Short one shot. It is based on the sneak peek, but it's not word for word. Hope you enjoy. x

He rushes behind her through the hallway, flashing smiles here and there to the people walking by.

"Mellie, Slow down." He does a really quick jog to get in front of her.

"You've been ignoring my calls."

"Stop calling." She moves quickly and starts walking really again. Damn this woman.

"You want me to walk by you everyday and pretend nothing happened? Is that what you want?"

"That is what must happen, yes."

"Damn it Mellie! You deserve something real. Someone who is just not playing the part of the man who loves you. Someone that actually does." Oh. Did he just?Did he just say he loved her?

"Andrew...can we please talk about this somewhere else?" She walked into the nearby conference room. She was shocked. She loved their time together and they Definitely had feelings for each other but he loves her. Loves her.

She entered the room and watched as he locked the door behind him. Neither said anything for a while.

"Mellie..."

"He called me his wife and not In that "yeah I'm stuck with her for a long time" way he usually does. What happened last week was a reminder that I am his wife and I have my duties as his wife and as First Lady and it seems like I had forgotten."

"Mellie..."

"I'm not naive Andrew. I know where I stand with Fitz and I don't have high hopes for our marriage but we are married. I fooled myself into letting "us" happen because..."

"Why did you let us happen?"

"Because you are everything I've wanted him to be for the last 20 years. You care, you love, and you make me feel like a woman again, like I am alive, and I turned into a love struck teenager and allowed all this to happen. You're the Vice President. I'm the First Lady. We can't happen."

"Why not? He gets to sleep with whomever he wants and you get to smile and advance his career? Just because you end this doesn't mean he'll end it with Olivia. Why are you so hell bent on ruining the only thing that has made you happy in a while?" He walked up to grab her waist. "And don't you dare say you're not happy with us. I can tell. Every smile. Every laugh. Every look. Every kiss. Every touch. Every moan. I can tell. So why won't you let yourself be happy?" She caressed his face.

"Andrew, I can't afford to put myself first. Between Fitz' affair and now my affair my family is completely destroyed and I know it doesn't seem like it but we both love our kids very much and I will not hurt them Anymore. I can't. What Karen saw down there, that can never happen again and I'll make sure of it. If that means putting us on hold then that's what I'll do. I'm not asking you to wait for me. I'm not asking you to wait four years for me, but I hope you're there in the end." She didn't kiss him. He wished she did.

"Mellie, I waited 15 years for you, another four won't be hard." He brought her in for a hug. "Of course, during those 15 years I didn't have to see you everyday but I never had this kind of hope during those 15 years either. I'll be here."

She kissed him this time. Not frantically and passionately like they're used to. He cradled her head in his hands and savored what might be one of their last kisses for a while.

He realized she had completely dismissed his confession earlier but he didn't want to push her. He let it go because he has a lifetime to make her love him.

thoughts?