Bite Your Tongue
by DarkHonda aka Tal

Chapter 22 / Last Chapter / Epilogue?:

Reefside, four years later.

"I don't think I can do this." Kelsey yelled down to Ryan.

"Come on, Love, we're more than halfway there." Ryan said from about a meter bellow her, for some reason, he didn't need to yell.

"I can't feel my muscles anymore!" She yelled down as she kept pushing herself up, her frustration levels were threatening to make her give up and she knew it.

"Keep climbing and I'll give you the best massage when we're done!"

"Promise?" Maybe frustration had a few positive angles.

"I swear it." She could hear him chuckling and muttered something foul under her breath. "You can do this, Kelsey, keep climbing up, we're done in half an hour tops and you'll feel like a whole new person."

"Is that from experience?" She asked, frowning, sweat rolling down her forehead, coating her eyes and cheeks while she pulled herself up higher and higher with the help of helpful jags.

"No, but so I've heard." He said and that made her start laughing; she was hung in mid-air, trying to climb the highest non-active volcano in Reefside and he was telling her she might feel better later? Oh, yeah, that was just so promising.

"Come on, Kelsey, Doctor Oliver is about to call the helicopter to get us back from up there any moment now."

"Ryan, I am so picking our next climbing destination and I'm thinking of Hawaii's beaches with a mai-tai in hand and sunglasses in the other." She said while she kept pulling herself up, pushing herself to be mechanic, not to think of her exhaustion or strained muscles.

He laughed.

"I think I like this new destination. Will you wear that two-piece swimming suit Dana got you in the last time we went to see her, Carter and Roark?" He teased and Kelsey had to keep herself from laughing out loud, she snickered silently at his tease.

"Sometimes I'm not sure you're not completely evil, Ryan Mitchell. How did you know about that?" Of course, now that Carter was actually married to Dana, it gave him a lot of confidence which affected his usual untalkative demeanor. Meaning: Carter couldn't keep his mouth shut.

That is, it's not that she wasn't flattered that Ryan wanted her to wear the very skimpy bikini she got from Dana and Angela despite Carter probably forgot to mention her in his contributions to Ryan. And she wasn't completely sure Joel didn't know about that, either, and that could be very embarrassing. Unless Chad knows; Chad would have a heart attack, she never used to wear a bikini, only an athlete's one piece…

"Answer me?" She poked Ryan verbally when he was silent for longer than she thought.

"If I told you, I would have to kill you."

She rolled her eyes.

"In order to kill me you'd have to catch me, but you're so far behind you'll never catch me." She teased with a smirk, trying a little harder to create a gap between Ryan and herself.

"Wait until I do catch you, yellow ranger." Ryan muttered and Kelsey laughed, finally seeing hope in the form of the top of the mounting about a meter above her. Thanking god, Kelsey eagerly climbed up faster, eventually pulling herself on solid land. She grinned and got up, standing and waiting for Ryan to surface as well. He wasn't really that far behind and it took him about four minutes to stand next to her while they unclasped the straps that kept them safe.

"We did this!" Kelsey said excitedly, jumping in place and throwing her arms in the air.

"I can't believe you doubted that, Kelsey Winslow." Ryan grinned and shook his head.

"Oh, come on, it was hard for you, too." Kelsey pushed him back slightly and he smirked.

"It's always hard for me." He smirked and pulled her to him gently. "Come're."

She pushed away from him, but his hold on her arm was quie strong, yet not strong enough to hurt.

"Ryan, we stink, I refuse to let you touch me." She fought him off a little and he chuckled and released her, taking her hand.

"Doctor Oliver mentioned there was a lake around here somewhere, let's find it and clean up." Ryan frowned and pulled out a small map from his pocket, reading it intently.

"I thought you said Doctor Oliver already sent a helicopter?" Kelsey raised an eyebrow.

"In thirty minutes, come on!" He pulled her by the hand to one direction or the other, it didn't really matter as long as it was with him.

Kelsey rolled her eyes.

"Did anyone ever tell you it's wrong to lie?" She complained as he led her through a small grove, moving a few large bushes to expose a beautiful lake that was deserted.

How comfortable.

"Actually," he explained while putting their equipment and backpack aside and then pulling down his shirt off. "Considering I grew up in Diabolico's lair, it was okay to lie."

Kelsey shook her head as she disposed herself of her own dirty, wet clothes and jumped to the lake, closely followed by Ryan.

"Liar." She said and he laughed and pulled her close between his arms tightening her to his chest.

"Maybe." He chuckled lowly to her ear, she could feel his chest rumbling pleasantly at her back. He kissed her temple.

"You were amazing today, little one, and the way you kept pushing yourself like that…" he pressed his lips to her left shoulder, making her shiver. "I worship you." His words grazed her skin, she tilted her head a little, watching him smiling and drawing closer to a long kiss.

"I love you." She murmured to his lips, turning to him completely before claiming his lips more fully. His arms snaked around her and pulled her closer again, until her breasts flattened against his chest.

"I love you, too." He pressed his lips just below her jaw, it was a rather sensitive spot and he knew it, abusing the way he knew her so well. She closed her eyes in pleasure, his lips felt so warm and a shiver ran through her, making her near-purr. He chuckled at her response and kissed her lips again.

"Kelsey." The way he spoke her name… so softly… she wanted to melt. She opened her eyes to see his liquid eyes swirling with secrets and smiled, Ryan always held a mystery inside, always a challenge for her. She felt him pressing her a little harder against him and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, laying her head on his chest like a kitten snuggling close to her owner.

She loved him so much and just being able to be with him, enjoy his company and let alone touch him gave her so much strength and stability. People say that you only value the things you lost and Kelsey understood it to its full extent; she lost him once and ever since then every moment she got to spend with him was special, a privilege. She knew that if she told him that, he would probably snort and berate himself because he lost her once, too. Yet Kelsey knew that that is the reason for their strong connection, their stronghold, they valued each other too much to let go.

He kissed her forehead with a smile and she knew he was allowing her to drift back down from her thoughts. She noticed how he leaned his head on top of hers, keeping them as close as possible.

She had to smile at that.

"My Kelsey…" He called her softly, demanding her attention and she tightened her arms around him to show him she's listening.

"Marry me?"

Kelsey felt her stomach twirling, her happiness heightening and the need to squeal growing, but she didn't want to ruin this moment of peace. She smiled hugely and closed her eyes for a moment, her fingers darting to the ring he gave her four years ago, hanging from a necklace that she kept secured around her neck, never taking it off.

"Yes."

"Forever?" He asked and all she could answer was his words from four years before.

"I want to be with you forever." Her lips tasted his skin, his chest rumbled when he chuckled again.

"Forever is a long time." He reminded her, they were her own words.

"I think we can manage..." She eyed him meaningfully, eventually making both of them to burst out laughing before she kissed him.

A/N: And this is done:) Give me a few weeks to work on that werewolf thing I promised in Of Kidnappings and Love. Might post a little two shot or one shot in a week… Was fun posting for you! Review one last time? ;)