Mr. O'Brien, this is Mel Casey. I got your message, I can fit Happy and Toby in next week. Please call me back to set up a time.
Paige sighed.
"Another pre-marital lecture? Walter, it's your call, but I'm telling you, it's a mistake."
"No," Walter started, "I thought about what you told me, and um, you were right. So I cancelled all of them."
Paige cocked her head in confusion.
"Who left the message?" she asked.
"Dance instructor," Walter explained. "You know, Happy and Toby are none too light on their feet, so I thought that they could maybe learn something nice for their first dance as husband and wife."
A smile started to spread across Paige's face.
"Walter," Paige laid her pen down and stood up, starting to walk to his desk.
"That's-That's actually sweet."
"Oh, I also thought about what you said, regarding a wedding being a celebration of a special bond between two people. That got me thinking about Erwin Schrödinger, the father of quantum mechanics."
Paige fought the urge to roll her eyes.
"Of course it did," she sighed.
Walter continued, "Schrödinger once told a story about how he loved his wife."
Paige settled on his desk.
"Love made no scientific sense to him; he couldn't explain the bond. But he said when they stared into each other's eyes-"
Walter looked directly into Paige's, as if he wanted to say something with them.
"their consciousness must have been mathematically identical, because that's when love made sense to him, when looking into her eyes."
Paige was speechless at how much EQ Walter was showing in this moment, and it took all her strength not to pull him into a kiss that very moment.
"So since you look into someone's eyes when you dance," Walter said, "dance lessons made sense."
Paige batted her eyelids.
"Put it that way, it makes a lot of sense," she barely whispered.
Walter nodded.
"Oh, I also thought about what you said," he rose out of his chair, "about the unique characteristics of one person combining with what makes another person special into a bond that's its own amazing thing. So I picked out a wedding song that combined Toby's knowledge of biology with Happy's talents in construction and engineering."
Walter grabbed his tablet and clicked on a song.
Paige almost laughed out loud as "Dem Bones" started playing.
"Medical for Toby, and mechanical for Happy, it's-it's very you."
Walter paused for a moment, then set his tablet down.
"Perhaps we should see if it's suitable for dancing?" He held out his hand.
Paige was shocked to say the least at Walter's boldness, but she wanted nothing more than to dance with the genius.
"I guess we can test it out," she said, taking his hand, and stepping closer to him.
Her nose was immediately filled with the comforting scent that was Walter, and she wanted to just bury her face in his shirt.
She glanced at the man, who looked really shy and vulnerable, but Paige didn't mind to see him this way.
Maybe if he was this way more, they would be able to dance more often.
A smile formed on her lips as she savored the feel of how perfectly her hand fit in his, and it always surprised her that a man that worked on so many experiments had such soft and gentle palms and fingers.
Walter turned his head to meet her gaze, and grinned shyly when he caught her staring.
But instead of feeling embarrassed, Paige just stretched her arm around him further, wanting to kiss him more than anything.
Walter had this look in his eyes that was only ever directed towards Paige, and hers was filled with adoration.
Paige gulped as she felt Walter pull her a little bit closer.
"Walter," she started, "have you, um, have you ever felt like Erwin Schrödinger? You know, the eyes...?" she trailed off.
She couldn't believe how bold she was being, but if it hadn't been for Walter asking her to dance...
Walter had a choice here.
He could go the easy way and say no, or go the hard way and tell Paige how he felt.
He sighed.
"Yes," he stated simply.
Paige took a sharp breath, but instead of freaking out like Walter had anticipated, she slowly rested her head on his chest, where her ear was right over his fast-beating heart.
"I know," she whispered. "Me too."
Walter's breath hitched in his throat.
Was she talking about Tim? Or even Drew?
But then why was she dancing with him if she had feelings for someone else?
Walter was too stunned to speak, and when Paige slipped out of his grip, he was afraid that he was supposed to have said something.
But turns out, the music had just went off, and Paige was going to turn it back on.
She almost ran back to him, eager to hold his hands again.
She missed their alone time, where she could tell him anything, without the fear of eavesdroppers.
But before Paige could utter a word, Walter pulled away.
"Walt-"
"I can't do this," he blurted.
Paige crossed her arms, needing to hold Walter's hands so bad, her own were trembling.
"Do what?"
"This," Walter gestured between them, as if that would explain it. "I'm letting you in, I'm tearing down all of my EQ barriers, but for what? For you to find another Tim, or hell, another Drew? I let myself get close to you, but then you practically shut me out. How do I know that you won't do it again?"
He was almost yelling now, not aggressively, just passionately.
Paige's heart split in two as she saw how hurt Walter looked, and when she noticed tears rolling down his cheeks.
"Paige, I know I said that love wasn't real, but I'm finding out that it is. You mean so much to me, and I'm afraid I'm going to lose you again, and if that happens, I don't even know what I'll do, because I-"
Walter abruptly stopped, looking shocked at his outburst.
"You what, Walter?" Paige whispered as she wiped away a tear, inching closer and closer to the genius.
Walter looked around the Garage, not wanting to meet her eyes, because he knew they would break him.
But there was no going back now.
"Because I love you Paige," he said softly, turning and fleeing upstairs.
Paige remained in the same spot for what felt like ages.
He had finally said it.
The words that Paige wanted to hear so bad had finally come out of him.
She hated the circumstances, but he said he loved her, for Lord's sake!
After almost three long years, Paige got what she wanted.
She had to fix this.
Climbing up the stairs, she tried to dry her tears, but it was no use.
They just kept falling.
The ex-waitress found Walter sitting on the couch, hunched over, staring at his hands.
Like her, he was still crying.
"Walter," she said gently, cautiously approaching him.
He didn't look up.
"Walter," she said again, a little sterner this time.
Still, he didn't look at her.
She slowly sat down beside him, and when she rested her hand on his shoulder, she felt him tense up at her touch.
"Walter," she whispered, gently turning his head so she could look into his eyes.
They were puffy and red, and his lip was quivering, and it took all of her not to start sobbing.
"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, pulling him into the tightest hug imaginable.
Walter wanted to be mad at her.
He really did.
But he couldn't bring himself to be angry at the woman he loved more than anything.
He buried his head in the crook of her neck, breathing in the scent of lavender that he loved.
It calmed him despite the circumstances, and he mentally cursed himself.
How dare she be so perfect!
How dare she waltz into his not-so-great life and walk all over his heart!
How dare she make him love her!
But he still wouldn't have it any other way.
If it wasn't for her, he'd probably be dead this very moment, instead of tangled up with the woman whom had saved him from misery.
"Walter," she said for maybe the millionth time that day.
He had always hated his name, but when Paige said it, it felt like the most special name on the planet.
He pulled away to meet her eyes, and noticed they were filled with tears.
He instantly regretted making her cry, even thought he had to admit, getting out what he was feeling made him feel better.
She clasped his hands.
"I'm truly, truly sorry. I never meant to hurt you. Because-"
She took a shaky breath, and was about to start again when Walter interrupted.
"Just promise me that if you find someone else you'll warn me."
Paige shook her head as her face crumpled.
She was really crying now.
"Oh, Walter," she whispered. " I don't want anybody else. I want you. Forever. Remember that I promised you that we'll be together forever? I intend to keep that promise, because I-because I love you, too."
Walter immediately pulled her into a kiss.
Paige closed her eyes, savoring this moment.
This was what she had wanted for years, and now that it was finally happening, she couldn't process it.
Walter pulled her up and dragged her downstairs.
"Can we dance again? I love dancing with you," he said timidly.
Paige laughed, and nodded as she took his hand.
"I'd love that."
She was closer this time, and Walter was lightheaded.
The woman he loved more than anything was in his arms, looking up at him with this look in her eyes that made his knees buckle.
"It's our song," she stated abruptly.
Walter turned his ear towards the speaker, and smiled when he heard "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" by Elton John playing.
"Remember," Paige smiled, "you sing the boy parts."
She pressed a quick kiss to his lips, and dragged him back to the middle of the bullpen.
Don't go breaking my heart
I couldn't if I tried
Oh honey if I get restless
Baby you're not that kind
Don't go breaking my heart
You take the weight off of me
Oh honey when you knock on my door
Oooh I gave you my key
~
I hope you all enjoyed this! I'm sorry that it took so long to publish this, but I hope it was worth the wait! Please tell me what you all think! :)