Justin gently placed the note down on Alyss’ pillow with a sigh. He knew what she would say if he told her face-to-face that he was leaving. That he was ditching her. She’d think of some way to make him stay. She could do it, he knew she could. And that’s exactly why he couldn’t do much else but place the note and leave it for her to find. This wasn’t a let’s-see-who-cares-enough-to-try-to-make-me-stay, this was a I’m-really-going type of deal. He couldn’t stand to be here anymore. There was so much pressure, so many people he let down…and with The Williams practically breathing down his neck, that was the end of it. He was leaving and he didn’t expect to ever come back.
"Dear Alyss,
I love you. I do. And maybe you’d say something like ‘if you really cared about someone you’d stick around’ or ‘you can’t love me from (insert a ridiculous amount of miles here) away’. And you’re right, I guess. In a way.
By now you probably know where this is going. And don’t tell me you never expected me to leave. This has been a long time coming. You know it, I know it…everyone knows it. So…here’s a suggestion: don’t come after me. Please. I don’t know how far gone I’ll be when you read this, but…with any luck it won’t matter. No following, Alyss.
I can’t do this anymore. Any of it. And, is it selfish? Yes. It is. I know it is, obviously, but when is the last time I ever just did something for myself? Huh?
Exactly.
So this is for me. It has nothing to do with you, there’s nothing you could’ve done, so don’t blame yourself. Just take a deep breath and accept that I’m gone.
As Justin’s voice booms throughout the building, Aiden scurries to find a spot to hide. The blue eyed boy could hear the countdown from sixty going down, which made him feel like a child, a rare occurrence being one of the Playline’s. He was always so used to being the awkward quiet kid who was adopted; but not with Justin. With Justin, he was free to do whatever he pleased, whether it was paint or play the guitar or act how he desired, Justin was always supportive. And sure, they had their rough spouts, but it was the one person he felt most accepted with, insecurities and all.
Eyes landing on the headboard of their shared bed, he ducks between it and pulls his knees up to his chest. The now muffled voice of his boyfriend lands on the number thirty, giving him the same amount of time to steady his breathing. He gazes around to focus on something other than his excitement, and taking in this new sight. It all felt weird, him having spent random nights in his secret home and finding a new place.
Since Aiden’s family was so against his relationship with Justin—or any man, for that matter—they scrounged up enough money for the both of them to get a small place of their own without his family’s knowledge. Whenever they wanted to spend the night together, generally just savoring being in each other’s arms, Aiden would say he was staying over his friend’s house. That friend being Faith, who was more than eager to get the two boys to be together no matter what. She’d lie for, as long as they were carrying out their happiness. So they indirectly moved in together, just until they were accepted. Then, with Justin’s plan, it would become a reality.
After analyzing everything there was to on the ceiling and above him, the brunette casts his gaze down to see the things swept underneath the bed. He loved his boyfriend dearly, probably more than himself, but he wasn’t the cleanest. There were dust clumps everywhere, which Aiden made a mental note to clean up later. However, his stare changes over to a small box, almost appearing to have a velvet coating around it. His mind wanders to the many possibilities it could be. He’d once seen a picture of a blade in a ring box, what would he do if Justin was cutting himself? Or was this the last possession of his mother’s? Maybe inside was his dog tags, all tangled up and tossed away inside the box. Possibly it was an engagement ring..? But no, why would Justin want to marry him? They couldn’t even be together, and he was just… Aiden.
Curiosity getting the better of him, he leans forward in the tight space, not bothering to listen for Justin’s counting. His fingers wrap around the small box just as a light grunt escapes his lips, where he finally remembered that they where in the middle of a game of Hide and Seek. He scooches farther from the door, more to where he can’t be seen at first, and ducks down, hovering over the small box.
Aiden quickly opens it to see a man’s ring in it. It took him a moment to connect the dots that this wasn’t anything he should be seeing, that what he just found out was a surprise that he ruined. And even though his mind tells him not to, he gently removes the ring from the container before slipping it on. This was definitely for him, and now the whole surprise effect was ruined.
Completely forgetting their childish game, Aiden puts the ring back in its place before maneuvering his way to free space again. He decided that it would be useless to pretend he hadn’t seen it; Justin always knew when he was hiding something. This was better off talked about.
He crosses into the living room, where Justin was sitting in the recliner, shaking his knee nervously. Aiden frowns, until Justin notices him, which makes him then purse his lips and give him his heart warming puppy dog eyes. “Hey Prince Charming,” he murmurs, voice much more nervous than his usual tone. “Whatcha got there?” he questions, motioning to behind Aiden’s back, instantly knowing he knew something—as usual.
Aiden takes a deep breath in and pulls the box from behind his back. “I found this,” he says quietly, not letting his voice give away his thoughts.
Justin swallows hard and steps forward, taking the box from him. “Yeah, I know, I’m sorry. It’s usually done in public, with this great speech that makes you cry, but I got scared,” he confesses, keeping his eyes down. The blonde takes a deep breath in and purses his lips before looking into his boyfriend’s eyes with a small laugh. “Better late than never, yeah?” There’s a moment of silence, while Aiden’s still trying to process it all. “Aid, we’ve been through a lot. Like a lot a lot. And I’ve loved every second of it. I mean, you’re my first boyfriend, honestly, and you’ve been the best boyfriend a guy—or even girl—could ask for. You helped me through a lot and I feel lost whenever you’re not by my side, and I don’t want to feel like that. What I’m trying to say is…” He kneels down, although the shorter boy has gotten to the point where he figured it out and was now trying to keep his heart from bursting out of his chest. “Aiden Playline, or as I like to say much better, Prince Charming, will you please marry me?” he asks with a small smile, that only a cold hearted person would say no to.
Aiden purses his lips for a moment and looks away to not laugh with excitement before nodding his head. “Of course I will,” he murmurs, pulling Justin up by his cheeks before kissing him passionately. He hadn’t even waited for the ring, he already knew that would come in time.
After a moment, they break apart long enough to make it official with the rings. Finally, Aiden look up at his fiance with a confused smile. “How did you know to hide it there?”
Justin drapes his arms around the smaller boy’s shoulders, laughing softly, shrugging innocently. “‘Cause you’re short,” he explains sheepishly.
Aiden was far too happy to playfully hit him. Instead, he wraps his arms around Justin’s waist and proudly leans up to kiss his lips, never wanting to return to his old family, feeling too excited to start his new one.
