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She was glad it was all over and her focus could shift to the good of the Commonwealth — she was even more determined to make it the place it once was, she wanted Shaun to see the world she grew up in. Things didn't get easier now, especially not with Shaun moving into their room while the last of the renovations were through at the Castle — she loved the kid but sometimes all she wanted was a moment alone with Danse. He's been understanding about it, often telling her that she was the kind of mother he'd want for his own kids — becoming a father of sorts was making him real cheesy. Not as if she'd really mind, even a simple I love you or a sweet kiss could improve her mood — welcome distractions while wrangling logistics and inventory.
"Do you have a few minutes, Nora?" She looked up from the terminal with a smile when Danse slipped past the door of the room they dubbed as the main office — the unmistakable click of a lock following him. Walking around her desk, she met him halfway with a small kiss, her arms wrapping around his neck — she hasn't seen him since morning. He was a little tense, reminding her of the old days when he struggled to talk about his feelings — or maybe it was just the outfit; unusually formal in slacks and a shirt.
"Sure. How could I say no to you?" She always had time for him — even when she shouldn't. She settled back against her desk, giving his hand a soft squeeze — she was curious what was it all about and why the fancy clothes. Though it didn't look bad on him, nothing really did if she wanted to be completely honest — but that thought led down a rabbit hole she didn't have time for now. That much was obvious he didn't want interruptions or else he wouldn't bother locking the door.
"I've been thinking a lot about us." Uh oh. That's gonna be either horrible or fantastic — no inbetweens. Her breath caught in her throat, biting her lip as she waited for him to go on — momentarily distracted by looking for something in his pocket. She loved Danse as he was and she wouldn't change him for the world; but sometimes she wished he could just be blunt — the anticipation was killing her. "And I want to do things properly."
What weren't they doing properly? Did she miss the memo on the dating habits of the 23rd century? As far she could tell, they were doing things properly; they talked when they had problems, made sure that they were equals unless it was an official issue to handle. As a family maybe they were unconventional but, based on what she knew, synths weren't able to have children so this was their only option, really. He took her hand again, brushing his thumb against the back of her hand — sinking to a knee while doing so.
"Nora, will you marry me?" Yes, yes, yes! But all she did was sob, crouching down and burying her face against his neck, her hand wrapping around his and the ring. When saying yes to Nate she didn't expect to be engaged again but always figured, she'd be more composed than the previous time if it came to that — this was obviously the complete opposite. She calmed down a little, tears still rolling down her cheeks — Danse wiping them away gently. "I'm sorry, I didn't-"
"No, it's fine. I mean, yes. Yes, of course I'll marry you. It's just-" It was just a little too much to handle — it was a pretty big change from what they had before. It would make things official — permanent. She didn't want to marry just because Danse felt like that was the appropriate response to their current situation — she didn't want a shotgun wedding of sorts. They were sitting on the ground now, his fingers dancing against her jawline as he leant in for a kiss — soft, sweet, loving. "It's quite a big leap forward. Are you sure about this?"
"I don't care how big of a step it is. Being with you has made me realize that I never want to be alone again. I love you, Nora." She didn't want to be alone either, Danse meant more to her than she could find words for. Pressing another small kiss to his lips, a smile spread on her face as she wiggled her fingers for him — she was offered a ring, too, after all. She ran her thumb against it, admiring the craftmanship — the metal old and faded somewhere, like it was made from an old holotag. It was simple, only holding a single piece of some crystal — but better than any diamond or ruby ring.
"I love you, too, Danse. But you know there's going to be a lot to do, right?" They had to do everything themselves from the guest list to the location, from the cake to the dress — they no longer had the luxury of hiring a wedding planner. She would've been happy with a small, backyard ceremony too but she figured 'properly' meant it would be more than just the two of them, Shaun and a priest.