HomeTown Preferences.

Fighting with Ryan.

You and Ryan had been together for almost four years, and you were growing tired of him not taking your relationship to the next level. All of your friends were starting to get married and having babies, and you started to feel like you were being left behind. You wanted to talk to him about it properly but never knew how to approach him about it. You finally decided to just come out and ask him, but you had to wait until the perfect moment.

"Ryan," you started, sitting down beside him as he fooled around on his guitar. "Can we talk please?"

"Sure, baby! What's up?"

You paused, nodding your head as you thought carefully about what you were trying to say.

"I...Do you want to get married one day?"

He frowned slightly, his glasses sliding down his nose as he did. He pushed them up carefully with one finger, setting the guitar down in the case on the floor, "Married?"

You frowned, not liking the fact that he avoided your question. A soft sigh escaped your lips as you looked down, knowing exactly what his answer was going to be.

"You don't, do you?", you said, biting your lip as you awaited his response.

"Well, I just...I haven't really thought about it, I suppose. I don't really know. Couples don't need to be married to prove that they love one another."

You shook your head, frustrated by this all. You knew it shouldn't bother you this much, but it nearly killed you to hear that he wasn't keen on the idea of getting married.

"Ryan, if you don't want to get married...then maybe we shouldn't stay together."

He looked at you, an expression of shock on his face.

"Hold on a minute, are...are you breaking up with me?"

You stood up slowly, unsure of what to say. You noticed Ryan looking down at his hands, a sigh coming from his mouth as you looked away, trying to blink back the tears that began rolling down your cheeks.

"Ryan...I want to get married. I want to be your wife and have a family with you someday. Everyone else I know is getting married and having babies, and I'm still just your girlfriend. We've been together for four years now, and...well, I guess now I know that you have no interest in marrying me."

Ryan groaned as you spoke, clearly frustrated with himself for what he said. You walked out of the room, with him following closely behind you. He grabbed you by the waist and held you close to him, "babe, I just think that love means more than a ring and signing a piece of paper. That's all."

You shoved his hands away, getting more upset every time he spoke, it seemed. He really didn't understand how you felt at all, and you found it really difficult to continue explaining yourself.

"Well Ryan, I think love means commitment, marriage is the greatest commitment of all, and all I've ever wanted was to have a family and be happily married. I don't want that life with anyone but you, but if you don't want it at all, then I guess I'm wasting my time, aren't I?"

You continued to walk away, leaving Ryan to stand in the doorway, completely dumbfounded by what had just happened.

Two hours later, Ryan came into the bedroom, one hand behind his back as he slowly approached the bed. You were lying face down into the pillows, tears soaking into the pillowcases. You were truly left broken-hearted by what had been said earlier, and you really just wanted to cry until you had nothing left in you.

"Babe?", Ryan gently reached out to rub your back with his free hand, frowning slightly as he heard you crying.

"What?" You mumbled into the pillow, not wanting to really look at him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realise how you felt about it. If I had known, I wouldn't have said what I did. You know that. I hate to see you upset though. But, I think you should turn around and see what I bought you. I think you'll like it."

You slowly turned over, and as you did, Ryan pulled his hand from behind his back, revealing a big bouquet of pink roses. He extended the flowers out to you, biting his lip gently. You looked up to see that behind his glasses, his brown eyes were red and puffy, as if he'd been crying as well. He sat down beside you as you took the roses from him, folding his hands in his lap as he did.

"You know...I was thinking", he nodded, his brown curls falling into his face slightly as he moved his head, "maybe...maybe getting married would work for us? Not yet, but...you know, I'd like to see you become Mrs. McLaughlin, and I know my parents think of you as a daughter, and my brothers look up to you as if you're the sister that they never had. I think I'd be absolutely stupid if I told myself you'd stay and never want to move further than where we are now."

"Ryan, I don't want you to marry me just because I told you to."

"I won't be. I'll be marrying you because I love you."