A few months later.

Gustave went up to his father's study, holding Phantom in his arm as he knocked on the door. "Papa, what are you doing?"

"I'm just finishing up some work, but you can come in," Erik replied.

"Okay," Gustave smiled, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him. "That's not a house design."

"No, it's not," Erik said as he closed the little box he was holding and set it on his desk. "Still something I have to work on, though."

"What is it?" Gustave asked with great interest.

"Take a look if you'd like. Just be very careful, please."

Gustave stepped over and set the kitten down before opening the black velvet box. "It's a ring."

"It is a ring, yes," Erik replied, smirking as he watched Gustave try to piece everything together.

"Are you going to propose?!" Gustave asked a bit too loudly, a wide smile across his face.

"Shh, Gustave!" Erik said as he threw his hand over his son's mouth. "Keep your voice down!"

"Sorry," Gustave whispered. "Are you?"

"I am, yes." Erik couldn't help but grin when he said it out loud. "I'm going to ask Charlotte to marry me."

Gustave grinned. "Really?!"

"Yes, really. I'm not exactly sure when or...or how, but I know I want to," Erik said with a sigh.

"What about tomorrow night? She had the art show all day tomorrow so she won't be home," Gustave smiled. "I could help you."

"That's...not all that much time. I don't know if I can do it so soon," Erik stuttered, taking the box back from Gustave and looking at the ring inside.

"Are you nervous she won't say yes?" Gustave frowned.

"A little bit," Erik said softly.

"Of course she will, Papa. She loves you," Gustave nodded.

"I know she does. I'm just nervous."

Phantom hopped up onto Erik's lap and stared at him intently, making Gustave giggle. "I think he's wondering why you're nervous."

Erik smirked and rubbed the cat's head, looking back to his son. "I've never done this before. I'm just afraid I'll say something wrong and mess it all up, and she'll say no, and it'll end there. Like with your mother," he explained.

"I'm sure it won't end like that," Gustave smiled. "She loves you an awful lot."

"I'd like to hope so, yes."

"She's told me so herself."

Erik smiled. "Well, she does tell me that quite a bit too," he said. "I know I'm worrying too much, but I do that about everything."

Gustave nodded. "Charlotte says that a lot too."

"What do I say a lot?" Charlotte asked from the doorway.

"That I worry too much!" Erik said, quickly tucking the box into his suit jacket's pocket. "Apparently, you tell my son that as much as you tell me."

"Yes, I do," Charlotte giggled. "Lunch is ready, by the way."

"Perfect. Thank you, love."

"You're welcome," she smiled. "Are you okay? You seem tense."

"I'm fine," Erik said, standing up to give her a quick kiss.

Charlotte wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling up at him. "How's work?"

"Work is work," Erik said with a sigh. "One of my clients is being...difficult, to put it lightly."

"Anything I could help with?" Charlotte asked softly. "I could talk to them. I've got a way of handling difficult people."

"If you could make him find another architect, that would be wonderful," Erik said with a roll of his eyes.

"I could do that," Charlotte giggled.

"You're remarkable, you know."

"Why, thank you," Charlotte grinned. "Do you really want me to talk to them?"

"No, I'm only joking. I'll put up with him for now," Erik said. "Thank you, though."

"You're welcome," Charlotte smiled, kissing him gently. "Why don't you come downstairs and eat with Gustave and I?"

"Yes, I'm coming. I need a break from work."

"Good," Charlotte nodded. "Come on, boys."

Erik turned to Gustave as as Charlotte walked down the hall and gave him a wink. "Let's go," he said.

"Are you going to propose tomorrow?" Gustave whispered, scooping up Phantom.

"I think so. We'll talk later, okay?" Erik whispered back. "We can come back up here after lunch."

"Okay," Gustave smiled. "Let's go! I'm hungry."

Erik smiled and let Gustave walk out, giving the pocket with the ring a quick pat before he followed his son downstairs.

"I made sandwiches," Charlotte said from the kitchen. "However, I don't know what I'm going to make for dinner. Any requests?"

"I defer to Gustave. Our food tastes seem to be similar," Erik said as he walked in and grabbed his lunch off the counter.

"Could you make lasagna?" Gustave grinned.

"I suppose," Charlotte smiled. "I could whip up a batch. Perhaps you could even help me."

Gustave nodded. "I'll help. Phantom can watch," he said as he scratched the cat's head.

"Yes, he can," Charlotte smiled.

"And I will enjoy the product of your work because I am not allowed to cook," Erik said with a laugh.

"It's for your own protection, dear," Charlotte chuckled, kissing his cheek.

"I've come to see that, especially after what I did to my foot."

"And that is why I don't let you cook anymore," Charlotte giggled.

Erik nodded. "Like I said, I realize that now," he said with a smile.

—————

"So, how do you think you'll propose?" Gustave grinned.

"I don't know just yet," Erik said as he leaned back in his desk chair, putting a hand to his head. "Nothing extravagant, that's for certain."

"What about proposing here?" Gustave smiled. "It is the place where you first connected, after all."

"That could be nice. Outside, on the back porch, perhaps. After dinner with the sunset," Erik replied as ideas started running through his head.

"That would be really nice," Gustave nodded. "Maybe you could get her roses too."

"Smart boy." Erik pulled the little box out of his pocket again, opening it to look at the sapphire ring inside. "Do you think she'll like it?" he asked quietly.

"She'll love it," Gustave grinned.

Erik sighed. "I hope so. I know she loves blue and it brings out her eyes, so...I thought, 'Why not get a blue stone for her engagement ring?'"

"That's sweet," Gustave said softly. "She'll appreciate how much thought you put into choosing it, instead of just going with a diamond ring."

"I would like to think so. I just hope I don't say something stupid," Erik said, tucking the ring back into his pocket. "Knowing me, I will, but a man can dream."

"How would you say something stupid?" Gustave frowned.

Erik chuckled. "Gustave, when I get flustered and nervous, words tend to just leave my mouth with no true thought process," he said. "So that is how I would say something ridiculous."

"Oh, dear," Gustave sighed. "Maybe I should propose for you."

"You know, it would probably go better."

"Ooh, can I?" Gustave grinned, bouncing up and down.

"No," Erik said with a chuckle. "You'll propose to a young lady of your own in due time."

Gustave shrugged. "I guess. But not for awhile."

"It better not be for awhile," Erik teased, ruffling his son's hair.

"Not the hair, Papa," Gustave groaned. "Always with the messing up my hair. Why?"

"It's easy to do." Erik repeated his previous action, laughing at the frown on Gustave's face. "When did you become so concerned about what your hair looks like?"

"I don't care, but it doesn't mean I like you messing it up," Gustave huffed. "Next time you do it, I'm telling Charlotte that you're going to propose."

Erik pulled his hand away immediately. "Don't you dare."

"Don't touch the hair, then," Gustave smirked.

"Alright, alright. I won't touch your hair. Just please don't say anything," Erik begged.

"I won't, I won't," Gustave chuckled. "Let's get back to planning."

"I should probably cook dinner - or at least try. It'll take the work away from her. I don't want her doing any work that night. You'll have to help me, though. You know my track record with cooking."

"Yes, definitely," Gustave nodded. "We don't need you getting injured again."

"My thoughts exactly. If I get hurt, Charlotte will insist on helping, and that's not what I want."

"Precisely," Gustave nodded. "Maybe you could make a roast."

"Good lord. Elaborate ideas, hm?"

"I just know she likes roasts," Gustave shrugged.

"In that case, I'll do it," Erik said with a firm nod.

"Yum," Gustave grinned. "What other details have we forgotten?"

"Flowers, food, where I'm proposing..." Erik muttered as he looked over his list, then paused for a moment and leaned back in his chair, running his hand over his face. "I think that's it. I hope that's it."

"What about candles?" Gustave suggested.

Erik nodded. "Those could be good," he said before he frowned at his son. "Where do you get all of these ideas from for romantic evenings? I believe I've asked before, but I still can't wrap my head around it."

"Reading books," Gustave shrugged. "And Mother."

"Your mother talked about that sort of thing a lot, did she?" Erik asked quietly.

"Sometimes, yes," Gustave nodded. "By the way, have you seen Phantom? He wandered off after lunch."

"I'm sure he's around," Erik said. "But I haven't seen him, no."

"Maybe I should find him."

"Yes, maybe you should. Run along now. I actually do have work to do."

"Okay," Gustave smiled, hurrying downstairs to find his cat. "Phantom? Where are you?"

"He's in here," Charlotte replied from the kitchen. "I'm feeding him the rest of your father's pâté."

Gustave smiled and walked in. "He likes it."

"Thankfully. I wanted it gone. I can't stand the stuff," Charlotte chuckled. "Don't tell yourself father."

"Your secret's safe with me," Gustave said with a smile.

"Thanks," Charlotte smiled. "What was your little clandestine meeting about?"

"Nothing special. Papa needed my opinion on the design of a children's room in one of his designs."

"Oh, how interesting. What does it look like?"

"Um...we managed to get a custom bookshelf designed, but there's a little desk and an area for toys. Plus a big bed."

"Wonderful," Charlotte nodded. "That will look positively amazing."

"I think so too. It was fun to work with him," Gustave said, impressed with the lie he had managed to tell.

"Well, I'm sure your father enjoyed it too," Charlotte smiled.

Gustave nodded. "I think he did," he said with a small smile.

"Splendid. Now, come help me start dinner."