1. Hit or Miss

Final Chapter

It was there. Sitting in front of my face. Five digits, all grouped together to hold it. Dan was shaking, I couldn't tell from laughter, adrenaline, or pure fear. Our eyes were searching the other's and slowly the crowd became a lull. My heard raced and I could hear my frantic breathing. Dan inhaled uneasy and leaned to the side passed me. He asked Brian to stop playing and everyone, I barely noticed, was silent. I almost heard Dan's breathing not through the mic even. Dan's five fingers continued to present to me the smallest, yet, largest, yet most important thing to me, in the world. Not even the object itself was why it was important, it was the reason it was even existing right now. Dan remained silent for another moment just kneeling and looking at me. His brown eyes didn't leave me and eventually he cleared his throat.

"[Y/N], hun, I know you absolutely are frozen where you are right now. I know you're mind is racing and you're very much so unsure of what to do at this point. All I want you to do is listen, okay? I know that also you're putting everything together and yes, you're indeed right. You should have known, but dear god I am so fucking glad you had no idea." Dan literally was reading my mind in front of everyone. He was ticking off everything. He knew this was going to happen, because, he knew me. "I know as well, though, that this had to happen like this. Any other way would have given it away and it is also the last, but first, time I actually do, literally show you off. Which by the way, again, you look absolutely stunning tonight and I could never picture ANYONE else being where you are or even come close to how gorgeous you are tonight and especially every night, babe." Dan paused for a moment to take my hand as he continued on. He swallowed again and I started shaking trying to figure out if I was happy or going to pass out right there, center stage. "Yet, your looks alone are not what got you here. You've come so far with me, for me, and mostly for you. I have never been so honored and lucky to have someone as caring, as kind, as comforting, as strong, and as grateful as you. You are one of the most amazing people I have ever gotten to know, and I am so in love with you I literally am overwhelmed by it. Because not only have I felt you fall in love with what I do, I am super blessed to feel you fall in love with just me, as a man. You have no idea how long I have blindly been waiting for someone to come find me and love me passed the dick jokes and terrible puns, baby. I want no one else to honestly try at this point. You're all I see in this aspect, and I could not be more up and honest in front of all these people right now. I love you that much to bare it all and kneel before you on this goddamn stage. I don't care anymore about what ANYONE has to say about US. I don't give two shits about who I am displeasing because of whom I've chosen to fall in love with for the rest of my life. And now baby, I know we have joked morning after morning, and night after night. About how this would go and about what your answer would be even to the point you were rolling your eyes and doing everything but calling me a dumbshit! Well my love, it is here. I know you're scared, and I am too. I know you're shaking, and baby that's okay, I am too. And mama, I know you're emotional," Dan sniffled and I couldn't help but drop to my own knees and hold his face in my hands. I let my own tears spill over trying to let him finish. "I am too. Fuck, and I know you love me, and I love you too. You are my best friend, my rock, my lover, and my fighter. I would never ask you to change a damn thing about that either. You are my perfection, my missing puzzle piece, and everything I ever could hope for in the woman, of my reality. So please baby-girl, please [Y/F/N, Y/M/N, Y/L/N], will be my one last thing? Will you honor me with your morning breath and mood swings for the rest of our lives? Will you please marry me, and be my wife?" Dan rested his forehead on mine and I hadn't noticed we had our eyes closed.

I felt us shift and let my eyes flutter back open to see the object he had been holding on to. All our future rested snuggly in that little black box. It was a silver band that was thinner than my promise ring. It's diamond was small, but stood up proud. He had listened from the moment we met about anything I ever told him. He even got it down to the idea of smaller gestures are what I was a sucker for and here I was staring down the smallest thing, but held the biggest gesture he could ever make behind it. I felt Dan's fingers stroke my cheek as he lowered the mic to the side.