Party 'til you pass out / When the party's over

1.3

'Ali?'

'Hmm?' I looked away from a family with two small children and caught Brian's eyes. He had been a bit nervous all day, and I didn't know why.

'I'm gonna miss you, you know?' I smiled and nudged his shoulder with mine.

'I know. I'm gonna miss you too.'

'I love you.' My smile faded at his serious tone. Brian bit his lip and put his hand in his pocket, getting something out without showing me. Then he sat up, taking my hand. 'You're my everything, and I love you so much. I hate to see you go for a few months, but I've come to terms with the fact that this is your dream, and I should support you in following your dream. Not now, but for the rest of my life, and yours. Ali, I eh...' My heart started pounding and my eyes widened with shock as soon as I figured out what he was up to.

'Brian, are you -'

'I... Yeah. Will you marry me?' He held out a ring to me, and I couldn't do anything but stare from the ring to his face and back for a long moment, forgetting how to breath. 'You're making it kinda awkward, Ali...,' Brian said while biting his lip. I inhaled sharply, then looked at him again.

'Oh my God!' I put my hands in front of my mouth and just stared at him for another moment. 'Are you being se- Brian!'

'Just say yes, Al. Please.' His eyes and voice were almost pleading and I started nodding my head.

A wide smile struck his face and he sighed in relief. Then he took my left hand and put the ring on my finger, pressing his lips against mine. He pushed me over and we fell unto the plaid, him hovering over me. He stroke my hair with his hand.

'For a second I was afraid you were gonna say no...,' he said softly.

'I wasn't, I was just in shock. Fuck Bri, you just asked me to become your wife!'

'I did, didn't I?' He grinned at me and I pulled him closer to kiss him. Then he let go of me and let himself fall next to me on the plaid. I looked at the ring; it was a simple, thin, golden ring with one small diamond in the middle, but it was perfect to me. I didn't need anything big; it was the thought that counted to me.

We stayed on the plaid like that, talking and fooling around like a madly in love couple until it became dark and colder, and then we cleaned up, packed our things and headed home. I knew I was going to regret staying out late, since I had to be at Heathrow Airport at six am, which meant my alarm would wake me up at four thirty. Luckily I had already almost everything packed, except for some small things I'd put in my backpack when I would leave.

'We need some celebration,' Brian said, getting a bottle of champagne out of the fridge.

'What? Since when do we have champagne?,' I asked. Brian just shrugged.

'Since I have been planning on this.'

'You sneaky bastard.' I grinned at him as he popped the champagne bottle and got two glasses. 'No need for glasses though.' I grabbed the bottle from his hands and put it to my mouth, taking a few sips of the sparkling, sour liquid. Brian looked at me, then grinned too.

'Fine,' he said. It only took us half an hour to empty the bottle and end up in bed, clinging on to each other as if it was the last thing we'd ever do.

*

I grunted when my alarm went off only four hours later. My head was aching and I was thirsty as hell, and for a second I was tempted to just put my alarm off and go back to sleep. But then it hit me. Warped! Immediately I was awake and jumped out of bed, ignoring a grunting Brian.