Work Text:
Wise men say
Only fools rush in
It was too early. They had only been seeing each other for a few weeks. She couldn’t be falling in love with him already. Except… except there was something about the way he looked at her. He looked at her as though she hung all the stars in the sky, as though she was a delicate treasure that he dared not break, as though she was the most precious thing he had ever laid eyes on, as though she was the most beloved and treasured being he had ever held in his hands. She tried to resist, she tried to convince herself that it was far too early, but she found herself craving his presence like one craves water in a desert. He was the earth and heaven for her. She could try to keep it hidden and keep kidding herself, but she knew eventually he’d see right through her. And that’s what scared her – the idea of someone knowing her as well as she knew herself. She didn’t want to rush into things with him, but she couldn't help but be drawn to him.
His feelings for her shouldn’t be this strong so early on. It hadn’t even been 3 weeks since they started seeing each other a few days after their hookup after that Halloween party, after she had complimented the way his hips moved… and then complimented the way he moved in other ways. He couldn’t help but find himself attracted to her, like two magnets swirling in the ether, always attracted to each other no matter how far apart they were. He found himself drawn to her any time he saw her, little looks as they passed by each other in the hall, little smiles as she looked into the toddler room as he worked, little winks as he looked into the office as she typed away, little touches anytime they were together in the staff room or the car, little and not so little kisses when they were finally together in their private bubble and away from prying eyes. Their secret, a beautiful and precious and magical thing, as they orbited around each other, always gravitating toward each other. He knew it wasn’t wise to move too quickly, but he was mesmerized by and infatuated with her.
But I can't help falling in love with you
Shall I stay?
Autumn and Winter found themselves spending yet another night together at her house. A long day at the nursery had worn both of them out and neither had the energy to cook so they settled on some Chinese takeaway for dinner. They both picked at their food listlessly, too tired to even want to eat as they enjoyed a quiet evening free of angry parents and interfering board members. They sat in comfortable silence, relishing each other’s company and the quiet comfort each brought the other. Autumn, despite a day full of angry phone calls and paperwork, sat with a soft smile and Winter, despite a day of being shouted at by needlessly irate parents, mirrored the happy look on her face. Neither of them quite knew how to say it, but they couldn’t enough of these quiet evenings in where they could just be Autumn Knight and Winter Fortune, not the deputy manager and the room leader, not the owner’s daughter and the teacher, just people having a wonderful night together. Just the simple act of sitting next to each other, feet up on the coffee table, takeaway container in hand with a silly comedy filling the silence was enough to lift their collective mood and make a miserable day that much better.
After their food had grown cold, their appetites barely there after a stressful day, the couple cleaned up after themselves and settled on the couch to watch a movie. Autumn leaned against the couch’s armrest, her legs laying on Winter’s lap as he ran his hand up and down her shin, his warm, gentle hand sending shivers up Autumn’s spine as sparks ignited in her body under his touch. Winter smiled at her as he picked up the remote to pick a movie. “Autumn, what would you like to watch? Any preferences?” Winter asked, holding out the remote for her to take.
“Anything you want is fine by me,” Autumn replied, afraid of choosing a movie Winter may not like for fear of driving away this man she… something-ed. Little did she know that her concerns were unwarranted because Winter would have watched a documentary on the science of paint drying as long as it would make Autumn happy and he got to spend time with her, holding her close like this.
“I know just the thing to watch after a long day. It’s a classic and I’ve always enjoyed this movie, despite the cheesiness. I think you’ll enjoy this one,” Winter said as he chose a movie. As the opening credits of Blue Hawaii played, Winter placed an arm around Autumn’s shoulders, pulling her closer as he lay his other arm across her legs with the palm of his hand facing up waiting (and hoping) for her to slide her warm hand into his as they watched. A few beats passed before he felt nimble fingers and a warm palm slide against his, fingers threading together perfectly as though they were built to fit together like this.
As the movie continued, Winter watched Autumn closely to gauge her reaction to his choice. He had the vague idea that she appreciated older movies, but wasn’t sure how well this choice would go over. He smiled as she watched, enraptured by the antics between Elvis and his love interest, her eyes sparkling with laughter as the movie went on. When the velvety words of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” swirled through the room, they found themselves staring into each other’s eyes, both their eyes shining with a feeling that they didn’t have words for yet, one they couldn’t quite describe, but knew deep, deep down inside was love. Autumn’s eyes flicked down to Winter’s lips and his flicked down to hers. She leaned to capture his lips in a soft kiss, his lips chasing hers as she pulled back. They looked into each other’s eyes, their hearts longing to scream the truth of their feelings from the rooftops, but their minds stopped short of saying those three faithful words that lingered on the tips of their tongues and begged to pass through their lips.
As the end credits rolled, neither of them wanted to separate. But Winter knew Autumn valued her space and it was starting to get late. It was his cue to go even though he found it harder and harder each time.
So did Autumn. She just didn’t know how to say it out loud. She didn’t know how to put into words that her house seemed cold and empty without him, that she couldn’t imagine her space without him in it, that her house wasn’t a home without him there beside her filling the silence with music and the stillness with his boisterous presence. She didn’t know how to ask him to stay… maybe even forever.
She had invited him to stay the night once or twice before, but those nights were few and far between, usually on days when she was feeling particularly vulnerable, when the cracks in her walls opened just a little wider than usual. Autumn reluctantly moved her legs off Winter’s lap and watched him get up off the couch with eyes full of sadness. Winter moved slowly as he walked through the house toward the hooks by the door, hoping beyond hope she would call back to him. He didn’t want to go.
And she didn’t want him to, either. She just had to take that first step.
It was now or never.
Her heart was breaking at the idea of watching Winter shut that door behind him yet again, Autumn got up off the couch. She took a deep breath, scared of being so open with another. Autumn shrunk into herself as she steeled herself to say those faithful words. She decided to be brave, Elvis’ words ringing in her ears. “Winter,” Autumn called out, her voice almost a whisper. Winter turned to her, looking at Autumn with hopeful, eager eyes. “Could you stay? Please?” she asked, her voice vulnerable as she wrapped her arms around herself, almost as though she was protecting herself from an expected rejection, as though he would ever deny her this small, but oh-so-important request. It was Winter’s turn for heartbreak as he watched Autumn shrink into herself, her larger-than-life, guard dog persona replaced by her true self – vulnerable, fragile, gentle, kind, soft, and afraid to let her guard down.
“Of course, my love,” he said as he rushed to hang his coat back on the hook, kicked off his shoes, and rushed back over to Autumn’s side, pulling her into a warm and much-needed hug. Autumn’s eyes widened at the unexpected term of endearment; no words had ever sounded so sweet.
Would it be a sin
If I can't help falling in love with you?
If you had told Winter 6 months ago that he would be sitting in a restaurant with Autumn of all people, on a date no less, he would have laughed in your face. And yet here he was, sitting in a buzzing restaurant, holding her hand as they waited for their order and admired the contours of each other’s faces, still basking in the newness of their budding relationship. It was growing harder for him to restrain himself, especially in moments like this where he had a goddess sitting across from him, looking at him the same way he looked at her, eyes full of… something he couldn’t (or wouldn’t) quite place. Winter itched to tell Autumn how he felt, but he was paralyzed by the fear of ruining things with her and sending Autumn running for the hills. He would keep his mouth shut for all of eternity, burying his growing feelings, if it meant sharing even one more moment with this woman. No… He wouldn’t say a word, he wasn’t going to ruin things with Autumn. He wouldn’t allow his greatest fear to come true.
Autumn had never been good with feelings. Growing up in the Knight household made sure she knew very quickly that feelings only served one purpose – acting as a source of manipulation for another party. Her father, and her brother, had made sure to teach her that lesson time and time again. It had been 20 years since she had said the words “I love you” to another. Saying those three words seemed like a wonderful way to doom a relationship. The idea had never scared her more than when it came to Winter. For the first time in her adult life, she had finally found someone she didn’t need to hide away from, someone she didn’t need to put on a front with, someone who truly understood her. She never wanted to let that go. Losing him would destroy her completely and she wasn’t ready to have her newfound happiness ripped away from her – not yet, not now, not when she had just found Winter. She would never doom this relationship by saying those three words… except some part of her, a part of her that grew bigger with each day, itched and yearned to say it, bursting at the seams with the need to tell this wonderful man how much he meant to her, but she was so deathly afraid of losing him that she wondered whether sacrificing her relationship with him was the cost she wanted to pay for sharing her feelings.
Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Some things are meant to be
It was an unseasonably warm late November weekend, so Winter asked Autumn if she wanted to take a day trip to the nearby beach. She eagerly agreed as she imagined a blissful scene before her – sitting on a bench by the sea, the sound of waves crashing against the shore, his strong, warm, welcoming arms enveloping her as he held her close. As Winter drove them down to the beach, the couple shyly holding hands across the center console, Winter’s thumb gently rubbing the back of Autumn’s hand, just reminding her of his presence as he could sense the wild, raging sea of thoughts rushing through her head. Little did he know that those raging, whirling thoughts all led back to him.
When they finally reached the beach, it was early evening, and the sand was empty, devoid of another living being as the sun shone brightly, beautiful reds and oranges reflected in the seawater. Winter and Autumn walked over to the sand, taking their shoes off as they dug their toes into the soft sand and threaded their fingers together, fitting together like laser-cut puzzle pieces and holding their shoes in their other hands as they set off toward a nearby bench. When they finally reached their destination, Winter brushed some leaves off the bench before sitting down and opening his arms for Autumn to settle into. She flowed toward him like a river flows toward a delta, as though his arms were carved for her to slot into perfectly. As they sat there, enjoying this moment of peace, all Winter could think about was how he wanted to run his fingers through Autumn’s long black hair and hold her tight as he kissed her and showered her with endless words of affection. But he knew it was still far too early in their relationship.
Autumn turned her head to look at Winter, her eyes flicking down to his lips. She smiled as she leaned in to place a gentle kiss on his lips. They both sighed into it, their hearts on fire and burning with strange desire, knowing that the other felt their heart on fire too. Autumn surrendered herself into Winter’s warm and tender hold, allowing him to hold her close, as she found herself so very, very close to surrendering more than just her lips to him. As her recognition of her feelings grew, Autumn would have been foolish if she said she didn’t feel anything toward Winter. In fact, deep down, she wanted nothing more than to surrender her heart to Winter for him to cherish and protect, but she was so very afraid to truly admit these very same feelings to herself. After all, they had only been dating for a month – it was far too early to even consider what these feelings really were – love or lust, sweet adoration or yearning desire… or both. All she knew was that quiet thoughts filled her brain, pressed between the pages of her mind, threatening to burst forth with images of sweet memories of holding hands and bouquets of flowers, quiet nights and tender days with him, soft, gentle touches and longing glances.
Take my hand
Take my whole life, too
They held hands as they walked along the shore, the waves washing over their feet. They’d normally be freezing from the chilly water and the November temperatures, no matter how warm they were, but the fire burning between them kept them warm, heating them to the core as long as they were together. As they walked hand in hand, their conversation drifted from work to hobbies to favorite books and songs. Winter learned that Autumn happened to be an Elvis fan and Autumn learned that Winter loved mystery novels, particularly Agatha Christie. She also learned that he had corny jokes for days and loved to share them at any chance he got.
“Do your worst, Winter,” Autumn said, grinning.
“What do you call an angry carrot? A steamed veggie.” Autumn snorted as she tried to keep herself from bursting out into a fit of giggles, less at the joke and more at the animated fashion in which Winter told it. Seeing Autumn laugh so hard at his silly joke warmed Winter’s heart and made the unnamed feeling he felt for her grow with each moment. “Another?” Autumn couldn’t even reply, she simply nodded as she tried to contain herself.
“Why shouldn't you use a broken pencil? Because it's pointless.” This time, Autumn didn’t even try to restrain herself and simply laughed freely, for perhaps the first time in 20 years, allowing herself to feel the thrill of a good joke and simply enjoy the moment… and the company.
“Winter,” Autumn said as she tried not to laugh for a moment. “Where did you even find these?” she asked, giggling at her attempts to try to speak. Winter shrugged dramatically, bringing her hand up as it was still held in his as he did.
After a few moments of silence, Winter looked at Autumn with a faux serious look and plainly said, “What do sea monsters eat? Fish and ships.” That’s all it took for Autumn to completely lose any previous composure she may have had and just let out a full-bodied laugh, shaking as she did. The sight set Winter’s heart alight with joy as he realized he would be more than happy to spend the rest of his life making her laugh like this. As she continued to laugh as they walked, suddenly Autumn tripped over a branch hidden in the sand, pitching forward, Winter’s grip on her hand not enough to stop her fall. Winter dropped his shoes on the sand as he rushed forward to catch Autumn, barely catching her before she made contact with the hard, wet sand. Stunned, Autumn stared at Winter, wide-eyed as he held her. As she looked into his eyes, she saw a fire burning in his green eyes, the flames of… something licking in his irises as his face contorted with worry. “Autumn! Are you all right?” he asked, panicked. She nodded as he helped her to her feet. Autumn couldn’t help but think of the way Winter held her when she fell, the way he cradled her body like a delicate flower, the way he almost embraced her as he helped her to her feet, making her feel supported and safe, but not trapped. No, Winter never made her feel trapped. He made her feel free.
“Thank you for catching me, Winter.”
“I’ll always be there to catch you when you’re falling, Autumn. No matter what.”
For I can't help falling in love with you
And Autumn truly believed that. She truly believed he would always be there to catch her when she fell, that he would always be there for her, that he would never leave her side. The way he looked at her with… something burning in his eyes was the same way she knew she looked at him. The flames in his green eyes were reflected in her gray ones as their unspoken feelings continued to hang in the air between them, lighter this time with their internal promises that they would tell each other when it was time. Both their cheeks were burning with blushes as they walked down the sand, holding hands again, Winter holding on a little tighter this time. They stole shy looks at each other, smiling with newfound wonder as they inched closer to finally admitting the truth to themselves.
“You know, Autumn, if you were falling for me, you could have just said so. There’s no need to actually fall.” They shared a look that was heavy with unspoken words and feelings they weren’t quite ready to put into words yet.
On the car ride back to town, the air hung heavy with words unspoken, feelings unacknowledged as neither one of them was quite ready to broach the topic for fear of scaring the other off with how early it was in their relationship. They didn’t know that they both felt the same – love for each other seeping into every cell and fiber of their being. They didn’t know, but they hoped – Winter hoped she felt the way he did, and Autumn hoped he felt the way she did. They saw those looks in each other’s eyes, the hints of something, but their fear of ruining their precious connection screamed louder than the thoughts of what that something they were feeling could be.
Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Some things are meant to be
Marjorie sighed as she sunk into her office chair. “Autumn, you are so lucky to be out of the dating scene right now,” the manager grumbled. Autumn looked at her quizzically as she waited for Marjorie to continue.
“And why is that, Marjorie?” Autumn drawled.
“Because you don’t have to deal with these,” Marjorie gestured wildly with her hand, “weirdos.”
“What happened now?”
“He proposed to me. It was our first date, Autumn.” Both women cringed as they returned to work. Autumn supposed she was lucky. Winter was certainly nothing like the men Marjorie had talked about in the past. Marjorie sighed again. “I wish I could just meet my soulmate, whether it’s seeing him dancing across the bar,” Autumn smiled to herself as Marjorie paused, “or just have him walk into the office with some flowers. I just want to find him. But I don’t know if I believe in them anymore if I’m being honest. Do you believe in soulmates, Autumn?”
Autumn rolled her eyes at Marjorie’s question, but for the first time, she didn’t know how to answer the question. Autumn had never believed in soulmates, but then she saw Winter dancing at that party and felt herself drawn to him, flowing through the room like a river to the ocean until she was close to him, watching, admiring, desiring. Maybe it was luck. Maybe it was something else.
Before she could open her mouth to answer Marjorie’s question, the phone rang and Marjorie had to run off to one of the rooms to deal with yet another crisis, leaving Autumn alone with her thoughts.
Autumn watched as Winter walked down the hall, a child in his arms as he smiled and spoke to them softly. She smiled at the sight, pausing her hands as they hovered over her keyboard and just watched. Autumn’s mind raced with thoughts, but through all the noise and chaos, three words stood out – “meant to be.” Were they really meant to be? Was their meeting fated, written in the stars? Or simply luck and good timing?
She didn’t believe in soulmates. She never had. But now she found herself wondering if that was simply her mind’s response to decades of trauma and rejection. Did she really believe that there was no such thing as soulmates or was that just her way to keep from getting hurt… again?
As she watched Winter go back down the hall to the toddler room, Autumn felt her heart race slightly as warmth blossomed through her body, the smile spreading across her face inevitably as she watched him pass by the office. Autumn found herself wondering again if she believed in soulmates. She hadn’t believed in happiness until recently, until him. Autumn was struggling to continue to deny her blooming feelings for Winter and yet, she wasn’t ready to admit them to herself. Yet.
Maybe she was starting to believe in soulmates.
And it was all because of him.
Take my hand
Take my whole life, too
It was a quiet Saturday evening when they finally figured it out.
The couple was slowly dancing by the fire in Autumn’s living room, an Elvis record crackling through the room. As they held hands, waltzing around the room goofily, Winter couldn’t help but watch how the reflection of the flames licking the logs reflected in Autumn’s beautiful grey eyes, making them light up brightly. He admired the way her pale skin reflected the flickering flames and made her look even more stunning than ever before. Autumn’s skin burned joyously where Winter’s warm hands held her so delicately and took the lead in their dance so effortlessly, so kindly, so respectfully. Winter twirled Autumn around as she laughed. As they moved together, their hands came into contact for what was probably the hundredth time that night, when suddenly a blissful, calm feeling washed over them. He was pressed against her back, Autumn’s arms wrapped around her waist with Winter’s arms on top, holding hands as the sounds of “Love Me Tender” filled the room.
As they danced with their bodies pressed against each other, hips swaying in sync, chests rising and falling as one, time suddenly screeched to a halt as the world rushed toward them until all that was left was the feeling of body against body and the sound of ragged breathing filled the air. This was it. The fires burning within burned faster and hotter and brighter until they became one as Autumn and Winter finally, finally put a name to that feeling deep within their hearts – love.
Neither of them could deny it any longer. They couldn’t keep pretending their feelings for each other didn’t exist. They couldn’t keep pretending they didn’t know what they were. They couldn't keep pretending they hadn’t fallen in love.
For I can't help falling in love with you
It didn’t matter how early it was. Autumn was in love with him. She had never felt a love this strong. She had never felt any emotion this strongly in her entire life. She had never had someone who set her body alight, someone who made her eyes dance with mirth, someone who made her feel warm and safe. He was the reason she finally opened her heart after years and years of building up impenetrable walls.
He was the one who helped make her house a home. He was the one who brought hope and joy and happiness and safety back into her life. He was the one who made her feel safe for the first time in 20 years.
For I can't help falling in love with you
Winter didn’t care. He was in love with this woman, this wonderful, gorgeous, fragile, complicated, mysterious, kind, gentle woman. He just had to admit it to himself. She was the one. She was everything. She was the one he wanted to hold close and protect, the one he wanted to make happy every single day for the rest of his life. She was the reason he got up in the morning, the reason he wanted to open his eyes every day, and the reason he wanted to close them every night. She was the reason why he was willing to give people second chances. Who would have thought that the woman he hated more than anything would also be the woman he loved more than anyone?
As the opening chords of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” rang out, they felt like Elvis’ voice was narrating their love story. They couldn’t help falling in love, no matter how hard they fought their feelings.
She is everything to him. He is everything to her. They were so lucky to have been unable to resist. They couldn’t help falling in love with each other and they had never been happier about anything in their lives.
“Winter, there’s something I—”
“Autumn, there’s something I—” They smiled softly at each other.
“You go first, Winter.”
“Autumn… I’ve been thinking about this for a while, ever since that morning when woke up together really. I love you, Autumn. I’ve been afraid to say it for so long and I really didn’t want to scare you away—” Autumn cut him off by taking his face into her hands and crashing her lips against his in a searing kiss that communicated everything she had wanted to say to him and more.
“I love you too, Winter.”