Finding Me (A Joe Sugg / ThatcherJoe Fanfiction)

Chapter Thirty - Seven

"Cancer free?" He asked slowly turning his frown into that beautiful smile I was so accustomed to. I cupped his face in my hands and he ran his hands over mine.

"Joseph, this is our new start," I smiled at him and kissed his forehead. His eyes started to water, as did mine.

"Marilyn, I knew this day would come. You have been so strong and I knew that this would happen because we were meant to be together for a long time. Speaking of," he slowly took my hands off his face and stood up," we haven't known each other for very long Mary, four or five months to be exact, but there was one thing I really wanted to ask you -"

"Marilyn!" Just then, Graham stormed through the room with a vase full of flowers. I smiled at him and wiped my eyes. I did not know that he knew about my surgery.

"Hi Graham," I whispered. He came over and hugged me while kissing my cheek.

"How are you feeling?" He asked and I rubbed my neck and my eyes.

"Sore and tired. How about you?" I asked as he set the flowers down on the side table.

"Never mind about me... Joe, are you okay?" He asked looking towards his son who was staring at him in disbelief.

"Marilyn and I are fine now. This is the most important day because this is really the beginning for us," he said as he took my hand in his and rubbed circles slowly on my palm.

"I wanted to let you both know that I was sorry for the way my wife and I acted when you came to dinner.. I know that I may not be the nicest person, but you both deserve it after all you have been through, and sadly enough... We know you both are going to stay together because I can tell you are both extremely in love. I am truly sorry," he said as Joe released my hand and went over to hug his father. Moments like these were what I lived for. If I was a bother to anybody in this world I would hope it wasn't to Joe or his family because those are the people I wanted to surround myself with. Graham was my family now and I had to accept the fact that the dinner was hostile, but it was because we were newly together.

"Mary?" Caspar and Layla stuck their heads through the door and entered slowly. I mean, might as well.

"Come in," I repiled. They both snuck in silently, hand-in-hand. Both of them were my relationship goals because they proved that distance wasn't a problem for them and neither was their age.

"Guys, I have something very important to tell you," I said smiling and rubbing my chest. Everyone stared at me worriedly, except Joe, who knew what I was going to say next.

"As of now, I am cancer free," I smiled at all of them and all of them had the same reaction. Layla was crying, but muffled her cries with a hand over her mouth; Caspar closed his eyes and tensed his forehead up and opened them slowly; and Graham exhaled loudly. All of the reactions made me tear up even more than I already had. Layla was the first one to run to me and she climed on my bed and cried on my shoulder as she did before. I stroked her hair and whispered to her as I tried to calm her down. Caspar walked over to Joe and hugged him, as did Graham.

"Marilyn, that is amazing news.. I knew you would get through this," Caspar said coming to Layla's aid and stroking her hair as well.

"You all supported me so much through these tough times and there is nobody else in the world I would want to share this with than with all of my closest friends and family," I said with a shaky voice. I cleared my voice with a cough as everybody now crowded around my hospital bed.

"Maybe Layla could stay with us now?" Caspar asked and looked at Joe who nodded, obviously.

"I would have to get this cleared, but now that I am better it is definitely a possibility," I smiled at her as she lifted her head up from my shoulder.

"I am going to make a call right now," she said getting up and wiping her face. She took her cellphone from her pocket and ran out of the room in urgency - Caspar soon followed.

"I have to go back home right now, is there anything I could get you both?" Graham asked as he straightened out his shirt and cracked his neck. Joe and I both shook our heads and he hugged both of us before he left the room.

"Family," I breathed out and coughed.

"Our family," he smiled and looked at me and walked back towards me.

"Someday," I smiled up at him and he kissed my hand.

"Well, as I was saying before - I have to ask you something very important," he said getting down on one knee. Oh God.

"Yes?" I said feeling very giddy and excited.

"Marilyn, I know that we haven't known each other for a long time, but I know that you are my other half. All the time we spent together has been the time of my life, and I know that you are only eighteen and I'm twenty two, but this love cannot be measured by time. Our time together has been limitless and I am so thankful that I know you. I had been the type of guy that has always rushed relationships, but never this far because I knew that I never met "the one". After this time, I now know that you're that one. Cliché, I know, but you're the one. Let's go steady, so I guess, in a way, that I'm proposing to you...." There was no ring in his hands he just left them open.

"No ring?" I asked confused.

"No ring, just commitment and honesty," he smiled.

"I do."

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After two weeks I was finally allowed to go home, but there was one thing that happened I could not get over. Joe Sugg proposed, or well, kind of proposed... And I said yes. This whole experience made us grow closer as a couple, and although this was the shortest relationship I had ever been in, I truly loved him. Maybe we were rushing into this too fast, but at this point I didn't care. My experiences in life had surpassed more than most adults in the world and why wouldn't I live to the fullest when there was a slight chance that my cancer would come back. We kept this news a secret because it was nearing my birthday and we were going to invite all Joe's YouTube friends and family over and tell them then. Needless to say, I am extremely nervous and excited for what is going to happen in the future.

"Babe, you have been staring out the car window all morning, what are you worrying about?" Joe asked reaching his hand over the car console to grab mine.

"I'm nervous for the future," I said exhaling deeply and slowly closing my eyes. His grip grew tighter on mine.

"I know you are. Just remember all you went through - and you made it. I am so proud of you Marilyn, I wish I could show you..." He paused and released his hand so he could run it through his hair and he placed it on the wheel of the car. "I have loved you from the first moment I met you with that stupid tye-dye shirt that you bought."

"It's not stupid," I smiled.

"It is, but you make it work. You make everything work. When we first started hanging out I thought that you were way too good for me... Your life was set into place and you knew what you wanted and I was envious. Every video I made since meeting you were to impress you because I knew you would look at them sooner or later... You pushed me to do more and I cannot thank you enough," he said keeping his eyes on the road. Whenever we were on the road we would have these intimate moments that would mean everything to me.

"Joe, if I tell you something, you wouldn't think I was crazy, right?"

"Well, sure," he shrugged looking at me slightly while taking his eyes off the road for one second.

"I think I'm going to die."

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yo yo yo guys we hit 40k reads and that is seriously 39.9k more than I thought I was going to have!

So this chapter I'm going to dedicate to @Blueberry422 because you're always so nice to me and you're just so cute :*

Dedications are kinda hard, so I guess if you want a dedication / shout out just comment and I will do that for you guys!

Yesterday I had ice show tryouts for my last time because I am graduating high school soon. It was kinda sad, but that's just part of growing up. I love you guys and thank you for sticking through with me :*****

ily. & Niall Horan, but mostly you.