𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙋𝙊𝙑:
Three years.

Three years since I first told Iz I loved her. Since I first kissed her in our kitchen and realized there was no one else in the world I'd rather be with. Since I first got to call her mine.

And every single day since then, I'd fallen harder.

Iz and I had been on holiday for a few days now, just the two of us, tucked away in a quiet coastal villa. No distractions. No rush. Just us.

And tonight... tonight was the night.

The waves rolled gently onto the shore, the moonlight casting a soft glow over the private beach. The air was warm, salty, and filled with the rhythmic sound of the ocean. It was perfect.

I glanced over at her, sitting on the soft sand, her legs stretched out in front of her, her fingers  drawing patterns in the sand. The oversized shirt she'd thrown on over her swimsuit was slipping off her shoulder, and her hair was still damp from our swim earlier. She looked beautiful.

She always did.

I took a deep breath, feeling the small velvet box in my pocket.

Three years. Three years of waking up beside her, of learning all the little things about her that no one else knew. Three years of watching her chase her dreams, of laughing until we cried, of falling more and more in love every single day.

I had always known she was it for me. And now, I was finally going to ask her to be mine forever.

"Iz," I murmured, shifting closer to her.

She turned her head, smiling softly. "Yeah?"

I reached for her hand, brushing my thumb over her knuckles. "Come take a walk with me."

She raised an eyebrow. "A walk?"

I smirked. "Humor me."

With a small chuckle, she let me pull her to her feet, and we started walking along the shoreline, our fingers laced together. The water lapped at our ankles, cool against our skin, and the night air was thick with the scent of salt and summer.

After a few minutes, I stopped, turning to face her.

She gave me a curious look. "Okay, what's going on? You've been acting all.. I don't know, weirdly intense tonight."

I huffed a soft laugh, shaking my head. "Not weird. Just... thinking about how much I love you."

Her expression softened, her fingers tightening around mine. "Will..."

I exhaled slowly, bringing her hand to my lips and pressing a gentle kiss to her skin. "I have loved you for so long, Iz. Since we were kids. Since before I even knew what it meant."

Her lips parted slightly, her breath catching.

I dropped to one knee.

My heart pounded as I pulled out the small velvet box, opening it to reveal the ring inside. The moonlight reflected off the simple but elegant diamond, but my focus was entirely on her.

"Iz," I said, my voice thick with emotion. "You are my best friend. My favorite person. The only one I've ever wanted. And I don't want to spend another day without knowing you'll be mine forever." I swallowed hard, my voice dropping to almost a whisper. "Marry me?"

𝙄𝙨𝙖𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙖 𝙋𝙊𝙑:

I forgot how to breathe.

The world around us faded the sound of the waves, the cool ocean breeze, the sand between my toes. All I could focus on was him.

Will.

The boy who had loved me since we were kids. The boy who had been by my side through everything. The boy who still looked at me like I was the only person in the world.

Tears welled in my eyes as I stared down at him, my heart hammering in my chest.

He was waiting.

Waiting for me to say something, to respond, but I was so overwhelmed I could barely think.

"of course I will" I breathed, my voice shaking. happy tears rolling down my cheeks.

His grip on the ring box tightened slightly, his nerves finally breaking through. "you said yes! ."

A laugh bubbled past my lips, mixing with a soft sob. "You really think I'd say no?"

His eyes softened. "I had to make sure."

I dropped to my knees, launching myself at him, knocking him back onto the sand.

"Yes," I whispered, pressing my forehead against his. "Of course I'll marry you."

Will let out a breath of relief, his arms wrapping tightly around me.

When I pulled back, he was grinning like an idiot, and before I could say anything else, he cupped my face and kissed me.

It was slow and deep, filled with everything every unspoken word, every promise, every bit of love we had for each other.

When he finally pulled away, he took my hand and slipped the ring onto my finger.

It fit perfectly.

He kissed my knuckles, his voice barely a whisper. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that."

I smiled, wiping at my damp cheeks. "Well, you did say you've been in love with me since Year 7."

He smirked. "And now I get to love you forever."

I leaned into him, my fingers tangling in his hair. "You always have."

And I knew, without a doubt, that he always would.