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forty-two

FOUR YEARS LATER

millie | ryder | sava | jack

"jack! that doesn't go there!" he shouts at his best friend who sets an assortment of board games on a table.

"she settled for you as a lover; i'm sure she doesn't care about where i put games for a sleepover surprise she doesn't even know about." jack replies, a childish grin on his face.

"sava!"

"the kid is right. the point of the surprise is that you can't do anything wrong."

"what're you guys doing?" a voice asks from the doorway, causing them all to freeze.

"except keeping her out of the apartment. i think we did that wrong."

"surprise!"

"happy birthday, mil."

"happy birthday, love." he kisses her forehead and she laughs at their attempts.

"i love you guys."

three hours later, they are all lounging in the living room of sava's apartment watching a movie that only jack seems to be interested in. sava is snoring quietly on the couch, head in jack's lap. jack is too engrossed in the movie to notice, and even if he does, he doesn't seem to care. his crush is very obvious at times. ryder and millie lay on the floor, leaning against the couch, far away from jack who cries out everytime something he doesn't like happens. so, basically, every three seconds.

"love, can i ask you a question?"

"you just did."

"i'm being serious." his tone lets her know it isn't a joke.

"okay, what is it?"

"if i asked you to marry me right now, what would you say?"

"i'd—wow, that's a big question." he pulls a little black box from his pocket and holds it out to her. carefully, she takes it. inside is a ring.

"you don't have to say yes. or anything at all."

"okay."

"okay, what?"

"things only go bad if i let them."

"right. so?"

"so, okay, i'll marry you." she pauses. "even if i'm barely twenty one and this is completely idiotic."

"was that a yes or a no?"

"it was a yes. just with a couple of factoids."

"i love you."

"i love you, too. even if you are an idiot."