No place I’d rather be

Haven was happy. There wasn’t any contingency attached to that, not tonight. Instead she was just genuinely happy. Tonight had been the first night where she felt like things had clicked. It had all made sense to her finally and she stopped feeling like she owed anyone anything. Her hard work was on her own shoulders and instead of a weight, tonight it felt comforting and warm. When Aiden had suggested they have a private celebration of their own, she felt a thrill.

After showering and changing into something a little less comfortable but very cute, she found him just outside the compound doors, waiting for her. Bounding over to him she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him with a smile on her face that radiated through her whole body.

”Hi!” She giggled out the word almost, her eyes shining with pride and excitement. Standing back on her heels but keeping her arms around him she met his gaze. Her happiness like a glow around her.

Aiden couldn’t help but grin as Haven bounded toward him, her energy infectious. The warmth in her eyes and the way she threw her arms around him made him chuckle softly as he wrapped his arms around her in return, steadying them both.

”Hi yourself,” he replied, his voice light with amusement as he met her gaze. ”You’re buzzing, huh? And you should be because you were incredible tonight. Everything we talked about, everything you’ve been working for, it’s all coming together.”

He stepped back slightly, still holding onto her arms, his smile widening as he took in the joy radiating off her.

”And for the record, that smile of yours? It’s the best thing I’ve seen all day. Now, let’s go celebrate properly, yeah? You earned it.”

”I’m feeling pretty great right now yeah! It felt like it all came together tonight you know? All of the hard work and all of the mental work… it clicked!” Even as she spoke that smile stayed on her face. Genuine delight at finally feeling like she had figured out her place at the academy.

Usually after a match she was critical and wanting to study the tapes from every angle for hours. But tonight? She truly wanted to celebrate and Aiden’s suggestion they celebrate just the two of them had only added to her happiness.

”Glad you’re a fan of this smile…” she was still beaming, even when she leaned up to kiss him with a soft warmth. ”Because you’re gonna be looking at it for a while!” Her eyes met his, her gaze locked in as she let his words wash over her. It meant more than the win to see him so proud of where she was and what she had done.

”Yes! Celebrations. We both get to enjoy this tonight.”

Aiden couldn’t stop the smile spreading across his face as she spoke, her energy lighting up the night. He gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his touch as soft as his voice.

”You deserve every second of this, Haven. Seeing you like this? It’s proof that all the hard work wasn’t for nothing. You’ve earned it and you’ve found your place.”

Her beaming expression drew a chuckle from him, especially when she kissed him again. He let his hands rest lightly on her waist, holding her close as his eyes locked with hers.

”And I’ll happily keep looking at that smile for as long as you’ll let me.”

He took a step back, gesturing toward the path ahead with a playful flourish.

”Now come on, let’s make this night about celebrating you. Just us, no pressure, no stress. You’ve got a lot to be proud of, and I’m just lucky I get to be here to see it and be a part of it. I’m so proud of you.”

She let her hands drop from around his neck and grabbed one of his in hers, fingers lacing intricately together before she stepped onto the path ahead, an exaggerated step at first thar drew another giggle from her.

”No pressure and no expectations, just us? I don’t think I’ve ever liked the sound of anything more!” As they fell into step together, that smile still on her face, she kept her head turned to look at Aiden as opposed to where they were going. ”I’m lucky to have found you, that we found each other. Nobody understands me like you do Aiden. Right from the very beginning you saw this in me.”

She felt so full of pride in herself, in what she was becoming and the path she was forging at the academy. Without having to sacrifice who she was or the respect she believed the people she shared a ring with deserved. At first she had been afraid to even believe she could go out there and do it. Sometimes those nerves raised back up, or the panic of trusting someone would try to take grip.

”Tonight just feels different in the best way. This whole week has been a journey and I didn’t expect to find what I have here…” she squeezed his hand with affection, the smile on her lips never wavering for even a second. ”You, Seven… Jensen, it really feels like I’ve found my family…”

Aiden felt her hand slip into his, their fingers intertwining naturally. Her exaggerated step made him laugh, shaking his head fondly as he fell into step beside her.

”No pressure, no expectations—just us,” he repeated with a soft smile, his gaze lingering on her as she looked at him instead of the path ahead. ”And for the record? I’m the lucky one, Haven. From the moment I saw you, I knew you were something special. I didn’t see potential, what I saw was certainty. You just needed the time to see it yourself.”

Her words brought a warmth to his chest, and he tightened his grip on her hand ever so slightly, as if to ground them both in the moment. He listened intently as she shared her thoughts, her voice brimming with pride and affection. When she mentioned finding her family, his expression softened even more.

”You deserve that, Haven. You deserve a family that’s got your back, no strings attached. That’s what Legion is, isn’t it? All of us, stronger together. Then you have people like Jenson and Seven. You have everything you need.”

He stopped walking for a moment, pulling her gently so she’d stop too. Turning to face her fully, he gave her hand another squeeze.

”And to add onto this whole family thing? Well, you’re stuck with all of us now. No take-backsies, alright!?”

She grinned even wider if that was even possible, his gentle pull having her turn to face him. She could see the pride in his stance, the warmth of his presence really just elevated the joy she was feeling, swinging his hand with hers just a little she nodded.

”We’re a family and I have no intention of going anywhere. Ever.” Her tone was warm and sincere, she had felt so accepted and supported by the team, especially the trainers and it had made her transition into wrestling that much easier. ”Don’t worry, no faction is gonna sneak in and steal me away!”

She laughed, her own joke amusing her as she squeezed his hand again, pushing up onto her tiptoes to meet his eyes with yet another smile.

”There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

Aiden’s grin widened, his expression softening as she spoke. Her words, filled with sincerity and warmth, hit him in a way that few things did. As she swung their hands, he gave hers a playful squeeze in return, leaning slightly closer when she stood on her tiptoes.

”Good,” he said, his tone gentle but firm. ”Because Legion and the Crucible in general wouldn’t be the same without you. And trust me, I’d fight off any faction that tried to steal you away! Not that they’d stand a chance.”

Her laughter brought another smile to his face, her joy as infectious as ever. He glanced down at their joined hands for a moment before looking back into her eyes, his voice dropping to a more serious, heartfelt tone.

”You belong here, Haven. With us, with me. And it’s not just because you’re a phenomenal wrestler but it’s because of you. The person you are, the heart you bring to this team. That’s irreplaceable.”

He paused for a beat, the corners of his mouth tugging into a small smile.

”There really is nowhere else you’re meant to be.”

She pressed her forehead to his, the things he said brought even more warmth to her. She hasn’t expected to find any of that she had found when coming here. She had set out to understand her mother better by doing something her mom loved, instead she had found a place where she belonged.
Something she never had before.

”I feel it.” She almost whispered her words, her eyes half closing as she just gave into the happiness and security she felt. ”Deep down, there’s always been this thing that was missing, no matter where I went or what I did, it just lingered and I used to think it was my mom…”

Haven finally leaned in to kiss him again, she let herself just fully surrender to the moment, her free hand on his shoulder as she smiled against his lips.

”But it was you, them. This. I never knew what it was like to feel like I belonged, but you’ve shown me what that is. I love you.”

Aiden closed his eyes as their foreheads touched, her soft words pulling at something deep within him. He held her closer, his free hand gently resting on her waist as she spoke. The vulnerability in her voice, the way she opened up about something so personal, made the moment feel even more profound. When she kissed him, he melted into it, his hand brushing against her back as if to steady them both in this shared happiness.

When she pulled back and spoke those final words— “I love you” —Aiden felt his chest tighten in the best way possible. He smiled against her lips, his voice soft and full of emotion as he responded.

”I love you too, Haven.”

He tilted his head slightly, his eyes searching hers as he spoke again, his tone steady but full of sincerity.

”You’re the best thing to happen to me since in forever. And this… everything we’ve built, it’s real. So damn real.”

He squeezed her hand gently, his gaze never leaving hers.

Touching her hand to his cheek, she inhaled softly and paused for a moment before she said what she had to say next.

”And… with family in mind, there’s one thing I want to do more than anything else to celebrate…”

Her next inhale was shaky, nervous as she smiled again. Her tender tone and gaze filled with love and joy filtered into her nervousness, easing it in a way she hadn’t been able to before.

”I wanna meet the boys… it doesn’t have to be now or tomorrow, whenever you’re ready. I just wanted you to know, that I’m ready.”

Aiden’s expression softened as she touched his cheek, her words sinking in with a weight that he hadn’t quite expected. The nervousness in her voice made his heart ache, but it was quickly replaced with warmth as he realized what she was saying. He brought his free hand up to gently cover hers on his cheek, holding it there as he smiled at her with a mix of gratitude and affection.

”You really mean that?” he asked softly, his voice almost catching in his throat. The vulnerability in her gaze, coupled with the love radiating from her, was something he couldn’t ignore.

He took a deep breath, his grip on her hand tightening slightly as he nodded, his own nerves starting to give way to excitement.

”I’d love for you to meet them, Haven. And they’d love you, I know they would. You’ve got this way about you, this kindness and light, that I know they’ll connect with. Whenever the time feels right for you, it’ll feel right for me too.”

He leaned forward, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead before resting his against hers again.

”Thank you for saying that, for wanting to be part of that side of my world. It means everything to me. You mean everything to me.”

She relaxed visibly and exhaled when he spoke, she had been nervous to mention it and to ask, not for any reason than she had wanted to wait. She wanted to be sure and she wanted it to be right; growing up without her mom, having her aunt take people in and out of her life, she knew how hard that had been. She didn’t want to be a part of the boys life if she didn’t plan on it being forever.

”I mean it… I know that’s a huge part of your life, your heart. It’s something so incredibly beautiful about you, how you light up when you talk about them, everything you have and will willingly sacrifice for them.” Her tone was so soft, so genuine and vulnerable as she spoke. ”That’s why I didn’t want to rush, I’d never want to do anything to hurt them.”

She leaned into their embrace, the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth pulling into a grin again, a soft and genuine grin.

”But I’m ready now and I want all of us to be the family that I’m building, that we’re building together…. And god I hope they like me because it might break my heart if they don’t!”

She said it in a sort of joking way, but there was a truth behind it and a nervousness that revealed it.

Aiden listened intently, his heart swelling with every word she spoke. The thoughtfulness, the care, the way she expressed herself? It was everything he’d hoped for but hadn’t dared to expect. He smiled softly as she leaned into him, wrapping his arms around her as if to shield her from any of the fears or doubts she might have.

”They’re going to adore you,” he said firmly, his voice steady and full of certainty. ”And not just because you’re amazing, but because they’ll see how much you care. Kids pick up on things like that, Haven. They know when someone’s real, and you? You’re as real as it gets.”

He paused, his smile softening into one that was somehow more tender as he brushed his thumb along her hand.

”I get why you wanted to wait, and I respect that. Honestly, it means a lot that you thought about them that much before even bringing this up. But I know now, more than ever, that you’re meant to be in their lives. And I’m not just saying that because I want it, you know? I’m saying it because it’s true.”

Her nervous laugh brought a small chuckle from him, and he tilted her chin up gently so their eyes met.

”And hey, if for some wild reason they don’t love you right away, then don’t worry because we’ve got time. Because I know you, Haven, and once they see the person I see? You’ll have two more fans cheering you on in no time.”

He leaned down, kissing her softly before pulling back with a smirk.

”But let’s be real… they’re going to love you. And if they don’t? I’ll bribe them with ice cream or something.”

She broke into a giggle at that, her eyes absolutely brimming with love and happiness. The whole night had gone exactly as she hoped, because for once she dared to hope. And it had paid off.

”Oh, well… ice cream is the ultimate bribe! Now I know they’ll love me for sure!” The giggle turned into that easy, genuine smile again as she closed her eyes again for just a moment. ”This, all of it, it’s perfect.”

Aiden chuckled softly, brushing a strand of her hair back as he looked into her eyes.

”It really is perfect, Haven. You, me, this moment—it’s everything.”

He squeezed her hand gently, his voice warm and full of certainty.

”And it’s only the beginning. Now where to next huh?”

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they began to walk.