Daffodils

Chapter 6

It was 31st December. I decided to take Kim out for dinner and tell him how I feel about him by seizing the first opportunity I get. But it wasn't that easy. I needed to plan and prepare everything. And for that, I didn't want to disturb my friends. It was Mark and Brad's one year anniversary, Andrew and Jack went to the countryside for their alone time and Joe will be running after his crush to make him fall in love with him as usual.

I decided to call my best friend. Lisa. She has been my friend since childhood. Actually, she was Kim's friend at first. Kim introduced me to her. And later, we became more than best friends. She helped me in every step of life. When I needed an advice regarding something, which I couldn't ask from Kim, she helped me with that. She was exactly like us, adventurous and bubbly. And the secret is that, she gave me those ideas to prank others.

"Hello~" I called Lisa. I tried not to hint her that I needed her help otherwise she'll going to taunt me.

"Come to the point." I completely forgot that she's straight savage.

"What point? I just wanted to talk to my friend."

"Yeah. With that tone of yours I could completely sense that you don't need my help, Rick."

"Why'd you know me this well, bitch." I was annoyed.

"Okay, so..." She started. "With the last word of yours, I think you don't need my help. Bye, Rick~"

"No no no no. I'm sorry. Please wait. Liste-" I begged her. And she hung up the call. I called her again. And she picked it up after a ring.

"Say sorry. Then only we'll proceed." She said in her bossy voice. But I didn't have any option.

"I'm sorry. Now please listen."

"Yeah. What is it?" She asked.

"I need your help about-" I was so nervous. I don't know what to say.

"Speak. I have many things to do. My work hour is still not over."

"Ohh, yeah. Umm.. I need help for Kim. I mean not f-for Kim, but for...for m-me regarding Kim." I stuttered. It was hard to form a single sentence when I was this nervous.

"I'm not going to solve this puzzle. Just speak properly."

"I need your help because I want to confess my feelings to Kim and I don't know how to do this. So you have to help your friend." I closed my eyes and blabber out everything. She was silent for almost 5 minutes. I thought that she hung up the call. But I heard a sound of glass broke.

"Hello, you there?" I asked.

"W-what did you just say?" She was really shocked with this sudden confession of mine.

"Yeah, actually I like Kim and I want to tell him how I feel tonight. I need your help to plan everything. Please don't say no."

"I will help you, for sure. But let me just swallow the fact." It made me giggle.

She then invited me to the cafe where she worked. After an hour, I reached there and we started discussing about what to do. She suggested me some really good ideas of proposing. But they all were impossible to prepare in just 7 hours. So we decided to do it in a very simple way. We decided that I will take Kim to a fancy restaurant and we'll ask the manager to allow us to go to the rooftop. First we will have our dinner then I'll take him to the rooftop and then I will go on my knees and will ask him out. It was actually my idea, all Lisa did was just nodding and scrolling her timeline.

I did as per the plan. I called Kim to get ready. I picked him up from his house at 9 P.M. and took him to this restaurant where everything's fancy yet under my budget. We talked about random things while eating our dinner. He still didn't know that I'm going to confess to him. He thought that it was just a casual dinner between us as everybody else were busy. We finished our dinner and went straight to rooftop, as planned.

"How...how could you even get the permission?" He was amazed by the view in front of him. From the top of the 'Hotel Serendipity', we can see the whole city. The glooming lights of new year, the fireworks that were going to happen in an hour.

"Actually the manager-" I tried to build up a story "the manager of this place is....my friend. Yeah, he's my friend."

"Why are you so confused? And you didn't tell me about this friend of yours. I feel betrayed." He said dramatically.

"Just stop being Sherlock and enjoy the night."

We both sat there in silence and enjoyed the cold breeze under starry night. This feeling wasn't new to us. We sometimes sat on my roof and just stared at the beautiful night sky without speaking a single word. But today was different. Today, I have some unspoken feelings for him and was going to confess them. Suddenly I felt a warmth over my hand. My heart clenched when I saw his hand over mine. I stared at him, he wasn't looking at me.

"Don't look at me like this." He said. Still staring at the beautiful site.

I turned my gaze from him. He held my hand tightly and shifted towards me. I was confused as what he was doing. I couldn't even realise that it was the time when I need to go on my knees. But I couldn't move. I froze at the moment. Until I realised what was going on, he stood up.

"Stand up." Kim took my hand and asked.

"Huh?"

"Just stand up, Rick." He said calmly. I did as he said. I stood up and faced him. He was standing there with a straight face.

"What's.....going on?" I asked. He knelt down right in front of me. I was shook at the sight and didn't know what's going on. I first thought that he might tie his shoelaces. But no. He was knelt down for other purpose.

"Rick, I don't know-" He slowly moved his head up and look into my eyes and started. "I don't know whether you realised it or not, but I like you alot, since a long time. We've met eachother in school itself, but it feels like I've known you since forever. I can rant about anything with you, I can share everything, I can trust you and the important thing is I can be real in front of you. Rick your smile made my heart beat faster and your every tear made me cry. Whenever you are around me, I always feel very special, it feels like I'm complete. You always made my heart flutter. I never felt something like that for anyone before. I know that we are best friends, but I couldn't control my feelings anymore. I've been waiting for this day ever since. I always wanted to go on my knees in front of you to pop the question in front of you. And today is the day." Kim took a deep breath. He made a fist out of his hand and looked directly in Rick's eyes. "Rick, will you be my boyfriend?"

I was standing there, totally numb. I never expected this. I already knew that he likes me but never thought that he will propose me. And on the same day when I decided to propose him. I was shivering. I didn't know how to react. I was overjoyed and felt a tear rolling down my eyes.

"Hey, just reply to my question. My legs are hurting. I can't kneel down forever. If you don't like me then it's totally fine. I just wanted to confess my feelings. It's up to you, ofcourse." He interrupted my thoughts and helped to get back in real world.

"Ohh.. umm..yeah. What question?" I blurted out. He looked at me in disbelief. "No. I mean. Yeah, ofcourse I'll be your boyfriend."

"Are you-- are you serious? You know what you are saying, right?" He was shocked because he didn't know about my feelings for him.

"Ofcourse, I know Kim. I like you from a long time but I didn't realise it before. But now I'm positive about my feelings."

"I'm... I don't know how to react. I'm just...oh god I'm so glad."

"But I decided to propose you, I should be at your position and you should stand at the place where I'm standing." I finally gained courage and speak everything. I slightly pouted and he laughed. He stood up and pulled me for a hug.

"It doesn't matter who will propose whom. The only thing that matters to me is-" he stopped and put his lips near my ear "You are mine now." He whispered in my ear. I shivered from top to bottom and hugged him back.

We heard the crackers sound and assumed that it's already 12 midnight and the new year started. Kim broke our hug and leaned towards me. He soon attached his lips to mine. We both kissed. Everything happened as per the plan from dinner to kiss, except the proposing part. But I guess it's fine as long as we are together, as long as I found my love.

And also 'Hotel Serendipity', as per it's name, did the wonders.