townes zamoras. 22.

october, 92 add.

evening.

Townes laughed, swinging their hands between them as they walked home. "What's wrong with my idea?"

(It was their weekly date night. Now that they were both out of school and working actual jobs, Townes very much looked forward to weekly date nights. Especially because work had been a lot lately- there was so much that needed to be fixed and undone and put back into place, and his job in the government's community outreach department could only address so much. Esper's legal assistant job, too, was demanding. It didn't help that his boss gave him a hard time- I don't care that you're a Victor, you're going to work as hard as everyone else- or that the work was tedious, but Townes was proud of the both of them. He'd realized he hadn't totally appreciated how much time the two of them had been able to spend together when they were in school.)

"You cannot be serious," Esper replied. He was trying to be serious himself, but Townes could tell he was getting through to him.

"When she moves out, she's not gonna need it anymore!" Townes argued. "And it's your house, so you should get to do what you want with it!"

"An upstairs kitchen is ridiculous."

"But then midnight snacks are so much closer," Townes pointed out.

"Since when do you need midnight snacks?"

"Since always!"

Esper laughed. "Not true."

"Well, maybe I'd eat them more if there was an upstairs kitchen!"

"If we're redoing any room," Esper replied, "wouldn't it be the spare room that you used to sleep in?"

"I like that room…"

"You haven't slept in there in years."

"It's sentimental," Townes protested.

(Very sentimental...)

"And Rhylee's room isn't?"

"Not to me."

"Either way, this is stupid, because one: Rhylee still lives with us, and two: we're not getting an upstairs kitchen."

"Fine. I'll just come up with a better idea." They turned the corner, and the gates of the Victor's Village came into view. "Oh! A room for watching movies!"

"The living room."

"But movies specifically."

"So… the living room."

"Fine. Uhh… upstairs library!"

"That's your least terrible idea so far."

"We have, like, two whole stacks of books without shelves," Townes added.

"Yes, and I'm going to read them."

"So they can go somewhere that's not the floor while you're not doing that."

"We have room downstairs, don't we?"

"We better." Townes looked away dramatically. "I almost tripped over them when I got up this morning…"

Esper scoffed. "You're fine."

"Because I got lucky… but next time, who knows…?"

"Oh, shut up."

"No."

"Worth a shot." Esper exhaled. "I do wonder how long they'll stick around, though."

"Years, I think."

"Only a couple more, though."

Townes nudged him. "Still far off. And besides, I'm not going anywhere."

Esper grinned ruefully. "I know."

"You're stuck with me," Townes declared. "And I will be making it your problem."

"Thanks for the warning."

They stepped through the gates and made their way down the street the short distance to Esper's house. "I'm nothing if not a gentleman."

Esper side-eyed him. "That's what you're calling yourself now?"

"Do you disagree?"

"Well…"

Townes swatted his shoulder, making Esper laugh. "Would a gentleman be smacking me right now?"

"A gentleman smacks those who deserve it," Townes said, trying to sound as dignified as possible.

"Oh, I see."

"Excellent."

Esper squeezed his hand. "Glad to hear you're planning on sticking around, though."

"Duh."

"Still nice to hear."

"Yeah?"

"Yes." They were almost home. It was easy to tell which house was Esper's: it was the only one that ever had any lights on. "I wanted to talk to you about that, actually."

Townes watched him closely. "Okay."

Esper squeezed his hand again, and Townes was suddenly aware of how cold Esper's hand was, even for the October night. "I want you to stick around."

"Same."

"Permanently."

Townes grinned. "Isn't that why I live with you?"

"That too, but also… more than that, you know?"

"Like what?"

They'd reached Esper's house. Townes made to go inside, but Esper hung back, tugging on Townes' hand. "Like… for life stuff."

Townes caught the shift in tone and raised an eyebrow. "Are we going somewhere?"

"No, just right here."

"We're gonna stand outside and talk about life stuff?"

"Mhm!"

Townes eyed him for a moment.

(Suspicious…)

Esper took his other hand. "I like that we graduated together," Esper said. "And I know we don't spend all day every day together anymore since we're done with school, but I love that I get to see you every day. I love sharing what I have with you, and that the kids love you, too. And I… I don't want any of that to end."

"Me neither."

Esper squeezed his hands, and Townes sensed a small shake in them. "I love you. You're very important to me. I know we've talked about how we want to do this," Esper said. "And I wanted to make sure that we do it with just the two of us, first, so that it's ours."

Esper pulled his right hand from Townes' and reached for something in his pocket while simultaneously lowering one knee towards the sidewalk.

"Townes-"

"Wait," Townes interrupted, pulling away. "Just give me one second!"

"Where are you going?!"

Townes started to run back towards the house. "I'll be right back!" he shouted.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

"I said one second!" Townes shouted. He didn't listen to Esper's next protest- instead, he ran inside, making a beeline for the spare bedroom he used to sleep in.

esper myrellis-verilla. 23.

"Fucking hell," Esper muttered to himself. He glanced back towards the house and checked his watch with a sigh. He was confident Townes would be back, but this was definitely taking longer than a second-

The front door flew open. "I'm back!" Townes called.

"What are you-"

Townes ran back over to where he'd been standing, but this time, he mirrored Esper's position on the sidewalk. There was a small box in his palm, and Townes cracked it open with a grin.

There was a ring inside.

Esper exhaled. "You dick."

"I win," Townes grinned.

"Win what, exactly?"

"You!" Townes said. "Also, I proposed first, so I win."

"You haven't even asked me," Esper said reproachfully.

"Because you immediately called me a dick. You interrupted."

"I interrupted?"

"Um, yes?"

"I was in the middle of asking you to marry me, and you ran away!"

"And I came right back!" Townes insisted. "It's like you said. I'm not going anywhere," and his eyes drifted towards the box.

"Is that… you saying yes?" Esper asked, half-smiling. "You'll marry me?"

"Yes!"

Esper broke out in a relieved grin. Townes was smiling back at him, and suddenly Esper wasn't even mad anymore, because he was busy reaching for Townes' left hand and putting the ring on it. It fit perfectly.

As soon as he'd finished, Townes cleared his throat. "Esper Myrellis-Verilla," Townes said. "Will you-"

"Yes," Esper interrupted. Townes rolled his eyes, but he was smiling bigger now, too, and he took Esper's left hand in his and slid the ring onto his fourth finger. It fit him perfectly. He took a moment to admire it- it wasn't that different from the one he'd chosen for Townes, honestly. It was pale gold and sleek, circling around a rectangular diamond set in the center. Simple and elegant.

"Good pick," he murmured.

"Thanks." Townes paused. "Can we get off the ground now?"

"Please."

Esper leaned back- god, his knee was aching after being left there for so long- and stood, shoving the now-empty box back in his pocket. As Townes began to do the same, Esper extended a hand to him, and when Townes accepted, helped him up to standing.

"I-" Townes started.

"Shut up," Esper muttered, pulling him close and kissing him. For once, Townes complied, draping his arms over Esper's shoulders and kissing him back with a smile. Esper leaned into him, winding his arms around his waist and holding him tightly, the anxiety he'd been harboring about this moment for days finally dissipated.

(First kiss with his fiancé… he could get used to this.)

After a long moment, Townes pulled back just enough that he could speak. "What I was going to say," he said, "was that you're really stuck with me now."

"I already was," Esper murmured. "Have been for years."

Townes cocked his head. "Yeah?"

Esper nodded. "I knew what I wanted," he said simply.

"Then why'd it take so long?"

He sighed. "We both wanted to graduate first," he reminded him. "And then I was gone, and I just… summer is hard. And besides... I won anyway."

"Excuse me?"

"I asked first. You accepted first," Esper smiled. "So… I win."

Townes' lips parted as he processed this information, which only increased Esper's satisfaction. "Oh my god."

"Nice try."

"You tricked me!"

"Too late. You're stuck with me."

"I can't believe this," Townes groaned.

"You could have, you know, not waited until the very last second," Esper pointed out.

"But…" Townes trailed. "We graduated and then you had to leave… and you don't like summer very much, so…"

"Oh." The teasing note in Esper's voice faded. "I appreciate that."

"Yeah, of course."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Townes pulled one of his arms back far enough to run his hand through Esper's hair and cup his left cheek. Esper leaned into his hand, and Townes studied him for a short moment before kissing him again, more gently this time, and Esper closed his eyes and let himself linger there.

(He could have stayed in that moment forever. His heart was full.)

Eventually, though, the October chill seeped through their coats, and they broke apart. "Let's go inside," Esper said. "I'm sure they'll be wondering where we've been-"

Townes turned back towards the house and laughed. "I don't think they're wondering."

Esper followed his gaze just in time to see two silhouettes in the window drop out of sight. "Oh my god?"

"They probably noticed me running through the house," Townes mused. "I'm pretty sure they were both very confused."

"Well that made three of us," Esper replied. He reached for Townes' hand again, and Townes took it, his new ring cool against Esper's palm. "Come on. Let's go home."

Townes squeezed his hand with a smile. "Sounds perfect."