10 Things I Love About You - part IV
Part IV of loony_daydream's fic.
Title: 10 Things I Hate Love About You
Prompt: Caroline's Top Ten Reasons Why She's In Love With A Certain Dr. Macartney // Mac's Top Ten Reason's Why He's In Love With A Certain Dr. Todd
And so they found themselves on a bench outside; but not any bench - 'their bench'. Mac thought it was a perfect day. The sun was shining, he was with Caroline, her small hand curled around his... and suddenly he wasn't afraid: afraid of rejection, afraid she didn't love him back. He had to tell her regardless, because if he kept it inside one moment more he might simply explode.
"Can I have my present now?" She asked softly, drawing him from his thoughts, and the smile in her eyes set his heart on fire. She loved him alright, he knew it. He'd always known it really. He just didn't know why it had taken him this long to realise.
"Yes." He placed the diary next to him on the bench and pulled the list from his pocket once again. Then he had a sudden thought. "No." Sliding closer to her, he squeezed her hand and smiled. "Let me read it to you."
She looked as though she couldn't believe this was actually happening, and he mentally slapped himself. Why had he waited so very long to be with this amazing woman?
"Ok. Here goes."
He took a deep breath and began to read, although it wasn't really reading, because he knew the points off by heart, and was looking right into her eyes the entire time.
"10 things I love about you... Caroline." A pause, to acknowledge her widened eyes and shaking fingers, and to compose himself. This was really it - fucking hell!
"Number one: I love your smile. It's just so beautiful. You are so beautiful." He'd added that last part on without even realising, but it didn't matter - from the red that rose in her cheeks, she seemed to like it.
Now he'd started, it was a little easier to continue. They were sitting so close that his bent knee was touching her thigh, and he could feel her breath on his neck. He had to swallow before speaking again, his tone soft and gentle when he did.
"Number two: I love your laugh. It's so free, so natural. I love it when you're happy... It makes me want to make you happy just to hear it.
"Number three: I love the way you tease me. You can give as good as you get, and, you know, on those occasions when you can't... you're just so adorable."
She smacked him lightly on the shoulder, but her smile couldn't physically be any wider. Were those tears in her eyes? He was feeling quite emotional himself, but oddly, he didn't know whether this surprised him or not.
"Number four: I love your voice. The little posh words in the middle of all the rest. I could hear it all day, and all night, although perhaps not singing..."
She didn't even bother to hit him this time - they were both so lost in each other that the world had almost ceased to exist around them.
"Number five: I love the way you dress. I've never known anyone else who can get away with so many colours and patterns, and at the same time look good in scrubs and gorgeous little blue nighties."
"Dresses," she corrected automatically, and her voice was breathless, like a sigh. It made him shiver.
"Number six: I love how you would sacrifice everything you had for me - you almost did, with Mackenzie, and I just hope one day I get the chance to repay you properly."
He had promised himself long ago that he would, and now he had promised her too he was even more determined to do so.
"Number seven: I love your stubbornness. You're so brave and so scared all at once, and I want to just shelter you from everything forever.
"Number eight: I love your eyes. The way they look at me over your mask in theatre. The way they look at the world, so innocent, so hopeful. I hope they - you - never lose that. It's so, so beautiful."
He was nearing the end now, and as he reached out to touch his fingers against her cheek, he found he was shaking too.
"Number nine," he said very quietly indeed, his face moving ever so slightly closer to hers. "I love the way you kiss me, and the fact that each time you do, I can't imagine ever wanting anything more than taking you into my arms and never letting you go again."
As he brushed his thumb across her lips she whimpered, and it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard. If someone has told him this time yesterday that he’d be here, with Caroline, so achingly close to kissing her and wanting her and having her at last, he’d have laughed and made some wisecrack or other. But there was absolutely nothing funny about this - this was proper, serious stuff, and he felt it in the pounding of blood through his veins; the tension in the thick air; the simple softness of her skin beneath his fingertips.
"Number ten,” he just about managed to whisper, his lips now so close to hers that they were breathing each other’s air. “I love all of you, because you really are completely wonderful. I want you, Caroline… I want to marry you…"
And then he did something he definitely hadn‘t anticipated: he got down on one knee in front of her, taking both her hands tightly in his, and she definitely had tears in her eyes now: he saw one slip down her cheek, followed by a second a moment later.
“Will you marry me?”
Title: 10 Things I Hate Love About You
Prompt: Caroline's Top Ten Reasons Why She's In Love With A Certain Dr. Macartney // Mac's Top Ten Reason's Why He's In Love With A Certain Dr. Todd
And so they found themselves on a bench outside; but not any bench - 'their bench'. Mac thought it was a perfect day. The sun was shining, he was with Caroline, her small hand curled around his... and suddenly he wasn't afraid: afraid of rejection, afraid she didn't love him back. He had to tell her regardless, because if he kept it inside one moment more he might simply explode.
"Can I have my present now?" She asked softly, drawing him from his thoughts, and the smile in her eyes set his heart on fire. She loved him alright, he knew it. He'd always known it really. He just didn't know why it had taken him this long to realise.
"Yes." He placed the diary next to him on the bench and pulled the list from his pocket once again. Then he had a sudden thought. "No." Sliding closer to her, he squeezed her hand and smiled. "Let me read it to you."
She looked as though she couldn't believe this was actually happening, and he mentally slapped himself. Why had he waited so very long to be with this amazing woman?
"Ok. Here goes."
He took a deep breath and began to read, although it wasn't really reading, because he knew the points off by heart, and was looking right into her eyes the entire time.
"10 things I love about you... Caroline." A pause, to acknowledge her widened eyes and shaking fingers, and to compose himself. This was really it - fucking hell!
"Number one: I love your smile. It's just so beautiful. You are so beautiful." He'd added that last part on without even realising, but it didn't matter - from the red that rose in her cheeks, she seemed to like it.
Now he'd started, it was a little easier to continue. They were sitting so close that his bent knee was touching her thigh, and he could feel her breath on his neck. He had to swallow before speaking again, his tone soft and gentle when he did.
"Number two: I love your laugh. It's so free, so natural. I love it when you're happy... It makes me want to make you happy just to hear it.
"Number three: I love the way you tease me. You can give as good as you get, and, you know, on those occasions when you can't... you're just so adorable."
She smacked him lightly on the shoulder, but her smile couldn't physically be any wider. Were those tears in her eyes? He was feeling quite emotional himself, but oddly, he didn't know whether this surprised him or not.
"Number four: I love your voice. The little posh words in the middle of all the rest. I could hear it all day, and all night, although perhaps not singing..."
She didn't even bother to hit him this time - they were both so lost in each other that the world had almost ceased to exist around them.
"Number five: I love the way you dress. I've never known anyone else who can get away with so many colours and patterns, and at the same time look good in scrubs and gorgeous little blue nighties."
"Dresses," she corrected automatically, and her voice was breathless, like a sigh. It made him shiver.
"Number six: I love how you would sacrifice everything you had for me - you almost did, with Mackenzie, and I just hope one day I get the chance to repay you properly."
He had promised himself long ago that he would, and now he had promised her too he was even more determined to do so.
"Number seven: I love your stubbornness. You're so brave and so scared all at once, and I want to just shelter you from everything forever.
"Number eight: I love your eyes. The way they look at me over your mask in theatre. The way they look at the world, so innocent, so hopeful. I hope they - you - never lose that. It's so, so beautiful."
He was nearing the end now, and as he reached out to touch his fingers against her cheek, he found he was shaking too.
"Number nine," he said very quietly indeed, his face moving ever so slightly closer to hers. "I love the way you kiss me, and the fact that each time you do, I can't imagine ever wanting anything more than taking you into my arms and never letting you go again."
As he brushed his thumb across her lips she whimpered, and it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard. If someone has told him this time yesterday that he’d be here, with Caroline, so achingly close to kissing her and wanting her and having her at last, he’d have laughed and made some wisecrack or other. But there was absolutely nothing funny about this - this was proper, serious stuff, and he felt it in the pounding of blood through his veins; the tension in the thick air; the simple softness of her skin beneath his fingertips.
"Number ten,” he just about managed to whisper, his lips now so close to hers that they were breathing each other’s air. “I love all of you, because you really are completely wonderful. I want you, Caroline… I want to marry you…"
And then he did something he definitely hadn‘t anticipated: he got down on one knee in front of her, taking both her hands tightly in his, and she definitely had tears in her eyes now: he saw one slip down her cheek, followed by a second a moment later.
“Will you marry me?”