Tom settled back comfortably after pouring his own glass of wine, smirking and shifting to accomodate Rachel as she tucked her feet under his leg.
"Sounds real cute." he remarked, taking a swallow of his wine. He kind of wished it were something stronger...it was a hell of a thing, being nervous about something he wanted, something that he was so damn *certain* of.
The only thing that was uncertain was her answer to the question. And that was what he was scared of.
"But, uh...cliche is good, though. Or can be." he went on, taking one more sip before setting his glass on the coffee table, discreetly reaching into his pocket at the same time. The motion made him feel oddly calmer...not much, but a little. It felt right...here and now.
It was perfect.
"Cliche ain't always cliche, sometimes it's cute." He went on. "Stuff like that...getting permission from the parents, buying the ring, asking in some hokey romantic setting..."
Pulling the ring from his pocket, he toyed with it for a moment before shifting to face her, letting the ring come into view.
"...or giving your girl your mother's ring."
He didn't wait for a reaction, only shifted off the sofa and sank to one knee in front of her.
"I had this whole thing." he began, all of his nerves disappearing, even though his words were just a little rushed. "The small box under the tree, it's empty...I was gonna show you the ring and tell you I was ready, even if you weren't...that I could wait. But I can't...I can't wait." He paused, meeting her gaze...searching for words he'd prepared in his mind, but were now totally gone.
All he had left was the truth.
"I can't wait, because there's only one thing I want for Christmas, Rach...and that's you. Forever." He paused, shaking his head just a little, his eyes never leaving hers as he reached for her hand.
"I can do a long engagement, I can keep it quiet for a while if you want...I can do this however you want if you say 'yes'...and I *want* you to say 'yes.' I'm starting to think it's the only thing I've ever *really* wanted in my whole life."
He swallowed hard, licking his lips nervously. "You've worked with me, slept with me...lived with me on all the weekends you've stayed over here...and you've saved my life in more ways than one. Makes sense for you to share it with me, too...at least it does to me. Marry me, Rachel...please?"
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"Sounds real cute." he remarked, taking a swallow of his wine. He kind of wished it were something stronger...it was a hell of a thing, being nervous about something he wanted, something that he was so damn *certain* of.
The only thing that was uncertain was her answer to the question. And that was what he was scared of.
"But, uh...cliche is good, though. Or can be." he went on, taking one more sip before setting his glass on the coffee table, discreetly reaching into his pocket at the same time. The motion made him feel oddly calmer...not much, but a little. It felt right...here and now.
It was perfect.
"Cliche ain't always cliche, sometimes it's cute." He went on. "Stuff like that...getting permission from the parents, buying the ring, asking in some hokey romantic setting..."
Pulling the ring from his pocket, he toyed with it for a moment before shifting to face her, letting the ring come into view.
"...or giving your girl your mother's ring."
He didn't wait for a reaction, only shifted off the sofa and sank to one knee in front of her.
"I had this whole thing." he began, all of his nerves disappearing, even though his words were just a little rushed. "The small box under the tree, it's empty...I was gonna show you the ring and tell you I was ready, even if you weren't...that I could wait. But I can't...I can't wait." He paused, meeting her gaze...searching for words he'd prepared in his mind, but were now totally gone.
All he had left was the truth.
"I can't wait, because there's only one thing I want for Christmas, Rach...and that's you. Forever." He paused, shaking his head just a little, his eyes never leaving hers as he reached for her hand.
"I can do a long engagement, I can keep it quiet for a while if you want...I can do this however you want if you say 'yes'...and I *want* you to say 'yes.' I'm starting to think it's the only thing I've ever *really* wanted in my whole life."
He swallowed hard, licking his lips nervously. "You've worked with me, slept with me...lived with me on all the weekends you've stayed over here...and you've saved my life in more ways than one. Makes sense for you to share it with me, too...at least it does to me. Marry me, Rachel...please?"