[for Karen: NYE]

[formerfratboy]

Even with the island turned into some sort of Victorian wonderland, the island residents couldn't be deterred from having their traditional New Year's Eve party. Tradition meant a lot, after all, especially in a place where things were so often unpredictable. After the year they'd all had -- the disappearances, the magic, the murderous toys -- something normal was highly welcome.

And for Nick, the party was always a welcome milestone in his life, too. For he and Karen, so many years ago now, this was where it had all started. After much thought and nervous waffling back and forth, he intended to make this year's party the most memorable of all of them.

Dressed in the best Victorian finery he'd managed to find -- it had been all three piece suits and top hats and cravats for him, with the way the clothes had shifted to match their new environment -- Nick wound his way through the different tables at the party, picking up two glasses of champagne, and then heading back to Karen's side.

"The countdown's going to be here before we know it," he said, handing her the glass.

Comments

[callofkaren]

"The best," Karen agreed, though she knew by now that the next year would bring just as much pain as it would joy. Just like her life would have been like back in Scranton, minus the fantastical elements.

"We're not going to miss it," she said, squeezing him a little as his gaze wandered around again.

[formerfratboy]

Nick laughed nervously. He'd managed the whole night without letting it slip, or saying anything stupid, or running off and re-evaluating how this whole being-a-responsible-adult thing was working out. But now that they were only moments away from the new year, he was starting to get nervous.

"Oh, I know we won't," he said, offering up a smile. "It'll be pretty hard to miss, anyway. I just ... want to celebrate the moment. Properly." It sounded like a pretty stupid excuse for being preoccupied, but there you have it.

[callofkaren]

"We will," Karen reassured. They hadn't missed a New Year's Eve in four years, and she wasn't about to break their anniversary tradition now. "Promise. It'll be the most amazing New Year's kiss ever.'

[formerfratboy]

Behind them, Nick distantly heard someone shout "Thirty seconds!" The crowd of party-goers quieted a bit, everyone counting down off of somehow synchronized watches. Nick wasn't even sure what he had done with his wristwatch once the battery finally died. This was the one time of year that anyone cared what time it actually was.

"I'll hold you to that," Nick said with a grin. At the heart of everything, he was a guy who loved tradition, which was why he'd planned for this exact moment to do something that he'd been thinking about for a long, long time.

"Ten! Nine! Eight!" The crowd counted down in the background, and a slow, comfortable smile spread across Nick's face. Everything about this felt right, even if he was nervous as hell.

"Happy New Year, Karen," he said, leaning in to kiss her just as the crowd hit the end of their countdown. Nick let himself take some time in kissing her, slow and deep, before he pulled away, just enough to speak. "I really did mean it, about making this year better than the last, about making it count." He untangled himself from their embrace, letting his hands slide down to catch Karen's in his.

And then, slowly and with grace, he took a slight step back, and sank down to one knee, gazing up happily at his girlfriend. His soon-to-be fiance, if he'd been reading the past several years correctly.

[callofkaren]

Karen stared.

Still flushed from the kiss and the excitement of the new year, she almost didn't understand what Nick was doing, but when it hit-- when she realized he was proposing, she couldn't speak for a few moments.

With Nick being such an old school tradition kind of guy, it made perfect, absolute sense that he'd choose now and just after the kiss to ask her to marry him. And there wasn't even a question about what her answer would be, because when it came down it, he'd always been there since the first day they met.

Karen nodded, letting out a small laugh in surprise and joy before leaning over to kiss him briefly, tradition be damned from that point.

[formerfratboy]

He was doing this. He was actually doing this.

Nick smiled, pleased that he'd apparently managed to surprise her, but in the best possible way. So far, so good.

In the time leading up to this moment, he'd wavered on whether or not he should have some speech, some big dramatic spilling-over of feelings, but ultimately decided against it, in favor of sheer simplicity.

"Karen," he said lowly - loud enough to be heard over the sounds of the party, but not so loud as to attract more attention than he already had, "every day I spend with you reminds me just how lucky I am to have you in my life. I love you so much, and I want you by my side, for as long as we're here together, in this place."

He dropped his hands from his grasp around hers, and fished in the pocket of his suit coat, producing a small wooden box. Opening it up, it revealed a delicate wooden ring, inlaid with iridescent shells. It had taken him forever to make, and involved a lot of trial and error.

Nick looked up at Karen, holding the ring out to her. "Karen Filippelli, will you marry me?"

[callofkaren]

Karen had a fleeting moment to wonder how and when he'd managed to get rings without her noticing, but it flew out the window when it struck her that Nick was asking her to marry him.

The only thing she could do was nod and be glad that she wasn't going to cry and ruin all her makeup. "Yes. Of course, Nick, yes."

[formerfratboy]

Nick exhaled, letting go of the breath that he wasn't even aware that he'd been holding.

"Great," he said simply, not able to stop himself from grinning. There was so much he wanted to say, he was having feelings right then, but instead, he just hauled himself back to his feet and threw his arms around Karen, pulling her close for a hug.

He very barely resisted the urge to twirl her around.