Another try - Falice oneshots

It's never really over

I just had to write this. I hope you like it. :)

***

3 months later

It's early in the morning when FP hears a harsh knock on his front door. He opens his eyes blinking, confused who could want anything from him at this unholy time. He pushes his hair out of his face, trying to make it look at least half decent when he gets up. Putting on a fresh shirt, he walks over to the door of his small apartment.

When FP came back to Toledo three months ago, he had decided to just rent a small place for himself and not move in with Gladys. To live under the same roof with her just didn't feel right. Alice would always be the only woman he wanted to live with, to be with. He is living just two minutes away from Gladys' house and for the time that Jellybean was just seeing a regular therapist; it was fine. And when Jellybean went to live in the psychiatric clinic, just 10 minutes away, FP was glad that he chose this arrangement. Therapy and the strongly regulated day in the clinic seemed to help a lot. He could see her improve every time he visited her. No matter how hard it was to leave Alice and his hometown behind again, he knew he made the right decision for his daughter.

FP tries to wipe the sleep out of his eyes when he unlocks the door and opens it with his free hand. He stops in the middle of the movement. His eyes are wide, his mouth stands slightly open. He is shocked. He stands there completely frozen, staring at the woman in front of him. He tries to gather his thoughts but gets interrupted by Alice flying into his arms, throwing her arms around his torso.

After a moment of shock, FP embraces her tightly to his chest. He buries his nose in her hair, not ready yet to face her. It feels like an eternity before they slowly loosen their grip around each other, yet they don't move away one bit.

Alice leans back her head a bit so she can look into his eyes. She finds in them all that she has been missing for the past months. The pure love of a soulmate.

How could she have ever let him go again? She knows it was what he had to do for the sake of his daughter, but she should've insisted on coming with him. She has been through a lot in her life, but seeing the love of her life leave, knowing they loved each other and just wanted to be together for the rest of their lives, was definitely one of the worst.

She doesn't want to live without him for another minute of her life. So when Betty and Jughead were packing up to leave for college, she packed up the most important things herself. Alice didn't want to feel like she was left behind by everyone, like every person in her life would always just leave her. So she packed her bags and left in the middle of the night to go back to the only person who ever truly made her feel like she was not alone in the world. The person who made her feel loved every second of the day.

FP's hands are both resting on her hips when Alice frames his face with hers, pulling him in for a kiss. It feels like she can finally breathe again. His lips feel soft under hers as their lips carefully start moving. It is like the kiss conveys the questions neither of them can put into words while answering them at the same time. This is forever.

Alice tilts her head to ‌deepen the kiss. FP complies immediately, eager to show her how much he missed her. He lets his tongue slide over her bottom lip before letting it slip inside. They are holding each other as close as humanly possible, yet it still feels like there is too much space between them.

Once they have to take a breath, they finally move into his apartment and close the door behind them. FP is still holding her close, walking her to the living room. He is afraid that if he lets go of her, she will disappear as surprisingly as she just showed up at his door.

They sit down on his couch. FP is holding both of her hands tight in his. They are turned towards each other and just look deep into each other's eyes.

"Alice? What- What are you doing here?" FP asks her, still overwhelmed that she is sitting right there in front of him.

"I couldn't be apart from you anymore," a single tear rolls down her cheek. FP wipes it away with his thumb, slowly caressing the side of her face. "When Jughead and Betty started packing for college, it hit me that nothing was holding me in that town anymore. The kids would only come back for the holidays and summer. The people that I consider friends would also still be there if I am not living in the same town and a job I would be able to find somewhere else. You are my home and I need you in my life every single day! We have been through so much over the decades, and especially the last few years. I just want to be able to fall asleep next to you and wake up to you in the morning with your arms around me, making me feel safe," the tears are rolling down her face continuously as she keeps talking.

FP just pulls her into a bear hug and she clings to him as if her life was depending on it.

"I love you, FP. It doesn't matter where we live, as long as we are together," she mumbles into his chest.

"I love you too, Alice."

They stay in the embrace for a bit longer before pulling apart again. Alice wipes away the tears that spilled from FP's eyes at her confession.

"I am going to stay here with you as long as Jellybean needs us here. We can go visit Riverdale anytime we want, I left the keys at Mary's and she said she would look after it. And the kids can go there too when they are back in town. I just want to be with you."

"Are you sure, Al?" he asks, still a bit uncertain.

"I have never been sure about anything more in my life that I want to spend the rest of mine with you." she tells him with honesty in her eyes.

"I want to share my life with you too, Alice. All good or bad things because I know you will be right there with me. You are my soulmate." He smiles softly at her. "And I won't let you go ever again."

If there is someone in your life, that means the most to you and they feel the same. Even distance won't be able to keep you apart. Because you are part of each other and will always find a way back into each other's life. Love might not make it easy for you but it will always keep you close in your hearts until you can fall into each other's arms again.