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“I’m not proposing now, cause you deserve better than some last ditch effort, but I have a ring. I’ve had it for months, even though everyone I spoke to told me it was too early. It’s in a box in the drawer of our dresser, in our bedroom, in our home. I know you quit your job, and you already accepted the new one, but you can’t leave cause you’re my entire life and I didn’t know I was allowed to ask you to stay.”
“Evan, I’m going to miss my flight. You can’t just—“
“I can, I can just. Because it’s my life too. You can say that you’re still leaving, even though I don’t want you to, but you’ve always told me that I can tell you what I want, and that it’s ok to be selfish. So I’m being selfish. I want you to stay, I’m asking you to stay, and I really hope you do.”
Tommy moves away from the security line, his heart beating so loud that it overshadows all the chaos of the airport; the people rushing to make their flights, dragging suitcases across the polished tiled floors, while others stand in line, talking loudly while they wait for their turn to empty their items into little bins, or order food from the cafe conveniently located just before security.
But everything fades out as he focuses on Evan, who hasn’t stopped rambling, his words spilling out faster as Tommy gets closer to him.
“Tommy, I love you. More than I ever thought was possible. I can’t imagine my life without you. I told you I couldn’t leave L.A. because my family is here, but you’re part of that family too. You and I are something really special, and we can’t be over, we can’t end like this, I won’t let it happ–”
Tommy cuts Evan off with a passionate kiss that Evan responds to immediately; his lips move against Tommy’s on an instinct that’s been developed in the short time he’s gotten to love Tommy.
It’s reminiscent of their first kiss, the way Tommy interrupts Evan in the middle of a sentence, the two fingers tilting his chin up, how he slots their lips together and how they fit perfectly.
Unlike their first kiss, though, this one is filled with the love and desperation of two people who have fought like hell to be with each other, who still want to be with each other. Evan’s hand clasps the back of his neck just the same as it did that first time, but the touch is less hesitant, and this time, his other hand fists into Tommy’s shirt, holding on tight, pulling him as close as physically possible.
Though the biggest difference is that this time, Evan is the one who pulls away first. Tommy chases after his lips, and Evan indulges him with a few quick kisses, and then cups Tommy’s face with his hands.
“Tommy,” he whispers, almost whines, and Tommy just has to kiss him again for it; for the way his voice is full of yearning. But Evan doesn’t let him get further than a quick peck, pulling away again far too quickly for Tommy’s liking.
“Tom–Tommy, sweetheart, we already did this part. We already said goodbye last night, and then again this morning. If this is you saying goodbye for a third time, I need you to make it final, ‘cause I can’t tell you to go, but I can’t miss you til you’re gone.”
Tommy pulls Evan’s hands away from his face, grasping them in his.
“No, baby, I’m not–this isn’t another goodbye,” he says, “I’m trying to tell you that I’m staying.”
“You are?” Evan asks, eyes shining with unshed tears, “Really?”
“Yes, of course I’m staying; I want nothing more than to stay. I want to go home so we can unpack my stuff and have sex in our bed. I want to marry you, and give you my last name–or I’ll take yours, if you want, I just want us and our kids to all have the same name.
“Our kids?” Evan breathes out, like he’s in awe.
“Yeah, our kids. I want to have kids with you and get a dog like we’ve been talking about. I want to share a house, a home , until we’re old and gray, and then we’ll share a room in a retirement home; I’ll torment the staff and you’ll apologize to everyone on behalf of your grumpy husband. I’ll get away with anything ‘cause you’ll be the adorable old man with the great stories that everyone loves - they’ll have to put up with me cause they want you, but we come as a package deal.”
An announcement over the loudspeaker paging Tommy to his gate interrupts his train of thought.
“You’re going to miss your flight.” Evan reminds him, failing to hide his pleased grin.
Tommy rolls his eyes, but matches Evan’s grin with one of his own. “Good,” he says, “I didn’t want to get on the plane anyway. I hate letting other people fly me around.”
He takes a moment to gather his thoughts before continuing.
“I want to spend forever with you, and if I can’t have that, then I want to be with you for all the time we have left. I’m not kissing you in the airport as one final goodbye, I’m kissing you as a hello, I’m here, and this is the beginning of the rest of our lives.”
Evan doesn’t even hesitate for a moment. “Ok.”
“Ok?”
“Yeah, ok. I mean, you stole my big moment with this whole speech about how I get to have you for the rest of our lives. What else am I supposed to say?” Evan asks with a laugh, ““I’ll think about it” or–or “thanks for telling me”? This is exactly what I wanted - you’re staying, and you’re mine.”
“Evan,” Tommy whispers his name, pulling him close. “I’ve been yours since the moment I met you, and I always will be.”
They stay there, sharing the same space and air, for longer than either of them know. Then, Tommy presses a kiss to Evan’s cheek, before grabbing his hand and pulling him away from security.
“Whoa, Tommy! What’s the rush? You just said we have all the time in the world!” Evan asks, laughing as he lets himself be dragged through the crowds of people.
“We have to get home. I think you have a ring that belongs to me.”
Evan stops walking then, and Tommy turns to look at him.
“Unless,” Tommy starts, “unless you were joking about the whole ring in the dresser thing. Which is fine, I guess, although it would be a really terrible way to start our engagement. People are going to ask how we got engaged and I’m going to have to tell them you lied to me–”
“Tommy, Tommy, wait. I told you that I wasn’t proposing now. I don’t want our proposal story to be some last ditch effort to make you stay,” Evan responds. “Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned it at all, but I needed to get your attention.”
“Baby–”
“No, please, just listen.” Evan takes a deep breath in an effort to calm his nerves, but Tommy doesn’t let him continue his thought.
“Marry me, Evan.” He says, voice firm and sure.
Whatever Evan was saying gets lost as he stops talking, processing what Tommy’s said. He stares, speechless and dazed, trying to figure how to respond. He tries and fails to start a sentence several times, and then gives up, just gesturing for Tommy to continue.
“You’re worried that if you propose now, I’ll think that it’s just because you want me to stay. Or, you’re worried that other people will think that, or that they’ll think it’s too early.”
Tommy shakes his head and chuckles, stepping forward to tenderly grab hold of Evan’s hands.
“God, you think too much.”
Evan huffs out a laugh, but his gaze never leaves Tommy’s face.
“Screw what everyone else thinks,” Tommy continues, “this is the perfect way to get engaged.”
Evan tries to protest, but Tommy doesn’t let him.
“No, Evan, listen, just think about it. The only reason we broke up is because we’re both idiots. We didn’t have a fight, no one cheated, there’s nothing keeping us apart. There was just a major miscommunication.”
“Tommy,” Evan says, finally managing to interrupt him. “I don’t have the best track record with relationships, and I’m definitely not an expert, but I’m fairly certain that it’s not the best idea to start a lifelong commitment on the heels of a misunderstanding so big that it led to a breakup.”
They’re both quiet, just staring at each other as they let the last little while sink in.
Tommy’s the first to break the silence. “You haven’t said no, Evan.”
“I haven’t,” he confirms.
“Does that mean..?” Tommy trails off.
“Look, it’s crazy. I mean, we just got back together, what, ten minutes ago?” Evan asks, taking a step away from Tommy as he tries to sort out his thoughts.
“Uh huh.” Tommy nods, a smile blooming on his face as he reaches out to grab Evan’s arm. But Evan shrugs him off, pacing back and forth in front of the check in area.
“And we have a lot to talk about, ‘cause this can’t happen again.”
“That’s true.” Tommy responds, his smile growing bigger. He lets Evan continue talking as he guides them away from the crowds of people bustling around them, dropping his arm once they’re out of everyone's way, only for Evan to resume his pacing.
“I mean it, Tommy. I want a ring, and a wedding, and your last name, but none of that’s going to happen if you wake up one day and decide to accept a job in some other country without even telling me first.”
“I promise.”
“And how are we supposed to afford anything, huh? Obviously we’re not selling the house anymore, which means we have a mortgage, plus weddings are expensive, then there’s the honeymoon, and you-you big, stupid idiot! You quit your job here, and now you have to quit your new one, so–”
Evan pauses his rant and his pacing, taking in the way Tommy is staring at him. There’s a huge smile spread across his face, showing off the smile lines by his eyes that Evan adores. His eyes are shiny with unshed tears, and his expression is so full of love it makes Evan’s heart squeeze in his chest.
“Why are you staring at me like that?” he asks, confused.
“Because,” Tommy says, laughing wetly. “You’re right, this is crazy. But you’re going on about rings and last names and how I’m not allowed to leave you again, and that you’re worried about how we’re going to afford our house and our wedding and our honeymoon when I don’t have a job.”
“I think I have a right to worry about these things.” Evan defends himself, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Absolutely you do,” Tommy agrees, “because these are important things we have to discuss about our future. But the only reason you’d be worrying about all this is because you’re saying yes.”
Evan’s arms drop to his sides, his face carefully neutral.
“Evan,” Tommy asks with bated breath. “Are you saying yes?”
A grin breaks out on Evan’s face as he reaches out for Tommy before he even answers the question. Tommy moves towards him, quickly closing the distance between them. Once he’s close enough, Tommy grabs Evan’s shoulder and yanks him in, their bodies colliding. He wraps his arms around Evan, one gripping onto the back of Evan’s shirt while the other tangles into his hair. He buries his face in Evan’s shoulder, while Evan loops his arms around Tommy’s neck, pulling him in closer, and kissing Tommy’s temple. They both pull back at the same time, Tommy gripping Evan’s hips while Evan cradles Tommy’s face in his hands.
“Tommy,” Evan whispers, pressing their foreheads together. “I’m saying yes.”