Mortimer doesnât bother to quash an amused little smirk when he takes in the sight of Lenaâs station â god, she really is prepared for anything. He knew it had been the right choice to make her best man. Whoâs more capable than Lena? Nobody, thatâs who.
âYes, alright, thank you, we donât need to be exposing all of my inner emotions to the world this early in the morning,â he sighs, even if sheâs right. He just wants to say I do to Levi and then fuck off to their honeymoon, but heâll admit: thereâs something deeply satisfying about today. About seeing all the people he cares about in one place, looking healthy and happy.Â
As Lena carefully makes sure his bow tie perfect, he watches her work, and he needs to say it:
âIâm sorry. For how I treated you.â Heâs had months to think about it, now, to reflect back on how heâd acted. To think about all the times Lena had saved his ungrateful ass. âI wasâ you disappeared because you were worried about the safety of you and your family, and I should have acknowledged that. I should have respected that. I was too caught up in my own hurt to see what it must have like for you, after our first mission.â He wrings his hands, and even though his affection is real and genuine, he still has to force himself to say it, like blood from a stone: âI love you. You ought to know that.â
Ever since that day in the Red Square, Lena had been hoping and planning for this eventuality. She never truly believed in a happy ending for herself. and especially at that time, five years ago, she didnât believe she even deserved happiness. But sheâd spent all the time between then and now hoping to keep the two of them safe so that maybe this day could come to fruition. And here it was. Sheâd made some mistakes along the way. Like trying to get Levi off the team to protect him from Vronsky or distancing herself so that they could never be accused of treason. Somehow, it all worked out.Â
âDonât taunt me,dear,â she teased, âThe moment you mention youâre trying to keep me out is the moment I get the urge to take a hammer and batter you with it until your chest spills out all itâs secrets. Maybe even whatâs truly in your heart. Metaphorically speaking, of course.Â
At his words her hands and smile fell. After a moment of looking up into the watery blue eyes that had so often dodged her gaze she sighed and smiled. Reaching up to tuck a stray hair into place, she spoke softly, âI never for a moment questioned otherwise. I love you too, Mortimer. And you were right to be angry just as I was right to be paranoid. Sometimes it can be hard to be right, wrong, and upset all at the same time. But we got through. Just as weâll get through all things.âÂ