Ch. 3: June 24-26, 2011

Will poured two glasses of wine and handed one to Vince still sitting at the table. Ben was coloring in his room.

"How was work today?"

"Rough, but that's what water and painkillers are for, right?"

"Or days off."

Will punched him in the arm gently and sipped his wine.

"I'll go check in on Ben."

As it turned out, Ben was getting ready for bed.

"Are you and Padre going to read me a story before bed tonight?"

"Of course, honey. Do you want to wait a while or are you ready now?"

"I just need to brush my teeth and then I'm ready!"

"Okay, go do that and I'll be right back."

Ben raced to the bathroom but Will called him back.

"Hey, don't run! Be careful." He cautioned him.

He shook his head and found Vince still sitting at the table. They walked into Ben's room where he was sitting on the bed eagerly.

"Did you pick out a book yet?"

He nodded and held up If You Give A Mouse a Cookie…

Will and Vince looked at each and smiled. Ben was one of their ultimate joys in life. Vince and Will each read a couple of lines from the story, oohing and ahing over the illustrations. At the end, they each kissed Ben and turned off the light.

They each had another glass of wine. Will decided to read while Vince used the internet. Vince went outside without saying anything.

"Everything okay?" Will asked confused.

"Um yeah, just had to make a couple of phone calls."

They continued in silence for over an hour. Vince asked if he could turn on the news.

"Sure."

The next fifteen minutes were chaotic and confusing. First the pretty anchorwoman announced that the newscast was "live from Albany" and mentioned the fight for same sex marriage and in the next second Vince had shouted and gasped.

"I think…yeah, they're voting, Will."

Will stared at him and dashed to the TV himself. They stared open mouthed at the screen. Will clutched Vince like he had just seen a spider.

Vince felt like he was going to be ill. He had built this up in his mind and didn't know what to do if it failed.

The minutes ticked by as the news talked to so called experts and politicians, often cutting to live footage and then debate. Will listened for a few minutes then realized he just didn't want to hear it.

"Let me know what they decide, I'm going to take a sho-" he began.

"Don't move." Vince whispered his voice seemingly stuck in his throat.

Will looked at him; he seemed so scared. He put his hand on his back and rubbed gently. The voting seemed to take forever and when it was over, Will could hardly believe his ears. He felt such a rush of emotion and almost started crying.

"33-29," he muttered to himself. He looked over at Vince. "33-29. Vince."

They hugged and kissed like they would never see each other again. When they finally broke apart, they took a deep breath, turned the TV off, and went to bed.

An entire week passed with the family going about their business as usual.

"Hey Will…Will, get up."

Will sat up in bed. Vince was standing next to the bed with the biggest smile he had ever seen.

"Ready for a surprise?"

Will looked up at him unsure how to feel. Surprises from Vince ranged from the sweet (a birthday party, this entire house) to the…less than stellar to put it mildly (confiscated stolen gifts, the not so cleaned up basement). He tried to smile back.

Vince held up a brown paper bag, and opened it. Inside were the best pastries from Will's favorite bakery, clear across town.

Will was genuinely touched. He smiled and gave Vince a kiss before settling back in bed and eating his surprise. Vince helped himself to a pastry, pausing before eating it.

"Ready for another surprise, babe? This one's better, I promise."

"What?"

What could be better than pastries in bed from his boyfriend first thing in the morning? All doubts assured, he waited in exasperation while Vince finished his pastry.

Vince clearly enjoyed the suspense he was creating and simply looked back at Will innocently.

"Reservations tonight, 8:30, Umbria." He finished triumphantly.

Umbria was one of Will's favorite restaurants. It was also extremely fancy AND extremely difficult to get into at the best of times, let alone a Saturday night.

"8:30 on a Saturday? How did you do that?" He stared incredulously.

"I've had the reservations for a couple of weeks."

Something struck Will as odd about that. His boyfriend was notably a bad planner, forgetful, and disorganized. His planning something this sweet and romantic seemed off but Will brushed it aside.

'What about Ben?"

"He's spending all day with his grandparents. We'll pick him up tomorrow."

"Wow, this is quite the master plan."

Vince smiled, I sure hope so, he thought.

Umbria wasn't known for its' romantic atmosphere. However, the pervasive smell of money and exquisite cooking made up for that, at least in Vince's eyes.

They were handed a menu as they sat down. Will's eyes darted around the menu. Vince reached across the table and squeezed his hand gently. They were quickly able to decide on entrees and wine although Vince wasn't sure he'd be able to eat a thing.

"I was just thinking about the first time we met."

Will snorted

"You pulled Karen over for speeding. Not my happiest memory."

"No? How about the day in court?"

Will grinned. "Now you're talking."

Their food arrived and they continued to reminisce. Everything was going perfectly. Vince paid and then suggested they take a walk.

"Why?" Will asked suspiciously.

Vince signed theatrically. "Trust me?"

Vince led the way pretending to wander aimlessly but he knew exactly where to go. They ended up at Lincoln Center in front of the fountain. The exact spot his father had proposed to his mother, a lifetime ago.

"Will, you know I'm a traditional guy. I want the whole deal, you know, and I love you. More than anything."

Will felt like his throat had dried.

"Vince…wh-what are you saying?"

Vince bended down on knee, and took the box he had been holding in his jacket for the past week, out.

"William Pierce Truman, will you marry me?"

Will was silent for a few minutes overcome. When he saw Vince looking at him and completely misreading his expression, his answer burst out.

"Yes, yes, of course. I love you so much."

He grabbed him and they shared a long kiss.

Will pulled back as a thought dawned on him.

"Oh my god…now we have to plan a wedding!"

His eyes wide with surprise, he looked back at Vince who laughed and pulled him into a hug while the fountain continued to splash joyfully behind them.

A/N: Well, that's it. I know it's horribly cheesey but NY really inspired me. So, go us! I hope it isn't too too saccharine but I mean…it is what it is. So read and review! THANKS!