Chapter Text
Rich was snoring loudly and it was impeding Jake’s ability to sleep. He’d forgotten to pick up allergy pills and it was fucking them both over. He groans and rolls away from Rich, putting his pillow over his head and groaning. Furious pounding on the door jerks Rich from his slumber.
“HEY FUCKWAD THE WALLS ARE RATTLING WITH YOUR SNORING CUT THAT SHIT OUT.” James’ irritated voice comes through the door and Jake laughs.
“I don’t snore that loud,” Rich grumbles sitting up and crossing his arms.
Jake stretches out, grinning up at Rich, “sorry babe, but you totally do.”
Rich throws himself down across Jake’s chest. “I think I’m dying. I can’t breathe.”
“I think I know how you feel,” he coughs over-exaggeratedly as Rich squirms, trying to find a comfortable way to lay. He eventually settles for scooting mostly back onto the bed and resting his head on Jake’s chest, right above his heart. Within minutes he’s back to snoring and Jake sighs, it appeared that he might need to invest in some earplugs.
He was just starting to drift off when their door was thrown open. He couldn’t see who was in the door but he figured it was James based on the fact he pointed at the bed angrily, “Fuck you both. I’m sleeping in my car because of that asshole and the fact you refuse to smother him and you won’t let me do it.” He slams the door behind himself and the apartment door slams a moment later. Jake smothers a laugh and squeezes Rich before letting himself get comfortable and drift off.
~~~
Deciding where to go to college was stressful for both boys. In the end they decided to stay right where they were and commute to the state college that was only half an hour away. Rich had regained his love of school and was pursuing an engineering degree. He loved his classes and the work they assigned him. Jake was studying biochemistry after becoming enamored with the dual credit science class he took senior year.
James would laugh at them and call them a pair of nerds whenever they’d start talking about their classes. Lucy had slowly become a permanent fixture in their small family, and since she’d moved in with them, she’d started begging James to let them get a dog. He was strong for about three days, and then, much to the boys happiness, he consented to ‘just look’ at a few dogs at the shelter and local rescues.
In the end, Lucy had to put her foot down, telling James that they could only have one dog because four people and one dog was already going to be too much for their small apartment.
They ended up with a little black and white pitbull puppy that Rich and Jake had immediately stolen and kept in their room with them. Jake took the puppy on runs with him, glad that he was finally starting to feel more normal when it came to physical activity. The little dog had adopted the two boys just as quickly, leaving James to beg lucy for another puppy. She said not until they moved into a house. James had frowned and then had started looking at houses on the sly.
~~~
Jake was pacing back and forth across the living room, tugging at his hair anxiously while James and Lucy sat on the couch and looked at him with twin looks of amusement. The puppy was trailing after him uncertainly.
“Guys this is serious, our two year anniversary is coming up and I need to do something seriously amazing for him I can’t have a repeat of last year.” He bangs his head against the wall in frustration, trying in vain to come up with something he considered worthwhile. The puppy barked unhappily and Jake drops his hand to pet him on the head without thinking about it.
“I already told you what to do.” James shrugs and Lucy slaps him on the shoulder lightly.
“James we’ve been over this. Helpful suggestions only. And telling Jake to ‘fucking grow a pair and introduce Rich to his parents’ isn’t helpful.” The look she turns on James makes him look chagrined. “Jake, what about this, are you sure you love Rich?” Jake gives her an incredulous look and she laughs. “Just checking. What about proposing?”
Jake freezes from where he had been pacing and the puppy smacks into the back of his legs. The thought had crossed his mind a dozen times already, but he wasn’t sure that Rich was ready. He turns to look at James. “You talk to him a lot, would he say yes?”
James grins at him in a way that isn’t exactly reassuring. Lucy slaps her hand over his mouth before he can say anything. “Of course he would. He loves you.” She stands and kisses James quickly. “We can go ring shopping together, that way if this idiot,” she hooks her thumb over her shoulder at James, “gets his act together he’ll know what to buy.” She winks and him and lets herself out.
~~~
Rich was pacing around Chloe and Brooke’s apartment while they occupied the beanbag chair in front of the TV. “Guys what should I do for Jake for our anniversary?” He’s completely distraught, trying to come up with something. The thought of proposing kept crossing his mind but he brushed it away, not sure that Jake was ready to take that step yet. They hadn’t ever really talked about it, they were only freshmen in college after all.
“Stop.” Chloe commands after he had been pacing their apartment for close to three hours. “Get your keys and your coat. We’re going to buy a ring so you can stop bugging me and Brooke, and we can get back to our lives. Send me a video of the proposal, and as touching as it was that you came to us for advice, please never do it again.” She shoves him out the door, just wanting some down time with her girlfriend between classes.
~~~
Rich and Jake were out to dinner for their anniversary, both of them had small ring boxes tucked into their pants pockets. When Jake had called and told Chloe his plan she had started laughing, which only served to feed his anxiety.
Both boys were growing more anxious by the moment and neither one could eat the food they’d ordered. They reluctantly packed it up into to-go boxes, both of them planning to propose on the walk they had planned after dinner. The waiter had looked at them curiously when their plates remained virtually untouched but they brushed it off and went about their night, stopping at the car to leave the food before strolling down the street hand in hand.
As they started nearing the park--and the spot both boys had planned on proposing--Jake started to fidget. He was giving himself an internal pep-talk, convincing himself that there was some remote chance that Rich would say yes.
This was it. They stopped and turned to each other, and simultaneously dropping to one knee. Rich was crying as he cupped Jake’s face in his hands. “Are you going to do what I think you’re going to do?” He asks, smiling through his tears.
Jake wipes the tears off of Rich’s face and nods. He pulls the box out and when Rich starts to say something he shushes him. “No, let me s-say this. I’ve been planning it for weeks.” He takes a deep breath and grins down at Rich. Now or never. “Richard Goranski, I love you with my entire soul. Before I met you, I didn’t believe that soulmates existed. But then your beautiful face stumbled into my world and I was a gonner. The way you stuttered, your lisp, how smart you are. But, I was too nervous to say anything, and I’m sorry it took me three years and a near death experience to make me tell you, but I’m glad I did. You’ve saved my life, so many times, just by being you.
“You’re my best friend and the love of my life. These last two years have been the best two years of my life. You’re crazy supportive and protective and make sure that I know I could do anything I set my mind to. Well, this is what I’ve set my mind to, so, will you, Richard Goranksi, do me the honor of becoming my husband--er well, fiance?” He’s blushing darkly and they’re both crying as Rich throws himself into Jake’s arms and kisses him soundly.
“Obviously I’ll marry you,” he’s grinning widely as Jake slips the ring he picked out onto Rich’s finger. “Now, it’s my turn, although, how I’m going to follow that...” Rich clears his throat roughly before grabbing Jake’s hands. “You’re literally my lifesaver, and I honestly can’t imagine my life without you in it. I used to watch fairy tales and wish for a prince like the ones in the story to swoop in and save me. Well, after I met you, I didn’t have to wish anymore. You’re my prince, my knight in shining armor, my best friend, my soulmate, and so much more. You saved me when I needed it most, you came after me, even though you had to scoot yourself down the stairs on your ass,” he chuckles shakily, “You stayed with me in the hospital, you put up with my crazy brother and his girlfriend, you put up with my snoring and you buy me allergy pills when you know I’ve forgotten.
“I could not ask for a more perfect man because he does not exist. You are the epitome of everything I’ve ever dreamed up in my head. I promise, that if you give me the chance, I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to prove to you just how much you mean to me. Marry me?” He’s holding the box now and Jake’s crying, nodding through his tears as he grips Rich’s arm tightly.
They kneel there for a long while, leaning on each other heavily, trading kisses and sweet words. As they’re standing up Jake laughs, “I can’t believe we separately planned to propose at the same spot at the same time.” He wraps his arm around Rich’s shoulders, not wanting to let his fiance go just yet. Rich seems completely on board with this as he wraps his arm around Jake’s middle.
Jake laughs to himself and grins down at Rich, “I can’t believe I thought you would say no.”
“Why would I have said no?” Rich’s eyebrows are furrowed as he looked down at the ring on his finger.
“Because we’re too young, or you got tired of me and my issues, I don’t know.” He looks away, not wanting the embarrassment to show on his face.
“People marry their high school sweethearts all the time, and I could never get tired of your issues, they’re a part of you, and I love you.” Rich speeds up and blocks Jake’s path, forcing him to stop. “You know that, right?”
Jake fidgets for a few seconds, “yeah, logically I know that, but that doesn’t stop me from thinking it sometimes.”
Rich hugs him tightly, “whenever you start thinking like that come and find me. No matter what I’m doing or where I am, I will always tell you that I love you.”