Forever is Never too Long

Part Three: Marriage

"What's the first thing you want to do when we get to Oregon?" Raven asked as the pair ate their pancakes, eggs, and sausage links.

"I want to go to the beach," Jordan said. "I've never been to the beach before."

"Then the beach is where we'll go," Raven decided, taking a sip of his milk.

They had already showered, packed their suitcases onto the motorcycle, and checked out of their room. After they eat, they will be on their way to Colorado, and if everything goes to plan they will be there around two in the afternoon. Just enough time to eat lunch and go to the botanical garden.

Raven donned a thin black long-sleeve shirt, as it was one of the cooler days of summer. He also wore his dark blue jeans and black sneakers.

Jordan decided to wear a light pink tank top, as he quite enjoyed the chill. He was also dressed in his light blue jeans and his white sneakers, as well as one of Raven's white button-ups that he forced Jordan to wear so that he wouldn't get cold.

They finished their breakfast, and while Jordan argued, there was nothing he could do to stop Raven from paying for their meals again. "Let's at least split the bill next time," Jordan said as they walked out to their motorcycle.

Raven smirked playfully. "I'll think about it."

They sat in their respective seats on Raven's motorcycle and slid on their black helmets. Raven set Google Maps to Colorado, and the motorcycle came to life with a roar. Jordan wrapped his arms around Raven and they took off towards their next destination.

***

Somehow, their bladders and stomachs were able to make it the whole seven-hour drive to Colorado. They only stopped once to refill the motorcycle's gas tank. They both agreed that they weren't that hungry, so they skipped out on lunch.

Raven checked them into the hotel, and Jordan once again helped carry their luggage up to the room. The hotel looked basically the same as before. Jordan knew he would grow tired of the cream walls and white bedspreads eventually.

Raven took out their blanket and threw it onto their bed. He had noticed how happy it made Jordan to have it yesterday, so he wanted to ensure that it would be on their bed when they came back.

"Can we go to the botanical garden now?" Jordan asked hopefully.

"Yes," Raven said with a chuckle.

***

They had been walking through the botanical garden. They hadn't said much as they took in the natural beauty of the place.

It wasn't until they stood on a bridge over a small pond that Raven spoke up. "It's a beautiful garden. I'm really glad we decided to come here. I think it beats hiking up the Rocky Mountains."

"Me, too," Jordan said, still looking around as if he was trying to soak in everything, to memorize every detail so that he would never forget anything. He had stopped to take pictures of practically everything they came across, whether it be a tree or a flower. "You know, a place like this would be a really beautiful place to get married, don't you think?"

Raven wasn't entirely sure he heard Jordan correctly at first. Was this his way of telling Raven that he wanted to get married? Jordan never really was one for bluntness when it came to being vulnerable and his feelings.

"I think this would be a beautiful place to be married in," Raven agreed. Jordan took his hand and they continued to walk through the garden. While Jordan pointed at all of the different flowers, commenting on how beautiful they were, Raven only thought about how he would be the luckiest man alive if he was given the opportunity to marry a man like Jordan.

Even as they got back to the hotel room and Raven spooned his boyfriend to sleep, he couldn't stop thinking about what the future held. He knew that Jordan was in it. Forever. That fact helped Raven sleep peacefully.