The Epilogue

3 years later, Haden and Taylor were about to go on a date since the two have been busy with their own things lately. Haden has been diligently working on his college studies while Taylor has been juggling his job and college. However, Taylor finally had a free day and Haden could have a free day if he just let himself have one. So today, Taylor felt like spoiling Haden, as well as himself. 

As Taylor entered the living room, he found Haden studying and couldn't help but admire him at work. He's always been so hardworking, which worried him sometimes. He wondered if he was ever pressuring himself a bit too much. What goals was he trying to reach? 

"Haden?"

"Yeah?"

"You wanna take a break?"

"Actually, yeah." Haden said as he took out yet another workbook for a different course, "You're right, I still gotta focus on anthropology."

"No, that's not what I meant. You've been overworking yourself a lot lately. I think you should stop for awhile."

"I can't, I gotta be ready for my quizzes this Friday." 

"Haden, it's barely Tuesday. Come on, you have time. Remember you said you wanted to start living more?"

"Yeah, and by that, I mean to start studying subjects I haven't explored before."

"Come on, don't you think you've done enough for today? It's almost 6 p.m."

"You know what? You're right, I should stop. Anyways, what did you have in mind?"

"Let's go on a date."

"Now?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Okay then, where are you taking me?"

"That's a surprise. Now come on, get ready."

"Fine." Haden groaned while heading into the bedroom to pick out some clothes.

Taylor had always seemed to care for his well being. He would feed him whenever he can and would remind him to take a break every now and then. Without Taylor in his life, he would've overworked himself to death. While this may not have been the life he expected, it was definitely the life he needed. 

When Haden was done, he went out into the living room and found Taylor already dressed up. Where did he get the clothes from? They only had one bedroom. Did he already get his clothes before telling him to get ready?

"Taylor, did you already have your outfit prepared before telling me to get ready?"

"Maybe."

"What did you do that for?"

"I wasn't sure if you'd be comfortable with us changing in the same room, so I brought some clothes into the bathroom. I was changing in there while you were changing in the bedroom."

"Oh, I see." Haden blushed.

The two haven't gotten far into their sexual relationship. Haden was never ready and barely had the time to even think about it. Meanwhile, Taylor secretly wanted to do it already, but he knew he had to respect Haden's boundaries and give him time. He would hate to force him into anything he didn't want to do. He was just glad that the two were happy together right now, that's all he ever wanted in life.

"So you ready?" Taylor asked.

"Yeah." Haden said.

Taylor took Haden's hand in his and left their apartment together. The boys went down the hallway and down the elevator to reach the first floor. Once they arrived, they had left the building and had gotten into their car. Taylor started the car and drove off to their date. 

Haden was still left wondering where Taylor was going to take him. He knew he could trust him, but all this suspense was killing him. Being in the unknown both scared him and excited him, not knowing what will happen next. This reminded him of the feeling he got before going to prom and the outcome of that night had turned out perfect. Maybe this night would also have the same outcome.

Haden decided to not ask any questions as it would most likely ruin the surprise, but he still felt like talking to him during the drive. It's been awhile since they've had a real conversation. It was these moments that made Haden feel like he hasn't been putting in enough effort as a boyfriend.

"Hey Taylor?"

"Yeah?"

"Am I a bad boyfriend?"

"What are you talking about? You're an amazing boyfriend!"

"I just feel like I haven't been doing enough for you. I mean we barely go out and I barely talk to you."

"Well that's because you're studying like every day, and I don't want to intrude. It's okay if you don't talk to me. At the end of the day, we're still together and that's all that matters."

"No, I don't think it's okay. From now on, I'm gonna start being more of a boyfriend to you instead of some robot who just studies. I just want to show that I love you instead of constantly just saying it. I feel like it isn't the same if I don't prove it to you. You're always showing that you love me by caring for me and making sure I don't die from a heart attack."

"While it's true that you don't take care of yourself, it's understandable. You just end up getting sucked into your study zone."

"You know what? I want you to break my concentration more. Only if it's necessary. I'm not saying to do it the day before a huge exam."

Taylor laughed and said, "I know that, but sure, you can count on me to break your concentration."

"Okay then, thank you." Haden said and kissed Taylor's cheek.

The two blushed and the drive continued on to their date. A few moments later, they had arrived at their destination. Haden looked out the window and saw that they were parked in front of a fancy restaurant. It looked very huge and extravagant. There were bright lights showcasing the restaurant's name. It almost looked like some sort of palace. How did Taylor manage to get the money for such a place?

Taylor got out of the car and opened the door for Haden. He closed the door behind him and held his hand. The two walked into the restaurant and were greeted by a hostess. 

"Welcome you two, do you have a reservation?"

"Yes, under Fernsby, Taylor."

The hostess took a look at the reservation list and found his name almost immediately.

"Oh, I see. Right this way."

The couple followed the hostess to their table and were seated at a booth at the corner of the room. Guess Taylor really wanted them to have a private area, which made sense so the two wouldn't have anyone disturb them on this beautiful night. Haden looked up and could practically see the entire night sky.

"Wow, does this place have a transparent roof?"

"Yes it does, it's like we're dining under the stars."

"Wow, it looks so beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you."

Haden blushed at his comment and the waiter had arrived with the menus.

"Welcome! You two look ravishing tonight! It's so cute to see couples like you guys come to our restaurant. We're a very supportive establishment and we try our best to give you the same equal treatment as any other couple. Anyways, I'll let you two choose your meals now. I'll be right back."

"Thank you." Taylor said.

Once the waiter left, the two contemplated their choices for dinner. While they knew they were at an expensive restaurant, they couldn't help but be overwhelmed with all the options they had. Haden really didn't want to make Taylor spend so much money on him, but he was sure if he complained, Taylor would tell him that it would be alright. So he decided to try looking for something that wasn't too expensive. However almost everything on the menu was $50 or more. Who knew food could be so expensive?

"Do you know what you're gonna get?" Taylor suddenly asked.

"I-I'm still looking." Haden said hesitantly.

"Don't worry, the price really isn't an issue. You can get whatever you want."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am. I wanna spoil you, so just get something no matter how expensive it is."

"Okay."

Haden still felt guilty for making him spend so much money on him, but if he insisted, then alright. He still ended up choosing something as inexpensive as possible though. The waiter came to take their order and left not long after. As the boys waited for their food, they talked for awhile.

"So is there anything else you had planned for tonight?" Haden asked.

"I have a few more things, but I'm not telling you just yet."

"Aww, come on."

"Sorry, that's a secret." Taylor said with a smirk and put his finger up to his lips.

"Fine then." Haden replied while getting grumpy and crossing his arms.

"You're adorable, you know that, right?"

"N-no, I don't." Haden blushed.

"You are. Also, stop worrying so much about whether you're good enough or not. You're perfect to me in every single way. I love you Haden, because you're the one who caught my heart without even trying. Your very existence satisfies me enough."

"O-okay then, if you say so." Haden responded shyly.

The food arrived and the boys ate their dinner. After they were done, they were greeted by a familiar face. 

"Hello, you two! It is so great to see that you two have finally gotten together!"

"Oh my god, Taylor, it's the baker that made my favorite cake!"

"I know, he told me about his restaurant."

"Wait, you opened up your own restaurant?!"

"Yes! Taylor heard that I had expanded my business and called me to find out the location of my restaurant. I guess he really wanted to take you out on a date where he knew you'd love the food."

"Wait, how did you go from being a baker to creating a whole restaurant?"

"I've always been interested in cooking. What? You didn't think I only knew how to bake, did you?"

"I'm just so surprised, that's all. No wonder the food tasted so good. Wow, Taylor, I can't believe you did this."

"Well you deserve it." Taylor said with a smile.

"It is so great to see you two again. Come by again!"

"We will!" Haden and Taylor exclaimed in unison.

The boys laughed and paid for their food, then they were off to their next location of the night. Whatever Taylor had in mind, Haden had a gut feeling that things were barely about to begin. They suddenly arrived at a pier with a small carnival. 

"What are we doing at a carnival? I thought you had motion sickness."

"I wanted to make up for our first date at the amusement park. I felt like I ruined a memory so I wanted to create a new one to replace it. There are some games we could play where I'm sure I can win you some prizes. What do you think?"

"Sure, why not?" Haden said with an adoring smile.

"Also, I'm pretty sure I can withstand a little movement on the ferris wheel." Taylor added with a small laugh.

"Okay." Haden said, laughing too.

The two got out of the car and walked to the carnival, once again, holding hands. The two have never felt so connected in their entire lives. For so long, they've known each other yet they lived half of their lives being apart. Now that they were together, their connection finally felt real and stronger than ever. 

The two reached their first game of the night and it was a shooting game where they had to pop as many balloons as possible to receive the biggest prize. Taylor was instantly determined to win the prize for Haden.

"Hello sir, I would like to play." Taylor said.

"Go on ahead, son. Give it a try!" the man encouraged.

The game started and the balloons inflated. Taylor held the gun in his hands and shot as many balloons as possible. Within a matter of seconds, he popped 15 of the 20 balloons.

"Wow, son! That's a new record right there! However, if you wanted to win that big ol' teddy bear, you needed to pop all 20 of them. Sorry." the man said.

Taylor felt disappointed for not winning the bear for Haden. However, Haden thought he would give it a try.

"I would like to try it, sir."

"Oh, well go ahead. Though, I didn't peg you to be the gun type." the man said.

Haden ignored the man's comment and watched as the balloons inflated. He shot rapid fire and was able to pop all 20 balloons before time ran out.

"Oh wow! You're one of the few to actually hit all 20!" the man said then unhooked the hanging bear from behind him, "There you go, here's your bear. Congratulations!"

"Thank you so much, sir. Have a wonderful rest of your night." Haden said with a wide smile while waving goodbye to him. When he turned around, he saw Taylor's gaping jaw and he let out a small giggle at the boy's reaction.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"You did it, you shot all the balloons. How?"

"I don't know. I guess beginner's luck. Come on, let's do another game!"

"O-okay." Taylor replied out of shock.

The boys headed to another booth. This time, it was a ring toss game. There were 10 they had to get, which didn't seem too difficult. Taylor thought that now was his chance to win something for Haden this time.

"I would like to play."

"Okay."

The woman gave him 10 rings and up went the poles. The game began and Taylor carefully aimed each ring to a pole. He was doing well until he missed one at the end. He at least did better than last time, only it still wasn't enough to win the grand prize.

"Do you wanna give it a try, boy?" the woman asked Haden.

"Sure." Haden replied hesitantly. He could see how disappointed Taylor looked, he knew he wanted to win something for him but he hasn't been able to win anything yet.

After Haden was handed the rings, the game began and Haden threw the rings at the poles. He was doing fine until he missed two times.

"Ah for the sake of getting rid of these prizes, I'll give it to you. The other boy got closest to getting all 10 of them. So here you go."

The woman gave a huge balloon dinosaur to Taylor and his face lit up at the sight of it being given to him in his arms. 

"I did it, I won you a prize!" Taylor exclaimed and tried giving the dinosaur to Haden.

"Well um, I'm still kind of stuck with this teddy bear."

"Oh right, I'll carry the dinosaur for you." Taylor said with a smile.

The two boys walked away from the booth and decided that 2 new friends was enough for tonight. 

"So what should we do now?" Taylor asked.

"I say, we put these two in the car and go to the ferris wheel."

"Okay." Taylor said with a smile and used his other free hand to hold Haden's.

The two walked to the car and left their prizes in the backseat. Taylor locked the car and they soon headed to the ferris wheel. They waited in line for their turn but the two didn't mind because they had each other by their side. When their turn came, they got on the ferris wheel and the man closed the door then let the two go up. It would take awhile for it to finally reach the top because there were other people getting off and on the ride.

A few moments later, they were at the top of the ferris wheel and they could almost see the entire city from the top. The streets were busy with people coming back from work and some teenagers heading to a party. Everything just looked so small from this perspective.

"Haden, what do you see?"

"Our city, it's really bright and busy."

"Doesn't it look kinda small to you from up here?"

"Yeah, but when we're down there, it seems so huge and never ending."

"Haden, I want you to know that you should never let anything get in your way. No matter how big it may be, just remember that it gets smaller the higher you get. Just keep surpassing your goals and eventually every obstacle you had will shrink until you can no longer see it. You're capable of accomplishing so much in your life, just don't let anyone tell you otherwise, not even yourself. I noticed that you struggle a lot with your inner thoughts and I really think you should learn to ignore them or try replacing them with positive thoughts. If you can't do that by yourself, I'll help you. Just say the word and I'll be there. Wherever I am, I'll be there for you. Text me or call me anytime you want. If I don't reply, just remember some things I said to you before. I really care about you, Haden, and I hate seeing you doubt your potential so much. You should know that you are special and very much appreciated by the people around you, okay?"

"Okay, but where is all of this coming from?"

"I-I don't know. I just got caught up in the moment. Being up here with you. It just made me think."

"I understand, but I really do appreciate you helping me. I'm sorry if I worry you with my overthinking and this need for perfection. But you're right, I need to start thinking positive and let go of what's dragging me down. Thank you for reminding me of that." Haden said and thanked him by kissing Taylor.

Only this kiss felt more passionate and it lasted a bit longer than usual. It's as if this kiss truly did show what they were feeling at this moment. While they were kissing, the ferris wheel started going down and it was almost time for them to get off. By the time they reached the ground, they got off and both held each other's hand more tightly than before. The two walked through the rest of the pier with Haden still left questioning what else was going to happen tonight. 

Taylor took the two to the dock and there was a small boat waiting for them. It was candlelit with roses spread on the benches of each side. 

"Wait, what are we doing going on a boat? You know that will also trigger your motion sickness." Haden warned. 

"I know, but I took a pill earlier today so we're good." 

"Oh okay." Haden replied, feeling a little embarrassed. 

The two got on the boat and Taylor started the engine. He started to drive the boat and at first, it seemed like he didn't know where they were going. However, in the distance, they could see a piece of land ahead of them. It seemed small yet the lighting made it look warm and comforting.

When they arrived, there was a small picnic set up. Haden was still suspicious of how Taylor knew that there was an island here. But he didn't care, because at least he was on an island with someone he loved. 

"Taylor, what's this?" 

"I prepared a small little picnic of desserts of sorts."

He opened the basket and revealed the sweetbreads and cakes that Haden loved eating as a child. His mouth watered at the sight of it and took a piece of bread without any hesitation. He stuffed in his mouth, forgetting that he had a boyfriend sitting next to him. 

"I-I'm sorry." Haden blushed. 

"It's fine," Taylor laughed, "eat as much as you want. You're lucky I don't like this stuff as much as you do."

"Oh no, you should definitely eat some. I don't want you to miss out." 

"No, it's fine. Really." 

"Come on, eat some." Haden said as he tried stuffing the bread in Taylor's mouth.

Instead, this lead them to fall on the ground and cause a box to fall out of Taylor's pocket. Haden instantly sat up out of shock and stared at the box on the ground. He sat there, paralyzed, waiting for a response from Taylor. 

"Okay so, this wasn't supposed to happen until later but here it goes." Taylor began, "Haden Sallow, in the 21 years that we've known each other, you've managed to seep into my heart and instantly become a part of it. You're all I have in my heart and on my mind. When we didn't talk for those 10 years, I missed you like crazy. I kept thinking about what I did wrong and what I could've done differently. I tried thinking of a way, anything to get you back into my life. Because when I first saw you, I knew, without a doubt, that you were the one for me. I didn't think love at first sight could happen, but it did. It actually happened. Now it may seem crazy since I was only 5 years old at the time, but there are certain moments that just stay engraved into my mind. And there are just feelings that remain permanent in your heart. They say feelings come and go, and I believed that. That's why I didn't try talking to you for those 10 years, because I thought if you hated me, then I had to hate you too just to avoid the heartbreak if I continued loving you. However, every time I looked at you, it wouldn't work. My heart would ache thinking about how badly I might've hurt you. I wanted to apologize to you for so long but I was just so scared that you would reject me. But now, we're standing here on this deserted island, that isn't too far from home but far enough to call this land our own. I wanted to do this on an island because this would be considered our own special place. The place where our future begins and the place where we can love alone." 

Taylor began to kneel down on one knee and slowly opened the box in his hand, "So Haden Sallow, will you marry me?" 

Haden's eyes started to tear up and gasped at the sight of the ring. It was so beautiful and he could feel the sentimental value it had, because it came from Taylor Fernsby. His Taylor Fernsby. 

"Yes. Yes, Taylor, I will marry you!" Haden exclaimed and hugged Taylor, which caused them to fall on the ground again. 

The two laughed and got up so Taylor could slip the ring on Haden's finger. They were officially engaged now, which sure enough meant that Haden would start planning their wedding very ahead of time.

The two kissed and decided to spend the night on the island. They didn't mind the cold because they had each other's warmth to keep them company. And so, the couple fell asleep together. They had their own world now, one that they only knew of. One where they could fall in love with each other over and over again. It was all they ever wanted to do, all where they wanted to be because they only cared about each other.