We're Looking For Something Dumb To Do (Ann)

[Alexander McKenzie]

The nights Alex spent back in his apartment seemed sporadic. Sometimes it was just so easy to go to Ann’s dorm, study, make dinner, and just… fall asleep with her in his arms. It was the same on weekends at his apartment. Their lives had almost seamlessly entwined. Things seemed perfectly natural. So much so, it had inspired an act of sheer stupidity just a few months ago. Connie had even encouraged said act, and now Alex was committed.

His purchase was metaphorically burning a hole in his pocket. He’d flirted with the idea of just carrying it around and committing a final act of stupidity on a whim. But that hadn’t felt right. So, he’d started thinking about the how. He had the what, the why, and most importantly, the who. He just had to figure out how to approach it.

It was lying awake on the couch, Ann asleep in his room that it finally struck him.

It was going to be today.

And he knew exactly how to do it.

Sneaking around his room quietly was the hard part, but he managed it. Ann slept soundly on, even as he got dressed. He needed to go out and plan. This had to be perfect. Glancing back, he smiled at his girlfriend and scrawled a note in his flowing script.

“Meet me at the lake at ten.

I love you.

- Lex”

He left the note, along with a quick sketch of a lotus flower, by his clock, and gently changed the alarm to go off at nine.

With that done, he grabbed his jacket and slipped out of apartment, padding quietly down the hallway. He had work to do.

~

Alex paced the lake’s edge, his hands in his pockets fingering the item in his pocket. A quick glance at his watch told him it was nearly ten. Despite himself, he was surprisingly calm, his stomach only in a small knot. He wasn’t all that worried, because he wasn’t afraid of the answer to his question.

As he waited, his mind wandered. He suddenly had the notion it might have been a good idea to speak to Ann’s father before even considering this. Yes, Ann was her own person, but it was good manners, right?

Okay, now he was worrying.

He continued to pace, still fingering the velvet of the box. He’d just have to deal with the consequences. It was ten, and he had no time to think about ‘good manners’ now. Her father was a decent man, right? He wasn’t going to be too upset, was he?

He fingered his tie and inhaled slowly. He had to stop worrying, because time was running out. And despite the new butterflies that had taken flight, he was feeling ready. He could do this.

[Ann Hudgins]

Ann hated alarms, it wasn't so much the needing to get up that bothered her, it was how unpleasant of a noise they made. She slapped down the button and forced herself to sit up, even though laying down seemed so much better of a choice. She stretched, feeling and hearing her bones going back into place, and she spied a note on the nightstand next to the clock. It was nine?

The alarm was usually for six. Damn, three hours of her morning were gone!

She rolled her eyes at that and picked up the note. At the lake? What the hell was important at the lake?

She thought back to last night, with the dinner and the movie. He hadn't seemed...off. But maybe he was just trying to be sweet. With a small shrug, she got up and showered quickly. After she haphazardly blow-dryed her hair, she pulled it into a ponytail and dressed with her spare set of clothes. Donning her riding leathers and helmet, she left the apartment and headed towards the lake.

She wasn't feeling odd about Alex's weirdness with going to the lake, nor was she thinking about the questions he would ask her later. She was just enjoying the ride, even though it was cold, and arrived at the lake just at ten---her hair takes a while to dry.

She could spot Alex in a crowded room, she knew it was the guy by the water's edge, even though he was a good bit away. She parked her bike, and leaving her helmet on the handle bar, she stuffed her hands into her pocket and started off in that direction, a teeney little smile on her face.

What was he doing over there?

[Alexander McKenzie]

The closer it gone to ten o’clock, the more the butterflies seem to surge in Alex’s stomach. He’d been thinking about this for so long, he hadn’t thought that it could possibly make him this nervous. But here he was, underestimating his own emotions. Oh well. The butterflies would be worth it, he was sure. As long as she said yes... there was that small possibility she would say no. He’d understand, of course. They weren’t even out of university yet, but with everything that had happened to him, and how he felt about her, well...

Carpe Diem. Seize the day.

In more ways than one, apparently.

When he heard the familiar rumble of her motorbike, he turned and smiled. Ann had a serious effect on him, even without her powers. He just... he lit up when she was near him. He knew she knew it. She could probably feel it a mile away. Even now, it was probably just amplified by his nerves and his plan.

He turned away from the water and came up to meet her. For a moment he could just look at her, but then he grinned and kissed her softly. “Thank you for coming.”

He’d always felt the lake was special to them. After all, they had spent their first date here, sliding around on the ice. It seemed so long ago now. They were both older now. And... possibly ready for this.

“I wanted to bring you here because this is where we had our first date,” he explained, holding out his hand for hers. “It’s where I first looked at you and realized that I was hopelessly hooked.” He looked out at the thawing lake. “I love you, Ann. And I always will.” He’d let that sink in for a bit before he asked. It was his last ditch effort to fish for anything that could deter him from this.

[Ann Hudgins]

Maybe it wasn't a mile, but if the two of them were in the general vicinity of one another, then she could normally pick it out. As the two were walking towards each other, the grin was plastered to Ann's face.

She would look away, at the surrounding scenery, then back at Alex and smile a little more, look at him for a while, then cast her eyes elsewhere. Inevitably, they would return to looking at Alex and she would smile. He did that to her. Ann couldn't be Ann around anyone but him, because he understood her. He got her. He loved her. And she definitely loved him for it, but that wasn't the ONLY reason he was on her mind constantly.

He was just perfect in every other way too.

Once they finally reached each other she wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, and returned his small kiss. "Thanks for inviting me, and not your other girlfriend you keep on the side." It was an absolute joke, and there wasn't a single bone in her body that suspected he would ever even harbor the notion to do something like that--it was just fun to joke with him about stuff.

Ann grinned and tinted red a little at the mention of their first date. It wasn't just their first date together, but her first actual date, so it was big on two different fronts, and it was full of things she would never forget. Especially how Alex was absolutely nothing like Zac, The Douchebag. She looked out at the water and imagined seeing the two of them go about her first date. Ann was so awkward back then.

"I love you to, Alex. You know that." She smiled. The smallest of warnings was starting to rise. His behavior was weird, his romanticness was welcome, but weird, bringing up their first date and the way he was speaking was weird. However, Ann hadn't yet realized the sort of....connotation that goes along with this, so she wasn't suspicious. "Oh, later today I want to go by Kali's, she text me last night sometime about something important or something. I dunno. But is that okay with you?"

[Alexander McKenzie]

The grin on his girlfriend’s face made this so entirely worth it. How he was going about this whole thing had probably generated some sort of confusion, for which he would be sorry, but he was also every sure that he would be forgiven rather quickly.

The hug made him relax instantly. She was so warm, in more than one way. It astounded him almost daily how important and special Ann had become to him, and it didn’t matter to him that they weren’t out of university yet. He wanted to prove to her how much he loved her, and he wanted to show the world that they belonged together. When he’d broached the subject with his parents, they’d encouraged him. They adored Ann near enough like a daughter by this point, and anything that made Alex happy, they were behind 100%.

He laughed softly at the girlfriend comment. “No, it’s Tuesdays and Thursdays I spend with her,” he teased right back. Like he would ever cheat. Ann was so perfect in his mind, he had no reason to look elsewhere for anyone else. He had exactly who he wanted right in front of him.

Alex didn’t have to be a telepath to tell that Ann was thinking about that first day as she gazed out over the lake. He had already revisited those memories before she had even gotten there. The lake was already special to them, and now he hoped it would become even more special.

He smiled when she assured him that she loved him right back, though his expression faltered slightly at the question she posed. “Uh.” Of course Kali was going to put a kink in his plans. ... Oh well. They could go there and celebrate. Provided that things went well. “Sure. We can go when we’re done here, all right?” He wanted to get things back on track, and apparently he needed to do it quicker. Time to put his heart on the line.

Gently, he look her hand and pressed a light kiss to the back of it. “Ann, I love you more than I could have ever thought possible. You’re my rock in so many ways, and I know I’m yours. I know we’re still young, but I can’t wait anymore.” With that, he sunk down onto one knee, ignoring the dampness of the thawing grass. The little velvet box was pulled from his pocket, and he cracked it open to show Ann the little opal ring sitting in a bed of satin. “Ann, will you marry me?” Unconsciously, he bit his lip as he waited her for answer. This was the part he was dreading, even if he was sure of her answer.

[Ann Hudgins]

Ann had never been the type of girl to plan out her wedding, starting at age nine. Ann had no idea what sort of flowers she wanted at the ends of the pews--or even if she wanted to get married in a church. Ann wasn't religious by any stretch of imagination--sure she had some faith and considered herself decent enough to get into Heaven, but she also wasn't the church faring-type. She had no idea what sort of wedding dress she was going to pick out--Ann had raised a fit when she had to wear a dress underneath her graduation gown last year.

Ann was the type of girl that didn't fill her head with notions of far-futures. She thought about if she had enough money saved up to pay for her housing next year, or if she will have enough food. Ann had enough clothes as to get her by, and she stopped there. She was more keen on collecting work out equipment so she was better suited to teach other people Taekwondo.

When Alex sank to his knee, that tiny little red flag that had been waving in the back of her mind since she woke up this morning turned into a full blown parade. Ann was shocked. Never in a million years would simple ole' Ann think he was about to pop THE question. Her eyes widened, and like a cliche, they flew to her mouth. One hand started tucking hair behind her ear, in a nervous tick sort of way. Her eyes darted from the ring to his hopeful eyes.

Now came the thinking of the answer to the question. Of course Ann wanted to be with Alex, of course she did. She loved him to death and would do anything for him. She loved him....but did she know what marriage was?

She thought of her parents then...of all the angry fights, the lack of happy air in the house, all the awkward silences, of getting pulled into the middle of it sometimes. Ann knew she wasn't her mom, and Alex was not her father, by any means, but that didn't mean that maybe later on they would argue about something--that was just one of those things that happened.

Ann let out a slow breath, her heart was doing a crazy dance in her chest and she wasn't sure if she could feel the tips of her fingers or not. Slowly a smile crept its way across her face, her eyes shown brightly.

She loved him. They were in college, marriage didn't mean the end to that, or that they even had to do anything differently. Hell, they maybe could move in together now. Ann was hopeful on getting out of those dorms. Maybe they were young now but after they graduate? If they hadn't killed each other by then, they why the hell not?

"Yes." It was breathless, but it was an answer, she reached down for his hands and pulled him up. "Yes, yes, I will."

[Alexander McKenzie]

If Alex was brutally honest, when he was a child he hadn’t even been certain he’d have a wedding when he was an adult. It had been born of a cross between fear he wouldn’t even live that long, and that he wouldn’t want to saddle any poor girl with his sorry self, not to mention the risk of getting sick again. Ann had changed all that, blown it all out of consideration. He didn’t fear what would happen if he did get sick again, though he knew the risk of that at this point was minimal at best. He might fret for any possible children in the future, but that was a long time away. For now, he was just focused on Ann.

In recent years, he had had an odd habit of looking at both the near and the far future. Though he was practical in that no one really knew what their future held, he was also keen on seizing the day. Especially after he had been granted a second chance at ten. He loved living for the moment, and as far as he could see, his immediate future included Ann. It had for so long now, he honestly couldn’t picture his life without her.

The look on Ann’s face moments after he’d asked made Alex’s heart pound. She was shocked, sure. Any girl probably was at this point. But it worried him, truth be told. Ann was so important to him. He loved her. But now he was laying everything on the line, he was petrified.

He’d always had good role models at home, as far as marriage was concerned. His parents had been through a lot when he was little, yet they’d always leaned on one another, and supported each other. Sure, there were tense moments, but they were good at smoothing out and patching the rough times. He was well aware that Ann hadn’t been as lucky, which was a concern. If she was thinking about that... that wouldn’t be good. But he honestly didn’t want to be that way. If things were wrong, he wanted to work through them, not scream and give up.

He didn’t care they were in college. He didn’t care that they were still young. He just wanted to show Ann that he loved her, and show the world that they belonged together. He swallowed, waiting, trying hard to be patient.

When she finally spoke, he felt his heart jump and realized for the first time that he had been holding his breath. After slowly letting it out, he let her pull him to his feet and smiled before kissing her. “Thank you,” he murmured softly against her lips before hugging her. He was normally so careful with his emotions around her, but not this time. He was happy, and he wanted her to know it.

Of course, hugging couldn’t last forever. After a few moments, he leaned back and sighed happily. “You’re amazing, you know that?” Now it was over, and that they were engaged, he pulled out the ring and gently slid it onto her finger, kissing the back of her hand. “Still want to go to Kali’s?” Yes, he was slightly teasing, but he was happy. He was allowed.

[Ann Hudgins]

Ann's emotions were running rampant through her chakra's, making her entire body tingle. She was having trouble keeping her fingers from shaking, as well as her ankles were doing a weird dance in her shoes. Adrenaline was running through her as well as the combined pressure of Alex's relief, anxiety and Ann's shock and raw emotion. She felt like she needed to sprint a few laps around the lake, but she stayed there in proximity to Alex, breathless.

They were engaged now. She had a little beacon--a small and beautiful beacon (How on Earth did he know that Opal was her favorite gem?)--of understanding. Anyone would glance and see it, and know what it meant. They would congratulate her and question her about who it was (maybe at work or in her classes by the random people that don't see them glued at the hip). She looked at it and up at Alex.

Her parents were completely different people, and it didn't matter that her parents solved their problems by shouting matches; they were more level headed and didn't have either one of their personalities. Ann might get super frustrated at him, but she had the ability to control herself. Literally. And Alex was so mellow anyway, Ann didn't see him being bothered by something, outside of her notice, for so long to cause him to blow up.

Ann didn't know what to say now. In the movies the scene always changes to something else, but there they were still standing there. Her emotions were pumping ever hard and she was having trouble keeping her thoughts in order. When Alex mentioned Kali, she laughed. "That sounds good. We can get out of this cold and eat!" She bit her lip then.

It was too.....well smelly at that moment. Kali was notoriously meddling, and her wanting the two of them to come by later (something important).....and Alex proposing....

Ann's red flag was waving again but she didn't say anything. If Kali somehow knew about it and threw a party, well then she would just have to be okay with that. It certainly helped that Ann loved Kali's cooking. "Yeah let's go." She gave him a tight hug and a kiss. "Fiancee." she added as a breath in his ear.

It sounded good.

[Alexander McKenzie]

Ann’s reaction, truth be told, made Alex a little nervous. The shaking in particular was making him wonder if this had been a good idea. Yet she’d said yes, which meant that she wanted to be with him, right? Now he was worrying, and he still had the notion that he hadn’t asked her father’s permission and that was a whole other set of worries and oh God he had to stop that before Ann smacked him. He was supposed to be happy. He was engaged. To Ann. The most important person in his life. With that in mind, he forced himself to relax.

He wasn’t sure who he was going to tell first. It wasn’t like he had his own ring to show off. Just Ann’s, if she was nearby and someone asked. He’d always been proud to tell people that she was his girlfriend, and now? Getting to introduce her to people as his fiancée was an incredibly powerful feeling. It felt permanent. Good. As for how he’d known about the opal, well, he was observant. Perhaps more so than the average male, but he paid attention. He might have seen the stone catch her eye once or twice.

Besides, had he invested in a diamond, she probably would have decked him before accepting.

Her laugh made him relax further. Things really were okay. “Yes, that’s the plan. I’m sure she’ll be her bossy, nosy self, but don’t worry.” He flexed his arm, showing off his nonexistent muscles. “I can take her. She doesn’t scare me.” Which was a lie, but still. It made him feel better. He had no idea if or how Kali had known it would be today, being that he hadn’t even known until he’d gotten up that morning. He’d told her about the ring, and the idea of proposing, but he’d never told her when he was going to do it. Sometimes Kali really was scary, and not just as a boss. Maybe it had been one of her brother’s ‘lucky guesses.’

He grinned up at Ann and hugged her back, returning the kiss before sliding his hand down to take hers. “I’ll follow you anywhere, woman,” he teased lightly. “Even to Kali’s.” And to the altar.

((Wrap, or send them to Kali’s for meddling?))