In honor of that, here's a little fic for my McRoll friends.
Aloha
Walking away had been harder than he thought it would be. Danny, Eddie, Junior and Tani. Duke. Lou. They’d always be his ohana. But he had something---someone--- in front of him now that gave him hope that the future he wanted wasn’t lost.
Steve’s heart rate picked up as he approached the hangar. She was in there. He knew it. He’d always been able to feel when Catherine was near. The connection between them had been strong from the beginning and over the years it had stretched and pulled, but it had always been there. Joe had seen it. Doris. Freddie. Aunt Deb. And if he was honest, he had, too. He'd relied on it, even when they weren't together.
He took a deep breath, his throat suddenly dry. Swallowing, he opened the car door and got out. He had so much he needed to say to her. But mostly, he just wanted to see her again. Hold her. Their last hug had been on an airstrip, and he’d watched her walk away. Again. It had taken everything he’d had not to call her back. He’d known then she would be the only woman he’d ever love. But he couldn’t pull her away from her job. He knew what duty meant to both of them. He’d chosen his job, once, too, but not anymore. And that was what he wanted to talk to her about today. He had to tell her what he was feeling. But would she understand?
Walking toward the side door, he stopped, his chest tight. This was it.
He opened the door and stepped through. Catherine was in the middle of the room, her back to him, facing the open doorway of the nearly empty hangar. She turned at the sound of the door closing behind him and smiled. “Hey, sailor.”
“Hey.” Steve’s pulse picked up as he walked toward her. He loved when she called him that. “Thanks for meeting me.”
She took a few steps to meet him halfway, pulling him in for a hug. His arms came around her, fitting her body against his. He relaxed and buried his nose in her hair. She still smelled like vanilla and sunshine and the scent reminded him of all the good memories between them. He closed his eyes and breathed her in again. She felt like home.
She pulled back, her brown eyes filled with concern. “Is everything okay? I heard about Doris. I’m so sorry. Even after everything that happened, I know what she meant to you.”
Steve reluctantly let her go and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’m not going to lie. It’s been tough. First Joe. Then Mom.” He’d lost so much---and nearly lost Danny. He thought he’d have more time with all of them, but the point had been driven home. You never knew when your time was up. You had to make the most of it---and he wasn’t going to waste the chance he had right in front of him anymore. “Cath, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. About us.”
Catherine went very still, but her eyes never left his. “Me, too. That’s why I was glad you called. I have something to tell you.” She shifted away from him slightly, putting her own hands in her jeans pockets to mirror his stance. “I resigned from the CIA.”
The words echoed in his head and it took a moment to register exactly what she'd said. “You resigned?” he repeated.
She blew out a breath. “These last few years helped me fill the need of trying to make the world a safer place. I’ve captured men and women who wanted to harm my country and those I love. But it all started to seem empty, somehow. Hollow victories. There were so many times I wanted to call you to just share the day.” She gave him a small smile. “It helped to know we were both doing what we loved. It just wasn’t enough after a while. Not without you. Even if you hadn’t called, I was coming to find you.”
Steve took her hand in his, some of the turmoil he’d been going through falling away at her words. “That’s exactly how I’ve been feeling. I was doing what I loved, but something was missing.” He squeezed her fingers. “We had that something. Something good. And I let that get away because of the job. Your job. My job. It always got in the way. But I don’t want to do that anymore.” He stared at the sun’s rays filtering through her hair.“I want something more.” His gaze found hers. “With you.”
“Steve.” She looked up into his face, hope in her eyes. “What are you saying exactly?”
“I’m saying I want to put us first for once. For duty and job to come second.” He took her other hand in his, needing to touch her. “I don’t want to waste any more time without you in my life.”
Catherine bit her lip, her hands tightening on his. “I don’t either. I love you, Steve. That’s never changed. But I didn’t know if we’d ever be on the same page. And now we are.” She drew closer and put her hand on his chest, directly over his heart. “I choose you. Always. Forever.”
Those were the words he'd hoped to hear. Had she really said them? “Are you sure?” His hand slid up her arm and cupped her shoulder. He had to know. “Because I love you, too, and I’m in. One hundred percent.”
“So am I.” Her hand lifted to his jaw, brushing over the stubble. “I just can’t believe you’re here. That we’re here. I’ve dreamed about this moment for so long.”
“Really? You were dreaming about me, huh?" He let his hand trail down to her hip, outlining the curves he knew so well. "So, how did this dream end? I mean, I've got a few ideas of how I'd like it to end.” He grinned. He felt lighter, the heaviness that had hung over him for so long lifting a little with her in his arms.
“Do your ideas feature a foxhole? Or MREs?” She raised her eyebrows.
Steve could hardly hold in a laugh. He'd missed how easy it had always been between them. "Maybe."
She tilted her head toward the plane behind them. “Well, I know a place. Secluded. Private. Perfect for . . . " she returned his grin ". . . two people like us. If you're interested.”
“Yeah?” He leaned in. “Sounds good to me.” His hand slid over her cheek, his thumb brushing her bottom lip. “I’ve missed you.”
She reached up on her tiptoes, her arms coming around his neck. “I’ve missed you, too. So much.” And she pressed her lips to his.
She was soft and warm and his heart squeezed. They were together. She’d chosen him. The universe had finally aligned and they were on the same page. His hand tangled in her hair as he deepened the kiss, showing her all the things he hadn't been able to say for so long. For the first time in ages, he could see his dreams within reach. And he was ready. Ready to start the next chapter of his life with her.
But he didn’t want to do it in a hangar. He touched his forehead to hers. “Let’s get out of here.”
Her lips curved into a smile. “Whatever you say, Commander. Should we grab some dinner before we go?”
He pulled her close and laughed softly in her ear. “You know our track record with making it to dinner.”
“You know, you’re right, I’m sure we can scrounge something up later,” she whispered, pressing a kiss to his jawline.
Steve’s pulse pounded in his veins. Somewhere private and secluded with Cath was starting to sound pretty perfect. “Yes, ma’am.”
Catherine laughed and took his hand as they started toward the plane. His steps were sure as he walked into the future with the woman he loved at his side.
No matter what was ahead, they'd face it. Together.
2 comments:
You've written a perfect ending! Let us know what you think of the finale.
I will! Thank you so much for reading! :)
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