Peering down at the sparkling top of her mortar board, Rachel supposed it could have been a lot worse. When Noah had insisted he be allowed to decorate their mortars for graduation (her from Julliard, him from NYU), she had been somewhat apprehensive. Though they'd been together since senior year of high school and she knew he'd never hurt her, he was still Noah and his sense of humor was…unique.
"Noah," she asked him, looking across the room at him as he adjusted his own cap over his still present Mohawk, "I love the stars, but why does my mortar board say YES, NOAH!"
He turned to her and grinned, lowering his head to show her the alterations he'd made to his own cap.
She gasped as she read the words, MARRY ME, RACHEL?", carefully inscribed there and said the only thing appropriate in the given circumstances. "Yes, Noah!"
Looking up at her he smiled and swept her into a hug, ending with a passionate kiss. Then he held up a little velvet box, opening it to reveal a beautiful ring. "It was my nana's," he told her, then chuckled. "Between me graduating from college and asking for this, I don't think she or mom have stopped crying tears of joy for a week."
Rachel laughed and swept a hand at her eyes to dispel her own happy tears before Noah slid the ring onto her hand. Then she kissed him again and smiled against his lips. "I'd love to show you how happy I am, but we need to get to our ceremonies! These mortar boards need to be put to good use!"
The proposal wasn't traditional, but it was so them.
Comments, pretty please?