mentioned. I’ve been half in love with you ever since you arrived at CTU, and since we started dating, that’s only gotten stronger. I just didn’t want to scare you off by saying too much too soon. I love you, Nadia Yassir. I’ve been in love with you for months.’
His expression overflowed with love and hope and endless promise, and a calm certainty settled over Nadia. They stood there, gazing into each other’s eyes, for what could have been seconds or minutes. Nadia didn’t know and, as long as his fingers kept stroking hers, she didn’t much care.
‘Are you ready to go inside?’ he eventually asked.
‘Yes,’ she said. After all, that was where their future lay.