[MCG] a new day has begun [louise]

Everything was wonderful. They were finally spending time together, Sam showed her this beautiful, picture perfect scenery, birds were singing…

“Oh?” Louise said, turning to face Sam as he said that he wanted to ask her something. There were a lot of things coming to her mind. In fact, she thought probably had to do with Enitan again. Or maybe he wanted to ask her if she was really serious about the gallery and the professor position. Maybe he wanted a photograph taken of Enitan. Possibly he wanted to ask if he could stay for the night if his parents would look after Enitan. Most of the things didn't seem like anything he'd have wanted to ask for a while though.

Nothing could have possibly prepared her for what was happening now. That he took her hand and knelt down next to her came unexpected to say the very least. Louise was almost tempted to draw back her hand because the situation seemed so surreal. He hadn't had much time for her in months! He had a daughter that kept him busy. What was he thinking? Why now? Had he checked with the girl? The last thing Louise wanted was to be considered the bad step mother.

But then again… she looked at him, looked at the stunningly beautiful ring… She loved him. She had loved him for a long time now. He had always been a good friend and a lot more than that. She felt shaky now and her cheeks had turned a soft shade of pink. Her hand which he was holding was sweaty and Louise Ellington felt simply speechless for a moment.

“Sam...” she said in a hushed voice, “I… I don't know what to say…” She wanted to give him a response already but was still struggling to find the right words. “Have you asked Enitan?” Was the first that came to her mind. “But yes,” she added quickly, tears now running down her cheeks. “Yes, of course I'll marry you! Now get up and give me a proper kiss.”

Time seemed to hang suspended as he waited for Louise's answer. The first thought after he'd spoken was the fear that she was going to say no, because he should have asked her a long time ago. He'd bought the ring almost a year earlier, had been trying to find the right moment to ask and then Enitan had appeared in his life and the right moment vanished. For a long time it seemed it would never come. Always they struggled to find time together, or when they were together they had a small chaperone...

What was he thinking? All the old doubts came flooding back; that he had so little to offer, not even his undivided attention. She was going to refuse, but them...what would be left of their relationship? Would they even still have a relationship after this? He'd still help her with her application, no matter what she said but...would she even want to work with him now? He shouldn't have said anything, should have just relished the possibility of them actually being able to spend time together at last.

Time continued to stretch, and Sam wondered if really all the fabled timeturners had been destroyed at the Ministry. It felt as if someone had captured this moment and he was going to live it forever, right up until the moment Louise said...

Okay, it wasn't no. She hadn't said no outright, she didn't know what to say; she asked about Enitan. That was reasonable; he hadn't asked Enitan what she thought so much as she'd found the ring and asked if he and Louise were going to get married. She hadn't sounded excited or upset, simply curious, as if it was just one of those adult things that happened. Sam opened his mouth to reply, not knowing what he was going to say yet, then noticed she was crying. His heart wrenched. He hadn't meant that...he wanted her to be happy... and he almost missed her words...

She said yes?

She said yes!

Sam got up then and kissed her, or rather, he slipped sideways on the smooth stony ground and stood rather inelegantly, but Louise was holding the ring in its box now, so all was right with the world. He ran his hands gently up her arms to rest on her shoulders and kissed her.

Properly, like she asked.

Time continued to hang suspended until they moved apart, just a little. "Thank you..." he murmured, unaware that he'd even spoken, One hand was resting on the back of her head, stroking her hair.

"You don't mind that I brought you out here under false pretences? I mean, it is a lovely view, but..." he asked, feeling as if everything was now right with the world.

Louise smiled and cried at the same time as Sam, quite inelegantly, got to his feet again. His touch felt electric in the best sense of the word. She leaned in to him, kissing him back, putting all her love for him in this kiss. Holding the little box safely covered in one hand, Louise pulled him even closer to her with the other.

She had been taken by surprise with the proposal but now that they were standing here alone in a picture perfect scenery it all felt right. This was how it ought to be. She tried to ignore that little voice in her head that seemed to insist on telling her that, quite certainly, such perfect moments would still be an exception. She didn't want to think about it now. They'd get this all sorted out, sooner or later.

After their kiss Sam thanked her and Louise smiled. "Thank you" she whispered in response.

"I don't mind that at all," she assured him, chuckling softly. "It's a beautiful view indeed. A perfect scenery." Her voice trailed off. They still had a lot to sort out but even if he hadn't answered her question about Enitan Louise didn't feel like asking it now, afraid what his answer might be.

"Now be a proper gentleman and put that ring on my finger," she demanded teasingly. "And then we should go and have lunch. I'm sorry but I really could do with some food now and a glass of champagne to celebrate."

A moment later they already left the lake behind, walking back through the woodland to be soon swallowed in the crowd at the Highland Games.

[out]

It was perfect. A perfect place, a perfect moment...for once he'd managed to get things right. The fact that they could still tease each other was a bonus. Sam looked at his fiancee(!) with a small grin when she mentioned the ring. "Oh, is this the way it's going to be from now on?" he enquired with a smile, but he took the ring from the box as he spoke and lifted her hand so it was between them.

Sam noticed that his own hands were shaking a little as he slid the ring onto her finger. There was a dreadful moment when he feared it wasn't going to fit, but the ring had been charmed to adjust it's size when placed on the receipient's finger. Although he'd bought it some time before, it still responded to the warmth of her hand, which he continued to hold for a little longer than was strictly necessary. The he kissed her again, just because.

"Would that be champagne with added malt whisky, or shall we go somewhere else for lunch?" he asked, remembering that they'd had a tentative plan to visit the cafe where every item supposedly contained Scotlan'd most famous liquor. "Or I could bring a bottle round this evening, of you prefer..." Actually that might not be the best idea. Sam briefly imagined them drinking a bottle of champagne and then attempting to write Louise's job application. Well, it would be memorable, to say the least.

For now though, it didn't matter. As they stepped back into the trees, Sam realised that he could be eating dry bread and lake water and right now, it would taste like the best thing in the world.

[out]