His chair clattered as he jerked himself up, his face red from shouting. "Goddammit Kayleen, I feel weak because I feel like I could lose you since I'm not around because I'm on the job all the time, even though I want to be home with you, and I'm afraid you'll realize how selfish I am by trying to keep you all to myself. And if I could make you mine forever I would, but you aren't ready for that commitment and god-FUCKing-dammit, I'm to afraid to ask you 'will you marry me'!" With that he fell back into his chair, deflated and dejected, his face in his hands and red as he noticed what slipped out of his lips. Keith felt his heart beating like he had just run three marathons as he waited for her to respond to his outburst and final words, praying to the gods she didn't leave him now.
Kayleen had listened in stunned silence to Keith as he had boiled over and exploded at her, awed at the fact he finally had the gall to speak his mind to her in full. In all honesty, it almost turned her on.Man never took the lead, now he controlled the entire situation...until she heard his last line. Her eyes widened, and a faint blush crept up as her mouth twisted in a crooked smile. She stared at the man in the chair before her, new respect growing in her heart for him.
Sure, she was slightly irked he actually yelled at her, and also a little frightened he might snap soon. Yet, what really scared her right now was the prospect that, if she somehow hurt him even the slightest bit more, Keith might not be able to handle it and just leave. That really shook her; Keith may very well be the strongest freelancer in the world, but she, Kayleen, held sway over him. The next few words she uttered could, and would, have a profound effect on him.
Her heart pounded as Keith's last words burned in her memory. He wanted to marry her. Keith wanted to marry her. HER. MARRY. That alone was almost to much for her. She crouched down and looked at his downturned face, before pulling him into a tight embrace. She felt horrible for not noticing that he was so pent up before baiting him like she had. Her lips gently brushed his face as she planted light kisses everywhere she could.
"Did you mean what you said," she whispered into his ear at last, her voice earnest and hopeful. Yes, the idea scared her, but suddenly, looking at it with Keith by her, she wasn't as afraid to move onto it.
A surprised yes escaped his lips before her could think, and his hands riffled through his pockets, suddenly searching for that small, red velvet box, his body and mind reacting before he could think about it.
Kayleen smoothly pushed off him to stand up, folding her arms in front of herself. She looked Keith in the eyes and arched her brows, hoping that the act did not belie her emotions. With false courage she spoke up. "Then say it properly this time."
Keith stared, slack-jawed. Twenty minutes ago this girl had been afraid of him ever asking that fated question and now she wanted him to ask it, almost demanded that he do so? He hadn't prepared for this to happen, being asked to on the spot so suddenly. Shaking, he dropped to one knee.
"Kayleen, I...Leenie, I've known you and courted you for three years now, and as such, I have learned many things about you. I've learned that you love to have control in the outside world but melt when I take the lead in bed. I've learned that you look simply stunning in a skirt, and that you look even better in your underwear. I've learned that you are secretly afraid of ending up alone and that darkness reminds you of that. And I've learned many other things, some useful and practical, like your hatred of peppers and shrimp, or how you love puppies, others mostly just useless trivia, like how you sing in the shower at two in the morning and that you can only eat your food certain ways. But most importantly love, I've learned that I truly love you, and I want to be with you through everything from now on. I don't want to give you up, let you down, run around and desert you, never make you cry, never say good-bye, and never ever tell a lie and hurt you." At this, Kieth pulled the red velvet box from his pocket and opened it, revealing the contents to her. "Kayleen Hollie, will you marry me?"
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