That Good Pain in your Stomach

New Year's Eve (Part Two)

Okay, I'm running low on ideas for these so please comment any prompts or headcannons that I can use for future stories.

Lukas

Philip and I have now been together for 1 year and 3 months. We moved into a dorm room together at NYU a few months ago when we started classes. We were going to get our own apartment 6 months ago in June but didn't see the point of it when we were going off to college a couple months later. The second bed in the dorm room remains untouched. I'm majoring in History in the teaching program. Philip is also studying teaching but he wants to teach English. His minor is photography.

My motocross sponsorship was able to pay my way through college if I race every other weekend in the fall and spring. Philip's grades got him an amazing scholarship too.

Since my father is out of town a lot, Philip and I have been living together at my house during winter vacation. Tonight, Helen and Gabe are coming over to celebrate the new year.

Last year, Philip and I took a huge step in our relationship. I told my dad that I'm gay and I told Philip that I love him. Tonight, I'm going to propose to him. I know that we're only 18, but I first knew I wanted to be with him when we first kissed in that cabin. And I knew that I wanted to marry him when we first made love in that motel while we were hiding from the killer.

I walked over to the closet and bent down to retrieve a tiny box from the back. I opened it up to reveal a simple silver band that had the word Forever engraved into it. I heard the bedroom door open. In a panic, I snapped the box shut and stood up, shoving it into my pocket. I turned around to see the confused brown eyes of my boyfriend. "Babe, are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm good." I walked over to him and planted a soft kiss on his lips. "Are Helen and Gabe here yet?"

"Yeah, they just got here. And your dad just got back from the store." He grabbed my hand and I threaded our fingers together. We walked downstairs to greet Helen and Gabe. They both hugged me and I saw my dad reaching for a bottle of beer from the fridge.

Dad passed both me and Philip a bottle before we could ask. We all sat around the kitchen eating pizza. As it slowly got closer to midnight, I started to fidget in my seat.

It was around 11:30 when Helen asked, "So, Philip, how's the apartment hunting going?"

Apartment hunting? Is Philip going to leave me? I looked over at him to see a scared expression on his face. That's the only proof I need. I grab my beer and go upstairs silently. "Babe!" I heard Philip call. I just ignored him and slammed the bedroom door, throwing myself onto the bed, drinking the beer.

About fifteen minutes later, I heard a timid knock on the door. "Luka, please let me in."

"Go away, Philip." Of course, he didn't listen and opened the door anyway.

"Babe, I can explain."

"Don't 'babe' me. And how can you possibly explain to me that you're going to leave me?!"

"What?! I am not going to leave you! Don't you want for us to have our own space in an apartment rather than our cramped dorm room?"

"Wait," I said slowly. "You were looking for an apartment for us?" I sat back down on the bed and he kneeled next to me, wrapping his arms around my neck.

"I love you, Luka. I'm not going anywhere without you. I love rooming with you in the dorm. But it's gotten a bit cramped with both of us sleeping on a twin bed together. That's why I've been looking at apartments near the campus." I turned my head towards him and kissed him gently on the lips. When I slowly pulled away, he said, "I didn't tell you, because I wanted it to be a surprise."

"I love you, Phil. But next time you make a decision like that, please include me so I don't freak out."

"Speaking of freaking out, you were kind of fidgety tonight. And you have also been looking secretive. Every time I walk into a room, I see you jump up and hide something. I thought you were cheating until you freaked out about me leaving you. Babe, what's going on?" I wiped my sweaty palms against my jeans. I looked at the clock. 11:55. I grabbed Philip's hand and led him downstairs where my dad, Helen, and Gabe were watching the New Year's Party. "Lukas, are you going to tell me?" I put one finger up, telling him to wait.

At 11:59, I knelt down on one knee, pulled the box from my pocket and opened it, revealing it to Philip. "Philip, we have been through so much together. I want to spend the rest of my life with you." 30 seconds until midnight. "I can't picture my life without you." 20 seconds. "I know we're young, but that doesn't matter when you've considered everything we went through to get here." 10 seconds. "I would love nothing more than to enter this new year with a fiancé." 5 seconds. "Will you marry me?" 1 second.

"Yes," he whispered, pulling me up into a strong kiss. I slipped the ring onto his finger and continued to kiss him. I could hear all three parents clapping around us. When we finally broke apart, Philip brought something out of his pocket. He opened it to reveal another silver band, only this one was engraved with the word Always. "Looks like you beat me to it this year." I just smiled and pulled him into another kiss as he slipped the ring onto my finger.

"I love you, Phil."

"I love you, too, Luka." We kissed once more before turning around to be hugged by our parents. Even my dad was smiling. He's become a lot more accepting over the past year. He even takes Philip and Gabe with us to go fishing along the docks. If Gabe is working then sometimes we would just take Philip and my father gets to know him better. He even calls Philip "Son" which is a big step for him.

After Helen and Gabe left, Dad went to bed and so did we. I never feel safer than when Philip is sleeping in my arms. And I knew that this is way I was going to fall asleep every night for the rest of my life. And I'm definitely not complaining.

Please comment, letting me know how I did. Also, please leave any prompts or headcannons I can use in future one shots. I'm running out of ideas...