I just really, really, really, really, really wanted to write this! *flutters eyelids*

Takes place waayy in the future, think like end of season 4/start season 5

Enjoy and please review? Please?

Soph

"No," she said firmly.

"Say it." He didn't let her firm and confident tone throw him. In fact, it made him more persistent.

"I'm not saying it, Neal."

"Say it."

"Neal!"

"I don't understand, why won't you say it?"

"Cause it doesn't have to be said."

"Have to? No. But it would be nice to hear."

"Well, it would be nice to have my own personal couturier too, but I don't see that happening any time soon, either."

He took a moment to take in her words and he remembered the favor a certain someone from his past still owed him, "I could probably arrange that," he offered with a cock of his eyebrow and devious half smile.

"Neal…"

"Alright, alright, you don't have to say it,"

"Thank you," Sara started to lean over to kiss him when Neal finished his sentence: "If you tell me why you won't say it."

She rolled her eyes, sighed, kicked the sheets off of her legs and jumped out of bed. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Neal's shirt and she quickly picked it up before rushing to the bathroom.

"Aargh!" Neal groaned when he heard the bathroom door lock. He got out of bed, put on a pair of pyjama pants and walked over to the bathroom.

"C'mon, I said it first!"

"You were asleep!"

"Still counts."

"No, it doesn't," Sara protested heavily, "For all I know you were saying it to Jessica freaking Alba or to one of Victoria's half naked secrets."

At that, Neal just chuckled. He didn't need to tell her how ridiculous that was, Sara knew how stupid it sounded when the words were pouring out of her mouth.

"Alright, fair enough. Can you please open the door now? I'll make us some breakfast," Neal waited a moment, but Sara never opened the door, "Sara?"

A few seconds later, he heard her voice from the other side of the door. "No more questions about… you know?"

"Yes," he finally gave in, rolling his eyes in the process, "now come out of there."

Finally, Sara opened the bathroom door to find Neal waiting on the other side of it. He scanned her up and down very quickly, as he could not resist an early morning Sara dressed in nothing but his shirt, before taking her into his arms. As they were sharing a making-up kiss, Neal tightened his grip around her and turned her around so she was no longer standing in front of the bathroom door.

"Has it ever been said to you?"

"Ugh, you are unbelievable!" She pulled away from him and tried to break away from his grip, but it only seemed to tighten even more as she struggled to break it loose.

Neal laughed at her attempt to break free, "Nah, you're not getting away so easy this time."

Sara kept struggling though and when she almost succeeded, Neal continued on to plan B. His hands found the sides of her abdomen and he started tickling her. Sara let out a scream and her body stiffened with shock for a quick moment before an incontrollable laugh had her body kicking and screaming. Eventually she managed to break free and she quickly ran away from him toward the bed.

Sara was still recovering her breathing and trying to calm down her pounding heart when Neal jumped in bed with her, "No more tickling or I swear I will yell 'call 911' to someone," she tried her best to sound serious, but she knew the wide grin on her face will discredit any sincerity in her voice.

In reply, Neal just chuckled and held his arm open for Sara to lie into. She crawled beside him and lay her head on his chest.

"I'm sorry, I know you're very ticklish. I just had to stop you from hiding in the bathroom again."

"I'm never telling you what you talked about in your sleep, ever again," she mumbled while letting her fingers draw circles on his abs.

A calm quiet followed. Neither of them said anything; Sara was just listening to Neal' s heartbeat and Neal was playing with a strand of her hair.

"You've never said it before, have you?" His tone wasn't playful or teasing this time; it was actually serious and maybe even concerned.

Sara took a deep breath then lifted herself up from his chest and lean on her arm, looking down.

"Don't laugh," she warned, "but no. No, I haven't"

"Hey," he lifted her chin up to look her in the eyes, "I'm not laughing," he assured her with a smile.

"Thanks," she softly laughed, "You don't think it's sad? That I've never said… it?"

"What about you parents?"

She shook her head embarrassed, "We were never thát kind of family."

"Bryan?"

Sara shook her head again, "He did, but I never… And unlike some people, he let it rest!" She looked at him through her eyelashes, making sure he knew what she meant.

"And also unlike some people, he tried to kill you."

"Touché. Luckily my other ex was there to save me."

"He was? Hm, he must really care about you then."

"He'd better."

"So, you've never said it, but you can't go your entire life without saying it. What if you have kids, you're not gonna tell them you love them?"

"Of course I will, I just-"

"Good, you can practice with me. Say "I"."

"Are you really gonna make me say it? You're gonna force me to say it? Is that how you wanna hear it?"

"Hm, I guess when you put it that way…"

"Look, I guess… I mean, I think I feel it. I'm not sure, I don't really know what to feel or when it's okay to say it, I just-" she was too busy rambling that she hadn't even noticed Neal started laughing, "Are you laughing right now? No laughing!" her voice reached the high pitch of indignation and she gently slapped him on his chest with the back of her hand.

"Ow!" He objected playfully at her slap, "I'm sorry, I just love how weird and awkward you get around emotions. It's cute, I'd almost say.. wait, what's the word again? Oh right 'love'! I'd almost say I love it."

"Shut up," she mumbled and nested herself in his arms again, resting her head on his chest.

"I guess if the feelings there, that's alright too. You don't have to say it."

Sara sighed in satisfaction; it was like Neal just said the magic words. Now that there was no pressure in her saying it, it felt alright to say it. In fact it felt like she even wanted to say it. She took another breath and held it, she closed her eyes peacefully and in a soft whisper she said: "I love you, Neal."

A smile crept on Neal's face and it slowly turned into a wide grin. Knowing how big of a step this was for Sara, he decided not to say anything. Instead he shifted his head a little and planted a kiss on her head.

Sara was glad Neal decided not to say anything. This was one of those milestone-moments she always saw in movies and she wanted to enjoy it in silence. There were no thoughts in her head and no worries to stress her heart. Just their simultaneous breathing, her head on his chest and his lips on her forehead.

"You know you said it first right?"

"What?" Sara got up from his chest again, "you said it first!"

"Yeah, but I was asleep. For all we know, I could have been saying it to Jessica Alba or Heidi Klum." The mischievous twinkle of his eye and his devious half smile hadn't gone unnoticed as he was quoting her words from earlier this morning.

P.S: I didn't proofread this, so if there are any mistakes: I'm sorry. I'll reread this tomorrow and correct the mistakes.

Soph