Whether it was his own will subsiding and putting his trust in Vera's hands or if he was tired of the hardships of the past several days, Shay did not resist or ponder Vera grasping him by the chin, he accepted that what he might here might now be what he wanted or needed. He just wanted Vera to understand, the consequences be damned.

As she spoke, his heart melted, and a part of him was surprised when she took him into her arms, bridging the chasm that had grown between them. He found himself returning the gesture, taking in her now familiar scent and the contours of her back, a solid presence that he'd grown to need. Her words flowed out, emotional and pain intertwined, and the acknowledgement of what he had endured cemented something crucial; she understood. It was never his place to ask people carry his burdens or be dragged into a lifetime of troubles, but here Vera was, willing to try. 

[i]I will love you no matter what, because I love you for who you are, not what you are.[/i]

And in a single utterance, the only thing Shay ever wanted to hear in his entire life came to pass. Vera leaned up to kiss him, a ginger, affectionate gesture that was tinged with hesitation, as if she were afraid of what would follow. Shay reached up, cupping Vera's cool weather-kissed cheek in a gloved hand bringing himself close to her to fully embrace her gesture. Time seemed to stop for a moment, and like the first time they had kissed, Shay could not imagine spending his life with anyone else. Here they stood in the gentle London snow, flawed and troubled in their own ways, but in each other found a refuge. It was something that transcended words, and for the first time that day, a genuine smile crossed his lips, softening his features. His eyes sparkled in the streetlight, welling up with suppressed emotions that thawed like the winter's ice in spring. "I love you, Vera Addley. I should have stood by you when you needed me most, I shut you out when you tried to reach out. It's a shame I won't live down, but I swear to you, by God's name, I will never leave you again. Now and forever, I'm yours, if you'll have me."