Chapter Text
“A toast!” Tater declares, holding up his beer. It’s difficult to move much with this many of them stuffed into one booth— Bitty, Jack, Tater, Snowy, Marty, Chowder, and Lardo. Dex is sick so he and Nursey aren’t coming, and Shitty’s held up at his law practice, but they’ve still got plenty of people. Even though Marty’s been retired for years, he jumps right back into his conversations with his old teammates like he just left the Falcs yesterday.
“To Zimmboni!” Tater continues.
“Who finally got his head out of his ass,” Snowy says before Tater can figure out what he’s going to say next. “Took you long enough.”
Jack, arm wrapped around Bitty’s shoulder, hardly even reacts to the chirping, just laughing a little and gesturing for Tater to keep going, but Lardo jumps in instead.
“Who, after a long, long time of all of us wondering if it was ever going to happen, finally proposed—”
“But I lost the bet because he didn’t propose on the ice,” Chowder adds, sounding put out.
“Regardless,” Lardo continues determinedly, “even though I haven’t known you for that long, I know how happy you and Bitty make each other, and even though I’m really happy for you, this is still worth, like, two hundred bucks in the Sin Bin.” Chowder nods enthusiastically, and Bitty wouldn’t be surprised if he pulled out the Portable Sin Bin and insisted that they pay up then and there. Never mind that all of them have graduated.
“It’s more for the Falconers,” Marty tells her. “Let’s say two fifty? I got fined two fifty when I proposed to my wife, so it’s only fair. Public proposals are always worth more than a couple hundred bucks.”
Jack sighs. “How about I just buy another round of drinks and we’ll call it even?”
“Hm,” Tater says. “Yes, acceptable.”
“That’s a lot less than two fifty,” Bitty whispers to Jack, hopefully quietly enough that Lardo doesn’t catch it.
“I’ll pay the two fifty if I have to,” Jack whispers back. “I’ll pay whatever they fine me for being engaged to you. It’ll be worth it.”