"𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡'𝑠 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑎 𝑤𝑎𝑦."
—𝑇𝑟𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑎 𝑌𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑

𝒟.

𝐀 𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐒𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 onto Diego's face as soon as he woke up. There, cradled in his arms and fast asleep (and, not to mention, naked), was his fiancée.

The woman he was going to marry. Who was going to be his wife. The promise was sealed on her fourth finger for anyone to see, and the signature glittered in the sunlight that was streaming through the window.

He gazed down at the hand that was laid on his chest. At the ring that rested comfortably on the fourth finger. And he could feel nothing but happiness.

His eyes shifted to Natalia's face as her eyes fluttered open, and his smile widened.

"Good morning, fiancée," he murmured to her, eliciting a sleepy giggle.

"Good morning, fiancé."

Diego turned his body to face hers and planted a kiss on her lips. She didn't, however, let him draw back too far as she cupped his cheeks and pressed her lips against his, and pleasure rose through him as he felt the cool metal of the ring against his cheek.

"I love you so much, angel," he mumbled as she pulled away. "I can't wait to marry you."

Natalia gave a soft giggle. "I can hardly wait either."

He pulled the cover further up over them before letting his hand trail down her bare body until it reached her hip. He squeezed it, eliciting another sleepy giggle as Natalia leaned forward and rested her head on his chest.

"Tired?" he teased.

"Always."

"I'm sure last night didn't help," he continued playfully, squeezing her hip once again. "It was, what, two in the morning when we went to bed? Three?"

"Shut up," she laughed, hitting him in the chest and prompting a chuckle in reply. She then gazed at her ring and smiled. "I really do love this ring, though. It's beautiful."

He gave a modest shrug. "Can I confess something to you right now?"

She moved her eyes up to him and raised her eyebrows. "Sure."

"I had some help," he admitted. "From Nigel—well, he was no help. But from Patch."

"Help?" she repeated with furrowed eyebrows. "Help with what?"

"As you know, I'm . . . not exactly the richest man in the world," he said sheepishly. "So, I got help."

*
𝑂𝑛𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑘 𝑎𝑔𝑜.

Diego needed help.

Not some light, easy help, like moving some furniture, or borrowing a cup of sugar to bake a cake. No, this was some debt-owing, begging on your knees, I will do anything kind of help.

Monetary help. The worst kind of help.

Damn. He hated admitting that. Usually, he liked to keep to himself. Work by himself. Get things done by himself. He never needed help. And even if he did need help, he'd just ignore the fact and work around the problem himself.

There were only three times in the past when he'd ever really admitted that he needed help.

1. With school work. Because who the fuck cared if they knew he needed help with that? It was school. And he was just asking his siblings or Natalia or his mother anyway.

2. When he needed a place to live. That was the worst one—it showed how bad his finances were, how desperate he was. He hated every moment of making that deal with Al, though it was a pretty good one.

3. Asking Klaus for help with what to do with Natalia when they were still in their pending period. Though that hadn't been helpful in the least.

And now here he was, standing in front of the police station, looking like a gawking idiot.

Now, Diego had never really had that much money. Right off the bat, as soon as he had left the Academy, he had been dirt poor. But he had been okay. And he was able to survive. He was secure. And that's all he really cared about.

But now that there was a woman in his life that he so desperately wanted to marry? To put a ring on her finger and be able to point at her and say 'Oh, her? That's my wife'?  To provide a home and a life that gave her the happiness she deserved? That was his dream.

And, of course, the one thing that was stopping him was his lack of finance.

Obviously, Natalia had more than enough money. And though she repeatedly told him to use her money and that it was okay to spend it, he felt bad with every purchase he made—especially if it was something for her.

No, he wanted this to be from his own money. Or, at least, money that wasn't from her paycheque.

Honestly, his first choice for help would've been Klaus—obviously not for the money, but just advice. Unfortunately, Klaus had actually, for once, listened to their advice and gone to rehab, just a couple of days before. And by 'listened to their advice,' Diego meant 'got arrested for drug usage and was ordered to go to rehab by the court.'

Next was Nigel. As Diego had predicted, Nigel was of no help. Though he had seemed sincerely sympathetic about the money problem, he wasted no time in making jokes that Diego wasn't good enough and that Nigel should replace him as her boyfriend. Not helpful.

And with no one else to turn to, there stood Diego, in front of the police station.

Would Patch even let him get a word in? Probably not, but it was worth a shot.

Taking a deep breath and praying to whichever God truly existed, Diego brushed past all the officers and passing people as he entered the police station.

To his relief, Patch was working diligently at his desk.

Diego plopped down in the chair that was pushed against the side of the desk and offered his most charming smile as Patch turned to him in annoyance.

"Bothering me at crime scenes isn't enough anymore?" questioned Patch incredulously. "You have to bother me while I'm working at the station, now?"

"I need your help," said Diego seriously, though this only earned him a humourless chuckle.

"Oh, you need my help. My help," he scoffed as he leaned back in his seat. "What makes you think I'll help you?"

"Please, Eugene—"

"No."

"Detective Patch. I'm desperate," Diego pleaded, clasping his hands together to emphasize his point. "I'll do anything."

Patch paused, and, slowly, he quirked an eyebrow. "Anything?"

"Anything," Diego confirmed with a nod.

Patch licked his lips, looking off to the side for a moment before sighing. "What do you need help with?"

"Listen, you know my girlfriend, Natalia—"

"You came to me, to interrupt my work, for relationship troubles?" Patch asked incredulously. "Again?"

"It's not troubles," Diego corrected.

"Then what is it?"

"Well, you'd know if you let me finish this goddamn sentence!"

Patch rolled his eyes and gestured for him to continue. "Go ahead."

Diego took a breath before admitting to him, "I want to propose."

"Good for you," Patch replied with furrowed eyebrows, "but why do you need my help with that?"

"I . . . I'm broke," Diego admitted, and he felt a piece of his dignity strip away and eject itself into the void. "I need your help, Patch. I don't know what to do."

Patch pursed his lips together for a moment before querying, "Have you tried asking a bank for a personal loan?"

Diego scoffed. "You think my credit score's good enough for a loan?"

He leaned back, tilting his head as he examined Diego's face. A thick eyebrow raised. "You really love this girl, huh?"

"More than anything," Diego agreed.

"Why?"

His eyebrows knit together tightly. "What?"

"I've never seen you so passionate about anything except for trespassing my crime scenes," Patch pointed out with a shrug. "What's got you so infatuated?"

"It's just . . . everything," Diego answered as he leaned back in the stiff chair. "I've known her since we were young, and she just . . . knows me better than anyone else. I don't even know why she loves me," he confessed with a sigh. "Honestly, she deserves better. But . . . for some reason, she does love me, and I want to prove to her that I'm enough."

"With a ring?" he questioned.

Diego shrugged. "It's one way."

"You think something artificial is going to prove to her that you are in the same league as her?"

"She's a professor, Patch," Diego pointed out with a slight scoff. "What am I? A vigilante. That's all."

"A wannabe vigilante," Patch corrected.

"Can you just give me this?" Diego pleaded. "At least?"

"Fine, whatever," Patch admitted with a wave of the hand, a yielding sigh escaping his lips afterwards. "Vigilante."

Diego let his lips pull into a grin for a moment before he became serious again. He shifted to the edge of the seat and rested his hands on the desk and he murmured, "Point is, Patch, I want to show her how much I love her."

Patch pressed his thin lips together tightly and shook his head. "I just don't think the only way is with a ring."

"I know it's not," Diego sighed. "But it's a way. And I want this way."

"Have you looked at any yet?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "Cheapest one I've found so far is a little under twelve hundred dollars."

Patch tilted his head. "And how much money do you have saved up for this?"

Diego chewed on his bottom lip for a moment before his head lowered and his voice dropped. "A little over five hundred."

"Oh, boy," Patch sighed.

"You're tellin' me."

Patch grabbed the mug that sat on the corner of his desk, and Diego briefly glimpsed the dark liquid—coffee—swirling inside before Patch took a long sip.

As he rested the mug, Patch turned back to Diego and raised his eyebrows. "You sure you're gonna last with this girl?"

"Patch," Diego answered earnestly, "I wanna start a family with her."

"And how long have you known each other?"

Diego thought for a moment. "Coming up on eighteen years now."

Patch's eyes softened as he quietly asked, "And you really do love her?"

"Man," Diego chuckled as he leaned back, "I don't think that could've been any clearer."

"Okay." Patch nodded, lowering his head for a moment before glancing up at Diego. "Just wanted to make sure what I'm investing in is secure."

Diego's eyes widened. Was Patch actually going to help him?

"So . . . ," he said slowly, almost afraid to assume, "you mean . . ."

"I'll lend you the rest. But!" He raised a finger just as Diego grinned. "You have to repay me. And you have to stay the hell away from my crime scenes. And you remember that this doesn't mean we're friends, okay? This is a one-time favour, for sake of old times. That's it."

"Done and done and done," Diego promised, nodding wildly, his heart racing. "Thank you—"

Patch laughed good-heartedly, the first laugh like that that Diego had heard in years from him. "Yeah, yeah, just kiss my feet and get the hell out of here."

*

"Oh, Diego, honey, you didn't need to do all that," Natalia sighed, a small frown tugging her lips. "I would've been fine with a ring pop, honestly. Hell, a twisty tie would've been great."

He shook his head, a soft smile now on his lips. "I only want the best for you."

She, however, remained persistent. "If you want, I can stop by the bank and—"

"No, Nat," he interrupted. "I'm not letting you pay for your own engagement ring."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "But where are you gonna get—"

"I have my ways."

"Diego." She sighed, shaking her head. "Seriously, it's no trouble—"

"Don't worry, princess," he reassured her, grabbing her hand and laying a kiss on her knuckles. "I've got it."

She gave him a small smile as she conceded, "If you say so. But if you need—"

"I know, baby," he chuckled. He let his hand caress the soft skin of her hip before trailing it upwards to the underside of her breasts. "You busy today or can we spend our first day as an engaged couple with each other?"

She sighed, swatting his hand away. "It's Friday. I have work."

Diego groaned. "You can't skip?"

"If I could, I would, sweetheart." She gave him a humoured smile. "Unfortunately, I have two classes to teach."

"Fine," he conceded, though he still scrunched his nose as she kissed his lips and got up. "Make sure you tell everyone you're engaged. Especially that colleague who's in love with you."

"Dr. Parkinson?" she laughed as she walked towards the closet. "He's most definitely not in love with me, but I'll be sure to tell him."

Diego grinned. "Good."

𝒩.

Natalia was pretty sure that nothing could wipe the beam off of her face as she walked into her lab, and it took only half a second for Rosalyn to notice.

"You're looking particularly happy today, doc," she remarked as she came up to her, her eyes blurred by the safety goggles that pinched her face. "Did you win the lottery? Go on a hot air balloon ride? Eat a really good strudel?"

"None of those," Natalia laughed, shaking her head as she tied her hair into a tight bun. "But . . ."

As soon as her hair had been secured, Natalia extended her left hand and gave Rosalyn a good view of the ring.

Rosalyn gasped, her eyes widening as the glitter of the diamond reflected in her goggles. "No! Are you serious?! You got engaged?!"

"Yep," Natalia confirmed, her beam somehow growing bigger. "Last night."

"Hey, Mags, Zennie, Oli!" Rosalyn whipped around, gesturing for the three other people in the lab to come. "Get your ass—I mean, butts over here!"

Their eyebrows furrowed in curiosity as to what the emergency was, Maggie, Zenya, and Oliver abandoned the work they were doing (thankfully, nothing that was time-sensitive or included a bunsen burner) and made their way over to them.

"What's up?" asked Maggie as they approached.

"Dr. Kim's engaged!"

Maggie and Zenya both gasped in the same fashion that Rosalyn had, and they were swift to demand that Natalia show them the ring.

"Oh, it's gorgeous!" cooed Zenya as Natalia showed it off.

Maggie raised her eyebrows. "So Dr. Kim is going to turn into . . . ?"

"Dr. Hargreeves," Natalia answered with a small giggle.

"This isn't the same guy who interrupted us on my first day, is it?" Oliver humoured with raised eyebrows.

Natalia gave him a sheepish smile. "It is."

Oliver laughed. "Congratulations, Dr. Kim."

"Thank you!"

After trading more congratulations' with thank yous, Natalia answered a couple of their questions ("Where'd he ask?", "The same place where we had our first date."; "When's the wedding?", "No clue."; "Will we be invited?", "Of course!"), before grinning and excusing herself for the first class she had to teach.

Throughout the entire one-and-a-half-hour lecture, she found herself using her left hand a lot more than usual; waving it around, pointing—the works.

It wasn't something conscious, but she couldn't help but grin every time she caught the sparkle as the light bounced off of it.

When she returned to the lab just before her lunch break, she was met with a delightful surprise.

Diego was chatting with a couple of students—Maggie and Aaliyah—a bouquet of purple carnations in hand. He had a small grin on her face, and judging by the bright eyes and excited gasps and 'aww's he was receiving in return, he was talking about the proposal.

His attention fixated on her as she entered the lab, and his grin widened.

"Sorry, ladies," he said loudly as Natalia approached, "gotta go take my beautiful fiancée out for lunch now."

"Hi," Natalia laughed as she came up to them. "You having fun with my students?"

"He was just telling us about the proposal, Dr. Kim," Aaliyah told her with a grin. "So cute."

Diego grinned. "Right?"

"We'll leave you two alone," giggled Maggie. "By the way, Dr. Kim, I think I saw a candle in Henry's backpack this morning. Just letting you know."

Natalia closed her eyes and sighed, though her lips tugged into an amused grin. "That boy never learns."

"I'll tell him to get rid of it," Aaliyah reassured her before waving and pulling Maggie towards the conference room.

"Candle?" Diego questioned. "What's wrong with that? You that strict?"

"Normally, no. But Henry's a real fire-starter," Natalia sighed.

"Huh. Anyway—" Diego offered the bouquet to her, his smile broadening. "For you."

"Oh, my favourite," she sighed, though this one was much happier as she took the bouquet and brought her nose to the petals. "Thank you, my love."

"Anything for you, gorgeous." He smiled. "It's your lunch break now, right? Let's go."

𝒩.

"Hello?"

Natalia smiled as she sat down on the couch, one hand pressing the phone to her ear. "Hey, Alli."

"Oh, Lia, hey," Allison greeted, her voice becoming brighter. Suddenly, it became grim, "How'd it go last night? Please tell me we were wrong."

She glanced over to see Diego emerge from the bedroom, so she kept her voice low as she answered, "We were wrong. We were very wrong."

"Oh, thank God."

"We were going in the complete opposite direction, Alli," Natalia giggled. "He proposed."

"What?!" Allison gave a loud gasp. "That's great! Congrats!"

Natalia examined her ring, her grin widening. "Thanks!"

"Wow, so you'll officially be a Hargreeves."

"Yeah," she sighed, "I guess I will."

"Do you know when the wedding'll be?"

"No, we've hardly talked about the wedding yet," Natalia answered with a small shake of the head. "No time soon, I'm sure. Way too busy."

"I better be invited," Allison teased, eliciting a laugh from Natalia.

"Oh, you'll be at the top of the guest list, don't worry."

Allison was quiet for a moment before letting out a long sigh. "Gosh, I'm so sorry I dragged you in the wrong direction. That's my bad."

"Don't worry, about it, Alli," she reassured her. "I was already thinking that way."

"Yeah, it's just—oh, shit, is it already six? Dammit, I have to go or I'll be late. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Sounds good." Natalia nodded. "Love you."

"Love you too, future Mrs. Hargreeves!"

As Natalia put the phone back in its charging station, Diego came to her and sat by her side. "Allison?"

"Mhm," she hummed.

As Natalia snuggled into his side, he wrapped an arm around her and asked, "What were you talking about?"

"Take a wild guess."

"Hm . . ." He scrunched his nose up before raising his eyebrows comically high and quipping, "the weather?"

She gave a dramatic gasp. "How'd you know?"

Diego laughed, and he pulled her tighter into him. "What was all the 'We were wrong' stuff, though?"

"Hm?" Natalia silently groaned; she thought she had said that quiet enough, but, apparently, she hadn't. "Don't worry about that."

His eyebrows furrowed, and he peered down at her face as he questioned, "What were you wrong about?"

"Nothing!" she exclaimed.

His eyes narrowed. "Are you hiding something from me?"

"You know," she remarked as she straightened up, "you don't have to know about everything in my life."

"Yes, I do," he scoffed. "I'm your husband."

She rolled her eyes in amusement before wagging her finger at him. "Not yet."

"Yeah" —he shrugged— "but it's already gonna happen, so . . ."

Natalia stared at him for a moment before sighing and letting her shoulders sag; there was no point in hiding, it wasn't anything too bad, anyway.

"Fine," she conceded. "I guess I have my own confession to make, then."

"Is it a good one?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure."

"Okay." He nodded, gesturing for her to continue.

"So, uh . . . I mean, the past few days, you were acting really weird, and—I know!" she said quickly, noticing that he was about to cut in. "It's because you were nervous!—I thought something was up. You kept being really insistent about the date, and I knew nothing special was going on, like a holiday or something, so I thought that was really suspicious. And you didn't pick the phone up after three calls, which was weird."

"I really did think you were a crazy-ass telemarketer," he remarked with a shrug.

Natalia sighed. "Alli thought you were cheating."

"Who cares what she thinks?" scoffed Diego with a shake of the head, though she could tell the remark bothered him as his eyebrows furrowed. "She's dead wrong. I would never do that."

"I care. But I know she's wrong—I knew then; I told her," she reassured him before scrunching her face. "Then . . . she suggested that the date might be to break up."

"Break up?" Diego repeated, his eyes widening. "Why was she feeding you these lies?"

"She didn't think they were lies!"

Diego sighed, shaking his head for a moment. "No wonder you were acting so weird right before."

"Yeah."

Diego used his free hand to cup her cheek, and he caressed the skin gently as he softly asked, "You really thought I was planning something to break up with you? That I'd do all that to hurt you?"

"Kyle did," she muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek before sighing. "Listen, that's gone, whatever. I knew it was fine when the date started."

"I hope you know I'm never gonna leave you, honey," he chuckled as she nestled into his side once more. "You're stuck with me forever."

She smiled as he kissed the top of her head. "Oh, I'm not complaining."