in honor of ms. téa "i like the bed scenes" leoni, this is just some fluff in a bed. title from ring on every finger by locash. as always, let me know what you think!
Prompt: When Henry proposed to Elizabeth, he was practicing saying the words out loud because he thought she was sleeping. She wasn't.
He'd been prepared.
He had a plan.
He bought the ring a few weeks ago, in the middle of their first round of midterms, telling her he had to stay on campus late for a meeting. He felt bad for lying to her, but he was sure she'd forgive him, and it was currently hidden in his backpack, because that was the only place he could think to put it where she wouldn't accidentally find it. He was just waiting for the right time, which according to his plan, was next weekend.
When it happens, though, it happens on accident, but it's really his own fault.
He was sure she was asleep.
She should've been asleep, really, because it was 2:30 in the morning and she had an early class and she'd collapsed on the bed an hour ago from exhaustion. She was curled up facing away from him, gripping the blanket like she sometimes did in her sleep.
Or so he thought.
He's lying on the bed next to her practicing his speech under his breath, trying not to wake her, just to make sure it sounds right when he says it out loud, and he gets to the six most important words he's said in his life up to this point.
Elizabeth Adams, will you marry me?
He feels a rush when he says it out loud for the first time, and it just feels right.
He's taking a deep breath to start his speech over, preoccupied with his own thoughts, when she rolls over and grabs his arm.
"You want to marry me?"
Henry freezes, startled. "You heard that? I thought you were asleep,"
"I couldn't fall asleep, but I was too tired to do anything about it and then you were saying lots of nice things about me and I figured…" she trails off, pushing up on her elbow so she can look at him in the dim light of the bedroom.
Henry sighs. "It was supposed to be a surprise. I was going to wait until finals were over or until we were less busy and stressed and take you out for dinner and then ice cream and maybe a walk in that park downtown depending on the weather, you know the one, the one that we almost got kicked out of that one time?" She nods, smiling at the memory. "And then I had a whole speech planned, and I was going to get down on one knee and ask you to marry me, because I love you and I want to-"
"Yes."
He stops. "What?"
"Yes, I'll marry you, Henry."
"B-but I had all these plans, and I wanted it to be special. You deserve a real proposal, and I even have a ring, I was just waiting..."
"Waiting for what?"
"I...I don't know, the right time, I think, over break was my idea, but…"
"I don't care about any of that stuff, like the fancy dinner or the park or even the ring. I just… I want to be with you, no matter where we are or what we're doing, I want to do it together, and that's why I want to marry you."
He smiles. "I love you so damn much, Elizabeth." He leans over to kiss her, taking her face in his hands.
They pull apart to take a breath and he sees her blinding smile in the dark and knows he's wearing a matching one. He lets go of her hand and sits up, climbing out of bed.
"Where are you going?"
"I really did have a ring for you, but seeing as my plan didn't really happen, I want to give it to you now, if you want?" She nods with as much enthusiasm as she can muster in the middle of the night.
He walks back over to the bed and kneels next to it, resting the hand holding the ring box on the mattress in front of him.
"I already said yes, you know."
"I still want to do this part, so, will you marry me, Elizabeth?"
She sighs. "Yeah, I will, now let me see my ring!"
He laughs, standing up and getting back into bed next to her and handing her the velvet box. She opens it and gasps. "Henry…"
"We can go back if you don't like it, I thought…"
"It's perfect, I love it."
He pulls the ring from the box and takes her left hand, sliding the ring on her finger. "Wow."
"You did good, babe, I love you so much."
He kisses her softly, pulling away after a moment. "I love you, too, and as much as I would love to celebrate this, you have to be up for your test in-" he glances at the clock on his nightstand-"four hours, so we should go to bed for real this time."
She hums, snuggling into his side and pulling his arms around her waist. "Hmm, love you, can't wait to marry you," she mumbles, exhaustion evident in her voice.
He kisses her temple. "I love you too, beautiful, go to sleep, can't wait to marry you." He can already feel her relaxing against him and he knows she's really asleep this time.
They celebrate the next day after her last class, as he promised, with champagne and ice cream and he almost can't believe he gets to marry this beautiful, brilliant woman in front of him. They're tangled together under the sheets that night, lying in the dark on the edge of sleep when he mumbles, "love you, can't wait to marry you," low in her ear.
She laughs. "You said that last night."
"Did I? It's still true," he says, nibbling on her earlobe.
Elizabeth rolls her eyes. "Is that going to become an every night thing?"
He pretends to consider her question. "Hmm, think so, yeah," he says, and she laughs again.
"Okay, weirdo, love you too, can't wait to marry you."
Eighty-three nights and a trip to city hall later, their goodnight wishes change.
Elizabeth sighs as she cuddles into Henry's chest. "Can't believe I get to be married to you."
"I love you, Mrs. McCord,"
"And I love you, Mr. Adams," she says, giggling. He pulls a face, but tightens his arms around her.
"We...could talk about that, if you want?"
"No, no, I said it out loud and it feels wrong, I take it back, it doesn't fit," she says, shaking her head.
"You sure?"
"I'm sure."
"Okay."
"'night, husband," she mumbles, crashing from the rush of the day, and he knows he isn't far behind her.
"Goodnight, wife."