I'm terribly sorry for the wait everybody! My weekend was pretty jam-packed and I've just gotten around to not being swamped with assignments. So finally, chapter fourteen is here!
Also, I want to thank every single wonderful, amazing, fantastic person who has added Deception to his/her favorite stories list. That has made me so immensely happy that I can't even begin to describe it. And to everyone who has been reviewing, thank you as well! Your reviews mean the world to me! I hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! Very fluffy and cute! Estelle is quite a lucky girl. Cheers!
"This is better than television," Estelle laughed, staring out the window.
Mal cracked up next to her and nodded, "Agreed. There is no way that any of them could ever be carpenters."
Estelle tilted her head and furrowed her eyebrows, "I didn't know Arthur could bend like that."
They were both in the kitchen at Mal and Dom's house watching the men outside trying to set up an elaborate jungle gym for James and Phillipa. There was a lot of cursing, scratches, bruises, and teasing. The teasing came mainly from Eames and was directed at Arthur, of course.
Nash was sitting with his legs spread apart and the instructions sprawled out across his lap. He looked completely helpless and confused. Dom was standing with his hands on his hips and was kicking a piece of the set in anger. Arthur was trying to use a screwdriver on two pieces he was holding but was being annoyed by Eames who was poking him in the back with a rung from the monkey cars. In return, the Point Man had extended his arm backwards so that he could swat at the Forger.
Mal smiled, "They look adorable when they're confused."
Estelle nodded distractedly, staring at her boyfriend as he reached up and stretched. His shirt rode up enough to expose him stomach, the muscles of his abdomen contracting and flexing as he moved his arms and leaned from side to side. She felt like drooling, wondering how she ever got so lucky.
Mal gave her a sideways glance, arching her eyebrow, "Some more then others I suppose..."
"Hmmm?" Estelle lazily looked over at her best friend with a dopey smile on her face.
Mal rolled her eyes with a smile, "You are in so deep Stell."
Estelle smiled widely at her, "I know. And you know what? I don't even mind one bit."
The doorbell rang, the delivery man arriving with the three pizzas they ordered. Mal paid and came back into the kitchen holding them. James and Phillipa ran in screaming "Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!" and Estelle laughed while giving them both slices.
"You guys were made for each other," Mal said, referring to their earlier conversation.
Estelle smiled and looked back out the window at Eames. He looked back at her and smiled. It was the special smile that he gave to only her, to show her how much he loved her and how special she was to him. Estelle blushed and then smirked. She held a finger up to her lips and held up a pizza box. Eames's eyes widened at the sight of food and he glanced sneakily around at his friends. Once he was satisfied that they hadn't seen, he spoke up.
"Be right back lads. Have to use the loo," he told them. They grunted in reply, still trying to put up the damn jungle gym, and he took off in a casual but quick walk.
Once inside, he grabbed Estelle by the waist and spun her around, "You cheeky devil!"
She laughed and put her hands on his cheeks, leaning in and pressing a kiss to his lips, "Thought you'd want first pick."
He nuzzled her nose with his, "I knew there was a reason I fell for you."
She rolled her eyes with a smile, "Ah, the truth finally comes out."
"You know what they say love," he picked up a piece of pizza and bit into it, talking with his mouth full, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."
Mal lightly slapped him upside the head, "Manners, Eames, manners."
He laughed, "Sorry Mal," he said like a small child apologizing to his mother.
Moments later there was a crash, a scream from Arthur and then a chorus of "Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!". Estelle looked around for James and Phillipa but began cracking up when she realized it was her supposedly mature friends running in from outside.
"Eames! You english sneak!" Dom exclaimed, coming in and taking a piece of well deserved pizza.
Arthur walked in holding his head, "Yeah, thanks for telling us."
"Oh you sourpuss," Eames told him, "You found out eventually didn't you?"
Arthur rolled his eyes and handed Nash a slice before getting himself one.
"Besides," Eames said, "It was Stell's idea."
Dom threw Estelle a fake betrayed look and Estelle glared at Eames. Mal tried not to laugh so she shoved her slice into her mouth but somehow still managed to make it look ridiculously graceful and elegant.
"You're sleeping on the couch tonight," Estelle told her boyfriend.
The whole room cracked up as the friends continued to eat lunch together.
Later, everyone was outside admiring the (finally) finished jungle gym. James and Phillipa were having a blast as well as Mal and Dom, who were feeling young again as they played with their children. Arthur and Nash were playing some sort of card game on the picnic table outside.
Estelle watched from inside the kitchen. She had gone in to grab a drink of water and found herself watching the scene with a far away look on her face. A funny feeling emerged in her stomach as she saw Mal and Dom with their kids. She thought of her future and couldn't picture it without Eames in it. At that moment, she knew she wanted a family with him.
Eames found her at the window, smiling goofily and holding her stomach. He approached her quietly and snaked his arms around her waist, resting his chin of her shoulder. He felt her smile and put her hands on his arms. At that moment he realized that this was his favorite place to be, anywhere with his Estelle.
"'Ello beautiful," he softly kissed her cheek.
She turned her head and caught his lips with hers, ""Ello handsome," another kiss, "wonderful," another, "amazing," and another, "perfect."
He raised his eyebrows in amusement, "Not that I don't love the compliments darling, but I'm wondering, what's gotten into you?"
She smiled and looked back out the window, "What do you mean?"
"Well, I come in to find you staring out the window like a lovesick teenager and now you're complimenting me like I'm the best thing since sliced bread."
She shrugged, "To me, you are."
He kissed her temple, "Thanks sweetheart, but I believe you take that title."
She turned in his arms, "Do you want a family with me Eames?"
He blinked, caught off guard by her seriousness and abruptness, "W-what?"
She bit her lip and put a hand on his cheek, "Do you want to have a family with me? You know, in the future?"
He felt his breathing quicken and his stomach flipped around. Every emotion he felt for the woman in his arms increased tenfold. Hell, he felt like crying he was so happy. Instead of answering her, he crashed his lips down onto hers in a searing kiss. When they pulled apart she stared at him.
"Correct me if I'm wrong," she told him, "But normally that means yes."
"Darling," he began, "I want more than a family with you."
She looked at him confused and he felt nervous all of a sudden. He noticed Mal had made everyone stop what they were doing outside. Eames wasn't sure if Estelle knew that everyone was watching but he really didn't care. All that mattered to him was the gorgeous, breathtaking woman who stole his whole heart and soul and very being away.
"I want more than a family with you Estelle. I want a future with you," he told her softly, closing the gap between them until their faces were almost touching, "I want a lifetime with you, an eternity, a forever, the whole nine yards."
Estelle felt the back of her eyes burn as he continued, his hand cupping her cheek as he pressed his forehead to hers, "You're my whole world Estelle, and I want to be with you for as long as humanly possibly."
She sniffed a little, "Forever," she told him, "You can have me for forever."
He back up and nervously wrung out his wrists before bending down and dropping to one knee. Estelle vaguely heard Mal squeal loudly from outside. All she was focused on was the man in front of her, the love of her life. He never took his eyes off of her as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a little black box. She felt her knees start to shake and both of her hands flew up to her mouth, the reflexive action that any woman would take.
"Estelle," he said, "Baby," he shook his head as he spoke, "my beautiful, wonderful, gorgeous, amazing, baby," he opened the box to reveal a beautiful ring and then smiled up at her and whispered in his strong, raspy voice, "Marry me?"
She whimpered as the tears started to pour down her cheeks and nodded profusely before dropping to the ground and tackling him in a hug. He wrapped his arms around her waist as they fell over onto the floor, laughing and kissing and crying (Estelle was crying, actually). He leaned up with her still on top of him and slipped the ring on her left ring finger before grabbing her face and proceeding to give her the most passionate, love filled kiss he could muster.
Their lips molded together with a fire that could have warmed the entire world. Everything was perfect, everything was exactly how it should be. Eames's stomach went haywire as he felt Estelle's soft lips moving with his own. Estelle felt Eames's slight stubble gently tickling her cheeks as she lost herself in his kiss. Two people had never been more in love.
"I love you so much," she told him through her tears once they pulled apart.
"I love you too, darling," he told her, "More than you could possibly know."
They smiled at each other stupidly before hearing the loudest screech they had ever heard. No sooner had that happened did Mal crash through the doors and tackle them both onto the floor again, followed by Dom, who actually tackled them as well, nearly rolling over. Estelle and Eames then felt Nash fly into the pile and looked up to see Arthur sitting gingerly on top of it all. Congratulations were being thrown at them from every direction and Estelle felt Mal yank her hand up so that she could see her ring. Through all of it, Eames and Estelle looked at each other, grinning like fools.
Estelle leaned down as kissed him deeply, not even caring that she was sandwiched in between all of her friends. She pulled away and looked at him with nothing but pure adoration in her eyes.
"You don't have to sleep on the couch tonight."