A Gray Llove

Eight years later...

Lloyd held tight to Sasha's hand as he stepped beyond the grounds of the Royal Croatian Hospital for the first time. She had brought him a tailored navy polo to wear, and he had all too gladly shucked off scrubs in favor of his old uniform. He hadn't worn a polo since the medics had stripped a bloody white ruin from his torso the night he was brought into the facility.

The national paparazzi clustered around the end of the sidewalk and snapped photo after photo of the famous criminal emerging from his treatment. It was a lot to endure after spending most of his time in a quiet, relatively calm environment. But while the journalists and their photographers were loud and annoying, Lloyd kept himself calm as he regarded them. They were tolerable. Just people. He didn't think about lashing out at a single one of them, as perhaps the Lloyd of eight years ago would have. 

Sasha looked amazing. She had come for him exactly at the hour when his sentence was up and his supervisors had released him. Her face hadn't been particularly happy or particularly angry. Simply present. Her eyes were present. No sign of a blank to be found. Now outside, Lloyd ducked his head and relied on her firm grip to guide him through the crowd of reporters and cameras, keeping his mouth shut as she trusted him to do.

Eight years after everything, Sasha finally trusted him again. After the therapy, the exercises, everything Lloyd had done to work on himself, it was that thought that truly made him feel good.

And stay good.

Soon he heard the click-clunk of a car door opening in front of him, and followed Sasha again to slide into the back seat of a luxury sports utility vehicle. The door behind him shut, the car engine warmed up, and Lloyd watched the paparazzi and the hospital quickly race away from his window.

A glance at the front seat revealed a smartly-dressed officer in an ornamented navy suit and a brimmed cap driving the SUV with two white-gloved hands. Lloyd counted a second of that sort sitting in the front passenger seat. Sasha's ride came with a driver and an escort – he had heard that she had obtained a high position in the royal family's security unit, and this entourage certainly proved it.

Falling into an old habit, Lloyd leaned sideways to see around the side of the seat, checking if the second guard was armed. He was. Lloyd thought he might be able to understand why. Seeing the gun actually made him nervous now, as if the ghost of his old self would re-inhabit his body at any second and make a dive for it.

At that moment, Sasha reached over and rested her hand on his in the middle of the back seat. "It's good to see you, Lloyd," she said quietly. Her hand covered his three remaining fingers like mist, light and cool.

Lloyd eagerly turned towards her, forgetting the guard and the gun completely. A bright feeling rose in his chest. "I can't believe it's you."

Sasha lifted a hand in the direction of his chest, her light brown eyes pinning down the spot where he had been shot, all those years ago — then Lloyd saw her become aware of the action and freeze in place. "Sorry. I've got to say, you look...much better than the last time I saw you."

As her hand dropped, Lloyd reached out and caught it. Nodding gently at her, he gingerly brought her fingers to a spot just under his heart, a scarred area hidden by his navy blue polo. "It's here."

Sasha's hand on his chest felt like purifying fire. Lloyd thought he must not have been breathing as she moved towards him across the back seat and took up his other hand, swinging it slightly in a familiar grip. "Lloyd, I don't know what your plans are after this, but I just wanted to say...I'm so glad you decided to try again." Sasha swallowed visibly and Lloyd thought her eyes got a bit glossier than usual as if she was choked up by the sight of him. Her words were as impressive and far away from Lloyd as the trappings of her high-flying job. But could he possibly be making her proud? Had she ever missed him?

Her comment about his plans after release caused Lloyd to realize that – he had made no plans. No plans except be better for Sasha. But maybe she didn't want him anymore. He wouldn't have blamed her for moving on. Lloyd realized that, while they were in the car together now, before she went back to her job and he went off to look for some job that didn't care about his background in mercenary work, he needed to find out if he had any chance at all of earning her love again. He couldn't factor in her blanking out to give him multiple tries at this. He needed to get his words right the first time and let her know he was sincere. This was...new for Lloyd. But he would try hardest of all for this.

"Sasha," he began – and suddenly he couldn't think, he just spoke. "The only plan I've had is to see you again. I'll do anything. I'll join the security detail, if you'll have me. You got me to try life again..." Lloyd held her hand a bit tighter and hoped he wasn't scaring her off as he finished, "and I really wish we could try again, too."

He watched as Sasha's light brown eyes glittered at him in thought...then she gave him an unexpected smirk. "That sounds like a line."

Lloyd closed his eyes and grinned self-consciously, nodding again. "It wasn't, but it does. Want me to try again?"

His heart stopped as Sasha picked up his hand, still entwined with hers, and kissed it slowly. Her eyes were serious and intent only on him as they stared at him over the tops of their knuckles. "I do."

Reading her eyes, Lloyd dipped his head forward and pressed his lips against her cheek, just lightly. "Is this better?" he whispered.

"I think you're probably going for something more like this," Sasha breathed, wrapping her arms around his neck and finally – finally – kissing Lloyd straight on the lips.

Lloyd smiled and nodded, moving forward and happily trying his best as Sasha's chauffeur brought them out of the hospital grounds and through the beautiful green forest roads and glassy lake drives of Croatia.

***THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!!! I'm so so happy and grateful that you have read this work and followed this project. Don't forget to leave a note when you finish to let me know what you think of this AU for The Gray Man. ;) XD Have a wonderful rest of your day!***