"Easter was a major bust and that's not even the half of it." He explained tiredly over the phone. Little did Buffy know that he was shutting the car door after parking in front of her apartment. He was sly, having told her he was headed home for a few things before he was going to crash for the night. That he'd see her in the morning. When really
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"Was it really that bad?" She asked slowly. "Or--if you don't wanna talk about it, you don't have to." She didn't want to get him stirred up again if he'd really had problems during Easter, like a disastrous dinner or something, but she wasn't quite sure what he meant by 'bust'. She knew at her family dinners, especially the last couple before her parents split up, there had been hissed arguments behind the kitchen door, and frosty silences and stilted requests at the table. She could still remember the looks, questioning and curious from her cousins, and sympathetic from her aunts and uncles. But that was her dysfunctional family. She didn't really know much about Seeley's family, except--it was big. Well, bigger than hers, anyway.
She smiled a little and dug her bare toes into the plush couch cushion at his question. "You weren't here, were you? Of course I missed you." Had she really just said that? And worse, even knowing how sappy it sounded, she wasn't even embarrassed she'd said it. It was merely the truth.
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"They don't believe you're real, Buffy." He finally got to the point of the whole conversation.
"I think they think I went off the deep end. Even Parker was making little remarks about needing to find a girlfriend."
Closing his eyes, he felt a pang of guilt for that. For not being there for her when he more than wanted to. "No, I wasn't. Which is why I left you a present. Did you see it? I left it at your front door." Booth let a smile dance back to his face as he spoke the words, straightening his back and waiting in front of the door.
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She was jolted out of her fangirl musings over his voice when he mentioned what his aunt and uncle had been arguing about. "What?" She bit her lip, a ripple of insecurity shooting through her. She dug her toes harder into the couch. Seeley liked children, and a woman with one already would make a better sometimes-mom for Parker than she would, plus, the lady apparently wasn't afraid to have kids. Down the street, in her mind, equaled girl next door.
She relaxed a little at hearing his easy laugh. But then frowned at his next words. She'd been uncomfortable, meeting his entire family, when they'd only been dating for 2 months. Meeting the family was a big step, she was nervous about him meeting her family, and she wasn't going to do it at some formal holiday dinner. She would have been felt very uncomfortable and completely awkward the entire time, and Seeley had been very understanding. But now... she wished she'd gone, just so his family didn't give him such a hard time.
"Parker's like, ten. Should he even be thinking about girls like that yet?" God, she honestly didn't know. She could barely remember being ten herself. "I wouldn't mind meeting Parker, at least..." she said in a quiet voice. She wanted to meet the little boy, if only because Seeley loved him so much, and talked about him so often. She hoped he liked her.
Buffy perked up at the mention of a present. "It's not like we can spend twenty four-seven together, Seeley," she backtracked gently, not wanting him to think she was upset that he'd gone to his family dinner and left her alone. "But presents are nice. I like presents." Her voice took on an impish quality as she stood up and wandered over to the door. "When exactly did you do this? Not before the dinner, 'cause I've been outside since..." She trailed off, having just looked through the peep-hole out of habit.
Not bothering with another word, Buffy threw the chain and deadbolt, then yanked the door open. There stood Seeley, still in his Sunday clothes, holding a rather large yellow Easter basket. And smiling like the cat that ate the canary.
He'd said he was tired! He'd said he was heading home to crash, and he'd come by to see her tomorrow! Buffy just stared at him in utter surprise for a moment. Then she calmly took the Easter basket from his hands and set it on the ground, turned back toward him, then pulled on his tie until he was low enough she could give him a proper, thorough hello kiss.
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Licking his lips, he let her take the basket from him, having at first expected her to just jump at the chance to grab him and kiss him. So when she took the basket only and turned to set it down, he rose a confused brow at her. Not at all disappointed... okay, maybe a little.
But that disappointment soon turned into enjoyment as small but strong hands tugged at his tie. Lowering his head, he smiled softly before parting his mouth to kiss her. Large arms coming around to wrap at her waist and hoist her up off her feet. For someone with super powers, she was tiny and lightweight. Perfectly fitting in his arms as he kissed her back passionately.
"I take it you like your present?" He teased, pulling away but never far. His nose softly rubbing her own as he finally relaxed for the first time since waking up.
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When the kiss finally broke, he set her down but didn't let go. Buffy kept her arms around his neck, idly twirling strands of his hair between her fingers. She stared at him for a minute, soaking in his presence, like they'd been separated for months instead of a day. She never wanted to be away from him.
She smiled and said seriously, "I love it." She glanced over to the basket on the floor beside them. "The Easter Basket's nice, too."
She looked back at him, his face only inches away. She'd been bored Sunday, and talking to several friends through the wonder of the internet, and social networking sites. It had actually been Cordelia who had reminded her of one of her old mottoes. One she seemed to have forgotten several years and at least one death ago.
Her lips were parted to say something teasing like, 'Why don't you come inside, I'll give you a present, too.' What actually came out of her mouth was, "Marry me."
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Everything bad from the day's worth had just turned to wonderful. It was easy for his day to always go better whenever he had a dose of Buffy. He knew it to be a prescription for the heart that worked every time.
At her little crack about loving it, then mentioning the basket as if it weren't what she meant he meant, Booth laughed softly. "I worked very hard on that basket. As did Parker." Later when Buffy rummaged through the basket, she'd find a note from Parker with a drawing on it. Something even Booth hadn't been able to see. It was intended for Buffy's eyes only.
Adjusting his arms around her, Booth listened to the words that spilled forth from her mouth. "Marry me." Was what she asked. That had the otherwise calm and collective man nearly dropping her from his arms. Though she wouldn't have far to fall, as she wasn't feet off the ground, he managed not to drop her. Marry me. repeatedly played in his head.
It was as if his brain didn't work anymore.
What did work was his heart.
And his mouth.
And so, he spoke from there.
"Only if you marry me first." Where that came from he hadn't any idea. He just knew he wanted to say it.
He wanted her to be his wife.
And so with that, Booth found his arms loosening from around her waist to allow him the chance to slip down her body, looking up to her from a knee. "Will you marry me, Buffy?" Booth's asked with his heart on his sleeve.
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Her eyes widened a little in surprise after she said the words. Yeah, she'd been thinking about it, more subconsciously than anything, but it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to want to marry Seeley, to be with him all the time. But she hadn't meant to just blurt it out like that, with no segue whatsoever.
She bit her lip in nervousness as he just looked at her for a moment. What if he didn't want to get married? Oddly, it didn't cross her mind he wouldn't want to marry her. She was just about ready to open her mouth and start rambling, when he spoke. Her eyes grew wide again as he knelt on the floor and actually, really roposed.
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And yet, she was. Buffy started nodding, before finally getting out a breathy "Yes." She didn't even wait for him to get back up, but just dropped to her knees and threw her arms around his neck in a fierce, desparate hug. She laughed a little in disbelief. "Oh, yes. Yes yes yes."
She nuzzled her face against his neck, inhaling his scent and marvelling that he was going to 'officially' be hers. For the rest of their lives.
She did have one question, though.
"You are gonna buy me a ring, right?"
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So... right.
Now came that moment in your life where you were all you were. Where everything was put on the line out of sheer chance. He was a gambler... crud, did she even... no, it didn't matter right now. What matter was that he was gambling his life. His future. His heart all on this.
Sure, she asked him to marry her, but that, he believed was just out of words. Not meant. Not entirely at best anyway. Oh, but god, here he was, meaning it. With no ring as a token of his promise to her, but with open arms and words tied to his soul.
Because she was just that.
His soul. Already so heavily infused to him that if she ever left him, he'd lose himself completely.
Was she going to laugh, tell him to get up, because she was only joking or was she going to...
...wait! Did she just...
"Yes?" He asked in partial shocked mixed with joy.
"Yes. Yes! YES!" He exclaimed after her, arms wrapping around her tight, never wanting to let go of her or this moment. "I love you." He breathed against her skin, grinning like a mad man when she drew away so they could face one another. His arms still holding her dearly.
"I am, darling. I am. I want you to show me some rings you like so I have an idea what to surprise you with."
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