Author's Note: A Don't Blink side story. Sarah/Josie ficlet set after All My Nights Taste Like Gold on the Deveright timeline.

Unbetaed. All mistakes are my own.

The Planets and the Fates and All the Stars Aligned

Once upon a time, the planets and the fates
And all the stars aligned
You and I ended up in the same room
At the same time
And the touch of a hand lit the fuse
Of a chain reaction of countermoves
To assess the equation of you
Checkmate, I couldn't lose.
~Mastermind, Taylor Swift

Josie Deveraux is nervous.

It's not unprecedented, but it is unusual for her. In her profession, she generally has to exude confidence so her clients will feel confident in her ability to win their cases for them, and she's very good at doing that. Of course, her confidence is typically the result of countless hours of research and no small amount of mental speech writing before she ever opens her mouth to present her opening arguments.

In some ways, this situation calls for the same preparation, but it's also so very far out of her comfort zone, and of course, this is the most important case that she will ever present in her life, and the final judgment will either make her or break her beyond repair.

Her hand trembles slightly as she opens her briefcase, fingers sliding underneath the neat file folders to retrieve the small box hidden there. It's outside is plain and unassuming, but something so very precious and beautiful is hidden inside—not unlike the person that it's intended for. Josie carefully opens it for probably the hundredth time since it came into her possession, and her heart skips a beat, the same way it's been doing every single time she looks inside.

The ring isn't big or flashy. It's a simple solitaire with a square cut diamond, only one point one carats, but with perfect color and clarity. Josie had been so very tempted to go bigger, but she knows that Sarah would probably balk at wearing anything too showy, so she'd reined in her instinct to go all out on the stone in favor of a beautifully engraved, fourteen carat gold band that should be durable enough to survive on Sarah's hand—if she says yes.

That's the part that's making Josie nervous.

They've been together for two years—well, twenty-one months if they're marking their relationship from their first date, but tonight is the two-year anniversary of their very first kiss—and Josie has plans.

She's been planning for awhile if she's being honest. Ever since Quinn and Rachel's wedding, when Sarah had admitted that she could imagine them eventually getting married someday, Josie has been thinking about all the ways that she could ask her girlfriend to become her wife. The idea of doing it on New Year's Eve, the anniversary of their new beginning, wouldn't leave her mind.

She'd spent nearly the entire summer shopping for the perfect ring and finally found it in October. She's been carrying it around in her briefcase ever since, locking it in her desk drawer when she has to step out of the office and actually use the case for work, not fully trusting herself to not lose the ring amidst a sea of contracts and dispositions. The only other time it had been out of her immediate vicinity was when she and Sarah had traveled to Michigan to spend Thanksgiving with her parents and Josie had left her briefcase at home, securely locked and tucked away beside her desk. She'd used the excuse of working on a case when she'd toted her briefcase along to Boston for Christmas. Alternating holidays with their families is a thing that they do now whenever they can both get away from work for a few days. The times they can't are spent with their friends, and for the last two years, New Year's Eve has been one of those holidays.

Josie is breaking tradition this year for obvious reasons, and Sara doesn't have a single objection to them spending a quieter night away from the chaos of Manhattan. She'd jumped at the chance to skip out on the small handful of get-togethers that they'd been invited to tonight, and she thinks that Josie is going to pick her up from her office at 7 World Trade Center and drive them back to their apartment in Astoria. Josieis going to pick her up, but she's taking them somewhere else to ring in the new year. She'd covertly packed them an overnight bag and snuck it into the trunk of her car while Sarah had been in the shower this morning.

She really hopes it's a good surprise.

Only a few select people know what Josie is planning. She'd told her sister but not her parents because she trusts Jules to keep a secret, and the last thing she wants is for her mother to go all in on the wedding planning before Sarah even has a chance to say yes. She'd also asked Sarah's parents for their blessing (but not their permission) even though it's predominantly a patriarchal concept because she knows how much Sarah values her parents' support, though Josie had made it fairly clear that she was planning to ask their daughter to marry her whether they approved or not because Sarah is a grown-ass woman who can make her own decisions. Josie had phrased it much nicer than that when she'd eventually gotten them alone at Thanksgiving, of course, and since Sharon and Henry actually like her, they'd been wholeheartedly in favor of her becoming their daughter-in-law.

Josie is really good at charming parents.

Her own parents will be over the moon when she finally tells them that Sarah will be joining the family for keeps.

If Sarah says yes.

Of course, she'll say yes..

Or she should.

Really, why wouldn't she?

Sure, she'd been a little skittish about committing to anything permanent in the beginning, but Josie had charmed her into giving them a chance, and now they're building a wonderful life together—a life they can pretty much share anywhere, though Sarah has been pretty happy right here in New York, loath as she is to admit it. She's been slowly making a name for herself at her firm, and earlier this year, one of her designs had been pushed forward for a major client, who'd commissioned it for a multi-million dollar hotel going up near Prospect Park.

Josie is so proud of her girlfriend. If she were a more patient person, she'd wait until the hotel is built and take Sarah there to propose, but she's not actually willing to put their future on hold for another two years just for the sake of romanticism. She can be romantic enough in a rival firm's hotel, especially since Sarah already has a professional appreciation for the building. Josie will use every little bit of ambience she can scrape together to set the scene for her proposal.

"She'll say yes," Josie whispers to herself with a trembling smile.

She carefully closes the jewelry box and tucks it safely back into her briefcase. All she needs to do is lock her office, navigate her car downtown, and collect her girlfriend who will probably still be working even though Josie had told her she'd be picking her up early today—well, earlier. Four o'clock isn't exactly an early evening, but they both typically work until six, so it still feels like an indulgence. It's especially so for Josie since she's packing it in at quarter past three to give her plenty of time to battle the crazy holiday traffic. It doesn't matter that she's driving away from Times Square. There are so many New Year's events happening in so many locations around the city that there's no way to escape the throngs of people, no matter which direction she goes.

She opts to take FDR Drive and the long way around, hoping to avoid at least some of the congested city traffic, though just getting there from her building takes longer than it usually does. She calls Sarah when she makes it to the Battery Park underpass just to make sure she hasn't lost track of time and will at least be on her way down to the lobby when Josie makes it to her building. Parking there is a real bitch even on the best days. It's why Sarah still opts to take public transportation on most days—well, that and the fact that they both work late more often than not but not the same late.

Thankfully, Josie only needs to idle in a no parking zone with her flashers on for four minutes today before Sarah is speed walking to the car, tugging open the door and sliding inside. She shoves the messenger bag she still insists on using as her briefcase and purse onto the floor and leans back in her seat, turning her head toward Josie with a tired smile. "Hi."

Josie can't stop the grin from forming on her face. There's a faint flush to Sarah's cheeks, no doubt from the rush to get out on time, and a few strands of hair are escaping her ponytail, but the slight dishevelment only makes her more appealing, especially when Josie knows there's a slightly rumpled button-down hiding underneath her coat, just waiting to be unbuttoned.

"Hi, love," she greets, purposefully taking the extra few seconds to lean across the seat in expectation of a kiss. Sarah, all too used to Josie's insistence on this ritual at both drop off and pick up, responds accordingly, closing the extra few inches to briefly meet her lips. Josie is still smiling when they part. "Ready to get out of here?" she asks needlessly.

"So ready," Sarah confirms, relaxing into her seat. "I'm so glad we're skipping out on the crazy crowds this year. It'll be nice to have a quiet night at home."

"Mmm," Josie hums a little guiltily as she switches off her flashers in favor of a turn signal and checks her mirror for an opportunity to merge back into traffic. "About that," she begins cautiously as she eases the car into motion. "We may be taking a small detour."

Even with her attention primarily on the road, she catches Sarah's wary expression from the corner of her eye. "Whose party did you agree to stop at?" she asks with a tone of weary resignation.

"No parties, I swear," Josie promises, feeling nervous all over again that Sarah won't like her surprise. "We're just not exactly going home." She glances at Sarah with a reassuring smile. "I wanted to do something at least a little bit special tonight. I mean, it is our two year anniversary."

Sarah rolls her eyes at that. "Not technically."

"Essentially, though," Josie argues. She knows her girlfriend considers their anniversary to be their first actual date and first real kiss in April, but, "This is the day you came back into my life."

"And you stole a kiss under the guise of tradition," Sarah playfully accuses.

Technically true. Josie had kind of dropped the ball on the whole consent thing, but it had been New Year's Eve, after all. "I'd say I borrowed a kiss, which I've since repaid with interest."

Sarah laughs. "I don't think that's how it works, Jo."

Josie grins as she makes the turn onto Park Place. "Seems like you've been pretty satisfied with the arrangement."

Sarah shrugs. "I can't complain. You were certainly the best thing that happened to me that night."

"Just that night?"

"Every night," Sarah amends with a soft smile. "Even when you kidnap me to places unknown." Her brow furrows as she glances around at their whereabouts. "Are we going to Brooklyn?"

Josie chuckles. "You know, surprising you was much easier when you refused to learn your way around Manhattan."

"I didn't refuse. I just put all my effort into deciphering the subway maps so I wouldn't end up on the wrong train. You're the one that insists on driving around this city. I was bound to start recognizing street signs and landmarks eventually," Sarah points out before reaching across the console to gently poke Josie's shoulder. "Now stop deflecting and reassure me that your special plans don't involve us spending New Year's Eve in Prospect Park or huddled with the masses on the Brooklyn Bridge."

"We won't be in the park or on the bridge," Josie assures her easily. "But we do need to cross the bridge to get there because we are spending the evening in Brooklyn." It's not like she could have kept that part of the surprise a secret anyway. There's really no other reason for them to be in this near bumper-to-bumper traffic than needing to get into Brooklyn. "But I'm not telling you where until we get there." Even though she's sure Sarah will figure it out before they actually stop the car.

Josie might tease her girlfriend about her reluctance to actually be a resident of this city, but Sarah's love for the abundant architectural marvels that exist here means that she's more than familiarized herself with certain parts of the city and all its boroughs.

"It does involve food though, right?"

Josie sends a reproachful look to Sarah. "You skipped lunch again, didn't you?"

Sarah's gaze affixes on the taillights of the car in front of them. "I might have worked through it," she admits guiltily.

"Honey, you need to stop doing that."

One short, sharp huff of amusement passes Sarah's lips as she turns her head in Josie's direction. "You do it as much as I do."

"Yeah, but at least I scarf down a yogurt or a piece of fruit or something to keep me going."

"I'm not sure three spoonfuls of yogurt an hour before you leave for the day actually counts as lunch."

"It was five spoonfuls," Josie defends playfully, far too excited about tonight to feel particularly called out. She can admit that she's almost as bad as Sarah when it comes to taking the required breaks at work. "But what kind of girlfriend," or wife-to-be, "would I be if I didn't at least attempt to take care of you?"

"Buy me dinner and we'll consider me taken care of," Sarah responds with a grin.

"Oh, I'll be taking much better care of you tonight. I can promise you that," Josie vows flirtatiously. She glances away from the road just long enough to see the pretty pink blush begin to stain Sarah's cheeks. She doesn't think she'll ever get tired of the reaction.

"Just drive," Sarah instructs bashfully. "You can charm my pants off later."

Josie can't hold back her delighted laughter. "Oh, it won't just be your pants, hun." She has post-proposal plans that involve both of them being very naked as they ring in the new year.

Sarah's blush goes darker. "I look forward to it." And she very purposely turns her attention back to watching the traffic.

All things considered, getting across the bridge isn't nearly the headache Josie imagined it would be, and a glance up at the pedestrian walkway confirms that there are far more people up there than is normal for even a Friday night commute. A few of them might even be staking out a spot already to watch the fireworks thanks to the unusually warm weather they're having. It made it to fifty-seven degrees this afternoon, tonight is only supposed to bottom out in the mid forties, and there isn't a rain (or snow) cloud in sight. It's the perfect weather for all the outdoor celebrations happening around the city.

When Josie stays on Old Fulton Street and keeps heading in the direction of the pier, Sarah sits up at attention in the passenger seat. "When you said we were spending the evening in Brooklyn, you didn't just mean for dinner, did you?"

Josie flashes her a grin. "Nope, though dinner is included"

"Jo, what did you do?" she asks softly in that way that is somehow both exasperated and tickled in equal parts. Sarah isn't the type to ask for much of anything, and when she does, it's never ever extravagant, but Josie has learned that, despite her protests to the contrary, Sarah secretly loves being spoiled with nice things. And luckily, Josie loves to spoil her with nice things even more.

"I only booked us a little stay-cation," she demurs, easing the car around the curve in the road that brings Brooklyn Bridge Park and the hotel that sits right on top of it into view. "You did mention wanting to explore the interior."

They've been past the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge a few times, especially in the months when Sarah had been scoping out the nearby piece of property where the hotel she's designed will eventually stand, but they'd never really had a reason to stop and go inside. Sarah has never made a secret of her admiration for the eco-friendly design and materials used in both the build and the day-to-day operations of 1 Hotel, so with her professional curiosity as much a factor as the unbeatable views of the bridge and the Manhattan skyline, Josie figured it would be the ideal place for a romantic overnight getaway.

"You booked us into a five-star, luxury hotel when we live twenty minutes away?"

"I did," Josie confirms unabashedly. "I figured this place is bound to be more anniversary-worthy than our apartment."

"I happen to love our apartment," Sarah protests, though she's smiling indulgently.

"So do I," Josie agrees as she pulls the car over into the valet lane in front of the hotel. "But I also love room service, luxury suites, and in-house spas."

"Spoken like a true Boston blue blood," Sarah teases affectionately, and it's Josie's turn to blush. Her family's money and prominence isn't something she generally boasts about, and she lives a fairly economical existence in comparison, but she does have the means to splurge when she wants to, and she always wants to when it comes to romancing her girlfriend.

"I'm not actually hearing any objection to staying here."

"Well, I obviously want to see the inside now," Sarah confirms with a roll of her eyes. "You can't just bring me here and not follow through."

"I knew you'd say that," Josie crows, unbuckling her seatbelt. "I took the liberty of packing us some essentials."

"Of course you did."

Josie winks at her. "I threw in a pair of pajamas too, but you won't be needing them."

Sarah shakes her head, biting back a smile. "Of course I won't."

There's a valet waiting as soon as she opens the car door, and she's only a little disappointed that the exchange with him means she can't open Sarah's door for her—not that Sarah would have given her a chance to run around the car anyway. She's pretty resistant to those sorts of gestures, preferring to be the one to open doors whenever she can. Josie kind of loves that about her.

She also loves the way Sarah's eyes light up when she's looking at something that she loves, and they do just that when they walk into the lobby of the hotel. The exterior is impressive in its own way, with glass floor-to-ceiling windows dominating the hotel while the adjacent condos, Pierhouse, boasts brick and glass windows in alternating rectangular patterns, but the industrial look of the building is in stark opposition to the interior. One of the walls in the lobby is literally covered in greenery with living plants seemingly growing out of the vents and vines climbing to the ceiling. More potted plants and trees decorate the tables and floors. It feels more like walking into a greenhouse than a hotel, and Josie supposes that it's actually meant to feel like the hotel is literally a part of the park that it's built on.

"Okay, I'm impressed," Sarah murmurs, a speculative look on her face as she admires the large windows and columns around them. She has her messenger bag slung over a shoulder and the small, wheeled overnight bag that she'd wrested away from Josie parked at her feet, one hand loosely curled around the handle and the other shoved casually into the pocket of her slacks, leaving her open coat askew in an almost rakish way. Josie finds herself a little more appreciative of that view than the one that Sarah is currently admiring, but she drags her eyes away from her girlfriend (and hopefully soon fiancée) to consider what Sarah is commenting on.

The interior of the hotel is impressive, and Josie suspects it might be even more so with the sunlight streaming in rather than the dimming twilight and the twinkle of the Manhattan skyline from across the East River. Of course, Josie thinks that view would probably be equally impressive by day or night.

"Not jealous that you didn't design it?" she asks, only half teasing.

Sarah smiles wryly. "It's not really my preferred aesthetic, but I can definitely appreciate it." Her gaze drifts back to the windows. "I love the use of natural light."

"You mean the windows?" Josie teases, slipping the arm that's not currently juggling her briefcase around Sarah's waist.

"Yes, the windows," Sarah responds with amusement, leaning into Josie. "They really took advantage of the incredible views at this location."

"They did. I can't wait to find out what we can see from our room."

It's all the invitation Sarah needs. "Go check in," she commands, easily prying the briefcase away from Josie with the distraction of a soft kiss at the corner of her mouth.

Josie is mostly unconcerned by Sarah's unexpected possession of her secret hiding place since the case is still safely locked, so she grins at the show of affection and the obvious excitement to see the rest of the hotel. "Yes, honey," she dutifully replies before heading to the front desk to collect her keycard. She keeps one eye on her girlfriend as she wanders around the greenspace examining every nook and cranny and no doubt taking mental notes for her own future designs. The smile never leaves Josie's face. She's going to marry that nerd.

Key in hand, she joins Sarah to explore the lobby and public spaces a little more, successfully reclaiming her briefcase without any protest. She lets Sarah keep the overnight bag. They scope out the restaurant and lounge before they head to the elevator that will take them up to their room on the eighth floor. It's easy enough to find since it more or less takes up an entire half of the hallway. Josie might have possibly splurged just a little bit.

"What did you do?" Sarah asks for the second time tonight, her eyes wide in disbelief when they step into the room. Well, actually it's a suite—the hotel's version of a presidential suite to be exact.

"I may have pulled a few strings," Josie confesses, grinning at her girlfriend's stunned expression. She may have also spent more money for a one night stay than Sarah would ever approve of and made the reservation all the way back in June when she'd first had the inkling of an idea to propose, but Sarah doesn't need to know either of those things just yet. "I wanted to make sure we had the best view they offer, and," she chuckles softly, sweeping her arm across the windows that run the length of the suite, "this is basically every view they offer."

They're currently standing in the sitting room portion, which showcases the Manhattan Skyline complete with the Brooklyn Bridge stretching over the river. Josie knows from looking online at the floorplan that this room sits between the suite's two bedrooms, and Sarah has abandoned the bags she was carrying in the middle of the floor and wandered close enough to the windows to see that they can walk the length of them from one room to another. The floor-to-ceiling glass panes provide a nearly uninterrupted view, impeded only by the few support columns between them.

Sarah shakes her head in disbelief, glancing at Josie. "You…I…" She shakes her head again, briefly closing her eyes. "Never tell me how much this costs," she settles on.

Josie laughs. "I think I can manage to keep that to myself."

With a third shake of her head, Sarah wanders off to the right, eyes darting between the windows and every feature of the room that her steps reveal. The first thing they see is a decadent sculpted granite tub encased in a clear glass shower stall that will allow the bather to see out the windows while they bathe—and potentially allow anyone with a really powerful telescope or a runaway drone camera to see inside as well—obstructed only by the tree-like potted plants that are similar to the ones all around the hotel. The tub belongs to the master bathroom, attached to the master bedroom that they walk straight into, the sliding door that closes off the room from the rest of the suite left open and almost invisible where it disappears into the wall. The bed is tucked against the back wall and the windows form the front corner of the room. Hanging from the corner walls in front of the bed is a cozy hammock that, unfortunately, doesn't look big enough for two.

The bathroom doesn't have a closing door, just an opaque wall that, thankfully, hides the shower and tub from the bed. The toilet is in a separate part of the bathroom that, also thankfully, does have a door, albeit a frosted glass one.

The windows next to the bed show off the half of the bridge that's right beside the hotel, but Sarah seems to be stuck at the corner windows, staring out at the bright lights of the darkened city.

"I can't believe you did this," she murmurs.

Josie steps behind her girlfriend and wraps her arms around her waist, sighing happily when Sarah instinctively leans back into her. "You deserve a little wooing sometimes." She ghosts a kiss across Sarah's temple. "I love you, and I know you love the look of this city even if you hate living in it."

"I don't hate it quite so much anymore," Sarah admits, turning in her arms to loop her own over Josie's shoulders. A crooked smile curls her lips. "And I do love the view, but I love you so much more."

And really, if that isn't an invitation to kiss the hell out of her, Josie doesn't know what would be. It occurs to her, somewhere in the warm, hazy pleasure of having Sarah in her arms, so sweetly compliant, that this moment bears some resemblance to their first real kiss—the one Sarah would consider their real anniversary—with a stunning view of a bridge as their backdrop. It also occurs to Josie that, if tonight goes as planned, she will very happily be kissing only Sarah for the rest of her life.

Josie is seriously considering a spontaneous amendment of her plan to include either the bed or the bathtub as a prelude to her proposal, but there are the not small matters of dinner and her desire to pop the question as close to midnight as possible, and she doesn't fully trust herself not to get completely distracted by her girlfriend, so she reluctantly pulls back from the kiss.

"So what do say we fully check this place out before I feed you?"

Sarah grins and rocks forward to gift Josie with one more quick little peck. "I say yes."

Butterflies erupt in Josie's stomach at the thought of her saying yes later tonight.

Since they're already in the master bedroom, they start their deeper exploration there, though there's not much more to it than what they can see. Josie laughs in delight when Sarah insists on trying out the hammock and fully sinks down into it like a burrito. The view from it is spectacular though.

The entire suite is an odd mix of natural materials, including living plants and moss, and technology. There's an iPad that serves as a menu of the hotel's amenities along with actual menus for room service and their signature restaurant, The Osprey. The sitting room boasts woven stools alongside faux leather couches and hand crafted pottery next to a fully stocked gaming station on a large flatscreen television.

There are watering stations scattered around the suite, each sporting a glass beaker that can be filled from the filtered tap for personal use or, Josie suspects, watering the abundant plants. The second bedroom, while smaller than the master, also has a sliding door for privacy and its own bathroom with a walk-in, glass shower. This one, however, is pretty much in full view of anyone in the bedroom since this bathroom also doesn't have a door, and the only obstruction is the short counter the houses the sink.

"They fully believe in putting everything on display, don't they?" Josie jokes, nodding at the shower stall.

"That's a definite choice," Sarah agrees with a small frown. "Not one I would ever make. I can't decide if it's better to use the master bathroom and have a glass wall in front of the window or use this one and have it in full view of the bed."

"And the window," Josie points out, gesturing to the wall of glass that forms this corner of the suite. These windows look out over the harbor with views of Governors Island and the Statue of Liberty in the distance.

Sarah wrinkles her nose in distaste. "Yeah, master bathroom it is."

Laughing, Josie pulls her girlfriend into her arms. "I don't know. We could probably see the fireworks from here. Bet you can see them from the shower too." She grins wickedly. "Fireworks outside while we make fireworks inside."

"I doubt we'd see them through the steam."

Bless her heart, she seems completely unaware of the double entendre she'd just gifted Josie, so Josie decides to let the obvious retort about potential steamy activities go—well, mostly. "We could definitely test that theory tonight."

Sarah reaches up to lovingly cup Josie's cheek. "I think it's safe to say we'll be taking full advantage of this amazing suite to celebrate the New Year."

Josie hums happily, thinking about all the ways they will certainly take advantage of it, and she brushes her lips over Sarah's again. "I can't wait."

"You can actually," Sarah refutes, tracing the pads of her fingers over Josie's jaw. "I believe I was promised food."

"You were," Josie affirms with an easy grin, "and I keep my promises." She's also feeling a bit hungry for actual food. The yogurt really didn't do much for her today. "We have a reservation at The Osprey for seven, but if you'd prefer, we could order room service instead."

Sarah scrapes her teeth over her lower lip. "I'm guessing that reservation was hard to come by tonight."

"Not as hard as you might think." There may also have been some strings pulled there as well, and those didn't even involve money, just a hard won custody case for the hostess several months ago.

"Still, I'd hate to cancel it." Sarah glances down at herself and fidgets nervously with the top button on her shirt. "I don't suppose you packed me something nicer to wear?"

"You don't need to change. You look perfect," Josie assures her, lifting her own hands to straighten Sarah's collar, even though it doesn't need to be straightened. Josie just feels the need to touch her. She'd gone with a black oxford shirt with white pinstripes today, tucked into sleek, dark gray pants, and the combination looks particularly sharp. Lesbian catnip is the term Josie would use.

"But these are my work clothes, Jo," she complains with an adorable pout.

"And these are mine." Josie had opted for a simple, green sheath dress today since she hadn't needed to be in court, so it does double nicely as evening wear, but it's hardly fancy attire.

Sarah tilts her head, gaze traveling over Josie's body in appreciation. "But you look…so good."

Smirking, Josie hooks two fingers into the waistband of Sarah's pants and tugs her closer. "So do you, love." She kisses her for good measure, hoping to relay how very good she looks to Josie. Sarah's little moan makes her think she's gotten her point across. "Although…I am looking forward to getting you out of those clothes," she whispers against her girlfriend's lips.

Sarah's laugh is a little breathless. "The feeling is very much mutual."

They agree to keep the reservation, and Josie is glad for that. The restaurant has a number of vegetarian and vegan dishes in addition to gluten-free ones, and while tonight's menu is limited due to the holiday, there will be multiple dishes and courses to sample for each dietary preference, and she's been looking forward to the experience.

Even though she's convinced Sarah that she doesn't need to change her clothes, her girlfriend still insists on using the available bathroom to freshen up a bit, and she takes the time to wash her face, brush her hair out of its ever-present ponytail, and sneak an extra swipe of deodorant before she smoothes out some of the wrinkles in her shirt and tucks it back in all nice and neat.

The Osprey isn't a romantic restaurant in the strictest sense. It carries on the style of the hotel with its large glass windows and greenery that serve to bring the outside in, making its patrons feel like they're dining under a terrace in the park, but the soft glow of the lantern style lights hanging from the ceiling admit the vines does create a certain air of romance. Their table is next to one of the windows and at the very end of the row, and the lights from the city play hide and seek through the trees in the park outside. The food is excellent, and the conversation moreso, and by the end of the meal, they're both full and happy.

Since the weather is still so mild, they decide to take a walk through the adjoining park after dinner, detouring back up to their room to grab their coats. They aren't alone, obviously. It's New Year's Eve, and even here, there are people already enjoying their revelry, taking in the views of the skyline and the harbor and gathering in the park in anticipation of the fireworks.

It's nearly ten by the time they make it back to the room, and Josie's excitement is at war with her nervousness. Thankfully, Sarah doesn't seem to notice. They forgo trying out the bathtub for the moment, but they do opt to share a shower, enjoying the intimacy that comes with it, though they don't actually have sex just yet. Josie is far too conscious of the time and her plans for midnight.

The shower is refreshing after a hard day of work, and once they're finished, they change into the comfortable loungewear that Josie had packed for them. Sure, she probably could have planned out a proposal that involved fancy clothes and a far more elaborate setting, but she thinks simple and comfortable suits them better.

Josie sneaks the ring, sans box, into the pocket of her track pants while Sarah finishes up in the bathroom and checks it repeatedly as they take advantage of the wet bar and the bottle of champagne that Josie had arranged to have stocked. All the televisions in the suite are tuned into the New Year's coverage at Times Square, though the volume is set low. It's more background noise to keep them aware of the time.

There is kissing and cuddling on the oversized sectional couch with the picturesque skyline in front of them, and Josie thinks that maybe it's as good a place as any for the countdown to the new year, but at four minutes until midnight, just when when Josie is mentally preparing the perfect segue into a marriage proposal, Sarah slips out of her arms and off the couch.

"Come on," she urges, grabbing Josie's hand, "let's find out if we can see the fireworks."

She tugs Josie until she stands. "Okay. I guess we're doing that," Josie realizes, letting herself be led into the second bedroom. The view from the corner windows here isn't quite as spectacular now that it's fully dark outside. The harbor all but disappears into the night sky, illuminated only by the buildings of the financial district, with the Water Street buildings being the most prominent, but the faint glow of Lady Liberty is visible in the distance.

Sarah settles onto the bed with her back against the headboard, patting the mattress in invitation. Josie slides in next to her, surreptitiously touching her pocket one more time to feel the small outline of the ring still safely inside, and Sarah curls back into her arms easily. "Thank you for tonight. Even though I know you spent way too much money on this suite, it's kind of incredible."

"Well, you're kind of incredible," Josie responds tenderly, "and completely worth it."

"There's that Deveraux charm again," Sarah teases.

"It's my truth, Sarah," Josie tells her earnestly, shifting so she can look into the eyes of the woman she loves—the woman she hopes to spend the rest of her life with. She can hear Ryan Seacrest announcing that there's a minute until midnight, and she knows this is her moment. "Two years ago tonight, I showed up at Kurt's party and found you again, and it felt like the new year really was a new beginning." She lifts a trembling hand to cup Sarah's cheek. "You said I was the best thing to happen to you that night, but Sarah, honey, you were the best thing to happen to me that year and every moment since."

"Oh, Jo," Sarah whispers, eyes bright with emotion.

The countdown to midnight is audible in the background, and Josie's heart races. "I love you, Sarah."

Sarah chuckles wetly. "I love you, too." There's a moment of quiet in which the three, two, one from the television is all that can be heard, and Sarah smiles. "Happy New Year, Jo."

Auld Lang Syne begins to play, and colorful bursts of light appear in the windows right on cue. "Happy New Year, love," she echoes, leaning in for the kiss that is fully consensual and completely reciprocated. Josie's hand slips into her pocket to find the ring as she pulls away from the kiss. Licking her lips nervously, she lifts the ring into Sarah's line of sight. "Will you make it even happier by agreeing to start every year with me for the rest of my life?"

Sarah's eyes widen and she gasps when she realizes what Josie is really asking. "Jo," she breathes out in shock and clumsily jerks away, dragging her hands through her hair.

Josie's stomach bottoms out at the loss of the warm body next to her, and her heart thumps painfully in her chest. "Sarah," she says softly, pulling her girlfriend's gaze back to her. "Marry me?" she asks more directly, holding up the ring again.

Sarah bites into her lip again, tears slipping over her cheeks. "Are you sure about this?"

Josie puffs out a nervous laugh. "I'm holding a ring." She gestures vaguely at their surroundings, fireworks still exploding from the barges near Liberty Island. "I planned this whole thing out. I'm very sure."

Sarah sniffles, wiping away an errant tear. "I just don't want you to regret choosing me if you realize someday that you want more."

Logically, she knows why Sarah is hesitating. Josie is aware that her girlfriend isn't exactly keen on ever having kids, but that's something she's willing to accept. "You're what I want, Sarah." Maybe there's a small part of her that might like to be a mom someday, but there's also the part of her that works fifty hour weeks and the part of her that loves taking spontaneous trips, whether on a bike or in a car or on a plane. She's fully aware that those parts aren't exactly compatible with children, but they are very compatible with Sarah. "Please don't doubt me." She gently brushes the loose strands of Sarah's hair back behind her ear before stroking her cheek. "And please…please say you'll marry me."

The plea hangs between them for long, silent moments, with Sarah's dark eyes glued to hers, until a watery smile slowly appears on her lips, and she nods. "Yes. Yes, of course I'll marry you."

Relief washes over Josie, and her heart leaps in joy. "I love you so much," she exclaims through happy tears, unable to tame her smile, even as she kisses Sarah again in veneration. They're engaged! This sweet, shy, amazing woman just agreed to be her wife. Realizing that she's still holding onto the ring, she breaks the kiss and lifts Sarah's left hand between them. "Will you wear this for me?"

Sarah's eyes drop to the ring, and she finally takes the time to really look at it, a happy little grin settling on her lips. "Yeah…yeah, I will," and she spreads her fingers apart in silent invitation.

Josie's grin matches Sarah's as she slides the ring onto its new home. "I was hoping you'd like it."

"I love it," Sarah whispers, admiring the ring on her hand for another moment before she lifts her gaze. "And I love you, and I love this night, even if you did make me completely miss the fireworks."

Josie laughs in delight, so incredibly happy right now. "Oh, I think the fireworks are just about to start," she husks, guiding her brand new fiancée down onto the mattress. She trails little kisses from Sarah's jaw to her lips. "And I can make you see them from every room in this suite."

Beneath her, Sarah inhales sharply, arching into her. "Prove it," she challenges breathlessly, and Josie isn't one to refuse a challenge. They have this suite for the next twelve hours, and Josie plans to spend every single one of them celebrating the start of a new year and the beginning of th rest of her life with her soon-to-be wife.

The fireworks are spectacular.