five degrees // rusty cage //

+after+

You blinked in confusion when you saw Ben, standing with a smile on his face. He was outside a little white house with a big green garden and beautiful yellow flowers. He was smiling right at you. You felt happy, peaceful, for the first time in years. You felt at ease with everything.

"My love," he said gently, his smile warming your heart. "We are in a place where we can be happy. Pain and sadness doesn't exist here, only peace and love."

"Ben..." You smiled back at him. "It's good to see you."

"It's amazing. I just wish it wasn't so soon."

"I'm sorry. I wanted to be with you for the rest of my life. I didn't want to exist in a world without you. But we're here now. We can be happy. We can be together again."

"I like the sound of that." He smiled once again, although you were sure that the smile never really left his pink lips. He dropped down onto one knee. "I want you to be my wife. I want to marry you. I wanted to marry you on earth and I want to marry you in this place too."

"Yes." You smiled, then laughed. He slipped the ring onto your finger. Tears of joy escaped your eyes. He pulled you in for a long kiss, which you were sure you'd never forget the way his lips felt on yours.

"We have a lot of catching up to do." He told you, taking you gently by the hand and pulling you into the little white cottage you'd always dreamed of sharing with him.