A\N: I'm going to give you two versions of this interaction
Chapter 40: Hard Time, Soft Yes
Riley had expected Elena to be thrilled. Maybe a little overwhelmed, sure-but thrilled nonetheless. After all, she'd poured her heart out, set up the most romantic spot she could think of, and even got down on one knee. She'd gone the whole nine yards, and it was supposed to be a perfect moment.
But as Elena stared at her, arms crossed and a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips, Riley realized she'd made a slight miscalculation.
"Well?" Riley asked, her voice tinged with nervous anticipation as she shifted her weight from foot to foot. "What do you think?"
Elena raised an eyebrow, leaning back slightly as if she was appraising the situation. "Oh, I think it's cute," she said, her tone teasing. "A little over the top, but cute."
Riley blinked, her shoulders sagging slightly. "Over the top?" she repeated, her voice pitching higher. "I was trying to be romantic!"
Elena's smirk grew as she stepped closer, reaching out to pluck the ring box from Riley's hand. She inspected it like she was examining a rare artifact, turning it over in her fingers with exaggerated care. "Oh, it's romantic," she admitted. "I'll give you that. But you know what's not romantic?"
Riley braced herself. "What?"
"Ghosting me for days," Elena said, her tone sweet but sharp enough to make Riley wince. "Do you have any idea how that felt? I thought you were mad at me or that I did something wrong. And all this time, you were just... what? Planning this?"
"I-" Riley started to defend herself but faltered under Elena's withering gaze. "Okay, yes. I was planning this. But it wasn't to hurt you! I swear, I just didn't want you to ask me first."
Elena stared at her for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then, with deliberate slowness, she snapped the ring box shut and slipped it into her pocket. "Riley," she said, her voice low and calm, which was somehow more intimidating than if she'd yelled. "You really thought ignoring me for days was the best way to keep me from asking you out?"
Riley's face flushed as she looked down, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. "Well, when you say it like that, it sounds bad."
"It is bad," Elena said, stepping closer so that they were nearly nose to nose. "You had me spiraling, Riley. I was going out of my mind trying to figure out what I did wrong."
"I know," Riley said quickly, her eyes wide and full of guilt. "And I'm sorry. I really am. I just... I didn't know how else to make sure I got to do this first. I wanted it to be special."
Elena's eyes softened slightly, but she didn't let up. "You could've talked to me," she said, her voice still firm. "You know, like normal people do."
Riley let out a small, self-deprecating laugh. "Yeah, I guess that would've been the smarter move, huh?"
"You think?" Elena shot back, though there was a hint of a smile tugging at her lips now. She crossed her arms again, looking Riley up and down like she was deciding whether or not to let her off the hook. "So, what's your plan now, Miss Big Romantic Gesture? You think you can just flash me a ring and all is forgiven?"
Riley's eyes widened in mock horror. "No! I mean... not entirely," she said quickly, holding her hands up in surrender. "I was hoping the whole speech and the flowers and, you know, my undying love would count for something."
Elena let out a laugh then, shaking her head as she finally uncrossed her arms. "You're lucky you're cute," she muttered, stepping closer until they were only inches apart. "And that I love you, too."
Riley's heart soared at those words, and she couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. "So... is that a yes?"
Elena tilted her head, pretending to think about it for a moment before finally reaching into her pocket and pulling out the ring box. She opened it again, her expression softening as she looked at the simple yet elegant promise ring inside. Then she looked up at Riley, her eyes shining with affection.
"Yes," she said, her voice steady and sure. "Of course, it's a yes."
Riley let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, her grin widening as she stepped forward to pull Elena into a hug. "You have no idea how happy that makes me."
"Oh, I think I do," Elena teased, though her arms wrapped tightly around Riley's waist as she rested her head on her shoulder. "But don't think this means you're off the hook."
Riley groaned, pulling back just enough to look at her. "What do I have to do to make it up to you?"
Elena's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Oh, don't worry. I'll come up with something. But for now..." She reached out to take the ring from the box and slipped it onto her finger, holding her hand up to admire it. "This'll do."
Riley's chest swelled with pride and relief as she watched Elena admire the ring. "It looks perfect on you," she said softly.
Elena turned to look at her, a small smile playing on her lips. "You're damn right it does," she said, her tone playful. Then, her expression turned serious as she reached out to cup Riley's face in her hands. "But seriously, don't ever do that to me again. I mean it."
"I won't," Riley promised, her voice earnest. "I swear, I'll never ignore you like that again. I hated every second of it."
"Good," Elena said, leaning in to press a soft kiss to Riley's lips. "Because if you ever pull something like that again, I'll make you regret it."
Riley laughed against her lips, pulling her closer. "Noted," she said, her voice muffled by the kiss.
They stayed like that for a moment, wrapped up in each other, before Elena finally pulled back, a sly smile on her face. "So, what's next on your big romantic agenda? A fireworks show? A carriage ride?"
Riley chuckled, shaking her head. "I think I've used up all my grand gestures for a while. But if you want fireworks, I can probably figure something out."
Elena rolled her eyes, but she couldn't hide her smile. "You're ridiculous," she said, looping her arms around Riley's neck.
"And you love it," Riley shot back, her grin teasing.
Elena sighed dramatically, but her smile didn't falter. "Yeah, I do," she admitted. "You're lucky you're worth it."
Riley's heart swelled at the words, and she leaned in to kiss Elena again, her smile never fading. "So are you," she whispered.
As the night stretched on, the two of them stayed wrapped up in each other, the rest of the world forgotten. And for the first time in days, everything felt right again.