She does not intend to ask him. Afterwards, she does not even remember considering asking him. And yet, the words spring fully formed from her lips.
"Come home with me."
He stares at her, those strange golden eyes so unnerving, and blinks slowly. "Come…home with you?"
The uncertainty in his voice only strengthens her resolve, a resolve that was not there moments ago. Or, perhaps it was there. Perhaps it has been there all along, waiting for this moment.
Waiting for him.
Well, of course it's been waiting for him. So many things, it seems, have been waiting for him. Her heart, her nerves, the numbers newly-unfurled on her wrist. She glances down at them, as if they might have disappeared in the last few moments, but no. They are still there. Three years, three months, three weeks, three days, three hours, ten minutes, fifteen seconds. The minutes have changed, have started to eat into the three hours so that they are not three hours anymore, but two.
No time like the present, and the way his fingers massage his own wrist only confirms that fact.
"Yes," and she forces a smile, which comes easier than she expected. "Come home with me. You need to meet Mamma."
A/N: This is by far the shortest one of these yet. Mostly because it's the fastest and easiest one to post and I have been swamped the last couple of days with calving cows and various jobs to do with that. But I do hope you've all enjoyed it anyway!
Up next: Who knows because I haven't decided and there is a whole folder of possible ficlets on my laptop.