I was dozing; lost in a half-dream about being warm and content. Tuck's chest rose and fell steadily under my back as I lay between his legs on the wide sofa. I felt his arm move, felt his fingers gently move my hair aside so he could kiss my neck.

"Tickles." I murmured with a smile.

It had been four months since our first kiss. Four months since we both laughed ourselves sore at my poor imitation of the phrase Tuck had said to me only hours earlier. Four months when I couldn't remember ever having been happier. Tuck, FDR and I had also celebrated our birthdays and FDR proposed to Lauren.

"Sorry." Tuck replied but I could hear the amusement just below his words.

It was only the two of us in his apartment – as it was most of the time and we'd hinted around the idea of selling my house when the finishing touches had been made – where we'd spent the last two hours shedding light on things from our years of friendship. I told him the whole story about my breakup with Mark – his hurtful words about the feelings I clearly had for Tuck – and Tuck reluctantly admitted that he had had a "little chat with him about how to treat a lady". I'd asked him if he realised that he was the only one allowed to call me Jess and my answer was a soft chuckle. Tuck reminded me of his first time visiting my university and that my boyfriend at the time had clearly picked up on the nickname. Apparently my reaction to Mark calling me Jess hadn't been as well hidden as I'd planned and I hadn't been particularly subtle when I asked him not to do it again. Small actions or conversations, now viewed with a different perspective took on whole other meanings, and we often wondered aloud how on earth we could have missed the signs.

FDR refused to admit if he'd known about our mutual attraction and appeared to be happy for us. I'm sure he took Tuck aside to give him the obligatory "don't hurt my sister" speech but neither of them would confirm it.

I was brought back to the present by Tuck's watch clattering into the solid floor.

"Sorry love." he said as he stretched to pick it up.

Once it was deposited on the table he laced his hands on top of my belt buckle and I shifted slightly to get comfortable again.

"It's fine." I told him.

I repositioned my head to look up at him and was rewarded with a chaste kiss. These moments with him were my favourites; especially since he was back on active assignments with FDR. We'd quickly established that we both preferred the small gestures to grand declarations of our feelings.

"Hey, Jess? We've known each other for a long time, haven't we?" Tuck asked. I answered with a vague affirmative noise, too comfy to do more. "And I spent most of that time not plucking up the courage to say what I really wanted us to be." he continued.

"You and me both." I said and began to slowly run my hand up and down his arm.

"Yeah but it got me thinking and I…I don't want to risk anything because of something I couldn't find the words to say." He sounded like he was struggling and suddenly I was concerned about what was coming next. Was he having second thoughts? I looked back at him and didn't try to hide the worry on my face.

"What are you saying then?" I pressed.

"I'm not saying anything, Jess, I'm asking." Tuck gave me a slight nudge and nodded for me to turn back around.

In Tuck's hand was a small velvet box. It was opened to reveal a gorgeous, simple ring – a platinum band with a beautifully clear sapphire flanked by two diamonds. I gasped softly and my heart began thundering in my chest.

"Will you marry me?"

His quiet voice by my ear sent a pleasant thrill down my spine. My eyes stung and my face broke into a smile so wide it hurt my cheeks.

"Yes! Yes, of course I will. Yes!" I laughed and cried at the same time.

Tuck removed the ring and gently worked it onto my finger. It was a perfect fit. I directed a querying look at him and he rolled his eyes.

"I'm a spy, darling."

My emotions being in a state of turmoil cause me to laugh louder and for longer than was necessary but Tuck didn't seem to mind. I sat up properly and turned to hug him and kiss any part of his face I could reach. Eventually I moved back enough to look him in the eyes. A sombre mood passed between us and he gently cupped my cheek.

"I love you, Jess." Tuck said quietly.

"I love you too."

In the span of our dating we had never actually said those words to each other, except for when I first confessed. I knew I loved him, I always had, but I didn't know if it would survive through an actual relationship. There was a part of me waiting for it to fade, like it had done with my few boyfriends before, but it grew stronger with each day. I loved him and, for the first time, I realised he loved me just as much.

TmWtMwTmWtMw

Miss Jessica Jane Foster

and

Mr Tuck John Hansen

request the pleasure of your absence

at their marriage

in March 2013

I stood staring at the invitation in my hand as Tuck nervously fidgeted in front of me. I reread it again to find a different explanation for its significance. This was not something I wanted to see eight weeks before my wedding.

"You know where they are, don't you?" I asked though it felt like my throat had closed up.

"I do." he told me honestly. I nodded but remained quiet. "They're in-"

"Tuck!" I interrupted sharply. "I don't want to know. I don't need to know and I don't want to send this either because requesting their absence could be as good as ensuring their presence! Why send it? Why goad them when we can leave them well enough alone?" I was furious and emotional.

"Jess, please calm down." Tuck said soothingly causing me to give him a scathing look. Something passed over his face that looked dangerously like humour but before I could pull him up on it he continued. "I left out the location so they wouldn't think it's actually meant for them to come. If you don't want to send it then we don't need to. I just thought that you should have the option and…they should know you're taking the next step in your life without them, like you always have." he explained.

"Literally." I said bitterly. "Tuck, I wasn't even six months old when they brought me to LA. The money they left Nana was significant enough to raise me well into adulthood but that doesn't even begin to make up for not being there. They haven't once called; they've missed every birthday and Christmas, every award and graduation and illness. Why should they know I'm getting married? Why should they care? Nana helped me pick out the dress, choose a bouquet and humoured me while I whined about what to do with my hair. Grandpa will walk me down the aisle and give a speech that will probably make me embarrassed, laugh and cry. What do I need Liam and Charlotte for?"

I crossed my arms stubbornly and Tuck sighed in defeat.

"My love, I'm sorry I interfered."

He pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly. I nodded, unable to trust myself to speak.

That night, as I lay in the bed that I could now call my own, I was perfectly unable to sleep. The sale of my house had gone through two weeks before Christmas and I officially (honestly, how many people do you have to remember to tell you're changing your address?) moved in with Tuck. A month later and there were only fleeting thoughts of having my own space that passed through my head. Tuck turned onto his back in his sleep and the movement prompted me to slip out of bed.

I pulled one of the large leather armchairs right over to the window and sat resting my chin on my knee and staring out at the sparkling lights of LA. My camisole and shorts were fine when I was in bed with Tuck but sitting so close to the window had my skin chilled only minutes later. I didn't really mind.

Thousands of lights were brightening the city below and I tried to assign each one a problem that was keeping me awake. Where were my parents? Should I send them the non-invitation? My feet were too cold (literally, not figuratively!). I'd passed Katie on the street and she'd looked at me with an expression designed to kill. Did I want my parents at my wedding? What shoes was I going to wear? Should I have asked Gemma to be a bridesmaid? Did I want to see my parents again? Had I counted that light already?

I sighed and wiped at the tears forming in my eyes. The stress of even a small wedding was getting to me and making me emotional. I heard our bedroom door open and Tuck softly pad through to find me. No doubt he'd felt how cold the bed was and knew I had been away for a while. I watched his reflection as he approached then took his time draping a blanket around my shoulders. He sat on the arm of the chair and placed his arm around me, hugging me to his side. The warmth and familiarity of the action broke me out of my melancholy thoughts and I snuggled closer to him.

"Where are they?" I asked quietly.

"Just outside of London. They travelled for a while, best as I can tell, and moved back to the UK when they were running out of money almost twenty-three years ago." he said.

Bracing myself, I asked the one question that I was most afraid of. "Kids?"

"…Two sons." Tuck admitted and hugged me tighter.

I nodded and surprised myself when the expected pain of betrayal didn't come – there was a twinge of something but nothing compared to what I had been prepared for.

"That's all I need to know. I still don't want to send them the card but you were right, I needed to know that. Thank you." I said.

Tuck used his thumb to gently tilt my head towards him so he could kiss me softly.

"If you ask me, they made the worst decision of their lives the day they gave you up. Though if I wished it hadn't happened then we might not be here right now and that is about the farthest thing from what I want. C'mon love, try and get some sleep." he said as he stood and helped me to my feet.

He began to walk away but I stayed put and our joined hands made him realise this when he was met with the resistance. A lightly questioning frown adorned his forehead as he walked back to me and I just smiled at him without saying anything for a few moments.

"I love you." I told Tuck seriously.

"You, Jessica Foster," he said as he encircled me in his arms "are the best thing that has ever been in my life, you and Joe. I love you – I really, truly do – and I always will."

Much love and thanks,

Liv.