Yuletide Serendipity
promise.
The two boys found themselves in the living room, torn bits of wrapping paper strewn throughout the room. Ribbons, bows, and shining paper lay everywhere and despite it being a mess that they'd later have to clean, neither cared. It was Christmas for crying out loud! Snow was falling from the sky above and it covered the grass as if it were a secure blanket drawn over a sleeping child. Innocence and magic filled the atmosphere and made spirits gleeful and excited. Most of all, they had togetherness on this holiday, and they were very thankful for that.
"Thank you," Jonah said happily, "For everything."
Jaime had been thoughtful enough to get things for Jonah that he never could have fathomed wanting for himself. He got an old typewriter that still was in working condition and a few bundles of old parchment to write on. He'd gotten other things -cute underwear Jaime wanted to see him in, a coffee maker, and a beautiful collection of books- but the typewriter really stole his heart away. Jaime, on the other hand, had received not only a brand new music making software program but a rather expensive guitar as well. Music was Jaime's passion, and writing was Jonah's, and together supported the other in all their endeavors. Neither could imagine better gifts this year.
"What's that?" Jaime asked curiously, pointing from where he sat on the couch to a small wrapped box resting in the branches of their tree. Jonah flushed all over. He'd had that box hidden there for a week and Jaime hadn't noticed it at all yet.
"Stay right there," Jonah warned his boyfriend. "I have one more gift for you."
Jaime raised a curious eyebrow as he watched the blond saunter over to the tree, pluck the box from its branches, and return to sit right in front of him on the floor, looking up to where Jaime sat on their leather couch. Jonah didn't smile but eyes seemed to and Jaime could see both love and nervousness radiating through him. Jaime gulped and clutched to the couch cushion with his fingers, vaguely aware of what was about to happen.
Jonah fix himself so he was sitting cross-legged before unwrapping the small box. He tossed the Santa covered paper aside with the rest of wrapping and Jaime gasped at what remained in the boy's slender hands- a little black box.
"Jaime, you've been in my life since high school. We struggled with that sort of long distance thing we had, making vows and promises of the future. Things got tough every now and again, me with my selfish ways and you with your selfless intentions. However, we made it out of the long distance phase with only scratches and as soon as we started college together... Things really fell into place."
"Jonah," Jaime said in awe but couldn't form anything else to say. Jonah blushed.
"Just hear me out," the blond said with a soft curl of his lips. "We've practically breezed through college. You graduated last year and this is my final year, almost my final semester even. And soon we'll both be truly out in the real world, we'll both have to wake up early and get to our jobs, and we'll come home and be tired and watch movies or TV or something. I'll cook for you the best I can, or you'll cook for me, I don't care. But, what I do care about is that you're here every single day. I care if you're the first face I see when i wake up, the first one I see after work. I care if you're the person who will help me grade papers when I get my teaching job or will play chess with me on an unproductive night. I care that you're always here, and I pray to God that you'll never leave."
"Oh, Jonah... I would never-"
"I know, babe, I know," Jonah said, blushing immensely all the while. He flipped open the lid to the box and revealed to his significant other a simple silver band. "It's not an engagement ring, unfortunately. It's just a promise ring- a promise that I'll buy you an engagement ring when I have the money. But, until then, would you be happy if we just promised to be married?"
Jaime was crying by now and he took the ring with trembling fingers and slid it onto his left ring finger. He started to laugh then, the kind of laugh you get when you're so happy that you can't curve your excitement into words. He gasped for air and wiped at his eyes. Though he could try to control this emotion, he knew he couldn't control the love he felt for Jonah, the compassion and sympathy and just love. He loved him with everything he had- heart, body and soul.
"You really promise to marry me?"
Jonah was crying by now for he felt all this for the older boy, the compassion and the love. He could feel it coursing through his veins and trickling into his blood. Jaime was more than a lover, more than a boyfriend or a fiancé or a husband. He was a part of Jonah, more than anyone else had ever been. They were in sync, though not always on the same page, but they understood each other nonetheless. And that's all that love was, right? Love was the ability to listen to another, understand, and to know you could never be without them. Johan felt all of this deep within as if it were the aching of his bones.
"I promise," he smiled. "Merry Christmas."
"Thank you," Jonah said happily, "For everything."
Jaime had been thoughtful enough to get things for Jonah that he never could have fathomed wanting for himself. He got an old typewriter that still was in working condition and a few bundles of old parchment to write on. He'd gotten other things -cute underwear Jaime wanted to see him in, a coffee maker, and a beautiful collection of books- but the typewriter really stole his heart away. Jaime, on the other hand, had received not only a brand new music making software program but a rather expensive guitar as well. Music was Jaime's passion, and writing was Jonah's, and together supported the other in all their endeavors. Neither could imagine better gifts this year.
"What's that?" Jaime asked curiously, pointing from where he sat on the couch to a small wrapped box resting in the branches of their tree. Jonah flushed all over. He'd had that box hidden there for a week and Jaime hadn't noticed it at all yet.
"Stay right there," Jonah warned his boyfriend. "I have one more gift for you."
Jaime raised a curious eyebrow as he watched the blond saunter over to the tree, pluck the box from its branches, and return to sit right in front of him on the floor, looking up to where Jaime sat on their leather couch. Jonah didn't smile but eyes seemed to and Jaime could see both love and nervousness radiating through him. Jaime gulped and clutched to the couch cushion with his fingers, vaguely aware of what was about to happen.
Jonah fix himself so he was sitting cross-legged before unwrapping the small box. He tossed the Santa covered paper aside with the rest of wrapping and Jaime gasped at what remained in the boy's slender hands- a little black box.
"Jaime, you've been in my life since high school. We struggled with that sort of long distance thing we had, making vows and promises of the future. Things got tough every now and again, me with my selfish ways and you with your selfless intentions. However, we made it out of the long distance phase with only scratches and as soon as we started college together... Things really fell into place."
"Jonah," Jaime said in awe but couldn't form anything else to say. Jonah blushed.
"Just hear me out," the blond said with a soft curl of his lips. "We've practically breezed through college. You graduated last year and this is my final year, almost my final semester even. And soon we'll both be truly out in the real world, we'll both have to wake up early and get to our jobs, and we'll come home and be tired and watch movies or TV or something. I'll cook for you the best I can, or you'll cook for me, I don't care. But, what I do care about is that you're here every single day. I care if you're the first face I see when i wake up, the first one I see after work. I care if you're the person who will help me grade papers when I get my teaching job or will play chess with me on an unproductive night. I care that you're always here, and I pray to God that you'll never leave."
"Oh, Jonah... I would never-"
"I know, babe, I know," Jonah said, blushing immensely all the while. He flipped open the lid to the box and revealed to his significant other a simple silver band. "It's not an engagement ring, unfortunately. It's just a promise ring- a promise that I'll buy you an engagement ring when I have the money. But, until then, would you be happy if we just promised to be married?"
Jaime was crying by now and he took the ring with trembling fingers and slid it onto his left ring finger. He started to laugh then, the kind of laugh you get when you're so happy that you can't curve your excitement into words. He gasped for air and wiped at his eyes. Though he could try to control this emotion, he knew he couldn't control the love he felt for Jonah, the compassion and sympathy and just love. He loved him with everything he had- heart, body and soul.
"You really promise to marry me?"
Jonah was crying by now for he felt all this for the older boy, the compassion and the love. He could feel it coursing through his veins and trickling into his blood. Jaime was more than a lover, more than a boyfriend or a fiancé or a husband. He was a part of Jonah, more than anyone else had ever been. They were in sync, though not always on the same page, but they understood each other nonetheless. And that's all that love was, right? Love was the ability to listen to another, understand, and to know you could never be without them. Johan felt all of this deep within as if it were the aching of his bones.
"I promise," he smiled. "Merry Christmas."