Open Heart AU 2 (Ethan Ramsey x Valerie Valentine)

Moving Forwards: AU2 Chapter 7

Valentine

In the passenger seat of Ethan's car, I looked around for my missing shoe as I held the front of my dress up to me.

"Valerie, have you seen my tie?" E asked as he searched for his own clothes.

"Ah here...have you seen my shoe?" I asked as I leaned forward and picked his tie up.

"Here." He leaned backwards and picked it up by the heel as we handed each other our miscellaneous clothing.

"Come here, let me zip you up."

I turned my back towards him, and lifted my hair up as slowly and tentatively, he done up the zip of my dress, his hands smoothing out the material once he was done.

"...thank you."

I let my hair fall back down and turned to him, raising my brow at the tie around his neck, and he nodded as i moved myself back onto his lap to do it up.

He messaged my hips, his eyes on mine as I focused my eyes on the material in my hands.

"...are you alright? I...I know I should be taking care of you not..."

I pulled him closer by the longer piece of his tie and kissed his lips briefly and softly before continuing to do it up.

"You are taking care of me...I needed this...I needed you....and i needed to be able to forget about the world and just think of us, even if only for an hour..."

"...me too..."

I smiled as i finished doing it up and placed my arms over his shoulders.

"...you could come up...I think i need to sleep for a little bit so if you could stay until-"

He kissed my lips this time, very softly, before placing one on the corner of my mouth.

"...anything you need..."

I stroked his hair and said "it wont be too long...the others will be back soon anyway...."

"then let's get you inside, hm?"

Ethan

Today, im full of so many emotions.

But for once...one of those emotions, is pure and genuine happiness...

I should have asked her a long time ago.

And if she hadn't got onto my diagnostics team, i had every intention of asking her out.

Id have been a fool not too...

But I have been a fool every minute since, for taking such a woman for granted...and i tend not to waste another moment...

Back in her apartment, V came back into her room, fully dressed and dressed much more comfortably. And although an obvious weight had been lifted from her shoulders, her unusual stoicism remained.

"... How are you feeling?" I raised a brow as she crawled onto the bed.

"... I'm okay. I mean, I've been better. I just feel... Mentally drained. Tired even..."

She placed her arm over me and I pulled her into a hug as I lay with her.

"and that's okay... How long does it take to recover or start to recover from ptsd?"

"... 4 weeks?" she murmured.

"mmhm. And you've been at home for barely a day since I discharged you. These things take time... And I know you like being in control. Just as much as I do..."