It's Been A Long Time... [Desperate Measures Sequel]

ThirtyFour.

Dean and I spent the next few days at his home, I had confided in him beforehand that I didn't want to go to a hotel. After the incident, I didn't want to ever stay in a hotel again, not alone anyway, but I just wasn't ready to step into one yet. My brother had left me his home to stay in whilst he was in England but I didn't want to be there either. Dean's home seemed like the most logical choice. 

He had a small but nice home, just right for one person who hardly spent any time at home. His house had two bedrooms with one bathroom and just a kitchen and a living room, although it did have a rather large bathroom. 

This morning we'd woken up in his bed, it was nice to just be next to each other and in a comfortable state. "Morning beautiful," he spoke quietly as he put his arm around me resting his hand on my shoulder which was covered by one of Dean's large wrestling tops. He placed his lips against my hair and placed a short but sweet kiss on my hair. 

I turned to face him and smiled, "Hi," I whispered trying to wake up properly. 

"You do realise I have to go to work tonight? I have to catch a plane in a few hours." 

Sighing I nodded, "I wish you didn't have to go."

"Me too," he pulled me closer and kissed my forehead, "I'd rather stay here with you."

I laid my head on his chest and smiled against him, "It's okay. I think I'm going to finally try and sort my living situation out."

"Where are you thinking of living?"

"I haven't quite decided," I admitted. "Although I was thinking of maybe staying close to my brother, he's just brought a house in Charlotte with Charlotte." I let out a little chuckle at the irony.

Dean's hand stroked the skin of my bare arm making all the hairs stand up on my skin, I loved the way he made me feel with just one little simple touch. "You don't have to move that close to him," his fingers danced along my skin. "If you are that close to him it means you are further away from me."

"You're always travelling anyway," I reminded him as I sat up and ran my fingers through my hair before sweeping it to one side of my head then sitting on the side to look down at him. "Besides you can always come and visit."

He leaned himself up on his elbows and raised an eyebrow, "What are you saying, Natasha?"

I was confused, what did he even mean? "What?" I let out a laugh and smiled at him before getting out of the bed and pulling on my jeans. "I'm just saying with work you're always travelling, does it really matter where I live? Nowhere is close to everywhere."

 His face softened as he shook his head, "Right."

Leaning down to the floor I picked up my bra and top that I had chucked down last night before changing into this oversized 'Jon Moxley' tee. I headed into the bathroom where I changed into my own clothes then brushed my teeth with the brush I had brought along with me. Looking in the mirror at my own reflection I let the smile leave my face before I pushed back my hair and took a long look at myself. 

As happy as being here made me feel, what happened to me made me reserved, I was no longer the girl I used to be. Laying in bed with Dean and allowing him to hold me close to him was as far as I would allow myself to go. We had shared some kisses, but I just couldn't bring myself to do more. I wondered how long it would be before he got bored of that before he would find someone else who wanted to do that now. 

I allowed my hair to fall back into place before I left the bathroom, Dean was in his room getting his clothes on. When he heard my footsteps he looked up at me and smiled, "Do you want to go out and get some breakfast before I have to leave?"

Biting my lip I thought about it, I wanted to spend as much time with him as possible before this ended before we returned to reality. Nodding my head I smiled, "Of course."

Getting out of Dean's car at the airport I walked round to the boot and opened it where we both retrieved our bags. "What times your flight?" I asked him as I slung my bag over my shoulders as he closed the car boot and locked the car. 

"Two, forty," he looked at the watch on his wrist before we walked side by side, his fingers clasping mine before lacing through mine. "What about you?"

"Three fifteen," I said as I thought about the very first time I met Dean Ambrose. 

The first time we met, the first time I laid my eyes on him was when I was running away. I was trying to get to my brother, escaping James' clutches. Dean was in the airport, even then he was handsome. I had accused him or working for my ex-husband or being a friend of James, someone who was looking to return me back to him. Little did I know what I knew now. 

That was almost 7 and a half years ago. I had been through so much, we had both been through so much. I squeezed his hand and looked up at him, "I love you."

He smiled down at me before I continued to talk. "I really do, I am so happy that I found you."

He stopped walking making me stop too, he turned and looked at me so we were now facing each other, his hands cupped my face before he looked deep into my eyes, "I don't deserve you, do you know that?" He pressed a kiss against my lips before his hands left my face and held both my hands. "I am so sorry for everything I have put you through, I'm so sorry for every time I've laid my hands on you." He closed his eyes, like he was struggling, "I'm sorry I didn't believe all the things you told me about Immy." He opened his eyes and looked into mine, "I don't know what I've done to have you return to my life, to have you love me but I never want to lose that."

I let go of his right hand and reached up and stroked his cheek, "I'm not going anywhere." I put my arm around his neck drawing him closer to me before we embraced.

His breath was hot on my ear, "Don't get on that plane Tasha." His voice was a whisper in my ear before he pulled out of the hug and looked at me, a crazy smile on his face. "Don't go looking at homes in North Carolina, move in with me. We can buy a place together."

My eyes widened at his suggestion, I was surprised he was saying he wanted to live with me. I didn't know what to say at this moment in time yet I didn't get a chance to speak because Dean still had more to say. 

"I promise you everything will be okay. This feels like the right thing to do, time isn't going to stop. Let's take a chance, together." 

I smiled at him as I squeezed his hands, "Are you sure this is what you really want?" I was nervous and I didn't want him to just be saying this because he thought it was the right thing to do, I wanted him to want this. 

He put his arms around me, I felt my feet lift off the ground as I put my arms around his neck and leaned close to him, "I've never been surer of anything in my life. Natasha Bennett, will you please move in with me?"

Smiling widely I leaned my head back to look at his face as I wrapped my legs around his torso, "I would like nothing more than to move in with you." I leaned forward and planted a kiss on his lips before I looked at him.

"I love you," he told me before he leaned in our lips meeting, our eyes closing and sharing a beautiful passionate kiss. I knew then this was the right decision.