Not asking how he knew she was there, she took a deep breath and smiled at his back. "Marry me."
He paused, sandwich in hand as she spoke. He hadn't heard her right. He was tired. They'd been woken at 12:30 the night before by a red flash that had taken all night and most of the day to sort out. Little sleep, Grid coffee, and horrid fake sandwiches from the cafeteria which had been followed by a meeting with the DG who spent the time split between belittling Harry and his team and cursing the Home Office.
He was delirious. Or asleep. Dreaming. That was the only plausible explanation. There was no way those two words had come out of her mouth. He wasn't that lucky. Not now. Not with the day he'd been having. No doubt about it, he'd misheard her. Until she spoke again.
She'd stunned him. That much she could tell. He hadn't been expecting that and now he was speechless. "Harry, will you marry me?" The silence drug on as he stood with his back to her, the sandwich still poised over the plate.
Fear gripped her. Maybe he was horrified. He might not be speechless. She'd turned him down. Twice. What man would want to marry someone after being rejected...twice? Isaac was wrong. She wouldn't drive a wedge between them; she already had. What they had was it. A promise. Nothing more. Could she live with that?
Very slowly Harry lowered the sandwich to the plate. Wiped flakes of tuna on a dish towel from his hands. And slowly; ever so slowly gripped the counter. Lowered his head. Closed his eyes. And took a few calming breaths.
"Are you dying?" he asked softly, eyes still closed.
"What?" Confused, she took a tentative step into the kitchen. "No I'm not dying."
"Am I dying?"
"No, not that I know of."
Nodding his head once, he continued. "Are either of us being dismissed?"
"No." Stepping further into the room, she slowly crossed the wooden floor until she was an arm's length from him.
Releasing a final deep breath, Harry opened his eyes and looked up at the mosaic tile on the wall, his back still to her.
"Were you abducted and/or injected with any kind of chemical agent on the way home from your therapy session? Or threatened with harm in any way if you did not come into our house and ask me to marry you?"
"No and no."
"Oh thank God."
Finally turning around; goofy grin filling his face; he looked at her. And saw the fear, the rejection begin to slip from her features. She asked him to marry her. She said those two words to him. Tonight. Not five months from now but tonight. Marry me. In a heartbeat. There was nothing he wanted more in that moment than to marry her. Except maybe kiss her. And make love to her. Repeatedly through the night. And every other night for the next forty years.
So many thoughts filled his in the minute he stood there staring at her. So many different and wonderful things that he didn't know which one to grasp onto first. So he chose them all.
Reaching his hand out to her, gripped her arm and pulled her towards him;, his other hand going up to cradle the back of her head. As her body met his, he leaned his head down, his mouth hovering over hers as he stared into her eyes. Lips hovering just over hers he smiled. "Yes."
And then he kissed her. Slowly, thoroughly, heart bursting with love and his soul feeling like it could dance the rumba, he kissed her. Teeth pulling on her bottom lip, he felt her mouth part under his and he slipped his tongue inside, let it dance with hers as she sighed softly. Tangling his fingers in her hair, he gripped her hip tightly and pulled her closer. Cradling her again him, he carefully began walking her backwards; stopping as the hard wood of the table pressed into her back.
Tearing his mouth away from hers, he twirled locks of her hair around his fingers and pulled gently, tilting her head back. Leaning down, he let his lips trail over the jut of her jaw; along the curve of her neck. He felt her pulse racing as he placed hot, open mouthed kissed against her skin and felt himself harden as she moaned deep in her throat. Nipping the skin at the base of her neck, he let his lips and tongue sooth over the redness before continuing his journey southward.
As his mouth roamed, he slid the hand gripping her hip down her leg, fingers gripping the material of her skirt and inching it upward. Meeting the warmth of the skin beneath, he spread his hand out, caressing the inside of her thigh. She gasped as his fingers kneaded against her softly skin, sliding slowly up and under the edge of her knickers. Stroking a finger through her delicate folds, he groaned at how wet she already was. Sliding a finger inside her warmth, he stroked her, building her to climax quickly.
"Harry." she moaned, back arching as he brushed his thumb against her clitoris.
"Let go." he muttered against her throat, lips sliding upwards to press a light kiss against her mouth. "Let go for me Ruth."
Flicking his thumb again, he watched as she arched her back, mouth forming an oh as she tensed in orgasm. Before she had time to come down from her pleasure high, he removed her knickers along with his pants and boxers and pressed his erection into her warm heat. Groaning at the feeling of her tightness surrounding him, he pulled out and pressed back into her again.
Lifting her onto the table, he continued pressing into her, setting a frantic pace as he built her to her second climax. Using a hand, he grasped her hands above her head, leaned over and pressed a hard kiss against her lips. Feeling her muscles tightening around him, he thrust into her, his free hand brushing against her clit again. Body lifting off the table she cried out as she came again, more powerfully than the first time. One final thrust and he felt himself go over the edge, his face buried against her chest.
.
The first thing she noticed as she came to was that they were no longer lying on the kitchen table. Or if they were, they'd changed positions. Opening her eyes, she found herself lying on Harry's chest, his hand running gently through her hair. Lifting her head, she looked up at him and smiled, noticing for the first time they were in their bedroom.
"Hi."
Brushing her hair from her face, he smiled back. "Hi. Are you alright?"
Stretching aching muscles, she nodded, feeling the sheets brush against her back. "Yes. Though I seemed to have misplaced my clothes."
Smirking he wrapped both arms around her back as she rested her chin on his chest, blue eyes meeting his. "Hmm. That's strange. I seemed to have misplaced mine too. Guess I'll just have to wear you."
Pushing herself up, she brushed her lips against his. "I love you."
Hand sliding down her spine, he let it rest against the curve of her backside. Smiling, he kissed her gently. "I love you too."
Resting her head in the curve of his neck, she smiled, lazily drawing circles on his chest. They stayed like that for a bit, enjoying the feeling of being in each other's arms.
"Ruth?"
"Harry?"
"I've been thinking about what you asked me earlier in the kitchen and my answer. I don't think that's going to work."
Lifting her head from his neck, she stared at him, disbelief on her face. "What?"
Grinning, he grasped her left hand to his and pressed his lips against her ring finger. "You asking me to marry you. It's not going to work." Lifting her hand in front of her face, he showed her the ring he'd slid onto her finger while she'd been in le petite mort. A single diamond in the center with two smaller ones on each side, the band matched the one he had placed there earlier in the week. Grin on his face, he continued.
"The rings a bit too delicate for my tastes. And while it might have been a bit presumptuous of me, I thought this time I'd risk it and put the ring on you before asking. Will you marry me Ruth?"
Looking at her hand, she felt a smile tugging at her lips. The ring was gorgeous. Understated. Something she would have picked for herself if she were picking her own ring. Though she was a bit upset that she'd been unconscious when he'd placed the ring on her finger. Lifting her lips to his, she kissed him.
"Yes."