New Fic: Stubborn

He had pretty much given up hope that she would ever agree to marry him.
 
The first time he had asked her was six months after they had started dating. Perhaps a bit soon, but his rationale was why wait when you knew it was right. They had dressed up, he secreted her off for a private dinner, and he’d had the ring-the usual proposal fare but nothing too overtly romantic. Chloe was not the flowers and candy type of woman.
 
He presented her with the ring and after ten seconds of utter silence, she looked from the ring up to him, smiled very carefully and said-
 
‘Would you be offended if I said no?’
 
She quickly went on to explain that she appreciated the sentiment and the effort but if they knew they loved each other why did they have to get married? Things were working just fine the way they were.
 
Which was true. And he couldn’t blame her for wanting to take things slow. Going from friends to lovers and housemates in less than a year would leave many people reeling. And then there was his baggage. To say he wasn’t an easy man to deal with would be an understatement.
 
So they had gone home, and her smile and the goal of getting her out of that little black dress had pushed the issue from his mind.
 
Six months later he had tried again.  They were at Bill and Karen’s wedding reception. After a little wine and champagne, they were both a little mellow, although his intent was as serious as it ever had been.   As soon as she saw the ring, she seemed to immediately sober and frowned at him.
 
“I thought we already had this conversation?”
 
Sensing the mood shifting, he pocketed the ring and shrugged.
 
“Just checking,” he quickly covered.
 
The third time he thought would be the charm. Nothing said ‘together’ like a baby and as soon as she told him she was pregnant, he asked her again. Actually, he blurted it out, the ring locked safely away and out of reach. He had been too excited and impatient to retrieve it.
 
Her beautiful glow immediately became a glowering frown.
 
“You're on that again? Way to ruin the moment,” she said with a shake of her head.
 
“Chloe, we’re having a baby-“
 
“And that means we have to get married?”
 
“No,” he defended in frustration as he blocked her attempt to leave the room.  “I just…why won’t you say yes?”
 
“Why won’t you stop asking? Obviously with a baby on the way we’re fine with the way things are.”
 
“Chloe-“
 
“If  you keep asking me, I’ll just keep saying no. And it will get old really fast. Now move before I throw up all over you.”
 
“I’m not dropping this,” he warned her from behind the bathroom door. Her retching into the toilet was the only answer he got.
 
Ever since then it had been a battle of wills.
 
Whether it was an outright ‘no’, or an eyeroll and a huff (which was the equivalent of her saying ‘hell no’)  or when she would get up from her seat (usually in his lap when he proposed the idea) and move to another spot or room altogether (which was the equivalent of her saying he was shit out of luck in bed later that night), each and every time he asked her to marry him, it was ‘no’.
 
He’d tried asking her under the most romantic guises (secluded weekend getaways, candlelit dinners at home), the most obvious moments (her birthday, his birthday, the anniversary of their moving in together), and in the afterglow of sex (because before sex usually led to no sex).
 
Of course he tried right after their son was born. Any hope that she would cave in her weakened state after her long labor was dashed as he ducked the phone she hurled at him in response.
 
Sometimes he would mix it up and ask her when he felt she would least expect it.  Like in the morning when she was brushing her teeth, or when she was getting Hank ready for bed, or when they were unloading the groceries from the car.  Those attempts usually got him a gaping stare, then an eyeroll as she ignored him and went about her business.
 
Every so often he’d slip it in while talking to her on the phone. Before he even finished the question he’d hear her swear, then the audible ‘click’ as she hung up.
 
For years he asked her under every possible circumstance, every possible situation and the response was resolutely, absolutely ‘no.’
 
Until one day, as they stood side-by-side in the hospital nursery hallway, her hand in his, looking down at their first grandchild, she turned and asked-

"Do you want to marry me, now?"
 
He laughed to himself and squeezed her hand.
 
“Why? We're doing fine the way things are.”


END