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As soon as the movie ends, the credits start to roll, and Jackson can feel his heart starting to beat faster and his hands start to sweat, which shouldn't be happening because he's supposed to have this under control. He's supposed to be ready.
Stiles reads the first credits as he usually does and doesn't look at him immediately. As people from other seats are starting to get up to leave the room, Jackson checks the right pocket of his jacket again and everything is right, it's still there as it was when they left the flat that evening. He takes it out and keeps it hidden in his right hand, out of Stiles's sight.
"What did you think? Did you like it? It was awesome, wasn't it?" Stiles asks with that familiar spark in his eyes when he looks at Jackson.
"Yeah, yeah, sure... it was awesome," Jackson says, his voice less convincing and more distracted than he intended.
Stiles snorts. "Yeah, right... you don't have to lie just because it was my idea. You chose the last time and it was my turn," Stiles says as he waves his arms.
"I know," Jackson says defensively.
"It's freaking Star Wars, Jackson... The most epic film saga in the history of cinema."
"I know that too..." Jackson raises his eyebrows and smiles because he'd rather not contradict Stiles and start an argument with him right now. "It was fun, seriously," Jackson nods.
"Fun?" Stiles rolls his eyes dramatically. "Running with your pack mates is fun. An old episode of The Big Bang Theory is fun. This is sci-fi awesomeness of another level, Jackson. Do you realize that this might be the last Star Wars movie ever? No more adventures through the galaxy... no more BB-8, R2-D2, C-3PO --"
"Okay, okay, yes, I get it," Jackson interrupts him. "It's the end of a freaking era. I'm so sorry I don't appreciate such level of awesomeness as much as I should... but not everybody is such a Star Wars freak as you are," Jackson says matter-of-factly.
"I'm not a freak." Stiles arcs his right eyebrow.
"Oh yes, you are, you're one of the biggest sci-fi freaks I know and that's okay, you are who you are, y'know?"
Stiles snorts, "I am who I am? Seriously?"
"Yeah, you're who you are and I like who you are or I wouldn't be sitting here with you right now..." Jackson realizes that the conversation is not going exactly the way he planned but then again, things with Stiles rarely go according to plan, so he's got to stop it right there and get to the point... get to the reason why they are still sitting with the John Williams theme playing in the background.
"Look Stiles, I love you, and...” Jackson takes Stiles right hand and places the little box he was holding inside, then he closes Stiles's fingers around it.
"This is for you. Open it," Jackson smirks.
Stiles looks at the hand as he opens his fingers and finds a blue velvet box inside.
"What's this?" Stiles asks, obviously surprised.
"What do you think?" Jackson raises his eyebrows.
"I..." Stiles is having trouble finding the right words. He looks at Jackson before looking back at the box in his hand. "I know what it looks like. I just... I didn't see this coming."
"Will you just open it?" Jackson has never been a very patient person and he's waited long enough for Stiles to see it since he got it a couple of weeks ago.
"Yeah, I guess I should, right?" Stiles licks his lips nervously.
Jackson simply nods again.
Stiles opens the box carefully and there's a beautiful ring inside.
"Wow," escapes from Stiles’s lips.
"Jackson, I..." Stiles tries to say something but nothing comes out of his mouth.
Jackson smiles because he's not used to a speechless Stiles and it sure is fun to see.
"I know that there are a lot of reasons why we shouldn't work, y'know? I'm sure your father would easily give you a thousand if you asked him... but I don't care. I've never cared... Because there are even more reasons why we do work. All I know is that I wouldn't be the person I am today if you weren't with me... and to be honest, I'm still not sure why you are with me... but the thing is that you are, and I love you, and I want you with me, always. I want you to be my husband. I want us to be a family. You might think it's too early, but I don't think so... I think that when you know, you know. So yeah, will you marry me?"
Stiles can't believe that Jackson has waited the whole movie to ask him this, he's sure he wouldn't have been able to do it. And as surprised as he is, he can't say this is totally unexpected because he's been thinking about it as well since they moved in together.
Stiles looks at the ring again. It looks like white gold but Stiles is certainly not an expert on jewelry... whatever it is, it looks quite fancy and expensive. It isn't too wide and has different Roman numbers inside in a random order. It's not your typical engagement ring -not that Stiles has seen many engagement rings anyway- but it looks like the kind of thing that Jackson would buy and he immediately loves it.
"You like it?" Jackson bites his lower lip.
"It's..." Stiles can't take his eyes away from it. "It's beautiful... I love it..."
Jackson smiles and can't help but remember Lydia's words when she assured Stiles would most probably freak out when he saw it.
Jackson, he's gonna be speechless when he sees it, I promise you, Lydia said when he was trying to take a decision.
"I never thought that anybody would buy me something like this," Stiles says sincerely.
"And I never thought I'd buy it for anybody, so we're even." Because that's the truth, as a teenager, Jackson never saw himself spending the rest of his life with just one person. The possibilities of finding someone that he loved who also loved him back seemed pretty slim back then.
"Jackson... You do realize that we argue fifty percent of the time, right?"
The fact is that Jackson knows that these are Stiles's irrational fears talking, but that is his thing, that is what he does when he sees a major change coming. Like when they discussed living together after college. Stiles came up with the most varied ideas not to do it, but in the end, he gave up and admitted he was just afraid it wouldn't work out because sharing a space to live was very different from going on holiday together.
"If we've been living together for six months and we haven't killed each other, I say we're good," Jackson says amused, raising his eyebrows.
"And what about your parents?"
"What about them?" Jackson shakes his head, confused.
"Last time we met, they barely talked to me. Every time we meet them, they always focus on you, your studies, your future... it's clear they don't like me. I feel invisible most of the time. And when you told them we were moving in together, I thought your father was gonna have a seizure."
"That's not true, they've never told me anything negative about you."
"And nothing positive, either."
"Look, they are how they are, they are not the warmest people but you have to give them some credit... they've accepted a lot of changes and they've supported me since then. But anyway, where's this coming from? I thought you didn't care what they thought."
"I don't... But they are your parents, and marriage... Well, that's serious. I'm sure they have a strong opinion about it."
"And who doesn't?" Jackson cups Stiles's right cheek with his hand. "Stiles, this is about you and me and nobody else." Jackson cups his other cheek as well. "Will. You. Marry. Me?" He repeats, stressing every word.
Stiles simply smiles.
"Of course I'll marry you. I love you, you dickhead. You're stuck with me till death do us part and all that shit."
Stiles can barely finish the sentence before he can feel Jackson's lips crushing against his. Their teeth clack together awkwardly for a moment because that's how it is all the time. It's familiar but unexpected; it's comforting but exciting at the same time.
The way they kiss and the way they fuck is never the same, it's never boring. And saying yes is easy, because no matter how many arguments they have, they always find their way back to each other. And actually, they are really back where it started and Stiles wants to laugh because when their thing started he never pictured Jackson as the romantic type, and if he thinks about where they are and the soundtrack to this moment, he can barely believe it... It's just too surreal. And perfect too, in that strange kind of way in which the important things have always happened in his life.
Jackson's right hand moves slowly to the back of his neck, keeping him anchored, and Stiles can feel the softness of his fingers against his skin.
Stiles's free hand imitates Jackson's as he grabs his neck before running his fingers through the hair over his nape.
Jackson's lips are warm and soft as they brush against his own. They are insistent with excitement and Stiles tilts his head to the right to allow them a better access.
He'll never get tired of Jackson's tongue sliding against his lips, the way it feels and makes him anticipate his next move. The way it would ache inside if they suddenly moved apart.
Soon their tongues touch and as they explore each other's mouths, the taste of popcorn adds a delicious reminder of where they are. The smell of popcorn is still in the air and Stiles feels his senses overwhelmed with all kinds of emotions. Eagerness, passion, pleasure, arousal, happiness... he can feel all that in that moment and he knows it's something he will always remember.
It feels like the kind of kiss that says "I want you forever and I'm never letting you go." A very different kind of kiss from the first one they had in a room similar to this one all those years ago.
When the kiss ends, Jackson bites Stiles's lower lip slowly and carefully, like he doesn't want to lose contact.
Stiles sighs contentedly, resting his front against Jackson's with his eyes closed.
"Do you remember when you asked me how we knew if we were living the life we were supposed to live?"
And yes, of course Stiles remembers it. It was when they first became friends, when they realized they could trust each other. When they talked about what happened to them, about their lives at the time. When they were still pretty fucked up.
"Jackson, I didn't mean --" Stiles wasn't talking about their relationship because back then, it didn't even exist yet.
"I know you didn't. That's not..." Jackson shakes his head. "What I'm trying to say is that I'm sure. I know this is the life I'm supposed to live. It's the life I want. And I want you. Whatever happens... Whatever shit we end up going through... because let's face it, I'm a werewolf and you are not and with Derek and the pack and everything, shit is gonna happen... we know that... So, yeah, whatever happens never forget that."
And just then he feels it, a hand is pushing his shoulder, shaking him gently.
"Daddy, wake up! I want bekfast." The small hand shakes him again before touching the back of his neck and his hair.
"I'm hungry!" Daniel's familiar voice says, too loud for Stiles's taste.
Stiles opens his right eye slowly. All he sees is some light coming through the curtain and he quickly closes it again. He doesn't need to look behind him to know perfectly well who is responsible for him waking up too soon.
"Oh God," Stiles finally says sleepily, his voice hoarse.
"I know, yes... I'm coming." Stiles sighs, running his fingers through his messy hair, and finally turns around. He opens both eyes and finds Daniel in his Superman pajamas with his pink cheeks, disordered hair and his cheerful look.
"Daddy is coming, Baby," Stiles says stretching his left arm and running his fingers through Daniel's blond hair.