Gah, I was supposed to upload yesterday but transferred the wrong chapters downstairs and then couldn't be bothered to go back and get them again. And today, i would have uploaded earlier but my sister and family and me went to Lincoln and i came home with my belly button pierced x Hurts like a son of a bitch, but hey!

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Café et fraises

Chapter Twenty Two

Half Healed

The ring suddenly felt like a weight in Bov's pocket. He slipped his hand in and fingered the blue velvet box.

'Are you okay?' asked Lucy, who was snuggled up against him, her crystal blue eyes on the television.

'Yeah,' Bov said, swallowing nervously. He pulled his hand out and ran it through his hair. It was a cold Sunday night in December; Lucy had insisted he stayed in with her to watch Sex and the City. To be honest, he wasn't really paying attention to it (not even the sex bits) his mind on the ring the whole time.

'Are you sure? You've not even said 'Oh, I'd fuck 'er!'' Bovver laughed, despite what was running on his mind.

'I'm not always thinking 'bout sex, you know,' he said. Lucy flashed him a disbelieving look and looked back at the TV with a grin. It fell quiet and Bov cleared his throat.

'Luce?'

'Hmm..' came the reply before she drank her cola through a straw.

'I need to ask you something.'

'Alright.'

'It's important.' Lucy frowned, looking back at him.

'You aint got herpes or anything, 'ave you.'

'No,' he said, flushed. 'It's nothing like that.' Shifting so she slid off his lap, he stood in front of him. Stuffing his hand in his pocket, he pulled out the velvet box and thrust it in her face. 'Marry me.'

'That's romantic,' she said, craning her neck back so she could see the box more clearly. 'At least open it.' Bovver flushed furthermore, before opening the box. Then, he got down on one knee. 'That's better,' smiled Lucy, her cheeks also pink.

'Will you marry me?' he asked, his voice a little high.

'Yeah,' she replied in a small voice, before throwing her arms around his neck. He beamed and the two got to her feet. They stood awkwardly for a moment, before Lucy had the sense to take the ring out the box and slip it on her finger.

'Looks good on you,' he said, fiddling with the box.

'Thanks,' she replied, unable to take the smile off the lips. She was engaged!

Jesus, she thought to herself. Engaged. That would lead to marriage. Perhaps an even bigger family. Moving in together and being Mrs. Lucy Bovverington.

She felt a little lightheaded.

'Maybe we should tell the others?' Bov suggested with an odd shrug of his shoulders.

'That's sounds good,' Lucy nodded, moving over to the DVD player and flicking it off. She turned it off at the plug, before grabbing her jacket.

'Ready?' she asked, looking bravely into his face. He nodded and the two made for the door.

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It looked like any normal evening at the Abbey. The usual men were in here, with Terry serving at the bar, a few slag-like girls flirting with whoever they could.

The GSE were at their usual table, beers and fags in hand, except all their faces matched; pale, jaws dropped.

'Marry?' Libby squeaked, finding her voice first. Lucy nodded before glancing at Pete; he's opinion was the one which mattered most. He was staring off into the distance, but his hand was bunched on the table. She could almost hear the cogs ticking as he thought it over.

They have known each other almost all their lives, Pete thought, scratching his jaw. How could he have not seen it coming? Babies and weddings… it just seemed so unlike Bov. They'd all said it would be Dave who'd marry first and they were all shocked that it was Bovver. Bovver just… it was weird. He liked one night stands, not relationships. He liked birds that'd get down on their knees, not ones who cared and had feelings… But then again, Lucy wasn't like any other girls Bov had been with.

Lucy was Pete's sister… would he rather her go with some idiot like Adam? Or someone he'd himself had known since they were little.

'You really wanna go through with this?' he asked, looking up at them both who were stood there like they would in the Head Teacher's office.

'Yeah,' nodded Bovver. 'I do.'

'Me too,' Lucy answered. 'I wanna marry him.' Pete nodded, and then gave a wave of his hand.

'Alright; then I guess you 'ave my blessing or whatever.' Lucy beamed before giving her older brother a tight hug.

'Do you know what,' Libby said, with a grin that stretched right across her face. 'This calls for a party!'

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