Endless

Fall Into Silence

"Thank you," Ben acknowledged, cuing all of us to chime in with thanks.

"Let me know if you need anything else," she said with a smile as she lifted the tray, before padding off towards the kitchen again.

**

After we all finished our food, we ordered dessert and chatted amongst each other about only a few things, the main topic of choice being graduation.

Emmy had just left after taking the dessert plates when Ben lifted his wine glass, tapping his fork on it.

"Sorry... I've always wanted to do that." Leo laughed softly. "But I do have something to say," he added sheepishly. We were quiet, awaiting his continuation. He cleared his throat, sending a glance my way. I smiled softly, nodding a bit. "So, um... as you all obviously know, we're graduating tomorrow; Tommy, I know you're not in school, but we're still celebrating your new job, as well... even if it's been a few months," Ben added, smiling at Tommy who chuckled. "And I just want to point out that I started at this school knowing no one. Then I met you, Sage, and you too, Leo." Ben looked between us and smiled, Leo smiling back softly.

It was just us three for a while, until Sage met you, Angel." He nodded toward Angel, who flushed but smiled nonetheless, resting his chin on my shoulder. I met his eyes, squeezing his knee gently, and he gazed up at me fondly. I stole a kiss from his lips, before returning my attention to Ben.

"...and I couldn't be more grateful to know each and every one of you," he was saying. "But especially you, Leo." He turned in his chair to face his boyfriend, who was blushing. "Before I met you, life was okay. It was average. But you make my life better every single day, just by being in it. With you, life is unpredictable, and exciting. I can't imagine my life with anyone else. And..." He took a deep breath. "And I can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together." Leo's eyes were well past tearing up.

Ben stood, and Leo's eyebrows knitted together as he watched his movements. Angel inhaled sharply, and I smiled. He knows now.

"So... here goes," Ben spoke quietly. Leo's eyes widened as Ben knelt before him on one knee, and his eyes flickered to Ben's hands, which were pulling out the velvet box Ben had shown me just a few months before.

"Oh my God," Leo breathed, his hand covering his mouth. Ben gnawed on his lip, staring into Leo's big eyes.

"Leo. I love you, more than anything. I want you, yesterday, today, tomorrow. Forever. So... will you do me the honor of spending every day from now on with me, and marry me?" Ben's eyes were shimmering with tears now, and Leo's were wide.

"Yes," he whimpered, lip quivering. Ben blinked, a tear slipping out.

"Yes?" He echoed softly. Leo grinned, jumping up and pulling Ben up with him.

"Yes, yes, yes." Ben slid the gold band onto Leo's ready finger. Leo wasted no time once it was on, pulling Ben in and crushing their lips together.

"I love you," Ben spoke between kisses.

"I love you," Leo replied quietly. Riley and Terry were grinning from ear to ear, and I caught Carlos and Tommy both wiping tears from the corners of their eyes.

Suddenly, the tables around us erupted in claps and cheers, congratulating the couple in front of us.

Angel and I exchanged a mutual look, before we both stood, followed by the others, and we made our way over to our friends. We engulfed the two in a group hug, squeezing them tightly.

Everything is perfect.

**

After dropping Tommy and Riley off at Tommy's apartment, Terry dropped me, Angel, Ben, and Leo off at my apartment.

In my bedroom, Angel and I got undressed. I pulled on a pair of sweatpants with no shirt, while Angel just tugged on a t-shirt with his boxers.

"So, are you excited for tomo—" I faced an empty room, noticing that Angel had disappeared. "Angel?" I called, padding out of the room.

"Kitchen!" He said back, just loud enough for me to hear.

I found him seated on the bar stool, glancing around the room thoughtfully.

"What's wrong?" I inquired, sitting down next to him. He shook his head before speaking.

"I just feel like so much has happened here... at this school. It's scary that after tomorrow, we're leaving. I'm just a little sad, I guess..." He shrugged softly and I nodded slowly, thinking about the contents of the past year and a half.

"I know... but hey, at least when we move, we'll be right by Ben and Leo. And Terry and Carlos, too! Their our neighbors, remember?" He nodded.

"I know. It's just that everything good in my life happened here, you know? I met Carlos and Terry. I met Ben and Leo. I met you." He gazed into my eyes, and my heart did the little flutter and flicker that it always did when he looked at me, though this time, it felt like the first time I'd looked at him.

I reached over to him, entwining our fingers together.

"I know, baby. But we'll be okay. I promise. We're getting married at the end of next month, your story got published, I got the TA job at the middle school. Good things are happening, and everything is going to be fine," I promised him, and he squeezed my hand.

Angel and I were getting our BA's in English. He had just gotten his story published, and he was ecstatic. He wrote a book; our story. He'd been working on it since just after my twenty-first birthday, and weeks went by before he'd actually told me about it — he was nervous to do so, but when he did, I'd never felt more excited for him.

"We'll be happy," he said softly, smiling. I nodded, leaning in and softly placing my lips on his.

"The happiest." He sighed and rested his forehead against mine, shutting his eyes. "Let's go to bed. We've got a big day tomorrow." He nodded, silently agreeing, and we made our way back to my room, cuddling under the blankets and lying down.

Evidently, we were both more sleepy than we'd thought, because we fell asleep within minutes of our heads hitting the pillows, everything seeming to fall into silence.