for driftcompatible

[striker_eureka]

True to his word, Hercules had gone as soon as he was able and found Mako a ring to make this whole engagement thing official.

There's still times during the day when he can't quite believe this is happening to him — pregnant, Mako's carrying his child, he's going to be a father again — but Herc has spent pretty much his whole life adapting to situations that throw him for a loop, and this time is no different. He's already set the paperwork into motion that will reassign her into the officer's quarters, her as well as him.

The ring burning a hole in his pocket, Hercules clambers down from his helicopter and nods to the pilot, striding across the tarmac like a man on a mission. Which he is. It's just about lunchtime, which means he'll be able to find Mako down in the mess hall, and while there's a part of him that balks at the idea of such a large audience for what he's going to do, the rest of him is grateful for it. He was really ashamed by the realization that Mako thought he was hiding their relationship because he didn't love her, and he's determined to prove her wrong.

Proposing in front of the entire 'dome will do that, right? 

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[driftcompatible]

The entire situation is still entirely unreal to Mako. It feels a little like she's living in some sort of dream these days - where the puzzle pieces of her life have finally started to settle into place, and she's happy instead of grieving, at peace instead of constantly prepping for war.

It's a change, of course - she pretty much grew up in the midst of a military base and knows little else besides that. To have all of...this - this perfection with Hercules, a little life and potential family and happiness...

It's surreal.

But she doesn't let it change her work ethic, or her attitude towards anyone else. She still works just as hard as she always has, still eats with everyone else in the mess, drinking those ridiculous juice boxes when she knows she could have something much, much better.

She's eating her lunch now, in fact, amidst a table of young cadets, polishing off a too hard bread roll and reaching for her drink. Raleigh's elsewhere - training, maybe, skipping lunch like he does sometimes.

[striker_eureka]

It's funny, he thinks, how the mess hall segregates itself much like a high school cafeteria. Most of the crews of each respective Jaeger tend to stick together, with the LOCCENT staff hunched around their own little table, what's left of the science division splitting their time between their own table and the LOCCENT's.

The cadets are generally shunned to the back of the room, though not always. And sometimes some of the more senior crew come and join them. He knows Mako is always happy to spend time with the people with whom she went through the Academy.

He scans the crowd as he strikes through the room, patting a few of Striker's crew on the back, nodding at Tendo's shouted hello. He's not going to stop, though, he's a man on a mission.

Spotting Mako is fairly easy, her blue hair making her stand out in the crowd, and he's glad to see she's sitting on the end of the table. It will make what he plans to do a lot easier.

"Miss Mori," he calls out as he gets close, a smile already on his face when her head lifts. He strides right up to her table and doesn't let himself hesitate before reaching in and tucking his fingers under her chin, leaning down to press his lips to hers in a sweet kiss that silences the whole room.

Oh god. Okay. He can do this.

"I have something for you," he continues, ignoring the stares they're getting. He doesn't quite get down on one knee, but he crouches down beside her, pulling out a small velvet box from his pocket and sliding it onto the table in front of her.

[driftcompatible]

His voice makes her look up, and she's just about to wriggle her way off of that seat so she can salute and find out what he wants - because protocol - when she sees that he's closer than she thought and holy fuck he's kissing her right here in the mess.

The whole room goes silent and Mako is one of the one leveling stares at him, and her dark eyes flick from him to the little velvet box.

Her heart promptly leaps from her chest into her throat.

"What is it?" She croaks, looking back at him.

[striker_eureka]

Oh come on, she can't be that surprised, she's the one who proposed to him earlier. (Well, she really demanded he marry her, which is slightly different, but whatever.)

"Open it," he prompts, his voice gentle, even as a deep red flush starts to crawl up the back of his neck.

Hercules is a rather private person. He doesn't like spectacle, as a general rule, but he's willing to put that aside for her. He just hopes she'll appreciate it.

[driftcompatible]

Herc is a private person, he's kept her a dirty little secret for a year, and gave her valid reasons why.

To kiss her and slide what is very obviously a ring box to her in front of the entire mess?

It's pretty fucking shocking.

With shaking hands, she picks it up - oh God she's going to drop it, her hands won't stop trembling - and manages (after a few moments of awkward, mortifying fumbling) to get it open.

[striker_eureka]

That's the problem. She was never his dirty little secret, and it pains him to know that's what she thought.

So he's fixing that, in as obvious a way as possible.

She opens the box, displaying the delicate, sparkling ring nestled in the white satin inside, and Herc swears he can hear a few gasps echoing around the mess, a flurry of whispers spreading across the room as people start narrating what's happening for those who are too far away to see.

Herc ends up resting his hand on her back, sliding down to her waist, pressing his palm to her shirt so he can hide how his own hands are trembling a little.

"Now it's official," he clarifies, watching her face as she stares at the ring.

[driftcompatible]

"It's beautiful," she whispers, completely forgetting that there is anyone else in the room besides the two of them. She doesn't hear the gasps, the scrape of chairs as people stand up to see, the collective hiss that echoes around the room when she tips the box, letting it sparkle in the light.

"Can--I can't--"

He put it on her, because her hands are shaking so badly she's going to drop it.

[striker_eureka]

"Here, love," he murmurs, taking the box from her and plucking the ring from it, holding it carefully between his fingers as he takes her hand in his and slides it down onto her ring finger. It fits perfectly, of course, because they had measured her finger together earlier, but still.

It looks gorgeous.

"There."

He ducks his head a little and kisses her fingers, trying to calm the thundering beating of his heart.

[driftcompatible]

Her fingers curl around his and she's trying so very hard not to cry. She'd known he was going to get her a ring - just not that he was going to do it...like this. In front of so many people. It means a lot to her that he's doing this, because she knows the kind of person that he is, and how much it took him to be so public.

She cups his face and pulls him in to kiss him deeply before allowing herself to look into his eyes.

"I love you," she says quietly, thumbs brushing over his cheeks. "So much."

[striker_eureka]

He wanted to prove to her that he was serious, that he loved her, that he wanted this to be legitimate and real.

There may or may not be applause rippling through the mess when the ring gets slid on her finger and she leans in to kiss him; Hercules isn't paying attention, too focused on the look on her face and the way her thumbs brush over his cheeks.

"I love you too, sweetheart," he murmurs, smiling up at her, his hand steady on her knee.

"I can't wait to marry you."

[driftcompatible]

Oh, he's certainly proved himself. Mako is so, so happy.

"You are wonderful." Her hands rest on his shoulders now, and she gives him a gentle squeeze, though that's about the time the applause registers and she remembers that no, they aren't alone and yes, everyone is watching.

"...Ah--"

Color floods her face, and she shifts in her seat, moving to get up.

[striker_eureka]

She flushes scarlet suddenly and Hercules feels his face stretch in a very fond smile. Oh Mako.

He levers himself up to his feet and tucks the box back into his pants pocket, holding out his hand for her so she can get up and they can leave together.

The cadets at her table are split pretty evenly between utterly stunned and losing it, unable to believe their luck at their front row seats to what will surely be the hottest piece of gossip the 'dome has had in years. Herc doesn't care.

"You wanna get out of here?" he asks Mako, ignoring the cacophony around them.

[driftcompatible]

The applause is pretty thunderous, those who are clapping making up for those that are sitting in stunned silence. Mako nods hurriedly, getting completely to her feet and leaving the rest of her lunch right there. Yes -- she wants to get out of here.

She takes his hand and makes for the exit, then stops, looks at him in frustration, then lets go of his hand to run back and grab her tray so she can go dump it in the trash can.

Then she disappears into the hall. He's going to have to catch up.

[striker_eureka]

Hercules follows her to the exit, stopping when she halts and shoots him a look he can't quite decipher.

When she scurries off to bus her own tray, though, he ends up laughing brightly, shaking his head a little when she scuttles back up to him and then off and beyond, his heart swelling with fondness.

He leaves the mess hall behind without a backwards glance, hurrying to catch up to his fleeing bride-to-be.

"Mako, wait!"

[driftcompatible]

She whirls around once she's in the hall, face still flushed and she's obviously fairly flustered.

"I'm sorry--!"

She'd been leaving him behind, hadn't she?

[striker_eureka]

She's adorable, and Herc couldn't stop his smile if he tried.

"There's no rush, love."

He manages to catch up with her and slides his hand into hers, squeezing her fingers a little. He's not finished making a point, no sir.

[driftcompatible]

She's slowing just enough for him to catch her hand, letting him thread his fingers with hers.

"I just -- got caught up." In everything - the moment, the emotions, the overwhelming feeling of being watched and judged, even if the applause had been loud and boisterous.

"Thank you. This is beautiful." She can't stop looking at her hand, even as they walk.

[striker_eureka]

The applause had been loud and boisterous and somewhat incredulous, but whatever.

He told her he was going to tell everyone, and he did. And he's going to keep on telling everyone until nobody blinks an eyelid at the rock on her finger or the sight of them holding hands or if she wears one of his shirts in the early morning because she was too tired to find her own.

Or if she wears his shirts because hers won't fit anymore because her belly is too large and she refuses to buy maternity clothes because what's the point, I'm not going to need them in a few months, it's just a waste of money.

"I wanted something as beautiful as you. Couldn't find it. This will have to do."

[driftcompatible]

"It's perfect." She stops right there in the hallway and faces him, looping her arms around his neck and ignoring other people that are passing them by - people that weren't in the mess and who are now giving them some very strange stares because what the hell is Mako Mori doing hugging and kissing Marshal Hercules Hansen?

[striker_eureka]

She's kissing her fiance, who just happens to be Marshal Hercules Hansen.

He grins at her, his hands sliding around her waist.

"Love you," he murmurs when she pulls back a little, his hand rubbing gentle circles against her spine.

[driftcompatible]

"I love you," she mumbles, though she's a little distracted by his kiss, by his hands, by the fact that he's holding her close right here in the middle of the hall where everyone can see.

She could cry. She could really, truly cry.

[striker_eureka]

He clucks her under the chin and smiles gently at her.

"Hey," he whispers. "None of that. People will think I've upset you. And I'm trying to keep all of that in the past where it belongs."

[driftcompatible]

"I'm sorry," she babbles, laughing a little as she looks up at him, slipping her arms around his neck to drag him in close again.

"It's -- this is overwhelming."

[striker_eureka]

He's pretty sure anybody who's wondering what the fuck is going on only has to look at where she's got her arms around his neck to see the ring glinting merrily on her hand to know what's happened.

"Too much?" He gives her a wry little smile. "I wasn't sure."

[driftcompatible]

"It's perfect," she says, hands sliding up the back of his head to pull him down into a kiss. If anyone was still wondering, that confirmed it.

"Absolutely perfect."