Star Dust (A Paladin Adventure)

The next mission

I didn't really relax until we were on the approach to the complex and Clint was throttling back so we could land. Conversation started up again, and we made an agreement to hang out the next night in the rec room, but right now everybody wanted to decompress in their own way. Steve and I walked home, to be greeted by a thrilled Torburn and Sigurd. Laura and the kids had collected the mail each day and put it on the kitchen table; I was pleased to see an envelope from the county in with the catalogs and junk mail and a small box. I stopped to open it , smiled, and showed Steve. I'd had his name put on the deed to the house, just in case anything happened to me.  He gaped at me, then followed me up the stairs. I was desperate to get out of the suit, wash off Asgard, and get into some natural fiber clothing that fit. Steve joined me in the shower. So the whole natural fiber clothes thing could wait.

The privacy was such a privilege, though. The silence. No other beings, no other people. No crisis, no killing. It was such a blessing to be home. 

After, I was just falling asleep when Steve awkwardly thanked me for putting his name on the deed. "It's our house now," I murmured, then went to sleep with his arm around me, in our bed.

I woke up when there was vigorous movement on the other side of the bed and my back was chilly. Rolling over, I smiled to see him wrestling with the small box from the mail. He looked over at me and smiled. "Wait a sec," he directed, as he finally defeated the tape and opened the box. Then he lay back down so that we were face to face. He pushed my hair off my face. "Listen, we need to talk. It's not bad," he hurried to assure me as the smile slid off my face. "I've been thinking about it for a long time, but this last mission has made me certain, beyond any doubt. I love you more than I thought was possible. I need you like... like water. I need your love and caring, your essential kindness, your strength, your brain, and your body. Will you marry me? I know I'm not much of a catch, I'm kind of an old guy, I have some trauma, I--" I cut him off with a kiss.

"Yeah, ok." I looked into his beautiful eyes. "Throw in a new uniform design and I'm yours."

I started to laugh when he did, and I nipped his lower lip. "Never heard of a proposal where the guy makes sure the woman knows what he thinks is wrong with him."

"I know it wasn't very romantic," he sighed. "But I wanted you to take everything into consideration. Our lives aren't easy. You could find a guy with more to offer, but you'll never find someone who loves you more."

I teared up. "I love you too. There's nobody who could offer me more, because you're everything I need. Yes."

We kissed, then he remembered something and took something out of the box. "I guess I'm supposed to show you this when I asked you to marry me, kind of an inducement," he said, joking, as he opened the ring box and showed it to me.

"Oohhhhh..." I breathed. "It's so beautiful."

"It's not a diamond," he said nervously, and I struggled to sit up since I was laying on my left side.

"It's the most beautiful sapphire I've ever seen," I said, and held out my hand. He slid it onto my finger and sighed in relief.

"It's different. And elegant, just like you. I wanted to get you a ring that is one of a kind, just like you." I was touched to hear how he thought of me.

"I love it," I said, sighing in pleasure. This time, I was on top, my hand flat on his chest so that I could watch the light play in the fabulous sapphire, the little diamonds winking, feeling him inside me. 

 "I got a lot of crap for how I said it in the arena," he said later, and I laughed. "So maybe you could be sure to say it was more romantic this time? We didn't go out to dinner, though, maybe I should have asked you with champagne and chocolates--"