Chapter Text
This was it, Jabber thought to himself.
This was THE day he had been waiting for.
~ Flashback to three weeks ago.~
Jabber stared intensely at the whiteboard in his dorm like it held the secret to eternal youth. He was plotting hard, all over the whiteboard, and scattering papers across the coffee table. There sat diagrams, charts, calculations, and everything in between, each of them were marked with a different-colored marker. And there Jabber stood between all, like the man was about to solve the idenity of the Gemini killer.
But the real thing that rested in the middle of the board stood the greatest and most difficult project yet; it was a flowchart titled:
PROPOSAL SUCCESS RATE ANALYSIS
Zanka, who was currently on the couch, looked up from his phone and blinked at his scheming boyfriend. "...What are ya doing?"
"Research." Jabber said, not even turning around to glance at Zanka's skeptical face.
Zanka snorted, "Yeah, dumbass, I can tell. I'm asking what it is for?"
Jabber quickly stepped in front of the board. "Nothin'." He said quickly, too quickly...
"Jabber."
"Mind ya business."
Zanka narrowed his eyes, turning his head to the side a bit to peek at the whiteboard. On the board behind Jabber were several sections.
THE BEACH
Defeintlly Romantic
Added bounus of Sunset
High Success Rate
THE AQUARIUM
Have fish, unquie idea
Also Super Romantic
Medium Success Rate
AMUSEMENT PARK (AKA ROLLER COASTER)
Hella Memorable
Huge Possbility of Vomiting
Low Success Rate
"...Why da hell does the beach have percentages next to it?" Zanka asked.
Jabber immediately grabbed an eraser. "It doesn't."
"I can read Jabber; it literally says ninety-three percent."
"It says ninety-three percent chance of rain, smarty." Jabber said, wiping his work away.
"There ain't a weather forecast in sight on that damn board."
"Well, there is now." Jabber said as he wrote down a random number next to the beach.
Zanka started laughing at his boyfriends buffornry. Jabber stared at him; he felt his heart race at the sound, and he let out a smile. He always loved it when Zanka laughed. He loved it even more when he was the reason.
"Ya such a weirdo."
"Yeah, well, somebody gotta be the smart one in this relationship, plus I ain't see you complaining about being with said weirdo, baby."
Zanka scoffed, rolled his eyes, and stood up. As he walked past, he kissed Jabber's cheek.
"Whatever ya planning, don't stress too much about it-imma go order pizza, okay."
Jabber softly nuzzles his nose against Zanka, earning another chuckle from his boyfriend. "Yeah, got it, don't forget to put jalapeños on mine.
"Yeah, yeah..." Zanka said, giving a light playful shove and then walking toward the kitchen.
Jabber laughed as he stared after him.
Then he shifted his attention back to the whiteboard.
Underneath all the charts, calculations, and planning was one final and very important note beneath all.
OBJECTIVE: Spend forever with Zanka.
Jabber smiled.
"Yeah," he muttered. "That's the plan."
~End of flashback~
Now, he was standing in his favorite jewelry spot, trying and failing not to look like he was about to pass out from just from pure nerves. One of his closest friends worked here as a jeweler and had been helping him make a ring. But..not just any ring.
His proposal ring.
You see, it had been a couple of years since he and Zanka got together back in the sophomore year of college. Look how time flies so fast, now they were seniors, graduation looming around the corner, and yet despite everything they had gone through, somehow everything had led to this exact moment.
Jabber had spent the last several months saving every spare dollar he could from his job as a research assistant and his forensic toxicology internship. Every extra shift, every skipped takeout order, every bit of patience had gone toward one goal:
Getting Zanka the most perfect ring possible so he could pull off the most perfect proposal the world had ever seen.
Or at least the most perfect proposal they can get in their world...
He waited anxiously by the counter, tapping his fingers against the marble surface in a frantic rhythm. The anxious energy buzzing through him refused to settle, no matter how many times he was forced to remind himself to 'chill the fuck out.'
He and Zanka were going to drive out to the beach, spend the afternoon hanging out by the water, and watch the sunset. Then Jabber was going to serenade the fuck outta him. And right there, with the ocean behind them and Zanka looking all unfairly beautiful in the golden light, he was going down on one knee, and then going to pull out the ring.
And ask the question that had been haunting his mind for the last three years.
“Zanka, will you marry me?”
He could already picture it.
Zanka's beautiful blue skyline eyes going wide.
And him trying to stifle his stupid smile while doing his absolute best not to cry.
It was going to be beautiful, unforgettable, untouchable.
And most importantly of all, it was going to be absolutely perfect.
Then the sound of approaching footsteps pulled Janber from his daydream, and his head snapped up toward the front of the shop.
“Here ya go, bro. It’s all done.”
His friend walked over and placed the small box into Jabber’s hands.
Jabber’s posture instantly straightened as he carefully took it from him.
For a minute, he froze on the spot; he just stared at the box in his hand like it was going to melt away just at his touch.
Then he slowly opened the box.
There it was...
The ring gleamed beneath the shop lights, the golden metal catching every flicker of the shop's light as it bounced back like scattered stars in the night sky. For a second, the rest of the world seemed to drift away.
His breath caught in his throat.
It was perfect.
Without thinking, his thumb brushed against the ring in the box.
The rings were one of the only things he had left from his mother.
Most people would look and see nothing else but jewelry. But Jabber saw more than that; he saw memories, he saw the nights as he sat in the living room with her telling jokes back anf forth as she detangled his hair, he saw her smile when he would come in and help her cook, he saw the way she dance in the mirorr with him without a care in the world, and most importantly, he saw home.
His chest tightened at the thought.
There were a lot of moments in his life he'd wished she could've been there for: getting his first car, graduating from high school, landing a D1 scholarship, going to college, landing his internship, falling in love with Zanka, and now this, the proposal.
The future he'd spent 3 years dreaming about.
A small smile tugged at his lips as he looked down at the ring again.
He 100% knew that his mom would've adored Zanka. If they ever met, she would probably have embarrassed the hell out of both of them, too.
He could hear her voice right now, "I'm so grateful that someone else exists in this world that can handle my baby's crazy behavior."
The thought earned a quiet laugh.
"Yeah," he murmured, "She would've loved this."
His friend didn't say anything for a moment. Just rested a hand on his shoulder.
And somehow, that one action spoke louder than any other words he could say right now.
Jabber closed the box carefully and held it close to his chest.
In just a few days, if everything went according to plan, he'd be asking the love of his life to marry him.
So when it came time to come up with the perfect ring, Jabber did not play and went on the search immediately.
He had spent months searching for one. But yet through every ad, every website, every store, he couldn't seem to feel satisfied. Nothing seemed perfect. But one night, as he was doom-scrolling on TikTok, searching for engagement ring ideas, his long-awaited search quest was finally complete.
He had realized that he didn't have to search for one since he already had it.
He looked down on his own hands. The rings on his fingers were one of the only things he had left from his mother, along with his bangles. They were priceless to him, carrying years of memories and a piece of her that he could never replace.
Giving one away should have been impossible, blasphemous even, yet, instead, it felt right, so deeply right.
Because if there was anyone in the world he wanted to share that piece of himself with, a part of himself for another to keep, it was definitely Zanka.
So he chose one of his mother's rings. But he still decided to add something precious to the aurlomed. The ring stayed the exact same, with only a small, minor but important change: a small diamond inscription hidden on the inside of the band.
'My Forever Reason.'
It was small, simple, private, and most importantly, something meant only for Zanka to see.
A reminder that every dream Jabber had for the future somehow led back to him. A future that they would share together.
“Ya like it?” his friend asked, finally pulling Jabber's eyes away from the ring.
“Man-‘like’ ain't even a good word to describe this shit.” Jabber said, letting out a wet chuckle
His friend laughed, “So when you finna propose? Today?”
Jabber laughed and carefully tucked the ring box into his right pocket before pulling out a stack of cash from his left. He counted it quickly and handed it over.
“Nah. Tomorrow. Tellin' ya, it's finna be the best proposal his ass is ever gonna see.”
“Yeah, well, I hope so. He's really lucky ta have you, Jabber.”
Jabber snorted. “We're lucky to have each other.”
His friend took the cash while Jabber adjusted his jacket.
“Thanks again, boss. Couldn't have done it without ya.”
He dapped him up before turning toward the door.
“AYE!” his friend shouted after him. “I BETTER GET A WEDDING INVITE WHEN YOU'RE DONE!”
“YA GOT IT!”
With that, Jabber pushed through the shop doors and stepped out onto the sidewalk.
The ring was in his pocket, the plan was set, the beach was picked, and the speech was mostly memorized...
Everything was lined up perfectly.
Yeah.
Jabber had this shit in the bag for sure.
...
When he returned home, before he could even get to the door, chaos erupted throughout the house.
Amo was running around stressed as fuck, Fu and Hii were arguing over Mario Kart, Momoa was somehow sleeping through all this shit, Noerder was on the phone arguing with a client, it seemed, and Cthoni was just watching TV, casual as ever.
“Aye, what the fuck is going on? I've been gone for like a minute.”
“Jabber! Amo has to go on a date soon! Have you seen my boots?!” Amo said, rushing over to Jabber.
“Date? Today? You ain't tell me ya were going out yesterday?”
“Yes, Amo did. You were too busy on the phone with your boyfriend to hear Amo, though.” Amo said, letting out an annoyed huff and rolling her eyes.
Jabber sucked his teeth. "No, I haven't seen it. Have you tried looking in the closet?"
"Yes!"
“Good to see you're back. Where did you go anyway?” Cthoni asked, not looking away from the TV.
“Oh, ya know. Outside.”
“Mhnn.”
“FU I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU!” Hii yells as he rapidly and aggressively presses the console buttons
“I’M SORRYYYYYY!” Fu cries.
“NO-I specifically texted you on June 14, 2026, at 3:40 PM that it was scheduled for 4:00 PM! I DON'T CARE YOUR PARTY IS TOMORROW, I SAID NO REFUND!” Noerder's voice rang through the kitchen.
“Listen, if you see Amo's boots, can you tell me, please?” Amo said as she sighed, heading to the closet to check again for the fifteenth time.
Jabber sighed too and headed up to his room.
Once he arrived, he shut the door quietly behind him. The noise downstairs immediately became muffled. As he walked over to his dresser and opened the drawer, he then carefully pulled out the ring box from his pocket.
For a moment, he just stared at it.
'Tomorrow.'
The words replayed in his mind like a stupid catchy song you can't seem to get rid of. Tomorrow, he was going to ask Zanka to marry him.
A stupid grin tugged at the corner of his mouth before he placed the box inside the drawer, hiding it behind a stack of folded T-shirts, perfectly hidden. Then, with one last glance, he closed the drawer.
Then a scream from downstairs breaks him out of his thoughts.
“Jabber! Come down here, I need your help to poison this bitch!” Noreder yells.
Well, it looks like he has work to do.
...
Once the house cooled down a bit, everyone ended up in the living room on the couch watching Scary Movie 2. With the exception of Amo, who was still looking for that damn boot.
“Just reschedule, Amo-that lil ass boy ain’t going nowhere!” Jabber yells as he hears Amo heading up the stairs again to search.
“It's too late to reschedule, plus Amo wants to see Rudo!”
Jabber sighs to himself as Momoa snickers next to him.
Everything went peacefully for a minute until.
Amo screams loudly.
Everyone jumps at the sound.
“A-AMO?! A-Are you alright?” Fu asks.
And on cue, Amo runs down the stairs and straight in front of the TV.
"Yo, you good?" Jabber asked concern.
YES! YES! AMO IS WELL!" she said as he jumped up and down. Her eyes wide with shock and… excitement?
“Did you find it?” Momoa asks.
Amo shakes her head intensely. “Even better!”
“Ouuu shittt…” Hii, mummers.
“Well, what is it?” Noerder pressed on.
Amo giggles excitedly and jumps up and down as she yells, “JABBER GONNA PROPOSE!”
The whole room fucking tilted.
Everyone turns to Jabber.
Jabber froze on the spot instantly.
FUCK.
"...No, I'm not," he lied, refusing eye contact.
"Then why is there a ring hidden in your drawer?" Amo asked, raising an eyebrow and placing her hand on her hips.
"...That's evidence," he said.
"Evidence of what?" Momoa ask.
"Mind ya business."
The room was filled with soft coos, which only pushed Jabber's irritation further. He honestly rarely loses his cool, but ngl this pushed him over.
"Look at that, our Jabby is getting married." Momoa snickers teasingly, and Hii laughs loudly behind her.
"Never thought I'd live long enough to witness it, honestly." Noreder laughs along.
"Amo wants to be the flower girl!"
“UGH-AMO! Why the fuck did ya have to go through my thing?!” he blurted out without thinking
“Holy shit, so it's true?” Momoa asks.
Fuck-he just gave himself out. He groans, leaning his head back on the couch, and his hand comes to rub his temples.
Amo lets out a loud squeal of excitement.
“HOLY SHIT!” Hii said as he started laughing.
“So, Jabber…” Momoa leans back into the couch, smirking. "A beach proposal. Cute.”
Jabber slowly turns his head. “…How the hell do you know it’s on a beach?”
“Easy, 'cause you’re predictable.” Momoa shurg
"Don't play with me-"
“Amo already told Zanka.”
The record straches.
Silence, absolute and utter silence.
Jabber shot up. “YOU WHAT?!”
“Not on purpose!” Amo yells immediately.
"Ohhh shit, this just gets better and better!" Hii laughs.
Well, looks like we can just skip to the wedding then." Momoa says.
“I-I’m so proud of you, big brother!” Fu starts crying.
Jabber just sighs and hides his face in his hand.
“When were you even going to propose?” Noreder asks sternly.
“Tomorrow…” he addmited
“No way, not like that. I can’t have you proposing without doing your hair-what were you even thinking?”
“So where's the ring? Better yet, when’s the wedding?!” Momoa asks.
“I call dibs on best man,” Hii says.
“That's not how best man works, genius,” Amo says.
“Well, that's how it's working now.”
“Jabber,” Cthoni speaks up, making him tear his gaze from his palms to face her.
“Do you really think you’re ready for marriage? Truly?”
Jabber thought back to Zanka, his ocean blue eyes, his smile, his laugh, his touch, and most importantly of all, the feeling he brought to Jabber. They had their ups and downs for sure, but through all of it, they had already proven to each other that they would stick through all trials and tribulations together. A piece of paper wasn't gonna change a single thing about them. Only make it truly official with the bonus of a future secured for them. Plus, Jabber wants more than anything to make Zanka his true love to the end of time.
“Yeah, I do,” he said confidently.
Cthoni smiles. “So about my nephew or nieces…”
Jabber lets out a shocked laugh. “CTHONI!”
“OMG YOU’RE GONNA HAVE KIDS?!” Amo screams excitedly.
If things were already bad enough, they got like triple t times worse.
As Jabber looked around the room. Momoa was already searching for wedding venues; Hii was taking bets on how long the engagement would last; Fu was crying happy tears, of course; Amo was discussing and writing down baby names; Noerder was planning outfits; and Cthoni was asking about the proposal plan.
The man hadn't even proposed yet.
Jesus Christ.
...
Once the excitement settled down and everyone was sent off to bed, Jabber heads up to his room.
Once inside, Jabber looked around the room. He opens the drawer and sees the box there- no longer hidden through his t-shirts, wide open for everyone in the world to see like a goddamn museum exhibition.
The ring had been hidden for exactly forty-three minutes.
Forty-three.
Fucking.
Minutes.
Jabber made a mental note to himself that he isn't going to tell anyone in this damn house again about his proposal.
Reason Number One: Never invite family to a proposal.
Then a soft ping broke through the silence.
Jabber went to reach his phone and instantly opened the text message he had just received.
Zannie 💚😘😘: Amo jus' texted me.
What beach?
Jabber sighs, running a hand down his face.
'Fuck me'.
This was gonna be a long semester.