*Here it is, the chapter you've all been waiting for.
**Ethan has a very important question for Leanne. And he's also a loveable dope.
Chapter 19 - A Pair of Pants and a Proposal
Ethan had forced Noa to take him to the store after leaving Angels, claiming that he needed a few things, his apartment bare of any food after his almost three weeks in the hospital. He had told her that she could stay in the car, but unfortunately for him, Noa was no fool, and she had insisted on going in with him. They had been about half way through their shopping trip when he asked Noa if he was doing this right. I mean, after all, he had never proposed to anyone before. Noa had laughed at him, but then she had threaded her arm through his and helped him finish his shopping.
When they had made it back to Ethan's apartment the red head had stayed long enough to help Ethan get everything inside, but then he had told her that he needed to do this on his own, and for once, the young girl had complied. She had kissed his cheek softly, telling him to call her if he needed anything, and then she had been gone.
He had stood in his empty apartment just staring at the walls of his living room for a good ten minutes before he finally got up the nerve to start prepping. He had started putting groceries away when he realized that he really needed to take a shower. And put clothes on. And do laundry. And lay out the flower petals and the candles. And make the bed. And his list went on and on and on.
He had successfully taken a shower on his own. Thankful that the only thing he had to be careful of now was his cast. And once he was dried off he had thrown on the closest pair of boxers he could find, followed by the only clean pair of jeans he appeared to have. He had started sorting through the laundry next. Hoping to find a clean shirt that didn't have a band emblem on it or smelled like motor oil. He had no luck though, and he had decided to wash his nicer stuff so that he had a variety of options when the time came. He had even gotten as far as making the bed, covering it in the rose petals Noa had insisted he buy. But then he had felt that twinge in his arm that was always a bad sign. He had tried to work through it, getting a load of laundry in the washer and getting it started before the pain became more than he could bare. After fighting off tears for the better part of an hour, he gave in, taking two of his pain pills and laying down on the couch, an old episode of some cop show on in the background.
That was how Leanne found him two hours later. His head had shifted to the side, the drool on his chin quite evident, even from the doorway. Letting out a soft chuckle Leanne made her way inside, locking the door quietly behind her. She eyed the man curiously, taking in his bare chest and loose fitting jeans. He had lost weight after everything he had been through, not that there was much there for him to lose to begin with, and it was hard seeing him look so small. She was never one to put much thought into looks, John hadn't been ugly by any means, but he wasn't really a looker either. Ethan on the other hand, well he was drop dead gorgeous, in every way possible. He was toned in all the right places, and his biceps had once been her favorite part of his body. But now, now he was almost a ghost of the man he had been three weeks ago.
She felt tears prick in her eyes and she shook her head to clear her thoughts. Ethan was fine. He was just fine and he was laying right in front of her to prove it. She knew that he could rebuild all that muscle he had lost. And she had no doubts that as soon as he got the clear from the orthopedic doctor, that he would be back to his daily five mile runs. She smiled to herself at the image, him coming home all sweaty, dragging her still half asleep body into the shower with him. There was many a day where they had been late to work because of those damn runs of his.
Speaking of showers, Leanne knew that she needed one, and judging by the silent snores coming from her sleeping boyfriend, she guessed he probably wouldn't be joining her for this one. She moved herself into the bedroom, stopping dead in her tracks when she noticed the laundry all over the floor. There were pants piled on top of pants, underwear strewn everywhere, shirts stacked up almost to the top of the dresser.
"It looks like a fucking tornado blew through here." She whispered, knowing that no one would hear her, but praying that that would somehow make her feel better about the giant mess on the normally pristine floor. Sighing to herself she made her way around the laundry and toward the dresser by the bathroom door. Pulling open the top drawer, she fished out a pair of underwear and grabbed one of his t-shirts from the stack on top.
She turned to grab her lotion off the nightstand and that's when she saw it. The rose petals on the bed. The unlit candles on the night stands and shelves. She let out a gasp, her hand going to her mouth, her lotion falling to the floor. She couldn't believe the sight before her eyes. Ethan had never done something like this. I mean sure, he was a gentlemen, but straight romance was never his thing. He had bought her flowers a couple of times 'just because'. And he had taken her to a few fancy dinners. But this, this was like something out of a romance novel. She wondered if maybe it had been an accident. Maybe in his drug induced state he had started doing weird stuff. She was hoping for that outcome anyway, because this, this was a bit bunch, even for her liking.
Sighing to herself she grabbed her bottle off the floor and headed for the bathroom, deciding that a shower would help clear her head and calm her nerves. She stayed under the warm water for probably longer than necessary, but this was her first real shower in almost four days, and she was going to treasure every minute of it. When the water started to turn cold, she turned off the tap and grabbed a towel, drying herself off quickly. She pulled on her underwear and then his shirt, before quickly running her brush through her wet hair. She shook her head in disbelief again as she walked past the bed, a small smile on her lips when she thought about just how long those rose petals would stay there if she had anything to say about it.
Ethan was still asleep in the same spot as before, his injured arm still resting flat on his stomach, his right arm dangling off the edge of the couch, and Leanne let another chuckle at how child like he looked in that very moment. Shaking her head, she made her way to the kitchen to make herself some coffee and when she rounded the corner and saw the mess on the counters she did a double take. There were plastic bags all over the floor, and groceries lined both counters of the small room. She turned towards the table in hopes of maybe being able to move some of the items there, but was shocked when she saw the giant bouquet of roses in the middle, candles sitting in a small circle around the clear vase. She let out a small gasp again, and she blinked back another round of tears. She didn't know what Ethan was up to, but she was starting to get the feeling that she was going to be asked a very important question before the night was over.
Knowing that distraction was key, she turned back toward the counter and started putting away the items that she could. She had moved a few pots and pans back to their spot under the stove, and she had returned the plates and cups to their space in the overhead cupboard. She moved to the food next, carrying a few items at a time to the small pantry against the far wall. She had just picked up a box of spaghetti when she heard what she thought was the couch creak, but then there was silence, so she continued working.
"I had a plan you know." Ethan's voice startled Leanne and she almost dropped the box of spaghetti on the floor. Turning around, she was met with what was probably the sexiest, yet dorkiest, sight that she had ever seen. Ethan's jeans were hung low on his hips and he was still without a shirt. She could barely make out the faded bruises on his abdomen and the cast on his left arm had been downgraded in size she had seen him yesterday. He was just clean shaven enough to look less like a homeless person, and his bed head was atrocious. But his eyes. Damn those eyes. They were sleepy and dark and she could've gotten lost in them right then and there.
"Did you now?" She asked softly, her arms crossing in front of her chest as she leaned back against the counter, eyeing him suspiciously.
"I was gonna make you dinner." He whined, his shoulders slumping with his words, his gaze falling to the floor. "I got flowers and that wine that you like and I made the bed..."
"I saw." Her voice grew softer when a realization of what was probably about to happen hit her.
"But I had to take some pain meds, because," He gestured down to his arm with a sigh, "you know?"
She nodded her head, her voice failing her and she took a deep breath as he got closer. She wanted to run. Far far away. But she also wanted to jump him. Right then and there. Against his kitchen counter. It certainly wouldn't have been the first time.
"I know." She managed to force out. Her hands gripped the counter behind her as he continued walking. She wanted him to stop. To stay on the other side of the room. It was much safer with him over there. Instead of here. Right in front of her. Half naked and looking dreamier than she had ever imagined.
"You know," He eyed her suspiciously as he moved closer, his eyes darkening just enough to send chills down her spine, "I'm finally wearing real pants."
"I see that." She whispered back, her voice husky, her hands tightening their grip against the granite once more. "Would you like me to take them off you?"
Ethan let out a snort, and she almost felt offended, but then her mind went back to a conversation they had had with all of their friends in Ethan's hospital room a few nights ago, and she stopped breathing. This was really happening wasn't it? Right here, right now? In his kitchen, on a Tuesday night, both of them half naked, him doped up on pain killers, her running on two hours of sleep. She felt her heart catch in her chest as he stopped directly in front of her, his good hand reaching out to cup her cheek. He bent down, pressing a gentle but passionate kiss to her lips, before pulling back.
"So now that I finally have real pants on," He raised an eyebrow at her, his left hand going to his pocket, but stopping before it was inside, "we can take that trip down the aisle Jesse was talking about."
Leanne let out a small laugh. He was good, real good, but she wasn't going to be fooled by him, not this time. "Jesse's an ass."
Ethan let out a chuckle, the light in his eyes settling as he reached the rest of the way into his pocket, pulling out a black velvet box, and Leanne thought the world had surely stopped spinning around them. "I can't exactly get on one knee, so you're just gonna have to go with me on this one..." He took her left hand in his good right one, and squeezed tightly. "I love you Leanne. I love you more than I ever thought was possible. You're my best-friend and I couldn't imagine my life without you. When I arrived at Angels almost two years ago I was lost. I had seen so much death and so much tragedy and I didn't know which way was up. But then you showed up. And you smiled at me. And that was it. I couldn't believe that someone who had suffered so much worse than I had, could walk around with such beauty and grace. You never fail to make me realize that second chances are possible, and that sometimes, they can be even more beautiful than the first time around. I love you. I want to marry you and I want to have a home together. I want to have a family with you. Be it children or dogs or hamsters. I don't care. I just want my happily ever after." He took a deep breath and blinked back the tears in his eyes as he spoke, "I want you to have your happily ever after. And I want us to do it together." Another deep breath, and his trembling hand was squeezing hers so tight he thought he might break her. "Leanne Marie Rorish, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Will you finally marry me?"
Leanne stared at him in disbelief. Had this really just happened? Had the moment that she had known was on the brink for the last week really just happened? She couldn't feel her body. Her hands were trembling, that much she could tell, and there were tears streaming down her face, but she couldn't feel anything else. She opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. She tried again, and still nothing. Finally, she pulled her hand from his and covered her face with both hands, sobbing.
She felt Ethan's hand go to her arm, rubbing up and down gently as he spoke. "Leanne." God he hoped he hadn't just made a giant mistake. "Leanne...?"His question was softer than she expected, and she finally uncovered her eyes to look at him.
"It's too soon. Right?" Her voice cracked, and it was low and shaky, but she had to be sure. She had to get the words out there now just to be certain that this was really happening and that this was what they both wanted. "It's only been a year..."
Ethan let out a chuckle and pulled her close, his injured hand resting on her hip, his other pocketing the ring box so that he could run his fingers through her hair. "I knew the moment I met you that this was gonna happen eventually." He pressed a kiss to her forehead before resting his head there. "It was only a matter of time."
"You've known for that long?" She shivered at the thought that she wasted all those precious moments trying to hate him. Trying to will him to go back to where he came from. "How did you know?"
Ethan smiled big and rubbed her neck gently. "Because," he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips in between his words, "you're the first person who's never taken me to seriously."
Leanne laughed, her hands moving from her sides to rest against his chest. "Ask me again." She whispered softly, her eyes filling with tears of joy.
Reaching into his pocket, Ethan pulled out the velvet box again, opening it to reveal the simplest, yet most beautiful ring Leanne had ever seen. He nudged her chin gently with his cast covered hand, his eyes catching hers as he smiled bright. "Marry me?"
"Yes." Leanne's voice was soft and Ethan almost didn't hear her reply.
Grinning from ear to ear he reached down and removed the ring from the box. Taking hold of Leanne's left hand with his he slowly slide the ring onto the appropriate finger before holding her hand up to his lips, pressing a kiss to the spot right above the shiny new piece of jewelry. He gently let her hand fall from his and he cupped her face once more, kissing her deeply, his body pressing hers against the counter behind them. Leanne let out a moan, her hands going to run down his bare back, her leg moving to hook itself around his calf.
Ethan smiled into the kiss, his good hand wandering under the hem of the shirt that she wore, dancing along the top of her panties. He knew what he wanted to do. And he was pretty sure that she wanted it too. But he pulled back and pressed his forehead to hers, their panting breaths doing little to subdue him. "I love you." He whispered, his hand gripping her hip gently.
"I love you too." Her voice was just as soft as she was and she ran her hands through his hair before pulling his head back down to hers. She kissed him hard, and when she felt his fingers slide under the waistband of her panties she let out a hiss against his soft lips.
"Bedroom?" As much as he wanted to take her right there on his kitchen counter, he didn't know if his foot was quite ready for such an endeavor just yet.
Leanne let out a chuckle, her hands settling against his hips as she spoke. "But what about all those fancy flower petals you put everywhere?"
Her voice was full of humor and Ethan let out a laugh as he reached down, settling his hands under her ass, lifting her up quickly. "You joke now." He whispered, his teeth pulling at her bottom lip as he started moving them toward the bedroom. "You should've heard what Noa wanted me to do with them."
A soft laugh left her lips and she kissed him hard, her fingers settling against his shoulder blades. She smiled when he reached behind her and flung the comforter to the floor, the rose petals on top be damned. He laid her down gently before settling himself between her legs with a smile. She eyed him curiously, her hands going to run down his chest, stopping at the button of his well-worn jeans.
"Do I even want to know?" She asked softly, her fingers working quickly to undo the button and zipper, her hands going to his hips so that she could push the garment down.
He shook his head back and forth before burying his face in her neck. "No." He whispered, pressing kisses against the smooth flesh. He felt her quiver under him when his hand wandered back under the waistband of her underwear, his fingers running over soft curls before finding her center. She whimpered as he teased her slowly, the lack of sexual contact between them over the past month probably meant this wouldn't last long, but he wanted to at least make sure it was enjoyable.
After Ethan's jeans had been tossed aside, Leanne wasted no time in removing his boxers as well. She threw them in the general direction of the bathroom, knowing he would want to put them back on later, and then returned her hands to his now naked ass. She moaned when he slid a finger inside of her, and she ran her hands up his back until they got to his head. She pulled his head down until their foreheads were touching, and she kissed him gently. He pulled away from the kiss after a minute, his head returning to it's spot in the crook of her neck, and she moaned out his name when he bit down.
Ethan's hands quickly made work of her shirt, pulling it over her head in one swift motion, and he slid her panties down slowly, pressing kisses to her stomach and then her thighs and then her calves as he went. Once they were both naked he settled himself above her and pressed his forehead back against hers.
"I love you." He whispered softly, kissing her deeply before she had a chance to respond. He slid into her with ease and when she wrapped her legs around his waist and hooked her ankles behind his knees he let out a groan of pleasure. "Love you so so much." He picked up his pace, his eyes never breaking contact with hers, and he smiled when she rested her hands on the back of his head.
"I love you more." Her voice almost broke, and it took everything in him not to break down in tears right then and there. Instead, he kissed her, hard and passionate and deep and loving and when she tightened her fingers in his hair, he knew she was close. He thrust a little harder this time, his kisses deepening as his knees began to shake. He felt her start to tighten around him and he gripped her cheek gently, his fingers threading through the hair at the base of her neck as he kissed her senseless.
When they came together they both felt the world stop. And when she relaxed her hands against the nape of his neck, he let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. He pressed his forehead to hers once more and offered her a soft, dazed smile, and she returned it immediately. She ran her hands down his back and then up again, settling her left hand on his shoulder and her right one on his stubble covered cheek. The light shining in from the partially opened blinds hit the ring on her finger just right and she felt a sense of pride and enjoyment deep inside her that she hadn't felt in over a decade.
"We're getting married." She whispered softly, her smile reflecting her joy back up at him.
"We're getting married." He echoed back, his fingers running down her sweaty cheek to settle next to her lips. He smiled at her, the softest, sweetest, dreamiest smile yet, and Leanne fell in love all over again.
**There's only one more chapter left guys!
***Don't forget to comment to let me know what you think.