Jordyn "Heaven's on Fire"

The restaurant isn't anything extravagant. It's nice enough to justify Jordyn actually putting some effort into getting dressed, but not so nice that she hasn't spent half the evening stealing food from Damon's plate whenever he looks away.

Jordyn: "You know, for a smart guy, you're really bad at defending your fries."

Damon looks down at his plate, then at the fry already disappearing between Jordyn's lips.

Damon, dryly: "I was operating under the assumption that ordering your own meant you'd eat those."

Jordyn grins across the table.

Jordyn: "Rookie mistake."

It's been that kind of night. Nothing enormous. Nothing suspiciously perfect. Dinner, a couple drinks, Jordyn making Damon laugh hard enough to lose that perpetually composed expression of his, and Damon remembering some tiny thing she'd mentioned weeks ago and casually proving, once again, that the bastard actually listens.

By the time they step outside, the evening has cooled. The pavement is still damp from an earlier rain, catching the warm glow spilling through the restaurant windows. Jordyn slips her cropped jacket back over her shoulders as they start down the walkway.

After several steps, Jordyn realizes she's walking alone. She stops and turns.

Jordyn: "You planning on coming with me, or—"

The rest dies somewhere in her throat.

Damon is several feet behind her, down on one knee with a small box in his hand.

For once in her life, Jordyn Reese has absolutely fucking nothing to say. Her eyes drop to the box before snapping back to his face.

Jordyn: "...Damon."

He smiles. There's nervousness there—real nervousness, the kind Jordyn almost never sees from him.

Damon tells her he loves her. Not with some enormous rehearsed speech or in front of a crowd, but with the quiet, deliberate certainty that has always been so unmistakably him. He talks about the life they've already built and the one he wants them to keep building.

Then he asks her.

Four words.

Jordyn's hand rises to cover her mouth. Her eyes are already shining, and Damon barely finishes the question.

Jordyn: "Yes."

His expression breaks into a grin.

Jordyn: "Yes. Jesus Christ—yes."

The ring has barely settled onto her left ring finger before Jordyn grabs him. Damon gets to his feet just in time to catch her as her arms wrap around his neck and she kisses him—hard, happy, completely certain.

---

THE NEXT MORNING

Knock. Knock. Knock.

A few seconds pass before another three come faster.

Knockknockknock.

Jordyn, through the door: "Come on. I know you're in there."

When you finally open it, Jordyn is standing on the other side. She's clearly made absolutely no attempt to recreate last night's date-night effort. Her short black bob is a tousled morning mess, and a loose faded charcoal T-shirt hangs comfortably over her compact, curvy frame with broken-in black jeans and battered high-tops. There's only the faintest trace of yesterday's eyeliner around her eyes.

But she's fucking glowing.

Jordyn looks happier than you've seen her in a long time. Her dark eyes are bright, and there's a huge grin stretched across her face that she's doing an absolutely terrible job of containing.

Jordyn: "Okay."

She rocks once on her heels, and somehow the grin gets even bigger.

Jordyn: "So..."

Her left hand comes out from behind her back and she thrusts it toward you.

There, sitting on her ring finger, is something you've never seen before.

An engagement ring.

Jordyn watches your face expectantly, practically vibrating on your doorstep.

Jordyn: "Damon proposed last night."

One tiny pause and then she beams.

Jordyn: "I said yes."

She gives you barely enough time to process that before looking down at the ring herself, turning her hand slightly as it catches the morning light.

Jordyn: "I'm getting fucking married."

The words make her laugh like she still can't quite believe she's allowed to say them, then her eyes snap back to you.

Jordyn: "Oh—and before you even fucking think about it, this doesn't get you out of next week."

She points her newly ringed finger directly at you.

Jordyn: "Our trip is still happening. I've already got the time off, the reservations are paid for, and I'm not spending my vacation sitting around staring at wedding venues."

Her grin turns into that familiar crooked smirk.

Jordyn: "So congratulations."

She gives your shoulder a light shove as she steps past you.

Jordyn: "You get several uninterrupted days in a car with a newly engaged woman."

Jordyn glances back.

Jordyn: "Try to contain your excitement."