A Lifelong Promise

Paul waited there down on his knee that had been pressed hard into the hard ice for what felt like an eternity. He looked up at her with her eyes wide and her jaw dropped open trying to find the words to answer what was the most important question he ever asked anyone in his life. After what couldn't have been more than a few seconds Paul ended the crippling silence. "I know that it hasn't been that long. And I know that you just barely got the ink dry on the papers but this isn't a typical rebound thing. I did the long term relationship thing and it never went beyond that. You and me - we're different. And I waited long enough to be with you not even knowing it was you I was waiting for...I just -"

Before he could continue his ramblings he saw Clare's lips curl up into a smile before she very slowly began to nod her head.

Paul looked up at her and felt his heart about to pound out of his chest. "Yeah? You - yeah?" he stumbled out not even sure how to form a proper sentence. When she nodded her confirmation and her smile turned into a huge cheek-pinching grin, Paul stood back up and scooped her up into his arms spinning her around in the most cliche fashion there on the ice. "Yes?" he breathed out his question yet again as he pushed the tip of his nose against hers.

"Yes," she finally blurted out as she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her lips against his own. Paul reached for Clare's left hand which was perched on his cheek and pulled away from her just enough to slide the ring on her finger.

He looked down at her newly decorated finger and quickly up into her eyes. He could see the excitement and pure happiness seeping from her pores and it calmed his nerves. "I was really nervous about asking. I wasn't sure if you'd think it was too soon and I mean, I would have gotten it if you felt that way."

"I could see how other people might think that but I guess the good thing is that I don't care what anyone else has to say. This feels right." She was confident in her answer, more confident than she'd been in a long time. Being with him felt right and marrying him made sense. "I have to admit you caught me off guard, if you couldn't tell," she confessed with a cute laugh.

"You had me nervous for a second that you were going to turn me down."

"All these things were running through my mind and I was just in shock. But the one thing I could see plain as day in my brain was the word yes. I'd be an idiot to let you go again and I don't plan on it. You wanna know what I want?"

"What's that?" Paul asked as he took her hand and began to skate slowly with her to release some of the jitters he still felt coursing through his body.

"I want to marry you and I want to live our life together with as little outside influence as possible. Like...I want everything about us to be private and between you and me. We've had too many people stick their nose in our business from the beginning and too much drama because of how my marriage ended with James. I don't want to let anything else in."

"I've been itching for you and I to have privacy since we got together. That period where no one knew how close we were, before we were really a couple, that was such a sweet time."

"So, about that," Clare started as she glanced up at him from the side of her eyes.

"Yeah..." Paul answered knowing where she was going with this. "So speaking of privacy. I guess the question is whether or not we're keeping this under wraps."

"Maybe we should. For your sanity. He'll drive you insane, the rest of the guys will too. They'll back you into a corner and ask how you could marry your teammates ex-wife. You'll never hear the end of it. And the media..."

"No," Paul said genuinely disagreeing with her in the sweetest way possible. "They know I'm crazy about you. And I don't care about the media - just don't pay attention to it. Plus the guys won't turn me over like that. Thing is, you're right about him. He won't take it well. He might have stepped aside, but you and I getting engaged...no."

Clare let out a disappointed sigh but before she could be totally deflated Paul spun in front of her and scooped her face up into his big hands. "Don't do that. Don't be disappointed. This is good. This is you and me." He leaned down and sealed the deal with a kiss instilling even more security into her.

Clare couldn't help feeling her smile curl up and betray her inner emotions. "You're right. I'm a lucky girl."

After a few seconds Paul let out a deep breath and gave her hand a squeeze. "You're okay?"

"I couldn't be better if I tried," she said with a smile that lit up the entire arena. "I'm just glad things worked out the way they've worked out. Oh!" she gasped. "Oh my gosh, what are you... you never told me...are you getting traded? Last you mentioned it, you were throwing me out of the car and telling me you requested it."

Paul's eyes fell for a brief moment as he transported back to that terrible night. "No," he shook his head. "I did request it, that wasn't a lie. But that's the problem with having a good friend. Sid wouldn't let it happen and he intervened before talks got too serious. I did get a stern talking to though. It could still be put on the table and if it does..."

"And if it does I'm going with you wherever you go." She couldn't know how reassuring her words were to him, even if he already knew it in his heart of hearts. "So I gotta ask."

"What's that?"

"How long have you had this proposal planned?"

Paul let out a little laugh. "I'd been thinking about it longer than I'd like to admit."

"Nothing wrong with that. If I didn't see that being our endgame I wouldn't be with you."

Paul smiled as he looked down at her with stars in his eyes and continued to tell her his side of everything. "I bought the ring right after we got back from South Carolina but didn't have a plan as to how I wanted to ask. And then everything happened with us breaking up and I held onto it in my drawer and just couldn't let it go. And even when you wanted nothing to do with me I held onto that hope. Thankfully it worked out. I never wanted to propose so badly in my life. I wanted to make it special and I wasn't sure if you'd think it was lame but I felt like it made sense. It brought our story full circle - I asked you to spend the rest of your life with me the first place I ever laid my eyes on you."

Clare reached up and stood with the heels of her skates off the ice and kissed him. "You wanting to spend the rest of your life with me is the best gift you've ever given me and somehow I know this is where I'm meant to be."

***

It'd been about a week since Paul had proposed. They'd been soaking up every second together being engaged and planning their lives together. They hadn't told anyone, keeping this beautiful moment to themselves - selfishly enjoying it alone. Paul loved the rush he got when he looked up at Clare during a game and knew that he was looking at his future wife; he loved holding onto a such an intimate secret that was between the two of them and not opening it up to criticism or questions from anyone else. At Paul's suggestion, she didn't wear her ring to his games as to not open it up for comments or risk James finding out sooner than he could handle it.

The team was about to head on the road for a week. They'd just wrapped up a win against the Flyers and the bus was leaving straight from the arena. There was no time to go home and spend the night with family or loved ones, it was business; a quick turnaround and Paul was already feeling the pit in his stomach from having to be away from his new fiancee. He was used to it, but they were in such a happy, sweet spot in their relationship that any disturbance stung.

He was chatting with Kunitz about the game and places to eat when they got to DC but even though he should have been engaged in the conversation he was having, he couldn't keep his eyes off Clare. She was in the hallway by the door talking with Crosby's wife, Hannah. His eyes sparkled as they were set on her and he couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He watched Clare laugh and tuck her hair behind her ear before leaning down to tease their son, Daniel, who was about two. Paul could feel his heart swell in his chest as he looked at the beautiful creature who had agreed to marry him.

"That pass really set me up nice. I broke away from Giroux there and-" Kunitz continued to go over the game and Paul just politely nodded his head, "Yeah."

Clare finally glanced over at him in the midst of a smile and did a double-take when she realized he was already looking at her. Her smile brightened more when their eyes met and she kind of wrinkled her brow, playfully asking what he was looking at her for.

"Hey, sorry. Excuse me man," Paul said as he walked through the room and out the door over to Clare and wrapped his arms around her.

"Hi Paul," Hannah said with a laugh as she looked on approvingly.

"Han," he flashed a smile and nodded his head to show manners and greet her. "I think your husband wants you," Paul nodded yet again this time behind Hannah, but before she could turn around Crosby had slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her tightly into him. She spun around his his grasp and he kissed her before leaning down and picking his son up in his arms.

Paul scooped Clare up and kissed her before bringing his lips to her ear. "Marry me," he breathed out so only she could hear.

He felt her lips curl up into a smile by his ear. "I already said I would," she flirted.

Paul pulled back and nuzzled the tip of his nose against hers. "I mean when we get back home in a week. Marry me. Just you and me," he whispered as he looked down into her eyes.

"Really?" she asked with one hand resting softly on his cheek unable to contain her happiness.

"Yeah, really. Do what you need to do while I'm away. Get the paperwork, a dress, whatever you want and we'll go down to the court or to a church and have a ceremony with just you and me."

"Well, I can't do it alone. The second you get home we'll go get our marriage license together. You and me."

"I wish it were easier to elope than that.

"Well, " she laughed. "If we lived in Vegas it probably would be, but we don't. And no, I'm not going to Vegas before you ask," she said more amused.

"I wouldn't ask that," Paul assured her.

"I know." She gently brushed her hand over his face. "You beat me to it, you know."

"You wanted to do the same thing?" he asked borderline amused and a little surprised.

"I was going to, well I guess you can say....kind of...second.. propose to you," she said in more of a question format unsure how to properly word it. "I hate when you leave and I don't see the reason to wait forever. I want to live day in and day out with you and be together. I don't need a huge wedding - I've done it and I can tell you it doesn't guarantee a happy marriage. I love you and I just want to be yours. What could be more romantic than saying my vows to you in front of no one but God? It's intimate and special and ours. I'm done sharing our life with other people."

"I couldn't take my eyes off you while Kunitz and I were talking. I'm crazy about you," he said before leaning in for a quick kiss. Her words had melted him like butter and the fact that he was seeing how in sync they were made him hold her closer to him. "If you wanted a big hoopla wedding, of course I'd give you whatever you want. Me though? I just want you."

Clare let out a playful laugh and kissed him quickly again. They both jumped when Paul felt a hand on his shoulder. "We gotta go man," Crosby gently pressed him to wrap it up before turning back to Hannah for one last kiss. Paul glanced back and saw most everyone was on the bus and he was out of time.

"Hurry home," Clare said softly as she looked up into his eyes. "I need to marry you next Friday."

Paul squeezed his eyes shut wanting desperately to hold onto this moment. "I'll be there."