A/N: Next chapter goes up on March 13th and then we should go back to Saturday updates again. :)
It hadn't been a hard decision once Al really thought it through. He'd taken advantage of Ellie needing to work one of her shifts and had braved the Christmas crowds for some jewelry shop hopping. It had taken the better part of six hours, but Al finally had a ring that felt like Ellie, and a significantly lighter bank account.
But currently, he had a Portkey to catch.
"Do you have everything?" Ellie called out from his front room.
Al slipped the ring box in his pocket. He didn't trust it anywhere else for this journey.
"If I'm missing anything I'll buy it while we're there." Al chuckled and threw his duffle bag over his shoulder as he walked out of his room. "Or live without it for a night."
Ellie laughed and moved to kiss him. "I love you, you know?"
"I certainly hope so," Al teased.
Ellie shoved his chest and tried to pull away but Al kept her close.
"I love you too."
"That's more of the response I was hoping for."
"Let's get you home." Al kissed her again.
The rest of their day went quickly, and Al was finding himself hard-pressed to find a quick moment to talk to John. He was about ready to throw surprise to the wind and just ask him at dinner when Naomi grabbed his elbow and pulled him into the hallway near the stairs.
"He'll say yes." She chuckled before Al could protest. "But my son is not known for keeping secrets."
Al blinked, maybe one day Naomi's gift wouldn't leave him feeling shell shocked. More importantly, what was he going to do now? If John couldn't keep a secret he'd have to ask him and then pop El away right after, which he wasn't positive he could realistically pull off...
"I give you permission to marry our Ellie, Albus. Do you feel better?"
Al's mind suddenly stopped and he laughed, "Actually, yes. That seems more appropriate somehow."
Naomi patted his cheek, "The old ways usually are. The lake is a good idea, you'll want to do it at sunset."
Al felt the nerves resurface.
"She's going to say yes," Naomi grinned.
"I like to think so," Al felt his face grow hot, "but I still want this to be special for her. She deserves that."
"I have full confidence in you, Unjann."
She slipped back to the kitchen, leaving Al to stare after her.
Apparently he needed to ask El tonight because they wouldn't be around for sunset tomorrow. That wasn't out of the question, but it definitely hadn't been his original plan...
Thankfully, Naomi seemed intent on making it happen. Dinner magically was ready almost two hours earlier than planned. Naomi blamed it on old age and her memory slipping. Then she insisted that John and Lisa help her take around the few gifts she hadn't managed to deliver to her friends since it was still early. When Lisa suggested Al and Ellie come along, Naomi tutted that they'd already had a long day and to let the young couple rest a bit.
If Al hadn't been scared out of his mind he would have laughed at Naomi's antics.
Before he knew it, Al found himself alone with Ellie as the sun started to set.
"Well, that was strange." Ellie frowned at him.
"Er, I suppose," Al felt his hand going for his hair and shoved it in his pocket instead. The ring box pressed against his fingers and he snatched his hand back out.
"Hey, El," Al swallowed, "Why don't we go back to that little lake you painted? You said last year I needed to see it in winter."
Ellie's face lit up with an excited smile. "That's a great idea! You'll love it, especially with what the sunset does to the snow and the water and the areas that ice over. Come on." She grabbed his hand and practically skipped out the front door, grabbing their coats as they went.
As his feet hit the ground, Al took in what was probably the most peaceful scene he'd ever been in. It was quiet, quieter than he was used to the woods being in summer and fall and spring. And aside from his and El's footprints, the snow was mostly untouched. The ice and snow along the bank of the lake caught the setting sun's light to paint rainbows on their surface. And the frigid water sparkled as the light flitted through the tree branches.
Al didn't dare breathe at first, worried he would break the image surrounding him.
"It's perfect, isn't it?" El squeezed his hand.
Al grinned at her as his nerves tried to kick back into full swing.
"Your home is beautiful, Ellie." He pushed the nerves down and stepped closer to her. "Just like you."
Pink tinged Ellie's cheeks but she smiled up at him.
"Why thank you, I find my home rather captivating as well."
"You know, I was thinking," Al pulled her other hand into his. "And I realized that my home is wherever you are. Wherever you are is where I want to be."
Ellie's smile was bright as the setting sun in the distance.
Now or never. Al let go of her hands and slipped the box from his pocket, opening it in front of her.
Ellie's eyes grew to the size of the lake in front of them.
"Eliza, you captivated me from the moment I laid eyes on you. You believed in me when I wanted to give up on everything. You've fought for me when I wasn't worth fighting for. You've been my foundation. And I want to be yours. I want to be who you turn to. I want to be your support. I want to be the one who believes in you. I want to be who you fight with. I want to be the one who annoys you. I want to be the one you trust with everything. I want you to be my home."
He dropped to one knee, soaking his jeans which almost made him laugh.
"Eliza Naomi Battiste, will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?"
"Of course!" Ellie's eyes shone with tears and she moved to join him in the snow but Al shot up and caught her around the waist.
"Don't get your jeans all soaked as well!"
But then she was kissing him and laughing and clinging to him like he might disappear if she let go, and Al could only laugh through the adrenaline that coursed through his system.
She wanted him, and nothing else mattered.
