Chapter 16
AN: just a quick note to say that the order of the story still doesn't match with series four, so Bonnie is getting his boxing license earlier in this story than in the show :) enjoy!
In the weeks following Edith's birthday, Bonnie had begun to spend more time in the gym, working with Mr Maine in order to receive the boxing licence from Tommy that would allow him to fight. Whilst Bonnie was at the gym, Edith would fill her time with the horses at Tommy's house or Charlie's yard, and when she wasn't there, she would take herself to Polly's house to spend some time with her Aunt, who was still reluctant to spend too much time around Edith's middle brother, preferring to spend time in her own home with her youngest niece, Finn and Michael occasionally joining them.
"Congratulations Mr Welterweight," Edith says, winding her arms around Bonnie's neck. Edith, having overheard Tommy's conversation with Aberama and Arthur earlier that day, had slipped into the gym after her brothers had arrived, hanging back until Tommy issued the license.
"Edie, what are you doing here love?" Bonnie asks, his voice showing his happiness at having his girl there. "I'm all sweaty!" He protests with a laugh as Edith wraps him in a hug, quickly responding to her touch nonetheless.
"I don't care!" Edith laughs, reaching up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to Bonnie's lips. "I'm proud of you Bonnie!" Bonnie laughs, lightly resting his hands on her hips, his forehead on hers.
"Let me go get showered and we can go and celebrate." He says, pressing another lingering kiss to her lips.
"Why bother?" She whispers in his ear. "You'll just get sweaty again with what I have planned." She winks at him as his jaw drops, looking around to see if anyone had heard, pleased to find his father and Edith's brothers had already moved off further into the gym.
"Miss Shelby!" He yelps, shocked, flicking at her with his towel as he backs away slowly, throwing her a wink of his own.
"Get your mind out of the gutter Mr Gold!" She hisses teasingly at his retreating figure, giggling as he rolls his eyes at her, turning and jogging off to the showers.
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Edith leans against the wall of the gym, waiting for Bonnie to finish up inside, absentmindedly twirling her rings around her fingers as she stares off into the distance, jumping slightly when Bonnie appears in front of her. He smiles down at her, resting his hands on the wall either side of her head, leaning down to capture her lips with his.
"Ready to go?" She asks, raising up on to her tip toes to kiss him again as he nods, dropping a hand to his side to intertwine their fingers.
"Do you want to go out tonight?" He asks as they head back through the streets of Small Heath.
"Out?" Edith repeats, looking up at Bonnie. "Like..."
"Like, out to dinner and then to the pictures? Or there's a dance going on downtown tonight?" He suggests, smiling down at Edith as she grins up at him.
"Wow, you're really pulling out all the stops at the moment Mr Gold!" She teases, bumping his shoulder with hers. "What's going on?"
"What? I can't treat my girl every now and then?" He replies in the same teasing tone, Edith giggling in response.
"Hmm, I guess so." She jokes in reply, winding her arm through his and pulling herself closer as the wind picks up.
"I just feel like we haven't been able to spend much time together recently." Bonnie confesses, wrapping his arm around her shoulders to keep her warm. "I feel bad for being so busy..."
"Bonnie!" Edith exclaims, stopping abruptly in the street. "Don't feel bad! You needed this license, I understand how important it is to you. Of course I missed you, but you don't have to worry about it!"
"I do though." He protests, only to be cut off by Edith.
"Don't!" Edith responds, standing in front of him to press a kiss to his lips. "It's just like if you were off to work every day, which technically it is. And I've been busy too between visiting Aunt Pol and looking after the horses, I've not been around much either, remember?"
"I know, but..."
"No. No 'buts'!" Edith laughs, wiggling her index finger in his face. She turns, intertwining their fingers again and pulling him to walk with her again. "You don't need to take me out and treat me just because we've both been busy."
"But what if I want to take you out and treat you?" He asks with a smile, wrapping his arm around her again to hold her close to him as they walk. "Just because."
"Then that would be lovely." Edith replies, winding her arm around his waist. "I love you Bonnie."
"I love you too." He repeats, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
"But would you really want to go to a dance?" She clarifies, looking up at him.
"I would if that's what you wanted to do." He replies. "We could see if Finn and Millie wanted to meet us there? Go out to dinner by ourselves first?"
"I'd really like that." Edith admits, tilting her head up to smile at him again.
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"Bon? Will you button my dress up?" Edith calls to Bonnie who was still lounging on the bed, watching Edith as she moved around the room, getting ready for the evening. He rolls himself off the bed making Edith laugh, watching him through the mirror as he makes his way over to her, wrapping her in a tight hug from behind instead of doing up her dress.
"I like this colour on you," he comments, running his hands down her waist, covered in a scarlet red dress, to land on her hips.
"It's one of Ada's old dresses," Edith confesses, tilting her head back to rest on his shoulder, looking up at him. "She doesn't use them anymore, said I could have them instead."
"You look beautiful." He states, pressing a lingering kiss on her cheek.
"Are you sure you really want to go dancing tonight Bon?" She asks as he gently does up the buttons on the back of her dress.
"Hey," he says softly, turning her around and placing a finger under chin to tilt her head up to look at him. "I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't want to go with you." He replies, leaning down to kiss her on the lips. Edith smiles up at him, puckering her lips for another kiss.
"Do you really mean that?" She asks quietly, resting her arms around Bonnie's neck.
"I do." He assures her, his hands coming to rest on her hips. "I like seeing you happy, and you're always happy when you're dancing." Edith laughs at this, tucking her head into the space between his shoulder and neck. "Plus, there's a bar there, so when Finn and I get tired, and you and Millie want to keep dancing, we can sit back and enjoy watching you two have the time of your lives." Edith lets out another laugh, pressing a kiss to Bonnie's neck before standing to full height again.
"You'd better get ready then Mr Gold, or we're going to be late for our dinner reservations!" She jokes, teasingly pushing him away and moving to her dressing table to finish getting ready.
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"I honestly don't know where they get their energy from." Finn huffs as he sinks on to the bar stool beside Bonnie, the two of them watching as Edith and Millie swing each other, laughing, around the dance hall.
"God knows," Bonnie replies with a smile and a shake of his head, passing Finn a glass of whiskey.
"I'm going to ask Millie to marry me." Finn states around his whiskey glass, causing Bonnie to choke on his sip of his own drink.
"You're what?" He chokes out, Finn patting him on the back. "You're going to ask Millie to marry you?" He repeats, Finn nodding slowly in reply. "You've hardly been together very long..."
"I know."
"So are you going to ask her soon? Have you told Edith?" Bonnie asks, placing his glass down on the bar.
"Nah, not soon." Finn protests, turning to Bonnie. "Edith doesn't know yet. But I know that I will. One day. She's the one. I'm telling you."
"Alright." Bonnie says, nodding along with Finn. "Good for you."
"You can't tell me you don't feel the same for Edith?" Finn says, frowning at Bonnie who quickly shakes his head.
"No. Of course I do. She's the one." He replies, repeating Finn's words back to him.
"Bonnie!" Edith shouts from the dance floor, waving for him to join her. Bonnie shakes his head at her, a smile stretching across his face at her pout, Edith tilting her head to the side in a pleading look. Realising she was getting nowhere, she jokingly huffs, winding through the crowd and straight into Bonnie's arms, wrapping hers around his neck as she continues to pout.
"Please Bonnie!" She whines, batting her eyelashes at him. "One more dance. Please?" Bonnie sighs, dropping his head to her shoulder, tugging her to stand between his legs.
"Anything for you love." He replies, kissing her as she wiggles excitedly in his arms, taking his hand to lead him back on to the dance floor, Bonnie through a mock despairing look at Finn who simply laughs in response.