Work Text:
Hélène had butterflies in her stomach. Relentless, stinging, buzzing butterflies.
It was probably more accurate to say she had an entire wasps nest in her stomach.
You can do this, she thought to herself, running her thumb along the velvet box that weighed like a boulder in her pocket. You've wrestled a gun out of Fedya's hands when he tried to shoot your ex-husband. You've assisted your brother in so many bar fights you've lost count. You've probably killed a man in your past life. You're Hélène fucking Kuragina.
Surely, she thought you can handle a little marriage proposal.
The entire evening had gone perfectly so far. Hélène originally planned to propose in the middle of an extravagant restaurant, no expenses spared. She had planned to show the world (well, everyone inside the restaurant, then the world) how she adored Marya. Flaunt their love to everyone surrounding them, shout to the rooftops "I love my fiancé! I would pluck the stars from the sky for her and I don't care who knows it!"
But then she realized, that's not what Marya would want.
Marya would want a lowkey date to someplace special to them. Marya would want to go someplace like the hill in the park where'd they'd sat and watched countless sunsets or the curb outside the Pinkberry they always went to that never had customers after 6:00 PM. Marya would want to go back to the place they'd had their very first date, a roller rink that they came home from covered in scrapes but laughing and smiling and happy.
Marya watched too many old school romance movies.
But, there they sat, sharing chili fries in the roller rink food court, after trying (and failing, but having fun anyways) to rollerblade for hours. They looked so out of place, two fairly older women on a date surrounded by two stereotypical suburban families and a birthday party full of eight year olds.
They both had never been happier.
Marya was looking at Hélène with the most lovestruck look on her face it was honestly disgusting. Like there was nowhere else she'd rather be than sharing shitty fries and holding hands with Helénè as the top 40's radio station played in the background. And if she kept looking at Hélène like that, Hélène was 100% sure she'd melt into a puddle.
God she was in deep.
She stood up from the table and gently pulled Marya up with her, leading her towards the door.
"Wait, where are we going?" Marya asked her as Hélène stepped onto the sidewalk.
"Nowhere. Just wanted some fresh air." That wasn't an entire lie. She did want some fresh air, the roller rink always smelled like Lysol spray and vomit. But also she wanted to go outside because as much as she was sure that eight year old would appreciate having their birthday party crashed by a middle aged woman proposing to her girlfriend, she didn't really want to do that.
Hélène sat on the curb and patted the spot next to her. Marya lowered herself down next to her and Hélène rested her head on her shoulder, supporting her weight on Marya.
They sat in comfortable silence like that for a while, intertwined and content.
Hélène knew what she came here to do, though, and god damn it she was gonna do it.
Hélène cleared her throat and Marya turned to look at her. Hélène's mouth felt drier all of a sudden and she froze.
Marya laughed a bit at Hélène's deer-in-the-headlights expression. "Was there something you wanted?" she asked.
Hélène managed to force a nod. It was now or never.
"I, uh, I want to start by first asking you to not interrupt till I'm done, okay? I just wanna... get it all out."
Marya nodded.
Hélène took a deep breath.
Okay. Here we go.
"Marya you... you make me feel like no one has ever made me feel before. You make me feel... whole. All those years, I'd only been half of a person, a fraction. I searched for so long to find someone who would fill in the missing half. And I'm gonna be real, when I first met you, I did not think it would be you."
Marya snorted.
"Hush, I'm pouring my heart out over here. But as time went on and we talked more and more... god, I fell hard and... I knew. You were who I'd been looking for. All this time and I'd finally, finally, finally found you and I... I-i..."
"Hélène?" Marya said.
Hélène didn't respond, she just reached into her pocket as she untangled herself from Marya. Fumbling with the clasp of the box a bit, she lowered herself onto one knee in front of Marya.
"I want to stay whole with you for the rest of my life."
Marya was silent.
"I know, I... I don't have the best... track record with marriage, but you... You are the only one I ever needed. And you're the only one I'll ever need."
Marya stayed silent.
"Marya Dmitrievna, will you marry me?"
Marya stayed silent.
And then she rushed forward and smashed her lips against Hélène's.
Hélène fell limp in Marya's arms as Marya attacked her face with kisses. She stopped for a moment to look Hélène in the eye, a sappy grin pasted onto her face.
"Yes." It came out as a whisper, but there was so much emotion in her voice it was as powerful as a scream.
Hélène stayed limp for a moment, then burst into giggles, rushing forward to return Marya's kisses. Marya joined her in the laughter, holding Hélène as close to her as she could.
Hélène groped for the ring box she'd dropped into the car lot and held it out to Marya.
"Mind if I do the honors?" she asked.
"Not at all." Marya replied. Her hair was mussed up and lipstick was smudged over every inch of her face and she was still the most beautiful person Hélène had ever fucking seen.
The ring was slid onto Marya's finger, and she stopped to admire it before she broke into giggles again.
"What is it?" Hélène asked.
Marya leaned forward and gave her a soft peck on the lips.
"You're my fiancé."