Don't Propose To Me Yet
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Derek POV
'Did you made all these?' Rachel came out from the room, wearing my navy hoodie and tracking pants. Her hair is tied up into a messy bun. I pour a glass of apple juice for her.
'I got up really early, don't wanna miss out the run during winter morning. And yes, I made all of these.' I refers to the omelets and pancakes on the table.
'Hmmm...' She props her hand on the table and observes the dishes.
'Somebody took my clothes, I realized.' I leaned closer to her from where I stand, she was right in front of me. Her eyes wasn't fresh, perhaps it was the fight we had last night.
'And socks, I wore the minions socks, hope you don't mind.' She flirts with me a little. Rachel isn't Rachel without her flirt.
'You can wear anything that is mine, even boxer if your want.' I run my finger over hers, clasping it together.
She smiled, however, there is a hint of some matters that are unsettled within her.
'I'm sorry about last night.' I said sincerely.
'You've said sorry too many times.' In a soft voice, she told me something that I have never anticipated.
I sighed, I hope our morning and this trip won't be spoiled.
'What I am saying is that, maybe it's essential for us to go through this, I've never seen any couples that could march through their relationship with peace.'
'But I don't like this, Rachel. I don't like to argue with you, I really want to enjoy the march as much as we can.'
'So did I, Derek.' She squeezed my hand. 'I sort of imagined what it would be like if we...' she hesitated.
'Break up?' I continued for her.
'Yeah.' She force the word out, as if that is the hardest pronunciation in the world.
'What do you suggest? Can this trip still move on? I promise the itinerary is still two pages long, and we haven't had a naked dip at the hot tub.' I display a playful grin, hopefully it would lighten the morning.
'You said I was dirty, the pot is now calling the kettle black.' She gave a smug face.
'I was influenced by you, we had a lot of chemical reaction in our physical, like literally? The condom is the only barrier to prevent the outcome of the chemical reaction.' I smirk.
'God, Derek, I love how you mix dirty pick up lines with science. That is so nerdy.' I can see that my plan is working. Rachel laugh and the bits and pieces of uneasiness is vanish between us.
'Come on, after the breakfast, we are going to watch a movie.'
'Netflix and chill?' She never fails to initiate everything with sex.
'Who says we are watching Netflix, I am talking about real cinema with large screen and reclining chairs. And the chilling part can come afterwards?'
'How many surprises are you going to reveal? Yesterday, its the bowling alley, right now, a cinema?'
'Welcome to my life, girlfriend, I hope the entertainment here won't disappoint you.'
---
Rachel POV
'How was the movie?' Derek asked while the end credits is playing. 'Sorry, I really have to answer this call.' Derek walks away again to answer the phone from his office.
It wasn't a big movie premier kind of cinema, but the luxury of the seat, upgraded sound system and the advantage of getting to select any movie makes it all a whole new experience.
The two hours movie includes Derek sitting at another seat to answer calls. He really never stops working, sometimes I heard him talking about the fiscal policy, and later the global warming issues, and lastly, his upcoming campaign.
I took a stroll inside the theatre, giving Derek no pressure at all, since this is what his position expected of him as a commander in chief. I'm just curious about the outdoor activities in Camp David.
'Tonight, you are going to tell me all the spoilers in the movie.' Derek hanged up his call and walk towards me. He was wearing the hoodie that I took this morning.
'You are so busy, boyfriend.' I slip my hand inside his hoodie pocket and pout my lips.
'I am a President. That's my job.' He replied, resting his forehead on mine.
'I'm seriously fine with you working, honestly, I swear. I can find whatever activities to do while you are working, I just enjoy being close with you, under one roof. It's all that matters right now.' My tone was sincere, although part of me wishes that we could be dating like teenagers during summer, but compare with being apart from him, I rather we stay close even though he will be focusing on his work.
He thought for a while, doing the humming sound like he was thinking of something in his mind. 'Care to share what's the plan you have?' I asked. The songs from the movie has stop playing, the theater was all silent again.
'I could spare another half an hour to bring you to a place, after that, we'll head back to the cabin, how about that?' He bring his hand to my waist.
My heart was kind of sunken in disappointment when half an hour was all he could spare. Well, beggars can't be choosers.
'Don't waste anymore time, let's go.' I told him.
---
'Derek, I don't think God will like us here.' I clear my throat.
'Just because we are sinners, doesn't mean we can't be forgiven.' He looked at me straight through my eyes, giving me an assuring smile while he places his hand on top of mine.
The Evergreen Chapel, where Derek took me to, have the same rustic design as the cabins. The cross wasn't gigantic like what I imagined it was like, it has a simple cross that is place on the table. The wall were decorated with metal cylinders sort of materials.
We sat furthest away from the front, more towards the corner. I choose that place, perhaps instinct had me tried to prevent being discovered by anyone who would leaked our affairs to the world. Yes, the world, its no longer your circle of friends that would gossip about you, it is the World.
'Why did you bring me here?' I ask casually, gawking around the entire Chapel, wondering if anybody had gotten married here before.
'I don't know,' he shrugged, 'I had this urge to bring you here, that's it.'
'You know it's torturing, because I am not allowed to talk dirty here, Derek.' I whispered. Derek laugh, I love it when I'm able to extract laughter from him, it's like some sort of accomplishment.
'Rachel?'
My heart skipped a beat, not in a nice way though. 'You scared me, all the time, when you called my name and said nothing.' I pretend to be annoyed by him.
Derek crossed his leg, tapping his fingers on his lap. 'I've going to be reaching the first half century of my life, and yes, I still look half my age,' he stopped for a while to see my reaction, which I rolled my eyes at him. He laugh again. 'What I am saying is, I don't chase after thrill of chasing anymore, I'm a big boy now , thus I'm able to decide a lot of thing without time to prove me. I know what I need, who I need. Right now, I can't give you the thing you want, I know what you want all along. I brought you here all the way from D.C, to make a promise to you, there's nobody I want in my life more than you, Rachel Woods.'
God. I can't move at all. Warm, hot chocolate goodness kind of feeling radiates my chest, slowly building the reaction in my tear duct. I blink my eyes, looking away from Derek, I only want to focus on the words he was telling me, if I stare at his beautiful face, I won't be able to remember what he said afterwards. This is important, this is precious, those words were only said to me.
I chuckle, sniffle a little. 'Derek, please don't tell me you are proposing to me.' I smiled widely, 'those words were beautifully, but please, don't propose to me yet.'
'Nope.' He shakes his head, 'This is a promise I made to you, I love you, you make me really happy, Rachel. Seeing you after a heavy day, feels like having an ice cold beer and a marvelous view of the beach.'
'Beer? I'm just a beer, not a Cordon Bleu or an expensive red wine, maybe?' I narrowed my eyes.
'I'm a beer man, girlfriend.' He grinned proudly.
Well, at least I know Grace Hoffer is a wine, and I am his beer. It's a strange comparison, but that's fine.
Since he mentioned about a pre-proposal plan, I might as well expand the topic. 'So, right now I am 29, and you are almost an old man right now, do you,' I paused, struggling to hide my embarrassment of asking an awkward question and finding the right words, 'have a thoughts, idle thoughts about, well, maybe-'
He cuts me, 'just tell me what you had in mind,' said Derek, ever so patiently.
'Baby?' I spilled the word. Just that word, I don't have to emphasized anymore.
'I mean, it's not to early to talk about that, because I am getting old too, I might even consider freezing up my ovaries and save it for later use, before they shrivel and die.'
He blinked his eyes for a moment. 'At first, I thought you were calling me baby.' He quoted the word with his fingers. 'Really? Since when did you have that thought?' He chuckles, muffling his laugher after he gave a second thought about what I said.
My cheeks were burning, 'I shouldn't have said those, God, I'm feel like an idiot now.'
'No, the part where you mention that your ovaries will shrivel and die, where did those thoughts came from?' He haven't stop with his teasing.
'Of course, it comes up almost everyday, those articles about women's health in Cosmo is going to make me a hypochondriac soon.'
When the teasing cools down, Derek cleared his throat, his eyes gaze at me, I can scent his Givenchy Homme since we are sitting really close. 'Babies. I do want babies, of course, but not right now.'
'Really?' Somehow I felt relieved.
'Don't get me wrong, I'm retiring from my job soon, and of course, I want to spend more time with you, before we took a few steps further, you know.'
'Of course, babies is so, uh,' I wrinkled my nose, 'scary. I saw my friends disappearing from Facebook and Instagram as soon as they had baby, went to their house, it was a whole mess, and don't get me mention about their overall, I just feel that parenting it's a really heavy job.'
'So we do have the same opinion.'
I nodded. 'Let's have sex as much as possible, before another human came between us.'
'Rachel? Remember this is a holy place.' He whispered to me while hinting at the cross.
'My bad, we should leave soon, I'm not sure I might blurt something sinful again.'