🌼 O n e s h o t B o o k 🌼

🔫 𝙱𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝙾𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚔 𝚡 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 || 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝙼𝚎

Plot: A little dance and a love confession hidden away from the horrors they live through on a day-to-day basis (If you could even say that the never-ending darkness of the fog has 'days') to the tune of 'Wedding Bell Blues'.

Warnings: I don't think so

~

I thought I was alone, until-

"What are you humming, there?" Bill stands above me, lighting a cigarette before putting it in his mouth and lowering his gaze to mine. I smile, cheekily, but also reserved. I know he really means 'What are you doing all the way out here all alone in the forest instead of the campfire?', but I don't feel like talking about the answer to that question. Besides, this answers it better anyway.

"Just some song from a show I liked back before the fog." I sigh, resting my face in one hand with the elbow digging into my thigh. My gaze slips up Bill's legs to his face to gouge his emotion and see he's just breathing out a mess of smoke, looking grumpy as always but at this point I don't take that to heart. For a moment I just smile in happy nostalgia towards the little pile of leaves on the ground in front of my feet, thinking about my life before the entity and watching that show with the song- Or, how it felt. Peaceful. Then I speak up at him and grin again. "Never had anyone to link it to till you, you old coot." I wink, and- Was that a tiny little grin that I saw, pass over his stony, worn face? My smile broadens a tiny bit, chewing on the inside of my cheek.

"What was it about?" He asks, before breathing in another throat-full of tobacco, chest rising to take it.

I let go of my cheek with my teeth and look in front of me again, pushing hair behind my ears. Storytime is time as well spent as any other I suppose. "Well, a women; unnamed. Who wants her man, a guy called Bill-" I glance up at him and back again. Yep. He just rolls his eyes and releases the puff of smoke from his lips. "-to ask her to marry him. She's tired of waiting for him to do it- she only wanted him, after all. Cant imagine a time she didn't, or wouldn't. So, of course, she complains about him- to him. Sort of begging to be proposed to."

Bill raises his eyebrows and looks away, taking his smoke out of his mouth for a moment to speak normally. "Sounds pushy." I shrug.

"Maybe. But its where I heard it from that really stuck me I guess. It is a pretty sounding song, but the scene it was in in this show I used to watch was beautiful." Slowly, mindlessly, I move a twig to sit across the tips of my shoes. It's so light that if I hadn't put it there, I would never know it was there. "This old couple, Emily and Richard, were renewing their vows. And when it came time for their 'first dance as a married couple', Richard took the mic and told this story; About how when he and Emily's daughter was little, she went through a series of terrible ear infections and Emily would stay with her all night, listening to the radio," I pause, to swallow and look up to check if Bill's still paying here. He is, of course, kind and patient as he is. So I continue. "And, this song, Wedding Bell Blues was constantly playing at the time. She loved it, and she told Richard that 'If only' his name were Bill, then this could be their song." I think for a moment for the exact next words that the character said, not that I needed to. I've watched this scene a million times. Not only was it the first romantic gesture that wasn't cringy to me growing up, but shit was about to go down in the show that I absolutely couldn't get enough of. Some horrible fight between a woman's fiancé and her baby's father, not that that matters in this moment.

"And then Richard announced, that, 'For tonight Emily, and tonight only, my name is Bill. And this, is our song.', and she was like 'I can't believe you remembered this song!', and they danced, and it was wonderful and romantic, and ah-ahh... very good. Yep. "I suddenly get very awkwar,d talking about something so close to my heart. It'll be bad if he reacts wierdly. So, I finish my statement quickly, quietly, looking at the stick on my toes instead of Bill. "And that was like the epitome of sweet romance for me for a while, you know? I thought, if I'm forced to have a normal romance, then that is what I want it to be like. Hah."

A nice, non-awkward moment passes before Bill finally reacts and can return to normally scheduled breathing, offering one of his scared, capable hands to me. Which I take, of course. "How did that song go?" He guides me gently to my feet and to his chest, pulling me into a dance.

I hook my arms gently under his and hold the back of his shoulders, leaning my mouth into his shoulder as he lightly lets his forearms rest over my hips- cigarette still between his fingers. Quietly, as a whisper, I start hesitantly singing the song. Not quite as upbeat as it once was, but still beautiful. Not because my voice is - ha ha,- but because of the situation and the words. "I look at you, and see the passion eyes of May... but am I ever going to see my wedding day?~"

I was on your side Bill, when you were losing.

I'd never scheme or lie Bill, there's been a no foolin'

But kisses and love won't carry me till you marry me Bill!

He sways us, moving only very slowly around the little area between trees that we have because we're tired- but this is nice. "Bill... I love you so, I always will. And in your voice, I hear a choir of carousels," He chuckles at that, a throaty, smokers chuckle because his voice isn't the stuff of angels and I smirk about it too, but still. I like his voice, anyway. Lets just say the statement is objective, to avoid argument. There couldn't be a song that fit him more, for me. "Oh, but am I ever gonna hear my wedding bells? I was the one who came runnin' when you were lonely... I haven't lived one day not loving you only. But kisses and love won't carry me, till you marry me Bill."

Bill, I love you so. I always will, and though devotion rules my heart, I take no bows.

Oh, but Bill you know. I wanna take my wedding vows!

Come on Bill.

"I got the Wedding Bell Blues... "I finish, voice disappearing into his jacket, and my eyes slowly close as his hand comes to my hair, playing with it behind my back. We keep swaying for a few more moments, before he comes to a nearly unnoticeable stop and I open my eyes. This is so peaceful. Which is crazy, in the middle of a realm like this. But, thank god it is.

"That's a nice song. Bloke would've been crazy not to marry 'er after a speech like that." I grin, pressing my forehead momentarily into his shoulder to not laugh just from the pure giddiness that he's making me feel. "Think Kate could learn that song on the guitar?"

"Hm?" Immediately, I pull back enough to see Bill's face, which is nothing if not honest. I have never seen him lie, except for when he's trying to save people like a self sacrificing, stroke giving, heroic, lovely, wonderful bastard.

"You don't gotta sing that song to me to make me know I've got something the rest of the world wants." He assures me, making my heart beat hard like a train in my chest, but in a good way. Not like when I'm on the field with the Clown. "Were you serious, singing that to me?"

With no hesitation, I let go of him with one arm just to touch his face. One thumb along his beard, and I nod. In this moment, I feel so lucky to know him, and if I have to come to this place over and over in life to do it all again, I would. I know that once the moment is over I wont think that, because a world where we're both safe from this hell but consequently don't know each other will always, unfortunately, win out but either way I'm so so glad he's with me now. I'm so glad we met. I wish he could be finally safe, but I'm thrilled to know him. "Of course, yes!"

"Then I don't see any reason why we shouldn't, honey."

My eyes widen, a gasp stuck in my throat. All I can say, is "Yes."