Because I Need You
By: Nefertiri's Handmaiden
Disclaimer: I do not own 'The Mummy' or 'The Mummy Returns.' All I own is this humble story; so do not sue me.
Note: Ok, this is my first Mummy story, so be kind in reviewing. And I do not think all Englishmen are slimy and evil, just the one later mentioned in this story.
This story is pretty fluffy in some parts, and in others, pretty cheesy. Some parts are both!
++++
A week had passed since they'd returned from Hamauptra. A week of being with her. A week of trying to muster up the courage to ask her.
He'd wake up in the morning, think about her, lying in the room next to his, and get up just so he could see her. He'd kiss here softly before breakfast (Jonathon would roll his eyes), and spend the day talking to her, learning everything there was to know about her, telling her everything there was to know about him.
They'd stay up until late, talking. Then he'd kiss her goodnight, and fall into bed, only too wake up and start it over again.
He'd already made up his mind. As soon has they'd gotten back, he'd been thinking about it. He knew she was the one. The one he wanted to spend forever with. He'd had the ring since they'd discovered the treasure Beni had left in the camel's pack and sold it for a little (ok, a lot of) money. There was no way anyone could change his mind.
Now all he had to do was convince himself.
The man could kiss through the bars of a prison cell, he could jump off the side of a boat without a backward glance, he could gunfight at point-blank range with an the Medjai, and by God, he could battle 3,000-year-old immortal mummies, but he could not, for the life of him, ask Evelyn Carnahan to marry him.
And so he fought a constant battle with the voice in his head.
She loves you.
I know.
Do you love her?
More than anything! To hell and back.
So what's the problem?
I. . . I'm scared. Terrified, actually.
Why?
She'll say no.
Why would she do a thing like that?
Because she deserves better.
I know that, and so do you, but she thinks you're good enough.
I don't.
That doesn't really matter, now does it? It's her choice. She'll decide if you're good enough. And no one's good enough, so why can't you be that lucky guy?
If I ask, she'll think it through. She'll see that she's better than a slob like me. I don't want to lose her.
She won't. And you're not a slob. She changed you. You're a better man, now. You'll never get anywhere sitting here, stringing her along.
Hey! I don't want to 'string her along!' I know I'm better now, but I want her to be happy. I could never. . .
You make her happy right now. Do you see the way she smiles at you? She LOVES you, you idiot, and if you don't ask her, she's going to think that you don't love her, and leave. You'll break her heart.
Oh God, I don't want to hurt her.
You won't. Just ask.
Fine. I'll ask. Soon. Tonight.
That's what I thought, O'Connell!
++++
Rick fidgeted nervously in his seat. Evelyn'd be here soon. He'd asked her to dinner at a nice little restaurant he'd found. It was perfect.
He took the ring out of his pocket and looked at it.
She'd love it.
He hoped.
He put the box away again and looked around for her.
When he saw her a minute later, he struggled to breathe. Hell, he didn't want to breathe.
She wore a gorgeous crimson dress, and her hair was in a bun on her head, with a few dark curls hanging around her face.
She was beautiful. He stood as she neared the table, pulling her chair out for her as he'd heard was proper.
He couldn't take his eyes off her. She blushed under his scrutiny. When she got close enough, he took her hand.
"You look great." She blushed again.
"You look quite attractive as well." And he did. He'd bought a suit from a shop he knew of, and though it wasn't much, that only accentuated his natural good looks. His soft brown hair fell lightly out of place, captivating her. His crooked grin made her weak at the knees, just like always.
He kissed her lightly on the lips, and though this, he'd heard, was NOT proper, it didn't seem to bother her. What was it about her kisses? Ever since their first real kiss in the desert sunset, he couldn't seem to get enough of her sweet lips on his. Lord, he could get used to those kisses.
She sat down, and he sat across from her. They ordered and talked of light subjects for a while ("The weather is so nice for this time of year," "I love that new fountain outside the capitol building,"), just enjoying the fact that they were together.
When the waiter had cleared away the remains of dinner, he offered her his arm and she took it. He led her out to a garden behind the restaurant.
They strolled for a while in comfortable silence, until they reached a small bench.
"Do you want to sit a while?" he asked. She nodded. They sat down and he took both her hands in his. His ocean eyes bored deep into her chocolate ones. "Ev, I. . ."
"Yes, Rick?"
"I'm so amazed by you. You're perfect. Absolutely perfect."
She blushed. God, he loved those blushes. They were so cute. He could look at them forever. She looked down, and he moved his head to better see her face. "I'm not. I'm clumsy, and reckless, and dull, and not a bit ladylike. I'm not even near it. "
He was shocked. She thought. . . "You are too! First of all, you are not dull. You are the most fascinating woman I have ever met. Second of all, everything you do makes you, well, you. And I think that you are perfect."
She blushed again. He grinned. "Really?" she said, looking into his eyes.
"Yeah. Really." And then he knew, without a doubt, that it was time. "Evelyn, I love you. I love you more than anything. I'd die for you. So I gotta ask you something." He lowered himself to a knee in front of her and pulled the ring out of his pocket.
"Oh, God. Rick."
"Evelyn Carnahan, will you marry me?" It really wasn't that hard.
For a minute, she stared at him, not quite believing he'd just asked. He mistook her shock for hesitation.
"If you don't want to. . . I mean. . . we don't have to. . . If you don't. . ."
"Rick. Be quiet."
He went absolutely still, bracing himself for rejection.
"Yes."
He looked at her for a minute, searching her eyes to see if she really meant it.
"Yes." She said again.
"Yes?"
"Yes," she breathed and smiled, tears slipping down her cheeks. He wiped them away with a thumb, and slid the ring on her finger.
And then she kissed him.
And it was perfect.
++++
A few hours later, Rick reluctantly dropped Evelyn off at her room. They were staying at the house Evelyn and Jonathon shared in town.
He didn't want to leave her. He gathered her into his arms, and she wrapped hers around his neck.
"I love you," he whispered in her ear.
"I love you too, Rick," she whispered back. It felt good to call him 'Rick,' not 'O'Connell.'
He kissed her softly, then broke it to lean his forehead against hers. She rubbed her nose against his, and he smiled, lost in his love for her. He inhaled deeply, smelling her sweet perfume.
Then he kissed her again, harder this time, and she returned his passion, tangling her fingers in his hair. After a few minutes, she managed to pull her lips from his.
"Goodnight, Rick."
He sighed. "Night, Ev." He kissed her one last time, and walked backwards down the hall to his own room, watching her the whole time. She blew him a kiss, he grinned a goofy grin, and she entered her room.
She closed the door behind her, and leaned against it. Then she started to laugh. A happy, excited, glorious laugh. She took off the ring and looked at it. The small diamond he'd selected glimmered fetchingly. The golden band glinted, and she noticed it had an inscription on the inside.
Ev~ Because I need you. All my love ~Rick.
She sighed dreamily, slid the ring back on, and started getting ready for bed, singing a little tune the whole time.
++++
When Rick saw her go into her room, he entered his own. After closing his door, he punched the air in triumph a few times. "Yes! Wahoo!" Chuckling softly, he walked to his dresser.
He smiled as he got ready for bed, pulling off the suit and changing into a pair of loose cotton pants. He lay down in bed, silence falling in his room. He heard, softly, from her room, the sound of singing: "Here comes the Bride, dum dum dadum." He smiled a fell asleep.
He dreamed of waking up next to her.
++++
By: Nefertiri's Handmaiden
Disclaimer: I do not own 'The Mummy' or 'The Mummy Returns.' All I own is this humble story; so do not sue me.
Note: Ok, this is my first Mummy story, so be kind in reviewing. And I do not think all Englishmen are slimy and evil, just the one later mentioned in this story.
This story is pretty fluffy in some parts, and in others, pretty cheesy. Some parts are both!
++++
A week had passed since they'd returned from Hamauptra. A week of being with her. A week of trying to muster up the courage to ask her.
He'd wake up in the morning, think about her, lying in the room next to his, and get up just so he could see her. He'd kiss here softly before breakfast (Jonathon would roll his eyes), and spend the day talking to her, learning everything there was to know about her, telling her everything there was to know about him.
They'd stay up until late, talking. Then he'd kiss her goodnight, and fall into bed, only too wake up and start it over again.
He'd already made up his mind. As soon has they'd gotten back, he'd been thinking about it. He knew she was the one. The one he wanted to spend forever with. He'd had the ring since they'd discovered the treasure Beni had left in the camel's pack and sold it for a little (ok, a lot of) money. There was no way anyone could change his mind.
Now all he had to do was convince himself.
The man could kiss through the bars of a prison cell, he could jump off the side of a boat without a backward glance, he could gunfight at point-blank range with an the Medjai, and by God, he could battle 3,000-year-old immortal mummies, but he could not, for the life of him, ask Evelyn Carnahan to marry him.
And so he fought a constant battle with the voice in his head.
She loves you.
I know.
Do you love her?
More than anything! To hell and back.
So what's the problem?
I. . . I'm scared. Terrified, actually.
Why?
She'll say no.
Why would she do a thing like that?
Because she deserves better.
I know that, and so do you, but she thinks you're good enough.
I don't.
That doesn't really matter, now does it? It's her choice. She'll decide if you're good enough. And no one's good enough, so why can't you be that lucky guy?
If I ask, she'll think it through. She'll see that she's better than a slob like me. I don't want to lose her.
She won't. And you're not a slob. She changed you. You're a better man, now. You'll never get anywhere sitting here, stringing her along.
Hey! I don't want to 'string her along!' I know I'm better now, but I want her to be happy. I could never. . .
You make her happy right now. Do you see the way she smiles at you? She LOVES you, you idiot, and if you don't ask her, she's going to think that you don't love her, and leave. You'll break her heart.
Oh God, I don't want to hurt her.
You won't. Just ask.
Fine. I'll ask. Soon. Tonight.
That's what I thought, O'Connell!
++++
Rick fidgeted nervously in his seat. Evelyn'd be here soon. He'd asked her to dinner at a nice little restaurant he'd found. It was perfect.
He took the ring out of his pocket and looked at it.
She'd love it.
He hoped.
He put the box away again and looked around for her.
When he saw her a minute later, he struggled to breathe. Hell, he didn't want to breathe.
She wore a gorgeous crimson dress, and her hair was in a bun on her head, with a few dark curls hanging around her face.
She was beautiful. He stood as she neared the table, pulling her chair out for her as he'd heard was proper.
He couldn't take his eyes off her. She blushed under his scrutiny. When she got close enough, he took her hand.
"You look great." She blushed again.
"You look quite attractive as well." And he did. He'd bought a suit from a shop he knew of, and though it wasn't much, that only accentuated his natural good looks. His soft brown hair fell lightly out of place, captivating her. His crooked grin made her weak at the knees, just like always.
He kissed her lightly on the lips, and though this, he'd heard, was NOT proper, it didn't seem to bother her. What was it about her kisses? Ever since their first real kiss in the desert sunset, he couldn't seem to get enough of her sweet lips on his. Lord, he could get used to those kisses.
She sat down, and he sat across from her. They ordered and talked of light subjects for a while ("The weather is so nice for this time of year," "I love that new fountain outside the capitol building,"), just enjoying the fact that they were together.
When the waiter had cleared away the remains of dinner, he offered her his arm and she took it. He led her out to a garden behind the restaurant.
They strolled for a while in comfortable silence, until they reached a small bench.
"Do you want to sit a while?" he asked. She nodded. They sat down and he took both her hands in his. His ocean eyes bored deep into her chocolate ones. "Ev, I. . ."
"Yes, Rick?"
"I'm so amazed by you. You're perfect. Absolutely perfect."
She blushed. God, he loved those blushes. They were so cute. He could look at them forever. She looked down, and he moved his head to better see her face. "I'm not. I'm clumsy, and reckless, and dull, and not a bit ladylike. I'm not even near it. "
He was shocked. She thought. . . "You are too! First of all, you are not dull. You are the most fascinating woman I have ever met. Second of all, everything you do makes you, well, you. And I think that you are perfect."
She blushed again. He grinned. "Really?" she said, looking into his eyes.
"Yeah. Really." And then he knew, without a doubt, that it was time. "Evelyn, I love you. I love you more than anything. I'd die for you. So I gotta ask you something." He lowered himself to a knee in front of her and pulled the ring out of his pocket.
"Oh, God. Rick."
"Evelyn Carnahan, will you marry me?" It really wasn't that hard.
For a minute, she stared at him, not quite believing he'd just asked. He mistook her shock for hesitation.
"If you don't want to. . . I mean. . . we don't have to. . . If you don't. . ."
"Rick. Be quiet."
He went absolutely still, bracing himself for rejection.
"Yes."
He looked at her for a minute, searching her eyes to see if she really meant it.
"Yes." She said again.
"Yes?"
"Yes," she breathed and smiled, tears slipping down her cheeks. He wiped them away with a thumb, and slid the ring on her finger.
And then she kissed him.
And it was perfect.
++++
A few hours later, Rick reluctantly dropped Evelyn off at her room. They were staying at the house Evelyn and Jonathon shared in town.
He didn't want to leave her. He gathered her into his arms, and she wrapped hers around his neck.
"I love you," he whispered in her ear.
"I love you too, Rick," she whispered back. It felt good to call him 'Rick,' not 'O'Connell.'
He kissed her softly, then broke it to lean his forehead against hers. She rubbed her nose against his, and he smiled, lost in his love for her. He inhaled deeply, smelling her sweet perfume.
Then he kissed her again, harder this time, and she returned his passion, tangling her fingers in his hair. After a few minutes, she managed to pull her lips from his.
"Goodnight, Rick."
He sighed. "Night, Ev." He kissed her one last time, and walked backwards down the hall to his own room, watching her the whole time. She blew him a kiss, he grinned a goofy grin, and she entered her room.
She closed the door behind her, and leaned against it. Then she started to laugh. A happy, excited, glorious laugh. She took off the ring and looked at it. The small diamond he'd selected glimmered fetchingly. The golden band glinted, and she noticed it had an inscription on the inside.
Ev~ Because I need you. All my love ~Rick.
She sighed dreamily, slid the ring back on, and started getting ready for bed, singing a little tune the whole time.
++++
When Rick saw her go into her room, he entered his own. After closing his door, he punched the air in triumph a few times. "Yes! Wahoo!" Chuckling softly, he walked to his dresser.
He smiled as he got ready for bed, pulling off the suit and changing into a pair of loose cotton pants. He lay down in bed, silence falling in his room. He heard, softly, from her room, the sound of singing: "Here comes the Bride, dum dum dadum." He smiled a fell asleep.
He dreamed of waking up next to her.
++++