golden girl (b.t.c.)

chapter sixty-two

     eliana sighed as ben got up and pulled his sweatpants on. the moon rose over the horizon as her last day in new york came to an end.
"you okay?" ben asked.
"yeah." she grabbed the shirt that he had been wearing off of the floor and put it on.
"i just don't want to go."
"i know." he sat down next to her. "i don't want you to either."
she looked at the fresh tattoo wrapped in plastic on her middle finger. ben pulled out two small boxes. "since you got us the tattoos, i don't want to forget my gift." he held out one box first. eliana opened it to a key on a little ring.
"for when you come visit." he said, then handed her the second box. a tiny letter b on a silver chain laid inside.
"oh, ben, it's so cute!"
"here, let me..." he took the necklace out of the box and she turned around. he brushed the hair away from her neck and fastened the clasp. they were silent for a moment as she ran her fingers over the chain. 
"ellie, have you-have you ever thought about the future?" ben suddenly asked, then scooted closer to her and took her hands in his.
"well, yeah, i'll come back for your opening, and then olympic trials, and-"
ben let out a little laugh. "no, sweetheart, i mean the future. like," he looked into her eyes, "farther than that."
"oh." she bit her lip. "i-i don't know. it used to be just gymnastics, gymnastics, gymnastics. i'd do rio, and then maybe tokyo, and then i'd retire and just go on with my life."
"but?" he raised his eyebrows hopefully. she giggled. "but now i think about it, and i can only see one thing." she looked down at their hands. "you. i can't see a future without you in it. it sounds dumb, i know-"
"eliana marie, i am in love with you. my future doesn't exist without you."
she smiled. "and?"
"and what?" his eyebrows knitted together, which made her giggle. "what do you see?"
he grinned and pushed the hair away from his eyes. "i see you moving to new york with me. i see us getting married, and maybe having kids, if you want." he laid back on the pillows.
"this sounds nice." she smiled.
"and we'd live in a cute little brownstone in greenwich village."
"with a dog." she added.
"with a dog. whatever you want." he said. "i just-i want you for the rest of my life, ellie. i wanna live with you, i wanna marry you. i want to wake up every morning and tell you that i love you."
"that sounds about right." eliana smiled as ben wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her so that she was laying on top of him. "i'm so in love with you, ben."
he smiled and kissed her softly. "you're so perfect."
"you know that's not true." she said.
"maybe not. but you're perfect for me."
she just pressed her lips to his again and smiled slowly. "what time is it? i'm not even tired."
ben smirked. "i think i might have a solution for that." he flipped over so that he was on top of her, and started to kiss her neck, making her giggle. "twice in one night?"
"obviously i didn't tire you out enough the first time." he grinned and slid his hands underneath her shirt.
"you're ridiculous." she said, but kissed him anyway.
"you love me."