Even more richpez one shots

Date night

Prompt: (Accidentally) Ate The box of the Chocolates While Waiting

"It is our first proper date since we got engaged and also post pandemic! I want it to be perfect." She shouts from the bathroom voice jumping a little at the end of her statement due to, he assumes, her stomping her foot.

"Lo, you could wear nothing and you'd still be perfect." He calls down the hall, adding "in fact I'd prefer it!" He chuckles to himself as he absentmindedly reaches for another chocolate from the box before him.

He wanted to give her something small showing he has put effort into tonight without going overboard- something he does for her very often. He settled this morning at the store, on some nice flowers and this small box of chocolates from which he was currently picking. He pulls out his phone for one last twitter scroll before noticing the time.

"Lolo we are gonna be late to your perfect evening if you don't haul ass just a touch faster." Joey tries to add a laugh to offset the edge in his tone but to no avail. He shakes his head slightly and pops another chocolate in his mouth.

Lauren realizing how stressed he is becoming shoots a sympathetic smirk to her reflection in the mirror, gives her hair a final jushe, before exiting and walking into the living room.

"What do you think?" She asks goofily twirling around while moving her arms in an overdramatized wheel of fortune style. Joey scans her whole ensemble in a painfully slow fashion considering how quickly he was rushing her seconds before starting at her shoes moving up until meeting her eyes. His face transforms from small shock into a face splitting grin at her as he all at once realizes three things.

First, she hasn't fully dressed up in so long. Not that she ever needs to because crazy haired sweatpants Lauren was perfect to him but he had nearly forgotten how breathtaking she was when she did get dolled up.

Secondly, this dinner reservation didn't matter. Nothing in the world mattered as long as he was spending time with Lauren. They could be eating McDonalds on the side of the highway at 11PM and that would still be the greatest date.

Lastly, his eyes fall to her hands -and her ring- which she is twirling around her finger in a chaotic fashion. She said yes. Every date they'd ever been on, group dates, one on one dates, even the in home casual dates, Joey has always had this ring and this sentiment of marriage in the back of his mind. He knew he would sound insane if he ever truly admitted how long marriage, specifically to Lauren, had been poking around in his head. This is the first date they were having that going in he knows without a shadow of a doubt this forever with Lauren that he always pictures in his head is what she wants too.

Lauren smiles softly reaching a hand out and places it gingerly on Joey's forearm. "If you think I should change just say so."

Joey snaps back into reality giving a slight shake of the head before stammering out "uh no you are perf- I mean you uhhh look per- you are is- perfect."

His neck begins to flush red after being caught off guard and so flustered. He attempts to recover as he leans over to the table picking up the box of chocolates but it's way lighter than before. They realize in the same moment staring down at the multiple empty slots there are only two chocolates left in the whole box. All of Joey's "absentminded stealing one chocolate" resulted in almost the entire box gone. The blush now creeping even further up his face to his cheeks as it dawns on him he isn't sure how his stomach would handle nearly 25 pieces of chocolate.

"Oh shit! I got these for you but I guess I accidentally finished them. Sorry Lo." He looked sheepishly as he unceremoniously dropped the box back down and brings his hand to the back of his neck rubbing ever so slightly.