just_muse_me | 11.9.4. Proposal
11.9.4. Proposal
Co-written with imnodoctor | New Year's Eve
[Follows THIS and THIS]
It wasn't quite midnight yet but so far the party had been a success. Riley had seen very little of either Aiden or Pat because there were so many people in the room. It wasn't just their bunch this time, it was also all of Aiden's friends and some of his family, and needless to say, in the career he was in, he knew a lot of people. The most prominent absence was Lachlan and Tara. Lachlan had been insistent to every one of them, however, that they had to still carry on like normal and still enjoy New Years and Aiden's birthday. Riley and Evie had literally left it to the last minute to leave Princeton, getting on the road at about four thirty that afternoon after a quick visit to the hospital and arriving at the party just after it started. Despite Lachlan assuring everyone he was fine, Riley didn't really want to be away from Princeton any longer than he needed to in case something happened and to be completely honest, he was a little sick of New York after being here so often of late. He preferred the pace of Princeton and it was his home. And maybe... just a little bit... he was feeling kind of homey and content since Christmas; like Princeton was where he needed to be right now.
He finally caught a quick glance of the birthday boy and his other half through the crowd. Aiden was knelt down in front of Pat trying to steal the pink umbrella from Pat's drink. Both were laughing and then Pat pulled Aiden close for a kiss. Riley smirked and draped his arms around Evie's shoulders. "Kind of looks like Aiden's getting ready to propose," he joked. "There's definitely some happy buzz in the air tonight."
Evie leaned into Riley and smiled as she looked from Aiden and Pat to her boyfriend. "Mm... it's good. Kind of like a much needed shot in the arm in between the sadness."
She still felt bad for leaving Princeton to come celebrate in New York, but Lachlan had been right. Tara would have killed them, and Evie didn't need manslaughter added to the list of trauma from the past year. She too felt sick of New York, but it wasn't a complaint she'd voiced. Her father on the other hand had been very vocal during a phone call the day before, complaining about how she hadn't yet let him meet Riley. As far as Evie was concerned right now, cars and traffic went both ways. Her father was just as capable of coming up to Princeton as she was getting down to New York.
She let her hand come to rest on Riley's thigh and sighed. "It'll be better when Luke and Tab get that bar up and running in Princeton. Still, it's nice to see Aiden and Pat so happy. Pat deserves someone like Aiden."
Riley glanced back at Pat briefly, but soon met Evie's eyes again. "He doesn't think he does, but I think it's getting clearer every day..." he murmured. "With the right advice - and you can't go beyond Yodalan - most things can be seen clearer eventually," he added, smiling.
"I don't think anyone ever thinks they deserve the person they love. Or rather, they don't think they deserve their love, but they always think they're more than worthy of being loved." Evie laughed a little. "I think I just confused myself in that sentence. I know what I mean, and I hope you know what I mean. I don't have Yodalan's way with words."
Riley laughed. "No, you don't. But then, no one does. It's the accent. Or the kilt. Haven't really worked out which influence is stronger yet." The person up at the microphone on the stage warned everyone to start getting ready for the countdown. He glanced up at the clock and shook his head. "My god, I can't believe 2008 is nearly over. Thank fuck," he said, shaking his head with a smile.
Evie grinned, and looped her arms around him so she could kiss his temple. There was a small flutter of excitement in her stomach at the idea that soon they'd be counting down and saying goodbye to 2008. "Given I hear the accent more than see the kilt, I'm going with the accent. I'm also not exactly hating all of 2008. It did give me you. I'd be a very sad, and horribly slutty lady without you."
"I'll be glad when it's gone," Riley told her with a hint of apology. "I mean, you're right. It's been a good year and bad year all rolled in one but I need the New Year. It can't possibly be any worse than 2008. The whole year changed who I was and I'm only just starting to like who I am now. And you... you know... I couldn't have done any of it without you. I might not even be here right now without you," he admitted as the countdown started.
Evie shifted so that she could face Riley, aware that the countdown had started. She made no move to join in, and tried to make herself heard over the commotion. "You got no idea how much I love you, Riley. I mean, you probably do. I just never feel like I'll ever be able to make you believe me. I know you've had to go through so much, but if it helps I do like who you are now. Especially when you do the sexy thinking thing."
Riley swallowed and then pulled a small blue velvet draw string bag from his pocket and held it up for her. "I have something for you," he told her, and handed her the bag, pressing it into her palm with a small moment of hesitation before he let go. Inside was a sterling silver bracelet he picked up on his trip to Tiffany's a few weeks back... with a special message.
Evie frowned a little as she took the bag and worked on opening it. "Riley, you didn't have to--" Her mouth fell open as she held the bracelet in her held and read the engraved words on the heart. "Oh my god! Riley, I--" Evie licked at her lips as she tried to get her brain to work, a huge smile on her face as the countdown got even louder. "Yes!"
Riley broke into a grin and pulled the telltale signature box from his other pocket and snapped it open for her to see the diamond he had bought the same day. He had carried it around with him ever since, though he hadn't been able to go through with it. Thinking; he was always thinking. It needed to be the perfect moment and this was it. She said yes! "Really? You mean it? You don't even want to think about it?" He put his hand on his chest. "Oh my god, I'm really trying not to wet myself or throw up right now," he admitted with a laugh as the countdown reached it's target and everyone burst into a healthy round of 'Auld Lang Syne'.
Evie couldn't stop smiling. Even as she looked at him curiously, she couldn't stop smiling. "What's to think about, sexy?" She tried to bite back a squeal, and even as it was let out it got swallowed up in the noise. She threw her arms around Riley and kissed him hard. "I would like nothing more than to be your wife. And if you do wet yourself, or throw up I'll always be there to clean it up. Only I'd prefer it if you didn't."
Riley's heart was pounding in his chest and he was just standing there grinning stupidly. It took a few more moments for his brain to kick into gear and remind him that he needed to get the ring on her finger. He carefully slipped it out of the box, almost dropping it in the process his hands were shaking so much. He took her hand and kissed her fingers, then slipped the ring on before grabbing her and spinning her around happily. "We're getting married!" he declared to everyone in the close enough distance to hear him.
Evie laughed and pressed kisses to Riley's face as she also showed off the diamond to those around them. There was a small round of applause and some cheering, and Evie was pretty much walking on cloud nine. She couldn't help it, she was going to marry the man she loved. "Oh my fucking god!"
Riley put his hand up to his mouth, laughing. He couldn't believe it. It hadn't really been anything like he expected. He had tried to go over it in his mind many times in the past weeks, but when it came to the crunch, something just told him to do it and he did it and she said yes! His phone vibrated with a buzz in his pocket, even if he couldn't hear it over the loud crowds. He watched Evie showing her ring off and pulled it out, reading over the text message. "Oh, thank god!" he cried and held the phone up with the message from Lachlan that simply said 'SHE'S AWAKE'. He grinned. "She's awake and we're getting married! Thank god for 2009!" he said with another grin that was making his face ache.
Evie stared at the phone, her smile frozen in place as she tried to absorb the words. Then relief started to set in and she had Riley in a tight embrace. "This has to be the best damn year ever!" She lifted her head to kiss him, trying hard not to let her laughter turn into crying. "Happy New Year, future husband."
Riley was close to crying himself. The relief for Lachlan rushed through him like a refreshing glass of cold water on a hot day and here was Evie, standing in front of him looking beautiful after just agreeing to become his wife. Tears spilled over but he was still grinning. He swept her into his arms and spun her around. "Happy New Year, future Mrs Riley Browne," he said and gave her a deep, happy kiss.
All muses referenced with permission and are from the princeton2nyc universe
Word Count | 1,712
Co-written with imnodoctor | New Year's Eve
[Follows THIS and THIS]
It wasn't quite midnight yet but so far the party had been a success. Riley had seen very little of either Aiden or Pat because there were so many people in the room. It wasn't just their bunch this time, it was also all of Aiden's friends and some of his family, and needless to say, in the career he was in, he knew a lot of people. The most prominent absence was Lachlan and Tara. Lachlan had been insistent to every one of them, however, that they had to still carry on like normal and still enjoy New Years and Aiden's birthday. Riley and Evie had literally left it to the last minute to leave Princeton, getting on the road at about four thirty that afternoon after a quick visit to the hospital and arriving at the party just after it started. Despite Lachlan assuring everyone he was fine, Riley didn't really want to be away from Princeton any longer than he needed to in case something happened and to be completely honest, he was a little sick of New York after being here so often of late. He preferred the pace of Princeton and it was his home. And maybe... just a little bit... he was feeling kind of homey and content since Christmas; like Princeton was where he needed to be right now.
He finally caught a quick glance of the birthday boy and his other half through the crowd. Aiden was knelt down in front of Pat trying to steal the pink umbrella from Pat's drink. Both were laughing and then Pat pulled Aiden close for a kiss. Riley smirked and draped his arms around Evie's shoulders. "Kind of looks like Aiden's getting ready to propose," he joked. "There's definitely some happy buzz in the air tonight."
Evie leaned into Riley and smiled as she looked from Aiden and Pat to her boyfriend. "Mm... it's good. Kind of like a much needed shot in the arm in between the sadness."
She still felt bad for leaving Princeton to come celebrate in New York, but Lachlan had been right. Tara would have killed them, and Evie didn't need manslaughter added to the list of trauma from the past year. She too felt sick of New York, but it wasn't a complaint she'd voiced. Her father on the other hand had been very vocal during a phone call the day before, complaining about how she hadn't yet let him meet Riley. As far as Evie was concerned right now, cars and traffic went both ways. Her father was just as capable of coming up to Princeton as she was getting down to New York.
She let her hand come to rest on Riley's thigh and sighed. "It'll be better when Luke and Tab get that bar up and running in Princeton. Still, it's nice to see Aiden and Pat so happy. Pat deserves someone like Aiden."
Riley glanced back at Pat briefly, but soon met Evie's eyes again. "He doesn't think he does, but I think it's getting clearer every day..." he murmured. "With the right advice - and you can't go beyond Yodalan - most things can be seen clearer eventually," he added, smiling.
"I don't think anyone ever thinks they deserve the person they love. Or rather, they don't think they deserve their love, but they always think they're more than worthy of being loved." Evie laughed a little. "I think I just confused myself in that sentence. I know what I mean, and I hope you know what I mean. I don't have Yodalan's way with words."
Riley laughed. "No, you don't. But then, no one does. It's the accent. Or the kilt. Haven't really worked out which influence is stronger yet." The person up at the microphone on the stage warned everyone to start getting ready for the countdown. He glanced up at the clock and shook his head. "My god, I can't believe 2008 is nearly over. Thank fuck," he said, shaking his head with a smile.
Evie grinned, and looped her arms around him so she could kiss his temple. There was a small flutter of excitement in her stomach at the idea that soon they'd be counting down and saying goodbye to 2008. "Given I hear the accent more than see the kilt, I'm going with the accent. I'm also not exactly hating all of 2008. It did give me you. I'd be a very sad, and horribly slutty lady without you."
"I'll be glad when it's gone," Riley told her with a hint of apology. "I mean, you're right. It's been a good year and bad year all rolled in one but I need the New Year. It can't possibly be any worse than 2008. The whole year changed who I was and I'm only just starting to like who I am now. And you... you know... I couldn't have done any of it without you. I might not even be here right now without you," he admitted as the countdown started.
Evie shifted so that she could face Riley, aware that the countdown had started. She made no move to join in, and tried to make herself heard over the commotion. "You got no idea how much I love you, Riley. I mean, you probably do. I just never feel like I'll ever be able to make you believe me. I know you've had to go through so much, but if it helps I do like who you are now. Especially when you do the sexy thinking thing."
Riley swallowed and then pulled a small blue velvet draw string bag from his pocket and held it up for her. "I have something for you," he told her, and handed her the bag, pressing it into her palm with a small moment of hesitation before he let go. Inside was a sterling silver bracelet he picked up on his trip to Tiffany's a few weeks back... with a special message.
Evie frowned a little as she took the bag and worked on opening it. "Riley, you didn't have to--" Her mouth fell open as she held the bracelet in her held and read the engraved words on the heart. "Oh my god! Riley, I--" Evie licked at her lips as she tried to get her brain to work, a huge smile on her face as the countdown got even louder. "Yes!"
Riley broke into a grin and pulled the telltale signature box from his other pocket and snapped it open for her to see the diamond he had bought the same day. He had carried it around with him ever since, though he hadn't been able to go through with it. Thinking; he was always thinking. It needed to be the perfect moment and this was it. She said yes! "Really? You mean it? You don't even want to think about it?" He put his hand on his chest. "Oh my god, I'm really trying not to wet myself or throw up right now," he admitted with a laugh as the countdown reached it's target and everyone burst into a healthy round of 'Auld Lang Syne'.
Evie couldn't stop smiling. Even as she looked at him curiously, she couldn't stop smiling. "What's to think about, sexy?" She tried to bite back a squeal, and even as it was let out it got swallowed up in the noise. She threw her arms around Riley and kissed him hard. "I would like nothing more than to be your wife. And if you do wet yourself, or throw up I'll always be there to clean it up. Only I'd prefer it if you didn't."
Riley's heart was pounding in his chest and he was just standing there grinning stupidly. It took a few more moments for his brain to kick into gear and remind him that he needed to get the ring on her finger. He carefully slipped it out of the box, almost dropping it in the process his hands were shaking so much. He took her hand and kissed her fingers, then slipped the ring on before grabbing her and spinning her around happily. "We're getting married!" he declared to everyone in the close enough distance to hear him.
Evie laughed and pressed kisses to Riley's face as she also showed off the diamond to those around them. There was a small round of applause and some cheering, and Evie was pretty much walking on cloud nine. She couldn't help it, she was going to marry the man she loved. "Oh my fucking god!"
Riley put his hand up to his mouth, laughing. He couldn't believe it. It hadn't really been anything like he expected. He had tried to go over it in his mind many times in the past weeks, but when it came to the crunch, something just told him to do it and he did it and she said yes! His phone vibrated with a buzz in his pocket, even if he couldn't hear it over the loud crowds. He watched Evie showing her ring off and pulled it out, reading over the text message. "Oh, thank god!" he cried and held the phone up with the message from Lachlan that simply said 'SHE'S AWAKE'. He grinned. "She's awake and we're getting married! Thank god for 2009!" he said with another grin that was making his face ache.
Evie stared at the phone, her smile frozen in place as she tried to absorb the words. Then relief started to set in and she had Riley in a tight embrace. "This has to be the best damn year ever!" She lifted her head to kiss him, trying hard not to let her laughter turn into crying. "Happy New Year, future husband."
Riley was close to crying himself. The relief for Lachlan rushed through him like a refreshing glass of cold water on a hot day and here was Evie, standing in front of him looking beautiful after just agreeing to become his wife. Tears spilled over but he was still grinning. He swept her into his arms and spun her around. "Happy New Year, future Mrs Riley Browne," he said and gave her a deep, happy kiss.
All muses referenced with permission and are from the princeton2nyc universe
Word Count | 1,712