Ours
By angellwings
A/N: For La Paige's challenge. This is prompt #57: Proposal. Enjoy!
Caitlyn smiled as she woke up next to Jason. This certainly wasn't this first morning she'd woken up next to Jason, but she never ceased to enjoy it. Especially when she was snuggled into his chest like she was now. She felt a hand tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and looked up to see Jason smiling warmly at her.
"Good morning."
"Morning," Caitlyn said with a yawn.
"So, is this a breakfast on the go morning or a breakfast in bed morning?" Jason asked curiously.
Caitlyn squinted and tried to remember her schedule. "Um, breakfast in bed. I don't remember any appointments."
"Pancakes and bacon it is then," Jason said as he kissed her forehead and got out of bed. Caitlyn let out a whine as he moved, and the cold air filled in his space.
"Now, I'm cold."
"Would you like to eat or stay warm?" Jason asked with a chuckle as he pulled on a shirt and a pair of pajama pants over his boxers.
Caitlyn stuck out her bottom lip. "Both."
"One or the other, Caity."
"Fine, eating. I choose eating."
He laughed and nodded. "I'll be back with breakfast. You just stay there and pull the covers up to your chin if you're really that cold." He tossed her the television remote and winked before leaving the room.
She stared after him in a swooning daze for a moment before sighing contentedly and turning on the television. Caitlyn flipped through the channels before stopping on The Today Show. It was something mindless that Caitlyn could have on while she thought. She didn't feel that she had to pay attention to it.
Caitlyn hummed happily as she stretched under the covers. Jason phone buzzed from its spot on his nightstand and Caitlyn stared at it hesitantly. She checked to see if it was an actual call or a text.
It was a text. Caitlyn usually didn't read Jason's texts, but it was from Mitchie. She didn't think it would be that big of a deal.
"So? Did you ask her yet? What did she say? Details, Jase!"
Her who? Ask what?
Caitlyn's brow furrowed and she forced herself to pull back the covers and stand up. She put on a pair of pajama pants and unplugged Jason's phone from the charger. She borrowed a pair of Jason's socks and padded into the kitchen. The smell of the bacon was driving her crazy. She was starving.
He heard her footfalls and turned around.
"I thought I told you stay in bed?" Jason asked with a grin.
Caitlyn smiled and shrugged. "You got a text from Mitchie."
She set his phone down on the counter and he quickly picked it up. His eyes widened as he read the message. He shifted them to Caitlyn. "Did you read this?"
"Yes," Caitlyn admitted honestly. "What were you supposed ask? And to who?"
Jason sighed. "I was supposed to ask you something, but I—I chickened out."
She quirked a brow. "Oh really? Why'd you chicken out?"
"Last night at the restaurant you said something that made me nervous, and I decided to come up with something else."
Her brow furrowed. "What did I say?"
"If I tell you that you'll know what I was going to ask, and then…well I want it to be perfect when I finally do ask," Jason told her as he turned back to the stove and turned the bacon over.
Caitlyn jumped up to sit on the counter next to the stove and tried to think back to what Jason was talking about. Nothing really exciting happened at dinner. This one guy did propose to his girlfriend…
Oh! Caitlyn's eyes widened.
The guy had put the ring in the cake and then when the girl found it he made a big production of the proposal. He announced it to the room, got their attention, and then made this huge pompous speech.
And Caitlyn had scoffed. She hadn't meant to pass judgment on a guy she didn't know, but she couldn't resist telling Jason what she thought.
"That guy seems to be overcompensating for something. I don't know what, but he seems so concerned with everyone hearing him that I'm wondering if he really means that proposal. And a ring in the cake? Come on, that's lame. What if she'd swallowed it? Then where would they be?"
She gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. "Jason, were you…were you going to propose?"
He pretended like he didn't hear her and kept his focus on the food, but Caitlyn caught his blush.
"Jason…"
"Are in the mood for crunchy bacon or extra crunchy bacon?"
"Surprise me. Jason, were you going to propose last night?"
"Crunchy it is then. Onto the pancakes," Jason said as he ignored her last question and placed the bacon on a platter.
She waited for an answer as he mixed the batter and glared at him when she realized that he thought the conversation was over. "Talk to me, Jase."
He sighed placed the bowl down on the counter. "Caitlyn, I don't want to talk about this right now."
"I couldn't tell. It's not like you were desperately trying to avoid the subject or anything," She snapped sarcastically. Her shoulders sagged and her attitude deflated before she spoke up softly. "Just tell me one thing, did you chicken out or…change your mind?"
She looked down at her hands once the question left her lips. She knew it was ridiculous, and she shouldn't doubt that Jason loved her. She didn't doubt that he loved her, actually. Not really. What she doubted was whether or not he would want to marry her. She was sarcastic, snippy, and even mean on occasion. And Jason was just so…nice. Would they survive marriage? Would they be able to take being together for the rest of their lives?
Jason moved to stand in front of where she was sitting on the counter. She didn't look up at him. She was a little embarrassed about her question, and about her new insecurity. She felt ashamed of it like she was saying Jason didn't care about her enough when, really, she was saying the opposite. Maybe she didn't show him she cared about him enough.
His callused hand cupped her chin and tilted her head upward so she would be forced to look at him.
"I will never change my mind about that. I love you, Caity. I want to be with you for the rest of our lives. I will always feel that way."
"But you backed out of—"
"I backed out because I realized the way I was going to ask wasn't exactly what you'd like. I was so concerned with making the proposal—"
"Ah-ha! So you were going to propose!" Caitlyn said with a soft smirk.
He chuckled. "Yes, I was going to. But I was so concerned with making it an 'event' that I didn't really think about you. I didn't factor your personality into it at all. I went about it all wrong. I want it to be perfect for us. That's why I chickened out."
"So, it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm mean and horrible and completely ruined last night?" Caitlyn asked with a sigh.
Jason chuckled. "You're not mean and horrible. You're honest."
"But I can be a little too honest, can't I? I just can't tell in the moment what's honest and what's…cruel—"
"And that's why I'm here," Jason said with a smirk. "To help you figure that out. I like that you need me to keep your wit in check. It makes me feel better about needing you to keep me focused. It's a good trade, don't you think?"
She smiled brightly at him. "That is true."
"Don't worry, babe. I will ask. I just want to figure out what you would like first—"
"I like this, Jase."
He blinked at her. "What?"
"Enough of our time is shared with other people. If you're going to propose then I'd want it to be something just between the two of us. Something that was ours, you know? I don't want pictures of it plastered all over the internet or in the gossip magazines. I want it to be something for only us," Caitlyn admitted as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Is that okay?"
His arms went around her waist and he smiled. "Of course that's okay. As a matter of fact I think that sounds pretty perfect too."
"I don't mind sharing you with your fans and the rest of the world most of the time. I get it, but for a moment like that…I want to be selfish," Caitlyn said with a grin.
He nodded and chuckled at her. "I'd say you deserve to be a little selfish. I'm all for it."
"So, are you gonna ask me now or what?" Caitlyn asked with a triumphant smirk.
"Oh no, not now. I still want it to be a surprise."
She smacked his arm. "Ja-son!"
He laughed softly. "Wha-at?"
"That's not fair! I'm totally anticipating it now! It's going to drive me crazy!"
"Then that will make your reaction even better," Jason told her as he placed a quick kiss on her lips and pulled himself out of her arms.
Caitlyn's jaw dropped and she watched in shock as he went back to making the pancakes. She glared at him and grumbled as she hoped down from the counter. "I'm going back to bed."
"I'll be up with breakfast in a bit," He told her with a smirk.
She crossed her arms over her chest and he winked at her when he saw her lips form a pout.
"I was wrong. You're the mean one. Not me," Caitlyn told him with a sigh as she turned and stomped back to the bedroom.
Jason laughed as he listened to her heavy footsteps. "You love me and you know it."
"Don't remind me!"
Once he was sure Caitlyn was gone, Jason walked over to wear his jacket was hanging by the door and pulled out a small black ring box. He smiled and slipped it into the pocket of his pajama pants. He returned to the kitchen and picked up his phone that lay forgotten on the counter.
He quickly typed out a response to Mitchie.
"Not yet. But I will."
He'd finished with the pancakes and was almost done setting up Caitlyn's tray when he got a response from Mitchie.
"When?"
He placed the ring box on Caitlyn's tray and grinned to himself. He sent one last response to Mitchie before he turned his phone off and placed it in his pocket.
"Now."
