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When you met Joey, you could never have imagined just how much it’d change your life. In a matter of months you had found your place in the world, and you had found it by his side. And it wasn’t hard to fall into step with him, the comfortable routine always felt just right for you two. Somehow, even early on, it was weirder to imagine life without Joey than with him, so you didn’t. After all, why would you want to imagine something as horrible as that?
In a way, seeing Joey doing something that makes you this happy reminds you of being a child. The wonder and amazement that it brought about for the simplest things, that’s what Joey was like for you.
And that’s why you’re here, throwing on your thickest of coats over his baggy t-shirt that you had been sleeping in and walking downstairs at 3 o’clock in the morning. Because it was thundering out, and you couldn’t find Joey in bed anymore. And because you knew Joey sometimes too well, you were dragging your tired body across the living room and up to the front door to peer through the window and see him exactly where you knew he’d be. And then you’re opening the door to get a better look because god, when will you get a chance like this again, and so you just look .
He’s just sitting there. He’s in the middle of a street that’s not busy but it’s not not busy and it’s absolutely fucking pouring down rain because you’re in the worst storm des moine has had in years and he’s just sitting there. And so you call out to him, trying desperately to get your voice heard over the roars of thunder that keep rumbling through. And then he’s snapping his head up to see you and standing up to walk over to you. And he grabs you and pulls you into a kiss, so tender and warm, and you let him grab your hand afterwards and tug you toward the spot he was just sitting in.
“What are you DOING?” you’re laughing, so curious to see what he could possibly be trying to show you.
“Wanna dance”
You’re caught off guard by that, because when the fuck has Joey wanted to dance before ever, let alone so urgently that he has to drag you out in the rain in the middle of the night, but you just let him. And then he’s twirling you and pulling you close to his chest. He keeps you there while he sways you gently back and forth and presses soft kisses to the top of your head and for a few seconds you almost forget the absurdity of it all.
And then he’s tilting your head up with his finger under your chin to make you look at him and you're sure you look an absolute mess with your hair stuck down to your face and the last remnants of yesterdays mascara streaked down your cheeks and telling you he loves you and how amazing you are and everything else nice about you and you’re absolutely freezing but you still listen to every word.
“Marry me”
And somehow, after everything else, that’s the least shocking thing to happen so far. If it were anyone else, you’d have been surprised. But it wasn’t, it was Joey, and of course this is how this would happen.
“Ok”
And then he’s smiling that smile of his that makes you feel so much love for him that it almost hurts and kissing you again. You’re near hypothermic by now but you still lean into it because you love him that much, and nothing else matters anymore.
When you walk back inside, you’re both soaked to the bone and shivering like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs but it’s fine because everything is fine now. And you run upstairs as fast as you can to peel your wet clothes off and get in bed to conserve body heat. And in his arms you have never felt safer or more cherished and that’s worth more than any stupid fucking diamond ring to signify your love. The only testament to it that you needed was living and breathing right next to you.
But in the morning you ask Joey if he was serious and he doesn’t respond, just goes to his dresser and pulls out a little black jewelry box. And when he pulls it open to reveal a ring he tells you that he had been planning to ask you way before last night and you don’t even have to look twice at the ring before you’re pulling him up to kiss him, and you’ve never felt more in love in your life, and it’s beautiful. It’s beautiful and more perfect than any “perfect proposal” you could imagine but most importantly it’s him. God, it’s him.