Chapter Text
They have chosen the perfect day to do this.
There’s a slight breeze in the air and the weather is just nice enough that Ben doesn’t need a jacket over his maroon hoodie. It’s exactly how he envisioned this day to be and it fills him with this giddy excitement that’s become so foreign to him in recent times.
They have parked in one of the side streets near the pier, where the parking is horrendously expensive, but the ocean is already in sight.
Ben can honestly admit that he went a little teary-eyed when the first gentle crashing of the waves had filled his ears. He couldn’t help but step closer to the sea, hearing as much as feeling the little stone pebbles crunching underneath his feet.
Callum had let him; had been a mostly silent but still soothing presence next to him. It’s everything he wanted, everything he wished for, and he’s a little overwhelmed at the feeling of pure happiness cursing through him with every distant sound he can make out, every seagull he hears screeching in the sky above them and every kid that’s running around screaming.
It’s almost enough to overpower the nervousness he feels over asking Callum to move in with him, the red, velvety box with the key inside burning a hole into the pocket of his hoodie with every step they take along the row of little shops and restaurants to the side.
Almost.
He thought he did a good enough job to mask the nervous anticipation, but apparently he didn’t fully manage to convince Callum, because he lays one of his hands onto Ben’s thigh when they’re sitting down on one of the stone blocks that face the sea.
“You okay?”
He still signs the words along while he says them and it makes Ben’s heart thud in his chest because he’s never been more sure of anything than that he wants to live with this gentle and considerate man next to him. That he wants to wake up next to him every day, yell out for him when he comes home from work and fall asleep in the safety of his arms.
And yeah, they’ve been pretty much doing just that since they got together last year but he wants to make it official. To Callum and the rest of the world.
And more importantly, he never wants to make the choice to be away from Callum for so long ever again - especially not if it means that he can’t even touch or kiss him whenever he wants to.
Ben wants to brush the question off, because now that the perfect opportunity has come for him to ask, he’s scared out of his mind. Because what if Callum says no?
He wants to say it’s nothing important, but what comes out of his mouth is something completely different.
“I love you.”
Callum looks surprised if a little bewildered but Ben knows that this is the moment he’s been waiting for ever since he decided to do this, so he cuts Callum off before he can even reciprocate the sentiment.
“I missed doing things like this and I missed you. So much. Not having you by my side was so hard and I know we decided to stay at our own houses for good reasons but I still hated every second of it.”, Ben blows out a little breath, urged on by Callum’s thumb brushing gently across his skin, where it’s still positioned on his thigh. “I’ve been thinking-”
“Dangerous that.”
Ben smiles at the interjection and the smug look on Callum’s face, shaking his head a little in exasperation. He shushes Callum with a smile still firmly placed on his face, nerves slightly calmer now.
“I’ve been thinking that I wanted to have you with me all the time and I don’t ever want to be away from you again. So, uh, I wanted to give you this…”
He unearths the little, red ring box from the pocket of his hoodie, nearly dropping it in his nervous haste to open it and present the contents to Callum. Ben can’t hear whether there’s a surprised sigh escaping Callum’s mouth but he sees his mouth drop open slightly at the sight of the box, his eyes flicking from Ben’s face to the ring box and back again.
“Ben-”
Ben opens the box instantly, the light of the afternoon sun reflecting off the silver of the key, making it glint in an almost reverential way.
“It’s for my dad’s place. My place. I just thought that, if you want to, I’d like for you to move in with me. And Lexi of course. And my dad, but let’s forget about that, yeah.”
When he finally finds the courage to look up from the ring and into Callum’s eyes, he’s met with a gentle smile and the warmest, blue eyes. Callum places the hand that’s not situated on Ben’s thigh on his cheek, index finger brushing against his earlobe in some weird symbolism.
“I’d love to.”
Ben leans forward to place a soft kiss onto Callum’s lips - because he can finally, finally do that again - in lieu of doing something embarrassing like burst into tears from sheer happiness.
He can’t wait to drive home, to their home, but for now he’s more than happy here. With the waves crashing against the shore, the seagulls screeching above them, already waiting to steal their fish and chips later on, and Callum’s warmth all around him.
Yeah, definitely the perfect day.