Title: I Like It So I'm About To Put A Ring On It (Hopefully It Doesn't Mind)
Characters/Pairings: America/England
Rating: K+
Summary: In which Plan A does not work out so America asks The Question in another, not-so-typical, circumstance (proposal fic)
Warning: shameless fluff
Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia.
America had it all planned out.
He had called in a reservation for Valentine's Day at this great Victorian-themed restaurant that served great food paired with equally-great wine and England's favorite tea too to cap it all off. He had ordered roses, bouquets of them, because he knew England loved roses (though he would never admit it in front of France) and even had this amazing rose garden at the back of his house. America even hired a string quartet to play romantic tunes throughout the candlelit dinner. And of course he had the ring: a simple golden band, nothing too flashy or gaudy, beautifully perfect in its own simple way. He wasn't so sure yet though how he was going to ask the Question but he had figured it'd just flow when the time came.
It was all planned out. Except for the fact that England called in the evening of the 13th, apologizing profusely that he couldn't make it on Valentine's Day after all because he was swamped with work. And well, America forgave him because it wasn't England's fault at all that his boss didn't seem to take into consideration that England, grumpy old man that he was, also had a love life and was terribly needed by his boyfriend across the Atlantic for Valentine's Day.
And so America did the next best thing. He flew across the Atlantic.
And well, he really didn't regret having to scrap his Plan A, however romantic it was, because he had exchanged it for an equally romantic candlelit dinner of burgers and fish and chips (that fortunately England did not cook though he insisted that didn't mean he hadn't put much effort into it) paired with wine. And it meant that he could enjoy a meaningful conversation with England afterwards about simple trivialities and life in general peppered with playful teasing and sarcastic taunts over slices of chocolate cake and mugs of tea and coffee.
And the ring was still in America's jeans pocket and he still didn't know when he'd ask the Question. He'll just figure it out later, he guessed.
"Wait here." England told America as he stood up and cleared the table. "I'll just wash the dishes."
Except America didn't like being left alone on the dining table and so he stood up and followed England to the kitchen.
Now England's kitchen was just plain beautiful in America's eyes. Maybe it's because even if England's kitchen was equipped with modern appliances, it was furnished and had a feel of a homey cottage, with bricks and all. And just above the sink is this cottage-type window overlooking the amazing rose garden at the back. Just beautiful.
And England stood by this sink, washing the dishes and there was this huge mound of soap bubbles in his sink and several of these bubbles had started to float around him. And England, standing in the middle of all that in just a sweater and worn-out leggings and an apron over this whole ensemble, was humming a tune softly, a small smile playing on his lips. And America thought this scene made everything else even lovelier.
America approached England and wrapped his arms around England's waist. He could see England's smile growing slightly bigger and softer. England traced a finger on America's jaw line gently, leaving behind a trail of soap suds along it. And America laughed and nuzzled against England's hair. It smelled like honey and mint and mixed with the lemon scent of the dishwashing liquid and well, if America could bottle up this scent and take it anywhere he went, he would because it smelled good and comforting and like so many happy memories.
America took England's hand, the hand with the finger that traced his jaw line and squeezed it softly.
"Your hands are very pretty." He murmured in England's ear.
"Pretty ugly you mean." England replied wryly.
"No. Just pretty." Or pretty bare, America thought.
And that was when America knew it was time to ask the Question.
Because who needed a string quartet when he had England softly humming a tune? Who needed bouquets of roses when they had a rose garden right outside the window? Who needed anything more when he had England here, in his arms?
"What made me love thee? Let that persuade thee there's something extraordinary in thee." America whispered, or more like breathed, in England's ear. "I cannot: but I love thee; none
but thee. And there's nothing more that I'd desire in the world than to marry thee."
England turned around so sharply that America had to let him go. England stared at him, his face completely flushed red, and he opened his mouth as if to say something but closed it just as quickly. He repeated this movement several times.
America could feel his throat tighten; he swallowed. He hoped this wasn't a sign of bad things to come (like a rejection, god forbid!).
Finally England managed to say: "I didn't know you read Shakespeare."
"O-oh yes I do." America said, trying to sound all casual and cheery but he was just too jittery. "I actually like the dude a lot. I've just recently read-"
But whatever it was America had recently read England would never find out and he probably didn't care anyways, not at the moment. Because then, England jumped forward and caught America in a fierce passionate kiss.
And soon England had his fingers tangled up in America's hair and America had his arms back around England's waist and he kissed England back with just as much ferocity, a lot of it in fact, that he lifted England an inch or two above the floor.
"Does this mean a yes?" America whispered as soon as they pulled away, breathless.
"What do you think, you git?" England whispered back. "Though I was wondering, you do have a ring with you, do you? Just to make everything proper of course."
"O-oh, of course!" And America fumbled in his jeans pocket, fished out the simple golden ring and slipped it in England's finger.
And then he kissed England again and England kissed him back and before he could muster a protest, America carried him up suddenly, bridal-style.
"Y-you git!" England spluttered out, burning bright red. "Put me down this instant! I still have dishes to do."
"Oh we can do that later." America replied with a cheeky grin. "Together."
And America knew it wasn't only the dishes that they'd be doing together. For they had a whole eternity ahead of them. Together.
End
End Note:
The line America quotes is from The Merry Wives of Windsor by Shakespeare. Original quote is: "What made me love thee? Let that persuade thee, there's something extraordinary in thee. I cannot: but I love thee; none but thee; and thou deservest it."