Original: "Forever, maybe, forever, baby." Slash
Alright, so we're just gonna pretend that this isn't the first entry in more than a year and that it's closing in on a year and a half since I actually managed to finish something to put here. Admittedly, wanted to finish something earlier in this new year but I am rather unexpectedly employed now and it sucks up a surprising amount of time and energy.
Anyway, on the chance that anyone's still following this comm - enjoy! It's a little short (only clocks in at 710 words) but I hope y'all will forever that in light of how long it's been.
Summary: There are worse things that could have happened in a broken down subway car.
"Marry me?"
"What?"
Cole supposed that three hours into being stuck in a subway car, illuminated by only the emergency lights might not be the timeliest proposal, but he wasn't inclined to take it back. "Yup. I want to marry you. Do you want to marry me?"
"And you're proposing underground during a power outage because?"
He couldn't quite see Derrick's face clearly, but he didn't need to to know he was getting a very judgmental brow raise. "Well, we've been down here for hours, my phone is dead, I have no idea how much longer we'll be stuck down here, and all I can think of is how I'll be telling this story to my mom later and all I'll be telling her is how you sang the little girl in the corner to sleep. And I suddenly had this image of you doing that with our own kids and how I was wondering how many lullabies you might know already and which sports you think we should encourage them to play first and whether or not either of us knows how to braid in case they want to keep their hair long." The dim light was glinting oddly off Derrick's eyes. "And then I realized we've been stuck here for hours and I wouldn't mind being stuck here for hours more, as long as I had you with me, and I just had to see if maybe you wanted to be stuck with me forever."
Derrick's voice came out unusually thick. "Your timing fucking sucks."
Cole snorted. "Well, the subway isn't quite how I imagined this going but -"
"I bought a ring," Derrick cut in, wobbling out a laugh. "Last week. Was gonna propose Saturday when we were on our bike ride around the park." Cole had a moment of struggling to get words out past the heart in his throat and then Derrick was continuing. "I called your sister to ask permission. Seemed like the thing to do. She said it was sweet, anyway."
"After she laughed a lot?" Cole teased, sliding his hand along the armrest until he could twine their fingers together.
Derrick snorted. "I almost hung up, she laughed so long. Sorta surprised she managed to keep it from you actually." His hand was already a little clammy, but Cole couldn't bring himself to mind in the moment.
"Did you have a speech planned out?"
There was nothing but petulance in Derrick's voice. "No."
Cole laughed, harder still as Derrick grumbled beside him. "Come on, I bet it was really sweet. Lay it on me."
"No," Derrick grumped.
"Come on." Cole drew the second word out in a whine. "I bet it would've been the best proposal speech ever."
Derrick snorted again, but his voice was fond. "Well, there was more than just 'marry me' in the middle of a broken down subway car."
"Hey!" Cole protested. "I could totally write a great speech. I just went for spontaneity."
He could hear the laugh in Derrick's voice even if he wouldn't see him that well. "Yes, that's the only reason your speech came up lacking."
Cole gasped dramatically, making affronted noises as he tried - and failed - to tug his hand out of Derrick's grip. "That's it. I declare a Proposal Off!"
He could feel Derrick laughing now. "So this counts as your entry, right?"
Cole squawked. "Nice try, dude, but I'm winning this thing. This was just - just rehearsal."
Derrick laughed out loud and Cole just knew he was getting ready to say something smarmy, but the lights flickered on before he could.
He blinked away the spots dancing in front of him to find Derrick peering at him myopically, glasses hooked to the front of his shirt where he'd stashed them some time in hour two. He was still grinning though, lopsided and like he was trying to hide it but still there.
Cole felt something squeeze in his chest. "See? Told ya your laugh could light up a room." He tried to say it lightly but had a feeling he only managed to come out sounding choked up. Derrick didn't say anything though, just smiled wider.
There'd be time enough for teasing later anyway. Plenty of time.
Hopefully, forever.
Anyway, on the chance that anyone's still following this comm - enjoy! It's a little short (only clocks in at 710 words) but I hope y'all will forever that in light of how long it's been.
Summary: There are worse things that could have happened in a broken down subway car.
"Marry me?"
"What?"
Cole supposed that three hours into being stuck in a subway car, illuminated by only the emergency lights might not be the timeliest proposal, but he wasn't inclined to take it back. "Yup. I want to marry you. Do you want to marry me?"
"And you're proposing underground during a power outage because?"
He couldn't quite see Derrick's face clearly, but he didn't need to to know he was getting a very judgmental brow raise. "Well, we've been down here for hours, my phone is dead, I have no idea how much longer we'll be stuck down here, and all I can think of is how I'll be telling this story to my mom later and all I'll be telling her is how you sang the little girl in the corner to sleep. And I suddenly had this image of you doing that with our own kids and how I was wondering how many lullabies you might know already and which sports you think we should encourage them to play first and whether or not either of us knows how to braid in case they want to keep their hair long." The dim light was glinting oddly off Derrick's eyes. "And then I realized we've been stuck here for hours and I wouldn't mind being stuck here for hours more, as long as I had you with me, and I just had to see if maybe you wanted to be stuck with me forever."
Derrick's voice came out unusually thick. "Your timing fucking sucks."
Cole snorted. "Well, the subway isn't quite how I imagined this going but -"
"I bought a ring," Derrick cut in, wobbling out a laugh. "Last week. Was gonna propose Saturday when we were on our bike ride around the park." Cole had a moment of struggling to get words out past the heart in his throat and then Derrick was continuing. "I called your sister to ask permission. Seemed like the thing to do. She said it was sweet, anyway."
"After she laughed a lot?" Cole teased, sliding his hand along the armrest until he could twine their fingers together.
Derrick snorted. "I almost hung up, she laughed so long. Sorta surprised she managed to keep it from you actually." His hand was already a little clammy, but Cole couldn't bring himself to mind in the moment.
"Did you have a speech planned out?"
There was nothing but petulance in Derrick's voice. "No."
Cole laughed, harder still as Derrick grumbled beside him. "Come on, I bet it was really sweet. Lay it on me."
"No," Derrick grumped.
"Come on." Cole drew the second word out in a whine. "I bet it would've been the best proposal speech ever."
Derrick snorted again, but his voice was fond. "Well, there was more than just 'marry me' in the middle of a broken down subway car."
"Hey!" Cole protested. "I could totally write a great speech. I just went for spontaneity."
He could hear the laugh in Derrick's voice even if he wouldn't see him that well. "Yes, that's the only reason your speech came up lacking."
Cole gasped dramatically, making affronted noises as he tried - and failed - to tug his hand out of Derrick's grip. "That's it. I declare a Proposal Off!"
He could feel Derrick laughing now. "So this counts as your entry, right?"
Cole squawked. "Nice try, dude, but I'm winning this thing. This was just - just rehearsal."
Derrick laughed out loud and Cole just knew he was getting ready to say something smarmy, but the lights flickered on before he could.
He blinked away the spots dancing in front of him to find Derrick peering at him myopically, glasses hooked to the front of his shirt where he'd stashed them some time in hour two. He was still grinning though, lopsided and like he was trying to hide it but still there.
Cole felt something squeeze in his chest. "See? Told ya your laugh could light up a room." He tried to say it lightly but had a feeling he only managed to come out sounding choked up. Derrick didn't say anything though, just smiled wider.
There'd be time enough for teasing later anyway. Plenty of time.
Hopefully, forever.