OOM: 6620, #3

[the_gene_genie]

 
He holds the door open for her again, steps aside so she can go first. It feels like the right thing to do.

'Rats'll bring tea in a minute.'

Comments

[lady_bols]

'No, you can't.'

She studies his face, as if she could read his thoughts.




He means so much to her. She wonders if he even knows.

'But I have an idea, and you're going to laugh at me again, but -- I want this to work. And I know you do too.'

[the_gene_genie]

He studies her face back.

'What's the idea?'

[lady_bols]

'Marry me.'

[the_gene_genie]

'...I'm sorry, you what?'

[lady_bols]

'Marry me. When you go back, be wearing my wedding ring. And then you'll know that I didn't leave you for some posh bastard. You'll know, somewhere deep down, that I'm wearing your ring.'

[the_gene_genie]

He, literally, doesn't know what to say. And it shows.

[lady_bols]

She smiles at him, tight-lipped, and terrified.

'Do you want me to get down on one knee? Gene Hunt, I love you, and I want to spend the rest of whatever strange life I have with you. Will you marry me?'

[the_gene_genie]

OK, he has to say something.



'...Bolly, we haven't even had sex yet. We haven't even had one day since we've been here where we've been normal.'

His tone is nothing but incredulous, but not in a mean way. Just...of all the things he would have expected her to say to him today, that wasn't even in the top thousand. The top million.

[lady_bols]

Okay, now she laughs. And her mood does lighten a bit, but only just. Since when has any day they've known each other been normal.

'Do you think I'm going to be terrible in bed? Is that what you're worried about?'

If he's going to make her do it, with her in a robe and him in nothing more than a towel, she'll get down on her knees.

'If you crack a joke about me waxing your knob while I'm down here, I will snatch your knackers off and feed them to you one at a time.'

[the_gene_genie]

'Bolly no, don't...'

Too late.

He looks down at her, and can't formulate a coherent thought, let alone a decent response.

And he can't ask her to get straight back up, because that would be rude.

He gets down on the floor as well. He can't speak down to her. It feels twattish.

'I dunno what to say. I think...'

No idea what he thinks. Not a Scooby.

'...you'd best ask again when things are a bit better, alright?'

Should he say thanks? He doesn't know. He's never been on the end of a marriage proposal before.

'But - thanks?'

[lady_bols]

She looks at him, smiling and shaking her head as he gets down to her level. One hand comes up to touch his cheek, because she can't not touch him.

'All right, I will ask again when things are better. But until then, will you wear a ring? Just -- consider it a place holder?'

[the_gene_genie]

'Until then - like, here? In the bar?'

[lady_bols]

'Everywhere. When you go home, if you're wearing a ring, if it's engraved with something naff like, "I call dibs. Love, Bolly" or some such, then -- you'll know.'

[the_gene_genie]

'Right, so...'

Nope, still doesn't know what to say. He gets up instead, and offers her his hand so she'll stand too.

'I don't know.'

Scotch. All the Scotch in the world, please. Pouring gives him a break to think, drinking is just nice.

'Can we - I said I wasn't going to go back yet anyway. Can we just talk about it when I do?'

By then, he might have come up with something to say.

[lady_bols]

'If that's what you want, then I guess that's what I'll have to live with.' She lets him help her up, and then he's moving away again.

Well, that's promising. She sighs and looks toward the wardrobe, thinking she'd best put this scarf away somewhere safe.



Somewhere safe is right back in the pocket of the jacket she took it from.

'Do you know when you will be leaving?'

Because that's how she has to look at it. If he comes back, then she can be surprised and relieved. If he doesn't, well... She can't say she didn't expect the worst.

[the_gene_genie]

'When you're alright,' he says, simply, and pours another drink for her.


'Look, it's not about having to live with what I want. I wasn't expectin' you to ask that. Give me some time to think about it, yeah?'

[lady_bols]

'Yes, of course.'

She still hasn't touched the three fingers she poured earlier, so she takes the glass from him and looks into its depths.

'And you don't have to baby sit me, Gene. I don't want you to feel obligated to look out for me. I'm not your charge anymore.'

Someone isn't the only cranky pants in the house when she's tired.

[the_gene_genie]

'Who said anythin' about obligated?'

If she'd said that ten minutes ago, he'd be irritated. But now, he's still reeling. And no matter what, it was a bloody brave thing to do. Also, flattering, if a bit mad.

He sets his glass down, and walks over again, and simply puts his arms around her. She doesn't get a choice. He just pulls her against his chest.

'You're my girlfriend, aren't you? Be pretty shit if I didn' look out for you.'

[lady_bols]

What is it about being folded up in his embrace that just absolutely melts away any resistance in her? She doesn't know, and right now, she's too tired to care. Her arms go around his middle and she presses her face against his chest, clinging to him.

'Your girlfriend, huh?' There's another quiet laugh at that. After all they've been through, it feels like a pale sliver of what they are to one another. He came back to wait for her, and she came back to meet him. Even if they weren't lovers, they're something more than boyfriend and girlfriend.

But then, he's twenty-two years old, isn't he?

'I guess that makes you my boyfriend, doesn't it?'

She pushes back just enough to look him in the eye.




God, she has it bad for him.

[the_gene_genie]

'S'pose so.'

He sniffs. And grins a bit.

She asked him to marry her. OK, it's mental, but it's sweet too.

He leans down and kisses her, sweet and soft.


'Come to bed.'

[lady_bols]

'No. I mean no, we have lunch coming.' She gives him a half-hearted swat on the chest, but she's grinning despite herself.

Another kiss, and another, still sweet and soft, and yes, with a touch of that hunger that always lies beneath.

'Put a robe on or something. You'll traumatize the rats like that.'

[the_gene_genie]

He pulls a face, and doesn't let her go.

'Don't care.'

Another kiss, and another.

'Come to bed, Alex.'

[lady_bols]

'What, now? After all that?' She's grinning now, incredulous in her own way, and yes, still kissing him back.

'After you spurned my advances? I do have some pride, you know.'

Her arms wind their way around his neck, fingertips delving into his hair again, up from his nape, just letting it flow through her hands, mussing it terribly.

[the_gene_genie]

''specially after all that,' he mutters, and lets his mouth kiss down her neck.

'We've said it, now.'

It doesn't have to fester anymore. It's not hidden. It's more dealt with than it was, and even though it's not put away, it's out there to be fixed later. They don't have to wonder what the problem is.

Plus, after an outpouring like it, he feels better. And then she asked him to marry her, which has cheered him right up. Not that it makes any sense, but no one's ever done anything that mad for him before.

'An' I haven't spurned anything.'

He presses up against her. He definitely knows she isn't planning on using him to make herself feel better now.

'You're a daft mare. Let's go to bed.'

[lady_bols]

'And you're a-- a--- a-- I don't know what you are, but you're a loon if you think I'm going to sleep with you for the very first time, without putting some distance between us and that that that little mess.'

Let's see, she humiliated herself in front of him. Again. She stuck her foot in it. Again. She questioned his motives, and called him a liar. Again.

And he still wants to go to bed with her? Is he insane?

Her body molds to his, and she nips at his earlobe, the feel of his hands and his mouth sending waves of heat through her skin, washing away some of the tension and some of the fear.