"Is this what you're looking for?"
.
"Spencer..."
.
"Will you just tell me that what I saw tonight wasn't real? Please... tell me that there's more to the story? Something that... I don't know? Please, Toby..."
.
Spencer and Toby's one year anniversary was anything but magical. Although it started off as an innocent day, full of promise and wonder and endless love, the way it ended up was their literal nightmare from hell. And even though the intentions were pure, Toby had broken Spencer's heart that night; and for that, he was sure that he could never quite forgive himself. But Spencer had, and he had tried to, so Toby thought that it was time he do something to make up for what he had done so that they both could move on from that disastrous night. He was going to replace their nightmare with a beautiful, beautiful dream.
The motel room, the one they'd spent time in together the night before their first kiss, was now filled with candles and dozens and dozens of rose pedals. Picture frames with captured memories they'd shared were hanging on the walls, and a Scrabble board was sitting on the edge of the bed. Three words were written across it: I. Love. You.
"I know it's not the same and nearly not as beautiful as the one you had made for our actual anniversary, but... I hope it's alright. It's the same board we played with over a year ago."
"Toby..." Spencer gawked at the picturesque view in front of her. "It's beautiful... All of it..."
He smiled, thankful that she loved it as much as he did.
"Did you do this yourself?"
Nodding, he looked over at her with awestruck eyes. He still couldn't believe that after everything they had gone through, they were standing there. In that motel room. As in love as ever... It felt like a miracle to him.
Walking over to a cassette player he had sitting by a lone outlet, Toby clicked the play button. Sweet, sweet music began to play.
"Spencer..." He held out his hand so that she could grasp it. "May I have this dance?"
Nodding profusely, she whispered a barely audible "yes" and melted into his embrace.
Toby closed his eyes and kissed the tip of Spencer's head tenderly as he allowed himself to breathe her in.
The subtle yet intoxicating hint of coffee and vanilla sent his senses wild and he swore that if heaven had a smell then this was it, no doubt.
To add to the list of things that he couldn't help but admire about Spencer in that moment, was her hair. Her soft, silky hair... If he didn't know any better he would've sworn that it came directly from the wings of an angel, and that was a thought that was quite ironic because she was his angel. His beautiful, heavenly angel who had walked into his life at a time where he needed her the most - and she had saved him.
The feel of her hair resting beneath his lips ignited something inside him that he couldn't even explain if he'd tried. It reminded him of all the times they had spent together. All the moments in the past that were still very present in his mind. He began to think about the night before their first kiss, where Spencer had metaphorically let her hair down for him. They had grown so close in the short time between her showing up on his front porch and that night spent at the motel. It was this very motel, actually. And it was on that night where she had truly shown him who she was... And he had fallen in love with it. He had fallen in love with her.
He then began to think about all the times where she had fallen asleep in his arms, and all the times where he had mindlessly ended up playing with her hair. Those were the moments he loved the most. The moments where Spencer would finally allow her body to take a rest, and the moments where time seemed to stand perfectly still.
But he also loved moments like these... Oh, how he loved moments like these.
And suddenly it was like he was in a trance, hypnotized by the beauty of the moment and of the girl inside his arms.
"Marry me," he breathed.
Spencer smiled against his chest. It was her squinted eyed, dimpled smile: the kind that only seemed to show itself when it came to Toby.
"Okay," she breathed back. Raising her head to properly look into Toby's eyes, the smile still glued to her face, Spencer repeated herself. "Okay."
Toby shook his head, too smiling, not believing the words that he was hearing. "Really?"
"Really," she leaned in to kiss him. But much to her surprise, Toby pulled back. He didn't look sad or angry or like he was going to break up with her or anything. If anything, he just looked really nervous. And a little embarrassed too.
"Toby?"
"Spence... You should know something..." He blushed. "I didn't mean to say that out loud. It was just... You were so beautiful and it felt so right and... After everything that we've been through..." Sighing, he looked away. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," Spencer whispered softly as she leaned in to kiss him once more. This time Toby kissed her back, no objections, and he hummed in bliss. His heart might as well have stopped beating right then and there, as it seemed to every time their lips collided. "Did you mean it? Do you really want me to marry you?"
"Of course I do," he said softly without a trace of hesitation. "I can't imagine a future without you in it."
Spencer couldn't help but showcase a smile brighter than the stars beneath the country sky as she began tracing mindless circles over Toby's back. "Me neither."
"So..." He laughed softly. "Here is my pre-proposal, Spence. I love you. So, so much. And... when the time is right... and we're both a little older and have our lives in check... I would be absolutely honored to marry you. Or, rather, for you to marry me. Because when I think about the future, I can only see you. I can only see us. You...and me...together." Their foreheads were now leaning upon the other's and their lips were curled up into pure, genuine smiles. Crystalized salt droplets were slowly falling down their faces too. "I love you, Spence. Please marry me someday."
"Yes," she giggled tearfully. "Yes, Toby, I promise. I will marry you someday."
The tears were flowing freely for the both of them, but in that moment, frozen in time, they were too caught up in each other to care. Kissing gently but passionately, Spencer and Toby had never felt more secure and loved in their entire lives. Sure, they'd had intimate moments before. They'd kissed and hugged and danced and held hands and made love but now... They were talking about forever. Talking about a lifetime with all of those moments, plus a thousand more. They would never have to worry about what things would be like without the other around, and they would always be by each other's side, never ever leaving.
This was the beginning of forever. And it was moments like these that assured them both that forever was a real thing.
It was moments like these that they loved the most.
-fin-
a/n: thanks for reading! xoxo