He'd brought over the ingredients to make pizza. They'd managed to get through the whole process of making their dinner without arguing about anything. They'd sat down at her new dining room table. They laughed over their meal. And they even made out on the couch for a while before getting hooked into a movie neither of them had ever seen before.

It had been a good night.

Now, back in the kitchen with her hands in the sink, Cait was quiet as she washed their dishes.

Deke stared at the glass of tea. The color was right, the flavor was wrong. The night had been good, and the time spent, nearly perfect. He turned a bit to watch her as she washed up. "Need me to help?" He wondered why she didn't have a dishwasher, but there were times that he considered her lifestyle as barbaric. A thing of necessity that wasn't with her parents, or even with him. The place was infinitely better than the last, however.

This place was a gold mine compared to her last apartment, especially before it had been renovated. Cait shook her head, brown hair moving in waves across her back. "No, that's alright." She fell silent again, the sound of clanking glass and ceramic filling the space between them. There was a question on the tip of her tongue, but she was afraid the answer would completely ruin their spectacular night.

"So what'd you want to talk about?" Her voice was upbeat, casual, like she wasn't expecting something horrible to come out of his mouth.

"In your text, you know..you said we needed to talk." Scrub, scrub.

"Maybe it was a ruse just to get you to take a night off, away from the smoke, booze and yuck and spend time with me." He pushed up from the chair and made his way over to wrap arms around her from behind. "I'm a horrible liar." Grinning as he pressed lips to the back of her brown head. That was a lie, he did want to talk to her, but he'd rather wait til she had more attention on him, less on breakable stuff.

Hands went still when he put his arms around her. She was smiling, but not fooled. "Well I'd say at this point it was worth it. I had a good time tonight."

"It's a great night, and it's not over." He noticed the stillness as he wrapped arms around her. "Should I stop?"

"No," hurrying to reassure him. "I'm just pretty sure if your hands went anywhere other than where they are, I'd drop a plate or a glass." Hands still dripping wet, she turned around and put her arms around his shoulders. She smirked. "I'm never going to get any of this clean before morning, am I?"

"What are you doing again?" He grinned at her as she turned and didn't even mind dripping hands. "If I help you, you can get done and talk to me." His hands though were sliding beneath the tail of her shirt, fingers tracing little patterns against the small of her back.

"I don't even remember..." a slow smile burned across her face as she pulled him down for a long kiss. Asking him that question had been a mistake. She'd known it the second he lied, even if he had tried to play it off as "I'm a bad liar". Happy to avoid a potential fight, Caitlin molded herself against him and held on tight.

He wasn't going to complain. Pretty brunette hanging on? Yeah, no complaints. The kiss was returned while fingers still lightly traced. A moment or two and he broke the kiss for the need to catch a breath, tho he stayed close and planted a few small kisses to her lips. "I do love you." It seemed like a question of her certainty, or a reaffirmation for his own well being.

A sentence like that was usually followed up with a qualification. Her hands played with his hair and she was unable to meet his gaze. "I know you do." At least, she thought she did. Still, she braced herself for whatever was coming next.

He dropped his hands from her back and stepped back looking at her. "You look nervous. Haven't we been through enough hell?" The smile was back as he spoke, then one hand took hers and he tugged her away from the sink. Maybe she was right, she wasn't going to get things done in the cleaning area tonight.

"I'm being hormonal," explaining with a wave of the hand he wasn't holding.

He snorted. "Well, that's not anything I know about...but I will learn." The grin was back almost instantly. "Thank you for staying home with me tonight." He was still moving them toward her couch which was surprisingly more comfortable than his own. "I opened a savings account for you and the baby."

See? Cheaper is better in this case. When she sat down, one leg tucked up under herself, Cait's brows were furrowed. "You what?" If this was what he'd wanted to talk to her about, it annoyed her to no end that she'd called off work for this. But it was an attempt to be sweet, so she would attempt to just be grateful. "Wow, babe, that's...uh." Small shake of the head, smoothing out her features. "I think it's great that you are setting money aside for the baby. But I don't need anything."

"The hell you don't.? He shook his head, "There's a lot of stuff you need. I've been reading things online and such. I know the club isn't paying you that much." He watched her face. "I've learned life's uncertain, so I am going to help."

?The club?s paying me just fine.? Expression carefully schooled, Cait inhaled slowly and let it out in the same manner. "Deacon," she started, looking him in the eyes. "You're welcome to buy the--the baby whatever it needs. But I'm fine. I don't need your help." She didn't want it.

"I didn't say you did... but should you need anything, it's there." He wasn't backing down. "I'm pretty sure that place doesn't offer healthcare..."

The easiest way to make this argument stop was just say ok and never touch the money. So that was her plan. "Fine. Um. Thanks, that's really sweet of you."

"You are a ****ty liar." He grinned. She wasn't going to get out of it, nor was he going to let it ruin their night. "Stubborn as hell, woman. You'll make a good Mrs. Deke." He chuckled then.

Despite being upset, he manage to rouse a smirk out of her. "My dad did try to warn you."

"Your dad's not my concern, but he's part of the problem with my help not being wanted in this way." It was an honest statement, knowing how she felt about their help. "What if something happens to me and I can't buy the baby anything? Hell may just open up and swallow me."

"When you were in the hospital, Kyle said he'd make sure it was taken care of."

"Well, this is more than Kyle's help."

Frustrated, she ran her hands over her scalp and through her hair. "Don't you understand that I want to make it on my own? That I don't want anyone's help?"

"What if you get sick? What if the baby is sick? Think beyond pride, Caitlin."

"If it gets sick or if I get sick, then you're more than welcome to fix things. But if I take your money, they win. It'll prove I couldn't make it on my own. And they're waiting for that. You know who showed up at work last night?" The brunette exploded off the couch, arms folded across her chest as she began to pace the carpet in front of him.

"Will. Had me serve him a drink and told me he'd read my name in the ****ing paper. Wanted to know about our tumultuous relationship." Words poured out of her like poison, anger roiling off her her in waves. "He said my parents knew I was floundering and that I was probably just falling apart after everything happened with you. That all I had to do was just go home and stop being ridiculous."

Well, that escalated quickly. "No one knows about this thing I did, except you and I. No one knows you have it, no one will ever know." He thought about Will and he shook his head. "Say the word, and he's a grease spot. I know some guys that will do anything for a twenty."

She came to halt, staring at him. "I'll know! And...what the fuck, Deacon? Tell me you're joking."

Brows knitted. "**** them and **** the rag they read about our relationship in. They don't know a ****ing thing except some damn reporter's bull****. You can't tell me the world wouldn't be a better place without that guy."

"You can't just kill people! Oh my God!" in utter disbelief, she holds her head between her hands. A piece of a conversation she?d had with Alex a while back came to mind. Alex had warned Caitlin against telling Deke about Kyle kissing her, because he?d probably kill Kyle. It didn?t sound so far-fetched now.

"What? I know that! I'm trying not to fight with you and change gears here. Trying to get you to understand that they don't matter, Cait. This is just between you and I." Of course he knew those sorts of people, and if Will kept it up, he was going to have an accident that cost him his life. "I'm not going to hurt anyone, Jesus."

"I'm not taking your ****ing money." Storming out of the living room now.

He watched her go, and just stayed there on the couch. **** it, he was comfortable. "Fine. I'll have the lawyer draw up papers and leave it there for as yet unborn, unnamed child." Talking to the ceiling and knowing she could hear him.

She reappeared in the doorway from the kitchen and sighed. "That's perfect. We'll use the money for the... baby. We can set up a nursery here and one at your place. I'm sure that'll require a bunch. And it'll need clothes and shoes and food. By helping me take care of it, you'll be taking care of me. Ok?"

"That's all I'm trying to do, ya grouch." The grin settled as he turned his head over to the side and looked at her.

"Fine." Lips mashed together, not willing to just let this die. Stubborn to a fault.

"FINE!" He shouted. ?Get your *** back over here while you can still sit on my lap, woman." Crooking a finger at her.

Slow arch of a brow at him. "Excuse me?"

He grinned at her. "Come here, please."

The brunette pushed away from the doorway, slinking across the room to the couch but didn't get on his lap like he'd asked. She sat on the opposite end of the couch instead.

He looked at her down on the other side of the couch. "Should I have talked to you about my decision? Is that why I am getting a cold shoulder now?"

She sighed. "No, I'm just...I'm sorry, ok? I'm sorry. I'm being hormonal and ridiculous and I don't know how to just let it go."

"Should we just go to bed, or should we have the rest of the conversation later?" He watched her face. " I know it's not you being that damn pissed off."

"I thought we were done." Cait leaned against the back of the couch, watching him tiredly. "There's more conversation to be had? What else is there? Because frankly, I'd rather just get it all out now."

He just smirked. "Think I'd ask you to take off work for that?"

"I hoped not."

"Man, you really are unhappy..." He just sighed. "Not how I planned this night to be at all."

Feeling crappy about the way she was treating him, Caitlin sighed, rolled her eyes and tipped forward to crawl across the couch and straddle his lap. With a hand placed on either of his shoulders, she looked him in the eye. "What else, love."

"Just one, little, tiny thing." He grinned and rested his hands on her hips.

"What," she whispered, pressing her forehead to his.

He dropped one hand and dipped into his pocket and she sat up to watch curiously. "Not how I really planned this, or where... but sometimes things just sort of shift your perspectives, ya know?" He pulled his hand back and held it closed fist between them a moment before opening it up and showing the small, bit of round shine. It wasn't over the top Deke style, it was still sparkly, but not huge. The ring was shifted easily and held with two fingers as he watched her face. "I know we have things we have to work on, but know that I'm trying and I don't want to let you down, Cait." His voice was as quiet as her whisper, as if anyone else would hear and judge his words. "I want you with me, always."

It hit her before he opened his hand, though. She knew what was coming and could feel the panic starting to ride within her. Deacon was sure to see it, written plainly on her face for him to see. Wide, brown, terrified eyes stared at the tiny piece of sparkle.

"Are you serious?" Whispered.

"Very much so." He nodded, watching her terror filled eyes. Same look he had when he was actually picking out a ring. But, he'd had a few days to calm down, and work up to asking her.

It was almost like she'd forgotten to breathe. Too many things were fighting for attention and seemed to block out the picture of the pretty ring he was holding up for her. They'd literally just finished an argument and here he was saying they should get married? Sure, it was her dream to get married and have children, but something just felt wrong. And yet, there was no denying that she loved him. That he loved her. How deeply their love ran was a mystery, but the feelings were not a lie.

Caitlin covered her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes. "Are you serious?" She asked again from behind her hand, gripping his shoulder tightly with the other. "Oh my God, Deacon." She wanted it to work out. She wanted them to be happy. They could make it work if they tried hard. If they both gave it their all.

"Again, yes... I am serious." He held the ring still there between fingers as his other hand moved slowly up her back. "I love you, Cait. I have for a long time."

A happy, but quiet chuckle burst out of her and her cheeks turned red. Wiping at her eyes, Cait grinned at him. "Well are ya gonna ask me or not?"

"Will you marry me, Caitlin? Make me the happiest guy around here?" He held the ring up a little higher as he asked.

With the biggest smile possible, Caitlin was nodding before he could even finish the question. "Yes. Of course I will marry you." Damn all the reasons in her head that screamed for her to say no. Reservations ignored, Cait held out her hand and waited for the ring to be placed on her finger.

It was a little big on her finger, but he slid the ring on without the slightest twitch. Once it was there he looked at it, then met her eyes and lit up face. Leaning forward he didn't say anything, just pressed lips to hers. Yeah, it was crazy. It wasn't in his character, but he was trying and was hoping that nothing would screw it up.