Imperfect

Rebuilding

Fin had planned a date night. I wasn't sure why, but I didn't argue. I was so happy to be back with him. I had even slowly started moving my things back. I had been living here for months anyway so renting a house I never used seemed pointless.

"Right, now, close your eyes," Finley instructed me. He placed his hands over my eyes to make sure I wasn't peeking, and we manoeuvred slowly through the house. I could feel his whole body pressed against me, and I found my mind wandering to how good it felt. We still hadn't managed to rekindle our sex life. Mostly because I had been too worried about Finley's condition. He had been frail for so long, I was struggling to trust that he was actually better and that I wouldn't hurt him. He didn't say anything about us not tearing each other's clothes off every night, but I could tell he was frustrated. I allowed him to lead me through the house, slowly and awkwardly. I was trying to map out exactly where we were but my brain wasn't capable of it. I heard the back door go, and realised we were going into the garden. The warm humid LA air rushed over my body, and made me feel almost sticky. Fin slowly removed his hands. I blinked and looked at the sight in front of me. I gasped.

"Fin it's beautiful!" In the middle of the pristine lawn, was a picnic blanket. There were rose petals scattered all around the area, and candles creating a gentle glow under the dark sky. There was also a giant bunch of roses in the centre of the rug with a note. I walked over and carefully picked it up. It was a simple note:

There are not enough flowers in the world to express my love for you. Instead here's a rose for every time I've thought about you for the past minute. All my love, Finley x

I felt Fin's arms slowly slide around my waist. He rested his chin on my shoulder and kissed my neck gently.

"Fin, it's beautiful." I said, gobsmacked. We hadn't done anything this romantic for a long time. I leaned my head against his, and watched the flames dance in the slight breeze.

"Not as beautiful as you." He whispered. He kissed my neck again and my breath caught slightly. I knew, that he knew, exactly what he was doing.

"Why?" I asked confused at what I had done to deserve such a beautiful expression of his feelings. It was simple, yet classy and elegant. I loved it.

"On Monday, our lives are going back to normal. I'm flying off to film, and you're back to work. I just want to make the most of this last weekend before we have to deal with the world again." I pulled away and turned around to face him. I kissed him tenderly and pulled him close to me. I could feel his heart pounding in his chest and he placed his hand on the back of my head. This Finley was somehow more amazing than the one I had fallen for years before.

"You're the sweetest person I've ever met Fin," I said between short kisses. "Just when you have me thinking I couldn't love you anymore." He smiled and placed his forehead against mine. He took my hand and we sat together on the soft blanket. I picked the flowers up and inhaled their subtle scent. Finley opened the wine and poured me a glass. He grabbed a bottle of water that was next to him and opened it. I was so proud that he was staying clean. We said cheers and both took a sip. I placed my wine glass down, and rested my head on his shoulder. I wanted to take all of this in before we returned to normal.

"Claire, before we enjoy tonight I just wanna run some things by you. Is that ok?" He asked quietly.

"Of course Fin, what is it?" I asked.

"I don't want to hide us. From anyone. So if anyone asks, I'm gonna tell the truth. Are you ready for that? I don't want you to feel the amount of pressure you felt before, and I also want to assure you, if anyone says anything, I won't stand for it this time. The press, my fans, my colleagues, anyone. I will correct them. You have more than earned my love, respect, and admiration. No one could ever fill your spot in my life and I won't let the world entertain any other ideas on how I should be conducting my personal life." He said quietly. I thought for a second. I knew what the press would say. I knew what Finley's fans would say. Despite that, I didn't care. This time, I was going to focus on what mattered. Us.