Fic: Minor Detail
Title: Minor Detail
Author: Mary (stillxmyxheart)
Beta: Lindsay (rowofstars)
Rating: G
Genre: Fluff, Romance, a wee smidgen of Angst
Word Count: 7,291
Characters/Pairings: Evan, Harrison, Sam, April, Simon, Laurie, Penny (April/Simon, Evan/Penny)
Summary: Evan needs April's help with something very important.
A/N: This fic has been a long time in the making. I think I started this back in November. Maybe even October. Yeah. BUT IT'S FINALLY FINISHED AND POSTED *jazz hands* Timeline wise this takes place two years before the main arc. Enjoy, bbs <3
"So, you want to marry my daughter."
Evan nods and tries to speak, but finds his mouth inexplicably dry. He swallows hard and takes a breath.
"Yes, sir."
Harrison is silent a moment, staring intently at the paperclip chain he's been steadily working on since Evan entered his office.
Evan swallows again, wishing the pounding inside his chest would lessen a little. He's not sure why he's so nervous. It's been five years since he and Penny got back together, and he thinks he's proven well enough, to both her and her father, that he's no longer the same person he was in high school.
On the other hand he is asking permission to marry the daughter of the most powerful man in the world, a man who could probably make him disappear with one phone call.
He watches Harrison slide another paperclip onto the chain and opens his mouth to speak before closing it again. Maybe early on a Monday morning wasn't the best time to do this.
"Why?" Harrison finally murmurs.
Evan stares at him a moment, feeling wrong-footed.
"Why - why what?" he asks, and then quickly adds, "Sir?"
Harrison's eyes flick briefly to Evan's face, sharp and scrutinizing.
"Why do you want to marry my daughter?" he clarifies, his gaze lingering on Evan's face a moment before returning to the work of his fingers.
"Because I love her. I - I always have."
The corners of Harrison's mouth twitch slightly as he slips on another paperclip, the dull scrape of metal on metal sounding abnormally loud to Evan's ears.
"Come back tomorrow," Harrison says after a minute of silence. "I'll have an answer for you then."
Evan stands still for a moment and then nods. "I'll come back tomorrow, then."
He turns to leave and as he disappears from the office, Harrison's lips curve into a grin.
Cynthia walks in, casting a backward glance to the door before raising an eyebrow at Harrison.
"What's wrong with him?" she asks as she deposits a stack of documents on his desk.
"He wants to marry Penny," Harrison replies, his grin widening.
Cynthia shakes her head. "Poor boy. I can't imagine having you as my father-in-law."
Harrison raises an eyebrow. "Is it getting to be time to get a new assistant? Should I get Nathan in here?"
Cynthia gives him a look back. "You don't scare me. Neither does Nathan. And besides, you'd be lost without me."
"I suppose you're right," Harrison says, his tone resigned as he pulls the stack of papers to him.
"Of course I'm right." Cynthia favors him with a small smile, which he returns, before striding from his office. "Canadian Prime Minister in an hour," she says just before she closes the door.
Evan returns the following morning and has to wait for Harrison to get out of a meeting.
He sits nervously in the chair against the wall, picking at a thread on his shirt and trying once again to slow the pounding of his heart. He has no idea what he'll do if Harrison tells him no. It's a thought that's only crossed his mind fleetingly, one he tries not to dwell on. He'd still ask her anyway, but he would feel better knowing he has Harrison's approval.
He's never been able to imagine spending his life with anyone other than Penny, even in those years where they were apart. There was only one other woman since Penny broke up with him who he said "I love you" to, and when that relationship ended it made him realize he was only trying to force himself to move on. Hindsight told him he hadn't been fair in that relationship, and he still feels guilt over it from time to time.
After a half hour, the door to Harrison's office opens and a man strides out, recognizable to Evan by sight, though he doesn't remember his name. They share a nod and then Cynthia gestures for Evan to go inside.
He takes a breath and stands, smoothing the front of his shirt before entering the large office.
Harrison glances up and the corner of his mouth lifts.
"You're back," he says, scribbling his signature on the paper in front of him before capping his pen and dropping it onto his desk.
Evan nods and clears his throat.
"You - you said you'd have an answer."
Harrison nods. "I did."
There's a brief moment of silence and then Harrison grins.
"For Christ's sake, son, yes."
Evan's too stunned to immediately reply and then he lets his breath out in a whoosh, his lips curving into a hesitant smile.
"Yes?"
"Of course." Harrison's grin turns sly. "I would've told you that yesterday, but I figured I'd see if you came back today."
Evan laughs, relieved. "Thank you, sir."
"My consent doesn't mean very much, though," Harrison says, raising his eyebrows as he points a finger at Evan. "And it's up to Penny regardless, because I know you would've asked her anyway."
"Yeah," Evan replies, grinning a little. "It just feels better knowing that you approve."
"Well, I probably wouldn't have ten years ago, but then she probably would've turned you down anyway." He pauses, glancing down at his hands. "She's happier with you now, and I like seeing her happy. Just make sure she stays that way."
"I will," Evan promises.
"Good luck," Harrison says, his grin reappearing as he watches Evan leave the room.
He passes by Sam as he goes, raising a hand in greeting, and Sam nods in return, a bemused grin curving his lips.
"You said yes?" he says as he approaches Harrison's desk.
"Yeah," Harrison replies, still smiling as he looks again at the document in front of him.
"Think you made his day," Sam murmurs, settling into a chair in front of the desk.
Harrison nods. "Now it's just up to my daughter to make the rest of his life."
Sam smiles, nodding too, and there's a momentary silence.
"I'd have made him wait a week," he says finally, and Harrison snorts laughter.
"This is why it's good you never had children," he says, his eyebrows rising as he lifts his gaze to Sam.
"It's why I never wanted any," Sam counters, arching an eyebrow. "You know I loved spending time with Penny when she was little, but part of it was because I got to give her back. How you raised a teenage girl by yourself without losing what little mind you have continues to astound me."
Harrison gives him a look and then shakes his head when Sam smirks.
Evan bursts into April's office a few short moments later, not noticing the strange look Laurie gives him as he hurries past her desk.
He shuts the door with more force than he intends and April jumps as she looks up at him.
"Evan?"
"You have to help me," he says as he steps closer to her.
"With what?" she asks, looking a little alarmed at his urgency.
He takes a breath and then grins. "I'm gonna ask Penny to marry me. Harrison gave his consent; I just came from his office."
April stares at him for a moment and then her lips curve upward as she jumps out of her seat and hurries around her desk to pull him into a hug.
"Congratulations," she says.
Evan laughs as he gives her a squeeze. "Thanks," he says when he pulls away. "She still has to say yes, though."
April waves her hand dismissively. "Minor detail."
Evan laughs again and April grins as she leans against the front of her desk.
"So what do you need my help with?" she asks, folding her arms over her chest.
"The ring."
"You haven't already got one picked out?"
Evan shakes his head, looking a little sheepish.
"I've been thinking about it, but I wasn't really sure if I was ready to ask her until about two o'clock this morning."
April's smile widens as she shakes her head. "Well, have you got something in mind?"
"Sort of, but I need a second opinion. I was hoping you could come with me to look at rings, maybe tonight?"
April nods. "Sure. Simon's working and unless a catastrophe occurs between now and then, I should be able to get out of here on time. Just call me at five to see what's going on."
"Great," Evan says, and steps forward to drop a kiss to April's cheek. "I'll call you later, then."
April nods and watches Evan step to the door. He pulls it open and comes face to face with Simon. The two men startle and then share a greeting, Simon glancing back at Evan's retreating form as he steps into the office.
"What was he doing here?" he asks as April steps around her desk to retrieve her purse from the bottom drawer.
"He's going to ask Penny to marry him," April replies, grinning as she drops her phone into one of the inner pockets. "He wants me to help him pick out the ring."
"Oh," Simon murmurs. "Are you going tonight?"
April shrugs, glancing at him as she checks her email once more before stepping away from her desk.
"You're working, so it's not like you and I have plans." April frowns as she slips her purse onto her shoulder, recognizing the look on Simon's face. "We're just going to look at rings, Simon. With any luck he'll find something tonight."
Simon nods and smiles slightly when April stands on her toes to touch a kiss to his lips.
"Now come on and take me to lunch," April says, grinning as she slides her hand down Simon's arm to take his hand.
"So what exactly did you have in mind?"
April leans against the jewelry counter, looking at the rings a moment longer before raising her gaze to Evan. He's a few feet away from her, staring into the display case with a small frown on his face.
"There's so many," he murmurs, and April smiles as she moves to stand next to him.
"Well, what do you like?" she asks.
Evan's quiet a moment, eyes still on the rings, and then he raises his eyebrows. "Well, I don't like those really plain ones there," he says, pointing at a cluster of simple solitaires. "But I don't really like those giant things right there either," he adds, his expression distasteful as he gestures at a bunch of elaborately designed rings.
"You couldn't afford those anyway," April murmurs, grinning slightly.
"This is true too," Evan agrees. "I may already be panicking at some of these price tags."
April laughs softly and raises her hand to lightly rub Evan's back. "That's what payment plans are for."
They spend almost an hour looking at different rings, and while Evan picks out a few possibilities, he can't quite make a final decision.
"It's okay," April says reassuringly as they walk from the store. "It's not like you're on a deadline or something. You're proposing, Evan. I mean, she's going to have this ring the rest of her life, so it's got to be the right one."
"Yeah," Evan replies, nodding. "There's another store I wanted to try, maybe tomorrow?"
April smiles slightly. "We don't all have summer vacation, Mr. Mitchell; some of us have to work."
Evan grins a little sheepishly. "Right, sorry. I'll call you tomorrow."
April nods and pulls him to her for a quick hug before the Secret Service agent standing behind her ushers her into the waiting car.
She waves as the car pulls away and Evan waves back before turning to head back to his own car.
It's close to midnight when Simon comes home and he smiles when he walks into the bedroom.
April's sitting against her pillows in her pajamas, smooth, tanned legs crossed at her ankles. Her glasses are perched on her nose and there's a report spread open in her lap, a pen held loosely in her hand.
She'd look every bit the dutiful White House Press Secretary if she wasn't sound asleep, her head leaning against the wall and her chest rising and falling with the rhythm of her deep, even breathing.
Simon walks over to her and carefully pulls the pen from her fingers, knowing she'll be upset if she gets ink on the sheets. He sits down beside her on the bed and she wakes up as he's pulling the report from her hands.
"Hey," she mumbles sleepily, sliding her fingers under her glasses to rub her eyes. "Did you just get home?"
Simon nods and leans forward to kiss her before he stands, pulling off his suit jacket.
"Evan find a ring?" he asks as he tugs his tie loose.
"Not yet," April replies, sitting up and stretching. "He found a few he liked, but he's still thinking on it. He says there's someplace else he wants to look."
"How long does it take?" Simon mutters as he yanks his shirt from the waist of his pants.
April frowns at him as he disappears into the bathroom. "It's an important decision, Simon. He's not just gonna pick out the first one he sees."
"I don't get why he needs you," Simon's voice echoes from the bathroom. "It's for Penny, why doesn't he just take her?"
"Because he wants it to be a surprise, and I'm her best friend, so between the two of us we can pick out something she'll like."
"I'm her best friend too," Simon says when he emerges from the bathroom, his expression disgruntled as he ties the drawstring on his pajama pants.
April raises an eyebrow at him. "Do you really want to go ring shopping with Evan?"
Simon scowls but doesn't reply. "I suppose you'll be going out with him again?" he says instead.
April shrugs. "Probably tomorrow after work."
Simon's face darkens and April sighs.
"What is your problem?"
"Nothing," Simon mutters after a brief pause, though his expression tells her it's anything but. "I'm gonna get something to eat."
April shakes her head, a huffy sigh escaping her lips. "Fine."
She shifts so she can slip under the covers and reaches up to snap off her lamp as Simon steps from the room, pulling the door shut a little harder than usual.
"You okay?" Evan asks the next night as he holds open the door to the jewelry store for April.
"Yeah, fine," she says, flashing him a brief smile as she steps inside.
"You just seem a little... distracted," Evan continues as they walk over to the counter.
"Just tired," she says, shaking her head slightly. "It's fine." She takes a breath, drumming her fingers on the counter. "So, what do we like?"
This store is bigger than the other and it's almost an hour and a half of comparing rings and prices and having April try on some of the ones that will fit just to see how they look before Evan has another handful of possibilities.
"Don't look so overwhelmed," April says, patting his back lightly as they leave the store.
He sighs as he flips through the pages of information the jeweler gave him, a light frown creasing his brow.
"It's like I told you last night, it's not like you're on a deadline here."
"I know," he says, sighing again. "I just - I want to get it right."
"I know you do. And you will. Whatever you choose, I'm sure Penny will love it."
She sweeps her hand over his back and Evan smiles and nods.
"Do you maybe want to get something to eat?" he asks. "I brought the stuff from last night; maybe we could compare?"
April considers him a moment. Simon's working again and won't be home until late, and considering all she had for dinner the night before was leftover pizza and lunch today was a rather unsatisfying salad, she's feeling much in the mood for something a little more substantial.
"Sure," she finally replies, nodding.
A short while later they're seated at a table at a nearby restaurant, each with a cheeseburger and fries in front of them.
Evan chews a bite of his burger and watches as April flips through his pages of information, staring at the pictures of the rings. He smiles slightly as he looks at her.
She looks just like she does when she's working, that pensive, analytical expression on her face. Her brow creases every so often, and then she either marks the page with a tiny ‘A' in the corner, or just flips to the next one.
When she reaches the end she gathers the papers in her hands, tapping them on the table before she hands them back to Evan.
"I marked my favorites," she says, reaching for a French fry, "but obviously that's just my opinion."
Evan nods as he takes them.
"You marked my favorites," he says after a couple of minutes, grinning as he looks up at April.
She laughs as she reaches for her water. "Well, at least we're on the same page."
"Literally," Evan says, his grin widening, and April snorts laughter.
Evan takes a breath, flipping through the pages once more before he sets them down.
"Okay, I think I need to step away from that for a little while." He raises his gaze to April's face. "How are you? I feel kind of bad, I haven't really seen you in a few weeks and then I just come and ask you this huge favor."
April smiles and shakes her head, chewing another French fry.
"It's all right. I've been so busy I wouldn't have really had time to see you anyway."
"Oh, right," Evan says, nodding and waving his hand, "that whole thing with the subways in New York. How're they running?"
"So far, so good," April replies, though she looks a little apprehensive. "I still think we should've waited, should've done more tests. They've been in disuse for almost 50 years; I just don't believe there aren't more weak spots. Oh, God, and when Harrison rode on it..." She sighs, shaking her head and touching her fingers to her forehead. "I thought I was going to have a heart attack right then and there. I just kept seeing the whole bloody thing caving in or something."
Evan laughs and April looks up at him, a smile curving her lips. "What?"
"You're spending too much time with Sam and Nathan, I think. Picking up a bit of that Brit."
April laughs softly. "Sort of inevitable, I suppose."
Evan grins and takes a bite of his burger, washing it down with a swallow of beer.
"How's Simon?"
April takes a breath in through her nose, contemplatively chewing a bite of her own burger.
"Simon is... Simon," she says once she's swallowed. "He's been in a bit of a mood lately," she adds, thinking back to their little tiff the night before. "I think he's just been working too much. He's got a couple days off coming up soon, so hopefully he'll mellow out."
They're silent a few minutes, finishing up their dinner, and then Evan pulls his phone from his pocket.
"I should call Pen and see if she wants me to bring her anything. Be quiet a minute."
April raises her eyebrows and opens her mouth to speak, but Evan cuts her off with a warning finger. She smirks and he grins slightly as he hits the speed dial for Penny and raises the phone to his ear.
As Evan talks to Penny, April quietly finishes the rest of her fries, staring around the restaurant.
She's watching a man try to pick up a woman over at the bar, amused at his clear lack of success, when her phone rings suddenly, startling her. She fumbles it from the pocket of her suit jacket and silences it as quickly as she can, raising her gaze to Evan.
"Sorry," she mouths, and he waves a hand at her.
She checks to see who called, biting her lip when she sees it was Simon. She knows he'll call again if it's important and she stares at the display, waiting to see if he does.
Evan ends his call with Penny after a couple of minutes and waves the waiter over to tell him the to-go order.
"Sorry," April says again once he's gone, "it was Simon. He doesn't usually call while he's at work," she adds, frowning slightly.
"Do you need to call him back?" Evan asks, his expression slightly concerned.
"No," April murmurs. "If it was important he would've called again, and he's probably gone back to work."
Evan nods. "I told Penny it was at another table. She thought it was rather funny that their ringtone sounded just like yours."
He shakes his head and April grins. "Where does she think you are?"
"Told her I had a planning session with Andy tonight," he says, looking a little sheepish. "He's well-informed to lie if she asks for whatever reason."
April giggles and Evan grins.
The waiter comes by to take away their plates and April asks if she can put in a to-go order as well, thinking she'll surprise Simon. It'll be a little cold when he gets home, but she knows he won't care.
She and Evan finally leave a little while later, walking out into the warm summer evening.
"I'm gonna look at the rings some more tomorrow and try to make a decision. Can I come by if I do?"
"Yeah. Call first, though, I've got some meetings tomorrow and Friday."
Evan nods and he and April start down the sidewalk. They part ways when they reach the corner, sharing a quick hug.
April places Simon's food in the microwave when she arrives home, knowing it'll be fine for the few hours until Simon gets off work, and heads into the bathroom to shower and get ready for bed.
She sits up a few hours reading over the notes from the last security meeting until sleep begins to tug her eyelids down.
She slips the notes back into her bag and then walks into the kitchen to pull the large post-it pad from the drawer by the refrigerator to write Simon a note.
Sorry I missed your call. Brought home dinner for you; in the microwave. Love you.
When she finishes, she peels the note from the pad and tosses both the pad and the pen back into the drawer before walking to the bedroom.
She sticks the note on the bedroom door where she's sure Simon will see it and then pushes it shut before climbing into bed.
Evan walks down the hall to the Press Office early Friday afternoon, two well worn sheets of paper folded in his pocket.
He'd called a little while ago and Laurie told him that April was in a meeting, but would likely be done soon.
He smiles at Laurie now as he approaches her desk, noticing April's closed door.
"She still in the meeting?" he asks.
Laurie nods, glancing at the clock on her desk. "Shouldn't be much longer, if you just want to wait."
Evan nods and settles in one of the chairs in front of Laurie's desk.
She continues working a few minutes, debating on whether or not she wants to speak, and then finally looks up at Evan.
"So, you're getting engaged?" she asks quietly.
Evan nods, smiling slightly. "Hopefully. Still trying to find a ring so I can actually ask her."
"Congratulations," Laurie replies, trying to smile. "I'm sure she'll say yes."
Evan looks at her for a minute, suddenly recognizing the look on her face.
"Come on," he says softly as he stands. "Let's get some coffee."
Laurie looks at first like she wants to say no, but then she sighs. She scribbles a note for April and then stands as well, walking with Evan down to the cafeteria.
"It'd be cheaper to go to Starbucks," Laurie murmurs when they're seated, taking a sip of her coffee. She crinkles her nose. "It'd taste better too."
Evan laughs softly and they're quiet a moment before he looks up at her.
"So, what's up?" he asks.
She sighs, resting her elbow on the table and propping her head on her fist.
"I don't know. It's so stupid." She takes a breath, running her fingers through her long hair, twisting a small section around her fingers when she reaches the end. It's a gesture utterly familiar to Evan and it makes him smile a little, a brief wave of nostalgia sweeping through him.
"I just - when I overheard April tell Simon the other day that you were gonna ask Penny to marry you, I just - I had this feeling."
Evan's expression turns wary as he looks at her. "What - you don't still -"
Laurie gives him a look. "Oh, please," she mutters. "Get over yourself."
The corner of her mouth curves into a smirk and Evan laughs, holding up his hand. "Sorry."
Laurie shakes her head, scratching her thumb nail over the lip of her cup. "It's not really about you, or even about us. It's just… I haven't had a relationship since I started working for April. Haven't really had time for one. Not a real one, anyway. Not that I'm really complaining, I love my job and April's a great boss, but still there's just no time." She pauses, her gaze flicking to Evan's face. "And, somewhat depressingly, my last meaningful relationship was with you."
Evan stares at her a moment. "We broke up six years ago."
"That's why it's depressing."
A short laugh escapes Evan's lips and he nods. "Right."
Laurie sighs, her shoulders lifting in a small shrug. "I'm not one of those girls who has to have a boyfriend for her life to be worth something, but it's hard sometimes, seeing April and Simon together all the time, and seeing how excited you are about proposing."
Evan doesn't reply, not sure of what to say, and then Laurie looks up at him again.
"Are you excited?" she asks quietly, raising her eyebrows a little.
"Yeah," he replies softly, his lips curving upward.
Laurie smiles and nods. "I really am happy for you, Evan. I know how much you love her, and I'm glad you found her again."
Evan's smile widens a little and he nods. He swirls his coffee in his cup for a second and then looks up at Laurie, his brow knitting together slightly.
"I did care for you, Laurie. And I know I hurt you, and I'm sorry."
"I know," she murmurs, the corner of her mouth lifting. "You've apologized for it, and it's over and done with. Water under the bridge and all of that."
Evan considers her for a moment. "And I do still care for you. Otherwise I wouldn't have bothered to ask what was wrong."
Laurie nods, laughing a little, and Evan smiles.
They stand when they finish their coffee and Evan steps to Laurie, slipping his arm around her shoulders and giving her a squeeze.
"Cheer up, Barbie," he says in a low voice.
Laurie groans at the old nickname, her head falling against his chest as he laughs.
"Shut up, Ken," she retorts, lightly smacking his stomach with the back of her hand.
A heartbeat later her arm slides around his waist and she squeezes him back.
"You're an amazing woman, Laurie," he says, "and I know you know that. If there's one thing you've always had, it's self-confidence." Laurie laughs softly and Evan grins. "There's someone out there who deserves you, and I hope you find him. I want you to be happy too."
Laurie nods and leans into him, savoring his warmth and his closeness for just a moment before she steps away.
"Thanks, Evan," she says, tilting her head a little as she smiles up at him.
He tosses their cups in the trash and walks with her back to the press room, leaving her at her desk as he strides into April's office.
Not long after Evan leaves, Simon comes in and smiles as he steps over to give April a kiss.
"Your shift over?" April asks, glancing at the clock before looking up at him.
Simon nods, perching on the edge of her desk. "And the whole weekend off," he adds.
April's lips curve as she raises an eyebrow. "Wonder what we could do with a whole weekend together."
"I'm sure we could come up with something," Simon replies, his smile mischievous.
"Oh, I'm sure," April murmurs, her smile widening as he leans down to kiss her again.
"You wanna go out tonight?" he asks as he straightens, watching as she thumbs through the contents of the thick binder in front of her.
"You sure you want to?" She looks up at him, her eyebrows knitted slightly. "You just worked a double, I figured you'd go home and be out the rest of the day."
He shrugs. "I might take a nap, but I don't want to fuck my sleep schedule up too much. I hate when I do that."
April nods, frowning a little at something on the page in front of her as she reaches for a pen. Simon shifts so she can pick up the yellow pad he's half sitting on and watches as she jots down a few notes.
"We can if you want," she says when she finishes writing. "I'm meeting Evan again tonight, though; he's got it narrowed down to two rings. I told him I'd go help him make his final decision."
She's still looking down at the binder and doesn't notice the slight darkening of Simon's expression.
"You can come with us," she continues, "and then you and I can eat after."
"Fun," Simon mutters.
April looks up at him, frowning again. "Simon -"
"Yeah, okay, fine," he says as he slides off the edge of the desk and starts for the door.
"Wait a minute," April says, standing and stepping quickly around the desk to grab him before he leaves.
"What's the matter?" she asks, her grip firm on his arm as she looks up at him.
He stares at her for a moment before shaking his head and looking away.
"It's nothing. I'm just tired."
April bites her lip a moment, almost certain it's more than that, but knowing he won't open up if she pushes him.
"Look," she says softly, raising her hand to his tie and gently tugging on it, "we'll go wherever you want tonight, okay? Go home and get some sleep, and if you want, pick out something for me to wear to dinner, and then you can come pick me up from here. We'll meet Evan, help him choose his ring, and then I'll be all yours. Okay?"
She raises her eyebrows hopefully and he looks at her a moment before nodding, his lips curving slightly.
"Okay."
She smiles and tugs on his tie again, pulling him down for a kiss.
"Love you," she murmurs.
"Love you too," he replies, touching another light kiss to her lips.
"I'll see you tonight," she says, letting go of his tie as he straightens.
He nods and steps from the office, waving at Laurie like he always does as he passes by her desk.
Later that night Simon's pacing around the jewelry store as Evan and April stare at rings, feeling bored and a little agitated.
He glances at the two of them standing by the counter and his agitation increases slightly. They're standing so close, shoulders touching as they talk in low voices, and as he watches April lifts one leg, scratching the back of her leg with the toe of her shoe. The skirt of her dress flutters around her knees as she lowers her foot back to the floor and she shifts, her hip bumping gently against Evan's.
Simon had picked her outfit, a white dress adorned with large black flowers with a wide black patent belt around her waist and shining black heels, because it was one of his favorites and he thought it might cheer him up to see her in it. It had at first, but then they'd met up with Evan and now it annoyed Simon to see her standing with another man and looking so beautiful.
He knows it's stupid to be jealous of Evan. They're looking at engagement rings so he can propose to Penny; he knows deep down on some rational level that there's nothing between Evan and April beyond friendship.
However, the jealous part of him is far nearer to the surface, and not as rational.
Evan is better than he is in a lot of ways, and Simon can feel that ever present fear that April is going to one day decide she wants someone better, someone more like Evan.
Maybe even Evan himself, Simon thinks darkly, his scowl deepening as he watches Evan glance over at April, a wide grin on his face.
A moment later he pushes the thought away, trying to force the jealousy down and bring back some rationality to his thoughts.
Even if the day came when April didn't want him anymore, he's certain she wouldn't break up someone else's relationship, especially not her best friend's.
He suddenly feels guilty for entertaining the idea, even for a moment, and starts over to them, wanting to be close to April.
As he nears the counter he sees the jeweler smile as she looks at Evan and April.
"You two make a very cute couple," she says. "Any idea yet as to when you want your wedding?"
There's a tense moment of silence and then Evan says, "She's not -" just as April says, "He's not -"
"She's my girlfriend," Simon says, his annoyance flaring again as he comes to stand beside April.
Evan glances at Simon warily over the top of April's head. "Yeah, she's just - she's my girlfriend's best friend, she's just helping me choose the ring."
The jeweler immediately looks contrite, holding up her hands. "I'm terribly sorry, I just assumed - my apologies. I'll check back with you in a few minutes."
She walks away and Simon looks down at April. "Are you finished yet?" he asks, his tone a little shorter than he intends, and April looks up at him, frowning slightly.
"Simon -"
"Actually," Evan interrupts, "I think I am."
April looks over at him and watches as he picks up the ring he's decided on.
"You're sure?" she asks, glancing at it before looking back at him. "One hundred percent?"
He nods confidently, smiling a little as he stares down at it. "One hundred percent."
"I like that one," she murmurs, nodding appreciably. "She's gonna love it."
"I hope so," he replies, the barest flash of apprehension passing over his face.
April raises her hand to his shoulder and Simon shifts irritably.
"April -" he begins.
She turns her head, glaring up at him. "Simon -"
"You guys can go ahead and go," Evan interrupts again, clearly trying to stop an argument before it begins. "Thanks for all your help, April."
"Of course," she replies, slipping her arm around his waist and giving him a squeeze. "Let me know how it goes."
"I will," he says, smiling over at her.
She straightens and Evan glances at Simon, giving him a brief nod and receiving one in return before he and April start towards the door.
"What is your problem?" April asks as soon as they're outside, adjusting her purse on her shoulder as she stares up at Simon.
He sighs, reaching up to tug on his earlobe as he glances away from her.
"Nothing," he says finally, looking back at her. "I'm sorry, I'm just - hungry. And more tired than I thought I'd be. I'm sorry," he says again, reaching forward and rubbing his hands up and down her arms.
April looks up at him for a moment, her mouth twisted contemplatively, and then sighs.
"Let's go eat, and then go home and put you to bed. I want my Simon back."
"I'm sorry," he says a third time, leaning down to kiss her as he slides his hand down her arm, weaving his fingers through hers.
"I'll forgive you, so long as you're in a better mood tomorrow," she says, raising an eyebrow at him.
"I promise."
"Good. Now buy me dinner to make it up."
He grins as they start down the sidewalk. "Yes, ma'am."
It's almost a week later when Evan steps into the kitchen of the apartment he shares with Penny, setting the rest of the dinner dishes on the counter beside the sink.
Penny smiles her thanks at him before continuing with her story about her trip to California with her dad.
Evan's listening, or trying to, but his heart is pounding in his ears and making it a little hard to hear.
It's the first time they've really been together since he picked out her engagement ring; he had a three day conference up in New York, and then she went off for two days with Harrison.
He'd suggested a nice dinner tonight to celebrate finally having some downtime together, thinking she wouldn't think it was suspicious or out of the ordinary after their brief time apart. The ring is heavy in his pocket and on his mind; he's just waiting for the right moment.
"Evan?" Penny says suddenly, startling him from his thoughts. He looks up at her, seeing her brow knitted a little. "Are you all right?"
"Fine," he replies quickly. She raises an eyebrow at him, turning away from the sink as she dries her hands on the dish towel, and he takes a breath.
"I have to ask you something," he says, trying to keep his voice calm and measured, but what he says next comes out in a rush, his words running together. "I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, about us, and how much we've been through together, you and me, and I love you so much and I was wondering if you would maybe want to marry me."
Penny stares at him a moment, her eyebrows knitted as she worries her lip.
"I think," she says finally, her voice soft, "I caught some of that - Evan -"
"Wait," he says quickly, fumbling in his pocket for the ring and then nearly dropping it when he pulls it out. Her eyes widen a little and he can see the tears building as he steps closer to her.
"Marry me, Pen," he says quietly, reaching for her hand and sliding the ring onto her finger, his lips twitching in a brief smile, relieved that it fits.
He raises his gaze to her face, anxiously watching her expression. Her eyes are on the ring and she blinks, sending a tear rolling down her cheek.
He lifts his hand to her face, catching the droplet with his fingers and brushing it away before he rests his palm on her cheek.
There's a moment in which he thinks his heart may burst inside his chest, thinking that of all the times for her to be rendered speechless, this might be one of the worst, and then she looks up at him.
He smiles slightly, sweeping his thumb over her skin, and takes a breath before he asks her again.
"Marry me."
April's phone startles her awake and Simon shifts behind her, groaning as he pulls his arm from around her and flops onto his back. She fumbles the phone from her bedside table, squinting at the display before placing it against her ear.
"Hello?" she mumbles sleepily, rubbing at her eyes with her other hand.
"April -"
"Evan," she interrupts, glancing at the clock on her bedside table, "it's after eleven, and I was asleep. This better be life or death."
He hesitates and April hears Simon mutter, "Why is he calling you so late?"
She shrugs, lifting her hand into the air before lowering it to her forehead.
"Well, not life or death, but -" Evan begins, and then Penny's voice cuts in sharply.
"Who are you talking to?"
There's a brief pause and then Evan says tentatively, "Uh, April?"
There's another pause and then Penny comes on the line.
"Sorry, April. Go back to sleep."
The call ends and April shakes her head as she snaps her phone shut and drops it back onto the table.
"I love when problems take care of themselves," she murmurs as she settles back down, adjusting her pillow.
Simon hums his agreement as he turns towards her again, pressing his chest to her back and draping his arm over her.
Penny shakes her head at Evan, her expression exasperated as she hands him back his phone.
"Could you at least let me tell my two best friends?" she asks beseechingly.
Evan's expression turns sheepish as he looks at her. "I'm sorry, I just got excited."
"I know," Penny sighs, "but I would like to at least be there to see their faces and celebrate with them when you blurt it out, okay?"
Evan nods. "I'm sorry," he says again, and his brow creases a little. "Are you mad?"
She sighs once more, her lips twitching. "No. You're just like a little puppy sometimes, you get into things you shouldn't, but you're too cute to stay mad at."
Evan grins broadly and Penny's lips curve as she pulls him down for a kiss.
"You know," she says when she pulls away, "you should've waited until tomorrow to ask me."
"Why?" Evan asks, frowning a little.
"Because tomorrow's my birthday."
Evan's eyes widen and his face falls. "Oh," he breathes. "I forgot. Well, no, I didn't forget," he amends quickly when her eyebrows shoot up, "I made reservations -" He stops, a mild look of panic crossing his face. "It just slipped my mind in the - in the moment -"
Penny giggles softly at his stammering and then shuts him up with another kiss.
"It doesn't matter," she says quietly, shaking her head a little as her hand slides to the back of his neck. "I'm just glad you asked me."
"I'm glad you said yes," he replies, grinning slightly as he slides his fingers into her hair and touches his lips to hers once more. He takes a breath when he pulls away, suddenly a little overwhelmed. "I love you so much, Pen, I hope you know that," he whispers.
"I know," she murmurs, smiling as she strokes his hair. "I love you too."
He kisses her again and then pulls her into a hug, holding her tightly as he buries his face in her hair. He thinks about how they got to where they are, from her breaking up with him to randomly running into each other again, getting back together and making it work, and he knows with absolute certainty that she's it for him.
'Til death do us part, he thinks, and smiles. He's only ever imagined forever with her, and he doesn't think he could ever tell her in words how much she truly means to him.
She smiles when he pulls back, her eyes bright again, and he presses a kiss to her forehead. He has the sudden urge to keep kissing her and just never stop, and he thinks she must've read his mind because her smile turns sly.
"If you want to celebrate," she says, raising one eyebrow as her hand slides down his arm to take hold of his fingers, "why don't you celebrate with me?"
He doesn't reply, just grips her fingers tight, and she laughs as he starts for the bedroom, tugging her along behind him.
Author: Mary (stillxmyxheart)
Beta: Lindsay (rowofstars)
Rating: G
Genre: Fluff, Romance, a wee smidgen of Angst
Word Count: 7,291
Characters/Pairings: Evan, Harrison, Sam, April, Simon, Laurie, Penny (April/Simon, Evan/Penny)
Summary: Evan needs April's help with something very important.
A/N: This fic has been a long time in the making. I think I started this back in November. Maybe even October. Yeah. BUT IT'S FINALLY FINISHED AND POSTED *jazz hands* Timeline wise this takes place two years before the main arc. Enjoy, bbs <3
"So, you want to marry my daughter."
Evan nods and tries to speak, but finds his mouth inexplicably dry. He swallows hard and takes a breath.
"Yes, sir."
Harrison is silent a moment, staring intently at the paperclip chain he's been steadily working on since Evan entered his office.
Evan swallows again, wishing the pounding inside his chest would lessen a little. He's not sure why he's so nervous. It's been five years since he and Penny got back together, and he thinks he's proven well enough, to both her and her father, that he's no longer the same person he was in high school.
On the other hand he is asking permission to marry the daughter of the most powerful man in the world, a man who could probably make him disappear with one phone call.
He watches Harrison slide another paperclip onto the chain and opens his mouth to speak before closing it again. Maybe early on a Monday morning wasn't the best time to do this.
"Why?" Harrison finally murmurs.
Evan stares at him a moment, feeling wrong-footed.
"Why - why what?" he asks, and then quickly adds, "Sir?"
Harrison's eyes flick briefly to Evan's face, sharp and scrutinizing.
"Why do you want to marry my daughter?" he clarifies, his gaze lingering on Evan's face a moment before returning to the work of his fingers.
"Because I love her. I - I always have."
The corners of Harrison's mouth twitch slightly as he slips on another paperclip, the dull scrape of metal on metal sounding abnormally loud to Evan's ears.
"Come back tomorrow," Harrison says after a minute of silence. "I'll have an answer for you then."
Evan stands still for a moment and then nods. "I'll come back tomorrow, then."
He turns to leave and as he disappears from the office, Harrison's lips curve into a grin.
Cynthia walks in, casting a backward glance to the door before raising an eyebrow at Harrison.
"What's wrong with him?" she asks as she deposits a stack of documents on his desk.
"He wants to marry Penny," Harrison replies, his grin widening.
Cynthia shakes her head. "Poor boy. I can't imagine having you as my father-in-law."
Harrison raises an eyebrow. "Is it getting to be time to get a new assistant? Should I get Nathan in here?"
Cynthia gives him a look back. "You don't scare me. Neither does Nathan. And besides, you'd be lost without me."
"I suppose you're right," Harrison says, his tone resigned as he pulls the stack of papers to him.
"Of course I'm right." Cynthia favors him with a small smile, which he returns, before striding from his office. "Canadian Prime Minister in an hour," she says just before she closes the door.
Evan returns the following morning and has to wait for Harrison to get out of a meeting.
He sits nervously in the chair against the wall, picking at a thread on his shirt and trying once again to slow the pounding of his heart. He has no idea what he'll do if Harrison tells him no. It's a thought that's only crossed his mind fleetingly, one he tries not to dwell on. He'd still ask her anyway, but he would feel better knowing he has Harrison's approval.
He's never been able to imagine spending his life with anyone other than Penny, even in those years where they were apart. There was only one other woman since Penny broke up with him who he said "I love you" to, and when that relationship ended it made him realize he was only trying to force himself to move on. Hindsight told him he hadn't been fair in that relationship, and he still feels guilt over it from time to time.
After a half hour, the door to Harrison's office opens and a man strides out, recognizable to Evan by sight, though he doesn't remember his name. They share a nod and then Cynthia gestures for Evan to go inside.
He takes a breath and stands, smoothing the front of his shirt before entering the large office.
Harrison glances up and the corner of his mouth lifts.
"You're back," he says, scribbling his signature on the paper in front of him before capping his pen and dropping it onto his desk.
Evan nods and clears his throat.
"You - you said you'd have an answer."
Harrison nods. "I did."
There's a brief moment of silence and then Harrison grins.
"For Christ's sake, son, yes."
Evan's too stunned to immediately reply and then he lets his breath out in a whoosh, his lips curving into a hesitant smile.
"Yes?"
"Of course." Harrison's grin turns sly. "I would've told you that yesterday, but I figured I'd see if you came back today."
Evan laughs, relieved. "Thank you, sir."
"My consent doesn't mean very much, though," Harrison says, raising his eyebrows as he points a finger at Evan. "And it's up to Penny regardless, because I know you would've asked her anyway."
"Yeah," Evan replies, grinning a little. "It just feels better knowing that you approve."
"Well, I probably wouldn't have ten years ago, but then she probably would've turned you down anyway." He pauses, glancing down at his hands. "She's happier with you now, and I like seeing her happy. Just make sure she stays that way."
"I will," Evan promises.
"Good luck," Harrison says, his grin reappearing as he watches Evan leave the room.
He passes by Sam as he goes, raising a hand in greeting, and Sam nods in return, a bemused grin curving his lips.
"You said yes?" he says as he approaches Harrison's desk.
"Yeah," Harrison replies, still smiling as he looks again at the document in front of him.
"Think you made his day," Sam murmurs, settling into a chair in front of the desk.
Harrison nods. "Now it's just up to my daughter to make the rest of his life."
Sam smiles, nodding too, and there's a momentary silence.
"I'd have made him wait a week," he says finally, and Harrison snorts laughter.
"This is why it's good you never had children," he says, his eyebrows rising as he lifts his gaze to Sam.
"It's why I never wanted any," Sam counters, arching an eyebrow. "You know I loved spending time with Penny when she was little, but part of it was because I got to give her back. How you raised a teenage girl by yourself without losing what little mind you have continues to astound me."
Harrison gives him a look and then shakes his head when Sam smirks.
Evan bursts into April's office a few short moments later, not noticing the strange look Laurie gives him as he hurries past her desk.
He shuts the door with more force than he intends and April jumps as she looks up at him.
"Evan?"
"You have to help me," he says as he steps closer to her.
"With what?" she asks, looking a little alarmed at his urgency.
He takes a breath and then grins. "I'm gonna ask Penny to marry me. Harrison gave his consent; I just came from his office."
April stares at him for a moment and then her lips curve upward as she jumps out of her seat and hurries around her desk to pull him into a hug.
"Congratulations," she says.
Evan laughs as he gives her a squeeze. "Thanks," he says when he pulls away. "She still has to say yes, though."
April waves her hand dismissively. "Minor detail."
Evan laughs again and April grins as she leans against the front of her desk.
"So what do you need my help with?" she asks, folding her arms over her chest.
"The ring."
"You haven't already got one picked out?"
Evan shakes his head, looking a little sheepish.
"I've been thinking about it, but I wasn't really sure if I was ready to ask her until about two o'clock this morning."
April's smile widens as she shakes her head. "Well, have you got something in mind?"
"Sort of, but I need a second opinion. I was hoping you could come with me to look at rings, maybe tonight?"
April nods. "Sure. Simon's working and unless a catastrophe occurs between now and then, I should be able to get out of here on time. Just call me at five to see what's going on."
"Great," Evan says, and steps forward to drop a kiss to April's cheek. "I'll call you later, then."
April nods and watches Evan step to the door. He pulls it open and comes face to face with Simon. The two men startle and then share a greeting, Simon glancing back at Evan's retreating form as he steps into the office.
"What was he doing here?" he asks as April steps around her desk to retrieve her purse from the bottom drawer.
"He's going to ask Penny to marry him," April replies, grinning as she drops her phone into one of the inner pockets. "He wants me to help him pick out the ring."
"Oh," Simon murmurs. "Are you going tonight?"
April shrugs, glancing at him as she checks her email once more before stepping away from her desk.
"You're working, so it's not like you and I have plans." April frowns as she slips her purse onto her shoulder, recognizing the look on Simon's face. "We're just going to look at rings, Simon. With any luck he'll find something tonight."
Simon nods and smiles slightly when April stands on her toes to touch a kiss to his lips.
"Now come on and take me to lunch," April says, grinning as she slides her hand down Simon's arm to take his hand.
"So what exactly did you have in mind?"
April leans against the jewelry counter, looking at the rings a moment longer before raising her gaze to Evan. He's a few feet away from her, staring into the display case with a small frown on his face.
"There's so many," he murmurs, and April smiles as she moves to stand next to him.
"Well, what do you like?" she asks.
Evan's quiet a moment, eyes still on the rings, and then he raises his eyebrows. "Well, I don't like those really plain ones there," he says, pointing at a cluster of simple solitaires. "But I don't really like those giant things right there either," he adds, his expression distasteful as he gestures at a bunch of elaborately designed rings.
"You couldn't afford those anyway," April murmurs, grinning slightly.
"This is true too," Evan agrees. "I may already be panicking at some of these price tags."
April laughs softly and raises her hand to lightly rub Evan's back. "That's what payment plans are for."
They spend almost an hour looking at different rings, and while Evan picks out a few possibilities, he can't quite make a final decision.
"It's okay," April says reassuringly as they walk from the store. "It's not like you're on a deadline or something. You're proposing, Evan. I mean, she's going to have this ring the rest of her life, so it's got to be the right one."
"Yeah," Evan replies, nodding. "There's another store I wanted to try, maybe tomorrow?"
April smiles slightly. "We don't all have summer vacation, Mr. Mitchell; some of us have to work."
Evan grins a little sheepishly. "Right, sorry. I'll call you tomorrow."
April nods and pulls him to her for a quick hug before the Secret Service agent standing behind her ushers her into the waiting car.
She waves as the car pulls away and Evan waves back before turning to head back to his own car.
It's close to midnight when Simon comes home and he smiles when he walks into the bedroom.
April's sitting against her pillows in her pajamas, smooth, tanned legs crossed at her ankles. Her glasses are perched on her nose and there's a report spread open in her lap, a pen held loosely in her hand.
She'd look every bit the dutiful White House Press Secretary if she wasn't sound asleep, her head leaning against the wall and her chest rising and falling with the rhythm of her deep, even breathing.
Simon walks over to her and carefully pulls the pen from her fingers, knowing she'll be upset if she gets ink on the sheets. He sits down beside her on the bed and she wakes up as he's pulling the report from her hands.
"Hey," she mumbles sleepily, sliding her fingers under her glasses to rub her eyes. "Did you just get home?"
Simon nods and leans forward to kiss her before he stands, pulling off his suit jacket.
"Evan find a ring?" he asks as he tugs his tie loose.
"Not yet," April replies, sitting up and stretching. "He found a few he liked, but he's still thinking on it. He says there's someplace else he wants to look."
"How long does it take?" Simon mutters as he yanks his shirt from the waist of his pants.
April frowns at him as he disappears into the bathroom. "It's an important decision, Simon. He's not just gonna pick out the first one he sees."
"I don't get why he needs you," Simon's voice echoes from the bathroom. "It's for Penny, why doesn't he just take her?"
"Because he wants it to be a surprise, and I'm her best friend, so between the two of us we can pick out something she'll like."
"I'm her best friend too," Simon says when he emerges from the bathroom, his expression disgruntled as he ties the drawstring on his pajama pants.
April raises an eyebrow at him. "Do you really want to go ring shopping with Evan?"
Simon scowls but doesn't reply. "I suppose you'll be going out with him again?" he says instead.
April shrugs. "Probably tomorrow after work."
Simon's face darkens and April sighs.
"What is your problem?"
"Nothing," Simon mutters after a brief pause, though his expression tells her it's anything but. "I'm gonna get something to eat."
April shakes her head, a huffy sigh escaping her lips. "Fine."
She shifts so she can slip under the covers and reaches up to snap off her lamp as Simon steps from the room, pulling the door shut a little harder than usual.
"You okay?" Evan asks the next night as he holds open the door to the jewelry store for April.
"Yeah, fine," she says, flashing him a brief smile as she steps inside.
"You just seem a little... distracted," Evan continues as they walk over to the counter.
"Just tired," she says, shaking her head slightly. "It's fine." She takes a breath, drumming her fingers on the counter. "So, what do we like?"
This store is bigger than the other and it's almost an hour and a half of comparing rings and prices and having April try on some of the ones that will fit just to see how they look before Evan has another handful of possibilities.
"Don't look so overwhelmed," April says, patting his back lightly as they leave the store.
He sighs as he flips through the pages of information the jeweler gave him, a light frown creasing his brow.
"It's like I told you last night, it's not like you're on a deadline here."
"I know," he says, sighing again. "I just - I want to get it right."
"I know you do. And you will. Whatever you choose, I'm sure Penny will love it."
She sweeps her hand over his back and Evan smiles and nods.
"Do you maybe want to get something to eat?" he asks. "I brought the stuff from last night; maybe we could compare?"
April considers him a moment. Simon's working again and won't be home until late, and considering all she had for dinner the night before was leftover pizza and lunch today was a rather unsatisfying salad, she's feeling much in the mood for something a little more substantial.
"Sure," she finally replies, nodding.
A short while later they're seated at a table at a nearby restaurant, each with a cheeseburger and fries in front of them.
Evan chews a bite of his burger and watches as April flips through his pages of information, staring at the pictures of the rings. He smiles slightly as he looks at her.
She looks just like she does when she's working, that pensive, analytical expression on her face. Her brow creases every so often, and then she either marks the page with a tiny ‘A' in the corner, or just flips to the next one.
When she reaches the end she gathers the papers in her hands, tapping them on the table before she hands them back to Evan.
"I marked my favorites," she says, reaching for a French fry, "but obviously that's just my opinion."
Evan nods as he takes them.
"You marked my favorites," he says after a couple of minutes, grinning as he looks up at April.
She laughs as she reaches for her water. "Well, at least we're on the same page."
"Literally," Evan says, his grin widening, and April snorts laughter.
Evan takes a breath, flipping through the pages once more before he sets them down.
"Okay, I think I need to step away from that for a little while." He raises his gaze to April's face. "How are you? I feel kind of bad, I haven't really seen you in a few weeks and then I just come and ask you this huge favor."
April smiles and shakes her head, chewing another French fry.
"It's all right. I've been so busy I wouldn't have really had time to see you anyway."
"Oh, right," Evan says, nodding and waving his hand, "that whole thing with the subways in New York. How're they running?"
"So far, so good," April replies, though she looks a little apprehensive. "I still think we should've waited, should've done more tests. They've been in disuse for almost 50 years; I just don't believe there aren't more weak spots. Oh, God, and when Harrison rode on it..." She sighs, shaking her head and touching her fingers to her forehead. "I thought I was going to have a heart attack right then and there. I just kept seeing the whole bloody thing caving in or something."
Evan laughs and April looks up at him, a smile curving her lips. "What?"
"You're spending too much time with Sam and Nathan, I think. Picking up a bit of that Brit."
April laughs softly. "Sort of inevitable, I suppose."
Evan grins and takes a bite of his burger, washing it down with a swallow of beer.
"How's Simon?"
April takes a breath in through her nose, contemplatively chewing a bite of her own burger.
"Simon is... Simon," she says once she's swallowed. "He's been in a bit of a mood lately," she adds, thinking back to their little tiff the night before. "I think he's just been working too much. He's got a couple days off coming up soon, so hopefully he'll mellow out."
They're silent a few minutes, finishing up their dinner, and then Evan pulls his phone from his pocket.
"I should call Pen and see if she wants me to bring her anything. Be quiet a minute."
April raises her eyebrows and opens her mouth to speak, but Evan cuts her off with a warning finger. She smirks and he grins slightly as he hits the speed dial for Penny and raises the phone to his ear.
As Evan talks to Penny, April quietly finishes the rest of her fries, staring around the restaurant.
She's watching a man try to pick up a woman over at the bar, amused at his clear lack of success, when her phone rings suddenly, startling her. She fumbles it from the pocket of her suit jacket and silences it as quickly as she can, raising her gaze to Evan.
"Sorry," she mouths, and he waves a hand at her.
She checks to see who called, biting her lip when she sees it was Simon. She knows he'll call again if it's important and she stares at the display, waiting to see if he does.
Evan ends his call with Penny after a couple of minutes and waves the waiter over to tell him the to-go order.
"Sorry," April says again once he's gone, "it was Simon. He doesn't usually call while he's at work," she adds, frowning slightly.
"Do you need to call him back?" Evan asks, his expression slightly concerned.
"No," April murmurs. "If it was important he would've called again, and he's probably gone back to work."
Evan nods. "I told Penny it was at another table. She thought it was rather funny that their ringtone sounded just like yours."
He shakes his head and April grins. "Where does she think you are?"
"Told her I had a planning session with Andy tonight," he says, looking a little sheepish. "He's well-informed to lie if she asks for whatever reason."
April giggles and Evan grins.
The waiter comes by to take away their plates and April asks if she can put in a to-go order as well, thinking she'll surprise Simon. It'll be a little cold when he gets home, but she knows he won't care.
She and Evan finally leave a little while later, walking out into the warm summer evening.
"I'm gonna look at the rings some more tomorrow and try to make a decision. Can I come by if I do?"
"Yeah. Call first, though, I've got some meetings tomorrow and Friday."
Evan nods and he and April start down the sidewalk. They part ways when they reach the corner, sharing a quick hug.
April places Simon's food in the microwave when she arrives home, knowing it'll be fine for the few hours until Simon gets off work, and heads into the bathroom to shower and get ready for bed.
She sits up a few hours reading over the notes from the last security meeting until sleep begins to tug her eyelids down.
She slips the notes back into her bag and then walks into the kitchen to pull the large post-it pad from the drawer by the refrigerator to write Simon a note.
Sorry I missed your call. Brought home dinner for you; in the microwave. Love you.
When she finishes, she peels the note from the pad and tosses both the pad and the pen back into the drawer before walking to the bedroom.
She sticks the note on the bedroom door where she's sure Simon will see it and then pushes it shut before climbing into bed.
Evan walks down the hall to the Press Office early Friday afternoon, two well worn sheets of paper folded in his pocket.
He'd called a little while ago and Laurie told him that April was in a meeting, but would likely be done soon.
He smiles at Laurie now as he approaches her desk, noticing April's closed door.
"She still in the meeting?" he asks.
Laurie nods, glancing at the clock on her desk. "Shouldn't be much longer, if you just want to wait."
Evan nods and settles in one of the chairs in front of Laurie's desk.
She continues working a few minutes, debating on whether or not she wants to speak, and then finally looks up at Evan.
"So, you're getting engaged?" she asks quietly.
Evan nods, smiling slightly. "Hopefully. Still trying to find a ring so I can actually ask her."
"Congratulations," Laurie replies, trying to smile. "I'm sure she'll say yes."
Evan looks at her for a minute, suddenly recognizing the look on her face.
"Come on," he says softly as he stands. "Let's get some coffee."
Laurie looks at first like she wants to say no, but then she sighs. She scribbles a note for April and then stands as well, walking with Evan down to the cafeteria.
"It'd be cheaper to go to Starbucks," Laurie murmurs when they're seated, taking a sip of her coffee. She crinkles her nose. "It'd taste better too."
Evan laughs softly and they're quiet a moment before he looks up at her.
"So, what's up?" he asks.
She sighs, resting her elbow on the table and propping her head on her fist.
"I don't know. It's so stupid." She takes a breath, running her fingers through her long hair, twisting a small section around her fingers when she reaches the end. It's a gesture utterly familiar to Evan and it makes him smile a little, a brief wave of nostalgia sweeping through him.
"I just - when I overheard April tell Simon the other day that you were gonna ask Penny to marry you, I just - I had this feeling."
Evan's expression turns wary as he looks at her. "What - you don't still -"
Laurie gives him a look. "Oh, please," she mutters. "Get over yourself."
The corner of her mouth curves into a smirk and Evan laughs, holding up his hand. "Sorry."
Laurie shakes her head, scratching her thumb nail over the lip of her cup. "It's not really about you, or even about us. It's just… I haven't had a relationship since I started working for April. Haven't really had time for one. Not a real one, anyway. Not that I'm really complaining, I love my job and April's a great boss, but still there's just no time." She pauses, her gaze flicking to Evan's face. "And, somewhat depressingly, my last meaningful relationship was with you."
Evan stares at her a moment. "We broke up six years ago."
"That's why it's depressing."
A short laugh escapes Evan's lips and he nods. "Right."
Laurie sighs, her shoulders lifting in a small shrug. "I'm not one of those girls who has to have a boyfriend for her life to be worth something, but it's hard sometimes, seeing April and Simon together all the time, and seeing how excited you are about proposing."
Evan doesn't reply, not sure of what to say, and then Laurie looks up at him again.
"Are you excited?" she asks quietly, raising her eyebrows a little.
"Yeah," he replies softly, his lips curving upward.
Laurie smiles and nods. "I really am happy for you, Evan. I know how much you love her, and I'm glad you found her again."
Evan's smile widens a little and he nods. He swirls his coffee in his cup for a second and then looks up at Laurie, his brow knitting together slightly.
"I did care for you, Laurie. And I know I hurt you, and I'm sorry."
"I know," she murmurs, the corner of her mouth lifting. "You've apologized for it, and it's over and done with. Water under the bridge and all of that."
Evan considers her for a moment. "And I do still care for you. Otherwise I wouldn't have bothered to ask what was wrong."
Laurie nods, laughing a little, and Evan smiles.
They stand when they finish their coffee and Evan steps to Laurie, slipping his arm around her shoulders and giving her a squeeze.
"Cheer up, Barbie," he says in a low voice.
Laurie groans at the old nickname, her head falling against his chest as he laughs.
"Shut up, Ken," she retorts, lightly smacking his stomach with the back of her hand.
A heartbeat later her arm slides around his waist and she squeezes him back.
"You're an amazing woman, Laurie," he says, "and I know you know that. If there's one thing you've always had, it's self-confidence." Laurie laughs softly and Evan grins. "There's someone out there who deserves you, and I hope you find him. I want you to be happy too."
Laurie nods and leans into him, savoring his warmth and his closeness for just a moment before she steps away.
"Thanks, Evan," she says, tilting her head a little as she smiles up at him.
He tosses their cups in the trash and walks with her back to the press room, leaving her at her desk as he strides into April's office.
Not long after Evan leaves, Simon comes in and smiles as he steps over to give April a kiss.
"Your shift over?" April asks, glancing at the clock before looking up at him.
Simon nods, perching on the edge of her desk. "And the whole weekend off," he adds.
April's lips curve as she raises an eyebrow. "Wonder what we could do with a whole weekend together."
"I'm sure we could come up with something," Simon replies, his smile mischievous.
"Oh, I'm sure," April murmurs, her smile widening as he leans down to kiss her again.
"You wanna go out tonight?" he asks as he straightens, watching as she thumbs through the contents of the thick binder in front of her.
"You sure you want to?" She looks up at him, her eyebrows knitted slightly. "You just worked a double, I figured you'd go home and be out the rest of the day."
He shrugs. "I might take a nap, but I don't want to fuck my sleep schedule up too much. I hate when I do that."
April nods, frowning a little at something on the page in front of her as she reaches for a pen. Simon shifts so she can pick up the yellow pad he's half sitting on and watches as she jots down a few notes.
"We can if you want," she says when she finishes writing. "I'm meeting Evan again tonight, though; he's got it narrowed down to two rings. I told him I'd go help him make his final decision."
She's still looking down at the binder and doesn't notice the slight darkening of Simon's expression.
"You can come with us," she continues, "and then you and I can eat after."
"Fun," Simon mutters.
April looks up at him, frowning again. "Simon -"
"Yeah, okay, fine," he says as he slides off the edge of the desk and starts for the door.
"Wait a minute," April says, standing and stepping quickly around the desk to grab him before he leaves.
"What's the matter?" she asks, her grip firm on his arm as she looks up at him.
He stares at her for a moment before shaking his head and looking away.
"It's nothing. I'm just tired."
April bites her lip a moment, almost certain it's more than that, but knowing he won't open up if she pushes him.
"Look," she says softly, raising her hand to his tie and gently tugging on it, "we'll go wherever you want tonight, okay? Go home and get some sleep, and if you want, pick out something for me to wear to dinner, and then you can come pick me up from here. We'll meet Evan, help him choose his ring, and then I'll be all yours. Okay?"
She raises her eyebrows hopefully and he looks at her a moment before nodding, his lips curving slightly.
"Okay."
She smiles and tugs on his tie again, pulling him down for a kiss.
"Love you," she murmurs.
"Love you too," he replies, touching another light kiss to her lips.
"I'll see you tonight," she says, letting go of his tie as he straightens.
He nods and steps from the office, waving at Laurie like he always does as he passes by her desk.
Later that night Simon's pacing around the jewelry store as Evan and April stare at rings, feeling bored and a little agitated.
He glances at the two of them standing by the counter and his agitation increases slightly. They're standing so close, shoulders touching as they talk in low voices, and as he watches April lifts one leg, scratching the back of her leg with the toe of her shoe. The skirt of her dress flutters around her knees as she lowers her foot back to the floor and she shifts, her hip bumping gently against Evan's.
Simon had picked her outfit, a white dress adorned with large black flowers with a wide black patent belt around her waist and shining black heels, because it was one of his favorites and he thought it might cheer him up to see her in it. It had at first, but then they'd met up with Evan and now it annoyed Simon to see her standing with another man and looking so beautiful.
He knows it's stupid to be jealous of Evan. They're looking at engagement rings so he can propose to Penny; he knows deep down on some rational level that there's nothing between Evan and April beyond friendship.
However, the jealous part of him is far nearer to the surface, and not as rational.
Evan is better than he is in a lot of ways, and Simon can feel that ever present fear that April is going to one day decide she wants someone better, someone more like Evan.
Maybe even Evan himself, Simon thinks darkly, his scowl deepening as he watches Evan glance over at April, a wide grin on his face.
A moment later he pushes the thought away, trying to force the jealousy down and bring back some rationality to his thoughts.
Even if the day came when April didn't want him anymore, he's certain she wouldn't break up someone else's relationship, especially not her best friend's.
He suddenly feels guilty for entertaining the idea, even for a moment, and starts over to them, wanting to be close to April.
As he nears the counter he sees the jeweler smile as she looks at Evan and April.
"You two make a very cute couple," she says. "Any idea yet as to when you want your wedding?"
There's a tense moment of silence and then Evan says, "She's not -" just as April says, "He's not -"
"She's my girlfriend," Simon says, his annoyance flaring again as he comes to stand beside April.
Evan glances at Simon warily over the top of April's head. "Yeah, she's just - she's my girlfriend's best friend, she's just helping me choose the ring."
The jeweler immediately looks contrite, holding up her hands. "I'm terribly sorry, I just assumed - my apologies. I'll check back with you in a few minutes."
She walks away and Simon looks down at April. "Are you finished yet?" he asks, his tone a little shorter than he intends, and April looks up at him, frowning slightly.
"Simon -"
"Actually," Evan interrupts, "I think I am."
April looks over at him and watches as he picks up the ring he's decided on.
"You're sure?" she asks, glancing at it before looking back at him. "One hundred percent?"
He nods confidently, smiling a little as he stares down at it. "One hundred percent."
"I like that one," she murmurs, nodding appreciably. "She's gonna love it."
"I hope so," he replies, the barest flash of apprehension passing over his face.
April raises her hand to his shoulder and Simon shifts irritably.
"April -" he begins.
She turns her head, glaring up at him. "Simon -"
"You guys can go ahead and go," Evan interrupts again, clearly trying to stop an argument before it begins. "Thanks for all your help, April."
"Of course," she replies, slipping her arm around his waist and giving him a squeeze. "Let me know how it goes."
"I will," he says, smiling over at her.
She straightens and Evan glances at Simon, giving him a brief nod and receiving one in return before he and April start towards the door.
"What is your problem?" April asks as soon as they're outside, adjusting her purse on her shoulder as she stares up at Simon.
He sighs, reaching up to tug on his earlobe as he glances away from her.
"Nothing," he says finally, looking back at her. "I'm sorry, I'm just - hungry. And more tired than I thought I'd be. I'm sorry," he says again, reaching forward and rubbing his hands up and down her arms.
April looks up at him for a moment, her mouth twisted contemplatively, and then sighs.
"Let's go eat, and then go home and put you to bed. I want my Simon back."
"I'm sorry," he says a third time, leaning down to kiss her as he slides his hand down her arm, weaving his fingers through hers.
"I'll forgive you, so long as you're in a better mood tomorrow," she says, raising an eyebrow at him.
"I promise."
"Good. Now buy me dinner to make it up."
He grins as they start down the sidewalk. "Yes, ma'am."
It's almost a week later when Evan steps into the kitchen of the apartment he shares with Penny, setting the rest of the dinner dishes on the counter beside the sink.
Penny smiles her thanks at him before continuing with her story about her trip to California with her dad.
Evan's listening, or trying to, but his heart is pounding in his ears and making it a little hard to hear.
It's the first time they've really been together since he picked out her engagement ring; he had a three day conference up in New York, and then she went off for two days with Harrison.
He'd suggested a nice dinner tonight to celebrate finally having some downtime together, thinking she wouldn't think it was suspicious or out of the ordinary after their brief time apart. The ring is heavy in his pocket and on his mind; he's just waiting for the right moment.
"Evan?" Penny says suddenly, startling him from his thoughts. He looks up at her, seeing her brow knitted a little. "Are you all right?"
"Fine," he replies quickly. She raises an eyebrow at him, turning away from the sink as she dries her hands on the dish towel, and he takes a breath.
"I have to ask you something," he says, trying to keep his voice calm and measured, but what he says next comes out in a rush, his words running together. "I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, about us, and how much we've been through together, you and me, and I love you so much and I was wondering if you would maybe want to marry me."
Penny stares at him a moment, her eyebrows knitted as she worries her lip.
"I think," she says finally, her voice soft, "I caught some of that - Evan -"
"Wait," he says quickly, fumbling in his pocket for the ring and then nearly dropping it when he pulls it out. Her eyes widen a little and he can see the tears building as he steps closer to her.
"Marry me, Pen," he says quietly, reaching for her hand and sliding the ring onto her finger, his lips twitching in a brief smile, relieved that it fits.
He raises his gaze to her face, anxiously watching her expression. Her eyes are on the ring and she blinks, sending a tear rolling down her cheek.
He lifts his hand to her face, catching the droplet with his fingers and brushing it away before he rests his palm on her cheek.
There's a moment in which he thinks his heart may burst inside his chest, thinking that of all the times for her to be rendered speechless, this might be one of the worst, and then she looks up at him.
He smiles slightly, sweeping his thumb over her skin, and takes a breath before he asks her again.
"Marry me."
April's phone startles her awake and Simon shifts behind her, groaning as he pulls his arm from around her and flops onto his back. She fumbles the phone from her bedside table, squinting at the display before placing it against her ear.
"Hello?" she mumbles sleepily, rubbing at her eyes with her other hand.
"April -"
"Evan," she interrupts, glancing at the clock on her bedside table, "it's after eleven, and I was asleep. This better be life or death."
He hesitates and April hears Simon mutter, "Why is he calling you so late?"
She shrugs, lifting her hand into the air before lowering it to her forehead.
"Well, not life or death, but -" Evan begins, and then Penny's voice cuts in sharply.
"Who are you talking to?"
There's a brief pause and then Evan says tentatively, "Uh, April?"
There's another pause and then Penny comes on the line.
"Sorry, April. Go back to sleep."
The call ends and April shakes her head as she snaps her phone shut and drops it back onto the table.
"I love when problems take care of themselves," she murmurs as she settles back down, adjusting her pillow.
Simon hums his agreement as he turns towards her again, pressing his chest to her back and draping his arm over her.
Penny shakes her head at Evan, her expression exasperated as she hands him back his phone.
"Could you at least let me tell my two best friends?" she asks beseechingly.
Evan's expression turns sheepish as he looks at her. "I'm sorry, I just got excited."
"I know," Penny sighs, "but I would like to at least be there to see their faces and celebrate with them when you blurt it out, okay?"
Evan nods. "I'm sorry," he says again, and his brow creases a little. "Are you mad?"
She sighs once more, her lips twitching. "No. You're just like a little puppy sometimes, you get into things you shouldn't, but you're too cute to stay mad at."
Evan grins broadly and Penny's lips curve as she pulls him down for a kiss.
"You know," she says when she pulls away, "you should've waited until tomorrow to ask me."
"Why?" Evan asks, frowning a little.
"Because tomorrow's my birthday."
Evan's eyes widen and his face falls. "Oh," he breathes. "I forgot. Well, no, I didn't forget," he amends quickly when her eyebrows shoot up, "I made reservations -" He stops, a mild look of panic crossing his face. "It just slipped my mind in the - in the moment -"
Penny giggles softly at his stammering and then shuts him up with another kiss.
"It doesn't matter," she says quietly, shaking her head a little as her hand slides to the back of his neck. "I'm just glad you asked me."
"I'm glad you said yes," he replies, grinning slightly as he slides his fingers into her hair and touches his lips to hers once more. He takes a breath when he pulls away, suddenly a little overwhelmed. "I love you so much, Pen, I hope you know that," he whispers.
"I know," she murmurs, smiling as she strokes his hair. "I love you too."
He kisses her again and then pulls her into a hug, holding her tightly as he buries his face in her hair. He thinks about how they got to where they are, from her breaking up with him to randomly running into each other again, getting back together and making it work, and he knows with absolute certainty that she's it for him.
'Til death do us part, he thinks, and smiles. He's only ever imagined forever with her, and he doesn't think he could ever tell her in words how much she truly means to him.
She smiles when he pulls back, her eyes bright again, and he presses a kiss to her forehead. He has the sudden urge to keep kissing her and just never stop, and he thinks she must've read his mind because her smile turns sly.
"If you want to celebrate," she says, raising one eyebrow as her hand slides down his arm to take hold of his fingers, "why don't you celebrate with me?"
He doesn't reply, just grips her fingers tight, and she laughs as he starts for the bedroom, tugging her along behind him.