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It has been a long time since Edge has seen Stretch looking so nervous. Stretch was not saying anything but Edge could see it. His lover was holding his hands too tight for it to be natural. Edge was not sure why he was so nervous though. Today marked the fifth anniversary of their relationship. It was amazing how time flies. Five years was nothing yet it felt like they had been together forever. But numbers did not matter. Remembering the date was nice but Edge did not like to see Stretch so nervous. Despite all this, he said nothing about it. A few month ago Stretch warned him that he was taking care of everything for the anniversary. He claimed that he had a surprise for him. So Edge was letting him do what he wanted. Maybe it was his surprise that made him so nervous?
Still holding his hand, Stretch lead his lover in their living room. The light was dimmed. In the centre of the room, the table was decorated with some candles and petals scattered around. Edge smiled. It was adorable that Stretch did all this.
Stretch pulled out his chair for him. Edge sat down with a smile, pleased by the attention.
“I know that my cooking will never match yours but I hope that you will like it anyway.”
Stretch was actually a decent cook. Edge knew it. He only cooked more often because he liked to and his mate indulged him.
The dinner was perfect. It had been some time since they had taken the time to actually go on a date together. Neither of them truly missed it. They loved to stay at home, only cuddling with each other. But from time to time, a dinner was nice.
It was over too soon. Edge thought that maybe they would see a movie now. It would be a “classical” date. But for some reason, Stretch still seemed so nervous.
Edge put his hand on Stretch’s, trying to be reassuring. He smiled gently.
“Stretch stop worrying that much, the dinner was perfect.”
“This is not the end,” Stretch said, avoiding his eyes. He was still feeling very nervous but he had prepared this for months. He could not back out now.
Determined, he once again took Edge hands and lead him to the couch. Edge sat down, surprised when Stretch did not sit next to him. He said nothing though, letting Stretch organize what he wanted.
Stretch grabbed a stool to sat in front of Edge. A guitar appeared in his hand. Edge smiled softly, excitation growing inside of him. Stretch had been taking guitar classes for a year and a half now. At first, Edge had been allowed to listen to him. He loved to read on the couch while Stretch was playing the guitar. It was relaxing, even when Stretch would fail sometimes, and awfully domestic. Edge loved it.
But since a few months ago, Stretch would never train with Edge next to him. When Edge had asked about it, Stretch merely responded that it was a secret. Edge let him do what he wanted and did not insist. He missed listening to him though. He was glad that he could finally see what Stretch had been preparing.
“I did not write this song, but I thought that it would fit us.”
Edge nodded. He did not care what song he chose. He knew that it would be perfect anyway.
Some light guitar harmony were heard before Stretch started to sang.
“I met you in the dark, you lit me up”
The Underswap universe barely made it to the surface at that time. Stretch was still so scared that one day he was going to wake up in his old bed in Snowdin. He acted as his usual self on the outside. But inside, he felt like his fear would drown him.
And Edge arrived with his brother. They had travelled with a strange machine only to escape the cruelty of their world. They knew nothing about Underswap.
Stretch did not get along with Edge at first. He was suspicious. These Underfell monster could be dangerous. But… He still remembered the moment when the two brothers saw the sun for the first time. It had been unbelievably adorable and heartwarming. Stretch was not soulless. He did smile at this.
It did not make him love them though. Stretch and Edge argued a lot.They never fought physically. There were just smalls arguments because they did not know each other and never agreed on anything. Stretch never truly realised that these small arguments made him feel better. It was a welcome distraction from his fear.
They were slowly becoming friends. Neither of them knew how this happened. But it did. And they were so glad that it did.
“You made me feel as though I was enough”
They were friends at this time. Stretch was on the edge a breakdown. He was tired of the nightmares, tired of the fear. He almost wished that would go back to Snowdin once and for all. That way, he would be right. He would not be waiting for it to happen. Because it was bound to happen, right? Right?
And one day, Stretch did finally break down in front of Edge. They were having a small argument. The usual for them. But he was just so, so tired. Edge said something. Stretch knew that Edge did not meant a word of it and Stretch did not even remember what he said. But the moment Edge said it, he was crying. Edge had looked so surprised, so remorseful. They argued often but Edge never wanted to hurt him. It was just some kind of harmless game. It was just how they always communicated.
And there Stretch was on the ground, crying about how he was useless. How he could not help anyone. How he could not save his brother and just forget about him to live with the old man in the ruins. How he could not save the old man behind the door and he kept speaking to this door to keep the illusion that he was here. He could not even stop the human when he finally cared. He was just useless. He could do nothing right. He was…
“Don’t say that.” Edge listened to him for a minute before it was enough. He would not let Stretch speak like this about himself.
Edge sat down next to him. He seemed so serious. He was not mocking him for being weak. He said nothing about the tears.
“Don’t you dare say that again. Hear me?”
Stretch said nothing. He only looked at Edge with big eyes full of fear. He could hardly believe that Edge of all people asked this.
“Promise me that you will never say that again,” Edge insisted.
Stretch weakly nodded. Then, Edge hugged him. He never hugged him before. Stretch could feel that he was a bit uncomfortable but would not let him go. He knew that Stretch needed him now so he wouldn’t let go.
“You were not in control.” Edge said slowly. “You cannot blame yourself for something you could not stop.”
Growing up in Underfell, Edge knew that feeling of helplessness. He was aware that sometimes it was really hard to live with. But Stretch needed to forgive himself if he wanted to move on. He was going to let him. And from that moment he never stopped.
“We danced the night away, we drank too much”
Yes, they did. That night, they were still friends but their brothers were dating already. Neither wanted to spend the evening alone though. They went at some bar together and they both drank too much. Stretch had never seen Edge that drunk. He never saw him like that since then.They barely got back to Edge and Red’s house. He remembered that they were giggling stupidly because they were not able to open the door.
“I held your hair back when you were throwing up”
Edge chuckled lightly. If they had hair, he would be the one holding Stretch’s one while he was throwing up. He remembered nights where Stretch would be sick with alcohol, and he would be the one to stroke his back gently.
“Then you smiled over your shoulder, For a minute, I was stone-cold sober”
That smile. Stretch would always remember that smile.They were in the kitchen. Edge tried to get some water. And failing. Stretch asked him if he was okay. And Edge looked over his shoulder, smiling.
“I’m fine,” he chuckled. To be honest, he was feeling fine because Stretch was here with him.
Stretch did not know what had been so breathtaking in this smile. But this smile was etched in his memory. He would never forget it. He had some feelings for Edge already. He liked to think that it was that smile that made him fell so hard. At this moment, he wished that he could make Edge smile like that forever.
“I pulled you closer to my chest And you asked me to stay over”
At that time, Edge did not really like the touch of others, except for his brother. But Stretch could not help himself at the moment. When he realised what he had done, Edge was resting against his chest. He did not protest or reject him. He only closed his eyes to enjoy the contact. Just as if he had been waiting for it for a long time.
“Stay here.” Edge said, eyes still close, unmoving from his position.
“I said, I already told ya I think that you should get some rest”
“I want to rest into your arms,” had whispered a drunk Edge.
Unable to resist to such demand, Stretch had let himself be lead by Edge in his room.
They laid on the bed, facing each other. Stretch closely hugged Edge against him. And they fell asleep like this. They only cuddled this night. They merely stayed against each other while they slept. Stretch still wondered if the night without nightmare was due to the alcohol or the sound of Edge light breathing.
“I knew I loved you then But you'd never know”
Stretch loved him so badly already. This night only increased his feelings. He just never said anything. But he knew. He knew that it was done for him. He was so in love and he felt like nothing would change it.
“'Cause I played it cool when I was scared of letting go”
He had been scared when he realised his feeling. Him? In love with Edge? It could not be. And he slowly accepted it. He lived to see Edge smiling. The sound of his laugh was music to his ears. The way he smiled warmed his soul. He could not bear when someone was too close to Edge. He was perfectly aware that Edge could defend himself but he still wanted to protect him. He felt like he would do anything for him to be happy.
He was in love. He was so in love with him.
“I know I needed you But I never showed”
He tried to keep acting like a friend. He did not want to ruin their friendship with these feelings. And what if Edge did not feel the same way? It scared him. So he played it as if nothing happened. As if they were still friends, even if in his souls he wanted so much more.
After this night, things had been much harder. How to act as a friend when he only wanted to hug him close again? He wanted to sleep next to him. He needed him badly. But he still said nothing.
“But I wanna stay with you until we're grey and old
Just say you won't let go Just say you won't let go
I'll wake you up with some breakfast in bed”
He already did sometimes. Usually when he upset Edge and did not know how to apologize. Edge always complained about the crumbles in bed. But he loved the attention.
“I'll bring you coffee with a kiss on your head”
The kiss on the head was important. Edge rebuke a lot he was not a child anymore. Moreover, they were lovers, Stretch could kiss him on the lips. Stretch knew the truth though. Edge loved it. He loved every gesture of affection Stretch provided. He lived in a world where his brothers and he had to fake hatred towards each other. Now that they left Underfell, Edge craved marks of affection. Edge only complained because he was Edge.
“And I'll take the kids to school Wave them goodbye”
They never talked about kids. But the idea of having kids together was putting a goofy smile on their face. Having a family together. Maybe one day.
“And I'll thank my lucky stars for that night”
And for every night after that. If he could, Stretch’d thank his lucky stars everyday. Because he was with Edge. Because they were in love. Because they had all the time in the world to love each other.
“When you looked over your shoulder For a minute, I forget that we’re older”
It felt like time stopped. It felt like nothing else mattered. It just needed a smile of Edge for him to forget everything else.
“I wanna dance with you right now”
They did not often dance. They almost never did actually. Neither of them was the kind to dance. But sometimes, when they both drink a little, just enough, they would hug and gently move in the rhythm of a song that only they could hear. They would just forget the world around them. It was just Edge and Stretch together, loving each other. Nothing else was important.
“Oh, and you look as beautiful as ever And I swear that everyday you'll get better”
Edge had always been beautiful in Stretch’s eyes. Edge would always say that “of course, I am beautiful.”. It always made Stretch smile. As often, Stretch had learned later that behind this confidence was hiding a weakness. Edge was covered with scars. He wished that he was able to see them proudly. But he was not. In Underfell, he never really paid attention to them. He saw the sadness in Red’s eyes whenever he looked them without really paying attention to it. When he arrived here, people would look at him with such pity in the eyes or disgust, unspoken question on their lips. Edge started to hide them. And at some point, he realised that he hated them too. That he could not look at himself in the mirror.
Stretch changed that. He forced Edge to look at himself through his eyes. He drowned him in compliments. He always meant each and every one of them. And slowly, almost afraid, Edge started to believe his words. He started to love his body once again.
Edge never admit it but when Stretch would gently whisper “You’re beautiful” to him, just like this randomly, he always felt like his soul warmed up. It was stupid. And he could not help it.
"You make me feel this way somehow"
Edge probably did not realise how Stretch was happy with him. They did argue sometimes or they did not understand each other but it did not change anything. It was how they were together. He never felt so alive. So happy. So loved. He never felt so desperately in love.
“I'm so in love with you And I hope you know”
Edge smiled without realising the tears streaming down his face. He knew. And he hoped that Stretch knew that the feeling was shared. He was so helplessly in love with him.
“Darling your love is more than worth its weight in gold”
Of course. Gold could never make him as happy as Edge did. Fuck. He would trade all the gold of the world for Edge. Without hesitation.
“We've come so far my dear Look how we've grown”
They did. They’ve grown so much together. They've changed and they did not regret it.This relationship changed them both for the best.
“And I wanna stay with you until we're grey and old
Just say you won't let go Just say you won't let go
I wanna live with you Even when we're ghosts”
Stretch wished that they could stay together forever. And even after that. The only idea of them being separate broke his soul. He preferred to think that someway, somehow, they would always be together.
“'Cause you were always there for me when I needed you most”
Edge never leave him. Even when Stretch would ask him to.
“Shut up. I know that you need me. So let me take care of you.” Edge answered. Sometimes, especially at first he wondered if it was not better to let him be alone. Maybe it was what he needed? But he saw the despair in Stretch eyes. Stretch wanted him to stay. He badly wanted it. He just worried to much. It was nothing. There was no need for Edge to stay. He would only annoy him. Edge always showed him wrong. He insisted to stay. “I won’t leave you alone.”
Edge would never get tired of him. He never said that he was annoying. He would not leave him. He would always be there for him.
“I'm gonna love you till My lungs give out”
He was. He really was. Stretch could not imagine loving someone else. He would never love someone else more than he was in love with Edge. He was going to love him until he died. He felt it in his bones. In his soul.
“I promise till death we part like in our vows”
If he could, not even death would tear them apart. He would like to think that even in death, even in some kind of afterlife, even in another life, they would find each other again.
“So I wrote this song for you, now everybody knows”
Well, he did not write the song. But the feelings were there. It was almost as if he did write the song. It fit them perfectly.
“'Cause now it's just you and me till we're grey and old”
It was not only Edge and Stretch. They had their brothers. They had friends. But sometimes, it did felt like they were together in the world. Just the two of them. Just the two of them forever.
“Just say you won't let go Just say you won't let go
Just say you won't let go Oh, just say you won't let go”
The moment he put down his guitar, Edge was in his arms, holding him tight.They had both tears on their cheek. Edge hide his face in Stretch shirt.
“I won’t.” Edge whispered. “I promise you that I won’t.”
They stayed against each other a bit longer.They both wanted to never let go. They were crying and smiling, too full of emotions. This song had brought back so many memories. So many reasons why they loved each other. It was overwhelming.
After a moment, they eventually took a small step back from each other.
“It was beautiful Stretch.” Edge said.
“I’m glad that you liked it.”
“I loved it.”
Stretch blushed a little. He had worked so hard on this, hoping to make it perfect. And knowing that Edge loved it filled him with so much joy.
His nervousness was not gone yet though. He had still something very important to do. He slowly breathed in and out. Edge looked at him with confusion in his eyes. What now? Did Stretch had prepared something else?
Stretch took Edge’s hands in his own. He hoped that the physical contact would anchor him. But he was still feeling too apprehensive. The words he had carefully prepared ran away. His mind was blank. For a second, he realised that he could back off. He did not say anything yet. Maybe… Maybe the song alone was enough.
And then he looked into Edge’s eyes. No. He needed to do it. Now was the perfect moment. He loved Edge, Edge loved him, he could do it. He did not let the nervousness come back. He spoke with his soul :
“I know that we’ve been together for only five years. But… But I can’t see my life without you by my side. These five years have been the happiest one in my life. I want this happiness to go on and on. I want us to stay together forever.”
Fuck. In the movies, the words always felt perfect. Now, in his mouth, they only felt clumsy and weird. But he kept going. This was how he was feeling. He needed Edge to know it.
“Edge. Papyrus. I love you so much. I just want you to be mine forever and I want to be yours forever.”
He put a knee on the ground and reached down to his pocket. In his shaking hands, he held a small box. Edge gasped when he realised what was happening. He said nothing, watching Stretch opening the box. Inside it was a silver ring with a small ruby on it. It was perfect.
“Would you marry me?” He asked, unable to stop his voice from shaking. Unable to keep the fear away.
What if Edge refused? What if it was too soon? What if he lost him because he was stupid?
Edge’s voice cut down his insecurities.
“Yes! Of course, I will marry you!” His voice was shaking too. But not because of fear. He was not sure what it was though. Emotion? Overwhelming joy? He did not know. He did not care. He could think of anything else than Stretch’s proposal.
He started to cry again as he gave his hands to Stretch. His hands still shaking, Stretch put the ring on Edge’s finger.
Now Edge was all his. And he was all Edge’s. They hugged.
“Fuck, I love so much I feel like I couldn’t breathe without you. I love you.” Edge said between sobs, almost desperately holding his lover against him. Stretch was not in a better shape. Edge had said yes. He almost could not believe it.
“I love you too. You’re mine and I’m yours. And I love you so much, love you, love you…” His voice disappeared with a whisper. “Love you…”