A/N: My heart breaks for all those in the USA right now. I cannot comprehend just how messed up the government of your country is.
"JJ, we gotta go on the Indiana Jones ride! And, and the Matterhorn! And… NO WAY! They have a New Orleans section? We should go there first!"
Laughing as she followed along behind her excited fiancé, JJ was feeling incredibly relaxed, looking forward to a day in the Californian sunshine at the happiest place on earth.
"Babe, slow down," she said with a chuckle, reaching out to steady him with a light touch. "We have all day. You're going to be able to see everything. What do you want to do first?"
Looking up from the park map in his hands, Will's eyes landed on something over JJ's shoulder and he immediately broke into a smile.
"Well first, I think we should be appropriately kitted out for the day," he said, stepping past her into one of the boutiques lining Main Street USA. She turned, following him as he went straight for a rack of Mickey ears. By the time she had reached his side, he had plucked a pretty rose gold pair from the hanger and turned to face her.
"Here," he said, lifting them up and placing them on her head. "Gorgeous"
JJ giggled. "What about you?"
"What do you think of a matchin' set?" Will said cheekily, waggling his eyebrows at her.
"Can your masculinity take the hit of pink Mickey ears?"
"I'm very secure in my masculinity, thank you very much," Will said nonchalantly, placing a second pair of pink ears on his head. "What do you think?"
"Beautiful," JJ said with a laugh. "The prettiest princess in all the land"
Ten minutes later, they were leaving the store with matching ears, accompanied by matching spirit jerseys that Will had spotted on their way to the register. They walked hand in hand down Main Street, taking in the whimsical architecture, the joy and excitement that surrounded them easily rubbing off as they got closer and closer to the famous Walt and Mickey statue.
"Go stand there and I'll get a picture," Will said as they reached it. JJ obliged, making her way over to the brick wall in front of the statue and leaning back against it, her face bright with a smile as Will snapped a few photos.
"Excuse me," Will said to a young woman as he finished. "Would you mind takin' a photo of the two of us together?"
"Sure thing!" The girl replied brightly, taking the phone as Will handed it to her and practically bounded over to JJ. JJ laughed, looping an arm around his waist and snuggling into his side as they posed for a picture perfect moment.
Pictures captured, they followed the path that led to New Orleans Square, where they found a vibrant town scene that looked as though it came straight out of the 1900s.
"Oh my god," Will said, his voice filled with amazement. "This is awesome! It looks just like Bourbon Street! Oh, and look! Turkey legs!"
JJ couldn't help but laugh as he pulled her towards the stand selling giant turkey legs. "Babe, it's barely after nine, do you really need one right now?"
"If I have one now, you won't have to feed me for the rest of the day," Will replied. JJ snorted.
"That's highly unlikely, but sure," she said dryly. "You're going to eat that, and then we're going to go on a roller coaster and you're going to barf"
Will laughed. "Never. I have an iron stomach"
Minutes later, turkey leg in hand, they were wandering through the quaint streets of the square, watching as the vintage paddle steamer made its way around the lake before them.
"That is so gross," JJ said with a grimace as she watched Will take a bite of the turkey. "Are you really going to eat that whole thing?"
"It's my duty as a man," Will replied through a mouthful of turkey, getting a hopeless laugh from JJ.
As soon as the turkey was finished, the first port of call was the Haunted Mansion, followed by the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, during which Will had eagerly sang along to all the sea shanties while JJ laughed beside him.
As they were walking from New Orleans Square into Frontierland, Will let out a gasp, suddenly grabbing JJ's hand.
"Woody and Buzz!" He exclaimed, pointing further down the path to where the two Toy Story characters were eagerly greeting excited children.
"You have been so deprived," JJ laughed. "It's like being here with a toddler. Do you want a photo with them?"
"Hell yeah!"
Following him down the path, she couldn't help but laugh as she watched him stand in line for a photo, easily the tallest in the queue with the kids around him barely coming up to his waist. Pulling out her phone, she snapped a quick photo of him waiting, making a mental note to put it on her Instagram story as soon as she got a chance.
"Howdy partner!" Woody exclaimed as Will approached, beaming from ear to ear.
"Would you like a photo together?" A young woman standing near JJ asked.
"If you don't mind," JJ replied with a smile, getting an eager nod from the woman. Handing over her phone, she walked over to join Will.
"Childhood heroes, hey?" She said with a grin, sidling in beside him as the four of them posed for a photo together.
"Without a doubt," Will chuckled.
With their day almost at a close, hours of rides, laughter, and all the snacks Disney had to offer behind them, they had found a spot near the Walt and Mickey statue to watch the fireworks before heading back to the hotel. The sky show was nothing short of spectacular, all the famous Disney icons making an appearance in firework form, the colours dazzling the entire park and all the guests below.
"One day we'll bring our kids here," Will said softly as they gazed up at the fireworks lighting up the night sky.
"To give them a firsthand experience of how Disneyland turns their dad into a crazy person?" JJ teased, bumping her hip into him. Will chuckled, slinging an arm around her shoulders and pressing a kiss to her temple.
"You know… I know we haven't talked about it all that much, and we don't have any idea on when, but… I keep thinkin' about how this time next year… we could be married"
JJ felt her heart flutter in her chest. Her face illuminated by the show, she leaned into Will's side, looping her arms around his waist.
"I don't think we could be… I think we will be"
Will pulled back slightly, looking down at her in surprise. "What do you mean?"
"I don't want to wait that long," JJ said with a soft smile. "This time next year, I want to be your wife. My entire life, I've run from commitment, from things getting real… not this time. I don't want to wait any longer than we have to"
Will froze for a moment, before breaking into a smile and leaning down to kiss her forehead. "I don't want to wait either. By this time next year, we'll be married. Let's make sure of that"