On the roof tops of San Francisco, RP for bettercop

[hadtobe_said]

"Sixty seconds, kid, and I'm taking Marlow to dinner and leaving you here."  Bosco rocked on his heel, standing nervously in the entry hall and calling up the stairs.  Though it was rare that Teresa took long to get ready, today was a special occasion and it was taking her longer then usual.  He'd promised her a night out to celebrate her birthday

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[bettercop]

She finally appeared at the top of the stairs, shooting him a snarky look, even from this distance.

"I hear I'm a better kisser."

She was wearing a sleek black dress and a simple, elegant pearl necklace. A very, very light hint of perfume disseminated in the air around her as she walked down the stairs. When she finally met him at the bottom, she took his hand, squeezing it lightly.

"But he is pretty cute."

[bettercop]

"Like you need to ask."

She held her glass out, waiting for him to pour.

Sam's family was wonderful, and she loved being around them because she'd never really had that growing up: the big family, the close-knit relatives.

"If we're going to be in Jersey anyway, we have to make a trip to the city; Gray's Papaya hot dogs, pizza, ice skating in Rockefeller Center. I want the works."

[hadtobe_said]

"My cousin Gina's husband's sister runs a B&B in Little Italy. We can stay there for a couple of days; I'll call Gina this week." Over the years his family had grown exponentially as all the cousins had married; he and Laura sometimes jokes about living on the West coast to escape the Mafia. "I'm sure after a Christmas with my family we'll need the break."

[bettercop]

"They're really not that bad. In small doses. Wish I'd had something like that growing up."

She took another sip of wine and broke off a piece of bread. "They seem to like me, and that's...nice." It meant a lot to her, actually, but she had trouble putting it quite like that.

[hadtobe_said]

"As much as they make me want to run screaming from the room sometimes, I wouldn't have had it any other way." He wished she'd had it too, just as he would have wanted that tight knit sense of community for his own kids, if he'd ever had any.

"Mama had you washing the dishes last time we were there. If you'd been company she'd never let you near the kitchen. Family, on the other hand, washes dishes."

Dinner came a moment later, and he did his best to eat it, despite the nerves he suddenly felt.

[bettercop]

The rest of dinner passed uneventfully; they chatted, laughed, flirted, teased, the usual. Seductive glances, tender glances, come-hither looks were exchanged at various times. Finally, when they'd both finished their meals, Lisbon reached her hand across the table for Sam's, taking a sip of wine with her free hand.

"No one else I'd rather be with tonight. Ever," she affirmed, throwing him an intense look full of love and passion.

[hadtobe_said]

"So it's a good birthday?" He joked, because the look she gave him almost took him breath away. There were times when it still boggled him mind that she not only knew he loved her, but returned that love.

Finding the remote he'd arranged to have Frank hide in the flower pot on the table, Bosco hit play so the strains of 'The Song is You' began. "Let's see ow well you remember those dance steps I showed you, kid."

[bettercop]

Lisbon stood up, taking his hand and wrapping an arm around his waist.

"It's a good birthday, Sam," she murmured, resting her head on his shoulder as they swayed to the music.

[hadtobe_said]

"Good. That's good." He spun them both around in a circle. "I like dancing with you, you know that?"

[bettercop]

"I had my suspicions," Lisbon teased, grinning as he spun her. "There's a few other things you seem to enjoy doing with me."

[hadtobe_said]

"There are many things I like to do with you, but there's something about dancing..." He pulled away from her just a little, enough to slip his hand into his pocket and pull out the velvet box he'd been keeping there all night. He opened it, and after placing a soft kiss on her lips he raised it up between them, high enough that she could see it. "I'd like to spend the rest of my life dancing with you."

[bettercop]

Oh, dear God...

Lisbon had not been expecting that at all. Her heart suddenly started to pound and race in her chest, and for a long moment she was absolutely speechless. Then she realized her silence must be terrifying to Sam, so she took a deep breath and with mildly shaky hands, reached out to brush her fingers tentatively against the ring.

He wanted...to marry her?

"Sam," her voice was oddly thick with emotion, "you...you want to marry me..."

She took another deep breath and finally looked at him. And then she kissed him, firmly and fully on the mouth.

Finally, she answered him, a coy smile on her lips. "Dance me to the end of love...yes, Sam, I'll dance with you forever..."

[hadtobe_said]

For one terrifying minute, his heart in his throat, he thought she might say no. Even the kiss didn't reassure him. It was only when she actually said yes that he let out the breath he'd been holding.

Almost as if afraid she'd change her mind he found her left hand and slipped the ring onto her finger.

[bettercop]

Lisbon was quiet, watching him put the ring on her finger, and trying to control her heartbeat. It was so...domestic, so complete, somehow. And not something she ever would have seen for herself, years ago. But now, with everything between them, it felt right.

"Nice choice," Lisbon smiled, indicating the ring, and hoping she hadn't scared him too much.

[hadtobe_said]

"I thought it suited you better then diamonds. And my nana always said that pearls were rain from heaven, fallen into the sea to become the hearts of oysters. Which seamed right." He kissed her knuckle, just above the ring. "I'm not dreaming, right?"

[bettercop]

"You're not dreaming, babe," Lisbon assured him, softly, leaning forward to kiss him again. It was a longer kiss this time, full of love and affirmation and devotion. "You managed to get Teresa Lisbon to settle down and tie the knot--miracles do happen, huh?"