How Many Times?
Summary: Phil/Sam. How many times does he have to tell her loves her before she'll believe him? SP. Oneshot.
Song used is 'Dust' by Royworld which I do not own.
Reviews are loved, and my apologies for the uber fluffiness! Xx
& How many times do I have to tell you "I love you"?
He sent her flowers on Monday. A bouquet of twelve long stemmed red roses from a florist on the high street. They cost almost half of his paycheque for this month but it was worth it. He wished he could see her face when she opened her front door and found the bouquet waiting for, and especially when she opened the card and saw it was from him and the message he had spent hours deliberating over. In the end he had decided on the simplistic "I love you." He had sent many bouquets of flowers in his time with varying messages, mainly excuses, but this time wanted to capture his true feelings and those alone.
He bought her coffee on Tuesday morning. He detoured so that he could pass the Costa Coffee outlet on the high street in order to pick up her favourite skinny almond latte. He walked briskly back to the station heading straight for her office and placing the beverage on her desk. She was in a briefing and Phil felt disappointed, he had wanted to give it to her face to face. He hadn't needed to leave a note this time, he knew how much Sam loved this particular coffee and how much it would mean to her.
On Wednesday he took her to lunch. They had been working a case together for the first time in a long time and it had kept them away from the station all morning and some of the afternoon. As he pulled up to a traffic light he could hear her stomach rumbling and he suppressed a grin.
"Hungry by any chance?" He asked. She shot him a look and he shut up, pulling off the dual carriage way and heading for the nearest fast food restaurant instead. He went inside and ordered while she rested her head against the cool glass of the passenger window.
"Nothing says 'I love you' like burger and fries." Phil smiled, returning to the car with a large paper bag five minutes later.
She shot him another look. "Thanks, Phil." She said stiffly, despite the overwhelming sense of gratitude she felt.
On Thursday he left a CD on her desk. He knew it was cheesy and made him seem like a teenager with a crush but he had wanted to make a playlist for her for so long. Every song on their meant something to them and he hoped it would show her that he really did love her and he wasn't going to cast her aside like he had with every other woman who had loved him. This time he was glad to find that her office was empty, he wasn't sure he could face the look of scepticism on her face if she had been.
On Friday he decided to take dinner to her office. He knew that she was working a harrowing case at the moment and it was obvious she hadn't been eating well. Her skin looked washed out and her green eyes had lost their sparkle. He wondered if she had eaten properly since their lunch at McDonald's on Wednesday. He carried the two containers of Chinese food at the bottle of wine up to her office. When he knocked on the door and then opened it, he could hear music playing softly.
"Is that my CD?" He asked in astonishment.
She looked up from her paperwork with a smile. "Yes. I never did get a chance to thank you."
"No worries." He said, the fact that she was listening to it and not laughing at him meant more than anything. "I bought you dinner." He added.
She was already inhaling the scent of sweet and sour chicken and chicken chow mein and her stomach threatened to growl.
"Oh, Phil, you didn't have to do this!"
"When was the last time you ate?" He asked seriously.
She rolled her eyes. "Now you sound like my mother."
"Sam?" He asked.
"Fine." She replied, reaching out and opening one of the containers. "Happy now?"
"Not yet." He replied with a slight smile.
"Phil, I want to thank you for everything you've done for me this week. It's really sweet of you but you don't need to."
He swallowed a piece of very hot chicken before replying. "I want to Sam, I want you to know that I love you."
"I already know." She whispered, leaning over to wipe sweet and sour sauce from Phil's lip. She traced her finger over his lips and he kissed her fingertip. "And I love you too." Phil looked shocked but happy and Sam had to laugh softly. "Now hurry up and open that bottle of wine."
Phil laughed too as he opened the bottle of wine and poured two glasses. He looked across at her, their eyes locking for a moment and for the first time he realised what it meant to have someone who loved him back, warts and all.