Make This Go On Forever

She didn’t remember when her legs moved or how she made it to where David was but she did remember the excruciating pain that flared through her and the resounding gunshot. Her mind was in shock, not yet putting together that she had been shot. “I-I’m ble-bleeding.” She whispered as her hand was covered in blood and that’s all it took for her legs to give out. 

“Oh... baby....” Clarissa coos, gingerly taking his hand in her as she inspects the damage done. “Yeah, of course. You know I always love when you stop by.” She murmurs softly, still inspecting his hand. Letting go of his hand, she takes a few steps towards the fridge and pulls an ice pack from the freezer. “Can you tell me what frustrated you?” The ice is placed on his hand, stopping David from turning away from him. She thought that after they married, he’d stop trying to turn away from her and hide things like this. Didn’t he get they were in this together? “You don’t have to hide these things from me, honey, you know that. I’m not going to get mad; I just worry.”

“Just be careful, alright? You’ve been working a lot of hours and you must be tired already.” She murmured, watching him carefully in concern. Running a hand through her hair, Clarissa leaned against the counter top. “We have a book signing at the store and then I have a couple of client meetings for the event planning so I’ll be out till later tonight.” As she finished speaking, Clarissa’s eyes narrow as he tries to play off hiding his hand from her. Hadn’t he learned that there was little he could hide from her? They’ve known each other for so long that Clarissa, for the most part, could read him like an open book. “Okay, what’s going on. Show me your hand, Dave.” She finally asked, raising an eyebrow at her husband like he was a child. “What did you do to your hand that you’re trying to hide from me?”

An amused eyebrow quirked at David as he stumbled on his words and though the situation wasn’t funny, Riss was comforted enough that he was okay to allow a chuckle or two escape. The doctors wouldn’t let her be with him if he wasn’t stable enough. “Yeah?” she asked, more amused than anything as he leaned into her palm. “I was so hot that you acted like a pain in the ass?” Clarissa questioned him, recalling the first day they had met. It felt like so long ago.  “I thought you were hot too. The smart-ass comments somehow made you sexier.” She whispered, running her fingers through his hair comforting. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips when his heart monitor spiked a bit; it was nice to know she still had the same effect on him that he had on her. 

Clarissa caresses the arm around her waist tenderly, running her fingers along his skin softly as they both looked down at the ring on her finger. There was a sense of awe that this was real. That they weren’t this unsure, on and off thing they had been for years. They were sure. They were committed. They were engaged and ready to spend the rest of their lives together. It had been a long time coming and she was so thankful that they had finally come to this point. “I’m glad you finally did... I’m ready to spend the rest of my life with you.” She whispered, sighing happily as she leaned her head against his. 

A soft moan fell from her as the cool brick wall made contact with her back, her arms immediately wrapping around his neck. “You used to call me a pain in your ass.” She panted between their heated kisses, curling her fingers into his hair. Letting go of him, but never breaking their kiss, Clarissa reached between them, her hands finding his belt buckle and started undoing it with expert movements. It was dangerous for them to do this in the dark alley way but Clarissa could hardly care right now. “Now shut up.... someone could hear us.”

She would never understand how he did it. Always pretending to be fine even when it was so obvious that he wasn’t. However, she figured that the day he didn’t do that would be the day that she’d actually have to worry about him. “You’re not fine David, you don’t have to pretend to be.” The words were softly spoke, a sigh rousing from her before her expression soften at his words. She cupped his cheek, hating that she couldn’t comfort him like she would if things were different. She was engaged. They had broken up and swore the last time they had seen each other was the last time but he made it so hard when he said things like that Why couldn’t they stay away? “I think the pain meds are starting to hit.” She whispered, running the back of her knuckles lovingly across his cheek.

Clarissa sighed, shifting slightly when she felt David wince. “Am I hurting you?” She asked immediately, tense because though the doctors had taken care of him some, she didn’t want to make it worse. “David, that’s not…” She stopped her words because what could she say? It’s not normal? It’s not okay? He was in the army; it was his day to day. “I don’t like seeing you this way.” She finished, mostly in a whisper because she wasn’t sure if it was something she could say. They were supposed to cut ties entirely after the last time. “When I got the call…my heart nearly stopped.”

Clarissa laughs joyfully as David spun them around, still in complete disbelief that they were now engaged. It was a dream she never thought would happen. With a slow exhale, Clarissa watched as David slid the ring onto her finger in awe. It wasn’t the first time she wore an engagement ring, but it was the first time that it felt so right. “It’s absolutely beautiful.” She admired, her eyes filling with tears again. Her hand cupped his check, and she leaned forward to press their foreheads together. “We’re engaged.” The words were laced with astonishment as she grinned, pulling back so they could sit back down on the floor, Clarissa curled on his lap. “Is this why you wanted us to celebrate alone?”

“You look like crap.” Clarissa joked lightly, but the words were broken as she spoke because she hated seeing him this way. Her thumb strokes across his cheek when he leans into her touch, a shaky breath leaving her. It was too close to loosing him. It was too much. Mindful of his injuries, Clarissa climb into the bed with him and laid her head on his shoulder, wrapping an around around his midsection. “You can’t scare me like this.” She whispered, reaching up to wipe the tears she felt escaping her eyes. They might not be together but Clarissa would always love him. She had never ended things with him because she didn’t love him. It had been the opposite. “They said it was a close call.” 

Clarissa was utterly speechless as David spoke, tear streaming down her face as a gentle sob shook her frame. They had been through so much and for almost half of her life, David had been there. After they were reunited, Clarissa had already known they were meant to be together but she never thought David would make this move. At least not so soon. Her heart was so full of love for the man before her and she nodded her head eager before throwing herself into his arms. “Yes! Yes! Of course I’ll marry you!” Clarissa laughed, so fully of joy and love, and pressed her lips to David’s. As they pulled away, Clarissa’s glassy eyes met his, full of all the love in the world for the man that she had given her entire self to. The man she knew she was meant to be with. “Don’t ever let me go again, okay?” She whispered, pressing their foreheads together as another soft sob shook her frame, unable to contain the utter joy she was feeling. “I love you. I love you, so much and I can’t wait to be your wife.” 

Clarissa stopped them in their tracks and turned to face her boyfriend, cupping his face between her two hands tenderly. “Dave, you can say that you’re not ready yet without hurting my feelings, you know?” She teased him gently, leaning up to kiss him sweetly for a second. “I’m not going to get mad or anything. We can wait. But I want you to be able to fee comfortable telling me theses kinds of things. We can be honest with each other, right?”

Clarissa’s breath shudders as his fingers grip her chin, the warmth of his palm against her cheek. The brunette didn’t pull away as David leaned in, though she could have, instead she signs pleasantly as their lips meet again for the first time in years. This wasn’t supposed to happen. She was over him. They were over each other. It was over. Clarissa exhales sharply as they pull away and her brows furrow because he was right. They needed separate lives but she wasn’t ready to say goodbye either. “Shut up and just...” Clarissa doesn’t finish her sentence, opting to wrap her arms around his neck instead and pulled him back into her. Their lips find each other, hungry and passionate, almost as if making up for the time they had been apparently. One more night wouldn’t hurt right?”

Clarissa was ecstatic that David loved the gift and she smiled happily when he pressed a sweet kiss to her cheek. “I mean it too. I know you’re a police officer and everything but just... don’t be a hero.” Heroes didn’t make it home and she needed him to come home. Clarissa chuckled at his words, and nodded as she grabbed the gift he had pointed out for her to take. She opened it, excitement bubbling in her as she opened to reveal a scrapbook of sorts. Shooting him another grin, Clarissa began to go through it. Each page contained something from their story. Everything from photos of them, to other mementos from their past. Some, she wasn’t even sure how he obtained them. “Oh, David...” Clarissa whispered, her voice choked as she went through each page carefully, on the verge of truly crying because this was the most beautiful gift anyone had given her. Each page capturing their love. Messy, shaky but so real and true. By the time she came to the last page, tears of joy were falling steadily from her eyes. But it was the last page that took her breath away. The words Will you marry me? were on that final page and Clarissa felt her heart stop as she snapped her head to her boyfriend. The sight of him before her, causing her to cover her mouth in disbelief. “David....?” This couldn’t be happening, it was surreal but she was so ready so so ready

Clarissa’s body was like a live wire when David took another step closer to her, so much so that she could almost feel his breath, the heat of his body. Her dark eyes shifted from his fury filled gaze to his mouth. It was like her body remembered who this was, who this man who had loved her and been so good to her was. Her body missed him, even if she didn’t let herself consciously miss him. “What else was I supposed to do?” She hissed, her voice no longer quiet as loud, almost a whisper trapped between them. “You wouldn’t have stopped and it was better this way.” Clarissa leaned forward, almost as if pulled by a magnet, close enough that she could press her lips against his if she wanted to. Did she want to? “It’s better for us to live desperate lives.”