Gloyd paces back and forth in his house, anxiously wringing his hands, brushing back his bangs, and fiddling with the zipper on his jacket. Swizzle lounges nearby on one of the living room couches, watching the pumpkin-loving racer as he walks. "Do you think it would be best to ask her first and then do the rest of the date?" Gloyd asks suddenly, whirling to look at his best friend.
"Sure man, that sounds good." Swizzle replies in a bored tone, absently checking the time on his watch.
"Or maybe I should try to build up the evening and then pop the question at the end." He continues, returning to his nervous pacing.
"That would be good too."
"Or maybe I should-"
"Dude! Would you quit?" Swizzle interrupts him, standing up to catch his friend by the arm. "You're driving me insane! Besides, it's not that big of a deal."
Gloyd stares at him incredulously for a moment. "What do you mean it's not that big of a deal?"
"I mean it's just a proposal. Nothing to stress over." He pauses as he catches his friend still staring at him. "What?"
"...Oh, no, I suppose you're right. It's really not anything important at all. You know, just something that will change my life forever!" He cries, snatching his arm away from his daredevil of a friend and immediately going back to pacing the room.
Swizzle groans with annoyance and rolls his eyes. "Man, you've got to calm down. If it really means that much to you, why don't you just wait until the perfect moment and then ask her? What could go wrong there?"
"...But what if she says no?"
"Why in all the arcade would she say no? She's infatuated with you."
"Well... sure, but-"
"No more buts! You've been putting this off for months now! It's getting annoying just carrying around your big secret all this time. Just get it over with."
Gloyd opens his mouth to protest again, but just then a cheerful knock resounds through the house. He cringes slightly and then takes a deep breath before going to the door. "Candles!" He greets his girlfriend with a smile as he sweeps open the door.
"Hi Pumpkin~" She says, returning the smile happily. "So, what's with the mysterious text and an order to be here by seven?"
Gloyd chuckles before answering. "Well, I have a surprise for you. Come on in." He steps aside and allows her to enter the little home. He shuts the door and then turns around, only to be met by a surprise kiss. "Mmm..." He hums against Candlehead's lips, wrapping his arms around her waist to draw her closer.
"And, I'm leaving!" Swizzle suddenly cries, pushing in between the two lovebirds to get to the door. His voice expressed annoyance, though his smile betrayed his amusement.
"Swiz!" Candlehead playfully scolds, swatting at the daredevil's arm.
"That's my name." He says with a wink before opening the door and slipping out, murmuring a quiet, "Good luck," to his best friend as he passes.
Gloyd shoots him a nervous glance in reply before returning his attention to the guest of honor. "So, where were we?"
Candlehead giggles as he leans down again, but then she puts a finger to his lip, quirking an eyebrow at her boyfriend as curiosity suddenly outweighs her desire to be with Gloyd. "I think you were going to show me this surprise of yours." She answers instead, feeling a rush of amusement as Gloyd steps back, his cheeks orange with embarrassment.
"Right. Come on, follow me." He turns and leads the way to his humble kitchen. It wasn't much. A sink, a few counters, an oven, and a little table to the side. The only extraordinary thing in the room was the decorations. Gloyd had outfitted the entire house to fit his love of Halloween, and that included his kitchen. Once upon a time when the Sugar Rushers were all still nine year olds, that had meant toy spiders, cobwebs, and an ever present Jack-o-Lantern. Nowadays, the decor was a bit more sophisticated. Three tall candles stood on a small corner table, their half-melted wax drooping over the side of the table. The slightly translucent cloth on the main table had a spider web design sprawling across it, and the lights hanging over it were shaped vaguely like little pumpkins, casting the room in an orange light. The two chairs at the table each had triangular backs with the signature stripes of a piece of candy corn. Overall, the entire room gave a feeling of being in a homey haunted house. However, tonight something different waits in the kitchen.
As Candlehead steps into the familiar room, her eyes widen with surprise as she takes in the sight before her. A fancy silver platter rests on the table, obviously hiding away some delicious tidbit or another. A bottle of sweet wine sits next to it, and Gloyd had obviously set out his best dishes for the occasion. "Gloyd..." The flabbergasted woman turns to look at her love over her shoulder. "Did you make all this yourself? I thought you didn't like cooking."
"Oh, well... maybe it isn't my favorite pastime.. But don't you deserve the best, after all?" He replies with a nonchalant shrug before slipping past her to the well laid table. He pulls back a chair for her before sitting down opposite from her. Candlehead giggles and joins him at the table, accepting the thin glass of wine as he offers it to her. "To the most breathtaking racer in all of Sugar Rush." He says, lifting his glass to the air.
Candlehead laughs but joins him in the toast. After taking a small sip of the wine, and humming a soft noise of satisfaction to herself, she sets down the glass and puts her hands in her lap. "So then, what have you made for us this evening?"
"A house specialty." He says before reaching over to take hold of the silver platter. He pauses for dramatic build up before whisking off the top to reveal... two PB&J's.
Candlehead immediately bursts into giggles and Gloyd smiles with satisfaction. "Oh Pumpkin. You never change." She says after she manages to stop laughing. She takes one of the sandwiches and sets it on her plate, smiling at the familiar snack.
Gloyd shrugs and takes his own sandwich, still smiling brightly. "Sad but true."
Candlehead chuckles before digging into the sandwich, noting with a hint of satisfaction that he had used strawberry jelly, her personal favorite. Obviously it doesn't take long for the two to finish the PB&J's, at which point the both sit back and start sipping wine. They laugh and chat and kiss and eventually move to the living room. And at some point in time, they simply stop talking and just cuddle.
An hour passes. Gloyd sighs to himself. He was sure that Candlehead had drifted off to sleep, and he had missed his opportunity again. But then the racer shifts and looks up at him with a dreamy smile. "Pumpkin, this has been a wonderful night. Thanks for inviting me over."
He grins and rubs his nose against her lightly. "Thank you for being so perfect." He counters, causing her to laugh quietly. Then he shifts so he can look in her eyes, feeling that familiar rush of nervousness return as he absently patted his pocket. "I love you Candlehead." He whispers, kissing her on her nose. This is it. Now's the perfect time. He thinks, slipping his hand into his pocket to pull out a small, deep blue velvet box. "And I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He continues, noting the way his girlfriend tilted her head to the side with curiosity and raised an eyebrow. "So... would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" He finishes, holding up the now open box to reveal an intricate silver ring with an expensive looking turquoise rock candy set in the center.
Candlehead's eyes widen to the size of dinner plates and she finds herself unable to say anything at all for several moments. Then she laughs with delight and nods rapidly. "Yes! Yes, of course I'll marry you!" She cries, kissing him quickly in a rush of happiness. Gloyd laughs as well and immediately slips the ring onto her slim finger, grinning at the way she admires it lovingly for a few moments. Then she kisses him again, this time allowing their lips to stay pressed together for a very long time. And so they stayed for a good five minutes, kissing in the dim candlelight of the living room. At last, they were engaged.