So You're Trapped in an Alternate Universe?

Richpez - Hanukkah

"Can you teach me how to celebrate Hanukkah?"

"What?"

"Can you, Lauren, teach me, Joey, how to celebrate Hanukkah?"

"Umm. I mean, why?"

"Umm because I love you and I want to celebrate it with you."

"Joey, that's really sweet but you know I'm not super into celebrating it the most I've done since like college is light the menorah."

"I mean if you don't want to we don't have to, but I'd like to learn."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

I was really excited Lauren was going to teach me all the ins and outs of this holiday. She obviously knows how to celebrate Christmas. Literally everyone in America knows how to celebrate Christmas since it is just the "utmost importance" of the month of December. I have a lot of Jewish friends but still don't really know anything about their holidays. Most of them have always been pretty lenient on it, especially as they got older. I still know that one of my friends from high schools grandparents won't even go out to eat unless its a Jewish restaurant because they don't want to eat anything that isn't Kosher. I don't really know anyone that doesn't seem to be older than 70 that seems to go that far out of their way to practice everything, especially not Lauren, but I still want to learn about her culture before my surprise.

1.

"Okay so we have to bless the lighting of the candles, and then we bless Hanukkah itself. Repeat after me and then light the candle on the right, okay?"

Lauren said the entire blessing slowly, and made sure to have clear annunciation, but I still had trouble repeating after her. She guided my hand to the candle and had me light it after we lit the candle she gave me a piece of paper with the Hanerot Halalu and a few custom songs on it, and we recited it and sang the songs and then she lead me to the kitchen so she could fry latkes, gluten free of course.

4.

"So why did you want to do this?" Lauren asked me on the fourth day.

"I told you, because I love you and your traditions are important to me!"

"Ugh. You're so extra."

"That's why you fell in love with me, right?" I asked kissing her on the cheek.

"Oh yes, that is the only reason!" She joked back, turning to give me a proper kiss.

8.

"Well it's the last night. You sick of being Jewish yet?" Lauren asked me on the 8th and final night of the holiday.

"Never. Not with you by my side at least."

"You didn't have to do this you know. I could have celebrated with Dylan or someone."

"I know."

"Thank you though. I appreciate you doing this for me." She said putting her arms around me, still watching the candles burn

"You are so very welcome."

"I love you." She said looking up at me.

"I love you too." I leaned down to kiss her, and lead her over to the couch where some things happened that her grandmother would probably not appreciate happening so close to the family menorah.

"Would I have to convert to Judaism to marry you?" I asked while we were still cuddling, pretty exposed but under a blanket, and watching the lights of the candles flicker.

"I don't really think it's that big of a deal, Joey. This isn't the 30's." She said running her hand over my chest.

"Well I would you know."

"I appreciate it but I promise you wouldn't have to."

"Okay." I said seeming to drop the subject. "Would you marry me if I asked?"

I felt Lauren tense up, and she stopped moving her hand. I could almost hear the gears in her head turning and watched her blink a few times, her eyes reflecting the light from the candles.

"Why so many marriage questions, Richter?" She asked, starting to move her hand again.

"I'm just curious." I said. "But would you?"

"Yes. 1000 times. You know I would marry you."

"Great." I said pushing her up and walking over, still in very little clothing, to the bookshelf where I'd been hiding the box.

Lauren watched me. Unmoving from where I pushed her off of me, and into a sitting position on the couch.

"What are you do-"

"Marry me?" I asked walking back and getting on one knee.

"Are you fucking serious?!"

"No, I'm fucking you, not Sirius, and hopefully forever if you'll agree."

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes, I'll fucking marry you! " Lauren said slamming her lips onto mine.

I got us up off the floor from where she'd basically tackled me while I was still on my knee and laughed at the situation. Not only was it probably the worst proposal ever, but we were also in very little clothing, and a little tipsy from the mulled wine. I honestly wouldn't have it any other way. This was us, and I wouldn't want to have some proposal that was cheesy and cliche that wasn't as ridiculous and wild as we were.

"Is this what you expected your proposal to be like when you were a little girl?" I asked after kissing her again.

She pulled her hand out from around my back and looked at the ring, and then looked back up at me. "No, but it was way better."

"Let's drive to Vegas and just get married now." I said grabbing her hand to make sure the ring was really there and I wasn't just imagining she said yes.

"As much as I would love to marry you right this second, I'm already going to have to lie to my family about how you proposed to me half naked and told me you were fucking me and not Sirius, so I think we better plan an actually wedding." Lauren said laughing.

"I'm fine with it... as long as Diane is the flower girl."

"Deal." Lauren said leaning in to kiss me, not for the last time that night.

A/N : Sorry this one was so short! Thank you for reading!