Flashback: Feeling Thankful @Oliver
oliver--maney:
“Okay good. Because as we know, Koby shovels all food in…but the potatoes are his favorite.” he lifted the giant pot off the stove top, shutting it off. Eli seemed…on edge. He kind of looked like he was zoning out every once in a while, but Oliver didn’t know how to approach his recent concerns without sounding accusatory. Between the moving concern and recovering from the virus, Oliver was hoping that Eli wasn’t reconsidering moving in with him. Yeah, 2020 was a nightmare…but it wasn’t a nightmare because of him, right?
“….sure. What’s up?” Oliver felt his stomach begin to twist and he hoped his anxiety wasn’t showing on his face God, he hoped this was just him hyping everything up. And not something awful. God he thought they were both doing so well. This was the most stable relationship (outside of Koby and Peter) he’s ever had and if a pandemic brought it down, he’d lose his mind.
Eli licked his lips. His heart rate immediately spiked, but he was determined not to get tripped up now. They’d been together for years, and if they could get through this hell of a year, they could get through anything. Of that he was sure. In sickness and in health, right? If this year had proved anything, it had proved they worked. Without a shadow of a doubt, they worked.
“This year’s gotten me thinking...” He took Oliver’s hands into his own. A knot in his throat now joined his elevated heart rate as he thought about what he was going to say next. “I love you. I remember the first night I saw you in my club. I couldn’t look away, and I had no idea how you’d completely change my life, but I knew then that you were special.
I never really felt at home in my family, and you not only supported me when I cut them out of my life, including leaving my livelihood behind, but you gave me a new family that I love. As annoying as Koby can be.....I love this. I love us. And you getting sick earlier this year— it scared the shit out of me, but it also made me realize...”
Eli trailed off, throat feeling tight again. He cleared his throat and let go of Oliver’s hands. “It made me ask myself what I was waiting for,” he said, taking the cufflinks case out of his pocket and getting down on one knee.
“I want to do this with you, forever. It’s not a ring because I figured we could go out for rings together, but Oliver Maney,” he said, opening the case, “Will you marry me?”
