Town of Sadness (RoyalChaos)

Marry Me

Most of New York City had collapsed in on itself, the building half crumbled away or demolished entirely. Luckily, it was easy to see the remaining tall ones from down on the street. The nearest one was a few blocks over, and luckily mostly intact. At some point it must have been an apartment structure, if you looked at the layout.

The group of six jogged down the streets, sticking to the shadows and keeping their wet rags over their noses and mouths. Smarty knew that the towels were a good on-the-spot plan, but they wouldn't hold forever. They would need to dig up some filters or gas masks to help protect their lungs. More importantly, he needed to convince the group that whatever air protection gear they found needed to go to GaLm first.

Maybe that was just a bit of person preference, but John was highly concerned. His boyfriend had always had rough asthma issues, and the thick, smokey air they were breathing in would destroy his lungs. Already, Smarty kept a close eye on him just in case.

At the building, the group raced up the stairwell to the highest floor that was still intact. The hallway they ended up in had four separate apartments, just perfect for them. Using some debris found on the ground, they pried open the doors and made themselves at home. They promised to meet in about an hour to talk through a plan.

Smarty and GaLm did a quick run through of their chosen apartment. So empty, it was as if no one had ever lived there. No clothes, no personal pictures or anything. And still, even on the streets, no people.

The bedroom was cozy enough, a king sized area with an attached bathroom. Still, the place seemed too pristine for a living space. He tried to convince himself this was just an unused apartment, but it still felt weird.

"I think we should camp out in the bedroom and try not to stray too far into other rooms. It'll be safer," John noted, digging through cabinets.

"Whatever you think is best, honey," Anthony smiled, coughing softly into his rag. He kicked off his shoes and crawled into the bed, sighing.

"Are you feeling alright, Anthony?" Smarty asked, concerned for how his lungs were holding up. Asthma could be a real issue in this situation. He followed suit, losing his shoes and sliding in as well.

The pair readjusted so they lay perfectly intertwined, GaLm snuggling into Smarty's chest. "I'm fine. How about you?" He shut his eyes, nuzzling his face into his boyfriend's neck and breathing him in. It almost felt like how it used to when he closed his eyes, safe and warm in John's arms.

"Not in general, I mean your lungs. I can't have you making it through all of this just to have an asthma attack," John whispered, cupping the other's chin and gently making their eyes meet.

"It'll be alright for now, I just have to be careful when we go outside," Anthony murmured, kissing John softly.

"I'm just so scared of losing you..," he mumbled against Anthony's lips, kissing him back gently.

"I'm scared of losing you too. But it'll be okay... We're going to make it through this, and live a happy life here. Our new home," GaLm paused, taking a deep breath in. "I love you, so much."

"I love you too, Anthony. From the moment I met you, and from the moment I die, I will always love you," John spoke as he grinned, holding him close.

"Marry me, John."

"Marry you?" Smarty seemed taken aback by this statement, raising his eyebrows.

"I don't have a ring or anything, and this isn't the big proposal I would've wanted for us, but I love you, and I always will. So marry me," he beamed up at the other, taking his hands.

"Yes, Anthony. Of course it's yes." John smiled, showering his face with kisses. "You just made this day a hell of a lot better."

"I want you to say that, every day, for the rest of our time together."

"You know I will, honey. No doubt about it."