From Rome with love (Book 3)

Proposal the Hiddleston way

*Tom*
When Maddie is sound asleep, I gently kiss the top of her head and slide out of bed. I pull on my clothes and head into the living room. I have a lot of things to do.

Trying not to make too much sound I put Bobby in the back hallway with a new bone, so he won't ruin things and then I start getting everything ready. Hoping that she won't mind me waking her up kind of late. At least she don't have work tomorrow.

Luckily I have already prepared some of the things and about an hour later I have everything ready. So I slip into the bathroom and take a quick shower. Should I put on a suit ? No that would make her feel weird for wearing normal relaxed clothes, so I slip on a pair of pyjama pants and a t-shirt, after all it is not about the clothes.

Then I sit down beside Maddie, watching her for a moment. I can't help smiling, I still get butterflies in my stomach every time I look at her and all I wish for is making her happy, making her smile every day. "Wake up Cookie".

*Maddie*
I hear Tom's voice softly calling me from my sleep and I slowly open my eyes. "Is it already Morning boo ?"

"No baby, but I have a surprise for you, if you could wake up for a bit ?" He say sending me one of those warm soft smiles I love.

Stretching slowly I sit up. "Everything for you".

"Actually this is for you". He say, pulling a rose from behind his back, he gently hands it to me. "This flower is as rare as you".

I gasp when I realise it isn't a rose. "Tom, this is a middlemist red.. how on earth did you get this ?"

"I know someone working in London botanical garden, they..".

I continue for him. "Have one of the two remaining flowers in the world". I look at the beautiful rose like flower. "Oh it is so beautiful Tom".

"Not as beautiful as you my love". He takes my hand kissing it. "Put on some clothes. I have something to show you".

I get up and quickly pull on some panties and an oversized t-shirt. "Is this going to be okay ?"

"It's perfect cookie. Come this way". He leads me to the door and open it.

I gasp, the hallway light is turned off and it has candles all along it, leading to the living room.. there is rose petals on the floor. "Tom !"

"Just follow the lights princess". He say softly and I slowly walk along, my heart beating like crazy, wondering if I am dreaming.

I walk into the living room and clamp a hand over my mouth.. the rose petals and candles leads to the end wall. On the wall itself is a big heart that seems to be made out of pictures and around it chains of heart shaped lights.

In the background 'clair de lune' starts playing softly and I walk up to the picture heart. It is all pictures of me and Tom together. In the middle a big picture of us kissing and I realise it is our first real kiss at Zac and Dahlia's second wedding. Eric must have taken that.

"Look at the back of them.. number 1 first". Tom say softly. He is standing a bit behind me to the side.

I take down the picture with number 1 on it, there is something written on the back and I read it out loud. "Please don't ever take it lightly, whenever I tell you that I love you. Because I know that one day, it might seem like a routine. I know that there will be days when you don't want to hear it. And you might have your moments when you even refuse to believe it. But trust me, when I say that the heaviness in my heart from when I say those words to you, is an indication that loving you will never be something I take lightly".

Tears are welling up in my eyes, and I gently put back the picture, reaching for the second one, Reading that out loud too. "Meeting you was fate. Becoming your friend was a choice. But falling in love with you was beyond my control".

"Are you okay Cookie ?" Tom gently puts his hand on my shoulder when he hears me sniffle.

"This is just so perfect Tom, so beautiful". I say turning my head to smile at him. Then I put the picture back, biting my lip, it is me, Tom and Bobby on a blanket in the park, I remember that day clearly.

I find the third picture, me and Tom at the premiere. He looks at me with such love and I look so happy. I was happy. I turn it and read. "You don't marry someone you can live with - you marry someone you cannot live without".

Closing my eyes for a moment I breathe in. I know what this is leading to and I almost can't breathe. It is the most beautiful and romantic thing ever.

Next picture says. "Marriage is sharing life with your best friend, enjoying the journey along the way and arriving at every destination...together".

I take down a picture of me and Tom in bed, both laughing, he took that only a couple of days ago, the backside say. "I fell in love with all of you. I didn't just fall in love with the best of you. Like the way your eyes light up the room. The way your laugh makes me smile. The way your hand fits in mine. The way your personality stands out. The way your smile gives me butterflies or the way your body moves".

By now I have tears slowly running down my face and is happy that I am not wearing makeup. Next picture is from Rome, all four of us in the park were we had the picnic. It continues from the last. "I fell in love with all of you. I fell in love with your scars. The way you make sarcastic remarks. The way you feel helpless at 2am. The way you cry about something from years ago. The way you can sometimes get angry or the way you sometimes want to be alone".

The last part is on a picture of us at his mom's house, we are standing close together talking, my hand is resting on Tom's cheek. His mother must have taken that. "I fell in love with all of you. I fell in love with the great in you and I fell in love with the "bad" you see in yourself. But the bad you see is the great that I see, because I love every part of you. Every bit. I fell in love with all of you".

I look at the big picture with us kissing. "Eric took that right ?"

"Yeah our first real kiss.. look on the back". Tom say softly, having stepped up beside me.

I carefully take it down and look on the backside. "This is our first real kiss and for me it is my last first kiss.. I hope it will be Your last first kiss too.. Lets make our every first the last first.. Will you be my first, last and only wife ?"

"Tom..". It comes out a whisper as I quickly put the picture back and turn to find him on one knee, holding a ring in his hand.

He takes my hand in his. ""I promise to love you at 6am when you're waking to go to work, and when you didn't sleep well, your hair is a mess, and your eyes are sleepy. I promise to love you at 8am when we say goodbye for the day and you're rushing out the door with a cup of tea and your car keys in the other hand. I promise to love you at 5pm when you're exhausted from the day and people have worn you out and you feel like crying, and falling asleep and escaping from everything. I will kiss your forehead, and wrap my arms around you. I promise to love you at 10pm when you're heading to bed, even though you won't sleep for hours. Especially when we become a human knot wrapped up in sheets and kisses. I promise to love you at 3am when loneliness and sadness do not destroy you, but consume you and when you weep without an explanation. I'll kiss your lips softly and tell you you're the absolute best and that things will be better soon. I will love you when you grow old, and I will love you after that. I will love you if I'm no longer here. I will love you, I will love you, and I will love you. So lets make our every first the last first.. Will you be my first, last and only wife ?"