Chapter 18 Claimed #2
Obviously he came.
Still.
The words escaped anyway.
The mechanic stared at him.
Emotion flickering across his face.
Raw.
Unfiltered.
Dangerously honest.
"There wasn't a universe where I didn't."
The answer hit harder than expected.
The doctor's throat tightened.
The realization settling deeper.
Because he believed him.
Completely.
Without question.
The silence returned.
Gentler this time.
The mechanic looked away briefly.
Toward the flashing lights outside.
Toward the night.
Toward everything they'd nearly lost.
When he finally spoke again, his voice sounded rough.
Like the words hurt.
Maybe they did.
"I was too late."
Finn blinked.
Confused.
"What?"
Deck laughed softly.
A miserable sound.
Without humor.
"I should've seen it sooner."
The self-blame appeared instantly.
Familiar.
Painful.
The same guilt he'd carried for years.
The same guilt that poisoned everything.
The doctor immediately shook his head.
"No."
The mechanic frowned.
Finn leaned forward slightly.
Determined.
"You found me."
The words landed between them.
Simple.
True.
The mechanic looked unconvinced.
Of course.
The doctor sighed.
Because some lessons required repetition.
"You found me."
He said it again.
Slower this time.
The mechanic stared.
Silent.
Listening.
The doctor continued.
"You came for me."
Emotion flashed across gray eyes.
Visible.
Powerful.
The sight made his chest ache.
Because nobody had ever come for Deck.
Not really.
Not the way he'd come for others.
The realization suddenly felt heartbreaking.
Finn swallowed.
Hard.
Then reached across the small space separating them.
His hand found Deck's.
The contact seemed to surprise both of them.
The mechanic froze.
Completely.
The doctor tightened his grip.
Refusing to let go.
Not this time.
Not again.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
The silence said enough.
Then Deck looked down at their joined hands.
Something inside him visibly cracked.
The last wall.
The last defense.
The last excuse.
Gone.
The realization happened right in front of him.
The mechanic took a slow breath.
Then another.
Like he was preparing for something.
The sight immediately made Finn nervous.
"Deck?"
Gray eyes lifted.
Meeting his.
Holding them.
Not looking away.
The emotion there stole his breath.
Love.
Raw.
Undeniable.
Terrifying.
The mechanic laughed quietly.
Shaking his head.
Almost disbelieving.
"You make this impossible."
The confession sounded exhausted.
Hopeless.
Affectionate.
The doctor smiled despite himself.
"Good."
A surprised laugh escaped Deck.
The sound felt precious.
Rare.
The kind of thing worth protecting.
The mechanic squeezed his hand.
Then looked away briefly.
Gathering courage.
The realization struck unexpectedly.
Deck was nervous.
The giant mechanic who had just stormed a warehouse full of armed men looked nervous.
The sight made Finn's heart ache.
Because he already knew.
Somehow he already knew.
The mechanic looked back.
Voice rough.
Honest.
"No more lies."
The promise settled between them.
The doctor nodded immediately.
"No more lies."
The mechanic swallowed hard.
Then continued.
"No more deciding what's best for you."
Another nod.
Another promise.
The silence stretched.
Neither rushing.
Neither hiding.
The mechanic looked down briefly.
Then back up.
And finally said the words Finn had been waiting weeks to hear.
Words he'd hoped for.
Dreamed about.
Feared he'd never get.
"I love you."
The world stopped.
Just for a second.
Long enough.
The doctor's eyes burned instantly.
Emotion rising too fast.
Too hard.
Too much.
The mechanic continued before he could respond.
Like once he started, he couldn't stop.
Like years of silence were finally ending.
"I've loved you for months."
Another breath.
Another confession.
"I just didn't know how to say it."
The honesty hurt.
Beautifully.
The doctor squeezed his hand tighter.
Refusing to let go.
Never wanting to.
The mechanic's voice lowered.
Growing softer.
More vulnerable.
Than Finn had ever heard before.
"I tried to leave because I thought you deserved better."
The old wound.
The old fear.
The old mistake.
The doctor shook his head immediately.
Already rejecting it.
The mechanic smiled sadly.
"I know."
A pause.
Long.
Meaningful.
Then the final truth.
The most important truth.
"I was wrong."
The words settled heavily between them.
The realization felt monumental.
Because Declan Harlan didn't admit mistakes easily.
Especially not emotional ones.
The mechanic took another breath.
Then another.
Gathering every remaining piece of courage.
The next words emerged quietly.
Almost reverently.
"Choose me."
Finn's heart stopped.
The simplicity of it somehow made it stronger.
More powerful.
More devastating.
The mechanic held his gaze.
No walls left.
No armor.
No defenses.
Only honesty.
Only love.
Only hope.
"Choose a future with me."
The doctor's vision blurred instantly.
Tears.
He didn't care.
Not anymore.
Because this wasn't a rescue mission.
Not really.
This was a man handing over his heart.
Trusting someone not to break it.
The realization hit hard.
Beautifully hard.
Finn leaned forward.
Closing the distance.
Resting his forehead against Deck's.
The familiar scent of motor oil and rain surrounded him.
Home.
The thought appeared instantly.
Effortlessly.
Home.
The doctor smiled through tears.
Then finally gave the only answer that mattered.
The only answer he'd ever wanted to give.
"I already did."
The mechanic's eyes closed.
Relief washing across his face.
Pure.
Overwhelming.
Real.
And for the first time since the nightmare began, both men allowed themselves to believe that maybe the future was still theirs to claim.
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