Two Sides of the Same Coin

Epilogue

 Months have gone by. Maybe even years. It's hard to tell with such an exciting life with the Fakes. It's amazing how well everything turned out in the end. You stare across the table at your loving boyfriend. Once upon a time, you loved a man, and then you feared him, and then you loved him again. That man is here today, sitting in front of you. He decided to miss the heist setup tonight in favour of spoiling you to a dinner night. Just the two of you.

You smile and look around, humming quietly. "It's such a nice place," you sigh quietly. He nods in agreement. A soft draft of air blows over you, and you shudder slightly, subtly reminded of the exposed scars on your upper back. Seeming to read your thoughts, Ryan reaches out and gently squeezes your shoulder, leaning over the table to kiss your lips softly, sweet and slow. "It's alright, dear. I love you all the same," he comforts softly. You smile at him gratefully, his warm hand soothing your nerves. He lets go of your shoulder, sitting idly at the table with you while you wait for your food.

The night goes by slowly, comfortably. You talk with Ryan quietly, discussing thoughts and opinions. Heist ideas, successes and failures. You talk briefly about the one jewelry store that was almost a failure. He chuckles softly and shakes his head a bit. You smile, feeling like the luckiest woman on the planet. You finish your food happily, and as you clean up and start getting ready to leave, he pauses. "How about we leave via the scenic walkway..? I want to make this night special," he offers. You hum and nod a little, though the night is already memorable just because it's a night spent with Ryan.

He takes your hand and leads you through a set of glass doors, into a kind of greenhouse area. The flowers are in full bloom, despite it being mid fall, and the whole area is made even more spectacular by the sheer amount of stars painted all across the clear night sky. He leads you through the garden slowly, talking to you quietly about all the things he loves about you. "Your stubbornness, for sure," he says playfully, coming to a stop and turning to you. You smile and shove him gently. He takes both of your hands in his own.

"You really scared me that night, you know," he says quietly. "I didn't think we'd find you. I didn't think you'd make it. I was so afraid to lose you forever." You frown a little, shuffling your feet a little. "I-" you start to apologise, but he kisses your lips softly to keep you quiet. When he pulls back, he continues. "Honestly... I'm glad. For that night." He shifts his hands up and gently brushes his fingers over each of your scars. "If it weren't for that night, I never would've come to my senses..," he sighs quietly. "I never would have realised that you and I are only temporary beings in this world..."

He lets go of your shoulders and rests his hands at his sides, one hand in his pocket. "I never would have realised that you're the best thing in my world," he says getting down on one knee as he pulls his hand out of his pocket to reveal a small ring box. "Or that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. (Y/n) (L/n), I love you so fucking much. You scared the hell out of me the night you nearly died." He opens the box and reveals one of the many stolen rings from the jewelry store heist. "But will you please, please, do me the honour of spending the rest of your days with me as my wife?"

The amount of shock coursing through your body at the moment cannot be described by words. You feel tears well up and immediately spill over, and you collapse into his arms, hugging him tightly while repeating, "yes, yes, always yes," over and over. You can't even begin to describe the amount of joy you feel, burying your face against his neck and hugging him so tightly that he has to ask you to loosen up because he can't breathe. The night has been made so much better by such a small thing, and it's absolutely amazing to you.

He slips the ring onto your finger subtly before hugging you tightly, kissing you all over your face. "I promise I'll make it worth it... You won't regret this, (Y/n). I love you so much." You smile brightly through your tears. You barely manage to speak through your tears, whispering, "I love you, too, James Ryan Haywood. I love you, too."