february, 2017
it was strangely easy for him to let it all go, for him to exhale and tell every nasty thought he had about himself. it was shockingly therapeutic and he felt instantly better after a few sessions. his therapist was an indian man named rajeev who was infinitely calm and wonderful.
everything was falling in place, he'd started sleeping without nightmares and he smiled more often than not. there was a spring in his step whilst he walked and someone random had told him, "your cheerfulness is contagious, my man."
things were looking up. he was hanging out with elio and seeing her whenever she was free, their hangouts were strictly platonic but he couldn't help but admire how pretty she looked when she was concentrating on a film. he'd seen andrea as well who'd snagged a fit and thankfully, young sugar daddy who was apparently "the one" but she was busy travelling, living her extravagant life so he saw her rarely.
for once, he didn't feel the choke of loneliness and when he woke up in the mornings, it wasn't filled with dread.
***
april, 2019
"i'm freaking the fuck out, elio." he says, stress seeping into his voice.
"it's just a ring, dude. don't overthink it." elio popped a cheeto in his mouth, clearly being completely and utterly useless. should've called fucking andrea, he thinks.
"it needs to be fucking perfect. c'mon, you were in love with this girl, what kind of ring should i get her?" he's pacing on the streets after looking at three shops already, nothing seemed good enough.
"uh, alright, don't get anything too fancy." he pops another cheeto in and if elio wasn't a fucking tree, he'd have punched him in frustration. "she ain't about the boujee lifestyle."
"i had no idea you were this unhelpful."
"hey! i'm trying to assist you here. anyway, head north, there's this pretty place that sells good jewellery."
"fin-fucking-anlly, thank you." he says, thoroughly exasperated.
thankfully, the store is pretty and he's grateful that they were good options. elio finally stops being a cheeto-dust covered giant and helps pick out a ring.
he finally spots the perfect one and gestures towards it. he pays whilst elio simpers in the background, "dude, that's fucking perfect."
the ring in his pocket and his heart in his throat, he heads on home with a purpose.
***
it's up to elio now and no matter how clumsy the oaf was, he knew that elio had got his back. it was nearly 8:30 pm which meant she should be heading up to the terrace anytime now. he straightens up and ticks everything in his mental checklist, cross-checks if he still has the ring in his pocket.
"okay, so why are we heading up to the terrace? you know I have bad memories up here, elio!" he can hear her voice and he smiles.
the door opens and elio shoves her in. "good luck." he mouths to him and slams it shut.
"elio was so viole- oh my god, what the hell is this?" she looks so pretty with her hazel hair all loose and a pretty summer dress, small flower dug in her hair and she's such a proper little cutie when her mouth drops open in shock. "baby?" she squeaks.
surrounded in the terrace were all her photographs that she'd taken but enlarged, stamps of "paid!" on the frame. he'd laid a rose petal path since she was, "super cray about red roses and black roses, black roses are so badass, y'know?" and he was standing in the centre, black tux on as she loved him when he cleaned himself up. "hey." he says, all nonchalant.
"what." her mouth's still hanging open.
"c'mere." he beckons for her and she wordlessly comes towards him, her eyes were wide as she took in her surroundings. he'd gotten some rad lighting all over the terrace as well.
"what...you sold my photographs?" she sounds flabbergasted and she's close enough that he can pull her in and kiss her.
"you're dense." he says, fondly. "but, yes. wanted to show you that your photographs are good enough."
"babe, such an extravagant surprise just for telling me that?" she kisses him softly.
"that's not all. turn around." he says and she stupidly turns whilst he gets down on one knee, ring in his hands.
"babe, what am- oh....oh...oh my god." her eyes widen even more when she spots him.
"you. you're the reason i get up in the morning, the reason i sleep well at night, the reason my face does this weird thing called smiling, the reason for my happiness. you're something I never thought I could have, someone I don't think i'm lucky enough to deserve. i'm a fool but so are you because you love me."
she doesn't seem to be breathing, her eyes still comically wide.
"this place was the exact same place that holds bad memories for us and I thought if we're going to be together for real, there should be no hangups, nothing that can haunt us. so I decided to do this here. you're such a gift to me, my fucking savior that it'd be an honour if i could do anything for you, my angel. i'd die a thousand times over than let a single strand of your hair get hurt. you mean so much to me, you... you're my everything, baby. jesus fucking christ, please fucking marry me." he looks up at her, suddenly regretting not preparing a speech, he had ended up rambling through most of it.
she blinks but doesn't say anything and he doesn't wanna push her but he's always been a tad bit impatient. "baby? i'd love for you to ponder over life but my knee's cramping like shit and i'd really appreciate if you could-"
"oh my fucking god, yes, yes, yes!" she finally screeches and it deafened him a little but he doesn't fucking care because he's smiling so hard and he's sure he's fucking crying.
they're kissing soon enough and it's messy and sloppy just like their relationship but firm, so fucking firm. they have each other for real now. "I love you so much, so much." she whispers near his ears and he shivers as her hand fits snugly on his crotch, stroking slightly and yup, he's definitely hard now.
"congratulations, you nerds! you're luck- nope, no, they're second base! SECOND BASE, SAMUEL RUN!" elio bursts through the door as he had started sucking on her neck and as quickly as elio comes, he exits. the terrace door slams shut behind him.
they laugh into their kiss. "pretty sure we scarred elio." she smiles against his lips. he kisses her again, chaste, soft.
"he masturbates to hentai, think we're good." he says back, burying his head in her neck. she always smelled so goddamn good that he could never have enough.
they were just two silly kids in love.
***
a/n: it's kinda done!!!????? DOPE. I did this shit, I finished an idea I've been having since 2017, that's pretty cool if I do say so myself.
anyhoots ! i have a small lil epilogue planned, would you be interested in learning their names or would be cool if they remained as 'he' & 'her'--- keep the mystery alive, yaknow??? ya dig??? ya feel??? I'm so fucking dorky sorry
anywayz thanks for sticking by my Cool Girl lowercase aesthetic and shitty writing skills. there's an epilogue that you're welcome to stick for !
im infinitely sorry for making the ending rushed or too dialogue heavy or smth like that but TBH, im not entirely good at writing happy happy sappy thoughts so that's the best I can do