Who: Caden and Estella and Tim
What: kjdfhids
Where: Their new house...sorta
When: Yesterday, late afternoon



"...and we should be breaking ground soon," the young man that was leading their tour of the area said. Tim, Timothy---Estella couldn't help but think he was adorable, he nearly fainted at the sight of Caden and hadn't been able to look him in the eye since. She'd taken over the conversations to help the boy out, asking questions and this and that. He was taking no time in showing them the blueprints of the house--but, not on paper. Tim swished his wand, and up from the ground silvery light shot up and formed the outline of the house.

Estella gawked, as it was obvious that they were standing on what would be the front porch of their house. She had never actually thought about how wizarding construction took place, and--wow. She'd grown up in a muggle neighborhood, hadn't ever seen any construction going up in Diagon Alley, and had honestly just thought it was the same as the muggle way. Cut some wood. Hammer, nails. Whatever. She should've known better.

"You can--walk through it, if you like," Tim said, eyes on the house. "Can't go up the stairs, because---well, they're just spell stairs and you'd fall right through and you probably could've figured that out yourself but you'd be surprised at how many people actually try to attempt it and---"

"Thank you so much," Estella said with a smile at Tim, giving him a reason to stop babbling. "We'll look around, okay?"

"Yes! Yes, okay---I'll---I have to---do--some boring, financial---stuff." He took this second, a quick goodbye, to look up at Caden, and he immediately turned red (or was it green? The glowing of the house was bouncing off all of their faces) and darted away. Estella turned toward her boyfriend as she began to tug him through the outline of the door.

"How can I take you anywhere? Everyone that looks at you gets stunned into an amazed stupor."

It wasn’t like Caden was trying to be antisocial. The fact that he wasn’t talking much was normal, wasn’t it? Besides, Estella was taking care of asking all the questions they had anyway. But it wasn’t like he was a complete mute the entire time, even though it did seem that way. He did, on occasion, nod his head and make a ‘hm’ noise to show that he was pleased with how things were going, or say ‘yeah’ when he was asked a question. Not that he was asked that many, since the boy who was showing them around seemed a bit nervous.

Scratch that, he was more than a bit nervous. He was very nervous, and Caden really never understood that. Even though his name was known all over Europe, and even in some other sections of the world, he just thought of himself as another guy. He never got into Quidditch for the celebrity status, even though in the beginning it was pretty cool. He just wanted to play the game. But, Tim ( or…was it Tom? No, it was Tim, he was pretty sure... ) was just one of many people to feel intimidated by him. He was sort of used to it.

His eyes scanned their new surroundings, watching the boy leave before feeling her take his hand and pull him inside to see the house. Her statement caused him shrug his shoulders modestly. “Maybe I should just wear a disguise next time. Believe me when I tell you I’d be doing both of us a favor by not being recognized.” By now they were in their hallway. He tilted his head to get a better look around as Estella led them through the other rooms. “It’s a lot bigger than I thought it’d be.” He muttered as they turned into the empty area which he assumed would be used as a living room or something of the like. He wasn’t complaining, but he was just used to his smaller apartment. A house was going to be something to get used to.

Estella was often quite good at remaining calm, and being serious. This was a serious occasion. This was examining their soon-to-be house and making sure it was up to par. She had to check room sizes, she had to make sure that the windows were facing the right way and that the kitchen was big enough for their two boys, and--there was a lot of serious things that needed to be focused on.

But she couldn't focus for a second.

"It is," she let out breathlessly, letting go of Caden's hand to walk through another doorway. It was, as silly as it sounded coming from a witch, just magical to see the outline of the rooms inside the house. She'd been planning furniture arrangements before, but now she could actually see where things were going to sit, how high a couch back should be, what paintings and photographs could go on the wall. Probably should let Caden in on some of her designing ideas, but---but it didn't matter right not.

"Caaaaaaaden," she let out, almost weepily. She turned around, realizing she was a few rooms away from him right now. Good thing there weren't exactly walls, just yet. "Isn't it so nice already? Can't you---the boys are going to exhaust themselves, running around here---oh, that's a good thing--" Tire them out from going one side of the house to another, always good for naps. "And just look at the lake, it's bloody gorgeous, and--and oh, do we even need a fence they need a huge backyard----"
He let her go off into the house, taking his time as he strolled casually through their house. Currently, he was at the bottom of the stairs, just looking up at the second floor that they couldn’t venture to. Her voice caught his attention as she dragged out his name. He turned to look in the direction it was coming from, a brow arching at how it had been said. It was something he had heard many times before, that familiar ‘Caaaden’ when she was happy and/or overwhelmed by something. So, moving from his location through the mock up walls towards where her voice was coming from, he looked down at her and smirked slightly.

“Estella.”

That was all he said to cut her off, raising his eyebrows to tell her that she was rambling without actually saying anything. Once she got the hint and was silent for a moment, he reached out for her hand. “Come on. Let’s go take a walk.” Once she took hold, he led her through the house out the backdoor. It really was a stunning sight, to see so much green. Even though he had lived in Ireland his entire life, it was still amazing to him.

They walked down so that they were standing a good distance from the lake. It was a bit chilly, so he didn’t want to get any closer. He continued to hold onto her hand as he looked out at the water, feeling his stomach twist nervously as he thought about why he had really dragged her away from the illusion of a house, far away so that there was less of a chance of anyone interrupting. “Are you happy?” He asked this rather randomly, only looking down at her after the question had already been out there for a few moments. It was meant to be a general question, not just focused on her feelings about the house. Perhaps he should have expanded on that, but…Caden Flint wasn’t one to add more words to things unless he really needed to.

"Happy?"

Estella looked up at Caden with her lips twisted upward in a slightly confused smile. Did he need her to blather on some more, for an answer? Or maybe it didn't mean what he said, and she wasn't thinking right. But how many ways could 'are you happy' be taken? Estella really didn't like thinking too deeply into things (not that she couldn't, but), and after all the months she'd been with Caden, well---he never really played any games with his words, and hated when she tiptoed around things and---

"Yes," she responded with a deep breath, nodding and feeling so very good about her response. A simple question, but now that she thought about it (okay, she had to think about it some more) she was rather sure they'd never actually asked each other the question. Estella assumed Caden was happy, because what kind of person dealt with things they despised nearly twenty-four hours a day, or--or continued to do something that made them sad and---no, that would just make them insane. Caden wasn't insane.

Or maybe he wasn't happy. Maybe he was asking her if she was happy to get her to admit that she wasn't happy, even though she obviously was. Happy. She was happy. Every aspect of her life was going well, how could she not be? Her siblings weren't fighting anymore, she wasn't fighting with them anymore, Jacob was adjusting to all the new people in his life wonderfully, the studio was brilliant, Caden was brilliant, and---"Yes, oh yes," she said with a teasing tone, pressing her other hand to his side, "Very, very happy, Mr. Flint."

The answer she gave probably would have made him smile a little bit, if he wasn’t so focused on other things. If he wasn’t so focused on everything else he had been thinking about all bloody day. No, he had been thinking about it longer than that, actually. He was sure that it had been in the back of his mind ever since they had started dating; the possibility of it at least. But something clicked inside. He didn’t know when, but it did. His thoughts began to change from what if to when. He wasn’t thinking about if she could be the one anymore, because damn it he already knew she was. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind about that. And while he wanted to think she thought the same, there was really only one way to find out. There was only one to know for certain that she felt the same way about him as he did about her. No actions, no words made that more definite than what he was about to do. He just hoped he could go through with it, since he hadn’t been this nervous in… hell, he didn’t even know. He was more sedate for the bloody world cup.

“Good…that’s good…” he said with a hint of a smirk. He really was glad that she was happy. She wasn’t for such a long time, and neither was he. He looked away from her for a moment before he gestured to the side. It was another gesture that got no verbal accompaniment, since she seemed to always know what he wanted without asking for it. So, they walked over to a large rock that was sitting nearby, wanting her to take a seat as he stood in front of her. He held onto both of her hands and looked between them, taking in a deep breath before he exhaled it heavily, squatting down low so that he was below her. He looked up at her and laced their fingers together, remaining quiet for a moment longer.

“You know I don’t say much…but when I have something to say, it’s…usually important.” He paused again. “I need you to let me talk now. Even if you don’t get why I’m saying something, I just need you to just let it be said, and not interrupt with questions, or comments…can you do that for me?” The most important thing she could do was listen, because if she said anything in the middle he’d probably lose his nerve.

He didn't have to worry about her interrupting, because she'd stopped breathing the moment he'd bent down in front of her. This looked like something, this looked like something, and Estella couldn't begin to truly comprehend that it was happening. It couldn't be happening, right? This wasn't happening. It couldn't! This--

---he wouldn't? He would. Her mind quickly scolded her for thinking that Caden wouldn't--that he wouldn't do this, if 'this' was really what she thought it was...which it had a good chance of not being.

How she had managed to confuse herself in her own mind was completely beyond Estella, much like anything else at the moment. She just sat on the rock (a big rock, Merlin, she could tell the boys would be jumping off of this and breaking bones---not---a good thought to be having---), staring dumbly down at Caden as he spoke slowly and told her that what he had to say was important. He had something important to say to her. Or maybe ask her? It would be a lie if Estella said she hadn't imagined 'this' (if 'this' was really this), and her heart began to thud so hard that she was sure she was going to give herself a heart attack and she wasn't going to be able to say yes----

---because she would definitely say yes.

Oh, hell---Estella nodded quickly, grip tightening around Caden's hand. Please let this be what she thought it was.

He figured that her silence was a sign that he understood, so he gave a nod of thanks before he gently cleared his throat, avoiding eye contact for a moment so he could get his words right. Once he was ready to speak, he adjusted himself and looked her in the eyes. This was going to be difficult to get through, because of what he wanted to say, but it was going to be worth it. Or, he hoped it would be.

“It’s been just a little over 4 years since Mackenzie passed.” This probably was not what she wanted to hear when he decided to do this, but he really just needed to explain things. “And I know a shorter amount of time has passed since Jake.” This really wasn’t what she wanted to hear. He held her hands tightly, making sure he let her know that this would get better, eventually. “I know you loved him. I know how hard it’s been for you to get to where you are now, because I’ve been through it too. We’ve both been through things that should never happen to anyone. You lost a husband, and I lost a wife. And when that happens…” he looks down now, sighing lightly as he shakes his head, not even having the right words. He swallows roughly and looks back up at her.

“I love you, Estella. More than I thought I ever could. For a while I thought that everything was over. That I was just going to be miserable and alone for the rest of my life. But then you came along…you and Jacob. And everything changed. It didn’t happen over night, but at some point, I stopped aching. I wasn’t…constantly thinking about what had happened. And I know that you had everything to do with that…” He lets go of her hand to reach into his pocket, pulling something out of it. He is still holding onto her right hand, but uses his left to carefully place a small piece of jewelry on her palm, curling her fingers over it before she could see it as he spoke.

“I spent 3 years of my life living in the past…but every second after that…every moment I’ve been with you, I can think of nothing but the future. And I don’t see anyone but you.” He shakes his head. “There’s no one else. I know that you’re the one. I know that I’ll be happy with you, because I already am. Even if most of the time it doesn’t show, I am. But I want you to do one more thing for me. Despite the fact that you’ve done more for me than anyone ever has…I want you to marry me, Estella Derrick.”

She was such a sap. Her tears had started at--hell, his first sentence. She didn't know, but she knew where this was going, and the sound of their loved ones names made it harder to keep any sort of composure because---because that had been the biggest obstacle to get past before they could be happy. She'd never forget how she loved Jake, and Estella knew the same went for Caden and Mackenzie, but they'd both managed to find it in themselves to think that---they were allowed to have that kind of love again. Ah, oh--such a bloody sap, but it was true, wasn't it? The thing that had been holding her back and in that terrible depression was the idea that being happy, having fun would dishonor Jake and---that wasn't it at all.

There wasn't anything wrong with being happy, and Estella was willing to risk everything to be happy with Caden for the rest of her life. She was strong enough to make that sort of commitment, again.

Sigh---Estella was sure that his speech was beautiful. She was sure that she'd never heard Caden say so much in one sitting in all the time she'd known him, and that nearly knocked her off her seat. But she could barely focus on what he was saying, or the fact that she was leaning so far forward that she was probably going to tip into him and cause a scene. She was sure that---she looked like a raving lunatic, sobbing silently and nodding her head over and over and over because it's the only thing her mind could handle at the moment.

She should probably say yes, now, right?

"Yes---" Estella opened her hand instinctively, not to put the ring on, but to reach and touch him, though how could she ignore the ring he'd put in her hand? She let out a squeak, surprised she'd actually managed to make it through this without squeaking for so long, and she put her hand out for Caden to take the ring and put it on her finger. Or was she supposed to put it on? No, no he was, ah--oh, this was so--yes, this was perfect, this was perfect and she'd---this was the last thing she thought would be happening tonight---

"It's ruddy gorgeous," she mumbled, lips quivering. How stupid was it that the compliment was the only thing she was able to get out?

As soon as the answer had come out, he realized that he hadn’t breathed since he had gotten all of that into the open, and let out a much needed exhale. The immense pressure that had built up in his chest escaped in that one breath, with that one answer. He hated the fact that she was crying, but…he knew she would. Something inside of him told him that she would cry, after he had just mentioned both of the people that they hardly ever brought up. When he thought back on it, they never really did tell the other about their previous partners. Maybe it was because it seemed inappropriate, or awkward, but their names were rarely mentioned. So for him to just pull them up out of no where, it was bound to get a strong reaction. His vivid, turquoise eyes traveled down to her palm as she opened her hand, hoping that she would like the ring he had picked out for her. It was…big, yes, but he wanted her to have the best without it being too flashy.

God, he really should have been grinning like an idiot by now, but his head was still spinning and his heart was still racing too quickly, and beating too hard against his chest. He took the ring from her, and held it for a moment before her voice brought his attention back. It was then that he was able to give a small smile that lasted for only a moment, fading away as he took her left hand with his, using his right to carefully slide the diamond onto her ring finger. Once it was there, he leaned forward to kiss her hand, pulling back to look up at her.

“I don’t know what I would have done if you’d said no.”

Now, she was giggling like an idiot. Tears were still streaming down her face, but she was giggling uncontrollably at the sight of the ring on her finger, at the sight of Caden kissing her hand, at the---at---the whole situation because was she really engaged? Was she really sitting here, in front of where their new house was going to be (which was amazing in itself), was she really planning to spend the rest of her life with this man? Yes---yes, and there was nothing in this world that could ruin her excitement.

"How--how could I?" she let out, sliding off the rock to kneel on the ground in front of him. Her left hand remained hovering in the air as she attempted to wipe away tears and push hair out of her face; no, no, that hand was sacred for the moment, all it had to do was be still and show off the ring. She pressed forward to kiss him, hands (fine, fine, both hands, she could never keep her hands off Caden for long) going to the back of his head to pull him tighter and closer and ah. Just--ahhh. No words.

They were engaged, and----happy. They were happy. Happy, happy, happy.

She was such a sap.