Breathe

• 1)Bananas
• 2)Milk
• 3)Eggs
• 4)Tomatoes
• 5)Pasta sauce
• 6)Chicken breasts
• 7)Salt
• 8)Peanut butter
  
  I pulled a hand through my long hair, brushing it further back, while staring down at the grocery list on top of my desk in my home office. I remembered there being only one roll of toilet paper left in the bathroom cabinet, so I jotted that down next to number nine, and glanced over at the picture frame beside the notepad. It was a picture of Blair -- the same one I’d had since we were in school together. It was one of the first things I put in this room when I was decorating it and it always brought a smile to my face whenever I walked in the room and sat down. Blair liked to call me cheesy for it, but I knew she secretly loved it.
  
  Deciding to check the kitchen for any remaining items to put on the list, I got up and headed over, placing the pad on the counter before looking through the cabinets. We were out of a few spices we would need, so I bent down against the counter and started jotting them down. I heard the front door unlock and open then, someone bustling in.
  
  “Babe, you there?” Blair called out, closing the door.
  
  “In the kitchen,” I replied, not looking up from the grocery list until I heard footsteps approaching. The smile on my face was immediate when I caught sight of Blair, looking rather unfairly sexy in her work clothes. She had a way of making everything she wore look hot, though.
  
  “Hi,” she smiled back, walking towards me slowly. “You have a good day, babe?” She pressed her lips briefly against mine before moving towards the fridge, but I grabbed her hand, pulling her back and crowding her up against the counter in front of me. Blair looked surprised, giggling as I nipped and pecked at her face sporadically. “What are you doing?”
  
  “Kissing you proper,” I mumbled, planting a firm kiss on her lips. “It’s been a long day.”
  
  “Aw, you miss me?” Blair giggled, finally kissing me back, parting her lips with a sigh.
  
  “Miss you whenever I’m not with you,” I groaned, playing it up. “You should just quit your job and stay with me all the time.”
  
  “What? And follow you around like a puppy at the law firm, too?”
  
  “That’d make going to work a lot more enjoyable.”
  
  “Nice try, but that’s not going to happen.” I moaned dramatically at that, giving her one last kiss before letting her go. Blair opened the fridge, grabbing a water bottle out of it, and joined me. “What’s this?”
  
  “Grocery list,” I told her. “We’ve got to go tomorrow.”
  
  “Mmm,” she mumbled, scanning it over. “Can you add prawns on the list? I want you to do that dish you made for me once for dinner a few months ago. Oh and Nugget’s kitty food, as well.”
  
  “Garlic prawns you mean?” I asked while writing down what she said.
  
  “Yes,” Blair nodded giddily. “With the butter. It was amazing.”
  
  “Alright, B.”
  
  We worked through the rest of the list, looking through our cabinets and fridge, and writing down anything we didn’t have. Saturdays were our grocery day and it shouldn’t be something we should be excited about, but it was. After moving in together, Blair and I had way too much fun being as domestic as we were. We even did our laundry together on Sunday nights while having a horror movie marathon on Netflix and eating leftovers from Saturday night.
  
  “I brought a bottle of Chardonnay for the Horans,” Blair told me, sipping from her bottle. “They were on display at Sainsbury, so I figured why not. We should be heading there soon.”
  
  “I’m all dressed. Got in about an hour ago.”
  
  “I’ll get on that then.” Blair put down her bottle, walking out of the kitchen and down the hall towards our bedroom, while I put our list under a magnet on the fridge for tomorrow. I followed Blair, walking into our bedroom, finding her standing there in bra and matching knickers with lace trims.
  
  She turned to face me and my eyes widened in appreciation, making Blair roll her eyes. “No.”
  
  “What?” I asked, laughing as I moved closer to her.
  
  “I can see it in your eyes, Harry. You wanna get distracted and filthy, but we can’t be late. Niall asked us to come on time for once.”
  
  “I can come on time,” I whispered into her ear, wrapping an arm around her bare, soft waist. “I can help you come on time, too.”
  
  “Oh my God,” she groaned, throwing her head back on my shoulder to laugh. “You’re funny, but maybe later tonight. I’ll let you have your way with me. Promise.” Blair eyes gleamed in a mischievous way that had my stomach turning in a pleasant way. I was planning to hold her to that promise. Since moving in together, the sex somehow got better. Now that we weren’t living with anyone else, it was like a whole other barrier was broken through, and it was louder and longer and messier. We could also fuck on the couch or the kitchen counter, giving into the moment, without having to worry about immediately cleaning it in case one of our flat mate’s walked in.
  
  I hummed in response, pressing a soft kiss on her shoulder blade, as she laid out her periwinkle colored dress on the bed. “You wearing that?” I asked her, eyeing the dress. It was one I got her for our anniversary last year.
  
  “Yeah, you like when I wear it, right?”
  
  “Love everything on you,” I replied. “Love when everything’s off you, too.”
  
  “You, sir, have a one track mind,” Blair said, sliding out of my arms to pull the dress over her body. I laughed, leaning back on the dresser, to allow her to finish getting dressed. I felt something soft and furry brush past my feet and looked down to see our two month old kitten, Nugget, trying to curl up against me, probably looking for warmth. I bent down, picking him up, and cuddled him against my chest.
  
  I found Nugget taking refuge behind our trashcans outside and immediately felt a tug towards him. He was adorable, covered with soft orange colored fur, and big blue eyes. I realized he was probably abandoned by his mum when I saw him, very skinny and desperate looking. I immediately proceeded to pick Nugget up, bringing him inside for some milk. When Blair got home, she immediately took to him as well, and it was an unspoken decision that we would keep the kitten.
  
  “I hope they’ve got something good on tonight. I’m starved,” Blair said once she had the dress on and was changing out of heels for some other shoes.
  
  “Zayn’s already there. Told me that there was a lot of food. Do you want me to get you something anyway for the drive over?”
  
  “No, I’ll wait,” Blair shook her head. She held up two different flats -- one white and another black. “Which one?”
  
  “White ones.”
  
  Satisfied with my answer, Blair slipped those on, and stood up before standing beside me by the dresser. I watched as she brushed her hair, making sure her makeup wasn’t smudged, and then turned to me.
  
  “All ready.”
  
  “You look perfect,” I grinned, encircling my free arm around Blair’s waist and pulling her closer, not being able to help myself.
  
  “Aren’t you the mushiest, best boyfriend any girl could ever ask for,” she smiled, hugging me back, and petting Nugget, too.   
  
  “You love the mush.”
  
  “I do,” she nodded with a smile. “You ready to go, bub?”
  
  I nodded, leaning forward to kiss her lips before pulling away, and putting Nugget down. Blair tangled her fingers with mine, the two of us grabbing our phones and belongings as we left the room. Our flat was pretty spacious; taking up one floor in the building we lived in. When Blair and I started looking for a place to live together, almost a year and a half ago, we scoured through several places, trying to find the perfect flat that fit for the both of us. When we found this one, we immediately knew we had to get it, even though it was a bit of a splurge.
  
  It was a two bedroom, two baths, with kitchen, living room, dining room, and added balcony. While room wise it wasn’t as big as the flats we lived in before, it was huge for just two people who really only occupied one bedroom and used the other as an office. And every room was large in space, which we liked because if any of our family members or friends decided to sleep over, we’d have some space for them. What made it even more special was the fact that both Blair and I really made it home for us. We decorated and put everything together with thought and mutual decisions so it really felt like we’d taken a massive milestone step together in terms of our relationship.
  
  “The holiday party at my office is coming up soon,” Blair said as we stepped outside, our hands still entwined. “Put you down as my plus one.”
  
  “Can’t wait,” I replied. “I hope you guys get the same caterers as last time -- that eggplant lasagna was to die for.”
  
  “I’ll tell the party planners about that,” she laughed.
  
  “Is that twat going to be there?”
  
  “Harry,” Blair laughed.
  
  “I’m serious,” I insisted, smirking a bit, the two of us making it out onto the street. “I want to see him again, just say hi, and see if he tries to hit on you again. This time I’ll punch him, I swear I will.”
  
  “You’ll do no such thing. You know he’s harmless, right? He’s like ten years older than me and I don’t think using the amount of drinks you consume is a good excuse to start a brawl at an office holiday party.”
  
  “We’ll see about that,” I shrugged.
  
  “Harry!”
  
  “What?” I laughed as we got into the car. Blair gave me a stern look before climbing into the passenger seat. I got into the car, too, adjusting the settings of the car to make sure they were right for me. “Are you coming to my office party as well?”
  
  “Of course I am. There’s no way I’m missing out on that sushi bar you guys have every year.”
  
  

The past three years with Blair had been some of my best yet.

It was a bit strange because I’d been in relationships before her that had made me happy and content, but there was something different about Blair -- something that wasn’t there that first time around that we were together. When we started dating in uni, there was an intense heat and passion between us, one that made us almost insatiable with how much we wanted and loved each other. So much so, that we didn’t quite know how to handle it. Our feelings were heightened to a whole other degree whether they were of love, lust, or jealousy. This in turn was what somewhat led us to essentially break up and even then, there wasn’t a part of me that regretted it.

Being with Blair just felt like the easiest thing in the world -- like the choice to be with her was simple and there was no second guessing involved. Our love was as pure back then as it was now.

What was different from then and now, though, was the fact that she was it. Or simply put – she was my favorite person. My favorite person to talk with, be with, drink coffee with. My favorite person to hug, kiss and look at. Every inch of her was so special and important to me that no one else even came close to match up. She was it for me. She was my girl. Most importantly, it didn’t feel like a dead end with her. When I looked at Blair, I could see our continuous future.

Since getting back together, the two of us had grasped what worked for us and what didn’t. We were more patient, more understanding and were able to control our feelings enough that it felt more -- dare I say it -- grown up. It also helped that I’d gotten a taste of what it was like to not have Blair in my life and it wasn’t something I ever wanted to experience again.

After I broke it off with her for good that rainy September day, things were really hard for a while. I’d never felt such a low in my life. I had started distancing myself from all my friends and family and just tried to make it through everyday. Everything felt like a blur when I thought back to then and the days pretty much passed by in a daze. I heard the question, “Are you alright?”, almost everyday and most times I didn’t have an answer whereas other times, I’d word my way around it to make myself sound okay, though I couldn’t tell if I was convincing myself or them.

And It wasn’t necessarily that I wasn’t okay. I was functioning alright and getting my school work done, but I just wasn’t myself anymore and most of it was probably because it felt like Blair took a large chunk of me with her when she walked away. That wasn’t something I verbally said to anyone because I felt like they already knew. I used to be a fun guy, easily making friends with whoever I met, and always down for a good time. All of that seemed useless after everything that had happened. It was like my zest for living was sucked right out of me and I was only going through the motions of my day just to get by.

It made me feel terrible when I’d see the look on my friends’ faces whenever I’d say no to hanging out or simply catching up. It made me feel even worse when I’d walk back to my room and close the door, revising my school work for the night because it all just felt so mundane. I loved law and I had been excited to continue, but it had felt daunting and like I was just waiting for it to all be over. I suddenly didn’t want to do it anymore -- didn’t want to do anything anymore.

Which was a surprise when I’d met Violet. She was a ray of sunshine in my otherwise foggy mind and I had genuine love for her, but it wasn’t the kind I had for Blair. I often felt selfish about that because I’d thought that space and time would heal or help me forget Blair and everything we had, but it didn’t help. All I did was ignore my broken heart, tried to avoid any chances of those feelings coming back to me, and in a way used Violet to fill the gap that Blair left, though she never came close. And I think a part of me knew that even when we’d dated, but went along with it anyway because Blair wasn’t there. Blair was off doing her own thing and I had to respect that because it was essentially my decision. That didn’t mean I didn’t miss her, though. I felt like all I ever did was miss her, so much so that I’d stay up most nights driving by our coffee shop, but never actually going in. I would come back home instead and make shitty instant coffee and stay up watching How I Met Your Mother alone, pretending for a few hours that she was right there next to me -- warm, solid and perfect.

Having Blair come back to my life as seamlessly as she did felt like a dream. It had been two years and I was just starting to somewhat come back to myself. Violet was no longer in the picture, which didn’t come as a shock to anyone, and it wasn’t that I was completely okay again, but it had started getting better. After talking to Blair that night, I realized she had gotten past everything that happened between us and was doing miles better than I thought I would be. I was happy for her, but also felt pathetic that I wasn’t on the same track, either. That of course was because I was still in love with her, but I wasn’t sure how to say it. I felt selfish even thinking about telling her, so I didn’t. Not until I was set to leave for bloody Manchester and it felt like driving away from Blair was the worst thing I could have possibly been doing.

So, I stopped and ran back, not allowing myself to make that same stupid, bloody mistake I’d made all those years ago in the coffee shop.

Since then, I’d not only found myself again, but I got my favorite person back, too.



The front door flew open, Niall’s jovial grin greeting Blair and me, as he ushered us in. “About time you tossers decided to show up. Everyone’s been here for a while and dinner’s about to be put on the table,” he said, closing the door behind us.

“Just in time then?” Blair asked, toeing off her shoes and walking inside through their hall.

“Just in time,” Layla smiled, walking out of the kitchen and greeting us with hugs. She had on a little apron over her jeans with cupcake prints all over them while the smell of really good food followed her. “I’ve got some last minute things to do, but I’ll be out with everyone else in a bit, so you guys go ahead.”

“Okay,” Blair nodded. “Let me know if you need any help.”

Layla smiled, giving her a nod before walking out, while NIall led us further inside towards the living room where we could hear lots of chatter going on. “You guys doing okay? Everything’s good?”

“Everything’s great, man,” I responded, leaning into his touch as he wrapped an arm around me. “Work’s good. Closed three cases the other day. Did I tell you?”

“My little lawyer boy,” Niall grinned, planting a wet kiss on my cheek.

I really missed living with him.

“You should tell Niall about that guy you schooled in court the other day,” Blair said, looking at Niall with bright, excited eyes. “It was so great, Niall. He caught that fucker in his lie and sent him to jail like he deserved for stealing his father’s money and trying to frame his Mum.”

“That sounds wild as fuck,” Niall said, switching to hold Blair close this time and letting me go. “What about you, Miss. Blair? Everything good with you?”

“Yeah, work’s been good. I’m trying to get a promotion, but so far it’s a work in progress because this other guy wants the position as well.”

“I’m sure you’ll prove yourself to them sooner rather than later,” Niall encouraged.

“Hope so. Wish me luck,” she sighed.

While the two continued talking, I spotted Bella’s bedroom door slightly ajar with the light on, and slipped past them to go inside. When I walked inside, I was met with soft pink colored walls and mint green decor, all pastel and quite pleasing to the eyes. Bella was sat in her crib, looking up with her bright blue eyes when she heard me walk in, and giggled loudly.

“Hi Bells,” I cooed, walking up to the crib and extending my hands out to her. She squeaked in delight, taking my hands and getting up on her feet, holding onto me as I picked her up. “You doing alright, baby?” I kissed her cheek and smiled, almost waiting for a response, but she wasn’t quite talking yet. I gave her another kiss anyway and walked out of the room and towards the living room.

Niall and Layla had Bella over a year ago after a drunken night that went a bit out of control and protection was a thing that was completely forgotten. Neither of them regretted or freaked out in the slightest, though. They took it on with happy smiles and open arms and it was a blessing, really, because Bella was so beautiful. She was the cutest and prettiest baby I’d seen and I wouldn’t be ashamed to admit that I tended to spoil her a bit with kisses and toys. Six months after she was born, Niall and Layla got married, and they really settled down into becoming a family.

When I got back to the living room, I found everyone sat around chatting and greeted them with hugs while holding onto Bella, who had preoccupied herself with playing with my long hair. She loved getting her thumb around the curls and bouncing them. It was partially why I hadn’t cut my hair yet.

Blair came up to us last and immediately started cooing at Bella, giving her kisses on the cheek and hugging her while holding on to me. Bella was responsive, giggling at Blair’s mumbo jumbo baby talk, and it was rather endearing. I found myself completely entranced by the two of them interacting that I didn’t notice the others -- especially not Liv who was taking pictures with the flash on.

“I’m sorry,” she said when I turned to glare at her. “It’s just so cute. You guys look like a family.”

“If I didn’t know any better,” Layla said as she joined us. “I’d think you were stealing my baby.”

“You’ve caught us,” I replied. “Bella’s ours. Thanks for birthing her, Layla, and you, Niall, for providing the right -- materials to make her.”

“Materials,” Zayn repeated, rolling his eyes at my usage of words.

“I’d like to think we did more than birth her and provide the right materials,” Niall laughed. “But I do agree -- you lot look adorable together. Blair -- planning on popping anything out soon?”

Blair glanced over at me with a small smile for a moment before shaking her head in response. “Not yet. Maybe soon, though.” I couldn’t contain my own smile at that, watching the way Blair’s face lit up and her cheeks turned a rosy shade of pink. It wasn’t something we actively discussed often, but we did speak about it here and there. We’d talk about it when we passed by a baby store or when we saw parents taking their own babies out for a stroll in their prams. Mostly we talked about it during sex when I was deep inside Blair and whispering to her how much I wanted to knock her up.

Dinner was served shortly after. I placed Bella in her high chair, seating her down with us, while everyone helped Layla put the food on the table and set up. Everything looked great from the tossed caesar salad to the baked ziti and chicken parmesan. I felt Blair trail her fingers over my hand, gesturing for me to sit beside her. I pretended to play dumb, moving over to go sit beside Zayn.

“Harry,” Blair cried, laughing as she tugged on my hand, making me stumble back towards her. I grinned, leaning in and kissing her cheek three times in a row before placing one on the lips.

“Alright, stop making out,” Louis mumbled, brushing past us to sit down. “We’re about to eat. Settle down.”

Blair and I laughed, not looking the least bit ashamed, and took our seats. For a while, everyone was busy passing around plates of food and serving themselves. Once that was done, there was bustle and chatter from different corners of the table, everyone catching up with one another since we only really got to see and talk each other during our weekly dinners, (that took place at each of our houses in turns).

As a group, things had definitely changed a bit. For one, Zoe wasn’t here tonight. She had moved to America a few months ago, ending her stay in Paris. Between her moves, she’d moved back to London temporarily and it didn’t take long before her and Zayn started getting involved again. It was nice seeing them together, interacting and being loved up as they were all through uni, but something must have felt off because Zoe ended it once again. She’d said that while she loved him with every fiber of her being, she had bigger dreams -- things she wanted to do and places she wanted to see, but she also didn’t want to hinder Zayn in all that he wanted to achieve as well. He took it well for the most part, but their goodbye was tearful and hard to see when we dropped her off at the airport.  

Since then, Zayn had been doing well. He had gotten a job as a graphic designer about two years ago that he really liked. And to get through the break up, he started painting on the side, focusing all of his sad energy and putting it on a canvas. It was a beautiful piece full of shades of reds and black that had made it into a small museum gallery show that we all went to see. He’d been dating around since, but nothing serious, which made sense because after such a long relationship with someone he truly loved, it had to be hard to jump back in.

While he was single, there were some who weren’t anymore. Both Louis and Liv had significant others -- neither who were present at dinner that night, but were pretty serious. While playing a part in a small play in West End, Louis met another actress that was working with him and the two of them hit it off right away. She was beautiful and spunky and quick with her wit, which Louis wasn’t used to. He was completely smitten with her and the two were discussing moving in together soon.

As for Liv, who was a top notch lawyer and giving me a run for my money, she had met someone while out having drinks with a few of her co-workers. It was a bartender named Jada, who had taken a immediate interest in Liv. Liv, on the other hand, wasn’t quite ready to jump back into a relationship after things ended with Dylan, but she did want to try and be friends first. And then soon after, it seemed Jada was finally able to get through to Liv, and the two of them went on their first date, which in turn was followed by a hundred more.

The pair that surprised everyone the most was Liam and Sophia, both of whom were currently feeding each other bites of their food, being sickeningly cute. When we got news that Liam was moving back to London about two years ago, everyone was ecstatic, but what we didn’t expect was Sophia following along with a ring on her finger.

Yup.

The two of them eloped and decided to start a life together in London. I wasn’t sure who was more angry at them -- Liam’s family or us for not including any of us in their festivities, which was why we made them have a reception where they had to say their vows again and recreate everything. That night was amazing and so much fun because it was the first wedding in our group of friends and we went all out. Ed sang their first dance song and he was super drunk, too, because it was Ed, but it was hilarious and really good.

It was one of the most surreal things to think about when I took a moment to sit back and look at everything and everyone. We had all grown up with each other from being pesky uni students who got drunk every weekend to grown adults who were working our dream jobs and getting bloody married and having kids. The whole thing felt mad to me, yet exciting, too. I hoped it continued like this and we kept growing up together until we were old, while still having the greatest time of our lives. 



“So, then I told her that I didn’t want my nails cut in that shape because she was going with a curve, not a square, and that always bothered me. But turns out, she already cut a bit and couldn’t go back. So, I had to do the pedicure with rounder nails than before and it has my toes looking all weird. The manicure itself was nice, but that part, not so much because now I have ugly toes.”

Blair’s legs were entwined with mine, her body leaning against my own while she sipped her coffee, and tried to steal as much body heat off of me as possible. With our close proximity, I could smell the flowery scent of her shampoo drifting from her hair and the mint gum she had been chewing prior to the coffee I bought.

“I’m sure your toes are still the best toes in the world,” I told her, nuzzling my nose against her neck and trying to inhale more of her smell.

Blair shrugged nonchalantly, looking down at her feet, even though her boots covered them. “You’re only saying that because you love me.”

“Of course, I do,” I smiled, leaning over to kiss her cheek softly, feeling her giggle. “Love you so much. And your toes, too.”

Blair beamed, blushing as she leaned away from the kiss, trying to tease me, but I placed my cup behind me on the hood of the car and gripped her around the waist. Since her legs were wrapped up with mine, she couldn’t do much and got bombarded by a flurry of kisses from me. “God,” she groaned, though there was a smile on her lips. “You’re so annoying.”

“Heeey,” I said, frowning. “I just sat through you talking about your toenails for twenty minutes and did not once complain.”

“Was I really going on for twenty minutes?” she asked, sounding shocked. I nodded, snickering while she looked guilty and put off. “We must be really losing our touch if we’re sat here drinking coffee and talking about my toenails. What happened to us?”

“What do you mean?”

“We used to come out here and talk about such deep things. Do you remember? We had, like, one question a day and we used to talk about our dreams and fears and wants or whatever. We used to talk about us and we how we fell in love with each other and now we’re talking about my sodding toenails. We’ve lost our touch, Harry."

I laughed, a high pitched cackle, while keeping my hold on Blair. "I loved hearing about your toes. I think it's just that we live together now. We talk everyday as it is and we’re the first person the other sees when they wake up or go to sleep. That’s probably why we’re running out of topics, but it doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy hearing whatever you have to say."

"That's true," she said softly, leaning her head back against my chest. "So crazy how far we've come. I think about that all time, like, where we were when we first had our coffee runs and where we are now."

I kissed the top of her head, smiling as I nuzzled her closer, even though that was pretty impossible with how tangled up we were. It felt like I was reaching for more even though she was right there, like I wanted her to completely consume me. "I think about that, too. And I think about how we talked about love...remember me telling you about how I wanted to find the one?"

Blair tipped her head to the side, smiling at me. "How's that working out for you?"

I had bought a ring about three weeks back. It wasn't planned or well thought out. I was going home one day after work and I took a different route than usual, stopping by the window of a jewelry store. On the display there was a golden ring with a heart shaped diamond encrusted in the center. It was beautiful and I immediately thought about how much I wanted Blair to wear that.

It sort of went from there. I didn't think twice -- I walked right in and bought it. I had her ring measurement from a year ago; sneaking a peek at her other rings while she was in the shower one night. Since I’d gotten it, the ring had been sitting in my pocket because I'd been waiting for the perfect moment where it felt right to get down on my knee and propose to her finally. The moment didn’t present itself until then.  

Something about it just felt so right. It was 2:38 AM and we were parked outside our coffee shop, cuddled and loved up, and Blair was smiling up at me with her mossy, pale green eyes and coffee stained lips. I’d never wanted to do something more than propose to her.

I bit my lip, trying to mask my smile, and pulled away from her, disentangling our limbs. Blair looked confused, sitting up with her feet dangling down on the edge, watching me curiously as I got down on my feet. I reached into my jacket pocket on the inside and pulled out the small velvet pouch that I chose to carry the ring in. I opened it, taking out the ring, and got down on my knee.

"Harry," Blair breathed out, her eyes wide, but incredibly endeared.

“Blair Gallagher,” I said, my smile threatening to break my face. “I can’t believe I ever got lucky enough to meet someone like you -- someone who’s so kind and full of love and trust and support. Someone who understands me better than I understand myself and someone who takes care of me so well when I need it. Someone who makes me laugh and feel so consumed with love that I don’t know what to do half the time. You’re absolutely perfect and I love you so much...and I want to say that I fell in love with you right here, but I didn’t fall -- I walked into love with you, choosing to take every step further because you mean so much to me.

“And I know that fate and destiny had a hand in bringing us together again and again, but there’s also the fact that I’d choose you over anyone anyway. I love you more than anyone and anything and I’d have chosen you in every lifetime and every world and every reality. It doesn’t matter if we’re apart or separated because I’d find you and I’d choose you. You make me so unbelievably happy and I want to spend the rest of everyday with you. Will you marry me, B?”

“Fuck,” Blair stifled out, her voice shaking from the teardrops rolling down her cheeks. “Yeah, I will, fuck. Come here.”

I felt myself getting choked up as well, but smiling at the same time as I stood up on my feet, and closed the distance between Blair and me. She immediately wrapped an arm around my shoulders, tugging me down so that her lips were pressing against mine for a kiss. Well, it was an attempt at a kiss. Blair’s tears were getting in the way and I couldn’t stop sighing into the kiss, feeling like my heart was going to jump out of my chest. I couldn’t believe I’d just done that -- that I’d gone with my gut and proposed without planning anything -- not even a speech because all of that just came out as I’d went on.

Blair pulled away from the kiss, looking at me with such happy, teary eyes and smiled softly. “You gonna put the ring on me or what?”

“Ye -- yeah,” I nodded, laughing. “Give me your hand.” She lifted her hand up to me, watching in awe as I slipped the ring on her finger.

“It’s so pretty,” she said. “It’s perfect, Harry. Oh my God...you proposed.”

“I proposed,” I repeated in the same awestruck voice. “The ring looks perfect on you. I’m so happy you said yes.”

Blair swatted me on the arm, laughing as though I was insane. “Of course I would have said yes, you arse. I love you so much. So, so much. The most.”

“Love you,” I said again, kissing her lips soundly.

“How long have you been planning this?” she asked. “And God -- to think I was talking about my sodding toenails right before this happened. You’re awful at planning.”

“I didn’t plan it,” I confessed. “I just did it. I bought the ring weeks ago, though.”

“Oh...so no planning, nothing? You didn’t think it through?”

“Nah,” I shrugged off. “Knew it would happen perfectly whenever it did.”

“You’re awfully sure of yourself,” she quirked an eyebrow.

“Hardly,” I said. “That’s why I said I’m happy you said yes.”

“Would you have taken a no, then?” she challenged, trying to get a rise out of me.

“I would have waited till whenever you were ready.”

“What if that was never?” she continued to tease, leaning up to kiss me quickly again.

I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, kissing her back before replying. “Then like I said -- I’d wait another lifetime and another after that until you were ready because I’d only ever propose to you. You’re my girl -- and now you’ll always be my girl.”

Blair smiled, her cheeks warm where I was cupping them, and said, "So, you found the one then?"

I cracked a smile of my own, giving her a nod in response.

I found my one.