The Proposal

The Proposal

“It’s been three years,” Kristopher said, gazing into Tyler’s deep brown eyes.

“I know. It’s like we only met yesterday. Funny, isn’t it, how time flies?” Tyler said.

Kristopher thought back to how they met. That day started like any other. He never expected so much to happen or even wanted it to, but now, a few years later, he sat across the table from the man he loved.

Kristopher swirled the champaign in his glass absent-mindedly. “Yeah. It’s been like a dream. After all this time, you still drive me crazy.”

Tyler toyed with his silverware and blushed. “I could only hope so.”

Kristopher glanced out the large window of the restaurant. “Even the sky looks as beautiful as it did the day I met you. The pier is lit up perfectly, the Ferris wheel is still working, and you can still hear the music from the band.”

“If I remember correctly, it was there we met.”

“You remember correctly.”

Tyler drank what was left in his glass. “It could never forget it. Sometime this weekend, we should go out and walk around. I’d love to see the sights. Maybe buy a large popcorn that neither of us will finish.”

Kristopher laughed and drained the last of his champaign. “Well, let’s go.”

A look of shock appeared on Tyler’s face. “Right now? We aren’t really dressed for the festivities out there.”

“Says, who? You look handsome, Tyler. I promise not to get any cotton candy on you.”

Tyler looked out the window and exhaled deeply. “Since you promised. Nothing is keeping us here.”

Kristopher motioned a waiter for the bill. “Well, only the bill. Let me pay that, and we can go. It’s a warm night and clear skies. It’ll be good for both of us. We’ve gotten to busy lately.”

Tyler nodded and looked at Kristopher. “Our careers keep us on our toes.”

Kristopher handed his card to the waiter and silently admired Tyler. He thought the man looked great in his navy-blue suit, which brought out Tyler’s brown eyes and dark hair. Tyler was always the better dresser. For Kristopher, a simple black suit was all he needed. Kristpher never worried too much about fashion, but then, Tyler never seemed to mind. Damn, he’s so beautiful. How’d I get so lucky?

He never considered himself attractive, but according to Tyler, he was handsome. It didn’t matter as the man-made Kristopher happy, and for that, he’d give up everything had if needed. Compared to Tyler, he was scruffy always looked like he needed a haircut. Tyler loved the scruff, so he never considered getting rid of it.

A hand on his own broke him out of his revelry. “What’s got you lost in thought, Kris?”

“Only daydreaming a bit. Kind of reminiscing on our past few years together.”

The waiter came over to get a signature, which Kristopher did quickly. Kristopher took a deep breath and scanned the room. Everything was the same as it was so long ago. He glanced back at Tyler and saw his partner smiling at him. His eyes sparkled like the champaign he drank earlier.

Kristopher raised an eyebrow. “What?”

Tyler seemed to snicker from an inside joke. “Nothing. I was admiring how good-looking you are and how gorgeous those green eyes on yours are.”

“You’re crazy,” Kristopher said, blushing.

“Maybe a little. Love makes us do crazy things, Kris.”

Kristopher glanced down and smiled. He slipped a hand in his pocket and touched the small box he had there. “Yes, it does.” He stood and motioned to the door. “Let’s go. I think a night of adventure is waiting for us on that pier.”

Tyler rose and strolled nonchalantly past Kristopher toward the door. “An adventure sounds interesting.”

Kristopher ran a hand through his disheveled hair and followed Tyler out. “It’ll be fun. There’s a full moon out, and the music sounds great.”

Tyler opened the door and strolled out as Kristopher followed. “Do you know who’s playing?”

“Nope. This could be interesting.”

Kristopher walked next to Tyler and slid his hand around Tyler’s. He didn’t care if anyone gave them strange looks. He loved Tyler and would be damned if someone prevented him from showing it. They walked a block toward the pier, and Kristopher paid the fee to get in.

“This cost more than I remember,” Kristopher said.

Tyler lay his head on Kristopher’s shoulder for a couple minutes. “It wasn’t bad at all. How we met was priceless.”

~*~*~

Tyler pointed toward a vendor. “There! We can get popcorn there.”

He steered Kristopher over to the vendor’s booth to get in line. He shot Kristopher a quick smile, which made the man grin back and shake his head. The smell of popcorn, grease, with an underlying scent of something sweet, filled the air with the cries of laughter from the rides and people talking. It was a busy night like it was three years ago.

“This brings back a lot of memories.”

Kristopher pulled out some cash and flashed one finger for one bag of popcorn. “What kind of memories.”

Tyler took the popcorn. “The kind that reminds me of the night I met you.”

Kristopher walked alongside him with his hands in his pockets. “Yeah?”

Tyler glanced at his partner’s profile and could help but love the man. From early on, he was so kind and strong and treated him like a king. It didn’t take much for him to fall for Kristopher. The man made it so easy. What is it about you that makes my heart race and legs weak?

Kristopher glanced over at him. “What are you looking at?”

Tyler only shook his head. “Admiring the view.”

The other man laughed, but Tyler knew Kris loved him. The way Kris looked at him when he thought he wasn’t paying attention, and the way Kris made love to him and had eyes only for him, made his heart melt. He even gave up a possible music career for me. I don’t deserve this man.

Kristopher grabbed his hand. “What did you think of me when you first saw me?”

They paused at a bench that had a good view of the concert. Tyler felt Kristopher wrapped an around him and pull him in close. This was becoming a night to rival their first meeting.

“You were on that same stage. A guitar in your hands, your voice echoing through the mic. You had on ripped jeans, a tight black t-shirt, and oozed enough sexual energy all the women in the crowd probably wanted to bare your child.”

Kristopher laughed. “It was not like that. I still have those jeans, though.”

“That’s because you never get rid of anything.”

“Tell me, what else did you see,” Kristopher said.

Tyler paused a moment to reflect on the past. H wanted to revel in the moment of seeing Kris for the first time, he refused to answer right away. I can never get the picture of him out of my head from that night. Fuck, he was so perfect.

“I saw so much fire in your eyes. You held a passion that I’ve never seen before. And then you jumped off the stage, where you crowdsurfed to the back and were unceremoniously dumped right in front me.”

Kristopher stretched a little as if recalling a feeling. “Yeah, I hit harder than what I wanted to admit.”

“I figured, but you never admitted it. You did wink at me. Then you blew me a kiss before rushing back on stage. I thought your voice was amazing, and for a moment, in the end, I could swear you looked directly at me and sang only for me.”

“That’s because I was singing only for you. After I got dropped on my ass in front of you, I almost had a hard time going back to the stage. It was like everything moved in slow-motion. For a split-second that I looked into your eyes, I knew I had to get to know you.”

Tyler grabbed Kristopher by the arm. “You were actually singing for me?”

Kristopher looked over at him and shrugged. “Yeah. When I got back on stage, I looked out to see if you were still there. On that last song, I did it again and wanted to let you know that the song was for you.”

“But you didn’t even know me.”

“I didn’t have to. My soul found someone it could be comfortable with. Not to sound like a cliché, but you made my heart sing. Even after one look.”

Tyler’s heart raced as he heard Kristopher speak. Kris never told him that before. In some ways, he mentioned it, but never like this. Tyler knew there was a time for everything, but wanted so much to hear more. Is it possible to love someone more?

~*~*~

Kristopher slipped his hand in his pocket and felt the small box again. His nerves and heartbeat raced, but he had to wait. It was almost time. He wanted it to be perfect like Tyler was for him. He couldn’t imagine his life without the man by his side.

He glanced at the stage. “Do you remember the song that was playing?”

“Yeah. You play it for me every year on our anniversary. Why do you ask?”

“Let’s get closer. I wanna show you something.” Kristopher said, grabbing Tyler’s hand and pulling him toward the back of the crowd.

Tyler grabbed his arm. “Kris, what are you doing?”

Kristopher looked over at Tyler with a smile. “Wait here, it’s a surprise.”

After pushing himself through the crowd of people, Kristopher managed to get to the front of the stage. The band that played seemed like it was ready to transition to another song. Kristopher waved up at the lead singer and caught the man’s attention.

The vocalist leaned down, and Kristopher shouted something in his ear. The man looked at Tyler at the edge of the crowd and smiled before nodding. Kristopher watched in satisfaction as he saw confusion spread over Tyler’s face.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have a treat for you tonight. An old town favorite is gonna sing us a song as it’s his anniversary.” The singer said.

The cheer of the crowd thundered over him. Kristopher closed his eyes to calm his nerves, then took the other singer’s hand and jumped up on stage. A stagehand came out with his guitar, and he put the strap over his neck. Kristopher blew a kiss and winked at Tyler.

He reached the mic, and the crowd cheered again. “It’s been a few years, let’s see if I still got it.” He glanced down at Tyler and saw the man smiling widely and excited for the show. “This is a little different. I met the love of my life here. It was three years ago today. This song is mainly for him, but I still want everyone else to enjoy it.”

Within a moment, the music played, and with vocals he’d been working on for years, Kristopher sang the song he first played when he met Tyler. Looking out, the crowd cheered. As he sang, he felt Tyler’s eyes on him and made eye-contact, letting him know that he sang only for Tyler.

The song ended with the other singer picking up. The crowd cheered, and Kristopher motioned as if he was going to jump. Please, let this work. He leaped into the crowd, was happy that no one dropped him. Within moments, he was carried away to the back of the crowd where he was dropped, only a foot from Tyler, who grinned and shook his head.

“Kris, that was amazing and the best anniversary present ever.”

“It’s not over yet, Ty.”

Kristopher reached in his pocket. After a thank you to the universe that it was still there, he dropped to one knee in front of Tyler. “Tyler, it’s been three amazing years.”

“Kris, what are you doing? People are watching, omg, you’re crazy.” Tyler said, unable to speak coherently.

Kristopher raised the box toward Tyler and saw how what he was doing was turning quite a few heads. He didn’t care. Let them watch. A few gasps confirmed what his eyes had already told him.

He pulled out the ring and grabbed Tyler’s hand. “know I’m a little crazy, but you make me that way. I love you, Tyler. Every day I’m so thankful for having you in my life. Will you marry me and make me the happiest man on this pier right now?”

He watched the shock on Tyler’s face turn emotional and witnessed a tear run down his partner’s face. Tyler nodded. “Yes, Kris, I will.”

Kristopher slid the ring on Tyler’s finger then stood up. The people around him cheered with a few clapping in response. He drew Tyler in and caressed his fiancé’s face.

“Kris, I don’t know what to…”

He shushed Tyler with a finger on his lips. “Don’t say anything.”

Kristopher leaned in a kissed Tyler deeply. For a moment, the world stopped as Kristopher kissed his future husband.

Jaxon Altieri is an author of Gay Romance and Erotica. He is also an avid reader and a veteran of the Armed Forces. When he isn't writing or reading, he's spending time with his dogs. Visit him at his website: www.jaxonaltieri.com