When Fall came around again, life has been flipped and dragged in every direction until everyone was settled into a content space. Alex had started taking online classes and was working part time and Roman was a full time student.
Every night, no matter how busy their days had been, they found themselves tangled up in each other. After the most gruesome of exhausting days, they settled for soft kisses and light caressing instead of long conversations. It was more than enough to wipe away the stress that they carried.
Alex patiently worked with Roman on his more challenging work and Roman rubbed Alex's back as he rushed to finish essays. They happily took on the adventure of babysitting when Tori and Ashley went out once a month, when they had the time.
Roman and Michael were on almost good terms. Roman had his hesitations, but took his father's phone calls and even called him in return. They went out when they had the time whether it was for a weekend of fishing or to grab a pizza to take back to their apartment. Mandy and Michael were working out their issues, but as of that Halloween they hadn't made a definite decision. Roman seemed content with that, seemed to be thriving again, and that was enough for Alex. They still had their moments where nightmares or panic attacks threatened to creep up on them, but this time there was no distance to keep them apart. There were no secrets or lack of words either.
He didn't realize how much they had longed for their next until Christmas rolling around and Liz anxiously eyed the baked goods on the counter for the fourteenth time. Roman shushed her soft counting and stole a few of the cookies closest to him. Liz glared and attempted to swat his hand only to find herself wrapped up in a tight hug by another set of arms.
"Roman, don't pick on her. It's not good for her old heart," Alex sighed. Liz pinched her son's nose but made no move to retract from him.
"What a year, huh?" She said quietly. Alex nodded, refusing to admit that his eyes may have watered when he glanced up at Roman. "Thank you boys for coming home for Christmas. I know how busy you are with school."
A delighted squeal from the foyer made Liz grin before she was running out of the kitchen. Roman looked up from his half eaten cookie with a slightly dazed smirk that made Alex chuckle.
"You're such a child," he sighed, brushing a crumb from his lover's bottom lip.
"I'm the manliest of men," Roman retorted, his nose scrunching as he flexed a muscular arm.
"Of course you are, dear," Alex laughed. "What were you and my dad talking about earlier?"
Roman swallowed hard before stuffing his half eaten cookie in Alex's mouth. "Nothing. Sports. Stuff."
"What an interesting combination. Too bad it's bullshit," Alex said, brow raised. "You've been shady lately and I'm gonna find out why."
"Yea, you will." Roman grinned before stooping down and kissing Alex hard.
Christmas morning was chaos. The living room floor was lost under a flood of torn wrapping paper and ribbons while the furniture was filled with bodies sprawled out and grinning despite their exhaustion. Liz snapped pictures frantically while Alex tried to hide behind Roman. Tori's head rested in Ashley's lap, his fingers sifting through her hair as he sipped coffee from the mug in his other hand. Melani was making dramatic race car noises to accompany the car in the hand of the ever-growing small human driving his favorite gift up David's leg.
Alex took it all in hungrily and with an unstoppable grin. They had only missed this tradition so few times, but then it was back and it had grown. There was no sadness here. There was no confusion or fear. The house was bursting at the seams with love and hope.
"You alright, brat?" Roman asked as he ran his nose along Alex's jaw.
"I'm perfect," Alex hummed, leaning into Roman's warmth. "Did you get everything on your Christmas list?"
"I don't know yet." Roman shrugged casually. Alex turned slightly in Roman's arms; just enough to look up with an arched brow. Roman grinned and Alex melted. He always did. "There's still a present under the tree."
Alex lazily looked over before crawling out of Roman's lap to read the tag on the small, thin package shoved almost behind the base of the tree. The bow was partially smashed and the paper wrinkled from being stuff in the back. Alex read his name before quirking a brow at Roman who was simply watching him.
"What's this?"
"Open it, brat." Roman gestured a hand tiredly. Alex sighed and, patronizingly slow, ripped open the shiny paper. He let the trash fall to the floor while he held the thin, clear disc case between his fingertips. The front of the disc was blank and there was absolutely no hint as to its contents. He glanced up at Roman once more, gesturing to the disc. Roman rolled his eyes and pointed to the DVD player that had mysteriously been turned on.
Alex frowned with confusion as he crawled across the distance and slipped the disc in. The room was silent when Roman pulled Alex back until his back was hitting Roman's chest. The screen flickered for a moment before a photo came into focus and Alex found himself sucking in a sharp breath.
On the screen was an aged photo of the two of them when they were no older than six. Roman's head was on Alex's shoulder and their faces were covered with ice cream. There was nothing but absolute, unadulterated happiness.
"What is this?" Alex croaked. Roman hushed him and snaked an arm around his waist as if Alex were going to make a run for it.
First grade graduation, Alex feeding Roman soup after he'd had his tonsils out, Roman pulling Alex on a sled, Alex showing off his first cast while Roman glared almost off screen. The photos and short video clips came and came until their childhood was gone and Alex was mid-scream as Roman threw him into his pool when they were fifteen.
When a strangled sniffle escaped, warm lips pressed to the back of his neck and Roman's arm tightened slightly. The songs continued with the photos, every single one of them holding significance that Alex had never even realized Roman would have gotten. Almost two decades played out in front of their eyes until the screen faded from photos of prom and graduation, and when the next photo fluttered into frame, Alex tensed.
He was lying in bed with an arm thrown out where Roman had been asleep. Roman was now crouched beside him, his lips pressed to Alex's temple while he slept, and Alex didn't want to remember that day. The day he had woken up to those lips against his temple, telling him it was time to get up, because that was the day Roman left. That was the day that he had to watch Roman get on that bus; the day that he was left drowning with anger, confusion and fear.
"Just keep watching," Roman whispered in his ear as if he had read Alex's thought. The next series of photos were from Roman's return home, less than a handful to remind them of their limited time, and Alex felt his chest begin to tighten because he could remember the things that had happened after that, but then there was Alex asleep on Roman's chest while Roman's chin was resting on Alex's head, followed by a short clip of them snoring before the camera turned to Ashley who was scrunching his nose and laughing quietly.
There were blurry photos taken from cell phones at the beach and snapshots that made Alex blush while their family and friends laughed. There were photos leading up to the prior week and then suddenly, a photo of Alex dropping gifts under the tree only a few feet from them. The screen went black for a moment before a blurry video clip began to play. Melani was giggling and Roman was saying something too jumbled for the camera too pick up. Alex could make out the living room carpet and the kitchen floor as they walked. Suddenly, Melani was telling Roman that everything was going to be fine, followed by Roman sighing shakily.
When the camera finally lifted, David was sitting at the table casually sipping a glass of eggnog. He quirked a thick brow at Roman and then cocked his head at Melani and stuck out his tongue.
"What's with the camera?" He asked.
"Prosperity; or evidence if you decide to dismember Roman," Melani cackled as she zoomed in on Roman's pale face. His tongue darted across his bottom lip and a shaky hand rose to sift through his hair.
"Did you get my son pregnant?" David asked, teasingly. Melani's laughter shook the camera but it wasn't hard to see how Roman completely missed the joke in whatever land of nerves he was living in. David's smile fell and his eyes sobered as he pulled out a chair next to him. "Am I going to need something stronger than eggnog for this?"
"I- I don't know." Roman huffed as he fell into the chair. "I love Alex."
"Well, I assumed as much," David chuckled. His eyes suddenly darted up to the camera before falling back to Roman as his smile faded. "What are you really trying to say, kid?"
"I would like...I would like your blessing to ask Alex to marry me," Roman blurted. David fought to keep his smirk at bay as he leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his broad chest. He said nothing for a long moment until even Melani's breaths began to sound nervous from behind the lens.
"David?" Roman finally squeaked and David's composure was gone. His head was tossed back as his baritone laugh filled the kitchen. Roman's shoulder visibly relaxed as Alex's father lurched forward and hugged Roman tightly.
"Couldn't think of anyone I'd rather have for him," David said before grabbing Roman's cheeks and pressing a sloppy kiss to his forehead. "When are you planning on asking him?"
Alex heard his own voice on the video as he neared the kitchen. Roman and David's expressions quickly sobered and Melani cussed quietly. The screen stilled then and Alex frantically wiped his eyes with the backs of his hands. When he looked up he realized every eye in the house was on him and Melani was kneeling on the carpet with her camera once more. Behind him, Roman cleared his throat and Alex jumped.
"Holy shit," he breathed as the reality of what he had just watched set in. His heart leaped into his throat as Roman tapped his thigh until Alex moved. "Ro.."
"Shush," Roman ordered as he placed himself in front of Alex on unsteady knees. Roman's face was flushed as he stuffed a hand into the pocket of his sweats and withdrew his fist. When his fingers uncurled, Alex's eyes widened at the simple band lying in Roman's palm. "Exi, I gotta ask you something, and I hope everything you've seen is enough to plead my case when you answer, but first I have to tell you that this is a promise as well. I promise that I will try not to act like a fool in public, and I promise that I'll try to not get toothpaste all over the bathroom mirror. I promise I'll pick up my socks more often, but most of all, more so than anything, I promise to always come home to you, if you'll have me anyway." Roman smiled nervously, running his free hand over his head. "What I'm saying is, you're my best friend; always have been, always will be. You could do so much better than me, but I'm a selfish bastard and I'm hoping that maybe you'll settle for me. So, will you marry me, Alexander?"
Alex's lips felt glued shut and his lungs began to burn before he realized he was holding his breath. Roman shifted awkwardly before baring his teeth in a nervous grin that made Alex's heart lurch forward, and seconds later his entire body followed. Roman grunted as he fell back with an armful of Alex.
"Quit leaving empty milk jugs in the fridge and you've got a deal," Alex croaked as he cupped Roman's stubbly cheeks.
"Yea?" Roman said, his eyes slightly widened.
"Yea. Yes, I'll marry you, Ro," Alex laughed. The room was filled with firm claps, sniffles and ecstatic squeals when Roman slipped a large hand at the nape of Alex's neck and yanked him into a hard, breathtaking kiss.
Alex spun the ring around his finger, grinning widely the whole while. Roman watched from beside him with a suffocating sense of proud blanketing him. Every few moments Alex would sniffle just once before turning to Roman and pressing a kiss to the side of his mouth or stroking his stubble.
"It's nothing special," Roman finally said.
"It's perfect, Roman. That's what you were really doing when you got out of bed for a drink last night, wasn't it?"
"Mel helped me. We've been working on it for months, but last night we added the video from your dad. I just needed to show you the good stuff," Roman said quietly.
"You're such an idiot. You are the good stuff. You're all the stuff." Alex sighed before nestling against Roman's bare chest. "I'll always come home to you too, Ro. No matter what life throws at us."
"Pinky promise?" Roman mused. Alex hiccuped a laugh before lifting his pinky in search of Roman's. Their fingers latched tightly and came to rest between them on Roman's stomach.
"Promise."