❥𝐈 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 || 𝐌𝐉 𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 ❥/𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒅/•

❥𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑁𝑖𝑛𝑒•

The amount of relief that washed over you in that moment was immeasurable.

"Michael," you whispered with a newfound sense of solace, taking a few steps forward before stopping.

His gaze was soft, and tender, fixed solely on you. A thoughtful look painted the rest of his features, and now that you were looking at him in a much more honest light - he seemed all the more attractive to you. He wore a dark blue shirt, tucked into the band of black trousers that you recognized as soon as you saw it. From his shoes, to his socks, to his hairstyle - you recognized it in a way that reaffirmed just how much you had cared for him without even knowing it.

Perhaps that was why you stayed all that time, choosing to work with him still despite the various tricks he played. Perhaps you were subconsciously drawn to the fact that his shenanigans did indicate just how well he knew you - even though the more conscious part of your mind had previously convinced you otherwise.

"Did I hear that right?" he repeated, his eyes searching your face.

"Yes," you nodded this time, determined not to make the same silly mistakes as before. "You did," you broke into a small smile. "You were right, Caleb was right, Frank was right,"

"Frank?" he frowned a little.

You figured that Frank had gone to see Caleb without Michael's knowledge.

"Yeah, he'd....visited Caleb at his office, to speak with him about what had happened between you and I," you shrugged weakly. "I was upset at first....but then I realized that he was right. Caleb realized he was right before I did....and we're...we're...not...going to lie to ourselves anymore - well, I'm not going to lie to anyone, or myself anymore,"

"Why are you here?" he questioned, and straight away you knew that he wanted to you to say it to his face.

"Because I love you," you finally admitted, makimg his face brighten ever so slightly.

It wasn't a noticeable difference, but it had definitely struck him right where he had hoped it would.

Unable to control the smile that wanted to form fully on his lips, he began to walk closer to you, and you felt your heart begin to pound in your chest again.

"Say it again," he stopped just inches away from you.

"I love you," you repeated.

Still never being able to get enough of that particular line, he brought his hand up to your face, grazing his thumb along your cheek.

"Again, and again, and again," he said slowly, letting out a breath, the both of you managing a little giggle.

Bringing your hand up to rest atop the hand that was on your cheek, you permitted your smile to grow wider, thinking of three more ways to say those beautiful three words. "I love you; I love you; I love you," you giggled again as he rested his forehead against yours.

"Something...stopped me from boarding that flight," he whispered, still gazing into your eyes deeply. "And...you know, when I...received news of the crash...and as devastated as I was for the passengers on that flight, some part of me wished I had boarded the flight alone...because that fate would have been much easier than knowing I watched you walk away from me,"

"It would have truly killed me if you had, because then I'd have to live with what had almost become my biggest regret - walking away from you," you sighed. "I'm just...grateful that I was given one more chance to find you - because I don't know if I would ever have gotten it again,"

"Then being grateful for that chance makes two of us," he laughed, prompting you to do the same. "There's just...one more thing I need to do,"

You raised an eyebrow curiously. "And what is that?"

"This," he mumbled before kissing you, and you really hadn't realized just how much you had longed for it until it had happened.

"Yyyyoooo, finally!" Frank's voice resounded from a little farther across the large room. "I swear, this has been a lifetime in the making!"

Slowly, you and Michael pulled apart from the kiss, bursting into light laughter at Frank's timely intrusion.

"Just ignore him, please," Michael chuckled.

"Who?" you teased as the two of you continued to laugh. "I need to ask you something," you smirked a little.

"Anything," he replied.

"Can you do it again?" your cheeks rose with a rather coy smile as he quirked an eyebrow in a suggestive manner.

"Do what?" he smirked as well, pretending as if he didn't catch on to what you were hinting at. "Say it," his other hand gripped your waist, pulling you even closer against him.

Rolling your eyes, you placed your hands on his shoulders before speaking the words that he certainly wanted to hear.

"Kiss me,"

He didn't need to be asked a second time, the subsequent kiss holding a bit more fervour than the first.

Luckily, the kiss hadn't progressed too far, otherwise something untoward would have unfolded right then and there, which neither of you wanted to happen in such a situation.

"Are you...still leaving for the business trip?" you inquired after a quiet moment, the both of you still holding on to each other.

"God no, it's been postponed, and now that you're here....it may have to wait just a little longer," he grinned.

Then, it gradually dawned upon the pair of you that in the midst of your sweet reunion, a great tragedy had occurred, and that wasn't something you could just disregard.

A plane had unfortunately crashed, and there was no doubt about the fact that people had perished.

But before either of you could allow your spirits to fall any further, Frank interrupted again - this time displaying his impeccable skill at deciphering the issue before it had even be verbally raised.

"Hey, hey, this is no time for the two of you to be sad or sullen," he waved his hand, walking up to the pair of you as you pulled apart, still holding hands. "I know this whole situation is a mess, but I've waited so long to see the two of you finally come to your senses, so I am not going to let you lose sight of that bliss so quickly. Leave the worrying to the rest of us, and the families involved. What the two of you need to do, is have a bit of a get away together - you know, just to....ease all the tension that's formed over the past months," he couldn't stop himself from wiggling his eyebrows the pair of you shared a halfhearted laugh, glancing at each other briefly before returning your attention to Frank as he spoke his next few words.

"And I know just the thing,"

៚ ⋯⋯⊰ • ⋆