Lisa Braeden (thereforhim) wrote in madisonvalley, @ 2022-01-24 12:37:00 |
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Paradise. They were in literal paradise. At least it felt like it. It was probably the closest thing he would ever get to paradise, and he was more than happy to take it. It was hard to enjoy the moment completely though, as he kept thinking that at any given second he was going to wake up and it would all be a dream. Which, was entirely possible. He dreamed about Lisa plenty, though it happened less so now that they lived together. Honestly, he still couldn’t understand why Lisa would choose to be with someone like him, but she knew exactly what she was getting into now, and she was still there. That alone was something he was beyond grateful for, and he wasn’t sure that he showed her that enough. They had been together for a year now, and he figured they weren’t getting any younger so why not finally pop the question? During his time in Madison Valley, Dean had saved up most of the money he earned and had finally been able to afford a decent ring for the woman he loved. She wasn’t materialistic, and she would have been just as happy with a cubic zirconia ring, but he wanted to go the extra mile. It was the only time he would be doing this, and he wanted to do it right. Sam had gone shopping with him to help pick out the perfect ring for her, and once that was done, he had planned the trip and given it to her as a Christmas gift. They had been there for two days now, and tonight was the night he planned to propose. Most of it was taken care of by the staff and all he had to do was fork over the money, but it would be a night she would remember forever. With an hour till sunset, they boarded the luxury yacht together and were off on what Lisa thought was just a fancy private dolphin cruise. “Did I happen to mention how beautiful you look tonight?” Dean moved to wrap his arms from behind her and held her close, dropping his head to press a kiss to the top of her head. “Seriously, you’re even more stunning than this view of the ocean.” When Dean presented her with the trip as a gift, Lisa was ecstatic. She’d wanted for them to take a trip for a while. Hearing it was the tropical paradise of Maldives only made it so much sweeter. She didn’t consider it as a prelude of anything other than a good time for the two of them and really, after everything, they deserved it. Dean especially deserved the time off from everything, even if Madison Valley was not like the world they left a lot of the time. He’d dealt with a lot these past few months and there was only so much Lisa could do. Maybe the trip would at least start to help with the rest. The beach was more than enough for Lisa, but then they were set to take a luxury yacht on a fancy private dolphin cruise and Lisa couldn’t believe it. She dressed in an airy sundress, wedge-heel sandals, and her hair was in loose curls around her shoulders. The weather was perfect (obviously) as they set off and Lisa looked out at the ocean, taking a deep breath of sea salt air. Feeling Dean’s arms around her, Lisa smiled to herself as he placed a kiss on her head. She put her hands over his around her waist. “I think the dolphins might disagree,” Lisa teased. She turned to face him and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. “But who cares what they think anyway?” “Pfft, I say, to hell with the dolphins. They have no idea what they’re talking about.” His arms moved to drape around her waist and he held her close, gently swaying with her in the breeze. Dean couldn’t stop smiling as he looked down at her in awe, feeling beyond lucky to have her in his life. If he had the ability, he would have started to dance her across the boat, but he had absolutely no idea how to dance, so he had to stick to just swaying. “I would start singing the way you look tonight, but I don’t know the words, other than the one line.” He lifted a hand to brush his fingers through her hair, tucking back some strands of hair that got in the way of her eyes, thanks to the wind. “All joking aside, you really do look incredible.” Dean had walked into fights with vampires and werewolves with less trepidation than he felt right now. Even though he was ninety-five percent sure that she would say yes, there was still that margin of error where anything and everything could go wrong. “Do you want to go sit down and enjoy some of the champagne?” Lisa was perfectly fine with them swaying in the wonderful, tropical breeze. She snuggled closer into his arm and rested her head against his shoulder. Everything was perfect. She closed her eyes and just relaxed, relishing in the moment. Given everything that had happened, she might have believed that they never would have come to a moment like this, but because of Madison Valley they had the chance. It was kind of a miracle. “It’s okay,” Lisa replied, giving him a smile. “I know what you mean.” She leaned into his touch as he tucked her hair behind her ear. She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his nose playfully. “You clean up pretty well yourself,” she teased in return. Honestly, Lisa had no idea what Dean was going to ask her. She was perfectly content with the vacation. It was time for themselves. It was something they never really had a chance to experience in their world. “Champagne sounds perfect.” Lisa shifted out of his embrace and slipped her arm in his instead. “Lead the way.” Wait, no. Fuck. The champagne was supposed to be for after the proposal when she said yes. “On second thought, we should hold off on the champagne until the stars come out. It will be a little more romantic that way, I think.” He tucked his arm around her waist and walked with her to the front of the yacht where a table was set up, along with a full bar and some canapes, which just sounded pretentious. “You can have whatever you want to drink, babe. Do you want some wine, or maybe a fruity tropical drink with a cute umbrella?” Dean pulled the chair out for her and once she was seated, pushed it in closer to the table. He sat down across from her and looked out across the ocean in awe. The sun had started to set and it was already dipping below the horizon, casting a bright reflection onto the ocean water. It was a sight he never could have imagined seeing, and it was so beautiful that he wanted to cry. Every single moment with Lisa here was something he would never get at home. She wasn’t exactly his second chance at happiness, given he had died over one hundred times now, but he liked to think of her as such. He now knew that no matter how hard he had tried, it never would have worked out between them, because that would have ruined the story that Chuck wanted. Their drinks were set down on the table, and Dean needed it for sure, but he took it slow and steady, not wanting to down it all in one go. She was going to say yes. She was going to say yes. She was going to say yes. He repeated in his head as he reached out to take her hand in his own. “I love you, Lisa.” It was strange that Dean backtracked on the champagne, but honestly, Lisa wasn’t about to delve too much into it. Nope. There would be no hard thinking happening here. It was all freedom, relaxation, fruity drinks with umbrellas, and time together. Champagne with stars sounded just as perfect as champagne would have been at sunset. Either way, Lisa allowed Dean to lead her to the table and she claimed the seat he pulled out for her. “Fruity drink with an umbrella sounds great,” Lisa replied with a smile and he pushed in her chair. The drinks were ordered and it wasn’t long before Lisa was sipping on one of the best alcoholic tropical drinks she’d ever tasted. Wow. She took another sip before placing it back down on the table. She noted Dean didn’t down his like there was no tomorrow either. Maybe he was finally starting to relax a little. It made Lisa happy. Her drink safely on the table, he reached out and took her hand and Lisa squeezed it in return. “I love you too, Dean. And I’m so glad we finally have this moment together.” It felt impossible for so long, but being in Madison Valley, Lisa was learning that anything was possible. Her and Dean being together was something she’d forgotten back home, but here she remembered. Here, they stood a chance and there was no way Lisa was going to let anything ruin it. Ever since they had met up again after their bendy weekend, Dean had never stopped believing that any happy ending he had would be with her. He continued to hold her hand as they watched the sunset together, and they were treated to an incredible view. He had seen the sunset before, but never had he seen one so beautiful, and with so many different colors. Finally, he released his hand from hers so he could take a quick picture, and then he finished off his drink. He didn’t want the moment to be eclipsed by the stunning scenery, and now that the sun had dipped low enough below the horizon, it was time. “I’ll be right back, babe. I just need to use the bathroom.” Dean leaned over to press a quick kiss to her cheek and then hurried down into the cabin to get himself prepared. He had taken guitar lessons years and years ago, but he wasn’t as confident in his ability to play the guitar, so he had opted for a simple karaoke track. For whatever reason, Faithfully had become their song, and it was the one he had chosen to sing that night. He tossed back another drink, took a few deep breaths, and after being encouraged by one of the attendants, he was ready to go. Dean had paid a lot of money for all of this, but they had taken care of so much for him that he considered it money very well spent. The ring was set in a chocolate clamshell dessert, which would be brought out once he gave them the cue, and all he had to do was hold the karaoke machine, and not drop it, or throw up. “Highway run, into the midnight sun. Wheels go round and round, you're on my mind. Restless hearts, sleep alone tonight. Sendin' all my love along the wire.” Dean began the song, slowly making his way out from the back of the cabin and around to where Lisa was seated. He had started out a little shakily, but as the song progressed, his vocals became smoother. “They say that the road ain't no place to start a family. Right down the line, it's been you and me. And lovin' a hunter man ain't always what it's supposed to be. Oh, girl, you stand by me. I'm forever yours, faithfully.” He had changed music man to hunter man, but he wasn’t even sure if she would notice. As he came closer to her, his hand gripping the microphone started to tremble a little but seeing the smile on her face soothed his nerves a little. “Circus life, under the big top world. We all need the clowns to make us smile through space and time. Always another hunt wondering where I am lost without you. And being apart ain't easy on this love affair. Two strangers learn to fall in love again. I get the joy of rediscovering you. Oh, girl, you stand by me. I'm forever yours, faithfully.” Instead of going into the whole run, he took this time to make his move instead. “Lisa, I can honestly say that without you, my life is meaningless. I lived without you for so long, but I want to make sure I don’t waste another second and we spend the rest of our lives together.” With a simple nod from him, the attendant handed him the plated dessert, the ring sparkling in the middle of it, and he set it down on the table in front of her. Dean moved to get on one knee before her and reached for her hand, smiling like it was going out of style. “Lisa Braeden, will you make me the luckiest man alive and marry me?” When he said he had to go use the bathroom, Lisa gave a knowing smile and squeezed his hand. They had enjoyed the sunset together and, as far as Lisa was concerned, that was the epitome of the trip. A moment where the two of them could simply be Dean and Lisa and not involved in the supernatural at all. That’s when she heard the music and looked over, eyes widening when she caught sight of Dean. Yes, there were definitely goosebumps and tears in her eyes. She had no idea about the proposal. She was taken aback that he had started serenading her with a song that meant the most to her. To them. She didn’t know what to say and it was a good thing because there was a definite lump in her throat. She could see it was affecting him too, but as the song went on, he gained confidence and the trembling ceased. Even if it didn’t, Lisa found it cute and adorable all the same. Like how he changed the words just slightly. “Dean…” Lisa trailed off, unable to speak because she’d probably end up crying instead. Instead, she gave him the brightest smile she could. Being so caught up in the moment, she barely noticed the attendant pass Dean the dessert, but how could she miss the sparkle? Part of her felt like it had to be a dream, but then Dean went down on one knee and took her hand. It had to be real. He was smiling from ear to ear and it was the most beautiful smile Lisa had ever seen (outside of Ben’s of course). She returned it and nodded. “Yes, definitely yes, a hundred percent I will marry you, Dean Winchester.” Then she leaned down and pressed a passionate kiss to his lips. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders and he could finally breathe again. The attendants clapped in celebration, and he heard the sound of a champagne cork being popped, but all he could do was look at Lisa. “I love you so much, Lis,” Dean whispered against her lips, slowly pulling away from the kiss. His hand came up to caress over her face and he leaned in for another quick kiss before he turned to take the ring so he could slide it on her finger. It fit perfectly, given he had taken one of her other rings so they could get the proper size, and he couldn’t believe how much more magnificent it looked on her hand. Once the ring was on her finger, he moved to get up from his knee and let out a groan, his back cracking as he straightened up. Dean made himself comfortable in the seat next to her and was all too happy to shove a bacon-wrapped scallop into his mouth. “That tastes so much better now that I’m not nervous as fuck,” he muttered in between chewing. He swallowed the last bite and it hit him - he was engaged, and it wasn’t just a dream. This was his reality. His future was finally starting to come into focus, and he found himself cautiously optimistic about it all. “I almost can’t believe you said yes. Even though I was pretty sure you would, nothing is ever a sure bet.” “I love you too, Dean,” Lisa whispered back, putting her hand over his own. He slipped the ring on her finger and Lisa had to agree, it looked beautiful on her finger. It fit perfectly too. Lisa barely heard the applause; she was focused on Dean’s face and how happy he was. How happy they were. However, she frowned briefly when she heard Dean’s back crack as he stood and slipped onto the seat next to her. It was a reminder that the two of them were not quite as young as they used to be. She reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly. Of course, she released it in time for him to indulge in that bacon-wrapped scallop. The nerves had clearly affected his appetite, but not anymore. Lisa was glad he could enjoy the fancy food. Lisa laughed. “I’m glad you can enjoy the food.” She reached for a glass of champagne and took a sip. Just like the food, the champagne tasted really good. She was pleased to hear a note of optimism in Dean’s voice as he spoke. After everything, both back home and here, she was glad to hear it. Honestly, Lisa wasn’t sure if Dean would ever ask. Truthfully, she wouldn’t mind; they were together and that was all that mattered, but getting married? It was even better. “Of course I would say yes,” Lisa assured, squeezing his arm. “I love you and there is no one else I want to spend the rest of my life with.” Dean looked back at her with a smile and reached out to run the back of his hand along her jaw, admiring her sheer beauty. “I am the luckiest man alive, it’s official.” There was a part of him that feared allowing himself to be too happy, but he was so wrapped up in the moment that it was hard not to get swept away by it all. He shifted closer and draped his arm around her to pull her in close, kissing the top of her head. “We get to sleep on the water tonight, I wonder how that will be.” |