A/N: I should be studying Chem and doing Bio/Psych but… Whatever. Potential foreshadowing EVERYWHERE. *evil cackle*

Disclaimer: Still not mine, but I'm over it so move along.

Surprises

"I want to show you something," Flint said gruffly.

Katie slanted her cornflower blue eyes toward him and arched a slender brow upwards. The silence had gotten to be unbearable within seconds of Higgs' Apparating. She just didn't know what to say.

"Get dressed," Flint said as he stood up.

Katie's eyes narrowed as she felt her temper flare in defiance, but she did as told. She slipped back into Flint's room and pulled on her clothing from yesterday, trying not to remember how long it'd taken to shed them with Flint's hands on her.

Flint had slipped into a crisp, white shirt after dunking his head in cold water, vainly trying to set himself right.

"Where are we going?" Katie asked. Her voice was hoarse from silence.

Flint looked at her slightly rumpled appearance, taking in her morning glow, the soft pout of her frown, and almost felt himself grin until he saw the marks on her neck, the cut on her lower lip… Nasty reminders that he had ruined something else that was once good in the world.

"Know where my place is?" Flint asked matter-of-factly.

She nodded slowly, staring at him suspiciously.

"Can you Apparate there all right?" He asked, unconsciously reaching out to brush back a stray piece of blonde hair hanging by her ear.

Katie nodded.

And with a CRACK, both of them disappeared.

Flint had never been nervous about anything in his life. But right now, he was scared out of his mind.

What if this didn't work? What if she said no?

They had both Apparated into the foyer of his manor mansion. The house elves immediately took it upon themselves to greet him overenthusiastically but he politely declined their invitations with a curt, "Later."

He turned back to look at Katie, feeling the air vibrate with tension between them.

Flint turned to one particularly suspicious looking house elf and muttered a quick command in its ear before it scampered away.

"Come."

Flint extended his hand towards her and was pleased to see her take it without hesitation. This is where she belonged. With him. And if everything went as planned, that's where she'd stay. Forever. Salazar only knew he didn't want the errors of his forefathers to follow him to the grave. He silently prayed that he wouldn't have to suffer their sins. He prayed that she wouldn't have to suffer them either. She deserved better than that.

He led her onto the veranda out back. From there, she could see every inch of the estate that should rightfully be his. The gentle rolling hills, the opaque surface of the lake, the clear sky, the woods in the distance… Everything that brought a man peace.

"It's beautiful," Katie said softly.

Flint hummed in acknowledgement.

She was absolutely transfixed with the lake. She'd always loved to swim and she could swear it was calling out to her, singing to her hopeless soul. Everything seemed so bleak. How could she enjoy anything when the sure knowledge that Flint was about to crush her ridiculous fancies was bearing down on her like a malevolent storm.

"Do you like swimming?" Katie asked awkwardly.

"Yes."

"Do you go swimming much?" Katie asked.

Flint looked at her sharply, and said, "No. Not in that lake. My sister drowned in it."

Katie flinched. Leave it to her to bring up the wrong subject at the wrong time.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"Not your fault, is it?"

"Marcus."

"Bell."

Simultaneously.

Katie cleared her throat, "You go first."

"I didn't mean to be so violent last night," Flint said blandly.

Katie felt herself blush against her will, "You didn't hurt me."

"Bullshit."

"No, honestly. You didn't hurt me," Katie restated firmly.

Flint openly stared at her.

"I can see the bruises," he said flatly.

Katie froze as he lifted a hand to her face and ran his thumb over her bottom lip, then traced the bruises on her neck. He stared at her. His gray eyes seemed ablaze with some unnamed emotion she didn't dare label. Katie swallowed harshly. From one second to the next, he'd fitted their mouths together seamlessly and Katie was feeling everything spiral away again, like it always did with him.

They were interrupted by the house elf Flint had sent darting away. It shakily placed something in Flint's outstretched, and clearly impatient, hand before running off again.

Katie's nerves were completely shot.

"Marcus, I think I should go. It was nice of you to show me your home. I appreciate the gesture, but I should be in the office…" She blurted before she was interrupted.

"That's not what I wanted to show you."

She shot him a puzzled expression as he gently caressed her cheek and tucked a green velvet box into her palm with his free hand. He watched as she lifted it and slowly slid it open.

She inhaled sharply at the sight of the diamond ring winking back at her.

"It was my mother's," he said, a little too harshly.

"No, Flint, this isn't--"

"I've wanted you since you were fifteen," Flint said. He leaned in towards her until his lips were brushing the shell of her ear, watching her carefully.

Her eyes finally met his and shock was written onto every line of her face.

"I know it's fast, but I've waited so long for you. I tried to stay away, y'know. But it didn't work. I thought Wood would send me packing, but no, I just ended up hating him even more and watching you live your dream life with him from my window. You don't know how much I wanted." Flint's confession was bringing warmth back to her frozen body.

"I don't know. It's--"

"Don't you think it's time to put it behind us? Everything happens for a reason, right? Maybe we were supposed to happen, too. It's time to let it go, Katie."

"I don't know what to say…"

"Say yes," Flint prompted.

"To this?" Katie stared at the ring in astonishment.

"No." He kissed her hard and fast before saying, "To this: Will you marry me, Katherine Emma Bell?"

For the first time in five years, Katie felt herself laughing from genuine happiness. She dismissed the fact that it was so rushed. She never noticed how suspicious it seemed for him to push something like this. She completely overlooked the fact that he'd just spoken her middle name, and all because she was genuinely happy.

"Yes."