Restoration [Shawn Mendes] AU

Chapter 40

Shawn had parked his Jeep in the parking garage and walked over to the elevator to make his way up to his floor. He felt like his feet didn't touch the ground and his mind was completely preoccupied with what had occurred over the last 8 hours. The montage of images of Michelle that ran through his mind, made him unable to stop smiling and the overwhelming feelings of love and happiness that permeated his entire body could damn near make his heart explode right through his chest.

He had no idea when he left to pick up dinner earlier that evening, that the events that would transpire in her apartment would so fundamentally change him by the time he returned home. Nothing was planned, there was no romantic candlelit dinner for two, no gazing at each other across a restaurant table, drinking wine in anticipation of making love in some overpriced hotel room with rose petals strewn on the bed. It was just an ordinary Monday evening in the middle of February, with takeout from a local soul food place to satisfy Michelle's craving for comfort food, since she didn't feel well after coming home from the gynecologist. But the spontaneity of how the evening unfolded and the unexpected turn of events, made Shawn think there wasn't anything to top this night. Yes, she had cramps and was spotting which prevented them from having sex, but they both enjoyed the intimacy and finding ways to satisfy one another despite that. If he was this happy now, he couldn't wait to see how he'd feel once they could actually fully share their bodies with each other with no hindrances.

He could never have predicted that today was the day, that what he and Michelle felt for each other as friends, would reach a whole new level in their relationship. He had been devoted to her almost since the day they met, giving her the time and space she needed and he had been richly rewarded, as she had chosen to be with him. Of all the men in the world she could have selected to be with, she had chosen to be with him. He felt like the luckiest man alive, that this beautiful woman had deemed him worthy enough to be with, to move past her broken heart and grief, believing she could trust him to never cause her more pain or heartache. He took her trust in him very seriously and would never give her reason to not trust him with her heart or her well-being. The only thing he would've liked to have been able to do, is to actually express to her what he felt in his own heart for her. He knew he couldn't, it was much too soon, but he really wanted to say those words to her. The time for that would have to wait awhile longer though.

~~~~~

Michelle woke up before her alarm went off on Tuesday morning. She'd taken a shower, washed her hair and was putting on some makeup as her morning tea steeped. After drying and straightening her hair, she got dressed in a pair of jeans and a striped Cape Cod Henley shirt, happy that she felt much better than she had the day before since her cramps and spotting were completely gone. She went into the laundry/storage room off the hallway to get the plastic tubs she had used when she first moved into the loft, thinking she should take them in case she needed to put things in them she might want to keep in her Gran's attic. After grabbing her purse, Gran's Valentine gift bag, and making sure she had her keys and phone, she put on her jacket and gloves and took the plastic tubs with her to make her way downstairs to the Jeep. It was 7:35, so she figured she had time to drive the short distance to Dunkin' Donuts on Westminster and pick up a dozen donuts to take with her in case anyone got hungry once they started moving furniture. She also would get a large Americano coffee for Shawn, then drive back around the block to pick him up in front of his building.