One and Only, Forever and Always
L and I strolled towards the restaurant table hand in hand. I threw him a sideways glance and took in just how lucky I was to have him. Earlier he had told me that for this occasion, I had to change out of my usual t-shirt and jeans and I grudgingly agreed to do so as long as he did the same, and the result was flattering. Heads turned as we walked, admiring him with his shaggy black hair and suit and I with my long brown hair and blue dress.
We neared the table and L pulled out my chair. I smiled sweetly up at him and took my seat. He kissed the top of my head before pushing in my chair and slumping into the seat across from me.
"You look especially beautiful tonight," L said with a crooked grin.
I blushed and looked down at my napkin. Even after all this time, he could still make my cheeks turn red.
"Thank you," I replied. "And you look rather handsome."
"Well I would hope so," he countered mischievously. "After all, you did manage to get me out of that old t-shirt, in more ways than one, I might add."
I giggled and blushed even more at this. He could always make me laugh.
He picked up the menu, dangling it in front of him between his thumb and index finger in that quirky way of his, and stared at it thoughtfully for a few minutes with his thumbnail in his mouth before he spoke again.
"I'll be starting with the New York style cheesecake. What about you?"
Well, I had already known that he would be starting with dessert and I already knew that I would be as well.
"I think I'll try the plate of chocolate fudge."
L nodded thoughtfully as the waiter came to take our order. After we had ordered, L excused himself to the restroom, leaving me at the table deep in thought.
"It's kind of strange," I thought. "The way he's acting, like he's trying to be proper. His energy to."
It wasn't until the waiter brought our food to the table that I noticed that L had been gone for quiet a while. I pulled my phone out to text him, but he had beat me to it.
"Come outside." It read.
I sighed but obeyed his wishes and wound my way through the assortment of tables to the cold April air. The wind whipped my hair and bit at my ankles and he rain stung my eyes, but I didn't care, all I could see was the love of my life standing across the street, hair a mess, tie untied, jacket unbuttoned and feet bare, and it was just the way I loved him. The real him. He was looking up at the sky, as if he were trying to decide what was making the clouds cry. His face was blank and matted with stringy, wet hair as I ran over to him. I grabbed his hand from his side.
"What's the matter?"
"Hun," he said, "I have no idea how to do what I'm about to do but I'm going to do it anyways, because I love you. You're the only girl I've ever loved." A single tear escaped his eye and before I knew what he was doing, he was down on one knee, holding a beautiful silver ring out to me saying, "Will you be my one and only, forever and always? Will you stick with me, even when things get rough? Will you marry me?"
I burst into tears of joy and through gasps of surprise yelled, "Of course!"
He slid the ring onto my finger and stood. For a moment I looked into those deep, black eyes, those same eyes that had looked into mine with the stressful strain of long nights on the Kira case, that had been filled with relief at the capture of Kira, love when we first kissed and concern when he said he was retiring from solving cases to protect me. Then he leaned in and gently kissed my lips and we dissolved into the moment, into each other. Then I rested my head on his hunched shoulder and we held each other tight, swaying with the rhythm of the rain on the rooftops.
His lips brushed my ear and I heard him gently whisper, "I love you."