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It was a lawless land. All order, logic, reason, his favourite flavour of crisp— gone with the first flight cancellation.
“So they’re definitely out of salt and vinegar, but I managed to snag the last cheddar.” Taurtis slid down the wall to sit next to Grian, dropping the bag into his lap.
Grian sighed, letting his head thud against the metal wall someone had once thought seemed modern. “We’re gonna die here.”
“Gri, babe. We fly out in the morning.”
“We thought we’d fly out this morning.”
Taurtis let his head fall into the crook of Grian’s neck, tucking his eyes away from the lights that had been making his headache flare for the past few hours. “And then the snow came. It happens.” He pressed a kiss to where Grian’s shirt met his neck. “And it was worth it to go see everyone, wasn’t it?”
“It was.” The words were reluctant, but both of them knew Grian would do it again in a heartbeat to spend the holidays with his best friends and his boyfriend. Even more, he’d finally been able to pick up the ring he was sure Taurtis would like best.
“See? And silver lining: we totally get to call out of work for tomorrow.”
“Tar, you own a cafe, you can do that whenever you want—”
“Ah, ah, ah.” Taurtis wagged his finger, face still hidden. “I am a responsible boss, thank you very much.”
The arm wrapping around Taurtis was the only answer either really needed.
Grian had been mostly joking about dying in the terminal before, but now he really was going to. Not in a metaphorical or hyperbolic way, either. Taurtis was going to stop his heart.
He was digging through Grian’s bags for the coats they’d shoved in their earlier. He was digging in the bag Grian had tucked the ring box into. Grian, sleep deprived as he was could only walk faster towards his boyfriend, who had asked Grian to refill their waters.
By the time he reached Taurtis, though, the other man was already bunching up his own coat to use as a pillow, leaning against the uncomfortable metal chairs in the latest empty gate they were crashing at while the airport was held hostage by the snow.
His heart was barely in reign by the time he’d draped his coat over Taurtis’ shoulders as a make-do blanket. It was smarter to sleep one at a time anyways. Someone could rob them or something.
Taurtis’ face scrunched up as he put together Grian’s plan, but he said nothing, only moving from resting against the chair to letting his head fall into Grian’s lap. “Wake me up in an hour.” He finally muttered.
Grian let his fingers tangle in his boyfriend’s hair, twirling and detangeling gently as he fell into thought.
He quietly pulled the ring from his bag and shoved it in his pocket. Just in case Taurtis needed anything else from it.
It was sometime between late at night and early in the morning when Taurtis decided they needed to tour the airport, dragging their carry-on’s behind them as dozens and dozens of people tried to sleep contorted on the uncomfortable floor or even more uncomfortable chairs.
“Says here that he was a pillar of the community.” Taurtis’ voice wasn’t light, but that was only due to the fact that he was running on very little sleep.
“It has literally said that on every single plaque.” Grian flipped the ring inside his pocket over and over, turning it and felling the cool metal warm in his hand.
“But this time they’re talking about his high school chess club.”
Taurtis seemed genuinely interested in the micro celebrity who’d lived and died in the city of their airport fifty years before— Grian knew he was far more interested in Grian’s reaction. He was looking at him out of the corner of his eye each time he finished another droll fact, waiting for it to be the one that made Grian snap. Shout, laugh, rage— Taurtis would take any of it and turn it into their next inside joke. So much as a mention of chess club and Taurtis wanted them to break down in giggles, wanted them to look back on their hundred-times-delayed flight and grin instead of groan.
Marry me.
He thought, not for the first, nor second, nor seventy-third time in their years dating.
Taurtis glanced over at him, a crooked smile on his face, though a bit confused as well. “Is that a genuine proposal or just the sleep deprivation?”
“Hmm?”
“You said ‘marry me?’”
“I did?” His voice had gone up at least one octave.
“Mhm.” Taurtis frowned, facing Grian completely and reaching for his wrist, pulling his hand free from his pocket, holding Grian’s fist in his hand. “Are you alright? I was teasing, I didn’t actually expect you to propose right now, I’m sorry—”
Grian opened his hand.
“Marry me.” He repeated around the lump in his throat.
Where Taurtis liked to make Grian laugh, Grian could admit he never got enough of surprising Taurtis.
His eyes were wide, staring down at the simple silver band. He glanced back to Grian’s face, as though he expected it to be a joke.
“I— Grian, what— when did you—?”
“I had a whole speech planned, and I’ll still say it, Tar.” Grian said, open hand just barely shaking. “But tell me yes first.” He let go of the handle to his carry-on, attempted to wipe his clammy hand off on his jeans subtly, and took Taurtis’ other hand, equally clammy. “I never want to spend seventeen hours in an airport with someone else.”
Taurtis was biting the inside of his cheek, but his eyes were bright.
“Yes, I don’t—” He cut himself off with a laugh, closing his hand over Grian’s, keeping the ring safe as he flung his other arm around Grian’s neck to pull him into a quick kiss that could be considered appropriate for an airport.
Grian did his best to put the ring on the right finger, much more concerned with getting a second kiss from his fiance.