He’d been in that weirs state between awake and asleep and this? Brought him right out of it.

#1

Emma asking him to marry him? Well okay then! He always imagined asking Emma for her hand in marriage (Neal was old fashioned that way). However, hearing her asking him that brought joy into his heart. He had been completely happy moments ago. Now, however, he was even happier. Was that even possible?

@ofbearclaws

It was the middle of September and unseasonably hot. But, Neal didn't care. He wanted pie (which always seemed to be a fall or winter desert) and he wanted a pumpkin pie (which was definitely a fall desert). On the way from work, pumpkin pie was what he got, too.

Walking the streets of New York City with a boxed pie (that was hot and fresh from the bakery), Neal watched the sun rise over the buildings. This was home - Manhattan with his boy and his woman. He couldn't imagine living anywhere else, although the three of them had. Portland. Ontario. Tallahassee. Boston had been the stop before last. They liked it there, well enough, but six months ago, they had to move. The Bostonian fire department had laid him off, but as if by magic, the Manhattan fire department had an opening. He applied, had a couple interviews, did his physical, and the rest was history. Neal felt like the luckiest man alive to get a job so quickly. At that same time Emma found out they would be having another kid so money for food and housing had been a top priority.

ofbearclaws

"Emma! You here, babe? I brought popsicles," he called, holding up the bag that housed the box of off-brand iccies that he adored. He loved how the grape ones turned his tongue purple. Waiting for an answer, he bounced on the wooly rug that his papa insisted on giving them as a wedding present. It was large, burgundy and gold, and covered the old wooden floors of the blue, three story mansion the Charmings ecstatically showed them. Neal swore the two of them would've shoved the house into Emma and his arms if they could have.

"Emma?" He still bounced on the carpet. As he did so, he noticed a bit of water drip from a hole in the bag - whoopsie. Moving away from the spot would be a good idea. Neal didn't want to ruin their decor so soon after moving in.

Seeing as Emma didn't answer, he continued through the house. He went from room to room searching for her. However, he didn't have much luck. There were some groceries on the kitchen counter. Emma's car keys were thrown on the hall table. Near the second floor bathroom was a 24-roll-pack of toilet paper. Her coat laid on the bed. "Maybe the attic?" he mused. The two of them had talked about cleaning that out the other day, although he seriously had doubted the job would ever get done.

It was Valentine's Day and Neal, as usual, barely had a cent to him. Anything he could get Emma wouldn't be good enough in his mind and, even though he thought he had gotten pretty creative, he still thought she deserved so much more. But it was all he had and he wasn't going to steal her Valentine's present.