Scarlett stared at me with her mouth slightly open, completely stunned. For a moment, she looked frozen in time.
I stayed on one knee for almost a full minute, waiting patiently, but she still didn't say anything. The silence felt heavier with every passing second.
"Yes, no, maybe?" I asked finally. "Come on, say something. My knee is hurting."
"Get up then," she instructed, sounding composed again. "Let's discuss this before I answer you."
That was not what I expected. I hadn't ever proposed to anyone, but I knew that most girls usually had their answer decided months in advance. They never took this long to reply. I didn't let the worry show on my face, stood up, and took a seat beside her on the bed.
"What's there to discuss? I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you. You either feel the same or you don't. Didn't you tell me last year that you had a plan to get married and start a family by this age already?"
Scarlett nodded slowly. "I did. But priorities change. People change. Both of us surely have over the last year."
She wasn't wrong.
"Okay, ask away then," I said confidently. "I'm an open book."
"First of all," she began, her voice calm but firm, "if we get married, you'll have to sign a prenup. I don't want you asking for a share in my assets if something goes wrong between us in the future."
I laughed before I could stop myself.
"What?" she asked with a completely straight face. "I'm not joking. I have this huge contract with Marvel Studios, and I could end up making some good money."
I shook my head, feeling a fond warmth settle in my chest. "If that's what you really want. Anything else?"
I wouldn't mind forgoing a prenup entirely, but I knew my family would be furious with me if I didn't sign one. Money can change people more than they'd like to admit. With the kind of wealth I have amassed, a woman divorcing me could buy a small nation, so of course, there needed to be a prenup. It was just common sense.
She took a deep breath before continuing. "Are you absolutely sure this is what you want? I know nearly half of all marriages fall apart eventually, and after my first request, you may think of me as a hypocrite, but I don't want us or our kids to go through a divorce. My parents did, and it wasn't easy for them or my siblings. If there's even a shred of doubt in your head about this…"
"There's not," I replied immediately. "I know nothing major will change between us after marriage. At best, it's just a piece of paper. But I really want that piece of paper to tell the whole world that you're mine and I'm yours."
I held her gaze, making sure she could see how serious I was. Her eyes softened, tears gathering again, but this time they looked like tears of happiness. At least that's what her smile told me.
She leaned into me and rested her head on my bare chest, her voice barely above a whisper. "How can I say no when you say corny things like that?"
My grin spread wide across my face. "So does that mean…?"
"Yes, you doofus." Scarlett pulled away from me with a soft smile on her face. "I'll marry you. There was no scenario in this world where I could have said no. In fact, if you hadn't proposed to me within the next few months, I would have popped the question myself. I love you more than the world itself."
I whooped in delight, unable to control my excitement, and in the next moment, I kissed her passionately. My whole body felt lighter, almost weightless, as if every worry I ever had had dissolved into thin air. This was the happiest I had ever been in either of my lives, and I had no words to express the rush of emotion inside me.
There was only one thing that would have made this moment perfect.
"Scarlett," I said softly once our lips parted. I held her hands gently, still savoring the feeling of her warmth. "You don't know how much joy you've given me today. Our families will go crazy when they find out. But before we share the news, I think we need to decide something first."
I didn't have to explain anything because she immediately understood. My eyes shifted toward her belly, where my kid—our kid —rested.
She stayed quiet for a while, her gaze drifting away as if she were weighing every possible outcome. I didn't rush her or add more pressure. As much as I wanted the baby, my love for her came first. I couldn't force her decision, and I wouldn't resent her if she chose differently. At least I'd try not to.
After what felt like forever, Scarlett finally spoke. "My biggest concern about the child was the fear that I would be caring for him or her all alone. But if you promise to be there with me every step…"
"I promise," I said with complete seriousness. "I'll drop everything for you and our child if I have to."
She sighed and shook her head gently. "Don't. That's what I was going to say before you interrupted me. I know how much you love your work. I want you to balance work and family together. That's what I'll be doing. Can you do that?"
"I will."
She studied my face for a long moment, searching for any sign of hesitation. When she seemed satisfied, a tender smile formed on her lips. "Alright then. Let's give our families two pieces of good news."
I took back my earlier statement. THIS was the happiest I had ever been.
(Break)
Evan sat back in a relaxed posture as his personal driver navigated New York's unpredictable traffic with smooth precision. Outside the window, taxis zipped past, horns echoed through the street, and the winter sun reflected off the tall glass buildings.
"I still don't know how you got used to being driven around," Jonathan noted idly, adjusting the sleeves of his jacket as he sat beside Evan.
Evan shrugged. "You get used to it after a point. I didn't want all this security detail, but Troy forced me to get them. Not just me. His parents and Scarlett have even better security than I do."
Jonathan nodded slowly. "That makes sense. Steve and Kathy are running his company, and Scarlett is his girlfriend. I also get that he treats you like his brother, but doesn't it get a little suffocating sometimes?"
Evan turned away from Jonathan and looked out the window again. His voice softened when he spoke.
"Whatever I am today is because of Troy. After my parents died during 9/11, he and his parents were the ones who stood by me unconditionally. Heck, even my own relatives were being nice to me only to get the wealth left behind by my parents. It was his family that let me try filmmaking and gave me unmatched resources to do it. Had they not adopted me, I'd be some unknown artist somewhere, barely surviving."
"You? An artist?" Jonathan asked, looking amused.
Evan nodded. "I loved painting as a kid. I used to experiment with different styles, and I fully intended to make it my career."
A metaphorical lightbulb seemed to go off in Jonathan's head. "So all those paintings in your room?"
Evan nodded again. "I made them."
"Whoa, you're good. Why did you never tell me?"
Evan shrugged. "It just never came up. My mother was the biggest supporter of my art. After she passed, I didn't feel like painting anymore. So when Steve suggested I try filmmaking, I just went for it."
Jonathan studied Evan quietly before saying softly, "You shouldn't have given it up. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you got into filmmaking, but I would love to see you paint again. Maybe you can draw me."
Evan grinned. "Will you tell me to draw you like one of my French girls?"
Jonathan mock-gasped. "You're seeing girls now? You bastard, you told me you were gay."
Evan burst out laughing at his theatrics before gently shifting the topic.
"Finally, Troy turned 21. I've been waiting for this day for a long time."
"Why?" Jonathan asked.
Evan leaned a little closer, lowering his voice with exaggerated seriousness. "Because I fully intend to get him to loosen up and get drunk tonight. That man is way too uptight sometimes. I know the legal drinking age here is 21, but he's British, for fuck's sake. And even then, no one follows the legal age rule strictly. I used to be the shy one among us, but today I go to more non-work parties in a month than he has gone to his entire life."
Jonathan's eyes brightened. "Ooh, we could take him to a drag show. He would be the highlight of the night. Everyone would be watching him instead of the drag queens."
Evan laughed. "Let's not. If I do that, it would probably be the first and last party he ever goes to with me."
Jonathan laughed along before asking, "Why do you think he called only family tonight for his birthday party?"
Evan shrugged. "I don't know for sure, but maybe it's because of his busy schedule with the Broadway show, and he doesn't want to spend a lot of time partying with friends."
"Oh my God," Jonathan said with sudden excitement. "You still haven't watched it, have you? I couldn't get tickets to the preview, but I messaged Troy, and one of his drivers dropped two tickets at my door the next day. The show is hilarious. I haven't laughed so hard in ages. It's incredible. From the opening song 'Hello' until the encore, he's on fire. Mark my words, he's getting his second Tony this year."
Evan nodded. "You know how it is when I'm shooting. [Breaking Dawn] is a big project, and I don't want to mess anything up. But now that I'm here, I intend to watch both Troy and Scarlett. It's so cute that they're performing at different theaters at the same time."
"I haven't seen her yet," Jonathan noted. "We can go see her play together."
Just then, the car pulled into the parking lot of Troy's home. His place was a penthouse in the heart of Manhattan, right along the famous Billionaire's Row, where the super-rich lived in towering high-rises. Troy's penthouse overlooked Central Park with a stunning view that stretched over the trees and city skyline. Sometimes he took Loki for walks there, and Evan always missed the old dog the most whenever he was away.
As soon as the front door opened, a fluffy bundle of fur came sprinting toward them at full speed.
Evan immediately dropped to his knees and hugged the old dog tightly, burying his face into Loki's coat and pouring all his love into the warm embrace.
"How are you, boy?"
Loki barked excitedly, his tail wagging so hard that his whole body wobbled. He looked absolutely thrilled to see Evan after so long.
"I just remembered," Evan said suddenly, scratching Loki's ears. "It's your birthday too, in a way. Because you came into our lives on Troy's twelfth birthday."
"He's nine?" Jonathan asked. "Damn, then he doesn't have many years left."
Evan shot him a glare. "You're a monster for reminding me of that."
"He is."
Both Evan and Jonathan turned toward the voice. Troy stood in the entryway with a playful smile.
"You two are late. Everyone else is already here."
"Happy birthday, bro." Evan stood and hugged his brother, patting him on the back. "You're finally legal to drink."
Troy rolled his eyes. "You're still on that? Grow up, Ev. Alcohol isn't good for you."
"It's fine in moderation," Evan said, waving away his concerns. "It's even okay to get pissed once a year, like on your birthday."
Troy shook his head and decided not to argue anymore.
Jonathan stepped forward next. "Happy birthday, Troy."
"Thanks, man." Troy hugged him briefly. "Thanks for coming. Come on in, everyone's waiting for you two."
Before they could move, Benji stepped out of the hallway. "Troy, everyone's asking for you to—"
BARK
Benji leapt backward to protect himself as Loki lunged in his direction, barking with furious enthusiasm. Evan and Troy burst into laughter at Benji's terrified expression.
"Oh my God, he still does that?" Evan asked, grinning. "I'd totally forgotten he hates your guts."
Benji glared at the dog from several steps away. "He's a devil spawn." Loki kept growling and looked moments away from pouncing, so Troy stepped between them like a referee.
"Are you coming in?" Benji asked warily.
"We are, but keep in mind that you're not here as my assistant today, Benji," Troy said with a warm smile. "This is a family-only event, and I invited you because you're one of my best friends and a brother. So enjoy and have fun tonight. No need to check up on me like this."
Benji looked genuinely touched and nodded gratefully. They all walked inside, with Troy distracting Loki long enough for the dog's caretaker to arrive and guide him away.
Evan took a slow look around the dining room where everyone was gathered. To his surprise, there were far more people here than he expected. He didn't recognize half of them, but he did notice Hunter Johansson, Scarlett's brother. If he had to guess, the unfamiliar faces belonged to Scarlett's family.
It felt strange that Troy had invited Scarlett's parents and siblings to the party as well. Evan honestly thought the evening would be lowkey and would involve only Troy's family and close friends. He didn't realize Troy was so close to Scarlett's family.
Pushing the thought aside for a moment, Evan walked over to his adoptive parents and greeted them warmly, Jonathan following a step behind.
"You two are late," Kathy said after hugging them both. "Troy wanted everyone to be here before we began the celebrations."
"We got stuck in traffic," Evan replied as he took his seat on Kathy's right, with Jonathan settling into the chair beside him.
Evan lowered his voice. "Don't you think it's strange that Troy called Scarlett's family as well?"
Kathy smiled knowingly. "Not at all. I have a feeling."
Evan frowned. "About what?"
Before Kathy could answer, Troy stood up and tapped a spoon gently against a glass, catching everyone's attention.
"Everyone, thank you for coming here tonight. Your presence means a lot to Scarlett and me."
He turned toward Scarlett, who sat beside him, looking radiant as always. She wore a light blue dress, her hair cascading in loose curls over her shoulders. The soft lighting in the room made her look even more elegant. If Evan weren't gay, he would have been cursing Troy under his breath for ending up with someone that breathtaking.
"I know some of you might be confused about why I kept this party so intimate. The reason is that I have to make an announcement, and I didn't want any of you to find out about it before anyone else in the world."
Troy offered his hand to Scarlett and intertwined their fingers. "Earlier this week, I asked this beautiful lady beside me to become my wife, and she said yes."
Evan gaped at his brother, completely blindsided.
"I knew it!" Kathy jumped to her feet, grinning widely. "I'm so happy for you two."
Around them, almost everyone cheered, clapped, and yelled in excitement. Troy barely reacted to the noise around him. His gaze stayed locked on Scarlett, who sat with a shy smile and flushed cheeks. Scarlett's mother ignored that entirely and rushed forward to hug her daughter, squealing in joy.
Kathy began to move toward them as well when Troy lifted a hand.
"Wait, there's more." The room fell silent instantly. "We haven't decided on the venue, date, or anything else yet, but if we marry anytime soon, the wedding will be intimate because… we're also expecting a baby."
If the earlier reaction had been chaos, the room now erupted into pure pandemonium. Chairs scraped back as everyone jumped to their feet, cheering, clapping, hugging, and showering the couple with blessings. The entire dining room felt alive with excitement.
Evan couldn't have been happier for his brother. He knew how tough Troy's life had been socially. It was hard for Troy to make new friends or meet people casually. Knowing that he now had Scarlett as his life partner and soon a baby on the way, filled Evan with nothing but joy.
He picked up a bottle of expensive wine from the table and whispered to Jonathan, "Now there's no way I'm letting him end the night without getting drunk as a skunk."
Jonathan laughed heartily, already imagining the attempt.
____________________
AN: Check out my second story, 'Swimmer to Superstar (A Hollywood SI)', which is now publicly available.
Link: www(dot)fablefic(dot)com