@multi-royalty gets (semi-plotted) a starter because we're gonna cry over Forwood together
Nothing had gone to plan. Absolutely nothing. Tyler had spent weeks planning it all out, and somehow it had all gone to hell, one thing after the other. He'd wanted to make dinner for her, but forgot he's a disaster in the kitchen, unless Caroline's telling him what to do. So he'd ordered in, and the delivery was late, and their order was wrong. Fine. They could deal with that.
But then Tyler had spilled champagne all over the table, because he was so damn nervous. Then Caroline went to grab a towel to clean it up and went for the drawer where he'd left the ring and--
"No no no no no, not that--!" Tyler whooshed around her and snatched the box up (hopefully) before she could get a good look at it. But then he realized this night was likely only get worse until he actually said what he wanted to, so he took a deep breath and held the ring box out.
"Okay, so. . .here's the thing. . ." Tyler swallowed hard and fiddled with the box nervous. "I had everything planned, honest to God, and I wanted this to be perfect for you, because you deserve that, but. . . You know, if I learned anything from you, it's to go all in. So." He opened the box to reveal the ring (which he'd picked out with Bonnie's help) and got down on one knee.
". . .I love you," he started with a nervous laugh. "Like. Not just in a stupid high school way, but in a way I never thought was possible. I think I started falling for you when you were going through Uncle Mason's stuff with me. . . but I knew I loved you when I found out you chose to help me through the worst night of my life, even though I could've killed you. No one had ever been there for me like that. I always hated being vulnerable in front of anyone, because of my dad. You know, I always thought everyone would hurt me like he did if they saw weakness, and it terrified me, and I hated it. But you--" Tyler cleared his throat, feeling a lump forming as his eyes stung with the beginning of tears. "You made me feel safe. . . I wanna feel that for the rest of my life, Caroline. I want to make you feel like the first, best option for the rest of yours, because you're it for me, Care. We actually have forever ahead of us, and I want us to spend it together. . . If that's. . .something you want. . ."
