Epilogue
LARS
This was a disaster.
Lars stared out the window, fighting a groan as he watched the never-ending gray clouds drifting by and rain falling to the streets below. He really thought people were exaggerating about how much it rained here. Or rather, he’d hoped for at least one pleasant day while on this trip.
But no. It had been gloomy the entire time.
And cold. Why the hell was it so chilly? It was supposed to be a nice, cozy autumn, dammit.
This weather was thoroughly ruining his plans.
Aaron rushed to the wardrobe, towel slung low around his waist. “We’re so fucking late.”
“It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not. We have reservations, and this is the only night we can go.” Aaron threw an outfit on the bed, shook his head, then turned to keep searching.
Lars sighed. He was right. They were in London the whole week with Mel and the girls so she could attend a work event and a few meetings in person.
Tonight, she was keeping them at her friend Sandra’s so that Lars and Aaron could have a day to themselves.
This morning, they’d planned on seeing the sights they didn’t think the girls would care about, but they ended up spending most of it in bed together.
They’d finally gone out to find lunch, then they went to see the Tower of London, Big Ben, and Parliament.
It was a cold, damp day of sightseeing, but it was fun.
Tonight, Lars had wanted to take a walk through Hyde Garden, but Aaron sprung these dinner plans on him last minute. And now, Aaron was the one freaking out about not making the reservation.
“I know it’s really hard to book a table there for dinner—”
“Nearly impossible,” he said, tossing his towel onto the bed to pull on a pair of boxer briefs. “They’re booked out months in advance. So, if we don’t make it, we’re not going.”
Lars openly ogled the nearly naked man with a smirk.
Aaron looked up, as if he could feel Lars watching him. “Don’t look at me like that. We don’t have time for another round.”
With a soft laugh, Lars crossed the room and wrapped his arms around his waist. “Aaron, why are you so obsessed with this restaurant? I’ve never heard you mention it before today.”
“I just… wanted to do something nice while we had the chance.”
Lars raised a brow. “Babe, I’ve known you for twenty years and you have never cared about fancy restaurants. You usually try to find something not fancy.”
“Maybe I wanted to try something new.” Aaron pulled away, not meeting his eyes as he grabbed a pair of pants and pulled them on.
“Aaron.”
He didn’t stop getting dressed. But it was the frantic, nervous energy that had Lars concerned.
This wasn’t like Aaron. Something was clearly going on.
Lars glanced at his own jacket and thought about the plans he had for tonight.
The reason he’d asked Mel to take all four girls and make it seem like her idea.
When he looked back at his boyfriend, understanding dawned on him. His heart pounded in his chest. Surely they didn’t both…
“Aaron,” he said again, this time reaching for him. “Stop.”
“I can’t. We need—”
Lars cut him off with a kiss, holding him tightly. Aaron relaxed into him for a second before jerking away and shaking his head. With a sigh, Lars went to his jacket and pulled out the little velvet box while Aaron was distracted trying to find the shoes he wanted for tonight.
“We have to make it,” Aaron said. Then, under his breath, he mumbled something about it needing to be perfect.
Which only made Lars grin. When Aaron had his back turned, Lars knelt and waited for him to notice. He was so visibly anxious; Lars needed to end this madness. Even if they left right this second, there was no way they were getting to the restaurant on time. “Aaron, it doesn’t need to be perfect.”
“Yes, it…” His words trailed off as he faced Lars and finally noticed him and the ring he held up. “Lawrence, what are you doing?”
“What I wanted to do tonight in the park, before the rain derailed my plans,” he said with a smile. “Before you started panicking about your own plans.”
Aaron’s shoulders drooped, as if all the energy fell from his body. He sat on the edge of the bed, looking defeated. “We’re not making it to the restaurant.”
Lars stood and went to sit beside him. “I don’t care about the restaurant. I don’t need some fancy dinner to make this moment memorable.” Reaching over, he gently tilted Aaron’s chin toward him. “I just need you.”
With a deep breath, Aaron nodded. He got up, went to the wardrobe and pulled out a similar box before sitting once more. “I had a whole thing planned.”
“So did I,” Lars said with a soft chuckle. “We were going to take a walk through the park and stop near the fountain.”
At that, Aaron finally smiled, some of the light returning to his eyes. “I was going with the cliché move to stick it in your dessert.”
Lars let out another laugh. “So I could choke on it?”
“What? No, I—”
Leaning over, Lars kissed him again before whispering against his lips, “Marry me?”
Aaron nodded. “Marry me?”
“Of course.”
They slid their respective rings on then started kissing once more. As Aaron fell backward onto the bed with Lars hovering over him, he said, “We’re not leaving this room at all, are we?”
Lars pushed himself up. “Order room service?”
“After.”
They climbed onto the bed more, quickly removing their clothes.
As they kissed and touched, using their hands, their lips, their mouths, Lars marveled at just how happy he was with this new life they’d created together.
When they finally joined as one, with Lars thrusting into his fiancé at a languid pace, he stared into his eyes. “I love you, Aaron.”
“I always knew I’d spend my whole life with you,” Aaron started, pausing to moan as Lars moved deeper. “I just didn’t know it’d be like this.”
Lars grinned, understanding exactly what he meant. “I feel so fucking lucky that I fell in love with my best friend.”
“Me too.” Aaron’s breath turned ragged as Lars quickened his pace.
Lars kissed him, needing to taste him this very moment.
Reaching between them, he stroked Aaron in time to his thrusts, and when they came together, gasping each other’s names, he knew without a doubt in his mind that he would remember this day for the rest of his life.
They hadn’t needed some fancy restaurant or scenic view. They’d only needed each other.
Just as they always had.