592. Chapter 592

Their eyes meet between the passing of strangers that they’re there to protect.

Their eyes meet across too much distance and their eyes meet across all of time.

“I love you,” Maggie tells her, because god, she does.

“You too,” Alex assures her. “Forever.”

She says it because it’s true.

She says it because those words, those feelings, are only ever for the woman she’s locking eyes with.

The woman she’s marrying.

She doesn’t say it with the intention of it becoming a thing.

But – just like jurisdiction battles and the black lung and getting soft on each other and you’re saying you like me and a lifetime of firsts, god, god, a lifetime of firsts – it becomes a thing anyway.

It becomes Alex’s automatic response whenever Maggie says she loves her.

Automatic, but never emotionless.

Automatic, but always full.

She says it when Maggie’s away for work, when she’s away for work. To end phone calls, skype calls. To begin phone calls, skype calls.

Because sometimes, the first words that slip out of Maggie’s mouth when they greet each other long distance aren’t ‘hey babe’ or ‘want me to tell you about a dead body.’

Sometimes, the first words that slip out of Maggie’s mouth – her greeting – is, simply, I love you.

“You too,” Alex will tell her, always beaming, always with her heart leaping. “Forever.”

She texts it, and it’s always in two texts.

You too.

Forever.

Because a statement like that should never be rushed.

A promise like that should never be rushed.

So she always stretches it out over two texts.

Forever.

“God damn, you’re good at that,” Maggie tells her one night, both of their bodies glistening with sweat, both of their chests heaving with exertion, all of their limbs limp with post-orgasmic bliss.

“You too,” Alex teases. “Forever.”

And she screams with laughter when Maggie somehow finds the energy to laugh, to reach for her, to flip her over, to plant kisses all over her face.

They write their own vows at the wedding.

They don’t share their vows with each other beforehand; they agree that they want to hear them for the first time as they were making these promises to each other in front of everyone they love.

Maggie’s voice trembles as she says hers.

Maggie ends her vows with a simple “I love you.”

And Alex’s hands shake in Maggie’s – with nerves, with excitement, with laughter – because this just proves it, once again.

That they were born to love each other.

Because Maggie ended her vows with “I love you,” and Alex had planned to start hers with, “You too. Forever.”

Because forever with Maggie Sawyer?

Sounds absolutely perfect to Alex Danvers.