A/N: Thank you very much for the reviews and support! I hope my story continues to please you! Thank you very much for the names suggestions too! :D

And welcome any new readers! Enjoy!

The months flew by, and before I knew it, two years had passed since I began living with Miles.

Every day has been an adventure, even if it just involves us playing Pikmin 2 and eating Papa John's.

I had also grown used to the "Shoebox" and its lack of proper ventilation. But, according to Miles, my "Short Stack charm" shoots the homey factor up a notch.

I also got my license, so I don't have to rely on Miles or public transport anymore; Miles still insists on picking me up from work though when I work late.

As for my ride, it is not a Jeep…. or any car, exactly.

No, I got a motorcycle.

Last Christmas, Miles and I went down to the motorcycle showroom near the Steak n Shake, and I fell in love with a red BMW Roadster 1200.

I approached Miles with the idea at dinner, and he slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "Sign me the fuck up!"

So, I have a motorcycle. Hot damn, huh?

Since then, Miles and I have made a habit of going outside the city and racing each other on the dirt roads.

So far, the score is Miles: 10 and Me: 9.

Then, after we race around for a bit, I place my bike in the Jeep's backseat and we get lost in the countryside.

Getting lost in the countryside is therapeutic, like all of the woes of city life fade away with the crisp air and rolling hills.

And sometimes we pack a lunch and have a picnic in the flower fields, watching the clouds afterwards with full bellies and warm, fuzzy feelings.

I really treasure these moments with Miles where it's just the two of us surrounded by nature and holding hands.

I love him so much, and if there is anyone I want to spend the rest of my life with, it's him.

And it's perfect timing.

I mean, we're both in our late twenties, and if we didn't intend to make this last forever, Miles and I would've split long ago.

We've been friends for ten years, dating for nine of them, and we are still going strong.

If Miles and I can survive all the obstacles life has thrown our way thus far, then I believe we can make this relationship work for good.

Neither of us have brought marriage up, but we acknowledge that it will probably happen soon, like some unwritten promise.

I intend to change that tonight.

Men aren't the only ones who can pop the question, y'know. I even got a ring: a plain gold band with silver swirls on the side.

Miles is not the one for wearing jewelry, but when I saw this gem in the window, I knew it was made for him. Men rarely wear engagement rings, but Miles will….if he says 'yes', of course.

Tonight is our ninth anniversary, and the possible beginning of something wonderful.

I just hope everything goes according to plan.

"You alright, Short Stack?" Miles waved his hand in front of my face, snapping me out of a daze I wasn't aware I'd fallen in.

"Oh!" I shook my head, feeling like an idiot. "I'm fine. Just lost in thought. "

We were walking around Washington Park, swinging our hands back and forth, and admiring the sunset resting over the trees.

"You've been lost in thought the entire night." He tightened his grip on my hand. "Is everything alright? You're usually a ball of energy on our dates."

I shrugged and shoved my free hand into my pocket, clutching the velvet ring box like a lifeline.

I didn't mean to act all distant and aloof, but the sunset felt like an hourglass, counting down to the moment of truth.

'Oh God, I hope my palms aren't sweaty.'

Miles halted in place and tugged me towards him, a concerned and serious glaze in his eyes.

"Young-ja, tell me the truth. Is everything alright? W-wait, did someone at work harass you?! I swear, I'll kill the fucking bastard! Tell me his name, and I'll figure out where the fucker lives."

I quickly shook my head and sat him down on a nearby bench, figuring it was now or never.

"No, Miles, no one has been harassing me. I just…." I covered my face and paced back and forth, feeling like my heart was about to burst from my rib cage.

'Why is this so hard?! This is Miles, the boy who insulted me upon our first meeting before declaring our friendship at a Burger King! He was the 18 year old punk who sassed professors, forgot his pencil case on a regular basis, and parkoured his way out of the English building after discovering Dr. Williamson was sleeping with one of the lunch ladies!'

I slowed my pacing to a stop and peeked at my obviously freaked out boyfriend who just witnessed his girlfriend having a self-therapy session.

'And yet, here he is. A 27-year old investigative journalist whose brought several national and international corrupt dealings to light because, underneath all that sarcasm and tough guy talk, he has a huge heart. And a large section of that heart is for me, just like mine is for him.'

I took a deep breath and stepped towards him.

'Alright, I'm going to do it.'

"Miles!" I started, my tone harsher than I intended, and he jumped in response. "I have something to tell you!"

"What?!" He held his hands out. "Are you ill?! Did something happen to your parents?! Tell me!"

"Miles, you are one of the greatest people I know, if not the greatest. These past ten years of knowing you have a fantastic. At first, I thought you were a smartass and a bum without direction. Now, I still think you are a smartass, but you are a brilliant journalist who fights for what he believes in, and I'm so proud of you. You are sweet, romantic, dorky, ingenious, strong, idiotic, and just….Miles. My Miles. And I'm in love with you, more than you'll ever know. So," I whipped the box out and got down on one knee, watching Miles' eyes widen in shock, "will you marry me, Miles Upshur?"

He said nothing, just gaped at me like I grew three heads, which did nothing to soothe me at all.

Moments passed, and I felt my heart shrivel with every passing second.

'Maybe I was wrong?! I was wrong! Oh God, I'm such an idiot! Just kill me n-!'

My inner meltdown was interrupted when Miles flew off the bench and joined me on the ground.

"Did you-did you just propose to me?"

My body was shaking so fiercely that all I could do was nod.

"Like propose to me," He enunciated each word with his hands, "You bought a ring, and proposed to me."

"Yes!"

"You..bought a ring from a store, a jewelrystore. A store that sells-."

"YES!" I shrieked, wishing the twit would hurry up and answer me! "I'M PROPOSING TO YOU. ME, PARK YOUNG-JA, YOUR GIRLFRIEND FOR NEARLY A DECADE!"

Then, Miles did something that surprised me.

He shot to his feet and punched a nearby tree, chanting "Shit! Shit! Shit!"

"M-miles?!"

My steaming boyfriend whipped around and stuck his finger in my face, causing me to stumble back.

"Is this your idea of revenge?!"

"Revenge?!"

"Yes! Revenge for nine years ago when I beat you in the race!"

"What race?!"

"The race for who would ask out the other first!"

I threw my arms in the air, all fear completely evaporated.

"What are you talking about?! This isn't about revenge or anything! I proposed because I want to marry you! Not to settle some childish competition from when we were nineteen! Why the hell are you getting so upset anyways?!"

"Because," He dug into his pocket and held a similar velvet box out. "I was going to propose to you!"

And the world went dead silent.

From a stranger's point of view, the two of us must've made quite a scene: A 6'3 man with disheveled hair and a pissed off expression was shoving a ring box into the face of a 5'5 woman with a similar ring box in her hand and a 'deer-caught-in-headlights' look on her face.

If I was the third party, I'd probably laugh and take a photo.

Alas, I was not, so I continued to stand there like a twit, trying to glue my brain back together.

When I finally felt my soul return, the first thing I did was deck Miles in the gut.

"You asshole! You had me worried! I thought you didn't want to marry me, and I had it all wrong for the past two years!"

"Of course I want to marry you!" Miles fired back, clutching his abdomen. "I've wanted to marry you since you left for Germany! That is why I'm so angry! I wanted to be the one to ask the question and sweep you off your feet like those freaking Disney Princes' you adore so much!"

My fists shook as I reached out and latched on his shirt, relief flooding through my body, slowing drowning out the fury.

'I wasn't wrong. He wants to marry me. My God, he wants to marry me!'

"I don't want to marry a prince," I whispered, trying to soothe my tone and gazed up into his eyes. "I want to marry you."

His cheeks flushed a dark red, and I giggled as he covered his mouth and averted his eyes.

"Damn," He mumbled. "You just shot down all the cheesy romantic lines I looked up. Care to hear them anyways?"

I shook my head and backed away, finding it adorable he actually did some research nonetheless.

"If you're going to propose to me, then speak as yourself, not a book."

Miles gulped and scratched his cheek, his face turning redder by the minute.

"What?" I laughed, "You kick up a fuss about me asking first, and now that I give you a second chance, you're tongue tied?"

"Cut the shit!" He glared down at me. "I just need to get my thoughts in order."

'Now you know how I felt.'

Taking a deep breath, Miles got down on one knee and took my hand in his.

"When I first meet you, I thought you were the biggest nerd ever. You always handed your assignments in on time and had like five planners for all your classes. I never thought to bother with you until you stormed in that rainy day and I realized there was more to you than that "Triple A+ loser" front you give off. And asking for your number that day was the best damn decision I ever made. As time went on and we got to know each other, you slowly opened up, showing me how brilliant, stubborn, and cheeky you can be. And, slowly, I began to fall in love with you. Your witty comebacks, your benevolence, your determination, how utterly stupid you look when you dance, all of the qualities that make you Young-ja Park, my best friend and my love," Then he lifted the velvet box up and opened it, the sapphire on top of the silver band shining in the streetlight. "So, will you give me the honor and privilege of becoming your husband?"

I smiled and nodded as tears ran down my cheeks.

"Yes, Miles. A million times yes." I laughed as he slipped the ring onto my finger. "And now, will you answer my proposal?"

"Do you need to ask?" He lifted me up and spun around. "You bet your ass my answer is yes!"

I slipped the gold band onto his finger, and we admired both symbols of our love.

Still wrapped in his arms, I rested my forehead against his and sighed blissfully.

"This is really happening, isn't it?"

"Does it feel like a dream?" He asked, shifting his head up and kissing my nose

"Kind of." I confessed. "I just can't believe we're actually engaged."

"Well you better believe it, Short Stack." He smiled, placing me back on the ground but not letting go. "Yes, ma'am, you are about to get hitched to Miles Upshur, Journalist Extraordinaire."

I snorted and flicked his nose.

"You're such a dweeb. But you're my dweeb." I grinned, snuggling my face against his chest. "I guess we have a wedding to plan and parents to call."

"Yes. But first," He tilted my chin up, that infuriating smirk on his face. "May I kiss my bride-to-be?"

My response was to pull his face to mine and kiss him with all my might.

First, we became friends, then boyfriend/girlfriend, then significant other, and now, engaged.

Freaking engaged!

Through the good and the bad, we've surpassed every milestone in our relationship.

And now, we're about to complete the final one.

We were married in a civil ceremony three months later at city hall. It wasn't a fancy ceremony by any means, since we decided to focus on buying a house instead.

A real house on the outskirts of Denver, not a shoebox off the highway.

Both of our parents were there, Miles' cheering and celebrating, while mine clapping politely with resigned glances.

'Just when you guys finally get used to me dating him, we get married. Hehehe!'

I wore a simple white sundress, flats, and had my hair pulled back into a bun with flower hairpins.

Miles wore a white dress shirt, black dress pants, a button up vest, and Converses.

In short, we looked pretty damn good.

One of the secretaries gave me a bouquet of hydrangeas, so that is what I carried as the two of us got ready to walk into the tiny chapel.

We stared at each other like idiots, huge grins and all.

"Ready, Cara Mia?" Miles whispered, holding his arm out.

I nodded and lacing my arm with his.

"You bet your ass I am."

Then the doors were opened, and we proceed down the aisle.

My parents sat to the left, Miles' sat to the right, and a Justice of the Peace stood at the front of the room.

Once we reached front and faced each other, the Justice of the Peace began the opening remarks.

"Friends and Family of the bride and groom, welcome and thank you for being here on this important day. We are gathered together to celebrate the very special love between Young-ja Park and Miles Upshur, by joining them in marriage. All of us need and desire to love and to be loved. And the highest form of love between two people is within a healthy, committed relationship. Young-ja and Miles, your marriage today is the public and legal joining of your souls that have already been united as one in your hearts. Marriage will allow you a new environment to share your lives together, standing together to face life and the world, hand-in-hand. Marriage is going to expand you as individuals, define you as a couple, and deepen your love for one another. To be successful, you will need strength, courage, patience and a really good sense of humor. So, let your marriage be a time of waking each morning and falling in love with each other all over again."

Then he turned and held out the wedding bands on a pillow. They were a gift from both of our parents, a matching set of silver bands with hearts engraved onto them.

The Justice of the Peace handed my ring to Miles and cleared his throat.

"Miles, do you take Young-ja to be your lawfully wedded wife, to live together in blissful marriage? Will you faithfully cherish and honor her, encourage, comfort and support her, to attend her in sickness and in health, forswearing all others, remaining completely loyal to her, as long as you both shall live?"

"I will." He smiled widely. "Every damn day and for all fucking eternity."

The Upshurs laughed in the background, while my parents coughed behind their palms.

I rolled my eyes with an amused chuckle as Miles slipped the band onto my finger.

Then, the Justice of the Peace handed Miles' wedding band to me.

"Young-ja, do you take Miles to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together in blissful marriage? Will you faithfully cherish and honor him, encourage, comfort and support him, attend him in sickness and in health, forswearing all others, remaining completely loyal to him, as long as you both shall live?"

"With all my heart." I beamed, slipping the band onto his finger.

"Then by the power vested in me by the State of Colorado, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

"Don't mind if I do." Miles grabbed my waist and swung around, dipping me back before kissing me like there was no tomorrow.

Sophia and Kamal whistled and screamed, causing the both of us to break apart and laugh.

The Justice of the Peace congratulated us before handing our marriage certificate over with a warm smile on his wrinkly face.

We thanked him and waltzed out to the hallway with our parents trailing behind.

"Congratulations!" Sophia squealed, pulling both of us into a bone crushing embrace. "Mio figlio prediletto! I'm so happy for you! And Young-ja! Mia nuora!" (daughter-in-law)

Once she released us, and we caught our breathes, Kamal gave each of us a more gentle embrace.

"Miles, my boy, congratulations. Young-ja, my dear, welcome to the family. Bless you for taking pity on our poor, snarky son."

"Dad, it's my wedding day! Find your chill!"

Kamal and I laughed at his outburst, knowing Miles will never lose that short fuse of his.

"Young-ja." I whipped around to find my parents standing there. "We… wish you both of the best. Congratulations."

I smiled and hugged them both, grateful they came without a fuss, despite how much I know they still dislike Miles' attitude.

Once I pulled away, Miles stepped forward and shook both Father's and Mother's hands.

"Thank you for giving us your blessing, Mr. and Mrs. Park. I know you aren't crazy about me. But know this. I'm crazy about your daughter, and I promise to love her for all my days."

My parents looked at each other before looking back at him.

"We know you will."

It really was a dream come true.

I was married to the man I love, and my parents were accepting it.

I wanted to scream and dancing in circles, but I settled for snuggling against Miles and taking his hand in mine.

"Good job, Mr. Parky-poo!" Sophia cheered, smacking my Father on the back and nearly sending him to the ground. "And don't worry! Our children are one-of-a-kind and meant for each other! You just wait and see."

Kamal chuckled at his wife's antics before herding us towards the door.

"C'mon, let's go celebrate this new addition to the family."

Father hobbled to the door with Mother supporting him as Kamal and Sophia followed, chatting about all the wonderful restaurants in Denver.

Finally alone, Miles and I clutched each other tightly, enjoying this wonderful new feeling.

"Mrs. Young-ja Upshur." Miles sighed, his head resting on top of mine. "I love the sound of that."

"As do I." I hummed as he rocked us back and forth. "A new chapter of our lives has just begun. What do you think will happen?"

"I don't know, Short Stack." He responded, cupping my face in his hands before drawing my lips to his once more. "But I do know it's bound to be one hell of a ride with you next to me. I can promise you that."

"Why do I get this sense of dread when you say that?" I teased, wrapping my arms around my husband's waist. "It's our wedding day. Don't jinx anything."

A/N: And now, I can finally move to the Mount Massive chapter! And don't worry, we will still see what married life is like for Miles and Young-ja throughout the rest of the story. Now, I have something to ask you guys! I already have an idea of what I'm going to do, but I want to know what you guys think might happen or would like to happen. I'm not going to promise to put it in, but I want to see what you guys think. I know most of you have probably read some other Outlast fanfic and have some stuff you would like to see happen in the Asylum. Thank you very much! :D