I've had this chapter sitting in my drafts for weeks. Enjoy!
————————————————————
Alex stood facing the window with a glass of champagne in his hands. In six days he was turning thirty one. He looked out into the world and tried to figure out how many thirty one year olds would be down there. The thought sickened him or maybe it was the champagne he was gulping down.
He shoved his hand in his pocket and felt the circular object in there, playing with it and considering what to do with it. It had its purpose but Alex didn't have his, not anymore at least.
He had bought the ring a long time ago, before Alexandra, before he told anyone. When he saw it, he saw Luna, that's all he knew. It was the only thing keeping him going and the thought that he may never place it on her finger made his heart ache.
Turning away from the window and placing the empty glass on a nearby table, he walked out of the bedroom and back into the bustling party he didn't want to be at. All these twenty somethings wishing their life away, planning decades into the future. Alex never thought like that, of course he always thought he would marry Alexa until Luna, who he still hoped to marry.
His hopes were fading however, she was no where to be seen but he would wait until every person at this party was gone just in case. He wouldn't give up.
He stepped outside, onto the patio and breathed in the cold air before warming himself with a fag. It seemed to be the only thing to bring him satisfaction these days. With ease, he leant on the balcony bar and stared out again. He didn't know what was going to happen tomorrow, or the day after that or the one after that and usually that excited him but now he longed for routine and plans.
The countdown had begun and he didn't mind in the slightest that he was alone. He leant against the balcony ledge and watched everyone in the garden, coupled up and ready to kiss as the new year is entered. The thought crept into his mind that she would be down there, probably kissing Jen if she brought her.
A hand brushed his shoulder, causing him to turn around in surprise. She was in front of him.
"Alex." She breathed. He looked her up and down, she was wearing a small silver dress that hugged her in all the right places. Almost instantaneously, he took off his jacket and wrapped it around her.
"What are you doing? It's freezing out here." He ignored the look on her face. It was distraught and pitiful so he didn't look at it.
"Alex." She said again. He met her eyes and licked his lips.
"Luna." He breathed or gasped, "I'm sorry." was all he could muster. "I'm so sorry" his words collapsed around him .
"Alex." She tried to speak but he wouldn't let her.
"I made all the wrong decisions. I should've understood why you were feeling the way you did. I know you've had shitty boyfriends in the past, even I've been shit to you in the past and I said things I didn't mean and then I didn't fucking turn up for Christmas..." He rambled. Luna closed her eyes and shook her head, trying not to cry before she cut him off.
"Alex, I'm sorry. I should've just believed you when you said you didn't want her. I didn't trust you, I was jealous. Yeah I've had a bad past with cheating but that doesn't mean I should assume you're going to. That's not fair on you." She responded.
They stood staring at each other before Alex put his hand in his pocket, he fiddled with the ring incessantly and debated in his head what to do.
"I miss you." He said but he hated how weak it made him seem. Luna didn't see that in him though, she saw a man who stood up for himself when he knew what he was doing.
"Can you forgive me?" She wondered, her heart thumping in her chest as he stared down at her. Her eyes were drawn to his hand that appeared to be shuffling in his pocket.
"Can I forgive you?" He almost laughed at how ridiculous it sounded. She looked up at his big brown eyes and waited for an answer. "Luna, you reacted how anyone would react at what you saw. Can you forgive me?" She looked down, feeling embarrassed.
"Alex, of course I can. It wasn't fair of me to put that on you." She let out a small smile. There was a sigh from Alex's lips.
"How do you feel then..." he chewed his lips. "About me?" She looked confused, not sure how to respond. "What i mean is that, I've told you you're it for me and that I want to be with you for the rest of my life and I mean it." He looked troubled, unsure of how to put his words into a sentence suddenly. "But, the way you reacted made me wonder if that's what you wanted from me." He really did not want to offend her so he avoided her eye contact.
"Alex." She said sternly. It had hurt that he would ever think that but she couldn't blame him considering what they had just been through. "I love you so much it's scary. I've never cared about someone so much. I never want to lose you, I want to be with you every second of my life and I am so sorry I made you doubt that that's how I felt." She replied honestly. It's all Alex wanted.
"Does that mean I get to kiss you now?" He asked, the most hope he had ever had accumulated in his eyes. She smiled and shook her head slightly, wrapping an arm around his neck and pulling him down to meet her lips.
Alex let out a low moan, wrapping his arms around her and picking her up and turning around so no one could see her from inside. Putting her down, he pressed her against the railing of the balcony and kissed her as hard as he possibly could.
"It's been fucking torture without you." He mumbled, his hands not letting go for even a moment. She lifted her leg around his hip slightly, allowing his hand to run up her thigh and create friction between them.
Alex pulled away from the kiss, kissing wherever he could on her face which made her giggle. He put his hands on either side of her face and just stared at her with a wide grin on his face as he held her. She brought her leg back down and smiled back.
"I love you so much." She sighed. "I don't want to ever spend Christmas without you again, oh my god Alexander it was awful." She gripped onto his torso. He leant down and kissed her gently but she pulled him in for more.
Alex's heart swelled as they kissed. He removed one hand from her face and put it in his pocket, feeling the circular object he was dying to give her. His heart started to race, if he was going to do it he would have to do it while he had her alone or wait for another moment.
"Marry me." He blurted, mumbling it against her lips. Luna opened her eyes and pulled away from the kiss, not sure if she had heard him right.
"What?" She asked, he took a step back with his hand still in his pocket. He didn't say anything, just staring at her. He hadn't intended on blurting it out like that but now he had to proceed and follow through. "Alex, What did you just say?" She asked. He took in a deep breath so he didn't pass out, he was so nervous.
"I said marry me" he repeated. Luna stared at him, her heart was pounding inside her. She was terrified, she couldn't get her words out.
She was about to ramble about how you can't just spring it on a person and you have to think about it and get a ring and such when Alex got on one knee. Her eyes started to water, not emotionally prepared whatsoever. Alex was just thinking, fuck it this is what I want, the whole time.
"Okay. You haven't said anything yet which is fine." His voice was all shaky. Luna almost gripped onto the railing, she thought she was about to fall over. "But I have been thinking about this since the day you opened that door for the first time in Paris. I love you so much, I want a life with you, I want to spend the rest of my life with you-" he stopped abruptly. "Oh shit wait." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring. "Will you marry me, Lu?" He asked.
Her eyes fell to the ring, her heart felt like it was was going to explode. Her mouth quivered and suddenly she fell into a daydream.
She imagined her life as Alex's wife. They could travel the world together, him on tours and her to visit her empire of bakeries. Their kids would be so well off and live amazing lives, raised in London or Sheffield or Los Angeles or Paris. Her heart swelled at the thought of her and Alex living in Paris for a while.
A movement from Alex made her snap out of her trance. His head was lowered as if he was trying to hide his face. In reality, the thought was starting to set in that maybe she was going to say no and his eyes had started to water.
"Oh my god, sorry, yes of course I will." She was so lost in her dream of marrying him that she had forgotten to say yes. Alex's face dropped, he couldn't quite believe it.
"Really?" He was still holding the ring up to her. She put out her left hand.
"Put the ring on my bloody finger, Alexander!" She beamed. Alex stood up, sliding the ring onto her finger before picking her up and squeezing her tightly. He kissed the side of her head multiple times as they gripped each other tightly.
"We can do whatever you want, long engagement, get married tomorrow, whatever you want I just want you forever." Alex rambled. She shook her head, letting the tears fall from her eyes now.
"Oh my god Alex." She cried, a wide smile across her face. He chuckled at her reaction.
"Stop fucking crying, Lu." He laughed. "Or should I say, Charlotte!" He yelled loudly. Luna's eyes widened and she burst out laughing.
"Now, Alex?" She laughed. Alex took a step back, laughing really hard. The amount of happiness he felt collected in his chest and now he was just laughing harder than probably appropriate.
Luna couldn't breathe she was laughing so hard, she couldn't believe he used that moment to use her real name. She held her stomach and doubled over as he leant up against the railing to steady himself.
"I'm sorry, I had it all planned out to ask you with your name but then I forgot." he laughed. Luna fanned her face so she didn't cry more. "I ruined the moment." He laughed. Luna shook her head, walking towards him and wrapping one arm around him. Her other arm held the ring he had just given her.
"Christ, I love you." She sighed, looking at the ring.
"You talkin to the ring there, love?" He teased. She met his eyes and shook her head, kissing him quickly.
"I have to call my mum." She sighed, looking back at the ring. "I have to call your mum." She added, he snorted. "It's such a beautiful ring, Alex. Where did you get it?"
"I had it made in Paris." He confessed. Luna raised her eyebrows.
"When did you go to Paris?" She questioned. He licked his lips and looked at the ring.
"2015" he said quietly but she heard. She stared at him and then at the ring again before meeting his eyes one more time.
"You're lying." She tested but the almost embarrassed look on his face told her otherwise. "Really? You've had it all this time?" She felt like crying again. "Alexander." She sighed.
"I just kind of...knew." He shrugged, his arms clutching her in hopes she wouldn't run away. She pulled him close and gave him an appreciative hug
"You are something else, Alex Turner." She whispered, kissing the skin where her lips laid.
"Happy new year" he winked.
—————————————————
I should probably wrap this up at some point but I'm enjoying myself too much writing this aha.
If you have any ideas for future fun Luna and Alex can have let me know. I want to make it to 100 chapters!