tratie one shots, vol. i

[ skin au pt. 3 ]

this was followed up for a_ravenclaw who requested a third part to this au. enjoy!

words: 1811

. . .

Travis fidgeted with the cuffs of his black suit jacket, checking that they were even for the hundredth time. He stared into the mirror, flattening his red tie over his palpitating heart. The person staring back at him was paler than a ghost, eyes hollow and lips tight together.

Almost time.

He loosened and redid his tie, pondering if it looked too formal. Their two-year anniversary came too quickly to be real, and Travis surprised Katie with a fully-planned outing to a fancy restaurant overlooking one of the largest botanical gardens in New York. He'd spent months ahead planning the night, from driving her from their shared apartment to walking her out to the floral walkways after dinner.

Walking her out to the floral walkways after dinner to pop the question.

The box in his pocket burned against his leg, reminding him of the task at hand. He'd never been so nervous in his life, and he didn't feel any better hearing Katie come in the room.

He swiveled his head to see the most gorgeous person he'd seen. Sure, he'd seen Katie every day for the past year that they lived together, but not like this.

She wore a knee-length swing dress with capped sleeves that was the same vibrant green as her eyes, which were popping incredibly due to the color. Her hair hung in loose ringlets down her back, showcasing its natural highlights. She'd finished her look with black heels and the gold necklace Travis had gotten her.

"You look hot," she commented, but all he could focus on was the strawberry-colored lipstick she had on that made her lips look especially soft.

"Uh..." He only stared at her, dumbfounded.

Her laugh was as crystal-clear and radiant as the first time he'd ever heard it. "Eloquent. You ready?"

Scrambling to stop her from walking out of the bedroom and trying to be romantic, he stuttered, "You look... amazing. Like, really, really amazing."

Katie turned and raised an eyebrow. "Thanks? I kinda figured I'd need to look presentable if we were going to a fancy place like you said."

"Uh, yeah. That's smart." He fumbled with his keys as they made their way to the front door. Once he was finally able to find the door's key, he locked it with shaking hands.

"Are you okay?" Katie laid a hand on his arm, sending shockwaves up it.

He shook himself. "Yeah, just got a shiver."

They got in Travis' car and drove to the restaurant. All the while, Travis tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as his mind filled with doubt. What if she said no? They'd been dating for a while, but he still felt like there was a possibility of her declining his question. What if she wasn't ready? What if she thought it was dumb for soulmates to get married?

What if she didn't love him enough to marry him?

The sleek windowed building shone with dim candlelight, giving off an easing aspect. Travis drew a long breath as he and Katie walked in and were led to their reserved table.

"So..." he began, itching for something to take his mind off his anxiety, "How do you like it? I know you're normally not a huge fan of fancy stuff, but I figured I'd make tonight special."