The silence was tense as Anthony waited with bated breath for the redhead to respond. He was keyed up now, determined to put things right. If the only way to make sense of all of this again was to pour his heart out into a teacup and offer it to her, then by Merlin that’s what he’d do! The fear that she might take one look and turn her nose up at it however was strong. Strong enough that he had to run his fingers through his hair impatiently to keep from fidgeting.

When she finally did speak, it was a relief not to hear some blasé response like ‘I want to go home’ or anything. Torie was taking this conversation seriously and that gave him hope that they might still salvage something in the wreckage that had been wrought. It was a bit of a surprise to hear that it should have been obvious to him that she wanted these things too. Anthony wasn’t sure if he was just that much of a dolt or if she’d ever actually made any intention clear to him? She hadn’t at least since New Years, but he supposed perhaps before that, but then Basil—

When the words anyone but you finally fell into the space between them, he was jolted out of that destructive thought pattern. She wouldn’t try so hard for just anyone. That definitely meant something! Anthony wasn’t so much of an idiot not to see it now. His heart rate picked up a clip; he let out a breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding; he took another step closer, this time coming to pause just in front of the girl, eyes slightly wild with hope. “Then agree to court me!” He demanded. “Let me do this correctly.” He tentatively reached for both her hands. “Let me get to know you, let me spend time with you just ambling around in the light of day where everyone and anyone can see us so that I can make good on this promise. I want to marry you, Victoire. Someday,” A crooked little smile pulled at his cheek, sheepish and teasing as the word ‘someday’ hung playfully between them. He meant it though. Anthony did want to marry Ms. Torie. He just wanted to make sure they both knew what that meant, if they were even really compatible, first.

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