New Year 1992
"Are you sure Nancy invited me too?" Addison asked him for the hundredth time, rearranging her coat and scarf for the thousandth time. Derek just watched, his own jacket discarded haphazardly on their bed… well, Addison's bed that he has a permanent space on.
A bedroom half his own, as his belongings were scattered almost everywhere.
"Yes, Addie. You're actually the one invited and I'm just your plus one—"
"—and I'm going to crash the party." The wicked smile on Mark's face made Addison smile a bit, then nervously turned to Derek.
"How do I look?" Addison asked, gesturing at her outfit… which was really the typical winter clothes… only they're highly likely worth more than Mark and Derek's yearly rent on the apartment they currently stay at.
"Beautiful." Derek grinned, pride schooling his features. He was honest, as Addison never looked anything less than beautiful. Though, she's definitely more attractive when she's wearing one of his shirts for comfort.
He got a glare, which confused him, and he watched as Addison turned to Mark, doing the same gesture.
"You always look good, Addie." If it weren't for Mark's eye roll, Derek would have been jealous, though he knows they treated each other like siblings… well, more like a thorn to each other's side but same difference.
"Alright, let's go!" Addison said, grabbing her purse.
The moment their coats and scarves touched the rack, Addison disappeared from his sight, dragged by Nancy in the sea of med school and some other university students.
It was an hour later when he got a glimpse of Addison, jumping and dancing with Naomi and Savvy, Nancy nowhere to be seen. With how they were moving, they were all obviously drunk.
"Having fun?" He asked the moment he was near enough. Addison jumped and when she saw him, her arms wrapped around his neck, and he immediately got a kiss on the lips.
Definitely salt and lime from the Margarita.
"Definitely!" He smiled at how bright her smile was.
He led her to the deserted kitchen for privacy, as most of the guests in the living area kept bumping them.
"You're beautiful," He said, taking in every detail of Addison's face up close, face illuminated by the little light in the place. He can't drop the smile from his face as she rolled her eyes. These past few days, she seemed to be in a phase of not believing him when he kept complimenting how beautiful she is.
"You're just saying that 'cause I'm your girlfriend… like you're obligated to." They kept swaying with the music, which went slower than before.
"Where'd you get that? And for the record, I'm not. And even if we were married, and you think that I'm obligated to say you're beautiful, then I'd keep saying it from when you wake up until you fall asleep again just so you would believe that I mean every single word." He frowned when she was now looking at him with more-than-normal excitement in her eyes. "What?"
"Married?" He laughed, and squeezed her waist, making her squeal and laugh a little.
"I'd like to think so… if I don't lose the losing battle I'm currently having with Christian Dior then…" That earned him a chuckle and a slap on the chest.
"Well, he's dead, if you must know…" Addison jokingly told him. He reveled with the feeling of her fingers playing with his hair, wanting to stay in the moment forever.
"Then I guess we'll be getting married soon?" He asked, heart racing as he's not so sure drunk Addison would remember all of this the morning after. The world faded around them and the sounds blurred as his focus was all on the love of his life, her eyes, her smile...
"I have to see a ring first, Derek." Before he could say anything, she suddenly kissed him, not realizing it was already 12 midnight.
"To new beginnings. Happy New Year."