This Year is My Year

One Beer

We were Y/N's room, still not dressed and under her covers. I was on my side, watching her study her hand. I smiled when she winced as she tried to close her fist. The party was still going on and the music had gotten even louder, but I never wanted to leave this moment.

"Are you sure it's not broken?" When she was anxious about something, she would fixate on it, requiring several reassurances. I pulled her close to me, kissing her bare shoulder. I took the hand she was holding above us.

"I promise it's not broken – if it was broken it wouldn't be this swollen," I kissed each of her knuckles, and she rested her head in the crook of my neck, pulling our bare skin even closer. I smiled, my heart pounding in my chest.

This never got old.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, pulling her onto my chest. She continued to study her hand.

I was stunned that she had actually hit Jason – I knew how angry he made her, and she had often told me that she would hit him if she ever saw him in person, but I thought that was just the kind of talk you do when you're angry and venting. Jason's shock at her forceful punch was worth any fights I might have to deal with in the future. I smiled thinking back to how apologetic she was, feeling guilty that she had gone against my advice. I didn't even care – her fury and dedication to defending me when Jason called me a freak was intoxicating. She stirred in my arms.

"What if it never stops swelling?"

"It will stop swelling, dove."

"What if it stays this size forever?"

"It won't stay that size forever, dove."

"I'm going to have a permanently swollen hand because I decided to be stupid and punch Jason Carver's nose."

"It will not be permanently swollen, dove," I chuckled into the top of her head, kissing it for reassurance. "And you're not stupid, just stubborn."

I felt her smile into my chest and scratched her bare back softly.

"Will you still love me if my hand is permanently swollen?"

I took a sharp breath in, wanting to tease her.

"Ooh, I don't know about that..." I trailed off, wanting a reaction.

"Eddie Munson!" She tried to sit up, but I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her back in as I peppered her face with kisses. "That wasn't funny!"

"I'll always love you, fair maiden," I said this softly as she stared up at me. She grinned.

"You sure?"

"Positive." I didn't even have to think about my answer. I knew this was a fact. She buried her face into my chest, wanting to hide her flushed face. This made me smile and I pulled her in closer.

"I'll always love you, too, Eddie," she said this into my chest, and my heart started pounding harder. My face hurt from how big my smile was.

I pulled her face out of my chest and kissed her hard, wanting to prove to myself that this was all real – it felt so surreal that she was here, in my arms, and that she would always love me. She wrapped her hands around the back of my neck to pull me in closer and smiled into my mouth.

We were immediately pulled out of our moment by pounding at the door. I groaned loudly and Y/N playfully punched my arm as she laughed.

"Who is it?" she called sweetly.

"Henderson – get your ass out here!" I couldn't help but smile at Robin's slurred command. "I had to hear secondhand that you punched that serial killer in the face, and then when I went to find you, I was told that you and Munson were back here by yourselves. And I have been patient, waiting, not wanting to interrupt whatever you lovebirds were doing, but surely it cannot require this much time."