“I didn’t come here expecting to leave with a boyfriend at all. I’m just surprised, shocked, and super happy that it’s Dean," Lesley remarked at the start of the finale of The Bachelor Winter Games. Aww. She and Dean connected almost immediately and were all coupled-up and googly-eyed throughout almost the entirety of the show, so of course viewers are wondering about their relationship now. Are Dean & Lesley living together? The Winter Games lovebirds shared an adorable moment on Thursday's dramatic World Tells All special.
What... What's going on...? Is Dean getting down on one knee? OMG. It's happening. He's gonna... Nope. That was pretty much the narrative in our head when Dean trolled — OK, faked out — Bachelor Nation and his girlfriend Lesley (although we have to guess she knew it was coming or that'd be kinda mean?) when he pulled a non-proposal move on Feb. 22's reunion extravaganza. Turns out the Bachelorette alum from Rachel Lindsay's season was just asking her hand in co-habitation. But that didn't make it any less adorable.
"I have a question to ask you, do you mind?" Dean asked his girlfriend. "Before I ask you a question there’s one thing I need to tell you. I need you to tell you I do love you." Lesley responded "I love you, too" before the entire audience got super confused. He proceeded to get down on one knee and ask Lesley a serious question, but not the one we all thought. “You always need a place to call home and because of that, will you accept this key to my house?”
And the answer was... drum roll, please... YES. She said yes, people! Joyful cheers from the audience and Bachelor Nation erupted, because everyone loves them some Lesley and Dean. They're one of the undeniable fan fave couples from the entire franchise. Ever.
Dean lives in Los Angeles and Lesley hops all over the globe for her job — she's a travel writer who has an informative and breathtaking blog called The Road Les Traveled. Although the world is her office (the About section on her site says she's "currently based out of an overweight suitcase"), but wouldn't be nice if she could put that suitcase somewhere like Dean's when she's not on the road?
Throughout the course of Winter Games, Dean and Lesley have gotten incredibly close. Before heading into the Fantasy Suite in the finale, they spoke openly about their feelings and Lesley was admirably honest about her hesitations on moving forward with their relationship because of the double mastectomy she underwent the previous year. Thankfully, Dean was nothing but supportive.
“I think she approaches every situation with such wide-eyed enthusiasm,” Dean gushed of his soon-to-be-roomie on Thursday's reunion special. "No matter how big or small an obstacle is, you approach it with such a positive attitude.” Can't hate on a sweet compliment like that. We totally ship Lesley and Dean 4 eva.
Even Ben Higgins, who left the show in the third episode after a tearful realization that he just wasn't ready to date in that environment, agrees that his former housemates Lesley and Dean could make a long-lasting bond work. He told E! News,
And I don't want to give up on Lesley and Dean, there's a lot there. I think they have this relationship that's very real and there's a lot of love that's deep down. I think they're going to butt heads a lot, but I think they really love each other.
They might not be heading down the aisle, but Dean and Lesley are heading into a new chapter in their lives.
