Until You Met Me

“I don’t know how well you can see it on the camera. I will have to really show it off to you the next time I see you” Molly chirped, smiling at the camera on her phone which she held out ahead of her, trying to give Ava a good shot of the ring on her finger.

She hadn’t been able to stop herself. Since she had slipped the ring onto her finger that morning, she had visited or called anyone she could think of that she wanted to share the news with, and despite how many times she had said it out loud, the reality of the engagement still hadn’t settled in fully. She was slowly getting her head around it. Hours spent with her mother and Gerard's, listening to them gush about how excited they were for the wedding had gone a long way to convincing her that she hadn’t just imagined it, but still a tiny part of her was hesitant to let go of the awe. It was real, and already, people had asked about wedding dates that she and Gerard hadn’t even gotten close to discussing, but she wasn’t quite ready to think about logistics. For a little while, she just wanted to get lost in the feeling of being engaged.

“We will have to get together soon” Ava replied “You, me and Sofia. It has been too long since we had a night out, just the three of us, and your engagement feels like a pretty good excuse” she added.

Molly laughed. “When have we ever needed an excuse?” she asked.

“Fair point” Ava quipped “But still. We should do it. Next week?” she asked.

“Sounds good” Molly agreed, watching as Gerard slipped into the bed beside her “But right now, I have to go. Text me” she added.

Ava smirked, watching Molly’s eyes in the camera, before she shook her head. “Don’t think I don’t know that you’re hanging up on me because your fiance is there” she chirped, playfully stressing the word ‘fiance’.

Molly shrugged nonchalantly. “I am not even going to try and lie” she quipped “Say hi to Ava” she added, directing the camera towards Gerard who responded with a lazy smile and wave.

“Hey, Ava” Gerard quipped.

“Congratulations” Ava said warmly “This is not what I expected when you walked over to her in that restaurant all those months ago. You’ve surprised me” she added.

“In a good way?” Gerard prodded.

Ava beamed at him. “In the best way” she mused “Night, Gerard” she added.

Gerard waved again, allowing Molly to turn the camera back towards herself so that she could say goodnight before she ended the call, placing the phone onto the bedside table. Tugging the duvet around herself, she shuffled towards Gerard, tucking herself into his side as his arm wrapped around her. Gently running his fingers up and down her side, Gerard stayed quiet for a long moment before he turned his head slightly, smiling down at Molly who had started to idly trace patterns against his stomach. “I think this is the first moment we have been alone since this morning” he teased quietly “It’s kind of strange” he added.

Molly didn’t look up at him, but did smile to herself. “You say it like you didn’t love every moment of everyone fussing” she said “I don’t think I saw you without a smile on your face all day. Even when Poppy tried to take full credit for choosing the ring, you didn’t stop” she added.

Gerard shrugged. “It’s almost like I got engaged to the woman I love or something” he said.

“It’s funny” Molly quipped “Because I happened to get engaged today, too. Does your offer to help plan my wedding still stand?” she added, lifting her head to smile up at him gently.

“That depends” Gerard played along “You wanna plan mine?” he asked.

Molly leant into him, pressing her lips to his gently. Gerard's hand gently cupped the back of her head as he deepened the kiss, drawing it out for a few moments, before Molly pulled away, smiling down at him gently. “I love you” she murmured softly.

“What would you fiance think if he heard you saying that to me, eh?” Gerard teased.

Molly didn’t want to laugh, but she couldn’t help it, something which made Gerard's smile widen. “You realise that you’ve signed on for a lifetime of my jokes, right?” he quipped, gently tucking her hair back off of her face “And of me talking too much, and of me almost certainly saying the wrong thing at the worst possible moment?” he added.

“What about you?” Molly replied “You’re going to get a whole lifetime of me moving your stuff around and not telling you. You’re going to have to live with girls’ night being held in our home, and hiding when Sofia and Ava are here. You’re going to have to share a bathroom with me, and learn to accept how many different toiletries I have. You realise that, don’t you?” she added.

Gerard's stare traced her face for a moment before a small, tender smile drew his lips upwards. “Will you think I am being too mushy if I tell you that I can’t think of anything better?” he asked.

“Absolutely” Molly answered with a firm nod “But, I think I can forgive you” she added.

Gerard laughed. “I’m glad” he quipped “Because we have already told everyone close to us the news. I don’t really want to have to un-tell them” he added.

Molly kissed him again. “Stop joking about that” she muttered between soft kisses.

“Can do” Gerard replied.

Molly drew back, laughing gently.

Gerard grinned up at her, watching as she rolled away from him to turn out the bedside lamp, before she shuffled back towards him, resting her head against his chest as a comfortable silence settled between them. Lifting his hand, he gently twisted a strand of her hair around his finger before he let out a soft, contented sigh, something which caused Molly to glance up at him, still smiling gently. “You OK?” she asked gently.

Gerard's eyes met hers before he nodded. “Yeah” he breathed “I just didn’t think this was how today was going to go. I’m happy” he added.

“I’m happy, too” Molly replied “Still a little in awe, but really freaking happy” she added.

“How long do you think we have before our mothers demand a date?” Gerard prodded.

“Let them ask” Molly replied “We’ll pick one when we’re ready to. We’ve done everything when we were ready, planning our wedding shouldn’t be any different. We get there in the end” she added.

Gerard pressed his lips to the crown of her head, smiling into her hair. “Yes, we do” he agreed.