Willie went to the first person he could logically think of for help. Reggie. Okay, so maybe it was less to do with logical thinking and more to do with Reggie being his best friend, but after seeing how much trouble Reggie went to to propose to Luke, Willie knew he was the one he wanted help from. Alex had been so happy for their friends that he didn’t even notice the glint in his boyfriend’s eyes, the one that usually gave Alex warning they were about to break some kind of rule. Willie knew Alex well, he knew he wouldn’t want something really big like what Reggie did, but he knew Alex wouldn’t want something too small, like Flynn proposing to Julie over a breakfast date in their own kitchen. And he couldn’t think of a good in between. So it led him to the shop while Reggie was working. “Hey, Willie. Didn’t expect to see you down here.”
“Yeah, uh, I need your help with something.” Reggie opened his mouth to ask but cut all words off when Willie set the ring he’d chosen for Alex on the counter. Reggie picked it up, eyes scanning the black metal. It was engraved with just the words ‘my drummer boy’.
“On the very real chance you aren’t proposing to an already engaged man,” Reggie joked, earning a small smile from Willie, “I’m guessing this is for Alex.”
Willie nodded, “He’s basically been riding a high from you guys getting engaged, I don’t think he’s even noticed that I’ve been a little off trying to plan it.”
“A little off? Willie, yesterday he asked you how your day was going when he came in, and you panicked and knocked over a box of guitar picks.” Reggie teased, but he could see this was getting to Willie as he raked his hands through his long hair. “Okay, so what do you need my help with?”
“I have no idea how to do it. Alex isn’t a big and flashy guy, but he isn’t entirely a private and intimate person either. Literally the only engagements I’ve known were yours and Flynn’s, so I’m at a loss.”
Reggie thought for a bit, contemplating what they all knew about Alex. It was true, big and flashy would make him anxious, but something too intimate would make him feel like he was hiding a part of himself again. “Okay, give me a few minutes to call Luke down here and then we can brainstorm.” Willie sent him a grateful smile as he fished his phone out, calling his own fiancé.
“Hey Willie!” Luke called as he entered the store, coming up to Reggie immediately, “Hey baby.” He murmured, pressing a gentle kiss to Reggie’s cheek.
“Hey love,” Reggie smiled.
“You two are nauseating.” Willie grimaced.
“Okay, wow, maybe I don’t want to help you.” Luke feigned offended. “No wonder Alex is always being mean to me.” He pouted.
“I’m kidding!” Willie offered. “I love you guys, and your love is amazing.” Luke immediately smiled, making Reggie snicker. “Please tell me you have some ideas for me though.”
“You guys haven’t thought of anything?” Luke raised an eyebrow.
Reggie shrugged, “My first thought was to call you. You’ve been with Alex the most. I have a six year gap in our friendship.”
“No,” Willie and Luke quickly disagreed. Luke continued, “You have a six year gap in seeing him. Totally different thing. You still know Alex better than most people.” Luke wrapped his arm around Reggie’s waist. None of them really talked about the time between when Reggie left and when they got reunited anymore, it was like an unspoken rule. Reggie felt guilty for not reaching out to them, letting them think he’d forgotten them. Luke and Alex felt guilty for not trying to find him when he was left alone with his father for so long. Willie cleared his throat, bringing both of them back to the present. “Right, so you could use the idea I had before Reggie beat me to it.”
Reggie’s eyes widened as he looked at his future husband, “You were gonna propose to me?”
“Duh,” Luke grinned, “That’s why my parents came to town. I was going to wait until after the show, when all of us came back here, and do it with our friends and family. You were so nervous to be back in front of a crowd, I didn’t want you to feel like I was putting you on display.” Reggie wrapped his arms around his fiancé’s neck, pressing kisses to his cheek.
“That’s really sweet.” He mumbled. Luke reached into his pocket, pulling out a silver band that looked nearly identical to the one Reggie had bought, and held it out to Reggie. “Oh my god, babe.” Reggie frowned, looking down at his left hand. Luke took his right hand, slid the ring on, and then moved his own ring to his right hand.
“Just because it isn’t on our left hands doesn’t mean it isn’t real.” Luke said with a shrug at Reggie’s questioning look before turning his attention back to the skater in front of them. “If you don’t want something too big, but don’t want it just the two of you, I suggest planning something with the little family we’ve made with each other.”
“That’s a really good idea.” Willie muttered, looking around, “Hey Reggie-“
“Yes, you can use the shop.” Reggie rolled his eyes fondly. The shop was like a second home to all of them. During the day, it was busy, especially when the band was rehearsing during operating hours. Reggie hadn’t expected his business to actually do well, he just wanted to have music around.
Willie called Julie and Flynn, being the most productive members of their group. Flynn was a time management genius and kept them all on task, because quite frankly she was scary if they pushed her too far. She immediately set into action, discussing what they could disguise the party as and what decorations they needed to get. Julie just smiled endearingly at her.
“What holidays are coming up?” Reggie asked as he laid his head in Luke’s lap on their couch. The shop had been closed for hours, and Willie had promised to take Alex out for dinner, so they offered to catch him up on the planning later.
“What month even is it?” Luke muttered as he helped his fiancé pull off his left hand. The four of them already agreed to plan until they fell asleep, so Reggie had decided to take them off now. It made Luke and the girls smile, Reggie had grown a lot in the last three years, feeling comfortable enough to let them see him without them. Julie helped push his pant leg up and out of the way, so Reggie could easily get to the attachment.
“I think it’s April.” Julie muttered as Flynn checked her calendar.
“It’s May. May 15th, actually.”
“Wow. We were off.” Luke laughed, then it was like he was struck by lightning, he jolted out of his slouch, almost knocking Reggie to the floor. He quickly caught him, pulling him back into his lap, “I’m sorry, baby. I just realized that next week will be the anniversary of when you moved.”
Reggie’s eyes widened as his right hand drifted down to play with his flannel sleeve tied tightly to his waist. “Holy crap, you’re right.”
“How do you guys remember that?” Flynn asked, amused.
“Reggie had to graduate two weeks early to go with his...dad.” Luke answered, carding one hand through Reggie’s hair as Reggie played with his other hand.
“The week after that will be the store’s sixth year anniversary, too, now that I think about it.” Reggie flushed as the others snapped their gazes to him.
“We’re all thinking the same thing, right?” Julie asked the group, nodding back at her enthusiastically.
Willie was eager to hear the plans they’d come up with. Grinning widely as they explained the party idea. Willie approached Luke to ask about inviting his parents. They were basically Alex’s parents, and Luke agreed immediately, calling them on the spot. Willie asked Ray to be there, and Ray offered to bring his camera to get pictures of the event. Willie was thrilled, he didn’t want Ray to think that was why he invited him though, but Ray quickly argued that he would never think that. Ray had been an extra father to Alex since Julie had joined their band, and they both knew the man meant a lot to Alex. Soon, the party plan was ready, and Alex knew they were celebrating the store’s anniversary, as well as their reunion with their best friend. They had just over a week to get everything ready, and to say Willie was freaking out might be an understatement.
“You need to calm down.” Julie said gently, running her hand over the skater’s back. He was slumped forward on the couch in her apartment, Luke had taken Alex and Flynn to get decorations, so he had Julie and Reggie.
“I’m trying to stay calm. But-“ Willie cut himself off. He didn’t want to say it. But the look Julie was giving him pulled the words out. “But what is he says no?”
“That’s never going to happen.” Reggie said confidently from the kitchen. He came in carrying a tray of drinks, Julie had offered to get them, but Reggie insisted he could handle it. “There is no way that boy is saying no.”
“I agree.” Julie nodded, reaching out and helping Reggie set the tray on the coffee table. “Alex has been crazy about you since you met, you two are almost as grossly in love as those two.” She nudged her head toward Reggie, who let out an offended sound.
“We aren’t gross!”
“Yes you are.” Julie argued, “But you’ve been in love longer than the rest of us have even known each other, so it’s allowed.” Reggie rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue before turning to Willie.
“The point is, in a week’s time, he will be saying yes.” Willie smiled softly at his friends, trying to burn their encouragements into his mind.
The party looked amazing. Flynn and Julie refused to let the boys help with set up, claiming that girls did it better. Luke and Reggie made a trip out to the airport instead, picking up Emily and Mitch who were beyond excited to see their other son get engaged. The entire drive was filled with questions about their own upcoming wedding, which Reggie had adamantly wanted to take place in pride month, just two weeks away, it was the only thing he’d asked for, and Luke was not going to deny his future husband that. Emily and Mitch had taken the time off work, they were going to stay in Ray’s guest room until after the wedding, even though Reggie had argued they shouldn’t miss work just for wedding planning. Deep down, he was thankful. They were going to be his in laws, but they were more like actual parents to him. Emily was thrilled to be around her boys again, and far too excited to start asking when they were going to adopt her first grand baby. Luke very nervously changed the conversation.
Back at the shop, Alex giddily hugged the Pattersons, rambling about how happy he was they came out for the party. Willie just watched fondly as the man he loved chattered on and on. Willie came up behind Alex, and though Alex was taller than him, he wrapped his arms around Alex’s waist, whispering into his ear, “I love you, drummer boy.” Alex twisted around to face him, pulling him into a proper hug.
“I love you, too, skater nut.” They had heard Flynn call them that, and adopted the names themselves, much to the amusement of their friends and Flynn’s disgruntlement.
Every time the two of them were close to each other, it was like Emily’s eyes were glued to them, and Alex was starting to worry. He pulled Luke aside, “I think your mom has a problem with me and Willie.”
“What? No way, man.” Luke argued, shaking his head. He had tried to warn his mom to keep her cool, but that clearly wasn’t working.
“Every time we’re within arms reach of each other, she’s staring at us. I don’t know what else it could be.” Luke could hear the panic in Alex’s voice, clearly flashing back to how his parents reacted to him being gay.
“I’ll talk to her. I promise you though, she loves you, man. And she loves Willie. It’s okay.” Luke called Reggie and Julie over before he left to talk to his mom. “Mom, you need to stop staring at Alex and Willie.” He said quietly, “You’re freaking him out. He thinks you don’t like Willie.”
“But I love Willie! He’s such a sweet man.” Emily smiled.
“I know you like him, mom. But you know Alex has issues when people pay too much attention to him.”
Mitch was the first to understand, “He thinks she has an issue with his relationship because she keeps watching them.” Luke nodded and Emily’s smiled faltered. “I’ll keep her staring in check, son. Don’t worry.” Mitch wrapped an arm around Emily, guiding her to check out the snack table for a brief distraction. Ray and Willie came up to Luke.
“Camera is all ready.” Ray said with a grin, “I can’t wait to get some pictures of this.”
Luke turned to Willie, “Probably better to do it sooner rather than later. Mom is freaking Alex out.”
“Yeah, I saw that.” Willie chuckled nervously. “Might as well get a move on.” He moved across the room, toward his hopefully future husband as he talked to their friends passionately. “Alex, can we talk for a second?” He called out. Alex nodded immediately, looking worried as he stepped toward his boyfriend. Willie took a deep breath, and all of their friends could honestly say they had never seen him so nervous. “Look, drummer boy, I agonized for a long time on how to do this. I’ve never been the best with words, and I can be even worse with actions. I’ve almost gotten us arrested too many times.” Everyone was watching as Alex laughed nervously at the statement. “I want to tell you how much you mean to me. I don’t have the skills that Reggie or Luke or Julie have with words to write you a song, so I can just be honest with my heart. You are the most astounding person I’ve ever met. You wear your heart on your sleeve every day, when you’re helping your friends or being indignant about being the sensitive one even though we all know it’s true. And I love that about you. I love everything about you. Because I love you. And I hope this is what you want. God, I really hope that this is what you want.” Willie slowly bent down to one knee with all eyes on him, Alex’s eyes filled with tears as his brain processed what was happening. “Alexander Joyner, will you please do me the honor of becoming my husband?” Alex couldn’t speak, just frantically nodding his head as he tried and failed to hold in his happy tears. Willie beamed up at him, slowly sliding the black band onto his new fiancé’s hand. Alex wrapped his arms around Willing waist as their friends and family cheered, burying his face in Willie’s shoulder.
“I love you, so much, Willie.”
“I love you, too, Alex. Forever.”