Author's note: AU ending for "Go With the Flo(rence)" (4x07). I
wrote this before the episode originally aired.
Genius Opus
"Has everyone else gone?"
Walter's question startled Paige as she sat at her desk, filing the paperwork
for their latest case. Glancing up, she saw him standing in front of her,
his hands hidden behind his back, and an extremely nervous expression on his
face.
She bit her lip, recalling an eerily similar situation over a year ago.
When she'd thought he was finally going to ask her on a date. When he'd showed
her the tickets he had for the stupid Lake Tahoe Jazz and Heritage Festival.
Tickets he'd bought in order to take another woman. Tickets he'd given her
and told her to take another man. Closing her eyes, she remembered the months
of turmoil which had followed. Months where they'd nearly lost each other.
But, she thought, taking a deep breath, they were together now and that
was all that mattered. Except for the fact she was still upset with him for
tossing out several hundred dollars of cosmetics, just because he didn't
like them cluttering up his bathroom. And it made her wonder if it really
was the makeup he objected to cluttering up his life or her.
"Yes, everyone else is gone," she said, answering his question. "I have
to pick up Ralph from a scout meeting in about an hour."
"Okay." She could have sworn he turned a little bit greener as he aimed
his gaze at the floor. "I-I n-need to apologize to y-you."
"Yes, you do." She crossed her arms over her chest. "You had no right to.
. ."
"I know. I-I was wr-wrong." Gulping uneasily, he continued, "I, um, I. .
. M-Maybe it's b-best I. . ."
Paige didn't think she'd ever been more surprised in her life as she watched
Walter pull out what he'd been hiding behind his back. A guitar. Her amazement
grew as he strummed it, placing the fingers of his right hand on the frets,
testing out several chords. Then he cleared his throat and did something which
ensured her belief she had to be hallucinating. He started singing.
"I'm sorry I threw away your makeup,
But doing so made me wake up,
To the fact you and I care about different things.
I like science and math,
You like music and rings.
So please accept this song,
To make up for me doing you wrong.
I'd very much like to escape your wrath
Because one of the things I care about the most is you."
He ended the song with a little flourish then looked at her with his dark
brown puppy dog eyes which caused her to melt into a puddle every damn time.
She couldn't stay mad at him, not after he'd gone to all the trouble of learning
how to play the guitar and writing such a dorky yet sincere song to beg her
forgiveness.
"Okay," he said, sounding defeated, "that sucked. I don't blame you for
not. . ."
"Walter," she cut in, rising from her chair. He stared apprehensively at
her as she stepped closer. "That was the most beautiful apology I've ever
received." She was close enough she could see his dilated pupils, hear his
harsh breathing, see the beads of sweat forming on his brow as she ran her
fingers across the guitar strings, feeling their sharp bite on her fingertips
"So this is what you've been doing in your spare time?" she asked, staring
up at him. "When you haven't been making buckets of slurry, that is?"
"Uh, yes." She could tell he was still uncertain, still a little worried
she was still angry with him. "I-I, ah, I wanted to learn about something
you're interested in since you've done the same with some of my interests.
And I know how much you like music, so. . ." He indicated the instrument in
his hands.
She reached out and took it from him, placing it on her desk. His eyes nearly
popped out of his head as she pressed herself against him, sliding her fingers
up the side of his neck and into the curls at the back of his head. "I love
you," she murmured before mashing her mouth onto his.
"I love you, too," he replied several minutes later, gasping for air.
"We still have about forty-five minutes until we have to go pickup Ralph,"
she pointed out, glancing up toward his loft. Paige smiled with satisfaction
when his jaw dropped as he quickly grasped her meaning.
He was a genius after all.