Okay, so this is a little one shot that I came up with. I hope you all like it!
A/N: It takes place two years after Eli graduates college, so he is about 24, and Clare is about 23.
Anyways, enjoy!
I got out of work an hour later than I planned. I was a journalist, even though that wasn't really what I wanted to be doing. It was just my day job. I planned on being a writer, but I hadn't found a publisher that would take my first novel yet. I needed to do something to get by, and a novelist wasn't always the best profession in the money department, especially when I wasn't even published yet.
As I walked out of the building to my car, I called Clare and let her know that I was going to be late. We were going to have our weekly joke night. One night every week, we would get together in either my apartment or hers, eat take-out, watch a movie, and tell each other all the corny jokes we found that week. The person with the best jokes "won." It started my freshman year in college when she came to visit me one night. We were planning on going out for a night in the town, just walking around and talking, but it ended up raining, so we had to stay in my dorm, order in and watch a movie. At some point in the night, she told me a stupid joke she had heard that day, and before we knew it, we were just telling each other every single corny joke we knew. And somehow, joke night became a tradition that had so far lasted 6 years. But tonight it was going to be different from the rest of them, and I was just hoping it would go the way I planned it to.
I stepped into my car, and thought about what I had to do. I needed to go to my apartment, and change, and then pick up the food and the movie. Yes, Clare and I lived separately. We wanted to move in with each other, but in order for me to stay on her mom's good side, we got separate apartments after leaving college. Unless we wanted her mom to hate me even more, we weren't moving in together until we got married.
After doing everything I needed to, I made my way to Clare's. I parked the car in the parking garage and went up to her apartment. I knocked on her door, and she quickly opened the door, with a smile spread across her face.
I knocked on the door to Clare's apartment. You'd think after being together since high school, through college, and now with our own jobs, we'd have our own place together.
I knew that Clare always looked forward to corny joke night. She said that they were always the best dates they had. She said it was something about it only being us two laughing and joking around that made it so much fun. And I saw it in her every time. She was always so happy and carefree.
"You ready?" I asked her, walking into her small apartment. I set the food down on the coffee table in the living room and turn to look at her.
"I'm going to destroy you tonight," I said, flashing her a smirk.
"Are you sure about that?" she questioned.
"Yes, I'm sure. It's almost as if you shouldn't even try to beat me," I joked.
"I will though," she stated.
"I know you will," I told her, with a smile. "Come here," I said to her. She stepped forward, and I pulled her into a tight hug.
"How was work?" I asked, resting my chin on the top of her head, as she rested her head on my cest.
"Long. And exhausting," I said. "What about you?"
"Tiring. Hey," I began, pulling away from the hug, "what happened to the boy who drank 8 cokes?" I asked. Clare rolled her eyes.
"What?"
"He burped 7-Up," I said, smirking. She let out an adorable giggle.
"What happens to a grape when and elephant steps on it?" She asked me.
"I don't know, what?"
"It's let's out a little wine," she said. I shook my head.
"Okay, two snowmen are talking, and one of them says 'Funny, I smell carrots too.'" I said.
"Why don't aliens eat clowns? Because they taste funny," she said, with a giggle. We began walking towards the couch, and I sat down, taking out the food, while Clare placed the movie into the DVD player.
"What do you call a deer with no eyes?" I asked, "No I-deer!" She let out an adorable giggle, as she sat next to me on the couch, curling herself up to me. She rested her head on my shoulder, and I placed my arm around her. It was going to be a perfect night. Or it was at least going to be unforgettable, whether it ended the way I wanted or not.
"Why are ET's eyes so big?" she asked me, smiling. I shook my head, telling her I didn't know. "Because he saw his phone bill."
"What do you call a mermaids underwear?" I asked.
"Eli," she said, giving me a look.
"Relax, its not that inappropriate," I assured her.
"Okay, fine. What?"
"Algebra," I answered. She laughed. I just stared at her. She was gorgeous, even though she was in a t-shirt and flannel pajama pants, with no make up, but that's the way I liked her best: Natural. She must have noticed me staring.
"What?" she said, lightly blushing.
"Nothing," I said. "You're just beautiful."
"Stop," she said.
"No," I teased, then placed a soft kiss on her lips.
"Your turn," I said.
After two hours of non-stop jokes and eating, we saw the credits of the movie rolling.
It's now of never, I thought to myself.
"Okay, final round, Clare," I said with a smirk, "Go."
"You sure you don't want to go first?" she asked, flashing her own smirk my way.
"I'm sure," I told her.
"If you say so," she said, "Why wouldn't the energizer bunny come out of the bathroom?" she paused to raise her eyebrow, "Because he kept going and going and going." I let out a slight chuckle.
"Your turn," she said, raising her eyebrow back up. I balled my hands into fists to try and prevent them form shaking. Damn, I was nervous.
"You think you got this in the bag, don't you?" I joked.
"Oh, I know I do," she joked.
"You're doing pretty good tonight, but my finale will blow you away," I told her.
"Okay, then," she said, "Go for it." I inhaled deeply.
"Knock, Knock," I began. I can't believe I'm actually going through this, I thought.
"Who's there?" she sang.
"Marry," I said. I couldn't even look at her I was so nervous.
"Marry who?" she asked.
"Marry me," I said, looking deep in her eyes.
"Seriously?" she asked in shock. My heart was pounding through my chest.
"Seriously." She leaned forward, and took my face in her hands, and looked me dead in the eye. I could feel her warm breath tickle my lips. And despite her being only a few centimeters from my face, I could still see her blushing lightly.
"Yes," she said breathlessly. I saw her bite her bottom lip out of the corner of my eye. But all I could think about was the way that she was looking me in the eyes. It was pure love.
"The ring's in my jacket pocket," I whispered to her.
"I don't care," she whispered back, then kissed me passionately.
I hope you all like it! Review with your thoughts! I love hearing them!
~Andy