#whoo!!

The rain's finally cleared up by the time the research team is gearing up for the day. Tauro peels back the edge of the tent flap, grimacing at the water that runs off the sturdy material and down his arm.

"It's going to be treacherous today," he calls over his shoulder to the others, "all of you watch your step, and if the Engineer tells you to stop something, stop!"

The man in question blinks, lifting his head at the sound of his name. When he sees who called him he smiles, hazel eyes twinkling.

"Aw, Tauro, you'll get me all poked up," he chuckles. Tauro ducks his head a bit to hide the heat rising in his face and shrugs.

"Always time for a good safety speech."

Behind the Engineer and to his right, Setari raises an eyebrow. Tauro widens his eyes at her in the universal signal to not, and she rolls her eyes at him, plastering on a cheery smile and joining the Engineer at the map table.

"What section are we checking today?" she asks. The Engineer blinks at her, surprised. No wonder, they went over today's workload yesterday in the daily debrief. 

Tauro scoffs quietly. She's so obvious.

The Engineer doesn't seem to mind, though, launching into a fast-paced recap of what they went over yesterday.

"These two outcroppings are what we should focus on the most," he says, pointing at their site map, "until the ground dries out it's too risky to try much more than that. We don't want to dislodge anything or have anyone fall."

Tauro nods. Most of the useful information from any artefacts comes from the context in which they were found- it's no use finding a vase or a painted tablet if it isn't where it's been laying for the last however-long it's been since it was put there. The Zonai ruins have already been stripped of some of their context just by the manner of their arrival- it's been hell trying to piece everything back together to see how it all fits.

The Engineer goes on a bit longer; Tauro watches him, appreciative. It's so nice to have someone on the crew who's as excited about all of this as he is and takes his job so seriously.

The fact that he looks like that doesn't hurt, either- the Engineer reaches up to casually brush a stray lock of hair behind one of his curiously short ears and Tauro's mouth goes dry.

Setari catches up to him on the way to the worksite. "'Always time for a good safety speech?'" she repeats. "Come on, that was pathetic."

"And you're any better?" Tauro smirks. "He's going to think there's 

something wrong with your memory."

"My memory is fine- and I seem to remember a certain someone missing the second half of that spiel because he was too busy ogling-"

"I was not-"

"Tauro? Setari? Am I missing something or are you just barking at a knot?"

Barking at a- Tauro blinks, confused, but Setari just smiles. "Just some friendly conversation for the walk! We're alert, don't worry."

The Engineer frowns. He doesn't seem convinced. "If you say so."

He jogs ahead, calling out to one of the younger researchers who's struggling to carry their equipment across the rain-slick terrain. Setari snorts.

"Your face-"

"Shut up," Tauro groans. "What did that even mean?"

"Something to do with goofing off, I think. I wonder where he gets this stuff."

With a thoughtful nod, Tauro agrees. "Must be slang from his home country."

"Mm. Gosh, I wonder what it's like. You don't think everyone there looks like him, do you?"

Setari bites her lip, eyes turning in the direction of the Engineer, who's leaning over to look at something another team member is pointing to on the ground. Tauro elbows her in the arm. "You're incorrigible."

"No, I just have eyes."

Fortunately for Tauro's sanity Setari was assigned to the second site.

Unfortunately for his sanity the Engineer was assigned to the first.

Tauro's internal monologue for the day involves a lot of screaming.

It was a good shot they got started so early in the morning- by midday the sun is beating down so heavily that people have had to start taking turns sharing the minimal shade for water breaks wherever they can find it. Tauro wipes his brow with his forearm, shaking his head back to to get sweat-damp hair out of his face. He turns at the sound of his name being called, trotting across the field to join one of the junior researchers at the base of the ruins.

"What is it, Dela?" he asks, leaning over to peer at what she's uncovered. It looks like pottery, or perhaps a smooth stone. Something carefully carved, and then painted with intricate designs.

"I'm not sure, but it looks important," Dela responds. "I've cleared away the soil around it, but it's heavier than it looks. Could you help me bring it over to the cart?"

"You already got everything about this location marked down?"

He only asks to be extra sure- Dela nods, holding up her notebook. "It's all in here!"

Tauro grins and gives her a high-five, then scans the artefact for the best way to pick it up. "Okay, I'll take this wider end if you can lift the short one?"

"Got it!"

They get into place, and Tauro counts them down to lift the heavy artefact into the air.

Dela wasn't kidding, it's way heavier than it looks. Tauro takes as much of the weight off of Dela's scrawny arms as he can, bracing the artefact against his stomach as they slowly make their way over to the further-examination cart. About halfway there the wind finally, blessedly picks up, providing a nice break in temperature and also blowing his hair directly into his face.

"Oh!" Dela gasps, as he coughs, spitting out hair. Tauro shakes his head, trying to clear his face, but it's no use. He can't get it out of his face like this, and with the weight of this thing he doesn't think they could lift it again if they set it down.

Dela's just going to have to guide them.

"Goodness, that's some pumpkins there!" the Engineer exclaims, suddenly leaning over from Tauro's more-blinded side. "I haven't seen a painted fragment that large before."

Tauro grunts, arms beginning to scream with the weight of it, and the Engineer's pretty hazel eyes widen in concern when they land on him.

"Your hair! Oh no, can you even see? Let me get that for you."

He reaches up to his hair, pulling out the tie holding back his short ponytail, and reaches over to Tauro's face. Tauro's already motionless, but he's not sure he could move if he tried as the warm pads of the Engineer's fingertips drag gently over the skin of his forehead, curving over his cheekbones and behind his ears to gather his hair into a neat ponytail at the back of his head.

Tauro swallows dry air. He doesn't think he's blinked this whole time. He doesn't want to, really, not when the Engineer's face is so close to his, pink tongue pressed between his lips with concentration as he secures the hairstyle.

"There," he says, like nothing out of the ordinary has just happened. 

"That should do you for a while- my, doesn't that look nice."

Dela nods, flushing slightly as the Engineer looks to her for confirmation. He grins and slips his hands under the artefact, taking some of the weight himself. "Alright, let's get this where it's going, shall we?"

The three of them shuffle the rest of the way to the cart, offloading the artefact with a grateful sigh as the weight finally drops away from their exhausted limbs. Tauro scrubs a cloth over his face to clear the sweat and stops mid-motion when he notices the Engineer resting a hip against the cart, watching him with curious eyes.

"Something on my face?" he asks. The Engineer shakes his head, smiling so his eyes crinkle at the corners.

"Nothing of the sort. You simply have a nice face, is all. I hadn't seen the whole thing at once before."

Tauro's brain takes a running leap off the nearest cliff. "O-oh. Um- thank you?"

His friend leans closer, enough that Tauro could count the faint freckles that have been slowly spreading and darkening across his fairer skin. 

He has very long lashes.

"Your eyes are very lovely," the Engineer says gently. "I haven't seen many people in this country with blue eyes."

"Really?" Tauro barely manages to respond. He can barely breathe. "It's quite common in my home village."

The Engineer smiles. "You'll have to take me there one day."

There's a small freckle on his eyelid, just below the ridge of his brow.

Tauro is going to scream.

Or faint.

Most likely faint, actually, he's awfully woozy all of a sudden. The 

Engineer's eyes widen. "Tauro?"

His knees give out.

He tries to tilt himself backwards, he really does, but he seems to have found himself standing next to the last mud puddle left from the night's rain. Tauro pitches forwards, colliding heavily with the Engineer as he darts forward to catch him. He doesn't hit the ground, largely thanks to the Engineer's impressive arm strength, but he does wind up with his face squished into a very warm, impressively soft something.

There's a heartbeat under his cheekbone.

Oh dear.

"Are you alright?" the Engineer asks. Tauro feels it resonate through the Engineer's chest and into his own skull.

"No." he rasps.

The Engineer shifts, leaning down in front of him, and Tauro has to fight down the urge to flail as with an arm around his back and legs he's lifted bodily from the ground. That does mean he doesn't have the brainpower to repress the startled yelp that escapes his throat, but the Engineer just chuckles and starts walking.

The Goddess really has it out for him today.

"Amare, could you get some water for Tauro please?" he hears the Engineer say. "I think he's had a bit too much sun."

"Yes sir!"

The boy scuttles away and Tauro giggles somewhat hysterically. Isn't enough that the kid's face looks like a beetle? Does he have to move like one too?

"Hang in there, Chuckaboo, we're almost to the shade."

Tauro laughs harder. It makes his head spin. Woo, that was not a good idea. "I have no idea what that meaaanss."

The Engineer sets him down on a blissfully cool patch of grass and leans over him, concernedly pressing his palm against Tauro's forehead. 

"I'll explain it sometime when you don't have heat exhaustion."

Amare returns with several bottles of water and the Engineer nudges himself into Tauro's side to hold him up while he takes slow sips of his water.

"How's that?" he asks after a few minutes, checking Tauro's forehead again. "Feeling any better?"

More clear-headed, at least, if still rather dizzy. Tauro nods slightly to prevent his head from going wild again. "Mm, yeah. Thanks, En."

Bright pink blooms over the Engineer's face. "What?"

What did he say? Tauro processes his words for a moment and nearly drops his water. "Sorry! It just slipped out, I won't-"

"No, no, that's not it!" the Engineer gasps. "I like it!"

Tauro blinks. "You do?"

"Yeah!" the Engineer- En- takes one of Tauro's hands in both of his own, gripping it tightly between their chests. His eyes sparkle with happy light. "It's yours now, you can have it."

"Arthur! Arthur! Arthur!" Ford called throughout the couple's house. Arthur poked his head out into the hallway to see Ford sprinting down it straight at him. He passed Arthur, spun around quickly, and went back up to him.

"Are you doing anything in 3 weeks? On Thursday?" He asked. Arthur shook his head. "Well, you do now! I've set us up on a date at Ketaddon! It's the most beautiful planet, and you'll love it!" Ford said excitedly. Arthur nodded. This wasn't the first date that had been sprung on him a few weeks before.

"Is there a dress code for the date?" He asked. Ford nodded.

"It's semi-formal, the planet isn't semi-formal, but this date is." Ford smiled as Arthur sighed and put his head back. Ford walked into their bedroom and opened the jewelry box with Arthur's rings, which he got from Random.

He grabbed the first ring he saw and slipped it into his pocket. "Arthur, I'm going out! I'll be back in a bit," Ford called to Arthur.

"Alright! Can you get us some more detergent?" Arthur called back.

"Sure!" Ford was out the door before Arthur could ask him to pick up more things. Down the street he went, turning left, right, and going straight to the jewelers. He walked calmly through the doors and went up to the man at the counter.

"What size is this ring?" He asked. The man took the ring and placed it on a ring sizer.

"About a size 10. Anything else for you today, sir?" Ford nodded quickly.

"I want to buy a size ten engagement ring. Where are the rings?" The man pointed to the left wall. Ford bounded over there and started browsing the rings.

He saw an emerald ring, but it didn't have a good glimmer to it. He saw a rose diamond, but it didn't have the right feel to it. He kept looking through the rings, brushing off the garnet stones, the sapphires, even the straight diamonds. He eventually came to find the perfect ring for Arthur. It was an opal with a silver band that split and snaked around each other.

"Excuse me, sir, can I purchase this one?" He asked, pointing to the opal ring. The jeweler nodded.

"Yes, sir, that'll be £104.90." Ford took out his card and paid for the ring. The jeweler put it in a box for Ford, then handed him the box. Ford thanked him and headed back to the house.

~~~ 2 weeks until the proposal ~~~

"Arthur, from the day I first landed on Earth, I was trying to seem normal. You met me a few years into my unplanned stay here, and immediately decided that I was friend-shaped. Friend shaped? Friend material. Immediately decided I was friend material. I-oh fuck" Ford stooped down to grab the ring box he had just dropped.

Trillian had taken Arthur out with Random to catch up on everything Random had been doing to win against Zaphod, who was running again for the third time. Ford was rehearsing his proposal, but kept dropping the ring or stumbling over his words. He started over.

"Arthur, from the day I first landed on Earth, I was trying to seem normal. You met me a few years into my unplanned stay here, and immediately decided that I was friend material. You took me into your life and made me feel special. I didn't have many friends at the time and was glad to have you. When I found out the Vogons were going to blow up Earth to make way for a new hyperspace bypass, my only thought was to get you out. So I went to your house, which was about to be knocked down for a bypass itself. I saw you lying in the mud and immediately knew I had to get you moving, or else you were going to be toast." He took a deep breath and went down on one knee, holding the box the way he would when the night came. "I saw the awe in your eyes when we got chucked out of the airlock of the Vogon ship. I saw the galaxy reflected in your eyes. I told myself that day that I would find a way to be near you for the rest of my life. Arthur, will you do the honor of marrying this crazy alien?" Ford asked the air.

"Yes," came the deadpan response. Ford whipped around to see Random in the doorway. Ford sprang up, face red, and closed the box.

"Random? What are you doing here?" He asked. She leaned in conspiratorially and whispered in his ear.

"Mum took Dad out for ice-cream while I came back here to scout around and see if you were still practicing. Clearly, she was right to send me along first." Ford's face turned back to normal. He smiled sheepishly.

"Ha, good on Trillian for doing that. Now to hide the ring," he went to put it under his dresser, but Random stopped him.

"Wait, I want to see the ring," he opened it to show her the opal ring. It shimmered like the galaxies of the long past.

"Dad's going to love it," she said, marveling at the way the opal shone. Ford closed the box and put it under his dresser just as Trillian and Arthur came in.

~~~ 1 week before the proposal ~~~

Ford was hands and knees on the floor searching for the box. He reached as far back as he could under his dresser, but couldn't find it. He checked his suitcase for the box, but it wasn't there either. He checked his sock drawer, his shirt drawer, and his drawer with his guide in it. It wasn't anywhere.

Ford was close to tears, searching frantically for the box. He opened all the drawers and searched through them, tossing stuff all over the ground. He flung open the closet and started rifling through it to see if he'd put it in there. Of course, that's when Arthur came into the room.

"Ford, are you okay?" He asked, watching his boyfriend tear through their room.

"No! I lost something!" Ford said, still searching frantically. Arthur snatched a shirt that was thrown into the air. He put it down on their bed before catching Ford's right hand before he could throw anything else into the air.

"Breathe, Ford. Think back to where you last had it. Where was that?" Ford thought back.

"Under my dresser. But it's not there," He said in a state of panic. Arthur moved Ford's arm around his shoulder. He grabbed the other arm and put it around his other shoulder. He then wrapped his arms around Ford's shoulders.

"It's okay, we can search for it after you calm down. I promise," Arthur said into Ford's ear. Ford nodded and pressed his face into Arthur's face.

Ford didn't find the ring.

~~~ 4 days before the proposal ~~~

Ford hurried back from the dry cleaners with his suit. He checked to make sure the coast was clear before quickly putting it in his suitcase. He had almost everything re-packed from when he tore apart the room in search of Arthur's ring.

Arthur stood in the doorway watching him re-pack for the third time.

~~~ 15 hours before the proposal ~~~

"Ford, have you got everything?" Arthur asked. Ford lugged his bag in front of their house.

"Yup, now all we are doing is waiting for Zaphod or Trillian to pick us up to get to the space port," Ford said, checking the time on Arthur's watch.

Zaphod picked them up a few minutes later.

~~~ 6 hours until the proposal ~~~

They landed on the planet Ketaddon with only 6 hours before nightfall. Ford and Arthur went through the checkpoints they needed to and grabbed their suitcases. They stepped out of the spaceport into the hydrogen-rich atmosphere, both breathing through oxygen masks provided to them by the spaceport.

~~~ 3 hours until the proposal ~~~

Ford and Arthur looked around the planet, taking in the blue-green hues of the soil and the redness of the atmosphere. They walked hand in hand, heading to the highest point on the planet to see the sunset. Ford kept dragging Arthur off the trail to see new plant life. Ford's suit shimmered in the hydrogen atmosphere. Arthur fiddled with something in his pocket. Ford didn't notice.

~~~ 1 hour until the proposal ~~~

They got to the highest point and got out their suitcases. Both men pulled out a towel to put on the ground. Ford pulled out his date towel and a marker and started cleaning a section of the towel to write the date on.

Arthur had out his guide to search up facts about the planet they were on. They both heard the animals chirping in high-pitched voices as they settled back together to watch the sun start to set. It was blue, which intrigued Arthur and made his face shine. Ford stared at his face.

Arthur noticed Ford was staring at his face. Arthur smiled at Ford. Ford's eyes immediately locked on Arthur's lips. Ford leaned into Arthur's shoulder. Arthur locked eyes with Ford. They both went at each other hungrily.

Neither of them noticed the three pairs of eyes staring at them through the bushes.

~~~ 1 minute until the proposal ~~~

Ford and Arthur stared at each other in the fading light of the star.

"You look beautiful," Ford said, staring at Arthur in awe. Arthur stared back.

"You look gorgeous," Arthur said, taking Ford's face in his hand. He stood up, urging Ford to stand up too.

"Ford, ever since you came into my life, everything has been a rollercoaster of emotions. I-" he paused to breathe before continuing. Ford stared in shock. "I love you, and have for years. Even if I never showed it. I want to live by your side forever. I want to deal with your crazy money hacks. I want to deal with your insane cousin. I want to deal with your job that sends you everywhere for information. I won't promise you fair sky above, nor kind road below, but Ford Prefect, will you marry me?" Arthur got down on one knee and opened the box Ford had lost.

Ford stared at the box, trying not to cry through his excitement. He put his hands over his mouth. He looked around for a minute before asking.

"Where did you find it?" Arthur laughed.

"It was under your dresser. I found it when you went to bed that night," Ford laughed. He then got down on Arthur's level.

"Yes. Forever and always, yes!" They hugged.

"I TOLD YOU HE'D FIND IT!" came a shout from the bushes. Arthur and Ford jumped. Out popped Trillian and Zaphod. They looked at each other, then at the newly engaged couple, and immediately started shouting over each other.

"Can I be the best lady? Can I be the best man?" They both shouted. The couple stared at them some more.

"How did you guys find us?" Ford asked.

"Oh, we followed you from the spaceport to here, then watched the whole thing go down. You know, if we hadn't gotten involved, you guys would never have gotten the nerve to ask each other out!" Trillian said. Zaphod nodded.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Arthur asked indignantly.

"Oh, nothing, just that you two never would have asked each other if we hadn't decided your pining was getting unbearable," Trillian grinned a wide grin. Zaphod smiled a road smile.

"Of course, I'm the one who got them to confess. Therefore, I played a bigger part in this than you, Trillian," Zaphod said with an air of smugness around him. Trillian hit his arm.

"You did the one thing I told you not to do. I set them up on proper dates, unlike your idea," Ford and Arthur stared, confused.

"What do you mean by that?" Ford asked. Both Zaphod and Trillian looked at each other.

"Well," started Trillian, "I got Fenchurch to set you boys up on a date. It failed, so I set you boys up at Milliways,"

"YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE!" Ford cried, shaking an accusatory finger at Trillian.

"I locked you guys in the ship," Zaphod said, sounding proud of himself.

"I let you guys out when you guys were ready," Trillian said. Both seemed to be trying to get in favor of the couple.

"We'll talk about this later," Arthur said, pointing at the trail back down. "For now, Ford and I would like to celebrate our engagement in peace. Away." Trillian and Zaphod both sighed and headed down the trail, leaving the couple together.

"You meant what you said? About marrying me?" Ford asked Arthur.

"Forever and always, Ford," Came the reply as they settled back down to watch the moons of Ketaddon rise above the ground.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

God, he was so nervous. Arthur couldn’t help but check the clock again as he waited, impatiently pacing beside his table (to the dismay of the waiters). Getting the ring sized was surprisingly easy, Ford had apparently always wanted an “excuse” to look in one of those fancier jewelry stores. Now, the problem was all the questions trying to ruin the moment. Would it fit? Did he get the right stone and cut? Was his suit too dressy or too casual? Oh, god, what if he said no? What if Ford never wanted to see him again–“Oi, you’re wearing a path in the floor. What, did you think I’d forgotten our date or something?” Actually hearing the alien’s voice nearly made Arthur faint as he turned around, but he was better than that. Been through too much to let this get the better of him.

“O-Oh, yes, yes yes, I’m fine. Perfectly,” He rambled, pulling out the nearest chair. “Here, sit.” Ford eyed the chair, then Arthur. It was a wonder the man didn’t combust.

“...That’s not our table, Arthur,” he said calmly. When Arthur did nothing to respond except get that panicked look in his eye, he continued with a slight chuckle, “How many drinks have you had? Couldn’t wait for me, could you?” The panic bubbled again, but the disarming smile seemed to help.

“I-I haven’t had anything! Just a bit… Just a bit tired. Yes. Tired,” Arthur clumsily defended. Silently, he pulled the right chair. He hated how his nerves made him ramble. But, thankfully, Ford either didn’t notice or ignored it as he sat down, still smiling easily. Arthur was quick to sit down right after, a hand going to his pocket under the table. He anxiously clutched the unassuming box as Ford ordered, then himself. It was going to be fine, he reassured himself.

He’ll eat and then you’ll get the fancy wine and then you’ll pull out the ring and… It will be fine, Arthur. It will be fine. No one will mind.

It, in fact, was not fine. Ford managed to not only comment on his suit before the food even arrived (“Is that new? Didn’t know had something that fancy.”), but the fact his hand kept wandering beneath the table while they were eating (“You seem awfully… Preoccupied. Need me to get down and help you?”), which led to Arthur blushing a brighter shade of red than the planet of Ketaddon.

They hadn’t even gotten to wine, and yet he knew if he didn’t start now he might not have the resolve to say it.

“No I don’t. But, um, listen. Ford, er,” the man started, mentally abandoning ship and hoping the driftwood might help, “I-I have something to- Well, I have to tell you something.”

Again with that stupid smile. That idiotic kind smile that always seemed to understand. Ford nodded before stuffing that smile with more steak.

“Come on then, spit it out.” Arthur took a deep breath. Then another. Then stood up because he felt if he didn’t get some air right now he might die.

“Listen, Ford, we’ve been- we’ve been… Er, together, now, for erm, awhile, and since the universe doesn’t seem to mind and- And-” He was pacing again, right in the aisle. He was too aware of Ford, watching him, staring with those sable eyes flecked with violet like expensive chocolate, taking a breath to speak- Oh no.

“Do not interrupt me, please, or I’ll never get through it!” Arthur barked, sounding more irritated than he realized. Then again, he never raised his voice that way before. The almost-fear in his expression was enough to shut the alien up, even glance away- Wait, no! He didn’t want to make him feel bad!

“Wait, I- I’m sorry, j-just give me a moment to finish,” he scrambled, anxiety making his words race, “I just wanted to say that- that- Well, Ireallyreallycareaboutyouand–”It might’ve almost worked if he hadn’t paced himself right into the waiter and fell to the ground. Ford had to try really hard to suppress the urge to laugh.

“I tried to warn you,” he muttered with a tiny grin, but it dropped at Arthur’s apparent distress over a box he’d pulled out of his pants. He hadn’t even apologized to the waiter. The alien dropped out of his chair immediately, sitting on his knees next to the pile Arthur had made of himself.

“Are you alright?” The soft concern his voice held was so close to making Arthur cry. So much for a good proposal. He couldn’t even catch his breath.Ford stayed silent, trying to puzzle what had his partner so out of sorts. The new suit, the nerves, and now this box that had come from nowhere-... “Oh my god, you’re proposing.”

It was supposed to be a quiet realization, but Ford had never truly mastered volume control and now most of Milliways was staring. He looked up from the box to see Arthur on the verge of a breakdown from it all. Eyes darting from patron to patron, his hold on the box white-knuckled, the utter lack of breathing control he’d heard too many times in danger… Ford did the first thing he could think of. He grabbed Arthur’s head and made him look at him, only him. Tried to make the rest of the world go away for a moment.

“Hey, hey,” he practically cooed, doing a much better job of hiding his panic. “It’s gonna be fine. You don’t even have to say anything, alright? I accept.”

For a moment, one deafening moment, he thought he’d lost Arthur. His expression was nothing short of heartbreaking. But then he felt limbs go slack, and he immediately gathered him up in his arms. Then the limbs turned to vices.

I drew these with human hand references*