Can I deck your halls?
hangster | G | non-navy au, christmas fluff, lighthearted and so soft, proposal!!!! no hurt/all comfort đ€ established relationship
summary:
Twinkling lights and the sound of vendor owners calling out orders fill the air around them. Jake has that soft, sweet smile as he looks around. Bradley's heart stutters at the sight, and the little box in his pocket suddenly feels like it weighs a hundred pounds. Today is the day. Today, Bradley is going to propose to Jake.
For @shealwaysreads Bells! đ€ You are so sweet, so funny, so kind, so gentle. You made me feel so welcomed, so accepted. You're lovely to talk to, to interact with, to get to know. I am so very thankful to have become your friend, and I truly hope we can stay friends for a long while. ^^ A fellow sterek lover, an amazing hangster writer, you truly are wonderous, and I hope you enjoy this pure fluff gift đ€đ
Twinkling lights and the sound of vendor owners calling out orders fill the air around them. Jake has that soft, sweet smile as he looks around. Bradley's heart stutters at the sight, and the little box in his pocket suddenly feels like it weighs a hundred pounds.
Today is the day.
Today, Bradley is going to propose to Jake.
He's got a planâa big plan. Well, okay. It's not a big plan, he's not gonna break out into song and dance or rent a blimp to fly by with a banner, or, god forbid, hired a bunch of strangers to do some embarrassing like a flash mob. But he does have a plan.
And it's gonna be great.
Step one of Bradley's great big plan to propose to his long term boyfriend, Jake Seresin: Go to the Christmas market and set the mood. Check.
(And maybe come up with a new name for the plan.)
Jake had been excited when Bradley pitched the idea, over the moon and started making lists of things they could do. Hot chocolate, kissing under the mistletoe, wandering between the vendors and looking at all the little trinkets and snacks. Bradley had let him plan, content to sit by and watch him flutter around with barely concealed delight.
Now they were here and Bradley is getting so nervous he's sweating under his coat.
"Oh my god! B, look at this!" Jake clutches at his bicep and pulls him in the direction of a trinkets table. The low display is covered in a varying degree of stuffâsome custom ornaments, personalized picture frames, and even some really cute snow globes. What has Jake's attention though is a wooden picture frame painted a soft shade of green, and covered in tiny roosters. "It's you!"
Groaning, Bradley shakes his head. "Okay, let's go."
The vendor owner laughs. "I bet there's a story there."
Jake beams. "There is!" And then just dives in, explaining to this total stranger where Bradley got the nickname Rooster from (in purely pg editing) and then answers any questions the vendor owner asks with unrestrained glee.
Bradley just watches him, hand on Jake's lower back and feeling warmth blossom in his chest at the sight of Jake's smile, at the sound of Jake's twinkling laughter. This is what he wants to spend the rest of his life doingânot wandering the market on a chilly Christmas eve night, but spending it with Jake. The love of his life, the shining sun that brought brightness back into Bradley's existence. Wants to take him places that will elicit the type of laugh from Jake that feels resplendent. Wants to wake up every single day knowing that this man said yes to him when he asked him to marry him. That Jake chose him for all of these feelings in return.
God. He needs to ask him soon, before he accidentally spills the beans and fumbles the big question.
Jake spends an extra few minutes chatting with the vendor ownerâa wonderful woman named Della that reminded Bradley fleetingly of his own motherâbefore purchasing the rooster picture frame. He brandishes it at Bradley with a proud, smug look. "Ta-da!"
Bradley blinks. "We're not putting that in our house."
"Um, we absolutely are putting it up!" Jake's eyes glitter in the string lights around them, making the normally blue-green eyes shimmer like sea glass. The sight takes Bradley's breath away and makes his heart hiccup and stutter, picking up speed the longer Jake stares at him. "And I know just the picture to put in it!"
Raising a brow. "Oh yeah? Which one?"
"Easy! It's the photo of ourâ" Jake's eyes widen, and he snaps his mouth shut instantly.
Bradley waits, watching as his boyfriend's cheeks flush a slightly deeper shade of pink than the one caused from the bite of the chilly air. When Jake just continues to look wide eyed and doesn't seem to want to elaborate. Usually Jake only gets like this when he's embarrassed.
And Jake only gets embarrassed if he's trying to make a sex joke and Bradley doesn't get the climax.
Bradley tilts his head with a cheeky smirk. "Were you trying to say you're going to put an elicit and compromising photo of us up on the mantle? In the living room of our home?"
Jake swallows, flush stretching right up to his ears. God, he's so cute. Bradley bites his lip, watching raptly as Jake squirms under his teasing gaze.
Jake eventually ends up swatting lightly at his chest and turning away, muttering a quiet and pouty, "shut up."
Bradley follows him, laughing and feeling light.
Yeah. He wants this.
They wander some more. Jake stops to get some hot chocolate and wrinkles his nose when Bradley orders a peppermint one. Bradley winks at him when he gets it before popping the candy cane into his mouth and sucking on it.
Jake's ears flare pink again as he watches, attention on Bradley's mouth and nothing else.
"Where to next, babe?" He pops the candy cane out of his mouth, grin sharp like a shark and oozing with heat.
"Ugh, you're doing this on purpose." Jake grabs his hand though and leads him away again.
They end up near a stage where a choir is singing melodic Christmas carols. They sound absolutely lovely, like angels. Jake pauses to watch, looking up at them with slightly misty eyes. Bradley doesn't think twice before he curls against Jake's back, arms wrapped snug around his waist and chin on his shoulder. They sway ever so gently to the sound, not talking, just watching.
This might be a good time. Bradley thinks, the ever present weight of the velvet box in his pocket a constant reminder of what he's planning.
The setting is beautifulâsnow has begun lightly falling, twinkling in all the string lights as they slowly descend from the heavens. There are people everywhere, laughing and chatting, all light and airy. A bonfire burns brightly within the square, warming the place with it's kindling, filling the air with the scent of ash, burning wood and melting marshmallows.
He could do it. Just drop to one knee right here in this center, with all these people to witness the love shared between them, with the sound of angels singing up on that platform.
He's gonna do it.
Just as he reaches into his pocket for the ring, Jake turns and kisses him. It's heady, the feeling of Jake's lips against his own, tasting faintly of chocolate. Bradley melts into the touch, extracting his hand from his pocket to curl around the nape of Jake's neck, pulling him ever so slightly closer. They fit together like puzzle pieces, all their edges and shades going together perfectly.
When Jake pulls back, he looks bashful and slightly embarrassed, like he didn't mean for the kiss to turn that heated. "We should uhâkeep looking around. Maybe there's a food truck nearby?"
Bradley bites back a sigh and resettles the ring back in his pocket before nodding and taking Jake's hand. "I'm sure there is. What did you have in mind?"
Turns out there is a plethora of food trucks just down the way. A taco truck that smells of spice and cheese has Bradley's vote, but Jake has his eyes set firmly on the barbecue truck opposite it, almost salivating at the sight of the trompo of marinating pork turning slowly in the window.
Bradley snickers at his boyfriend's obvious food boner. "Go. Get some barbecue."
Jake looks sheepish. "But we usually share. Or get food from the same place, most of the time."
That is true. But Bradley really wants to try out the tacos de pollo that is being advertised at the taco truck, and Jake looks two quick seconds away from bowling people over just to get to that pork. So he kisses Jake's cheek and swats at his butt playfully, grinning when Jake yelps. "Go. Order enough for the both of us if you want and I'll do the same. We can share then."
Jake practically melts right in front of his eyes. Bradley feels oddly proud. "You'd share your food with me?" Like he doesn't share everything with Jake already.
Like he's not planning to share the rest of his life with Jake.
He pulls Jake into a kiss. "Always." Pecks Jake's cheek before stepping around him and over towards the food truck. "Besides, if I don't like it, then all the more for you, right?"
Jake basically sprints to the other truck and Bradley can't help but laugh at his boyfriend's antics. God, I love him so damn much. He thinks.
I can't wait to marry that man. Is the next thought.
That one makes a smile grow on his lips, and he knows it's painfully fond without actually seeing it.
Ordering, getting their food and then finding a place to sit and eat are all relatively simple tasks. Jake has a literal mountain of meat that he is positively frothing at the bits to dig into. Bradley can admit his own platter of food looks mighty delicious, and has to hold off obscene, indecent noises that threaten to spill past his lips after he takes a bite.
Jake isn't so lucky (or he's doing it on purpose, the brat) in staving off the lewd noises that his food triggers. Bradley feels his ear heat when a few people glance their direction, differing degrees of scandalized at Jake's almost dirty display. Jake is unrepentant though and continues to let out those filthy sounds.
Bradley watches him with barely restrained hunger that has little to do with the delicious food laid out in front of him. Jake is using his hands to eat his barbecue, getting the sauce all over his fingers and a little on his chin. His lips shimmer under the lights from the grease and the sauce, and Bradley can't fathom looking anywhere but directly at them when Jake's pink tongue pokes out to lick off the residue.
When Jake grins, wicked and sharp, Bradley realizes where they are and snaps his gaze up to Jake's own.
"Hey B." Jake tilts his head, pops a finger past his lips and sucks on it noisily before slipping it past his pink lips. Bradley swallows and shifts, suddenly a little more nervous to stand up anytime soon. "See something you like?"
Glaring, Bradley clears his throat. "That was dirty." On two different fronts, technically.
Jake just winks and sticks his next finger into his mouth, making those over exaggerated suckling noises as he diligently cleans his fingers.
Bradley is fairly certain Jake is trying to give him a heart attack. Or a very awkward boner. Either way, Bradley doesn't think they'll be moving from this spot any time soon. So he shoots Jake a pointed look and goes back to enjoying his (now slightly cold) food, trying valiantly to ignore his dirty minded boyfriend.
You could propose to him right now, his mind offers an out. Throw him off his teasing game by turning the tables on him.
It's not a bad idea.
Wiping his fingers on a napkin, Bradley nods once to himself and takes a deep, steadying breath. Yeah, he's gonna do it right here. What could be better timing then over a good meal, and when Jake is being so playful and cute?
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the box.
Jake is busy guzzling down his meat to pay him any mind though, when Bradley raises it up to rest on the table. Doesn't even blink twice at it, just continues with his meal. Bradley frowns, brows furrowing. Maybe he needs to pull it out of the box? Yeah, that probably would be better.
He reaches over to open itâ
"Oh! Baby! Look!" Jake's raised voice startles him so bad he almost drops the damn ring!
"What?!" Damn, his heart is racing now. Shit, that was almost really bad.
Jake doesn't seem to realize he's seconds from keeling over, and instead pops up from his seat like a bunny and points further down into the market. "The tree! We have to go see the tree!"
The huge pine in the very middle of the market square was the biggest (ha!) reason that Bradley had chosen this place to go to anyway, so he begrudgingly agrees. Maybe the tree will be a better spot to propose to Jake then over a greasy meal of meat, meat and more damn meat.
They finish up their food, Jake all but shoveling the rest of his pulled pork into his mouth with the flimsy little plastic fork that he procured fromâŠsomewhere. He didn't have it earlier when he was busy teasing Bradley with his greasy, saucy, slick fingers.
God dammit, now he's thinking about Jake sucking on his fingers again.
Time to get a moving.
"Alright, c'mon." He raises up from the table they were at and pockets the velvet box, lamenting all of his failed attempts to propose. Doubt begins to curdle his blissful, serene night.
What if this isn't the right time? What if all these failed attempts at picking the right moment means he should just wait?
Jake's fingers interlocking with his pulls him out of his spiral. Jake catches his eyes, a silent question in his own. Bradley takes a few deep, soothing breathes and nods back, smiling slightly.
Even if it isn't the right time, being here with Jake has still been amazing. The whole night has been beautiful, with wonderful scenery and amazing food, lovely entertainment and even better atmosphere. Maybe this is enough, and he shouldn't push the boundaries.
Jake kisses his cheek and smiles back, eyes twinkling like stars in the night sky.
Whatever he decides to do (or not do), at least he knows his love for Jake isn't going anywhere. Isn't gonna wane.
Jake leads them over to the tree, swinging their hands between them gently. Bradley's smile grows the closer they get, because the sight really is beautiful. The tree has to be around 15 feet tall, covered from top to bottom in colourful, twinkling lights. There's tinsel clinging to the pine needles, swaying lightly in the breeze, and garland of all colours wrapped intricately around the branches.
And at the very tippy top of the pine tree sits a large, brightly lit, gleaming gold star. It catches the other lights from the tree and the surrounding areas easily, reflecting them back tenfold.
It's breathtaking.
"Hey B?" Jake soundsâŠtentative, almost. Shy, even. He's still standing right at Bradley's side, head leaned back to look up at the beautiful Christmas tree in front of them.
"Yeah?" Bradley can see him in his peripheral. Sees his shoulders raise and lower like he's taking deep, slow breathes. Like he's maybe hyping himself up for something.
And then he turns Bradley to face him, eyes glittering under all the shining lights and the tears gathering at his lashes, andâ
âdrops to one knee.
"What the fuck."
Jake chuckles, wet sounding and hoarse, like he's already crying. "Not quite what I had in mind as a response when I did this."
Bradley blinks down at him, brain short circuiting at the sight.
Jake inhales, then exhales, and sets his gaze in a determined glint. "B, you are my whole god damn world."
Oh.
"Oh."
Shit.
A crowd is growing around them when Bradley finally tunes in to their surroundings, all watching raptly with big smiles.
"Hey, Bradley. Look at me please?" Jake's voice pulls his attention back, and his smile is so damn fond it almost makes Bradley's knees give out. His hand is firm while holding Bradley's. "There you are. My god, you are gorgeous."
Cheeks flaring with heat at the compliment, Bradley groans quietly. "Jake."
Jake's answering grin is all teasing. "What's wrong? I'm only a man of the truth. You're so beautiful, always taking my breath away." Jake takes a deep, slow breath. "And god, have I thought about this moment for so long. I stayed awake at night planning all these elaborate, beautiful ideas. Dreamed of crazy, out of this world, stupid ideas too. But then I realized somethingâ"
Bradley waits, holding his breath. He's pretty sure his fingers have gone numb, and his heart is about two seconds away from busting right out of his chest cavity, but he waits. He'd wait forever.
"I don't need any big, fancy proposals that neither of us want. All I need is you. You, and me, and the simplest, easiest question I could ever ask you."
It feels like the entire square holds his breath with him.
"Bradley Bradshaw, will you do me the honour of marrying me?" Jake uses his free hand to reach into his pocket and pulls out a ring. It's silver, shimmering in the cacophony of lights like a disco ball. It's so beautiful.
Bradley inhales sharply, and he knows there are tears streaming down his cheeks, that there is probably (definitely) snot bubbling in his nose and getting in his mustache, but fuck, fuck, he doesn't give a fuck at all.
Jake wants to marry him.
Jake wants to marry him.
Wants to spend the rest of their lives together. Grow old together. Own a house and maybe get a dog together. Start a family together.
God, Bradley's biggest, brightest dreams all flash in front of his eyes, one after the other. Everything he's ever wanted, right here kneeling in front of him.
Jake clears his throat.
Oh shit.
Bradley's attention snaps back to reality, and Bradley suddenly realizes he hasn't actually said anything.
Oh fuck he never responded.
Jake looks a few more seconds away from crying, or taking the whole speech back. People are muttering around them, clearly thinking Bradley is about to say no. Like Bradley ever could say no.
Instead he drops right to his knees in front of Jake, smile so big it hurts slightly. He's definitely a mess, and probably looks like a disaster, but Jake's smile is worth feeling embarrassed by his tears.
He reaches into his own pocket and pulls out the little box that has been taunting him all damn day and evening, and thrusts it at Jake. "You little shit, you beat me to it." God, his voice is a wreck, hoarse and raspy from the crying.
Jake gapes, then throws his head back with raucous laughter, straight from his belly. When he turns his gaze back to Bradley, he's got tears of his own trailing down his pink cheeks. "You fucking scared me! You jerk! Why didn't you say anything?!"
"Yes." Bradley tackles him, uncaring of the cold ground below them and the uproarious cheering from the gathered strangers, and kisses him intently. "A thousand, million times yes. Even if you beat me to the question."
Jake laughs again, boyish in his unbridled happiness. "I love you so fucking much, B. I saw you pull out the box so many times, but I kept trying to get us here so I could pop the question first."
And yeah, that tracks. Leave it to Jake to make it a competition for who gets to ask the other to marry them first.
Oh well. The outcome is the same.
"We're getting married." Bradley almost doesn't believe it.
Jake kisses him again, then covers his face with more kisses, uncaring of the snot and tears. "Yeah, we are."
They finally get up from rolling around on the damn ground and put their rings on one another before kissing once more, the sound of vociferous cheering wrapping them up like a snug, merry blanket.
Yeah, they were getting married.
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