[ i'm excited

warnings: language??

stay safe,
lew. ]

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"Ronnie, babe, I have the perfect gift idea for your husband, but you gotta convince him not to kill me," Chase murmured over the phone, placing the online order.

Ronnie sighed. "I can't promise anything, Chase. What do you plan on giving him?"

"That'll ruin the surprise, so I can't tell you."

"Then I definitely can't promise he won't kill or maim you."

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"Chase! Help me!" Bailey called out from his room. He sounded a little distressed, which of course made Chase hurry up.

She almost walked right back out.

Bailey, the poor dumbass, was covered in what looked to be glitter and tape, which just confused the hell out of his roommate. She sighed, then asked, "What did you do, B?"

"I got a paper cut from the wrapping paper and I think I got glitter in it."

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"What type of stuff does your best friend like?" Daisy asked, lacing her fingers with Lewis' and swinging them as they walked. "I don't want to get him some random shit that'll just take up space."

"Logan likes dogs, but him an' Harry are busy a lot. Obviously, there's the music... Just don't get him booze and you'll be good, Z."

————

A week before their gift exchange, Lewis called Logan. It was just an invitation to hang out, which normally, Logan would've made an excuse for later in the day and not early as fuck, but he could just tell that his friend was nervous.

And that's how the two of them ended up at a small café for breakfast on a damn Saturday. Harry wasn't thrilled, but oh well.

"So, Lew, what's got you so nervous?" Logan asked calmly, looking the older man in the eyes.

Lewis blushed and looked down, toying with his cup of coffee. "Do you like being married? Like, in general."

"Of course I love being married," Logan told him, studying his friend for a moment. "Why do you ask?"

"I was thinking about maybe proposing to Z? I got her name for the gift exchange thing, and we've been together for a couple years, so..."

"Wait, how long have you two been dating?"

"Uh... since a few months after I quit the band."

"None of us had any clue you'd been together that long!" Logan said, shocked, his voice louder than it should've been in the quiet café.

"I would've told you, but we didn't exactly talk for a while." For once, Lewis was the calm one of the pair. It was... really odd, to say the least. "I was wondering if you'd help me pick out a ring and stuff. And, uh, if she says yes, do you wanna be the best man?"

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Once everyone arrived at Lewis' house and got comfortable, it was nice. Everyone was getting along for once, and not even Chase and Ezra were arguing. It was getting a bit loud, though...

"Okay, sit down and shut up. It's time to get this shit show started," Lewis announced, standing behind the couch. Who wants to go first?"

Bailey grinned and handed a box to Ronnie. "I didn't know what to get you and Chase didn't tell me what to get, so... yeah."

Ronnie just smiled patiently, pointing to a box across the room. "Thanks, Bailey. Yours is over there."

Everyone was quiet as the two opened their presents. Ronnie had a little stapled together booklet held in his hands, a container of some sort of sugary treat in his lap. And on the floor in front of Bailey was a brand new laptop.

The youngest seemed uneasy as he mumbled, "Hey, Ronnie? I really appreciate this but it's a little much and I realize that what I gave you sucks when you compare the two-"

"Bailey, shut up. This is perfect," Ronnie replied, laughing a bit. "This is more personal. Does Chase know?"

"Nope!"

"After the first of the year, you and I are going shopping," Ronnie told the girl, as she got to her feet. "Bailey gave me these and it's almost like a contractual obligation."

"You gave him a fucking coupon book, didn't you?" Chase sighed, falling back down onto the couch. "That's why you had glitter spilled all over your damn bed."

"Yep! Moving on," Bailey said cheerfully, looking at everyone else.

Z glanced up at Lewis with a smile, then stood up. "Logan, yours is in the other room because I didn't really have the patience to try wrapping it. C'mon."

Logan looked a bit confused, but followed her anyway. It was just the two of them as she flipped on the light to Lewis' makeshift music room.

"For one, Lewis told me you liked dogs and since I was planning on getting him one anyway, you get to see her before he does," Z told him, gesturing to the small cage in the middle of the floor.

And inside, a tiny basset hound was curled up, asleep. Logan grinned and focused his attention on the dog, kneeling down and running his fingers against the bars of the kennel. Just as the puppy was waking up and sniffing at his fingers, Z cleared her throat.

She stood behind him, holding an acoustic guitar carefully in her hands. "I really didn't know what to give you, but Lewis was gonna give you this for your birthday, and he said that he'd find something else to give you."

"That looks really familiar," Logan breathed, standing up and gently taking it from her.

"He said it was the one you'd play all the time when you came over," she replied, looking a bit proud. "So technically, it's from him, but I'm tacking my name on it too."

Logan set the guitar aside and pulled her in for a quick hug. Then softly, he told her, "He adores you. Don't hurt him."

"Wasn't planning on it, big guy," Z grinned, returning the hug. She wiggled out of his grip, then headed for the door.

The two of them entered the room just in time for Chase to throw a box at Ezra, telling the taller man, "Yo, Ez. Go fuck yourself."

Logan propped the guitar up in the corner of the room, smiled in Lewis' direction, then grabbed the present for Chase from underneath the shitty fake Christmas tree. He handed it to the girl, who grinned and shook the bag a little bit.

"It's alcohol. I like you already," she told him, playfully punching his arm. And that's exactly what it was, a bottle of strong vodka.

From the other couch, Ronnie's soft voice cut through the other various chatter. "That is a... distressingly large dildo, what the fuck, Chase."

"Like I said, go fuck yourself, Ezra."

"This is why no one fucking likes you."

"Anyway, moving on," Harry said, clapping his hands softly. "Lewis, I'm buying you an outfit that fits you the way it's supposed to, but since no one knows what size you wear, I guess you and I will have to go shopping, as much as I hate that idea."

Ezra chimed in, "Harry, I don't know what to get you so yeah. I'll get back to you on that."

"That leaves Lewis' present for Z," Logan said, giving his friend an encouraging smile.

Lewis gave him a nervous little grin in return, taking a deep breath before pulling a small box from his pocket. And of course, he dropped it before he did anything else.

He blushed and kneeled down, scooping up the box, but keeping it close against his chest. "I had an entire speech thing ready, Logan helped me, and it was gonna be perfect, but I forgot most of it. So, uh, Z, you're one of the best people I've met, and you mean a lot to me. I don't wanna let you slip away, so.... marry me?"

His voice was barely a whisper as he finished his statement, but it didn't matter. It was so silent you could've heard a pin drop.

Z's face split into a smile, not even waiting for him to open the box before she was hugging him tightly and peppering kisses all over his face. The poor guy was already somewhat off balance, and her sudden weight made him fall back against the floor.

"You didn't give him an answer!" Harry pointed out after a moment or two of the couple just laying there in a close embrace.

Lewis lazily flipped him off, and Z swatted at his hand. She grinned down at him, murmuring a quiet 'yes' before kissing his lips softly.

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[ cool cool the whole reason i wrote this was bc i had an idea for ezra's present from chase

this is a pretty ring that lewis might've gotten for z ?? idk ??