ANTON

With his stomach a flutter, and his heart pumping hard, Anton marveled that his body was behaving as though he were going off to a fight, not proposing to the only girl he'd ever loved. The only girl he ever would love. His girl. His best friend. His Alli.

He pushed open the apartment door, pleased to find her reading a book on the couch. All wrapped up in her heating blanket, her red hair a messy knot on top of her head, she was still the most beautiful creature he'd ever known both inside and out.

"Whatchya staring at, Bruiser?" She licked her finger, turned a page, never looked up. A tiny smile played across her lips.

He balanced her pizza and their dessert boxes in front of him, walking smoothly, he hoped, toward the kitchen. "Nuthin, brought us a late lunch or early dinner, depends on how ya look at it, oh an' one of them cheesecake pizzas yer dad makes fer dessert."

"Yummy dinner, pass on dessert." She turned another page, reached for a tissue from the end table and laid it flat between the pages. "How did things go with my dad?"

Anton shrugged. She'd be eating dessert, he'd see to that. "Fine. I scored us free lun-din."

"Lun-din?" She echoed, getting from the couch to follow him in the kitchen.

"Yeah, y'know lunch or dinner." His brow furrowed. "Or lunch and dinner?" His snout wrinkled. "Or maybe dinunch?"

Alli winced. "Maybe leave naming things to my dad."

"I guess." Anton sighed, as he reached in the fridge for two bottles of water, closed it and opened the card drawer, pulling the Spades deck. "Grab some napkins, will ya? Let's play on the roof. The suns goin' down an' there ain't gonna be many more warm evenin's like dis."

"That sounds perfect." Alli frowned.

"If it sounds perfect, why're ya poutin'?" Anton pointed to the napkins, then waved her toward the front door. Carrying their dinner, dessert, drinks and entertainment, he followed as she led them to the elevator.

"How are we supposed to play without two more people? Unless you want to go back and be the one to break up the love fest currently taking place in Yuuta's room- "

"Yuuta's?" Anton's eyes widened. "Don't you mean Devon's? They were in her room when I left."

Alli flashed him a skeptical look. "Uh-huh. They went from her room, showered together, then went right back, this time in his room."

When a sexy red eyebrow popped up Anton was beside himself not to drop the food and have an impromptu make out session in the elevator. All the loving going on was not helping him keep his self in check, at all. Alli snapped her fingers in his face. "Are. You. Listening?"

He nodded, yes.

She gave him 'the look.'

He shook his head, no. "Sorry, what'd you say?"

"I said those two are going to christen the entire apartment in a week." Alli waved him off the elevator, and the two stepped beneath the tiny lavender lights adorning their arbor.

He'd never been sorry for putting the sparkling bulbs on a timer. They created an instant atmosphere, stress melting away as they stepped beneath them. Sometimes they came here to think, to read, to be alone, or together. Often it was for reflection, shared daydreams, and wishful thinking. Tonight, it was what it really always had been, despite whatever they'd disguised it as. It was a peaceful space created by and for them.

"Swing or picnic table?" He motioned to the bench hanging from well-oiled chains, facing a New York sunset with a so-so view. But it was their view, which, to him, made it the best.

"Swing." Alli led the way, dropping the paper towels on the seat. Opening the little storage bin beside it, she pulled out a large fleece blanket, tucking it beside her as she sat down. "Once we devour this sucker, I'm totally going to cuddle with you." She grinned, moving the dessert box aside to reach the pizza.

His insides leapt at her appetite. She was doing so much better. Almost, not entirely, but almost as good as new. Funny how Mikey saw that, even from a growing distance. He really had given her to him, long before Anton asked. And the only reason his uncle would ever do that is if he really believed in them.

Anton admired the slight blush to Alli's cheeks. The capillaries, usually prominent in her worse days, were now a fading memory, healthy speckles of gold dusting beneath her eyes in their stead.

"You're staring again." She shook her head, reached for a slice and took a small bite. Her eyes closed as she savored the flavor profile. Her next morsel was a little bigger, but she always ate slow, chewed slow, tasting every bit.

"I want ta play cards, an' I found directions on how we can play wit two players." He sat on the opposite end of the bench, the pizza between them, moving dessert to his side.

Reaching for his first slice, he took a massive bite. He'd be done with dinner in four slices and eight mouthfuls. He couldn't help it sometimes. Especially when she was doing good and the food was awesome. Life was great right now, and he'd ride that bus till it crashed, then he'd patch it up and keep it running as long as he could. She was worth it.

"Antonello, are you even listening to me?" Two irritated blue eyes blurred into focus.

His own widened. "Sorry. What'd you say?"

She snorted. "I'm getting tired of repeating myself. You better get it together, or I'll- "

"You'll what?" He challenged as her eyes locked with his. There it was, the fire inside her, the sass and spark from their childhood. The girl grown into a woman that had stolen his heart. He grinned as her eyes smoldered. "I tell you what. I'm gonna teach you how ta play Spades wit two players. If I win-" He reached for the dessert box. "You share this with me."

Alli's jaw shifted as she kept her eyes on his. She was looking at the box in her periphery, he could feel it in his gut. She loved her dad's dessert pizzas. But remnants of her illness kept her from indulging. Tonight, would end that, one way or another. "What if I win?" She fired back.

He pursed his lips, tapping his chin with his finger. "Hmm. If ya win' you can shove this creamy, rich, white chocolate and strawberry cheesecake pie all up in my face."

Alli's grin bloomed into a full blossom-in-spring sunshine smile. Dropping her slice back in the box, she leaned over, beckoning him closer until the side of Anton's head was to her lips. "Do I get to lick it off after?"

A churr filled the air between them, Anton's cheeks burning as he realized himself. He turned his head, his lips ghosting hers. "Shell yes, but expect to get some on you first."

Alli let out a sweet moan, his heart skipping at the sound. Granting him a delicious taste of her lips, she pulled back, her voice low as her mouth brushed his with her words. "Sounds like a win-win, Bruiser. You're on."

Anton's fingers hovered near her cheeks. He wanted to pull her to him, press his mouth hard against hers and feel how she seemed to mold herself to him. Everything about her was soft, warm, and yet cool and sharp. The things they'd been through, that they survived, were the kind that fucked with a person's head. They knew too well everyone had their breaking point. This was her come back and she'd nailed it. And they'd gotten there together.

She let out a whine as he pulled away. How he loved that sound. Of her. Wanting more. Of him. "Now, now. Let's play the game first."

He instructed her, while she pouted. She became intrigued as she caught on, the only real difference in the game being that the hand was drawn rather than dealt. The two agreed they'd only play to one hundred, her wanting to spend part of the evening cuddling. Him, with ulterior motives of various intentions.

"So," Alli began, in the fourth quarter of her way through smashing him at Spades. "How do you think that cheesecakes going to taste smeared all over your face?"

Anton struggled with his best poker face. He didn't care if he wore it or fed it to her by hand, he just couldn't wait for the part where she opened the box. "It'll be delicious." He winked. "I cain't wait to lick it off ya." Just one more trick after this one, and that was game. One more. His stomach danced about, his heart a fluttering mess.

As she collected another trick, her head tipped to the side, as though she were considering her next move. Strange, since she had only one card left to play.

"Anton, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about." She shifted around digging in her pocket then reached for her card. "Well, ask you really." She led with a King of Hearts, placing it in the space between them.

Out of trump cards, same as Alli apparently, and simply throwing off, Anton looked to his hand for the Queen, then did a double-take at the card Alli played. A shiny silver band laid on the center.

"You are the king of my heart, Antonello. And I want you to know I will totally wait for you to finish school, all the way to your NP license if you want. I even talked to your dad, called him today just before you got home. He was really cool about it." She was blushing, as her brow furrowed. "Once he stopped laughing that is." She shook her head. "He may be going a little crazy. One too many head shots or something. He kept saying 'Mikey was right.' It kinda freaked me out after a while."

She continued to ramble, her hands shaking as she looked around, until she ran out of things to say, glanced at the ring, then up to him. Waiting.

Holy shit. She was asking him? No. Way. His brain exploded in a montage of fireworks, his heart desperate to escape his chest. He reached behind him, ignoring her look of disapproval as he opened the dessert box.

"Antonello, I just asked you to marry- holy shit!" Her eyes widened at sight of the ring tucked in a white chocolate-covered strawberry in the center of the pie.

"I talked to your dad too." He pulled the ring out, holding it toward her. Seems we both want the same thing."

She reached beneath the box, pulled the band out and held it to him. "Yeah, we do, and yes I will."

Antonello grinned, but finding a lump in his throat as he slipped the ring on her finger and she on his, he choked out his reply. "Shell yes I will too."