The pressure on her chest started to increase as what’d just happened started to set in. It didn’t feel real and it probably wasn’t, but if it was a dream, she was going to enjoy it.

She pulled away, resting her forehead against his, trying to stop the tears that were trying to force themselves from her eyes, her body trembling gently. She let out a shaky breath, a soft whimper escaping her lips as the trembling of her body increased.

He closed his eyes, as the cold rushed over him. Why was she crying? Why was she shaking? He thought she’d be happy, but the tension in her body told him otherwise. Nick was going to ask her if she was ok, when she started to talk.

“I-I wanted you to want me…so bad, but I didn’t want to admit it. Never wanted to acknowledge it because I thought…I thought it couldn’t ever happen.”

He frowned when he felt her hand slip into his, it was ice cold. He wrapped his other hand around hers, rubbing it gently. He went to speak, when she started to talk again.

“Thank you for wanting me,” she whispered, slowly lifting her head to look up at him as tears steadily made their way down her cheeks.

Nick felt his heart break suddenly.

“Thank you for looking past the weight and insecurities and seeing me,” she sniffled.

“Oh god,” he whispered, pulling her into his arms. “Veronica, I love what I see, inside and out, it doesn’t matter to me what you look like. I love you, not your weight, just you, all of you, no matter what.”

She sighed shakily, pulling away again, wiping at her eyes.

“People will talk.”

“Let them talk, I don’t give a fuck about what anyone says, it‘s none of their business.”

“It’s gonna be hard.”

“So? Life is hard baby, we’ll deal with everything as it comes. Right now though, I don‘t want to think about any of that. I just want to enjoy this and this moment.”

“Are you sure Nick?” She asked, looking over at him again.

“Am I sure I want to enjoy this moment? Absolutely.”

She chuckled softly, “No, I meant about this…us.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way Veronica. I want to be with you and fuck everyone else.”

She sighed shakily.

“I love you, and I’m going to be with you no matter what.”

Veronica smiled a bit, her eyes widening suddenly when Nick pulled her against him, kissing her deeply.

They laid back on the blanket, there was a rare urgency in them, a need to be complete and be a part of each other. With a boldness she’d never possessed before and wasn’t sure she ever would again, Veronica grabbed at his shirt, pulling it up and off before sliding her hands down to the button of his shorts.

Nick pulled away to push his shorts and boxers off before looking down at Veronica intently. Nothing else mattered but this moment, nothing but her. Reaching out, he unbuttoned her shorts and slowly pulled them off, along with her underwear.

She swallowed hard as she watched Nick turn towards the picnic basket and rummage through it before pulling a small square out, she raised an eyebrow.

“I hoped you’d…that…well…that your answer would end up with us having to use this,” he blushed.

She chuckled softly, “Always prepared huh Carter?”

He winced, “It’s not like that…”

Veronica went up on her elbows, tilting her head to the side to watch him, “So…you plan on using that or what?”

Nick blinked, a his lips lifting in a half smile suddenly. A few seconds later he rested on her carefully, kissing her deeply as she wrapped her legs around his waist and he slid into her quickly, a mutual groan escaping their lips.

He moved slowly at first, but it didn’t last long and soon he was thrusting against her quickly, the only sounds that could be heard above the rushing of the water was their gasping and panting for breath and it was perfect.

As if everything they’ve done, every step they’d taken had led them to this moment.

And maybe it had.