“I know you think you’re being sweet and romantic right now, but you’re still drunk as shit,” Luke said quietly, steadying Julie with an arm around her waist. “So how about we get you off to bed, huh?”

Julie frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m not drunk,” she insisted.

Luke raised eyebrows. “Sunshine, sweetheart, my love. You’re drunk outta your mind. You ran over to me in a zig zag, then misjudged when you tried to throw yourself at me, and if I hadn’t caught you, you’d have face planted.”

“I’m not drunk,” she repeated firmly, rocking from side to side to a beat Luke couldn’t hear. “Can’t I just want to cuddle with my amazing boyfriend? Just because I’m incoor-uncoordinated doesn’t mean I’m drunk.”

“You’re still holding the rum, Julie-bean.” Luke grabbed the wrist of the hand holding the bottle of rum and held it up so she could see it. “It’s nearly empty.”

Julie paused. “Okay, so I maybe… I might be a little bit drunk. Is that bad? Are you mad that I’m drunk? Is Reggie here? Oh my god will Reggie be mad that I’m drunk?”

Luke eased the bottle out of her hand and put it down on the kitchen table, then hooked his free arm under Julie’s knees so he could lift her up bridal style. “Reg is asleep on the couch, ‘cause Bobster went to stay the night at Carrie’s because she’s panicking about getting married, and even if he was awake he wouldn’t be mad. None of us could ever be mad at you.”

“Promise?” She asked, eyes so wide that Luke felt like his heart was being crushed in his chest. For all people told him he had an evil pair of puppy eyes that could get even the hardest of people to do whatever he wanted, he’d never had anything on either Julie or Reggie.

“Yeah, dewdrop.” He kissed her forehead and started climbing up the stairs, doing his best to sway her instead of jolting her. “And in the morning, I’ll make bacon sandwiches and breakfast tea, and you can text Carrie and tell her she and Flynn are gonna have the best wedding ever, and then Bobble will be released and we can have our couch back, okay?”

Julie looked at him for a moment, studying his face in a way that reminded Luke of toddlers inspecting things they hadn’t see before. “M’kay,” She decided eventually. “I love you.”

“We’re in potentially life threatening situations basically all the time.” Flynn hauls Carrie to her feet. “And this is hardly one of them.”

“But there are scary awful men trying to take us out,” Carrie says dramatically, leaning against Flynn. She rolls her eyes again and pulls her along, away from the group of guys that attacked them. More are probably coming.

“Because you thought it was absolutely necessary to give snarky advice to one of them and then basically rob him with a few rounds at Poker.”

“It’s hardly my fault they’re all dumb,” Carrie protests. “And you like it when I win us money.”

Flynn sighs and pulls the both of them into a small and dark alley. “I do.”

“Then I don’t see the problem.”

“The problem, Care, is that I wanted a nice evening in port and not to fight off a bunch of idiots, for once. And it wasn’t a life threatening situation.” Flynn presses Carrie against the wall and steps closer as a group of men run past. She’s close enough for Carrie to feel her breath on her cheek, and truly, this is one of her favourite things of being chased around by angry hordes.

Carrie smiles, knowing that Flynn can’t see her in the almost complete darkness of the alley, the few stars she can see twinkling in the night sky not nearly enough to cast light on anything. She slides her hands around Flynn’s waist, pulling them closer. “You love a fight though.”

“I hate you,” Flynn mumbles, and Carrie huffs a laugh. “You know me too well.”

“That must be hard for you, my love.” Carrie finds Flynn’s mouth even in the dark, kissing her quickly. “You still haven’t answered my question though.”

Flynn groans in what Carrie can tell is exasperation. “Your timing was horrible!”

“It was romantic!”

“It most definitely wasn’t romantic. You didn’t even do it the proper way!” Flynn doesn’t actually sound upset and Carrie knows them well enough that this is all part of getting to the answer. It’s just the way their relationship is, and always has been. They’re pushing and pulling at each other like the tide and the shores are, an everlasting game and battle, without which neither side could exist the way it does.

“I have a ring,” Carrie says. “And a necklace, depends on what you want, they’re on the ship.”

Flynn hums in the darkness, her hands slowly making her way up Carrie’s side. “So were you planning on making it romantic, then? Doesn’t really suit you.”

“Fuck no,” Carrie laughs. “I didn’t know when but never romantic, we’re not Luke and Julie.”

“Or Willie and Alex,” Flynn agrees. Her hands are cupping Carrie’s jaw now, their fingers rough from working the sea and familiar, as they’re caressing her cheeks. Carrie exhales slowly, focusing on Flynn’s form and the faint glint of their jewelry before her. “Exactly. So?”

“So what?” Flynn is teasing her, voice quiet and the faintest bit rough, her breath still carrying the scent of the liquor they shared just an hour ago, before things went off the rails.

“You’re gonna make ask again, aren’t you?”

Noise filters into their alley again, as a group of people walk past but Carries doesn’t pay them much attention, too focused on Flynn and their hands on her cheeks and their soft, agreeing hum. She exhales.

“Will you marry me?”

“Of course I will, you absolute nuisance,” Flynn answers, and kisses her.

Carrie grins against her lips and Flynn matches her, pushing her into the wall. It’s been a long time coming, and they both know it. Back on the Phantom there’s a ring and a necklace waiting in a small satchel in Carrie’s cabin, and she knows they’ll look spectacular on Flynn.

“I love you,” Flynn says quietly and Carrie rests her forehead against theirs, taking a few seconds to breathe and to smile to herself. The night may have started with trouble but it’s only looking up now and-

“There they are!” A voice calls and Flynn swears. They’ve been found. She grips Carrie’s hand in hers. “I hate you, you’re lucky I want to marry you.”