Chapter Text
It was time for Christmas shopping and Ben had no idea what to get Callum, they had been together for almost 2 years now and he was still just as useless at buying his boyfriend gifts. When he got into town, he just walked round aimlessly, it was the 23rd, he'd bought everyone else's gifts but left Callum's to last minute, and he was deeply regretting it now. What could he get him..? A fancy new watch? A nice hotel room? Toys for when they want some added fun in the bedroom? No, they've got enough of those. I mean, Ben was sure that he could probably tie some ribbon around himself and Callum would be thankful. And that's when the thought came to him. He was stood in front of a ring shop. Callum would want to marry him wouldn't he? After all they've been through? They're good right now, the best they've ever been come to think of it. And Callum loves him, he tells him all the time. Yeah..., yeah. And with that, Ben enters the shop. With in almost an hour, he's picked a ring and is waiting at the till when the cashier started a conversation.
"She must be special, this thing's expensive," she said.
"He actually, but yeah, he's amazing...," he replied, sounding more dreamy than he'd meant to and he shook his head, almost as if he thought that it would take him out of the trance that he was seemingly in.
"Oh sorry, my bad, but he's one lucky bloke," she said smiling, causing Ben to smile back. He typed his pin into the card reader and waited for the transaction to go through.
"Nah..., reckon I'm the lucky one," he said under his breath as he walked out, small bag in hand and heading back to the tube. And as he was thinking of what would happen if Callum said yes to his proposal, he realised, there would be an even better present.
When he got home, he called a meeting with Lola and Lexi.
"What's wrong?" Lola asked.
"Well I wanted to ask you both something, so for starters," he slid the bag across the table to Lola.
"Oooh, this looks expensive,"
"Just open it!" he said getting slightly impatient. So she did and she pulled out the velvet covered box, opening it to reveal the ring Ben had purchased earlier that day.
"Oh. My. God." Lola exclaimed.
"Daddy! Are you gonna ask Callum to marry you!?" Lexi shouted, Ben nodding in response. Lexi and Lola started dancing round the kitchen in excitement, causing Ben to shake his head, laughing all the while.
"Now, Lo, Lex, if its alright with you two... I wanted to ask Callum if he could adopt you Lex?" Ben said hopefully. Lexi stopped jumping around, her eyes widened and Ben didn't know if she was excited or horrified by the idea and Lola was looking at him smiling widely. She definitely approved.
"You want Callum to adopt me? What does that mean?" Lexi asked.
"It means that Callum would be your second dad, you'd have me and your mum, and then Callum too," Ben explained. And then Lexi was jumping around again.
"I'll take that as a yes then?"
"Yep!" she shouted, pulling Ben into a hug and then Lola joining in. And then it was decided, Ben would ask Callum to adopt Lexi on Christmas morning.
"One last thing though daddy,"
"Yeah, princess?"
"Can I be a bridesmaid, with a really sparkly dress? Pleaseee!?" she begged.
"Yes, of course, but Callum has to say yes first,"
"Okay!"
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It was 6am, December 25th and Ben was lying facing Callum.
"You reckon we have time for a quickie," he asked.
"No, Ben! What if Lexi comes in?"
"But-"
"No buts,"
"That's a sha-"
"Shut up you idiot," Callum said, before pulling him into a rough kiss. Needless to say, Callum didn't stay true to his earlier words and when they came down to open presents with the rest of Ben's family, Lola looked at them and smirked, making Callum turn bright red. They watched Lexi open her presents, seeing her smile every time she tore away the wrapping paper to reveal the present underneath. When Lexi had finally finished, she spoke up.
"Daddy, can we tell Callum what his present is now?" Lexi asked, her smile reaching her eyes. Callum looked at Ben inquisitively and all eyes in the Beale house turned to them.
"Callum Highway, Lo, Lex and I would like for you to adopt Lexi, if that's what you want that is..." Ben said, beginning to doubt himself now. Callum looked at him in shock, his eyes flittering from Lexi, to Lola, to Ben and back.
"Yes! Yes! Of course I will!" he exclaimed pulling Ben, Lexi and Lola into a hug, before pulling back to give Ben a soft kiss.
"Of course there'll be the paper work and everything, but I just wanted to make this little family, he said, pointing at the four of them in turn, "official," he finished.
Now it was lunch time and Ben was dragging Callum out for a walk and as they were walking around the square, Callum intertwined his fingers with Ben and Ben felt immensely proud at how far Callum had come from being the closeted baby gay that he was when they first got together. They were crossing into the park, sitting down and before he knew it, Ben was back up on his feet.
"What are you doing...?" Callum asked, clearly confused.
"Do you remember our first night together? It was right here, right here in this park... So, I figured this was the best place for me to talk to you about this. Callum, you've been with me, by my side through thick and thin, you've stood by me when no-one else would, and God, I love you so much for everything you've done to help me these past years. You've had to work through such hard times to get me out of trouble, and I don't think any amount of thanks could show you how grateful I am that you've stuck by me. Granted, we've had our rough spots, our arguments and disagreements, but the fact that we've got through all of that just proves how strong me and you are. And now that my dad is out of our lives for good, we are stronger than we've ever been before and I don't know why it took me so long to realise that my dad was the source of a lot of our problems. Look, I guarantee that there'll be some tough times ahead, even with him gone, and I guarantee that there'll even be times where one or both of us are gonna want to get out of this thing," he says with a slight laugh," but I also guarantee that if I don't ask you to be mine , I'll regret it for the rest of my life, because I know that you're the one for me. Callum, you are singlehandedly the most amazing, gorgeous, caring, loving and dorky person going and that is why I love you, now let's wrap this up because its getting cringey and I've got a reputation to uphold here," he continued, noticing the small crowd gathering to watch the events unfold. Ben's comment coaxed a small chuckle from Callum," so, Callum Highway, will you marry me?" Ben finished, getting down on one knee as Callum looked on in awe, nodding slightly.
"Is that a yes?" Ben asked.
"Yes, a million times, yes!" And then they were kissing, Callum holding Ben's face in his hands as if Ben were his whole world and Ben bringing his hands down to Callum's hips to pull him closer as the crowd cheered. Then a loud noise came from the direction of the Vic.
"Oi, Halfway, no one wants to see you sucking Mitchell's face off, go and do that at home!" Shirley shouted.
"Oh come on Shirl, I know you're just jealous," Ben shouted back, smirking.
"Leave off!" And then Ben felt hot breath against his ear, shivers travelling down his neck.
"Come on then, lets gets you home and we can have a bit of fun," Callum whispered.
"Ooh, twice in one day, aren't I lucky," Ben teased, before Callum was grabbing his hand and guiding him back to the now empty house, and Ben could tell that this was going to be the best Christmas yet.