best friend joshua trying to come up with some grand gesture to ask you out to prom 🥺🥺
You look beautiful under these disco lights
You weren't necessarily a person who ever got shy in front of people. It was safe to say you were one of the most known people in school due to your loudness and bubbly image. But under all that excited yelling and always cracking jokes and socializing, Joshua Hong knew the real you. The you who was afraid of what people thought and the you who wanted to spread joy to everyone but yourself.
And it made him hate this loud you. He couldn't keep seeing your tears everytime you had an anxiety attack before a party or your cheerleading performances. The fear of embarrassing others and yourself, the fear of not giving your best, the fear of people judging the real you, the fear of people commenting on you was too strong and it was making you slowly crumble from inside, all in front of the guy who had seen you in your diapers and knew every single family member by name.
Joshua might have been your boyfriend since middle school, but only a few people knew that, others just thought of you both as best friends who definitely liked each other but somehow didn't want anything more. Another fear of yours was bringing down Joshua and his image as a student body president because he associated with you.
Joshua was exhausted these days, not because of school, he'd learned to manage that. He was exhausted because he didn't want to hide it anymore, he didn't want you to hide the real you, the real you with your doubts and the real you who was so smart and not just a dumb and loud cheerleader as people saw you. They might like you, but it was for your ditzy image, because they thought they could walk over you and you wouldn't understand. But Joshua understood, and he had enough of seeing your tears.
With prom approaching, the list of people who kept asking you out seemed to be growing, everyone from your fellow seniors to the sophomores and even a few freshman had asked you out. But you were waiting for Joshua, you might not show the world how much you love him, but you wouldn't ever go out with anyone else until you both were together. You didn't tell him you were waiting, you knew that he already knew and you also knew that he'd come over to your place and ask you out over dinner with your parents. That was enough for you.
But Joshua had other plans this year. It was senior year, more than four years of him hiding the fact that he had kissed those always smiling lips of yours more times than he could count at this point. He wanted to go small and sweet, but the idea of a huge and over the top promposal for your senior year seemed more effective and better. You'd cry, for sure, but it would all be worth it because they'd be happy tears.
Down to two days before prom, you were officially freaking out. Joshua hadn't asked you out yet and people were starting to ask who you were going with. Joshua looked nonchalantly as usual, acting normally as if he hadn't forgotten to ask you out for senior prom. You had decided to give up if he didn't ask you out by the end of the day and gulp down your little pride and ask him yourself.
Everyone could tell you were distracted today, a select few treated this as a good thing since they were in with Joshua to help with your promposal. The girls in your Cheer squad had to constantly remind you to stop getting lost in your thoughts or you'd seriously injure yourself. You kept nodding a smile but their comments were not registering in your brain due to your constant thoughts of doubt. You were teetering on the edge of calmness, you were just about ready to drop everything and cry out.
Just as your Captain called out for a break, the football team walked your way, blocking your view of the field as they started talking to your squad while you stood in the back. Unknown to you, they were helping cover the field while Joshua and his students helpers came over with the charts and the balloons, along with Joshua's guitar and a chair. Joshua was going to sing for you in front of everyone, something he was doing for the first time too when it was always something that was a secret between you two.
You smiled up at one of the players when waved at you, looking down just as they left and not noticing the obviously set up charts with Joshua sitting with his guitar in front, his warm smile looking at you with so much love the girls just about ruined the surprise by squealing loudly. You were too lost in your head to lost but as soon as the first note of Sunday Morning played, your head snapped up, Joshua sitting in direct vision.
Your mouth fell open with your hand following with a slap onto it. Joshua continued smiling, his eyes seeming to brighten as you looked at him with pure shock, tears welling up in your eyes immediately as you broke into a sob. Your squad immediately started rubbing your back as they lead you towards him, all of them handing you a rose with a small note on it that you knew you'd read as soon as you had finished smacking Joshua for his extravagant proposal.
You didn't even give him to finish his song, throwing yourself into his arms and not caring when he laughed after dropping his guitar to catch you and steady you, his hand immediately gripping the back of your head to wipe away your tears, whispering sweet words laced with honey and dripping in love. Joshua Hong, your boyfriend, the only guy who you ever loved somehow had managed to make you fall even deeper for him.
Between wiping your tears you blushed a deep red when he whispered something in your ear.
"I can't wait to see you dressed in a pretty gown just for me baby."
