When yet another anniversary passes without a marriage proposal from his boyfriend, Harry decides to take action. Aware of an Irish tradition that allows to pop the question on Feb. 29, he plans to follow his lover to Dublin and ask him to marry him...
The sounds only increase as the time goes, which is a good thing because it indicates more people. Louis runs between the tables, filling glasses, taking orders, between the people. A container labelled "Save the Caragh Pub" sits on the counter into which people keep putting bills.
"There you go."
"And there's pints. They're on the way."
"Thank you! You are saving the pub."
"You're keeping the pans in the kitchen. l will kiss you later."
Louis cheers to everyone who puts in the bills to keep the pub alive.
Louis was standing outside, taking the orders when he sees the familar blue van. He curses to himself as Declan approaches him.
"Tommo." Declan greets shaking Louis' hand.
"Dekko. There you are." Louis gives him the container with the money.
Declan takes the money and counts it. "You're short."
"But not by much."
"Sorry." Declan shrugs. "Come on, lads!" He signals the guys with him to enter the pub and take the things.
"Hold on a minute there." Robert, Louis' uncle, stands up and takes a few bills from his wallet and drops it into the container. "You can show us the color of your wallet for a change." He says to George, his husband.
George too repeats his husband's actions which make everyone present there put some into it.
Louis smiles smugly as Declan takes the container shrugging. "That's all."
Louis smiles as Robert hugs him. "Drinks on the house!" He shouts as everyone cheers.
———
Harry smiles as he sees Niall and Shawn walk into the new apartment, where they are holding their engagement/housewarming party. Niall runs upto him and hugs him close as Shawn talks with Jeremy.
"Congratulations! Hi!" Niall hums approvingly at his outfit before he pulls at his hand.
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"Let me see it! Wow." He says looking at the big shining diamond. He makes big eyes at Harry with pursed lips while Harry smiles stiffly.
"Mmm." Harry pulls him away to show around the place as Jeremy does the same with Shawn.
"Oh, my God, look at this place!" Niall gapes looking around.
"Do you like it?"
"Do l like it? l want to throw you out of your own window and take it." He says making Harry chuckle. "Nah, I'd miss his ass." Niall looks dreamingly at Shawn's back making Harry snort.
They walk around and talk to people when Niall starts talking. "l feel like your whole happy ending is gonna be a real test for our friendship."
Before Harry could reply, he gets cut off when Jeremy and Shawn walks near them, Shawn speaking. "I'm pretty sure he would have been happy with just this apartment. l don't think you needed to propose."
"Oh! It was kind of a package deal." Jeremy shrugs.
"Really?" Niall raises his eyebrows at him as Shawn wraps his arm around his waist. "What, buy an apartment, they throw in a ring?"
"More like the other way around." Jeremy says making everyone frown.
"What do you mean?" Harry asks chuckling.
"Well, l think it was Edith, from the board. She called me in Dublin, probing about our marital status. Can you believe that?" Jeremy raises his eyebrows suggestively at Niall and Shawn. "Nothing specific, just interested, you know?" Niall and Shawn blinks and furrows their eyebrows. "Like the residents, they're kind of old-fashioned when it comes to issues like this. Blah, blah, blah. l got the message. Married, you're in. Unmarried, you're not."
Jeremy continues as Harry's smile dims. "So l just said we were hours away from getting engaged. l just said it and it came out. And l don't know where it came from, but l could almost hear them cutting our keys." Niall and Shawn smiles awkwardly as Jeremy faces an emotionless Harry. "So l put down the phone and thought, ''Well, ''why the hell not, you know?''"
"Really?" Harry fakes a smile.
"Sure. l mean, we'd have gotten around to it eventually, right?" Jeremy takes his hand in his and rubs over the ring.
"Right. Of course. Yeah." Harry chuckles, swallowing hard the tremble in his voice.
Niall looks at Harry with pursed lips and knowing eyes, making Harry look around anywhere but at him.
"Yeah." Jeremy takes a sip from his champagne. "Oh, Niall, l want to show you this view." He motions Niall to follow.
"Yeah. Yeah." Niall nods and kisses Shawn's cheek before going to follow Jeremy.
"It's gorgeous." Harry whispers to Niall when he looks at him.
Niall squeezes his arm and nods. "Okay."
Harry walks fast into the kitchen and takes out a bottle of water to drink. He tries to take a few deep breaths to control himself and his racing mind. He looks back to the hall where Jeremy stood talking with the guests. He didn't feel the warmness in his mind anymore seeing his fiancé. His fiancé. He looks down at his finger where the big diamond shined. The ring feels like a heavy weight on his finger now. He looks to his side and sees the red box of fire alarm set on the wall.
———
Jeremy groans when he hears the beeping and lights blinks slowly. "Is that the fire alarm? Really?" He sighs before shouting to the guests. "Okay, everybody, l guess we'd better take this party downstairs."
He rubs his temple frustrated and rushes into his office inside the apartment. He looks at the TV on the wall and the table put in front of it. "The phones." He mutters taking the phones in his hands.
Harry stands in the hall like a statue while Jeremy murmurs grabbing things he can in his hand.
"Where is the remote for this thing? These things are useless without the remote. Harry!" He calls him when he sees him standing in the hall. " Do you have everything you need? Can you just look around for valuables? For laptops, cameras, whatever. l think the cameras..." Jeremy's voice fades out with the beeping of the alarm in Harry's ears.
"Okay, here's the video camera." Jeremy grabs the camera from the table. "l still haven't put the proposal up on Facebook, so let me get that. Oh, sweetie, can you get the..." He walks out to the hall to find it empty, no trace of Harry whatsoever.
