This is the best male cover I could fine on YouTube and he's amazing! Play the song if you fancy (imagine the cover accompanied by a guitar instead of a piano) and enjoy the chapter :D

I can recognise the melody almost instantly. It was 'Love Story' from Taylor Swift, our go-to song to jam to during our countless karaoke nights together back on the Surface.

He took in a deep breath, before he sang beautifully.

We were both young when I first saw you.

I closed my eyes and the flashback starts,

I'm standing there,

Stood in between you and the bullies.

See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns,

I made my way to you through the crowd

And say, "Hello"

Little did I know

That you were Juliet, I was throwing pebbles

And your daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet"

And I was crying on the staircase,

Begging you, "Please don't go"

And you said,

"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone,

I'll be waiting, all there's left to do is run.

You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess.

It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes""

So I sneak out to the park to see you.

We keep quiet, 'cause we're dead if they knew,

So close your eyes.

Escape this town for a little while.

'Cause you were Juliet, you were a scarlet letter

And your daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet"

But you were everything to me

I was begging you, "Please don't go," and you said,

"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone,

I'll be waiting, all there's left to do is run.

You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess.

It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes""

Juliet, save me, they're tryna tell me how to feel.

This love is difficult, but it's so real.

Don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess.

It's a love story, baby, just say "Yes"

You got tired of waiting.

Wondering if I was ever coming around.

Your faith in me was fading.

When I met you on the outskirts of town, and you said

"Romeo, save me, I've been feeling so alone.

I keep waiting for you, but you never come

Is this in my head? I don't know what to think."

I knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring

And said, "Marry me, Juliet

You'll never have to be alone

I love you and that's all I really know

I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress

It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes"

It was like a volcano had erupted throughout Bonnie Spring Cavern. The crowd became twice the initial size and people were screaming and jumping in their mechabeasts, causing the ground to tremble.

His singing was perfection. He was on every beat, and every lyric was filled with tenderness and love.

I took in a shaky breath as tears were flowing down my cheeks.

I want him, bad.

I turned around and ran out of my room, swerved around corners and sprinted down corridors. Everyone was looking out of the window, including every single nurses and doctors in the corridors.

I reached the main entrance of the hospital and started to squeeze through the huge crowd to get to him.

"Make way!"

The rest of the gang were trying their best to direct the crowd to form a path from the hospital's entrance. Eli, sitting on his mechabeast, scanned through the crowd, and his eyes eventually laid on me.

Our gazes locked. I froze. The crowd turned towards the direction where he was staring at and noticed me, before they departed, forming a path between the both of us.

The morning sun warmed my skin. The cheers of the crowd and the clanking of their mechabeasts were all so present in my mind, but none of it registered. The only thing I knew and could trust was the fact that the man I had been yearning for years, was standing right before me, feet apart.

Ten feet, then nine, then eight, then seven then six, the last five were rushed, and his arms were wrapped around me so tightly I wasn't even sure if it was real. The ardent love inside the both of us was so unimaginably zealous and dedicated.

He buried his head in the crook of my neck, something he loves doing, and I wrapped my arms around him. We fit perfectly together, like the key and the heart-shaped pendants of our necklaces.

My heart was overwhelmed with passion and ecstasy, and I knew he felt the same way, by the way his muscles tensed up and the speed of his loving heartbeat.

"You wrote the song?" I whispered into his ear and giggled.

"Yes. Definitely not Taylor Swift from the Burning World," he said, smiling into my neck before he pulled back slightly, just enough to see my face. "To be fair I did change up a few lines."

"ELI SHANE YOU ARE AN ANGEL!"

"ELI CAN WRITE AND SING?"

"OH MY FLOPPING SLUGS ARE THEY ENGAGED?"

"DID SHE SAY YES?"

"I CAN'T BELIEVE HER DAD DID NOT LIKE HIM! HE IS ELI FLOPPING SHANE!"

"NO WAY THIS IS HAPPENING!"

"ELI SHANE IS SO LUCKY TO HAVE HER!"

"NO! SHE IS LUCKY TO HAVE HIM!"

"CHILL OUT! IT'S JUST A LOVE SONG! THIS AIN'T A PROPOSAL!"

"THAT B*TCH STOLE MY ELI!"

"THIS IS TOO GOOD I CAN'T!"

"KISS ME BABE!"

Cameras flashed non-stop around us. Phosphoros were being fired, and they let out the most stunning fireworks I had ever seen in my entire life.

"They think we're engaged," I laughed in his arms. He released me from the hug and his hands gently caressed my cheek before he laid his forehead against mine, staring deeply into my eyes.

"Good. Now everyone knows you're mine."

"OH MY ELEMENTAL SLUGS!" the girls that were closest to us shouted, followed by a long screech that girls make with their friends when they meet their idol or hot crush. I was truly amazed by the fact that their vocal chords weren't torn apart.

He noticed the girls, before he leaned forward to whisper softly in my ear.

"You're gorgeous even in a hospital gown and a messy bun. I love you, cutie."

I blushed and chuckled at him, before planting a small kiss on his cheek.

" I love you t-"

I was interrupted by someone clearing his throat behind me.

"Alessia? Could you please return to your room to proceed with your final checkup?"

The whole crowd glared daggers at Doctor George for ruining the moment.

...
Checkup my ass.

Being the first and only person that woke up from a coma in Slugterra, numerous doctors and scientists were throwing millions of stupid questions at me. Questions from how I felt when I was unconscious to when was the last time I ate a pea.

After about an hour of questioning, and a persuasive speech from Eli to let me go and an impatient crowd, they finally stopped digging more information out of me and discharged me.

I changed into my slinging gear in the hospital's bathroom and smiled into the mirror.

Today's the start of a new chapter.

A chapter where Eli Shane is my prince charming, my knight in full netherite armour.

Yes, I play minecraft back when I live on the Surface.

With my backpack on my back and blaster holstered, I exited the building and was invited by a much needed Shane Gang group hug. The crowd was still there, cheering us on, happy to see us and know that we were doing fine. We thanked them for coming before one by one they left the hospital.

Dalinda approached me with all of my slugs perching on her head and all the way to her tail. I smiled as the little ones came up to me, before they entered my backpack. I mounted her and the rest did the same to their mecha beasts, before we started our engines and headed back home.

It felt like it has been a long time since I last rode through the beautiful caverns carefreely. The gushing wind gently swiped through my cheeks as I smiled into it.

Eli powered up Lucky and caught up with me, and before I knew it, we were riding alongside each other. He pretended to be focusing on the road ahead, but I could see him taking secret peeks every now and then.

"Stood in between you and the bullies?" Trixie called out to Eli from behind. "Not gonna lie, that's kinda hot."

"Trix, stop," Eli sighed and we laughed at him.

Mia smirked evilly before she started to sing like a dying cat:

"MARRY ME ALESSIA YOU'LL NEVER HAVE TO BE ALONE I LOVE YOU AND THAT'S ALL I REALLY KNOW-"

Eli fired his Bubbaleone, Suds, at Mia, which she knocked away with her Armashelt.

"I TALKED TO YOUR DAD GO PICK OUT A WHITE DRESS IT'S A LOVE STORY BABY JUST SAY-"

"Don't make me fire my Infurnus at you," Eli threathened as Burpy loaded himself into his blaster with a proud smirk.

"You wouldn't fire Burpy at a girl," Mia said, sticking her tongue out at Eli.

"Oh yeah? Try me! When it comes to Ales, it's a total different story."

"Cringe."

He spun his blaster and pulled the trigger. Burpy missed Mia by an inch. 

...
We dismounted from our mechas as the garage door descended. We entered the Shane hideout and approached the pair working in the living room. Twist and Dana looked up from their paperwork and smiled at us. Dana stood up and gave me a hug.

"Thank the Elemental Slugs you're alive and well," she said as she pulled back from the hug.

"Thank you?" I laughed.

Then, the Shane Gang took their showers, except for Kord of course, before we gathered once again in the living room to discuss on our upcoming mission.

"So is it true that Tad is working with Doctor Blakk and the Goon?" Eli asked, and I nodded in confirmation.

"There is a chance where he may be working with more than just the two of them, but the trio is already hard enough to defeat," I added.

"Who is the Goon possessing?" Pronto asked. I gave Eli one look, before I stared at the ground, avoiding the question. Twist saw my reaction, and he answered it for me.

"Will Shane."

Eli's body visibly tensed up at that. His veins popped out of his arms and neck as his expression became dreadful.

"It's okay, Eli. This time, we will save him," Trixie comforted, putting a hand on his shoulder. He nodded slightly, and let out a deep sigh.

"The Terraportal, it's nothing like the previous ones," Twist said and we diverted our attention back to him. "They knew that you have a healer slug, so they programmed the Terraportal in order that even healer slugs could not take it down. The structure is not powered by ghouls anymore, it's powered by pure dark water."

"How can we stop it then?" Eli asked.

"The only way is to fire the Elementals simultaneously at the Terraportal," Twist answered and Eli nodded.

We then started to plan on our attack. Twist ended up spilling all the tea; he informed us on Blakk's plan to conquer the caverns by welcoming the Darkbanes into Slugterra, possibly tomorrow, but he did mention that he wasn't very confident because he thinks that Blakk was hiding something from them.

"Kord, is there a way for us to get an atomic bomb?" Eli diverted his attention to Kord and asked.

"Question: why do we need an atomic bomb?" Mia asked with a raised brow.

"Blakk knows we have all the Elementals. He must have had a plan to stop the Elementals from destroying his Terraportal. The atomic bomb is the backup plan. We could blow up the portal at the push of a button or something just in case Plan A don't work," Eli explained his thoughts.

"Smart," Dana complimented casually as she winked at Eli.

Who the hell do you think you are-

"Why get a bomb when we can make one ourselves? And why blow up the Terraportal when we can blow up Blakk's entire citadel?" Kord asked before I could say a word.

Eli exchanged a smirk with Kord. "Great! Let's get to work then!"

The rest of the day was spent planning for the mission more in depth, taking into consideration every small detail and every possible turn of events. Kord and Twist were assigned to construct our bomb. By midnight we finally constructed our very first Shane bomb that will be activated by a level on a controller. The explosion was estimated to be big enough to blow up Blakk's Citadel if it was positioned in the middle of the building.

The Terraportal wouldn't even have the chance to be activated for the entire army of Darkbanes to come through if we make it on time. Slugterra will remain peaceful. 

That's the best-case scenario.

Worst-case scenario is that the Shane Gang step into a trap and die, and Slugterra will be overruled by the influence of Dark Water.

Wow there. That would never happen, right?

Right?

"Why the frown?"

I snapped out of my thought. I looked up at Eli and smiled when my gaze landed on his blue eyes. We were cuddling in his bed for the first time ever. He was wearing some comfortable shorts and... just shorts.

I'm laying in his bare chest and I don't know how my cheeks are not burning. It's probably because I'm stressing over tomorrow's mission.

But damn those greek gods' muscles, I can never get used to admiring them.

How is my boyfriend this hot?

Is he even my boyfriend?

Are we even in a relationship?

Gosh this is confusing.

Also, it feels weird.

We have been sharing the same bed for months and tonight is the first night we actually have some sort of physical contact.

Just a random thought, you know.

"Ales?"

I snapped out of my thoughts.

"I'm worried about tomorrow's mission. What if something goes wrong?" I gulped. "I just found you. I don't want to lose you again."

"You will never lose me. I will always be here," Eli said, smiling down at me. "We've worked all day for this mission. We can do this. As long as we have each other's back, we'll be fine. You're my best friend, and I'm with you no matter what."

"That sounds awfully familiar. You stole my line," I smirked at him and he laughed. "Likewise, I'm with you no matter what."

We cuddled for what felt like hours. His mesmerising ocean blue eyes, and everything about him always spawn butterflies in my stomach. I missed him so much, and I knew he felt the same way. Never in my life I wanted time to pause forever so badly.

But it led me to a question that I have avoided asking myself.

What if he's suddenly gone again?

"Alessia?"

I hummed in response.

"No words can describe how happy and grateful I am to have you in my arms right this second. I missed you so flopping much. Forgive me for being selfish but in case it wasn't clear enough, you're mine, and I'm never letting you go again," he whispered, and was followed by a cute yawn. "I love you."

I guess he answered my question. He gave me a peck on my cheek and his arms around me tightened up, pulling me closer to him as we slowly drifted off.

"I love you too, Eli."