All right, I know everyone and their uncle Gardiner has written a proposal fic, but I just couldn't resist the urge to mess around with it and basically turn every trope on its head. For that reason, some of you may hate this. But I hope others will like it. It's mostly finished, but I've decided to post it in chapter segments to prolong it as long as possible. I can't be the only one going through LBD withdrawal. ;)

They did a lot of things out of order.

Their first dance happened about ten minutes after they met. The first time they slept under the same roof happened long before the inception of their relationship – not to mention long before she wanted to be under the same roof as him. He confessed his love – the first time – before they'd had one conflict-free conversation, not to mention actually started dating. Said dating still hadn't started when they had their first kiss. And second. And third, and maybe so many they lost count. She said yes to a date months after it had passed its expiration.

They worked out the wrinkles. They forgave and forgot and appreciated everything they had learned from doing things topsy-turvy and backwards, and in the end decided maybe it was the best possible way it could have happened. Being together a mere week and a half before a six-week separation was somehow easier coupled with an entire year of being acquainted and reacquainted and re-reacquainted with each other. It was still hard, of course, but they agreed it was nothing compared to that endless period between her departure from Pemberley and his arrival at her house, those interminable weeks filled with uncertainty and unresolved feelings and questions. The six weeks leading up to her graduation were filled with far better things.

So it wasn't really a surprise, given the unconventional nature of their relationship milestones, that everything leading up to their marriage happened out of order.

The first time they talked about marriage was during their first week of dating. That wasn't Lizzie or William's doing so much as her mother's. It was inevitable that the topic would come up when he dined with the Bennet family, no matter how diligently they attempted to steer the conversation toward other subjects. They both kept their responses toward Mrs. Bennet vague and noncommittal, but things were different when they were alone.

"We could just try to ignore it," Lizzie said later that evening, while they strolled down the street hand in hand, still reeling from Mrs. Bennet's heavy-handed hints at dinner. "But let's face it, the M-word isn't going to go away."

"Do you wish it would?" William's gaze was directed straight ahead; she couldn't quite read his expression.

"Well…." Her hand tightened in his. "It's just a little premature, isn't it?"

"Probably."

"I do have to say, though," she went on, and wondered why she wasn't absolutely terrified about what she was about to say. "I've had my mother harp on me about my 'marriage prospects' pretty much my entire life. When I wasn't dating anyone, it was just annoying. When I was dating someone, it was embarrassing and kind of a relationship killer."

"Did your mother scare off many of your suitors?" he asked, and she had to giggle that he wouldn't just use an ordinary word like boyfriend.

"Uh, sometimes. And sometimes I scared them off. Sometimes my mom made me so furious I just kind of – ruined things. But I'm getting off topic here. My point is, tonight I didn't feel – quite as annoyed. I mean, it was annoying, don't get me wrong. And embarrassing. But not the same way it used to be."

He turned and met her eyes, and their warmth assured her she could keep going.

"What I mean is, I used to get this kind of angry knot in my stomach whenever my mom brought up marriage. And tonight, I didn't. Just kind of rolled my eyes and moved on." She smiled. "I think that means something."

"I think so too."