Fool Me Once | T. Drake ✔

[30] A New Beginning

Her gloved fingers traced the brim of the coffee cup that was now empty, brown eyes focused on her companion. There was an unavoidable tension between them still as she couldn't bring herself to say all that was on her mind and he too was in no mood to rush through it.

Tim had ordered his second cup of coffee and in the time it took for his order to arrive, he subtly observed the woman who had left his life so unexpectedly and waltzed back in just like that.

He didn't want to get his heart broken again. But at the same time, he didn't want to let her go.

His always observant eyes didn't fail to notice the things that had changed about her. Such as the hands she kept concealed in gloves, the wave of hair styled intentionally to cover a part of her forehead and right cheek, probably to hide a scar or burn underneath and her umbrella that could function as a cane for support.

It was clear that the fire incident had left a lasting impact on her from which she was still gradually recovering.

"I heard that the court concluded the Donnelley-Castellan case," he spoke up, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable by the heavy silence.

"Yeah... I personally cleared up everything, the fines, the property issues, everything. It was a difficult time but I'm relieved it's all taken care of."

"I see, so there's nothing holding you back in Ireland?"

She thought about it then nodded, "nothing."

"And if you stay here, there won't be any issue." He wanted to say that he was hoping she would stay and wouldn't have to go back to her native country. But he couldn't say it just like that.

At least not after the year of disconnect that had come between them.

"I think so. I won't have to return but..." Her voice trailed off and she paused as if the next few words were hard to voice out. "But only if I have enough reason to stay in Gotham."

Her eyes had met his for the briefest of seconds before she looked away again, feeling the weight of their past stopping her from telling him directly.

She could stay in Gotham but only if he wanted her to. If he didn't, and that too was completely justified, she would leave his city and his life forever in hopes of not causing him more pain.

"Can I be that reason?" He asked at last and her eyes widened in surprise at first but then she realized exactly what he was referring to.

He wanted her to stay.

Despite everything, Tim was willing to accept her and even though it was a possibility she had been yearning for, it still felt as if he was too selfless and too caring.

Too deserving of someone much better than her.

She didn't even realize that her eyes were welling up until a tear slipped into her cheek and as if by habit, Tim's hand reached out to wipe it away, his fingers lingering gently on her face.

"Roxanne, I may never have said it before but I love you." He could see that she was second guessing everything so it would be better to tell her the truth as it is. "It broke my heart when you left without any explanation, it made me think perhaps you didn't feel the same or couldn't trust me enough. But even then, I have never once stopped loving you."

"I... I'm sorry. I left because I didn't want you to get hurt." But she was realizing herself that leaving him had made him get hurt nevertheless. "I didn't want you to get caught up with the mess my family was already in."

"I'm more than capable of handling that."

"Still..."

He shook his head, a small smile creasing his features, "did you come all the way back to Gotham just to convince me not to be with you?"

She was caught off guard, "no, I... I thought... It's been a year, so I thought you would have moved on and found someone better..."

Tim was witnessing a side to her that she hardly bared to anyone. The questioning, doubtful side of her otherwise intimidating personality that second guessed herself too much. "Even if I had found someone better, they couldn't have been you."

She was getting overwhelmed by the sincerity in his words and the intensity of his gaze.

"Tell me, why did you come back?"

"I wanted to apologize for putting you through so much."

"That's all?" He raised an eyebrow skeptically, not believing her statement.

He could clearly see through her and her words as he had always been able to look past facades very well. He knew there was much more to her decision to take the chance and come to Gotham but perhaps she was hesitant to say that.

"You trusted me and I... I fooled you, took advantage of that trust and ran away. But that didn't mean my feelings for you didn't exist. I didn't want to regret not reaching out to you now that I could, after everything else on my side was sorted... So I took my chance and I am here," she stopped holding back the words brimming inside her as she could see he wanted to hear the truth from her, "the rest depends on what you decide."

His eyes softened, seeing that it must have taken a lot of consideration on her side to just show up and take that chance. He knew Roxanne was the sort of person who stubbornly stood by her decisions, but that once she was making an exception for him.

Because she loved him and that was all he needed from her.

They say only fools rush in love but sometimes, love makes fools out of the most cautious of people, just like it had happened in their case. Despite everything, they couldn't help but fall for each other and even after all the distance that had come between them, there was a chance for them to start afresh.

Their love would be the starting stone with everything else building up slowly from both their efforts. Everything else like trust, respect, honor and compassion. It would take some time but they could work through it.

He thought about it then said, "I've decided."

She was looking at him expectantly as if waiting for him to voice out his decision that could either mend or break things between them forever.

"Can I kiss you, Ro?"

She hadn't been expecting him to abruptly ask that but she nodded in affirmation. Tim left his seat, coming close to her as he bent down to close the gap between them, sealing his lips upon hers.

Her hands had reached up to cup his face, that same warm feeling filled her up that made her feel safe each time she had been close to him. Her eyes fell shut, losing herself in the moment as he kissed her so tenderly that she wanted it to last forever.

When they broke that kiss, his finger gently traced the outline of her lips as he breathed, "this was a kiss goodbye..." Her breath hitched in her throat to hear that until he added, "to everything between us that hurt us."

A short chuckle escaped him seeing how her face paled and then gradually regained color upon realizing what he meant. He had intentionally paused to judge her reaction and found it amusing. She shoved him lightly, "Tim, it's not funny..."

He held his hand out to her and she tentatively placed her hand in his for him to gently place a kiss on her knuckles. The hue on her cheeks matched the red of her scarf at the gesture.

"And this is to a new beginning," he remarked, pulling her up to her feet with his arm wrapped around her waist securely, "together."

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