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The crescent moon hung high in the night sky and the stars shined brightly like little diamonds. Crickets chirped and occasionally an owl would hoot. It was nights like this that almost make you forget just how peaceful Camp Tipiskaw can be at times.
Tom led Jake through the woods, a blindfold wrapped and secured tightly around the blue haired man's eyes, casting his vision into complete darkness. He held his boyfriend's shoulders, keeping his steady so that he didn't accidentally walk into any trees or trip on any roots or rocks.
"Where are you taking me?" Jake asked, smiling. He placed his hands on his hips. "If you're gonna kill me, at least make it quick." He joked, no actually seriousness to his words.
Tom let out a light chuckle. "Hush, babe. We're almost there." He told him, his grin so wide it made his cheeks hurt, but in a good way.
When both men finally stopped walking after a long while, Jake removed his blindfold. He opened his eyes, and what he saw made him teary-eyed. Before him was a beautifully set up picnic with lit candles, two watermelon slices (his favorite food) on top of a plate and beside it were a plate of donuts, Tom's favorite thing in the world (Jake being #1, of course), rose petals scattered around the red and white checkered-pattern blanket, and a bottle of champaign and two champagne glasses.
"Oh, my God." Jake said, smiling and his black eyes filled with unshed tears. "Is... Is this?"
"Where you kissed me the first time." Tom answered, a bouquet of roses in his hands.
"H-How? When?" Jake asked, drying his eyes with his sleeve.
"Gabby helped me." Tom replied. "While you were at that wedding for the weekend."
Jake met his boyfriend's gorgeous teal eyes. "It's... perfect." He said, his arms extended outwards as he made his way over to where Tom was standing.
He pulled Jake into a side hug, happy that his plan of a romantic picnic date was going perfectly so far. Jake wrapped his arms around him and kissed his cheek.
Tom gently sat down on the blanket, pulling Jake with him. Once they both got comfortable, they watched the moon and stars together, the lake view in front of them only adding to the romantic scenery. He put one arm around Jake shoulder while his boyfriend leaned into his side, resting his head on his shoulder.
As the two men sat in silence, Tom couldn't help but feel a wave of nervousness wash over him. He swallowed, his anxiety rising into his throat. This was it. The moment he had been planning and looking forward to.
"Man," Tom said after a while, "you can almost hear the love in the air." He was met with nothing. Confused, he glanced over towards the rock behind them. "I said, 'you can almost hear the love in the air.'" He repeated, louder this time.
Gabby snapped out of her daze, her eyes widening. "Shit!" She exclaimed, trying to keep her voice down so that she wasn't discovered.
She then picked up the portable player her phone was connected to. Tom let out a small sigh of relief, the sound of the music creating a magical atmosphere. It was the perfect background for what he was about to do. After a moment of silence, Tom spoke up, gaining Jake's attention.
"Babe?" He called out, his voice a mix of nerves and also excitement, but mostly nervousness if anything.
"Yeah?" Jake asked, his head still resting on his shoulder.
Tom took another deep breath. "Um... I, uh... I-I wanted talk to you about something." The nerves were now in his stomach, fluttering like crazy.
Jake lifted his head off his shoulder and turned to look up at him "Oh... W-well, um... I-I also have something important for you..."
"O-Oh, well... You can go first." Tom said.
Smiling, Jake reached into the pocket of his hoodie and pulled out a small bag with donuts printed on it.
"Here." He said, lending it over to his boyfriend. "Open it."
Tom's heart was racing at this point, beating like a drum in his chest. He reached for the bag, opening it up and taking it out. What he saw made his eyes watery.
It was the heart he had carved with "J+T" in the center back in their season. The cracks from when Gabs had knocked it off the counter had been fixed with gold, making look like a beautiful work of Kintsugi art.
"Jake..." Tom said, his voice chocking on his own emotions. He felt like he was going to burst into tears any second. The sight of the heart, the heart that represented their love for each other, all fixed and perfect. It was beautiful.
"After it broke," Jake started explaining, "I eventually realized it gave it even more meaning. Just like us." He wiped away at his own watery eyes. "Despite everything, we weathered the storm."
"Yeah..." Tom said softly, his bottom lip quivering. He swallowed another lump that was forming in his throat. "It scars, both inside and out."
He pulled his boyfriend in for a tight hug. He buried his face into the crook of his neck, his hold on Jake almost crushing him. All of the emotions that he had been holding back were fighting to escape. They threatened to pour over, to fall free like a river overflowing its banks.
Jake wrapped his arms around him, returning the hug. He could feel Tom trying to suppress his feelings. He felt the occasional shudder as he held back his sobs. He rubbed his back, trying to soothe him.
After several moments, Tom pulled himself away, sniffing. Although he was trying to keep his emotions in check, his eyes were slightly red and puffy as a few tears fell free.
Jake gently wiped them away with his thumb. "You okay, big guy?" He asked, smiling at him.
Tom sniffed again, a shaky breath escaping him. "Y-Yeah." He said, his voice slightly wavering. "Just... emotional, I guess." He let out a watery chuckle. "Man, I don't know how I'm gonna top that off now..."
"What do you mean?" The blue haired man asked in confusion.
Tom swallowed hard. His heart was thundering, the butterflies in his stomach going crazy. He could feel himself shaking as the nerves took over once again.
He was going to do it. He was going to ask the most important question of his life. He looked into Jake's eyes, those beautiful black eyes he loved so much. Those eyes that he wanted to see first thing in the morning for the rest of his life.
"Jake..." He began, shifting so he was sitting right in front of him.
Tom took another deep breath, trying to stay calm. He could hear his heart in his ears as he took Jake's hands in his own, his palms slightly sweating from the nerves.
"You know I love you, right? More than anything in the world. More than life itself." He said, his grip on Jake's hand tightening just a little, but not enough to hurt him, of course.
"I know." Jake replied, his eyes glued to Tom's. He could sense that something important was coming by the look in his eyes.
Tom glanced down at their intertwined hands, then back up at Jake. Time felt like it was slowing down around him. The songs playing in the background faded into the distance as he focused on the man in front of him.
"And... we've been together for some time now. We've been through a lot together... And..." He swallowed another lump in his throat. "Jake, I uh... I know how cliché this may sound, but..." He took another deep breath. "I really... really want to be with you forever. I-I want to wake up next to you every morning and hold you until you fall asleep every night. I want to be the person you always want by your side, the one you can always count on..."
"I want to be your rock, your safe place. The person you can come to whenever you need me. Your home. And..." His mouth was feeling so dry right now. "I... I want to grow old with you."
Jake listened to his words, his eyes watering. He already had a guess as to where this was going, but it didn't make any less special. The words from Tom's mouth were like music to his ears. Like the most soothing melody he's ever heard.
"And... that's why I... I-I want to..." Tom suddenly got tongue tied, words failing him. Instead of trying to speak, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his next surprise: A small black box.
With shaking hands, he slowly opened the box, revealing a ring inside. A gold band with sapphires and rubies surrounding the outer side. It glittered like the stars in the sky right now.
Jake gasped softly. He stared at the ring in awe, the jewels reflecting in his eyes like a sparkling galaxy. He put a hand over his mouth, tears forming and a few falling past his eyelashes.
Tom's heart was in his throat at this point. He was shaking even more now, his sweaty hands almost unable to keep the box steady. Without even realizing it, a few tears escaped his own eyes, falling free and over his cheeks.
"Jake... W-Will you..." He was really about to ask the question. The most important question of his life. One that would set the future of their relationship from now until forever. "Will you m-marry me?" He looked him in the eyes again, his eyes glossy with tears.
At first, Jake was speechless. His heart was fluttering like a bird caught in a cage. Then, out of nowhere, he started bursting out laughing. He was laughing so hard to the point that tears were running down his cheeks. He just kept laughing and laughing.
Tom just stared at his boyfriend, completely lost for words. Why was he laughing? He just proposed to him and all he could do was laugh?
"Jake? Uh... Why are you laughing?" He asked, an eyebrow raised. "Do you... not like the ring? Is that a no?"
Jake's laugh slowly died down, soon turning to soft giggles. He wiped a few tears from his eyes, a smile still on his lips. He shook his head.
"No! No, Tom, babe, it's not that!" He said. "It's just... You and I both had the same idea!"
Tom was even more confused now. "What are you talking about?" He said, watching as Jake began digging into his own pocket.
He suddenly pulled out a small blue box and held it up for Tom to see. "I was also going to propose to you tonight."
Tom's eyes widen, his mouth going agape. "W-wait, y-you were!?" He stuttered.
Jake nodded, giggling again at Tom's reaction. He opened the lid of the box. Sitting inside was a silver band with black diamonds and sapphires. "I was going to pop the question after we were done eating, but you beat me to it."
Tom sat there in a state of shock. Jake had also planned on proposing to him? How in the world did they both get the same idea? The fact that they both had the same plan was mind boggling to him.
After a moment of silence, he suddenly burst out laughing, causing Jake to join him. He wrapped his arms around the other's waist and pulled him into his lap and falling onto the blanket, taking him down with him.
"God, we really are a couple of dorks in love, huh?" He asked, still chuckling.
"Yeah we are!" Jake replied, cuddling up to Tom's chest.
Tom wrapped his arms around him and planted a kiss on his forehead. "So, does this mean you want to marry me?"
"Of course I do!" Jake exclaimed happiy. "I'll marry you a thousand times if it means I get to spend the rest of my life with you!" He kissed his cheek. "And does this mean you'll marry me, too?"
"Hell yes!" Tom beamed. "I never want to leave your side, babe. Not ever."
Jake smiled. "Good. Me neither."
After a few more laughs and kisses, the two exchanged their rings. Jake's gold band looked so pretty on his fingers, the rubies and sapphires complimenting him perfectly. The same went for Tom's, the black diamonds and sapphires complimented his eyes and scars.
The newly engaged couple cuddled on the blanket, snuggling close to each other under the night sky. Tom wrapped his arm around his fiancé, holding him tight against his chest.
Even after all this time, he still could believe that this gorgeous man in his arms was going to be his husband. He'd get to wake up next to him every day and fall asleep with him every night. He'd get to call him his husband, forever intertwined in marriage.
"Say Tom," Jake finally spoke after a while, "I was thinking. Maybe the next wedding I plan... will be ours?"
Tom smiled. "Yeah. I'd like that a lot." He pressed a kiss to his head.
The two continued to cuddle on the blanket for a while longer, relishing in the warmth of each other's embrace.
"I love you, Jake." Tom whispered.
"I love you, too, Tom." Jake replied, nuzzling his face into the crook of Tom's neck.
As Tom held his fiancé in his arms, he thought about all the obstacles they had faced to get to this point. All the pain and sorrow they had been through. All the drama and tears they shed.
But in the end, being able to lie together like this made all of it worth it.