It is a normal cool, sunny day in Paris at some point before they leave the city for the last time. Robin walks down the sidewalk with his hand in Rachel's, tightening his hold on her hand as they walk. They are talking about nothing in particular at the time.
Maybe their past year together as they have had a habit of reliving their past on this trip. Maybe they are talking about this past trip with the train ride to London, the chocolate, the river ride, and the movie in the park.
At some point in this walk, Robin stops. He leans against the railing that's near and pulls her in against him by the waist. Robin tightens his hold, leans in, and kisses her, pulling back with a smile. He is unaware of anything and anyone other than her. "You know, Rachel Dawes, before we can get married, we have to find a church."
It's meant to be an offhanded comment. Robin does not think that they will actually go looking for a church right now but as the idea forms in his mind, it feels right.
The time feels right. The place feels right. The
( ... )
It is with bittersweet Rachel accepts their vacation has come to a near end. She can't be too upset about it. She'd like to stay a little longer, but that's not in the cards. And what time they did have was so amazing she can't begrudge the fact it's over
( ... )
It has been amazing. Robin will miss their time in Paris. He will miss Paris but most of all, he will miss sharing it with her. It has been... perfect, frankly, and he rarely uses that word to describe anything, but there is nothing he would change about their trip. Nothing he would have liked to do differently. No time spent in a hotel room that he wishes they'd spent in the city, and no time spent in the city that he wishes had been spent in bed with her instead
( ... )
While she does prefer to stick to routine and plan out most things ahead--if she can, Rachel loved the lack of planning. They took a train and went wherever they wanted to go, whenever they felt like going. They'd wake up without a set time, no alarm reminding them there was somewhere they needed to be. They'd return to the hotel whenever they were done, whether it was late or not. They did whatever they felt like doing and she has never felt more rested and at peace
( ... )
The lack of planning was one of the best parts about their vacation. They got to enjoy each day, each moment without knowing what awaited in the next and without having to know. It was about her and about him and where ever the moment lead them. No alarm clocks. No fighting to stay awake to do one last thing
( ... )
Robin once thought that it was idiotic to hope for something better than what was realistically in the cards for oneself. It lead only to disappointment. It lead to a harder fall. More than that, he had always assumed that what everyone had told him was true
( ... )
"Fortunately for you, I've decided I'm up for the task," she says with a solemn need. See how solemn she looks, only not. She leans against him, waist drawn to his arm as they walk. There's bursts of energy and life in the cobblestone street corner. The narrow of it only serves to accentuate the graceful and old-style buildings framing its path
( ... )
The bursts of life in every corner of Paris, of life and love and hope are part of what drew him to it in the first place. It is a romantic city, and despite the fact that he has acted sick and nauseous at the sight of such things for most of his life, he truly is a romantic at heart, under those walls of darkness and anger and hate.
It was in this city that he first felt most at peace, and he should have known at that point that there was more to him than the anger and hate, but he thought that the feeling had been made entirely by the city.
He'd had no idea that he could find that peace again somewhere else because of her, because she opened his heart to that possibility of something more within himself. Not only within a city. Not only within her alone.
There is no one Robin wants to share this with. Romana would maybe be proud but not quite understand how he could fall for a wanderer of all people. His own mother... Well. Maybe his sister. His sister would find a lot of joy to know that he... that he has found happiness
( ... )
Robin isn't just a romantic. He's a romantic hobag, and that truly makes all the difference in the world. Rachel has never been one to give away easily to sentimentality. And falling in love with Robin has given her a new appreciation for it.
All of those things she never saw the point to, couldn't see herself doing, are things she now wants to do.
Things she has done and loved and wanted to do again. And Rachel knows it's been the same for him.
She nudges him with her shoulder, conceding to his point without making a fuss of the matter. He's right, of course. This is a once in a lifetime thing, but still. "What exactly are you implying?" she demands, a hand on her hip. "I plan on marrying only once myself, thank you very much
( ... )
Robin is the original romantic hobag, thank you very much, and he is proud to be so though he had always been only a hobag before he met her. She did change him in so many wonderful, amazing ways. There would be no way that he could ever list them all as much as he would like to be able to, to say thank you for each and every good thing that she has ever done for him and the many ways that she has changed him for the better.
The amazing part of all that is that he realizes he has changed her too... for the better. It is one thing to believe that a strong woman can change him (though he would never have believed how much she's changed him), but another entirely to think that he has done something so wonderful and amazing for someone else. If asked, he would always say and still believes that she has done so much more for him than he has ever done for her, but he recognizes that he has done a lot for her and that she has changed for the better because he loves her and she loves him. This is an absolute impossibility.... or it would
( ... )
It would be impossible to experience everything they have experienced and remain unchanged. Together and separately, they have gone through so much it would be impossible to condense into one sentence. The person that stepped into the Conrad hotel for the first time, making her way over to him is not exactly the same to the woman that stands beside him now, perusing wedding bands.
Rachel smiles at him a little, noticing his lack of focus. She places her lips on his cheek momentarily before she goes upstairs and has her girly moment slash glass case of emotion.
It would be impossible, and Robin is happy to have changed so much. He has discovered that life and living can make him happy, and he never thought that it could. He never thought that he could wake up in the morning with a sincere smile on his face that comes from something else, something other than the lingering rage and memories that could never leave him be do to what he isWho could live in the present when they are changed so painfully to the past? Rachel taught him how. She lead by example. She believed in him. She loved him, and he found that there must be something to believe in, something worth loving within himself if she found those things within him. Rachel made every moment that he was with her a joy
( ... )
There is a different light and air to the church, looking at it and knowing what it will become and what it is doing for them. When he passed it at a younger age, long before he met her, he had faltered there and waited in front of its steps for two minutes. As soon as he gained his senses, he scolded himself.
A church is only one more building with stone and glass and wood. Nothing to be drawn in by.
Now he understands. Now he knows exactly how a building can be more than stone and glass and wood. It can have meaning beyond those materials that make it up. The meaning is made by what happens inside and by the people who enter and exit through the doors.
He is excited and emotional but at such peace too. This feels right, and he can't quite get over how right it feels when so much in his life has been wrong, has felt disjointed and out of place and bad. This is good and right, and he even likes the damned priest and thinks the choirboy is adorable.
Honestly, he looks like he did as a child, not exactly but there's the blond
( ... )
It isn't strange, the fact there's no one else in the church but them and it doesn't feel empty. It's not empty. Their history, what's led them to this very place in this very moment, and everything they've become is there with them in the low-lit temple. She loves him and he loves her and that can be found within the church, as well. Rachel looks over the stained glass and the statues and the narrow aisle that leads to the altar, not wanting to miss an inch of it. She doesn't know if she'll ever be back here.
She doesn't know if she'll ever see this church again, and get to say, this is where I was married. It might be this one time and she wants to make it count. It meant something to Robin long before they met. For whatever reason, he stopped on his way to wherever he was going, and it made enough of an impression he's remembered it years later
( ... )
Taking one final deep breath, she steps outside the room with a steady calmness that is only eclipsed by that peaceful, happy feeling that is stronger than anything she can remember. She's still blocked by the arched entrance, but is noticed by the choirboy that does rather look like what she'd envisioned Robin as a small child.
The choirboy lifts up the small bouquet they've procured from her (from an earlier ceremony) with reddened cheeks while Rachel simultaneously leans down to pick it up. "Merci," she whispers with a deepened smile, wide enough to almost show a dimple on her left cheek.
Rachel runs a knuckle down the side of his face and his cheeks only seem to get redder. Then he's racing down the aisle to announce Rachel is ready. It isn't until he gives her the thumbs up that she appears.
Rachel, you're the most important person to me. It's you. It always will be. You deserve to be loved and to love. I've seen you, and I love all of it when you're crying, when you're making those tough decisions, when you're laughing, when
( ... )
Maybe their past year together as they have had a habit of reliving their past on this trip. Maybe they are talking about this past trip with the train ride to London, the chocolate, the river ride, and the movie in the park.
At some point in this walk, Robin stops. He leans against the railing that's near and pulls her in against him by the waist. Robin tightens his hold, leans in, and kisses her, pulling back with a smile. He is unaware of anything and anyone other than her. "You know, Rachel Dawes, before we can get married, we have to find a church."
It's meant to be an offhanded comment. Robin does not think that they will actually go looking for a church right now but as the idea forms in his mind, it feels right.
The time feels right. The place feels right. The ( ... )
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It was in this city that he first felt most at peace, and he should have known at that point that there was more to him than the anger and hate, but he thought that the feeling had been made entirely by the city.
He'd had no idea that he could find that peace again somewhere else because of her, because she opened his heart to that possibility of something more within himself. Not only within a city. Not only within her alone.
There is no one Robin wants to share this with. Romana would maybe be proud but not quite understand how he could fall for a wanderer of all people. His own mother... Well. Maybe his sister. His sister would find a lot of joy to know that he... that he has found happiness ( ... )
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All of those things she never saw the point to, couldn't see herself doing, are things she now wants to do.
Things she has done and loved and wanted to do again. And Rachel knows it's been the same for him.
She nudges him with her shoulder, conceding to his point without making a fuss of the matter. He's right, of course. This is a once in a lifetime thing, but still. "What exactly are you implying?" she demands, a hand on her hip. "I plan on marrying only once myself, thank you very much ( ... )
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The amazing part of all that is that he realizes he has changed her too... for the better. It is one thing to believe that a strong woman can change him (though he would never have believed how much she's changed him), but another entirely to think that he has done something so wonderful and amazing for someone else. If asked, he would always say and still believes that she has done so much more for him than he has ever done for her, but he recognizes that he has done a lot for her and that she has changed for the better because he loves her and she loves him. This is an absolute impossibility.... or it would ( ... )
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Rachel smiles at him a little, noticing his lack of focus. She places her lips on his cheek momentarily before she goes upstairs and has her girly moment slash glass case of emotion.
It isn't totally on a whim, mind you ( ... )
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A church is only one more building with stone and glass and wood. Nothing to be drawn in by.
Now he understands. Now he knows exactly how a building can be more than stone and glass and wood. It can have meaning beyond those materials that make it up. The meaning is made by what happens inside and by the people who enter and exit through the doors.
He is excited and emotional but at such peace too. This feels right, and he can't quite get over how right it feels when so much in his life has been wrong, has felt disjointed and out of place and bad. This is good and right, and he even likes the damned priest and thinks the choirboy is adorable.
Honestly, he looks like he did as a child, not exactly but there's the blond ( ... )
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She doesn't know if she'll ever see this church again, and get to say, this is where I was married. It might be this one time and she wants to make it count. It meant something to Robin long before they met. For whatever reason, he stopped on his way to wherever he was going, and it made enough of an impression he's remembered it years later ( ... )
Reply
The choirboy lifts up the small bouquet they've procured from her (from an earlier ceremony) with reddened cheeks while Rachel simultaneously leans down to pick it up. "Merci," she whispers with a deepened smile, wide enough to almost show a dimple on her left cheek.
Rachel runs a knuckle down the side of his face and his cheeks only seem to get redder. Then he's racing down the aisle to announce Rachel is ready. It isn't until he gives her the thumbs up that she appears.
Rachel, you're the most important person to me. It's you. It always will be. You deserve to be loved and to love. I've seen you, and I love all of it when you're crying, when you're making those tough decisions, when you're laughing, when ( ... )
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