The Green Labyrinth

Infinity

Collin: 

I see candles lighting a path. Her hand has mine, carrying me towards them. It's quiet, lightening bugs illuminate all around us, reminds me of my past. 

"I needed a place for us. Something special. Just before we left, it was our one year anniversary. Kind of feels like high school having a big grand gesture for one year, but this is the happiest I've ever been." She smiles back at me. We follow the candle walkway, lighting each side, leading to the end, full of candles, flowers, memories. 

Picture frames, of us, pictures we've taken, moments we've shared. There's pictures from Italy that we took together, touring, pictures Jordan captured. I see her bright smile, the way her eyes sparkle. One picture catches my eye. I'm standing in front of her, smiling, her eyes follow me, her face soft, like she's thinking about me, about us. Her face is gentle and sincere. 

"Collin..." She takes my hand in hers. Squeezing them.

"This year has been the biggest roller coaster. From letting you into my life, letting my walls down, the walls you broke down to get to me. The real me. Not a lot of people have the power to do that. I had many dreams of you standing on a mountain, victorious after fighting every last one of my demons. You are the light of my life. I was in a very bad place before I met you, I was no one, lost. You found me, you brought me back to life. Taught me that love isn't as terrifying as I thought it was. The way you look at me. When I catch you staring from across the room, it ignites my soul. Every inch of me wants you every second of the day." I take a deep breath. 

"I love you with every part of me." She looks up at me, her eyes locking mine. 

"Theo, I want you always." I smile, staring at her big, beautiful, ever changing eyes. 

"But you didn't do this." I smile. 

"Huh?" She looks at me confused. 

"Before tour, I talked with Jordan and Derek. I wanted to do something special for you. For this moment. After everything, you have become the light that pulled me from the dark. You are the sun, the moon..my universe revolves around you. This isn't what you think it is..." I smile. 

I bend down, one knee, like the movies. 

"This isn't a ring, not yet." I open a box, two small bracelets.. One for her, one for me. 

"This is a promise. That one day, in this box, with me in this position, looking up at you. I promise to be the man you dream of. The one who you come to when things are bad, the one who gives you everything, the one you trust with your entire soul. I love you with everything I am, everything I have. I want you to know this is real, that I'm not going anywhere. This is a promise that one day, this box will have a ring and I will ask you to be mine forever. Until then, I promise to be forever yours." 

Her face is shocked. 

"You planned this...the whole thing?" She asks, shocked. 

"Well, secretively yes. I knew you were doing this, I just planned something better." I smile. 

"So will you take this, and whenever you look at it, think of me?" I ask. I have no doubt in my mind, no pinging in my soul, just happiness, love. 

"Yes of course. I will always be yours." She smiles, pushing her lips to mine. 

"Forever yours." She smiles.

~~~~~~~~~~

Theo:

The bracelet slides on my wrist. I see the engraved words. 

"Forever Yours" on a rose gold chain, a lightening bolt charm, that night, the memories flood back. The crash of the thunder, his body against mine, the rain pounding hard.