Lauren was sat with her legs thrown across Joey's lap, scrolling through Instagram as his thumb massaged her shoulder. The room was quiet, the volume on the TV turned down low, and the only other sound the occasional car driving past outside.
"I have something to ask you," Joey said, breaking the silence.
She looked up from her phone screen, and quickly put the device to the side and shuffled closer to him when she saw the serious look on his face. He looked at her for a moment, before he pulled a small ring box from his pocket. Her eyes widened. She looked from the box to his face and back again.
"I know you told me not to propose at Christmas," he started, and Lauren gave him a watery smile. "But it's the 29th, so it's not technically Christmas anymore."
She laughed, as she did so realising that he had made her laugh to ease her nerves, and she felt even more grateful for him.
He took her hand in his. "I love you so much Lo. You mean everything to me and I can't even imagine my life without you. I am so lucky to have you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He took a calming breath, his eyes shining. "Will you marry me?"
"Ugh, that was the most cliche proposal speech ever," she said, laughing, even as she wiped away her tears.
"I told you I was a cliche," he said with a shrug through tears of his own.
"But yes," she said, gripping his hand, and he met her eyes with a hopeful smile.
"Yes?"
"Yes," she laughed again, pulling him towards her to kiss him, their lips fitting together as naturally as they always did.
"Is this what you came home with the other week?" she asked, looking down at the ring that he slid onto her finger.
He shook his head. "I've had this for years."
"Joey!" she exclaimed, startled.
"This is what I got last week," he ignored her, standing and disappearing into their bedroom. He returned holding the bag, passing it over to her.
She reached beneath the tissue paper to pull out a dog tag. He turned it over in her hand, and she saw 'Lopez-Richter' engraved into it. She looked up at him, her eyes blurred with tears again.
"I know she was already a Lopez-Richter, but I figured now it's official."
She stared at him, filled with an overwhelming sense of love for the man in front of her. She opened her mouth, and then closed it.
"Is it okay?" he asked worriedly.
She threw her arms around him in a tight hug, his hands hovering in the air for a moment before coming to rest on her back, holding her close. She pulled back to look at him, and he leaned forward to kiss her slowly.
"You know this is it now? You're stuck with me," he said.
She grinned. "I was already stuck with you," she replied as she leaned in to kiss him again.
A/N no one's surprised but I have to keep writing it
