Alex's POV:
A whole year we were apart. A whole year we had to deal with miles and miles between us. A whole year we had nothing but pixels on a screen to communicate. A whole year I couldn't feel his skin against mine. A whole year.
Long distance is terrible. You sit there and you wish the other person was there, and to fill that void you hug yourself and imagine it being their arms instead. You FaceTime when possible, but time zones and busy lives interfere. You tell them repeatedly how in love you are, but it's hard to feel it without them beside you. Long story short, it's fucking miserable. If you're going to be in a long distance relationship, make sure the person on the other end is worth your time.
As for me, Jack is most definitely worth my time.
I leave the airport with my luggage, searching the pickup area for Rian. We had previously planned for him to pick me up and drive me to Jack and I's house. When I spot his car, I quickly rush over to it. The cool December air wasn't necessarily the most pleasing thing to stand in, especially at a windy airport. I throw my luggage in the trunk before sliding into the passenger seat, closing the door behind me.
"Hey! Long time, no see!" Rian exclaims, reaching over to give me a quick hug.
"Back atcha, it's good to be back," I reply, sighing with relief. Rian breaks the embrace and pulls the car away from the curb, out toward the highway.
"So, does Jack know you're coming home tonight?" Rian asks.
"Nope, I thought I'd surprise him," I answer.
"Wouldn't he assume something was up if you just didn't talk to him all day?"
"I kinda bullshitted an excuse saying I'd be busy with work all day, but I promised I'd make it up to him."
"You two need to just get married already."
"About that, I, uh, I think I'm going to propose tonight."
Rian swerves the car in shock, almost crashing into a car in the lane beside us. "You what?"
"Yeah," I say with a nervous giggle. "Don't kill us, please."
"Sorry, but holy shit! It's finally happening!"
"What do you mean, finally?"
"Oh, I don't know, not like you've been dating for seven years or anything!"
"I know, I know, I just wanted to make sure I was completely positive about this. Now I know I am, and I feel like this is a great opportunity."
"I'd best get a call tomorrow telling me all about it."
"Don't worry, I'll let you know what happens."
"Oh, but please don't tell me if you guys fuck or not, I don't necessarily want to hear that."
"Are you sure about that? I could go into full detail. For example-"
"Shut the fuck up!" Rian yells playfully, causing me to laugh. We continue making small talk until he stops the car a few houses down from mine since Jack would see the headlights if we stopped directly there. I take in a shaky breath. I know that Jack won't reject me- or do I? He hasn't seen me in a year, he might not even want me anymore. Is this a bad time to propose? I couldn't recover if he rejected me....
"Alex, it'll be okay," Rian says as if reading my mind. "Just go for it. He's head-over-heels in love with you."
"Okay," I reply, barely audible. "Thank you."
"Of course. Now go get your boy." We exchange smiles before I jump out of the car, grabbing my bags from the trunk. Rian gives me a thumbs-up before driving away, leaving me to walk a few houses down.
By the time I reach the front door, my hands are shaking. Fuck that, my entire body is shaking. I feel for the little box in my pocket, checking for the hundredth time that it's there. Before I can overthink it, I knock on the dark chestnut-colored door.
The porch light turns on and I hear shuffling on the other side of the door. This is it, this is my moment. This is our moment.
The door swings open to reveal a sleepy Jack. I didn't blame him, as it was almost midnight at this point. His face lights up as he sees me, his mouth dropping open with shock.
"Alex?" he whispers.
"That's me," I reply with a wide grin. He covers his mouth with his hand, just staring at me in disbelief. I decide to just do it now. "I actually came to ask you something."
"Yes?" he breathes.
I decide not to step inside; I just do it right there in the doorway. I take both of his shaky hands into my hands, which are also shaky, relishing his touch for a moment. "Jack Barakat, we've been together for seven years. One of those years we spent separated, but guess what? We still made it through, stronger than ever. Words can't begin to describe my deep love for you. It's a privilege to be able to call you mine."
Tears start to form in his eyes, and it takes everything in me not to wipe them away. "I'm home now, Jack. I remember telling people how badly I wanted to go home, but I couldn't care less if I came to this very place or not. Any other house would be a home to me, as long as the common factor was you. As cliché as it sounds, just seeing your face assures me that I've made it home. You are my home, and I'd like to keep it that way for the rest of our lives."
I let go of one of his hands, getting onto one knee. He takes the hand I released and clamps it over his mouth, watching me as I pull the small box out of my pocket. I pop it open, looking into his watery eyes. "Will you, Jack Barakat, marry me?"
He doesn't say anything for a moment, tears streaming down his cheeks. He moves his mouth, but no sound escapes his lips. "Yes," he chokes out eventually. "Yes, a million times, yes." I stand up, pulling him into a tight embrace. Fuck, I missed this. He clutches onto me, his tears soaking my shoulder. I, too, start to tear up. He said yes, he actually said yes.
We eventually pull apart, me taking his left hand. I slide the ring onto his finger gently, him admiring it as I do so. I look back into his eyes just as he crashes his lips into mine. I almost forgot how alive his kisses made me feel. I smile into the kiss, threading my hands through his soft hair.
I break the kiss for air, taking his face in my hands. "I love you," I whisper, kissing his nose.
"I love you, too," he murmurs, kissing my forehead. It felt good to be home... with my fiancé.
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Fluff :') I hope you enjoyed. I should be writing my fic rn but I'm lazy and wanted to write a oneshot instead
