Shawn relaxed as he began to tell his friends about the conflict that he faced. "Me and Angela, we had some problems last night, but in the end, everything turned out good...wait, better than good -- great," he said, putting emphasis on the descriptive words.
He beamed dizzily, thinking about how wonderful the night had turned out to be, before snapping back into reality. "I heard Angela talking on the phone this morning. She thought I was asleep, but I heard the whole conversation. That apartment that she was supposed to move into that the end of the month, it opened up early. She told the apartment manager she'd be moving in this weekend."
Cory raised one eyebrow in uncertainty. It was hard to help his friend when he couldn't even understand the dilemma. "Hold on, Shawnie. What about the ring? What about the question you were going to ask her?"
Shawn shoved his hands in his pockets and looked toward the ground. "I, uh, never got around to it," he mumbled, revealing a devious smile. "I got around to a lot of other things..." he trailed off, comforting himself with a sneaky laugh. "Last night was a crazy night, though, seriously. I was just trying to make sure she wasn't going to leave me for good. A question like that might have shaken things up just a bit." He moved his hands to simulate shaking as he looked back up at Cory and Topanga. "She sounded so excited about this new apartment." Desperation was evident in the tone of his voice.
Topanga bit her bottom lip and looked sympathetically at Shawn. "Angela loves you, Shawn. She wants to be with you as much as you want to be with her. If you don't let her know you want her to stay, she's gonna feel like a burden for not getting out on her own."
"Don't you just hate people who do that?" Eric chimed in, smirking and picking cookie crumbs off of Cory's bathrobe. He smiled and lounged lazily on the sofa.
"You, hush," Cory scowled and pointed to his brother. He turned to face Shawn. "And you, listen to the lady. If you just ask Angela, like you'd planned, she's not going to turn you down." Cory looked deep into his friend's gaze and pointed one finger at him. "Trust me, Shawnie."
A hopeful smile began to grace Shawn's pouting lips. He knew all along that any encouragement he could need would come courtesy of a healthy talk from Cory and Topanga, the two most stable people he knew. He breathed deeply and concentrated on his plan of action. "Okay, guys, I'm gonna go through with this after all."
He turned slightly and began to talk into the air around him. "The only question is how. This is a big step for both of us. I mean, before, I was just planning to sit her down, look into her eyes and go into a detailed description of how much she means to me, but would that really be good enough for her?" He clasped his hands again and again as his feet made small steps around the living room.
Topanga placed one hand her heart and sighed dreamily. "Shawn, listen to yourself." Reason echoed in her soft voice. "If what you're saying is coming from your heart, then what could mean more to her. I know Angela, and I know she wouldn't pass up an offer like that. Don't second-guess yourself."
Shawn looked around the room and then to Cory, who nodded, fully supportive of his wife's suggestion. He turned to Eric, for lack of a better reinforcement, and saw that even the older, more scatter-brained Matthews brother stood behind his original plan. Eric nodded adamently, showing an enthusiastic thumbs-up and doing his best to keep the crumbling tortilla chips from escaping his mouth. It was set; tonight was the night, and Shawn wasn't about to let himself turn back.
The early evening breeze felt cool against Angela's bare shoulders as she flipped through the latest issue of "Motif" from her comfortable position next to the open window. The day had been so beautiful, so pristine, with clear blue skies and mildly warm temperatures. The sun had begun to set, however, and the sparkling blue above had become a swirling, glowing shade of orange.
Angela glanced at the clock above the table -- 6:35 p.m., and Shawn still wasn't home. He had gone to the Matthews' earlier that day and had spent the past few hours running errands around town. She had spent the entire day looking for items to decorate her new apartment and was ready for a relaxing night alone with Shawn. Even though she liked the idea of a permanent home, a place where she would feel secure, Angela knew she would miss apartment 14-C at 313 East Belmont beyond belief. The memories the two had made in less than a month were enough to keep her heart floating with the angels for an eternity. Angela had to smile at the idea that her new apartment was only a short walk away, but life wouldn't be the same.
Before she had the chance to get too absorbed by her worries, the front door opened and Shawn stepped through. He was dressed casually, in loose jeans and a faded maroon t-shirt, and he greeted her warmly. "Hi Baby. You look great." His arms encircled her waist, and he softly touched his lips to hers.
Angela was pleased by his unexpected signs of affection, but she couldn't help being caught off guard. Shawn's "hello"s were always sweet but rarely included a hug or a kiss. His compliment seemed a little out of place, as well. She was dressed down, in worn cargo pants and a simple tank. Even her hair was a mess.
"That's sweet of you, Honey," Angela managed to remark between kisses. "But what have I done to deserve a 'hello' like this?"
Shawn kissed her once more, softly and a little longer than before. He smiled and spoke quietly. "The pleasure is all mine." Releasing his gentle embrace, Shawn walked over to the refridgerator and grabbed a cold bottle of water. His attitude became a bit more serious when he saw the home furnishing catalogs spread across the table, but his loving tone never faded. "So how was your day?"
Angela stretched her arms above her head and yawned. She didn't want to talk about moving, and she was in no mood to confront the conflict that her feelings presented. "Eh, nothing special. I went and looked around in a few stores, but I spent most of the day here."
"Oh." Shawn nodded nonchalantly. "You, um, been thinking about your new place?" He gulped hard, trying not to seem on edge.
"Yeah," she replied instantly. "You know, just getting ideas for um, furniture and stuff." Angela was clearly a bit uncomfortable with the subject. She kept her eyes focused on one edge of the table and fidgeted nervously, dreading the inevitable separation more with each passing second. "Oh, but I missed you today. I'm glad you're back home with me." Angela managed a smile and looked into Shawn's eyes.
His heart was comforted by the thought of her last comment -- "back home with me." This is how things should always be, he thought, realizing that they were only truly at home when they were together. He took a sip of water and twisted the cap back onto the bottle, feeling the coolness against his sweaty palms. It was true, Shawn was nervous, but inside he was dying to propose to her. Silently, he gathered his energy and told himself that the time had finally come.
"I love you." He said it quickly, as if the words had been threatening to come out for ages, and he could no longer restrain himself.
Angela was startled. She looked up, smiling slyly, and tilting her head. She knew he was up to something, but that puppy-dog look was too adorable to resist. Without hesitation, she drew closer to him and rested a loving hand on one side of his face. "I love you, too," she said sincerely. "Is everything alright?"
"Perfect," Shawn answered, trembling as he spoke. "I've been doing some thinking, though."
Angela pulled back just a bit. The last time Shawn had "done some thinking", he broke her heart. She hoped desperately that the same thing was not about to happen all over again. Their relationship was better than ever, and Angela would have done anything to keep it that way forever.
"Come over here." He took her hand and led her to the unmade bed across the room. Shawn fell freely onto the cotton comforter, pulling his girlfriend onto the bed with him. Just inches apart, the two stared into each other's eyes, each a little unsure what the other was thinking. Shawn took one of Angela's slender hands and placed it over his rapidly-beating heart. "I'm not always good at saying what I feel out loud," he said softly, slowly. "So I want you to keep your hand here, so you'll understand where it's coming from."
Angela beamed at him, only nodding to keep from getting lost in the moment. Shawn twirled one of her long, dark braids between his fingers, never breaking eye contact. "These past few weeks have been...wow. I can't even explain it. Using words wouldn't do it justice. Even this very second is worth more than my entire life up until the day we met. You know I mean that, right?"
Glancing at the hand that rested on his chest, Angela nodded again, still to entranced by the moment to speak. "You're my heart, my soul, my life, my everything," Shawn continued, chewing on his lip as he thought of his next words. "I don't want you to move out."
Feeling her heart make its dramatic leap into ecstasy, Angela released a joyous sigh. "That is so sweet, Shawn. I don't want to leave here either, but I just wish you'd said something earlier if that's all it was." Feeling incredibly relieved, she snuggled against him and began to move her hand away from his heart.
Shawn stopped her immediately, clutching her hand in his own and pulling it back up to his heart. He held her hand tightly there and placed a feather-light kiss on her lips. "There's something else."
Angela's heart began to race as Shawn managed to retrieve the box from his pocket and clumsily open it with his free hand. A flood of emotions rushed throughout his body all at once. He was about to ask the most important question of his life, and his heart beat wildly, despite Angela's soothing touch.
He moved the ring along the length of their resting bodies and brought it before Angela's starry gaze. It sat majestically in the tiny box, shining back at her. Angela was speechless, unable to decide if this was reality or a vividly realistic dream.
Shawn's eyes sparkled from behind the diamond. "Angela, I want to be with you forever. Marry me."
He beamed dizzily, thinking about how wonderful the night had turned out to be, before snapping back into reality. "I heard Angela talking on the phone this morning. She thought I was asleep, but I heard the whole conversation. That apartment that she was supposed to move into that the end of the month, it opened up early. She told the apartment manager she'd be moving in this weekend."
Cory raised one eyebrow in uncertainty. It was hard to help his friend when he couldn't even understand the dilemma. "Hold on, Shawnie. What about the ring? What about the question you were going to ask her?"
Shawn shoved his hands in his pockets and looked toward the ground. "I, uh, never got around to it," he mumbled, revealing a devious smile. "I got around to a lot of other things..." he trailed off, comforting himself with a sneaky laugh. "Last night was a crazy night, though, seriously. I was just trying to make sure she wasn't going to leave me for good. A question like that might have shaken things up just a bit." He moved his hands to simulate shaking as he looked back up at Cory and Topanga. "She sounded so excited about this new apartment." Desperation was evident in the tone of his voice.
Topanga bit her bottom lip and looked sympathetically at Shawn. "Angela loves you, Shawn. She wants to be with you as much as you want to be with her. If you don't let her know you want her to stay, she's gonna feel like a burden for not getting out on her own."
"Don't you just hate people who do that?" Eric chimed in, smirking and picking cookie crumbs off of Cory's bathrobe. He smiled and lounged lazily on the sofa.
"You, hush," Cory scowled and pointed to his brother. He turned to face Shawn. "And you, listen to the lady. If you just ask Angela, like you'd planned, she's not going to turn you down." Cory looked deep into his friend's gaze and pointed one finger at him. "Trust me, Shawnie."
A hopeful smile began to grace Shawn's pouting lips. He knew all along that any encouragement he could need would come courtesy of a healthy talk from Cory and Topanga, the two most stable people he knew. He breathed deeply and concentrated on his plan of action. "Okay, guys, I'm gonna go through with this after all."
He turned slightly and began to talk into the air around him. "The only question is how. This is a big step for both of us. I mean, before, I was just planning to sit her down, look into her eyes and go into a detailed description of how much she means to me, but would that really be good enough for her?" He clasped his hands again and again as his feet made small steps around the living room.
Topanga placed one hand her heart and sighed dreamily. "Shawn, listen to yourself." Reason echoed in her soft voice. "If what you're saying is coming from your heart, then what could mean more to her. I know Angela, and I know she wouldn't pass up an offer like that. Don't second-guess yourself."
Shawn looked around the room and then to Cory, who nodded, fully supportive of his wife's suggestion. He turned to Eric, for lack of a better reinforcement, and saw that even the older, more scatter-brained Matthews brother stood behind his original plan. Eric nodded adamently, showing an enthusiastic thumbs-up and doing his best to keep the crumbling tortilla chips from escaping his mouth. It was set; tonight was the night, and Shawn wasn't about to let himself turn back.
The early evening breeze felt cool against Angela's bare shoulders as she flipped through the latest issue of "Motif" from her comfortable position next to the open window. The day had been so beautiful, so pristine, with clear blue skies and mildly warm temperatures. The sun had begun to set, however, and the sparkling blue above had become a swirling, glowing shade of orange.
Angela glanced at the clock above the table -- 6:35 p.m., and Shawn still wasn't home. He had gone to the Matthews' earlier that day and had spent the past few hours running errands around town. She had spent the entire day looking for items to decorate her new apartment and was ready for a relaxing night alone with Shawn. Even though she liked the idea of a permanent home, a place where she would feel secure, Angela knew she would miss apartment 14-C at 313 East Belmont beyond belief. The memories the two had made in less than a month were enough to keep her heart floating with the angels for an eternity. Angela had to smile at the idea that her new apartment was only a short walk away, but life wouldn't be the same.
Before she had the chance to get too absorbed by her worries, the front door opened and Shawn stepped through. He was dressed casually, in loose jeans and a faded maroon t-shirt, and he greeted her warmly. "Hi Baby. You look great." His arms encircled her waist, and he softly touched his lips to hers.
Angela was pleased by his unexpected signs of affection, but she couldn't help being caught off guard. Shawn's "hello"s were always sweet but rarely included a hug or a kiss. His compliment seemed a little out of place, as well. She was dressed down, in worn cargo pants and a simple tank. Even her hair was a mess.
"That's sweet of you, Honey," Angela managed to remark between kisses. "But what have I done to deserve a 'hello' like this?"
Shawn kissed her once more, softly and a little longer than before. He smiled and spoke quietly. "The pleasure is all mine." Releasing his gentle embrace, Shawn walked over to the refridgerator and grabbed a cold bottle of water. His attitude became a bit more serious when he saw the home furnishing catalogs spread across the table, but his loving tone never faded. "So how was your day?"
Angela stretched her arms above her head and yawned. She didn't want to talk about moving, and she was in no mood to confront the conflict that her feelings presented. "Eh, nothing special. I went and looked around in a few stores, but I spent most of the day here."
"Oh." Shawn nodded nonchalantly. "You, um, been thinking about your new place?" He gulped hard, trying not to seem on edge.
"Yeah," she replied instantly. "You know, just getting ideas for um, furniture and stuff." Angela was clearly a bit uncomfortable with the subject. She kept her eyes focused on one edge of the table and fidgeted nervously, dreading the inevitable separation more with each passing second. "Oh, but I missed you today. I'm glad you're back home with me." Angela managed a smile and looked into Shawn's eyes.
His heart was comforted by the thought of her last comment -- "back home with me." This is how things should always be, he thought, realizing that they were only truly at home when they were together. He took a sip of water and twisted the cap back onto the bottle, feeling the coolness against his sweaty palms. It was true, Shawn was nervous, but inside he was dying to propose to her. Silently, he gathered his energy and told himself that the time had finally come.
"I love you." He said it quickly, as if the words had been threatening to come out for ages, and he could no longer restrain himself.
Angela was startled. She looked up, smiling slyly, and tilting her head. She knew he was up to something, but that puppy-dog look was too adorable to resist. Without hesitation, she drew closer to him and rested a loving hand on one side of his face. "I love you, too," she said sincerely. "Is everything alright?"
"Perfect," Shawn answered, trembling as he spoke. "I've been doing some thinking, though."
Angela pulled back just a bit. The last time Shawn had "done some thinking", he broke her heart. She hoped desperately that the same thing was not about to happen all over again. Their relationship was better than ever, and Angela would have done anything to keep it that way forever.
"Come over here." He took her hand and led her to the unmade bed across the room. Shawn fell freely onto the cotton comforter, pulling his girlfriend onto the bed with him. Just inches apart, the two stared into each other's eyes, each a little unsure what the other was thinking. Shawn took one of Angela's slender hands and placed it over his rapidly-beating heart. "I'm not always good at saying what I feel out loud," he said softly, slowly. "So I want you to keep your hand here, so you'll understand where it's coming from."
Angela beamed at him, only nodding to keep from getting lost in the moment. Shawn twirled one of her long, dark braids between his fingers, never breaking eye contact. "These past few weeks have been...wow. I can't even explain it. Using words wouldn't do it justice. Even this very second is worth more than my entire life up until the day we met. You know I mean that, right?"
Glancing at the hand that rested on his chest, Angela nodded again, still to entranced by the moment to speak. "You're my heart, my soul, my life, my everything," Shawn continued, chewing on his lip as he thought of his next words. "I don't want you to move out."
Feeling her heart make its dramatic leap into ecstasy, Angela released a joyous sigh. "That is so sweet, Shawn. I don't want to leave here either, but I just wish you'd said something earlier if that's all it was." Feeling incredibly relieved, she snuggled against him and began to move her hand away from his heart.
Shawn stopped her immediately, clutching her hand in his own and pulling it back up to his heart. He held her hand tightly there and placed a feather-light kiss on her lips. "There's something else."
Angela's heart began to race as Shawn managed to retrieve the box from his pocket and clumsily open it with his free hand. A flood of emotions rushed throughout his body all at once. He was about to ask the most important question of his life, and his heart beat wildly, despite Angela's soothing touch.
He moved the ring along the length of their resting bodies and brought it before Angela's starry gaze. It sat majestically in the tiny box, shining back at her. Angela was speechless, unable to decide if this was reality or a vividly realistic dream.
Shawn's eyes sparkled from behind the diamond. "Angela, I want to be with you forever. Marry me."