Chapter Text
"What is this?" It is the first thing she's said to him in the last almost 12 hours and honestly, she's surprised he's even home to be having this conversation. She had not only not spoken to him, but hasn't seen him either since she accused him of always choosing the crime life over her and her children.
It had been so stupid, too. He'd gotten a call and told her he would maybe be ten minutes late to Emma's birthday party today. Maybe! Ten minutes! But she's been on edge for days for reasons she doesn't even know. And she had snapped at him.
She would never tell him to choose between them and his work, she's way too involved in the latter for that. Also, she would probably win, but he would hate her for it.
But she had told him to think about what's more important to him. Reminded him that after Dean's death she had been reluctant to let anyone close to her children again. Then she had met Rio through basically stealing from him. She had almost screamed at him to get his priorities straight as long as the children were still young enough to hopefully forget him should he decide in favor of his work.
He left then to give them both some time to cool off and it had been just what she needed, because she woke up feeling not angry at him anymore. Until she found the papers on her nightstand.
It's their first and only fight in two years of dating and she can't help but wonder if it was inevitable one of these days.
"Don't try tellin' me you haven't looked inside" He doesn't even turn around and his cocky attitude only makes her angrier.
"I have"
"Then you know what it is" Really? That's it? No explanation, nothing. He just keeps preparing breakfast, but at least he's turned to face her now.
"You can't just…" SheShe can't even bring herself to say it.
"I can't just what, Elizabeth?" He finally focuses his whole attention on her and the stack of papers she's worrying between her fingers. "Yesterday, you accused me of not prioritizing your children and now that I show you I do, it's still not right" He lets her think about that for a moment. "I think the question here isn't whether I can but rather if you want me to"
"Of course I want you to" There's not a second of hesitation. But she can't stop there, needs to make him understand. "But you can't just adopt four children because their mother went a little crazy and accused you of not loving them enough"
He puts down the bowl of scrambled eggs and comes around the island. "Check the date"
She gasps and he smiles. "This is dated almost six months back"
"That call I got yesterday had nothing to do with work" He takes the adoption papers from her hands and pulls out a beautiful and elegant engagement ring from his pocket. "I swear I was gonna do this differently, but after yesterday I was afraid me proposing looked a little desperate"
She actually laughs through the tears forming in her eyes. "And this didn't?" She motions to the kitchen island.
"Maybe just a little" He lets out a short laugh, too, before searching her eyes. "So what do you say? Marry me and make this a real family?"
"Yes, of course"
And when he slips the ring onto her finger and kisses her she almost can't remember what they were even fighting about.