Categories > Original > Drama > Beat of Their Own Drums
A Moment Like This
0 reviewsIt's the night before her wedding and Paige can't sleep. In just a few hours, she's going to have the kiss that makes her Paige O'Kane. Song used: Kelly Clarkson's "A Moment Like This"
0Unrated
A/N: I know, I know. I'm totally giving you all the wrong message, aren't I? Writing about Paige being with Nick one story, and then moving on with one about her with Mac. Polygamy! Oh my God!
Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics to "A Moment Like This"
Song Used: Kelly Clarkson's "A Moment Like This"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forty-Seven: A Moment Like This
Puppet: Paige Waters
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oooh,
What if I told you it was all meant to be?
Would you believe me?
Would you agree?
It's almost the feeling that we've met before,
So tell me that you don't think I'm crazy,
When I tell you love has come here now...
I really couldn't think of anywhere I would rather be.
The room was dark and somewhat small, but rather than feel frightened and cramped, I was overcome with a feeling of comfort; almost as if I was a little girl again, with my mother holding me close as I drifted off into sleep. Of course, that feeling was only intensified by the warmth of the blanket draped over us and the familiar smell of his hair on the soft pillow.
Quietly I watched him sleep, my eyes drawn to the peaceful look on his face as he dreamed onward. That face, that gentle face that had been battered and beaten into one of a hardened soul during the course of his short life, was so soft and sweet, like it had been when he was just a little boy. His dark, messy curls weren't long enough to be of much trouble, but there were a few runaway rings that decided to hang down in front of his eyes. He had not worn a shirt to bed and a deep, broad chest lightly rose and fell under the covers as he breathed.
It was tempting to kiss him, but I held back, not wanting to wake the resting giant.
Instead, I gently, lightly ran affectionate fingertips up the arm wrapped protectively about my shoulders, pausing as I arrived at a splash of color on the otherwise olive-toned skin. I smiled ruefully at it; last month, it had been Keefe's idea to take Mac to a tattoo parlor (said it was the last stupid thing he could get away with before he got married). My Irishman had decided on a design with an emerald green clover and a silver Celtic band wrapping all the way around his upper arm, just barely hidden by the sleeve of an everyday t-shirt.
To be honest, I liked it. It gave his 'nice guy' persona a duality to it...made him interesting.
Suddenly his eyes flicked open and he was awake, shifting his hold on my shoulders. It didn't take him very long to notice that I wasn't asleep, and with a tiny smile he propped himself up on one elbow. “You should sleep,” he murmured softly, brushing his thumb against my cheek, “we've got a big day tomorrow.”
“I can't sleep,” I answered in a voice as soft as the one he'd used, “it's not every day I get married to the love of my life. I'm too excited.”
His broken face softened into a pleased smile, satisfied by the term of endearment. “I am too, love,” he whispered, “but you don't see me playing owl.”
I blinked questioningly at him, wondering how he could be so calm about it. Surely he felt the energy, the bond, the love between us and had to feel this buzz.
A moment like this,
Some people wait a lifetime,
For a moment like this,
Some people search forever,
For that one special kiss,
Oh, I can't believe it's happening to me,
Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this...
“You can go back to sleep, if you want,” I offered neutrally, not wanting to argue with him, then with a mischievous wink added, “just 'cause I like staying up all night doesn't mean that you have to.”
He pretended to give the matter some thought, an exaggerated frown tugging the corners of his mouth and his marred brow furrowed the way a bad actor would generalize the 'thoughtful' look. I tried so hard not to laugh, amused by his little act.
“Birds of a feather flock together,” he said eventually, “I'll stay up with you.”
I smiled gently and leaned into the stroking of his thumb in response, loving the softness of his touch for the millionth time since we'd been together. As if to tease me some more he moved from the skin on my cheek to my hair, twirling it around his thick index finger and then tenderly smoothing it back into place over and over again. I closed my eyes for an extended period of time for the first time last night, but I didn't feel the least bit tired.
It was mind-blowing, really. How much luckier could I be, to have such a wonderful man willing to spend his life with me? There were so many other girls out there, and he had chosen me to be his best friend for six years, spent two years courting me, and decided to propose to me. That was uncommon. That was rare. That was unheard of.
Or, at least, that's what people said when they learned all of that.
“I think someone up there really likes me.” I said after a long while, half-opening my eyes and looking up at him.
He smiled boyishly, leaning down and very gently touching my lips to his. “Someone down here really likes you, too.”
My heart fluttered like a butterfly disturbed from its fleeting rest, both from the kiss and his sweet words. I would be the first to marry out of my friends and even my older brother; it was so hard to believe that I had found my Prince Charming, especially because I'd found him in one of my best friends in the whole world.
“Just think,” I mused out loud, “that's all you have to do tomorrow...”
“And then you'll be mine and I'll be yours, to have and to hold,” he finished for me, his smile one-sided and perfectly content, “'till death do we part.”
'Till death do we part. I thought to myself, marveling at the words and the promise behind him. Some folks never found that person, did they?
Everything changes,
But beauty remains,
Something so tender, I can't explain,
Well I may be dreaming but 'till I awake,
Can we make this dream last forever?
And I'll cherish all the love we share...
“Mac?” I asked after a long silence, opening my eyes all the way and peering curiously up at him. He too, had his eyes hooded, a lop-sided smile gracing his would-be handsome face as he continued to play fondly with my hair.
“Yeah, baby?”
“Do you remember the day we met?” I questioned, not caring if it sounded corny or not.
A hearty chortle slipped past his lips at the memory. “Of course! We were in...what, 6th grade?” he moved his hand away from my hair so he could rub the light stubble on his chin, “I was the little loner kid sitting in the back of the bus -”
“And one of the 8th graders tripped me. I fell and dropped all my stuff in your lap,” I recalled, “and then you -”
“Got my ass kicked 'cause I tried to stick up for you.” He finished with an amused purr, his eyes misted over at the memory.
We had been twelve years old at the time, and had been the best of friends. Now here we were, adults who had just turned twenty-one, about to take one of the biggest steps of our lives together.
“Isn't it amazing how things changed?” I asked softly.
“Yeah...we were just kids then; not interested in college or jobs...now look at us,” he reminisced, laying back down and resting his face against mine, cheek to cheek, “all grown up.”
I smiled a little, closing my eyes a second time and stroking his arm again. “You've gotten handsome, you know.”
He snorted. “Oh yeah,” he scoffed, “handsome as a bulldog.”
I was about to protest, but the shivers that shot down my spine were far more attention-grabbing as his soft lips touched the corner of my mouth. “But you, Paige Waters...” he breathed, his voice barely there, “you've only gotten more beautiful.”
I wanted to tell him that I wasn't beautiful and that he shouldn't have downplayed himself the way he had, but I didn't want to argue with him. Not tonight. Not the night before our wedding. I wanted this dream to last forever, and could only hope that it would be like this our first night together. I wanted to feel this attached to him for the rest of my life.
“I love you, sweetheart,” he mumbled into my skin, “always have.”
For a moment like this,
Some people wait a lifetime,
For a moment like this,
Some people search forever,
For that one special kiss,
Oh, I can't believe it's happening to me,
Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this...
Jesus, he was so absolutely perfect.
“Love you too, babe,” I replied, taking a grip on my fiancé's hand and stilling the stroking motion, “always will.”
It was funny, almost, just how much it said about us, those words. That was us in a nutshell. Mac, with his sturdy, security-loving tendencies, loved to think of the past, this making his words 'always have' appropriate. As for me, I was the dreamer, looking to the stars and future, and the words 'always will' made more sense to me.
A comfortable silence settled over the two of us, wrapping around us like a warm blanket. I held his hand still and close against my face, stroking his knuckles with my thumb and listening to his heart beat. His face was rested softly against my own, his lightly whiskered cheek pressed gently against my smooth one. His chest slowly rose and fell against my shoulder blades, the bare skin there feeling earthy and real even though I still had a shirt on. Slowly, he arched his back a little, cupping his large, powerful body around my smaller one.
This was so perfect.
How many people hadn't found this yet?
Could this be the greatest love of all?
I wanna know that you will catch me when I fall,
So let me tell you this,
Some people wait a lifetime for a moment,
Like this...
“Mac?” I asked finally, breaking the silence but not once missing a beat as I continued to rub his hand. I hoped he hadn't fallen back to sleep again.
He hadn't. “Yeah, baby?”
I anxiously chewed the inside of my cheek, knowing that it was a bit late for the question I had but feeling the need to anyway. I opened my eyes, only to find that there wasn't much difference between the void behind my eyelids and the room. “Do you really want to be with me until you die?”
“Aw, baby, of course I do...” I could feel his body shift as he once more took a position with his face above mine, “why would you ask that?”
I looked ashamedly at the sheets. “'Cause I'm having a hard time believing this is real.”
Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this,
Some people search forever,
For that one special kiss,
Ohhhh, I can't believe it's happening to me,
Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this...
He actually laughed a little bit. The low sound, coming from deep within his burly chest, was warm and soothing. “I know what you mean,” he said, gently pulling his hand from mine so he could resume petting my cheek as he'd been doing long before, “it's amazing, how far we've come...”
He trailed off, and I sensed him leaning in for a kiss just in time for me to turn and meet his lips with my own. He was surprised, I could tell, but after a moment I felt him smile a little. There was little pressure applied at all to the kiss, but it lasted for what seemed like forever. I loved it when he was gentle like that...
Reluctantly we drifted apart, our mouths peeling apart with the softest of smacking noises. His face lingered close to mine, our gazes not once leaving the others' (for we hadn't closed them for the kiss). He slowly cracked a smile. “It's real, baby,” he confirmed, once more using that fond word, “I just hope it's me who dies first, 'cause I don't think I could handle it if you left me.”
I almost laughed I was so relieved, but the solemnness of what he was saying stopped me. I sat up so I was at his level, frowning thoughtfully. “Don't say that,” I whispered, wrapping my arms around his neck and holding him close, “don't talk about dying anymore. Don't talk about leaving me.”
“All right,” he murmured, encircling his arms around my waist and gently touching noses, “I'm sorry.”
Mac tilted his head downward and tenderly nuzzled the crook of my neck, drawing in a deep sigh and slowly, gently blowing it out against the sensitive skin. Silent as a stone, he remained there for quite some time, while I slowly was able to calm my racing heart. Lazily he brought his face back up to mine, and with a calm smile he once more kissed my mouth, harder than he had the first time. His head tilted to one side so our noses wouldn't clash and he brought one hand around to hold the back of my neck, making the hair there stand up on end thanks to the electricity of his touch.
My eyes fluttered shut and I kissed him back, a soft, short moan squeezing past the barrier of our lips.
This was how I wanted him to kiss me now.
This was how I wanted him to kiss me tomorrow.
This was how I wanted him to kiss me all the time.
When he pulled away, I found myself sucking gently on his upper lip, begging him not to break the contact but eventually being forced to anyway. He lay back down, taking me with him as he did so. “I love you.” He whispered.
It was such a flawless moment, I concluded the next morning that it had to have been a dream.
Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: Yeah. I know this was horribly full of fluff and shit like that, but personally, I think it's the cutest piece I've written since "You and Me." Obviously, I love these two together, and will eventually make lots of little O'Kanes. You've been warned.
Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics to "A Moment Like This"
Song Used: Kelly Clarkson's "A Moment Like This"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forty-Seven: A Moment Like This
Puppet: Paige Waters
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oooh,
What if I told you it was all meant to be?
Would you believe me?
Would you agree?
It's almost the feeling that we've met before,
So tell me that you don't think I'm crazy,
When I tell you love has come here now...
I really couldn't think of anywhere I would rather be.
The room was dark and somewhat small, but rather than feel frightened and cramped, I was overcome with a feeling of comfort; almost as if I was a little girl again, with my mother holding me close as I drifted off into sleep. Of course, that feeling was only intensified by the warmth of the blanket draped over us and the familiar smell of his hair on the soft pillow.
Quietly I watched him sleep, my eyes drawn to the peaceful look on his face as he dreamed onward. That face, that gentle face that had been battered and beaten into one of a hardened soul during the course of his short life, was so soft and sweet, like it had been when he was just a little boy. His dark, messy curls weren't long enough to be of much trouble, but there were a few runaway rings that decided to hang down in front of his eyes. He had not worn a shirt to bed and a deep, broad chest lightly rose and fell under the covers as he breathed.
It was tempting to kiss him, but I held back, not wanting to wake the resting giant.
Instead, I gently, lightly ran affectionate fingertips up the arm wrapped protectively about my shoulders, pausing as I arrived at a splash of color on the otherwise olive-toned skin. I smiled ruefully at it; last month, it had been Keefe's idea to take Mac to a tattoo parlor (said it was the last stupid thing he could get away with before he got married). My Irishman had decided on a design with an emerald green clover and a silver Celtic band wrapping all the way around his upper arm, just barely hidden by the sleeve of an everyday t-shirt.
To be honest, I liked it. It gave his 'nice guy' persona a duality to it...made him interesting.
Suddenly his eyes flicked open and he was awake, shifting his hold on my shoulders. It didn't take him very long to notice that I wasn't asleep, and with a tiny smile he propped himself up on one elbow. “You should sleep,” he murmured softly, brushing his thumb against my cheek, “we've got a big day tomorrow.”
“I can't sleep,” I answered in a voice as soft as the one he'd used, “it's not every day I get married to the love of my life. I'm too excited.”
His broken face softened into a pleased smile, satisfied by the term of endearment. “I am too, love,” he whispered, “but you don't see me playing owl.”
I blinked questioningly at him, wondering how he could be so calm about it. Surely he felt the energy, the bond, the love between us and had to feel this buzz.
A moment like this,
Some people wait a lifetime,
For a moment like this,
Some people search forever,
For that one special kiss,
Oh, I can't believe it's happening to me,
Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this...
“You can go back to sleep, if you want,” I offered neutrally, not wanting to argue with him, then with a mischievous wink added, “just 'cause I like staying up all night doesn't mean that you have to.”
He pretended to give the matter some thought, an exaggerated frown tugging the corners of his mouth and his marred brow furrowed the way a bad actor would generalize the 'thoughtful' look. I tried so hard not to laugh, amused by his little act.
“Birds of a feather flock together,” he said eventually, “I'll stay up with you.”
I smiled gently and leaned into the stroking of his thumb in response, loving the softness of his touch for the millionth time since we'd been together. As if to tease me some more he moved from the skin on my cheek to my hair, twirling it around his thick index finger and then tenderly smoothing it back into place over and over again. I closed my eyes for an extended period of time for the first time last night, but I didn't feel the least bit tired.
It was mind-blowing, really. How much luckier could I be, to have such a wonderful man willing to spend his life with me? There were so many other girls out there, and he had chosen me to be his best friend for six years, spent two years courting me, and decided to propose to me. That was uncommon. That was rare. That was unheard of.
Or, at least, that's what people said when they learned all of that.
“I think someone up there really likes me.” I said after a long while, half-opening my eyes and looking up at him.
He smiled boyishly, leaning down and very gently touching my lips to his. “Someone down here really likes you, too.”
My heart fluttered like a butterfly disturbed from its fleeting rest, both from the kiss and his sweet words. I would be the first to marry out of my friends and even my older brother; it was so hard to believe that I had found my Prince Charming, especially because I'd found him in one of my best friends in the whole world.
“Just think,” I mused out loud, “that's all you have to do tomorrow...”
“And then you'll be mine and I'll be yours, to have and to hold,” he finished for me, his smile one-sided and perfectly content, “'till death do we part.”
'Till death do we part. I thought to myself, marveling at the words and the promise behind him. Some folks never found that person, did they?
Everything changes,
But beauty remains,
Something so tender, I can't explain,
Well I may be dreaming but 'till I awake,
Can we make this dream last forever?
And I'll cherish all the love we share...
“Mac?” I asked after a long silence, opening my eyes all the way and peering curiously up at him. He too, had his eyes hooded, a lop-sided smile gracing his would-be handsome face as he continued to play fondly with my hair.
“Yeah, baby?”
“Do you remember the day we met?” I questioned, not caring if it sounded corny or not.
A hearty chortle slipped past his lips at the memory. “Of course! We were in...what, 6th grade?” he moved his hand away from my hair so he could rub the light stubble on his chin, “I was the little loner kid sitting in the back of the bus -”
“And one of the 8th graders tripped me. I fell and dropped all my stuff in your lap,” I recalled, “and then you -”
“Got my ass kicked 'cause I tried to stick up for you.” He finished with an amused purr, his eyes misted over at the memory.
We had been twelve years old at the time, and had been the best of friends. Now here we were, adults who had just turned twenty-one, about to take one of the biggest steps of our lives together.
“Isn't it amazing how things changed?” I asked softly.
“Yeah...we were just kids then; not interested in college or jobs...now look at us,” he reminisced, laying back down and resting his face against mine, cheek to cheek, “all grown up.”
I smiled a little, closing my eyes a second time and stroking his arm again. “You've gotten handsome, you know.”
He snorted. “Oh yeah,” he scoffed, “handsome as a bulldog.”
I was about to protest, but the shivers that shot down my spine were far more attention-grabbing as his soft lips touched the corner of my mouth. “But you, Paige Waters...” he breathed, his voice barely there, “you've only gotten more beautiful.”
I wanted to tell him that I wasn't beautiful and that he shouldn't have downplayed himself the way he had, but I didn't want to argue with him. Not tonight. Not the night before our wedding. I wanted this dream to last forever, and could only hope that it would be like this our first night together. I wanted to feel this attached to him for the rest of my life.
“I love you, sweetheart,” he mumbled into my skin, “always have.”
For a moment like this,
Some people wait a lifetime,
For a moment like this,
Some people search forever,
For that one special kiss,
Oh, I can't believe it's happening to me,
Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this...
Jesus, he was so absolutely perfect.
“Love you too, babe,” I replied, taking a grip on my fiancé's hand and stilling the stroking motion, “always will.”
It was funny, almost, just how much it said about us, those words. That was us in a nutshell. Mac, with his sturdy, security-loving tendencies, loved to think of the past, this making his words 'always have' appropriate. As for me, I was the dreamer, looking to the stars and future, and the words 'always will' made more sense to me.
A comfortable silence settled over the two of us, wrapping around us like a warm blanket. I held his hand still and close against my face, stroking his knuckles with my thumb and listening to his heart beat. His face was rested softly against my own, his lightly whiskered cheek pressed gently against my smooth one. His chest slowly rose and fell against my shoulder blades, the bare skin there feeling earthy and real even though I still had a shirt on. Slowly, he arched his back a little, cupping his large, powerful body around my smaller one.
This was so perfect.
How many people hadn't found this yet?
Could this be the greatest love of all?
I wanna know that you will catch me when I fall,
So let me tell you this,
Some people wait a lifetime for a moment,
Like this...
“Mac?” I asked finally, breaking the silence but not once missing a beat as I continued to rub his hand. I hoped he hadn't fallen back to sleep again.
He hadn't. “Yeah, baby?”
I anxiously chewed the inside of my cheek, knowing that it was a bit late for the question I had but feeling the need to anyway. I opened my eyes, only to find that there wasn't much difference between the void behind my eyelids and the room. “Do you really want to be with me until you die?”
“Aw, baby, of course I do...” I could feel his body shift as he once more took a position with his face above mine, “why would you ask that?”
I looked ashamedly at the sheets. “'Cause I'm having a hard time believing this is real.”
Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this,
Some people search forever,
For that one special kiss,
Ohhhh, I can't believe it's happening to me,
Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this...
He actually laughed a little bit. The low sound, coming from deep within his burly chest, was warm and soothing. “I know what you mean,” he said, gently pulling his hand from mine so he could resume petting my cheek as he'd been doing long before, “it's amazing, how far we've come...”
He trailed off, and I sensed him leaning in for a kiss just in time for me to turn and meet his lips with my own. He was surprised, I could tell, but after a moment I felt him smile a little. There was little pressure applied at all to the kiss, but it lasted for what seemed like forever. I loved it when he was gentle like that...
Reluctantly we drifted apart, our mouths peeling apart with the softest of smacking noises. His face lingered close to mine, our gazes not once leaving the others' (for we hadn't closed them for the kiss). He slowly cracked a smile. “It's real, baby,” he confirmed, once more using that fond word, “I just hope it's me who dies first, 'cause I don't think I could handle it if you left me.”
I almost laughed I was so relieved, but the solemnness of what he was saying stopped me. I sat up so I was at his level, frowning thoughtfully. “Don't say that,” I whispered, wrapping my arms around his neck and holding him close, “don't talk about dying anymore. Don't talk about leaving me.”
“All right,” he murmured, encircling his arms around my waist and gently touching noses, “I'm sorry.”
Mac tilted his head downward and tenderly nuzzled the crook of my neck, drawing in a deep sigh and slowly, gently blowing it out against the sensitive skin. Silent as a stone, he remained there for quite some time, while I slowly was able to calm my racing heart. Lazily he brought his face back up to mine, and with a calm smile he once more kissed my mouth, harder than he had the first time. His head tilted to one side so our noses wouldn't clash and he brought one hand around to hold the back of my neck, making the hair there stand up on end thanks to the electricity of his touch.
My eyes fluttered shut and I kissed him back, a soft, short moan squeezing past the barrier of our lips.
This was how I wanted him to kiss me now.
This was how I wanted him to kiss me tomorrow.
This was how I wanted him to kiss me all the time.
When he pulled away, I found myself sucking gently on his upper lip, begging him not to break the contact but eventually being forced to anyway. He lay back down, taking me with him as he did so. “I love you.” He whispered.
It was such a flawless moment, I concluded the next morning that it had to have been a dream.
Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: Yeah. I know this was horribly full of fluff and shit like that, but personally, I think it's the cutest piece I've written since "You and Me." Obviously, I love these two together, and will eventually make lots of little O'Kanes. You've been warned.
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