• •All For You

[Denver Gage Sawyer]

Denny had been thinking about this for a long time. Nearly from the time they’d started dating, which was insane but that was how strongly he felt about Lexi. He felt like from the moment he’d met her, he’d known he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her but he hadn’t wanted to scare her off either. She had been so sad when he’d seen her rushing by and he’d instantly felt like such a pretty girl shouldn’t look so sad. He’d intended to just continue on, thinking of the pretty brunette with the sad look in her eyes when she’d been hit with the football and he saw his chance to actually talk to her. Naturally he took the chance and the rest as they say is history.

And life with Lexi had been near perfect since then. They’d had their little fights like all couples did but theirs never lasted all that long and before the end of the night they were good again. His mother said the secret to her happy marriage was that they never went to bed angry. It had stuck with him, despite the fact that he knew now that she’d said it because he’d had a tendency to sleepwalk when he’d been feeling the emotion heightened as a child. Still, it was advice to live by. Denver had enlisted both Penny’s help and Sarah’s when she’d been visiting but they hadn’t been able to find anything that screamed Lexi. And then he’d talked to his mom and she said she had it covered. Denver had been worried and honestly thought she would be sending it through the mail but the she’d been at Lexi’s during Christmas and everything since then seemed to fall into place.

His grandmother’s engagement ring was perfect for Lexi and he’d known the second his mother had dragged him aside to give it to him. The ring was nice, sweet and just quirky enough not to be like everything else on the market. From then, he’d gone into secret planning mode, wanting to make sure everything was absolutely perfect. And now it was the day he’d been planning. He planned it as though it were just another date night, claiming he’d been so busy with work that he felt like he hadn’t seen her in ages. Of course, he’d been planning this that entire time. He’d gotten himself dressed in nicer clothes, ran to their first stop to double check everything and then he raced over to Lexi’s apartment to pick her up with a bouquet of wildflowers in his hands and the ring in his pocket.

Tag || lexi piper ryanne
Words | 499
Clothes || Dreamy Doctor
Music || Bless The Broken Road --Rascal Flatts
Notes || <3

[lexi piper ryanne]

To Lexi, there was no one other than Denver. One of her colleagues at work joked that the UPS delivery boy had the biggest crush on her, but Lexi wouldn’t notice even if he came in carrying a neon sign to declare it. Her heart had belonged to Denver from the moment he had helped her up in Central Park. She hadn’t known it back then, but now it was painfully obvious and she wouldn’t have it any other way. The young doctor was her everything, and if anyone ever asked her about him they soon regretted setting her off. She could talk about his fine qualities for hours and the list of reasons why she loved him was endless. She found new things each day she was with him, and fell a little harder every time.

They both led busy lives, Denver was a doctor and Lexi worked extra when she knew he was busy. She didn’t like sitting home alone. It was silly to say out loud to anyone, but she worried. She knew he had bad days and he took them hard, and when he was working those long shifts she fussed, wondering if she should pop by with coffee and a snack and make up a story about going somewhere and calling in on her way. He didn’t need her to babysit him like that, so she took on extra tasks at work, stayed late to help with private talks, and wore herself out so that she could just go home and sleep when she wouldn’t see Denver or have dinner with her parents or old friends. One day it might be different, but Lexi was content with all of this. She had quirks of her own that she could never explain or get rid of, but that she thought of as replacing issues from her past that she had overcome. She didn’t spend so much time fussing over herself now, but rather those she loved. It meant Denver took the brunt of that whether he liked it or not. She tried her best not to smother him with concern or affection, but it sometimes meant she tired herself out before she got to see him, which made nights in a little annoying for her when she passed out on his shoulder before they were even halfway through a movie. It made her feel like she hardly spent time with Denver at all when that happened, and she hated herself for it, even when they went out three nights later to one of their favourite places.

It really did feel like a long time since Lexi had dolled herself up for a date night. The last few times it had been a rush after work and she hadn’t relaxed until she was actually out with Denver. Tonight she had wanted that to change. She only put in a half day at the Historical Society and then left early, heading home to have a hot shower and take her time going through her routine. Plus, she had bought a dress the week before that she was dying to wear and see Denver’s reaction to. She liked rendering him speechless and it didn’t happen often enough as far as she was concerned. Tonight, she wanted to remedy that. She was fastening the buckle on her second heel when she heard Winston scampering to the door, and then a second later heard the door itself. Lexi moved through her apartment, snatching the small clutch up from her bed along the way, everything she might need already inside. Pulling the front door open, she greeted Denver with a coy smile. “Hey, you.” Leaning forward and up, she pressed her lips to his sweetly.

• • •

TAGGED! Denver Gage Sawyer
WORDS! 625!
OUTFIT! Happy Historian!
LYRICS! All I Do Is Dream Of You - - - Emmy Rossum
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Denver Gage Sawyer]

Denver was so nervous, he felt like sweat was pouring off him leaving puddles where he stood. He knew that wasn’t the case, it was all in his head but planning everything and making sure it went all according to plan was making it seem worse than it really was. Lexi was worth every second of problem he’d come across creating the perfect night. He’d had trouble securing the place he wanted to propose, it wasn’t used often, as in at all, for the purpose that he’d wanted it. But because it was one of the Ryanne girls, and the Ryanne family put a lot of money towards that particular place, they were making an exception. It would not be something that happened often, in fact Denny had a feeling this would be the only time it would ever happen but it would all be well worth it. At least he hoped so.

Denver was not giving himself a second to doubt any of it or he knew he would never be able to go through with it and it would have all been for nothing at all and that would have been a waste of everything they’d done together. Denver wanted what they had to mean so much more than it did. He wanted it to be so much more than it was and he wasn’t daunted by the fact that they would probably have to have a large wedding to accommodate everyone that would expect an invitation because he really, truly loved Lexi, everything about her. He’d already spoken to her father, gotten the third degree and the lecture and his blessing before he’d left. He’d wanted Lexi’s father to know what his intentions were because he didn’t want it to be said that he’d gone around the traditions. He liked traditions, when they suited him anyway.

“Wow, Lex. You look stunning.” Denver said, pulling away from Lexi just enough to present her with the flowers he’d picked up for her. They weren’t her favourite and he knew that but he had picked up the bright blooms on purpose. He hadn’t wanted the lilies to be the first things she saw from him that night. So he’d picked up something nice but ultimately forgettable. “Ready?” He asked, even as they started down the hall. He helped her into the passenger seat of his car before rushing around the front and getting in behind the wheel. He drove them to the first restaurant they’d ever gone to together, the little Italian place Lexi loved so much. Conversation over dinner was light, Denver tried to keep the conversation about what Lexi had gotten up to during the day because he couldn’t tell her what he’d done or the surprise would be ruined. When dinner was done, Denver had managed to keep the surprise just that and only smiled when she’d asked what was next and kept quiet.

He pulled up outside the Museum of Natural History, cut the engine and met Lexi on hr side the car, taking her hand in his. They strolled through the museum, Denver directing them slowly towards the section that had been prepared for them. Once they were around the corner a bit, he stopped her. “You’ll need this.” He said, pulling a scarf from a pocket in his jacket and covering Lexi’s eyes with it. Once he knew it was secure and she couldn’t see anything from beneath it, he guided her to the Greek exhibit. It wasn’t Greece, but it was as close as they could get. There were lilies and candles everywhere and soft music playing in the background. Denver had never been more nervous than he was right then in that moment. Carefully, he stepped back, leaving Lexi standing alone so he could quickly enter the room and get himself in position. He pulled the engagement ring from his pocket and knelt down among the flowers and the candles. “You can take that off now.” He said, taking a deep breath and holding it.

Tag || lexi piper ryanne
Words | 731
Clothes || Dreamy Doctor
Music || Bless The Broken Road --Rascal Flatts
Notes || <3

[lexi piper ryanne]

The Ryanne’s held a lot of sway in New York City, but one of the things Lexi loved most was that it had never altered her relationship with Denver. He had been her date to some of the fundraisers and fancy dinners, but he had never seen her for the Ryanne name or her money. It had been a first, and something that had amazed Lexi for the longest time. Even now there were moments when she delighted in knowing that she was just a normal girl to the doctor, and not some socialite who could be the key to his success. It was a nice feeling, and just one of many ways Denver made her feel remarkable. She loved him, and any idiot in New York City could see that. It was written all over her face whenever he called or texted her. She had already told her dad that she hadn’t felt this way about anyone before, smiling shyly when he had then asked if she had thought about her life with Denver. Lexi hadn’t want to say anything out loud out of a silly fear of jinxing it all, but the truth was that she was Denver’s for as long as he would have her; she just hoped that was forever.

Their date nights always left her with butterflies. Even when they were simple, Denver found a way to make them unique. Lexi could never grow tired of the Italian restaurant that had become their little spot, and she had felt her curiosity itching away when Denver never answered where they were going next. She had grown accustomed to expecting surprises from him now, but that didn’t mean she was used to them. She still fidgeted and pouted and longed to know what the secret was before it happened. She was like an impatient child on Christmas Eve who just wanted morning to come right away. Lexi loved each little twist he had added to their date nights so far, but it never stopped her from trying to get an answer out of him, even though he had never cracked yet. “These surprises will be the death of me.” She joked, shaking her head at him.

At first, Lexi pulled back from the scarf only because it caught her off guard. A blindfold was not something she had been expecting this evening, but she laughed then and let Denver slip it into place and secure it. She couldn’t see a thing then, and clung to him nervously. “Wishing I’d worn flats right about now.” She sang, shuffling along as she tried to compensate for her lack of sight. Lexi trusted Denver though, so she took tiny steps wherever he led her, giggling softly at intervals along the way. She had no idea where they were going or if anyone could see them. She couldn’t hear anyone, but that didn’t mean a thing. Feeling him leave her, she stood awkwardly on her own, rubbing her left arm with her right palm, wondering what Denver was doing. Hearing his voice across the way, she reached up and fumbled with the scarf, pulling it from her eyes and lowering it to her side.

It took her a few blinks for her eyes to adjust again, but when they did she spotted the candles first, and then the lilies. Then Lexi realised that they were in the Greek exhibit, which was one of her favourites. Slowly, she moved her eyes across until they found Denver and then every muscle in her body froze. She spied the ring and everything about this made sense suddenly. Lexi’s breath caught in her throat and her dark eyes filled with tears, blurring her vision as she brought a shaking hand to her mouth. “Denny, I...” She started, her voice cracking as the first tear slipped down her blushing cheek. Lexi couldn’t believe this was happening. It was a dream. It had to be a dream. “Please say this isn’t a joke, right?” She asked seriously though her voice wobbled with sobs. She was still unable to believe this was really happening to her. Never in a million years did Lexi honestly think a guy like Denver would be down on bended knee for her and now she was terrified that it was all too good to be true.

• • •

TAGGED! Denver Gage Sawyer
WORDS! 731!
OUTFIT! Happy Historian!
LYRICS! All I Do Is Dream Of You - - - Emmy Rossum
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Denver Gage Sawyer]

“You love them, really.” He teased, knowing if he didn’t get hit after all this, it would be an even greater success than he’d originally thought. But first he had to get through everything without passing out on his hopefully soon-to-be fiancee. Little surprises for Lexi were how he had been keeping their date nights special. Lexi was well worth any and all trouble that came from trying to keep her on her toes. “You’re wearing lovely shoes, Lex.” He said, pressing a light kiss to her temple. He’d planned everything, provided she said yes at the end of it all. It was the only part of his plan that he couldn’t plan because that was all on Lexi. He loved her with everything he had and everything he didn’t. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, marry her, be the father to her child and share in a wonderful life before they grow old together and find themselves some decades down the road sitting on a porch swing, both happily retired and watching their grandchildren play in the front yard of their home, wherever that may be.

That was what Denver wanted. But it all rested on Lexi and her saying yes to the most important question he’d ever asked her. Of all the things that could have come from Lexi, asking if all of this was real hadn’t even crossed Denver’s mind and it deflated him a little bit. He’d worked so hard to make this absolutely perfect for her and she was asking if it was a joke? He chuckled nervously, pulling himself to his feet. “No, Lexi. This is all real. I’ve wanted to do this from the day we met but that would have been insane, even if crazier things have happened. I wanted this to be perfect so I spent a lot of time to plan everything out so it would be perfect for you. God I hope I didn’t miss my mark with this, but Alexandria Piper Ryanne, even if this is all absolutely wrong, I’m hoping that doesn’t matter and you’ll say yes anyway.” Denver moved closer, taking Lexi’s hand in his and once again got down on his knee. “Will you marry me?”

Tag || lexi piper ryanne
Words | 416
Clothes || Dreamy Doctor
Music || Bless The Broken Road --Rascal Flatts
Notes || <3

[lexi piper ryanne]

Lexi couldn’t imagine her life without Denver in it. He was everything to her, and more. He kept her smiling when she thought her days were grey, and lifted her up when she felt awful about herself. After life had convinced her the fairy tales were lies and true love existed in movies and novels only, Denver had shown her to ignore all of that. He had shown her just how great romance could be, and let her indulge the dreamer inside again; something Lexi hadn’t done in many, many years before she had met him. She had been too afraid of getting hurt and hating herself for it, but now she had fallen for Denver without fear of what might be at the bottom. “I’d lend you them, but you broke the last pair.” She joked, grinning as he led her along to the unknown.

In every dream she’d ever had about Denver, this had never looked like this. The moment was so perfect, everything felt so right. She was terrified she might wake up and be devastated to find that none of this was real. She loved Denver far too much to have that happen now. The tears blurred her vision and she tried her best to blink them away, but more quickly replaced them as he moved closer to her. His words made her more emotional, too, and she feared becoming a blubbering wreck incapable of making any noise beyond loud sobs. It took a few shaky breaths to find her voice and then she broke. Every emotion poured out of her and she wanted the young doctor to know everything that was going through her. She needed him to know, and everything was spinning so quickly in her mind that nothing paused for a second to warn her how it might sound. Instead, it just fell from her lips like projectile word vomit. “No, no, this is all just so perfect. The lilies, the candles…I mean, I have no idea how you got all of this in my favourite exhibit. Everything in this moment is right, just right. God, Den, I love you so, so much. And right now I’m so scared that this is just the nicest dream ever and I’m on the couch in your apartment and you’ll wake me up any second to ask if I want the last slice of pizza. I think I’d die if that happened.” In that moment Lexi realised she was rambling and pinched her lips between her thumb and middle finger. She also realised that she hadn’t given Denver an answer and was just blinking down at him now with teary eyes.

Another wave of emotion hit her and this time it launched her forward and down. Lexi wrapped her arms around Denver, squeezing him tight and bowling him over. She didn’t care about being on the floor, or if she got her fabulous dress dirty. She just wanted him right then, to hold him and be with him. “Yes.” She breathed her answer into his ear, hair tickling the side of his face. “God, yes, a thousand times, yes.” She said, ending with a happy laugh as she pulled back just enough to smile at him before pressing her lips hard against his. She wanted to convey everything she couldn’t say with words in that one kiss.

• • •

TAGGED! Denver Gage Sawyer
WORDS! 569!
OUTFIT! Happy Historian!
LYRICS! All I Do Is Dream Of You - - - Emmy Rossum
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Denver Gage Sawyer]

Denver was a nervous wreck and if anyone he knew could see him, they’d probably laugh at him for it. There was no reason to be nervous, he knew that but it didn’t stop him from feeling like the sweat was pouring off him like he was the cliff behind the waterfall. He knew it was all in his head but that didn’t stop it either. The only thing that would stop him from freaking out internally would be Lexi wearing his Nan’s ring. That meant she said yes and the world was right once again. He needed the world to be right and to stop freaking out that she’s going to say no. He chuckled, feeling the tension in his bones give the tiniest bit. There was plenty Denver could say about Lexi. She was sweet, she was so unbelievably kind, she was so stunningly beautiful it genuinely caught him off guard sometimes. She was smart and clever and interested in the answer when she asks a question. But the thing right then and there that Denver loved the most was her teasing nature with him. “Haha, funny lady.” He said with a shake of his head.

Even when it felt like the toughest day of his life, she was there, holding him up when all he wanted to do was crash down. She worried constantly and he knew it but he also knew all she’d gone through so if she wanted to fret over him, he wouldn’t say anything about it. He had hopes that one day she would be fretting over little ones running around that had her sweet smile, her bright eyes and her humour. He knew she would never really stop fretting, it was too much a part of her nature. There on bent knee, Denver held his breath, waiting for Lexi’s answer because it felt like he’d been kneeling in front of her for decades, time just seemed to stretch and it was killing Denny to be in such a limbo. Her words, when she finally spoke nearly dropped him to the ground completely. To say he was deflated was an understatement but the hopeful smile was still frozen on his face, too shocked to hear no slip past her lips to do much else.

If she genuinely thought it was all a dream, surely that meant he’d done something right in the proposal. So why hadn’t she started with a yes? She was killing him and didn’t even realise it! Denver felt the air leave his lungs with relief and laughter as Lexi launched herself at him, the force making him fall backwards awkwardly but he kept his arms wrapped around her. “Thank god!” He whispered back, laughing at himself. He had to pull away from the kiss or he would never get the rose gold ring on his bride-to-be’s finger, so he very reluctantly pulled back from Lexi, taking her hand so he could quickly put a ring on that fingers. He was not going to say something cheesy or cliche, instead once the ring was settled where it would stay for a very long time he hoped, Denver pulled Lexi back against him, kissing her again. “Want to have a look around?” He asked after a moment because they could not stay where they were making out all night, they were in a museum after all!

Tag || lexi piper ryanne
Words | 597
Clothes || Dreamy Doctor
Music || Bless The Broken Road --Rascal Flatts
Notes || <3

[lexi piper ryanne]

Denver really did bring out the best in Lexi. She knew that without people telling her it, but they had done anyway. With him she joked and teased, and for a short while just forgot about all the troubles that occasionally clouded her mind. So many people thought the Ryannes had it easy in life, but Lexi knew differently. Before Denver she had been nothing but false smiles and trying to bury everything with History books and cocktail nights with her sisters. Now her smiles were always the real deal and her happiness was far from an illusion. She knew that there were plenty of people who might scoff at her for finding so much happiness in life from a man, but Denver was more to her than that. He was one of her best friends and one of the greatest people she had ever met. He was caring, and she couldn't think of a time when he had ever been selfish or mean to another person. In her experience that was a rare find in the world, and Denver was a keeper. Many her age just wanted to run free and date around in their youth, but Lexi was with Denver for the long haul, and she didn't care what other people thought of that. If they thought it was sweet, then so be it. If they thought she was wasting her youth on a man then they could shove it. She didn't care about their opinions. She loved Denver with all she was worth.

Seeing him on bended knee was like so many of her dreams coming true. She had scolded herself countless times for daydreaming of a future with Denny that might never happen. Lexi was terrified of picturing this perfect life and then being devastated if it never came true, but seeing him kneeling before her with a stunning ring in his hand was the next step towards those daydreams becoming a reality. Holding him close, she smiled brightly as he slid the ring onto her finger, and in that moment Lexi made a silent promise never to remove it. "Denny, it's beautiful." She whispered, kissing him once before after tilting her hand in the candlelight to admire the new piece of jewellery. If she was ever asked to pick out a ring this was nothing like the one she would have chosen, but then that kind of summed up their relationship. She never would have expected to meet the love of her life on one of the worst days ever, or fall in love with a doctor who made her feel her most beautiful when she was in her pyjamas and eating take out. Everything about them had been different and extraordinary, and this ring followed that pattern. She was in love with it in a heartbeat, much like she had been with the man who had given it to her; her soon-to-be husband.

Wiping her cheeks dry and trying not to smudge any of her make-up, though Lexi wasn't at all sure if that was still salvageable by that point, she pushed herself back to her feet and held out her hand for Denver. "Yes! You can't bring me here and not expect me to want to look around. Plus, how many can say that they've seen this exhibition by candlelight?" She blabbered, still drying her eyes and then stopping again to smile and laugh at the ring on her finger. It was with a happy but mischievous twinkle in her eyes that she looked up at Denver then. "After all, you're marrying a history geek." She told him coyly, feeling like she could burst with glee at the very thought of it. Just saying those words had her grinning again and she was still blissfully stunned that tonight had happened and that there was a tiny bit of added weight on her ring finger to get used to. God, she was happy right now.

• • •

TAGGED! Denver Gage Sawyer
WORDS! 683!
OUTFIT! Happy Historian!
LYRICS! All I Do Is Dream Of You - - - Emmy Rossum
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Denver Gage Sawyer]

Denver had worked hard over several months to make sure this night was perfect for Lexi. She meant so much to him and he wanted to spoil her every chance he got; which was why he had spent so much time nailing down the finer details. He had hated name dropping, even if it was his gorgeous girlfriend’s name and for the best possible reason he could imagine. He had every intention of making it through the world on his own steam and didn’t want anyone thinking he was with Lexi for her name or her family money. He would have been with her if she were a penniless nobody. She had a feisty spirit and a good heart. And that was what Denver had fallen for when he’d looked into those deep brown eyes of hers. So he was so unbelievably thankful when it all went through so smoothly and that there was a shiny new bauble on Lexi’s finger.

“I’m really glad you like it. It belonged to my grandmother.” He admitted, smiling. He had been thinking Tiffany’s or something simple but new but apparently he’d not been the only one who saw forever because his mother dug the ring out of her jewellery chest and brought it with her when Lexi had surprised him at Christmas. He’d blinked a few times when his mother gave him his grandmother’s ring to give to Lexi but he quickly realised that with Lexi new wasn’t what she needed. The ring had a long and colourful history, it had been in their family for a few generations. And if the stories were true, which Denver was positive they weren’t, the family got the ring in a bet at a poker table. Of course, there were plenty of those stories surrounding the ring but the women who wore it all said it was their favourite piece of jewellery. Denver hoped that was the same for Lexi as well.

Chuckling, Denver got to his feet with Lexi’s help, running his thumbs under her eyes to clear up what was left of the small smudges, leaning close for a light kiss. “Stunning as always.” He whispered. “There’s four in total. I had to get some help lighting all these candles.” He admitted, smiling down at his beautiful fiancee. If he could say he’d done it all himself, he would have certainly boasted about it but sadly, he hadn’t been able to do all that and be at the dinner with Lexi. He couldn’t clone himself or multiply. “That I certainly am.” Denver said with a huge grin on his face. He couldn’t wait to be a happily married man with Lexi by his side.

Tag || lexi piper ryanne
Words | 492
Clothes || Dreamy Doctor
Music || Bless The Broken Road --Rascal Flatts
Notes || <3