-rainbow cookie, tracob

28,

-

There are just certain things that a man never wants to witness in his lifetime. You never want to lose someone you love, or watch them get hurt, or watch an innocent person suffer an injustice. Some things are just so horrifying that it makes your stomach toss just thinking about it.

One of these, Jacob has decided, is waking up and wandering out of your bedroom to find your mother on the porch having tea with your significant other. There's just no good way for that to end.

Troye looks up as soon as Jacob enters, blue eyes bright with affection. "Morning babe," he says sweetly to Jacob.

Jacob goes over to give him a kiss, but he's still awkwardly ruffling the hair at the back of his neck when he pulls back and surveys the scene once again. "What are you two up to?" he asked suspiciously. "Where's everybody else?"

"We're here," His dad announces as he leads the trail of Jacob's younger siblings up the front steps. "We went out to the park. We were going to take you with us, but apparently Troye couldn't get you to wake up."

It isn't strictly true. Jacob had been woken up, and had spent a few very exciting minutes in bed with his boyfriend, but wound up even sleepier than before. So truthfully, Troye just hadn't been able to get him out of bed.

Not that he was going to share that with his family. "Ah, yeah, bit of a heavy sleeper," he explained with a laugh that was only slightly sketchy. "Too used to college life I guess." Troye smirks into his mug and doesn't say a word, much to Jacob's relief. His mother is smirking too, which just cranks up Jacob's nerves a notch higher than they were before. "What are you two out here getting so cozy about?" he asks suspiciously. "I feel like I walked into the middle of a conversation I wasn't supposed to hear."

Carrie jumps in before Troye can even think about replying. "Don't be so nosy, Jacob," she says haughtily. "Can't a mom have tea with her future son-in-law without being interrogated?"

"Mom, stop saying that," Jacob groans. "Why does everyone feel the need to incessantly talk about us getting married?"

"Because everyone knows it's going to happen," snorts Angie.

"Well. That's fair. But why is everyone always asking when I'm going to pop the question? Pressure's on and all that."

"Probably because we've been together for three years," Troye says slyly, looking up at Jacob through his eyelashes.

It's one of the things that Jacob is most proud of, but he can't let himself get all fond now. He only smiles a tiny bit as he sasses back, "Well alright then, Troye, you go on and pop the question then, if you're so antsy."

Troye's grin, on the other hand, is absolutely unabashed. "Okay."

"Wait, what?"

Troye stands from the little wicker armchair he's been curled up in and digs a hand into the little pocket on his jeans normally used for change. It isn't money that he pulls out though. Jacob can see, in the center of one big, soft, palm, shimmering in the midmorning light, a simple silver band with tiny diamonds along the top.

It takes him a few seconds for his brain to catch up to his eyes, but when it does, the world feels like it might stop turning for just a second.

"Troye," he says shakily as the younger boy grins at him and his mother claps a hand over her mouth. "Is that-?"

"I was planning on taking you out to dinner tonight, and doing it all properly and whatnot, but I suppose I should've known that you'd want it to be a family affair. No better time than the present, right?"