Could emotions get married? Technically they were part of Riley's mind, and their sole purpose was to make her feel things. So is marriage between two emotions allowed? Joy looked down at the box in her palm. Did she care? She took another lap around her, well really their, room to clear her head and even out her breathing. Riley had just failed her U.S. History test, so she wouldn't be needed for a while. This was the perfect opportunity to get herself together. But no matter how much she tried, Joy couldn't calm herself down. She felt like she was standing on top of all those Prettyboys at the edge of the pit all over again. She looked down and opened the box. The ring inside reminded her why she was here. It was a seasonal design Riley saw at a mall once, but Joy made certain to save the memory because Sadness said the blue gems running down the sides looked like tears. She then grabbed Joy in a hug and refused to let go for an hour. Sadness said it was the only way to stop herself from crying. Using the memory to bolster her resolve, Joy put the box inside her bedside table and went back out to the controller. She'd do it tonight. In private. It was their moment. No need to share it with the others.
As the controller dimmed down, everyone said their goodbyes and headed off to their respective rooms. As Joy was quietly closing the door to theirs, Sadness was already stretching and yawning, halfway into the bed. Joy rushed over to her nightstand and took out the ring, careful to hold it at an angle that Sadness couldn't see.
"Sadness?"
"What's up Joy?"
"I, uh, we've been dating for a while-"
"Are you breaking up with me?" Sadness said, tears forming in her eyes.
"No no no!" Joy said, waving the hand that wasn't holding the ring behind her back. "Quite the opposite in fact. Sadness, I don't know if this is allowed, or even if it matters because we're just emotions in Riley's mind, but" she brought the box out from behind her back and got down on one knee "will you spend the rest of Riley's life with me?"
Sadness stared at her for an eternal half-second, then started bawling and wrapped Joy in a bone-crushing hug. "Of course I will! Of course of course!" Joy could only smile and hug Sadness back. Until the blue emotion pulled away. "There's nothing in the rules about emotions getting married."
"Good." Joy said, sliding the ring on Sadness's finger. "Then we can make them as we go."
"You need me to WHAT?"
"Just keep Disgust and Anger away from my apartment OK? I have something really important planned, and I can't have any distractions."
Fear, trembling slightly, replied "You know how hard those two are to control!"
"Oh I know, I do. But I just need a few hours. Set them up watching Chopped or something. That'll hold them. Thanks Fear!" Joy replied, rushing out the door before Fear could say no. The tall, skinny man sighed and went to mentally prepare himself for a long night.
"I'm back Joy." Sadness called into the apartment, shutting the door and hanging her coat on the rack. Kicking off her shoes, she said "Man, this one guy came up to the counter and asked if we had nail guns. I kindly reminded him that this was a bookstore and…" Sadness trailed off, turning the corner into the living room and stopping dead in the doorway. All the furniture had been moved to make room for a table set square in the middle, candles lit and her favorite song playing on the sound system. She started to get nervous, feeling horribly underdressed for the situation. But then her eyes caught Joy and all of her worries left instantly. Joy was practically in her pajamas. A ratty old Mickey Mouse t-shirt, and a pair of lounge pants with at least two holes in them. And of course the smile that could power the city of Boston for 12 hours. "At first I was worried about what I wore, then I realized that it was my event, the dress code could be whatever I wanted." Joy said, sweeping around the table and taking Sadness's arm. The bespectacled woman couldn't help but giggle at the way Joy was acting so seriously in clothes she'd seen the woman roll out of bed wearing. "Now, my lady," Joy said, snapping out of her train of thought. "let us dine."
"Joy, you've always been a fairly good cook, but that was some of the best food I've ever had." Sadness said, wiping her mouth with her napkin and leaning back in her chair, stretching her arms above her head. "Thank you. About the nice food…" Joy said, getting out from her chair and walking over to Sadness's side of the table. "I-I actually had another reason for dressing down like this. I want you to know that all this" Joy gestures to the table, still set with nice silverware and burning candles "can be an everyday thing if that's what you want." Joy got down on one knee. "Sadness, will you marry me?" Joy asked, pulling a box out of her pocket and opening the lid, revealing a beautiful custom ring. Blue and yellow gems threaded through each other on the band like interwoven yarn, a diamond set on the top. Sadness definitely felt her tears now, but she didn't want Joy to get the wrong idea so she quickly said "Absolutely!" She stood up, grabbing Joy and bringing her up too. Then Sadness tilted her head to the side and kissed Joy, trying to tell her all the happiness she felt without saying a word.