Work Text:
Title: Grand Romantic Gesture
Author: Perpetual Motion
Fandom: Crossing Jordan
Pairing: Bug/Nigel
Summary: Making a commitment, as only they can.
Archive: RS, WWOMB, my site, my lj (perpet_fic), anyone else, please ask.
Dis: Not mine. NBC's. The boys are wonderfully ambigious all on their own.
Author's Notes: Okay, so this was the fifth request on the self-imposed challenge, but the idea stepped up before the others. This was Julian Lee's request. Enjoy, darling.
Grand Romantic Gesture
By Perpetual Motion
Rain pelted the top of Bug's head as he walked down the street. He blinked water out of his eyes and pushed his hair off his forehead. He saw a small neon sign advertising hot coffee and ducked into the cafe, hanging his soaking wet coat on a hook by the door. He squelched over to a booth and slid in, trying to shake a little of the dampness out of his shirt.
A young waitress with a short, frizzy ponytail walked over and sild a menu onto the table. "Hi, I'm Karen. What can I get you to drink?"
"Coffee, please." Bug opened the menu and stopped Karen before she left. "And some eggs, please."
"How do you want those cooked?"
"Scrambled."
"Bacon?"
Somewhere in the back of his mind, Bug heard his mother gasp in shock. "Hashbrowns, please."
"All right. Be right back"
He watched her walk away, wondering when a woman with nice hips stopped making him interested. The small box in his pocket dug into his hip, and he smiled a little at the physical reminder. Bug pulled the box from his pocket and opened it one-handed. The matching bands shone brightly in the half-sputtering light.
"Those are pretty." Karen was back with a coffee mug and a coffeepot. She tilted her head towards the rings. "Are you getting ready to propose to your girlfreind?"
"No." Bug pushed out the next two words, "my boyfriend." He didn't say it out loud very often, and it felt like he was giving away a secret.
"Lucky you." Karen poured his coffee. "I'm lucky to find a guy who will go on a third date." She smiled at Bug. "I'll be back with your food in a few."
Bug closed the ring box and watched it as he sipped his coffee. He was fairly certain he was going to propose to Nigel, but he was still working up the nerve. He wasn't quite sure how to do it, yet, and he wanted to make it as un-awkward as possible.
"There you are."
Bug's head snapped up, and his eyes widened at the sight of Nigel at the end of the booth. "How'd you find me?"
Nigel slid into the seat acoss the booth. "You walk the same circuit everytime you go out. You're easy to track." He ran his hands through his hair and wiped his hands on his jeans. "What are you doing here? Reminising monsoon season?"
"Not exactly." Bug looked down at the box and slid it across the table.
"What's this?"
"Open it."
Nigel opened the box and stared for a moment. He glanced up from the rings to look at Bug, then he looked back down. "And these are?" His voice was distantly hopeful.
"I came out tonight to figure out a way to propose to you, and you got here before I could come up with something that sounded good."
"You're asking me to," Nigel paused. "Are you asking me to marry you?"
"I was going to try."
"I accept."
Bug paused with his coffee mug halfway to his mouth. "What?"
Nigel pulled both of the rings from the box and held them up. "I accept."
"I haven't proposed!"
"So propose."
"Marry me."
"I will." Nigel reached out and placed one of the rings into Bug's palm. "Marry me."
"I accpet."
Nigel beamed. "Excellent." He slid his ring onto his finger and watched Bug do the same. "That could have been much more romantic if we'd done it for each other."
"I've just ordered you to marry me in a badly lit diner with oily coffee. I think we've lost the romance." Bug watched as Nigel lifted his hand and kissed his palm. He felt his heart speed up. "Or maybe not."
Karen walked up with Bug's order and gave Nigel a once-over. "Coffee?"
Nigel looked up and grinned at her. "Tea if you've got it, love."
"All right. What about food?"
"Eggs, scrambled, and a side of bacon."
"Be right back." She set Bug's plate down with a smile and walked back to the kitchen.
"She's got great hips. I've got just the dress for her."
Bug couldn't help but smile. "Beautiful woman walks away from you and all you can think of is dress designs?"
"I'm queer, if you haven't heard." Nigel held up his left hand. "I'm also taken for good, now."
Bug didn't say anything to that; he just pressed his fingers against Nigel's on the table and started eating his eggs.
end