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peonierose · 2 years

Text

”How were we ever strangers…“

Book: Open Heart

Pairing: Bryce Lahela x Luna Auclair

Rating: Fluff with a bit of angst

Words: 1.500+

Summary: A proposal is in the air, but things don’t go as planned. Can Bryce and Luna find their happy ever after?

Side note: I used the prompt Engagement from @choicesficwriterscreations for the April celebrations. Please enjoy 😊 (Another fic was inspired by a song by Maddie & Tae - Strangers)

Author‘s note: A special thank you goes out to these wonderful two ladies @a-crepusculo and @jerzwriter for spurring me on to write this piece in the first place. Your support and encouragement always means so much to me ❤️ You’re two wonderful people I had the pleasure to meet and connect over our love for choices and writing. Thank you for making me feel welcome here 💚 Also thank you to @annieruok94 for pre-reading 💙@mysticalgalaxysstuff @lilyoffandoms Thank you for your opinion for the moodboard ❤️ My main music inspiration can be found here.

You see the me no one else sees

And I see the you you don't show

You've read every page in my story

And I've read every chapter of your soul

There's no way I found you on my own

'Cause loving you's like breathing, don't you know?

How were we ever strangers?

Seems crazy to me now

Haven't I known you forever?

'Cause the thought of the days without

You and all your love

Have all but disappeared

I'll never be convinced, baby, that you weren't always here

How were we ever strangers?

Maddie & Tae - Strangers

I woke up at noon and watched Bryce get ready for his late shift at Edenbrook. I watch him get ready just like every day. It’s just beautiful to have this daily routine and share it with him. It feels domestic.

It’s our last week here in Boston before we move to Hawaii.

He steals a kiss, smiling against my lips. He leaves with his coffee in hand. My arms wrapped around my knees I stare after him even when he‘s already out the door. I wish we could stay in bed longer.

Falling back into bed, the sheets surrounding me, smelling just like him, which makes me think back to the conversation I had with my grandma over the phone a few weeks ago.

We missed each other when Bryce and I visited Honolulu a couple weeks back.

“What would you do, Grangran?“ I asked into the phone, my voice full of doubt and uncertainty.

I can hear her rummaging in the kitchen. Where I spent most of my time growing up. Creating my own paint out of berries and making a total mess, covered in berry juice. Giggling like there’s no tomorrow.

“Well do you like him?“ she asked me and I was transported back to the conversation.

I laughed.

“I love him,“ I said, still surprised I can actually say the words to another person who isn’t part of my family.

“Well then the answer to your question is easy is it not?“

“Well it’s not that easy. I know B wants to get married, but I don’t feel ready yet,“ I hate that I’m still indecisive. Picking at my fingernails, some paint stuck to my cuticles.

My grandma huffed out a breath.

“If you don’t then you don’t Loonsie,“ she replied.

I sighed.

“But what if…“ I tried again but she interrupts me mid-sentence.

“There are no buts in this house Loonsie. You know what I learned by being married to your grandfather for this long?“ she asked me, catching me unaware by the question.

I shook my head as if she can actually see me through the phone. I smile feeling totally ridiculous.

“That there’s no time frame for when you have to get married. Even if you decide you don’t want to get married at all. Let me ask you this. Do you value your love to Bryce less by not being married to him?“

“Of course not Grangran,“ I said.

I’ve never even thought about it like that.

She’s really putting things into perspective for me.

“There you go, but if you’re still unsure go and talk to your man. He‘ll understand either way. If not send him to me. I haven’t done a proper spanking in a while,“ she continued by saying and made me burst out with laughter.

“Gran!“ I exclaimed.

“Loon-moon go with your heart,“ she said. We exchanged some pleasantries and then we hung up.

I let my fingers wander over the soft blanket.

My mind made up.

I’ll just propose to B to hell with what anyone else says or how unconventional it may sound.

I get up.

No definitive plan set in motion. I’ll just go with my heart as Grangran said.

While getting dressed I call Maxine. I need my best friend for this. There’s no one else I can think of who could help me out.

“Hey there Maxi,“ I say putting on a black long-sleeved shirt, and hop from foot to the other to get into my jeans.

“Speak fast babe I’m in the middle of tattooing,“ she says and I can hear the tattoo needle whirring in the background.

“I need your help. I want to propose to Bryce,“ I say before I can change my mind.

I can hear a loud clang, and then she’s on the phone again.

“Shit you made me drop the needle sugarplum,“ she curses some more before she’s on the phone again.

I snicker at her.

“Did I hear you correctly? You want to propose? To Bryce?“ she asks as if she’s too stunned to say anything else and just repeats my words.

I laugh out loud.

“Why are you repeating everything I say?“ I ask her, while buttoning my jacket and grabbing my hairbrush, so my hair doesn’t look like a bird called it home for the last couple of hours.

I can hear some voices, assuming it’s her customer. Hopefully she can reschedule her session. A door gets slammed and she’s on the phone again.

“Girl, talk. I need all the info,“ she asks me sounding intrigued.

“Like I said before I want to propose to Bryce,“ I say but she interrupts me again.

“Our Bryce?“ she asks.

“Do you know another Bryce?“ I laugh at her.

“Okay, what did you have in mind?“ she asks.

I sigh trying to catch my breath, while sprinting to the subway trying to catch my train. I need to get to the art gallery to get the rest of my things. Hopefully I’ll never have to see that place again.

Once inside I continue our conversation, while people give me weird looks not that I give a damn.

“I don’t know how to go about it,“ I tell her truly at a loss.

She thinks about that for a second.

“You would catch him by surprise that’s for sure. He wouldn’t see this coming. Not in a million years,“ she says in a serious tone.

“I know, but I want to make it perfect. What if he says no?“

It’s something I’m scared of, quite honestly. He could say no.

She scoffs “If I was standing next to you, I’d slap you,“ she says matter-of-factly.

“Why?“ I laugh caught by surprise by her answer.

“Because you’re being dumb. Why would he be this stupid? Do you know him at all?“ she asks me.

My shoulders slump, as if a weight was lifted. I guess I just needed someone to say it out loud for me. I know he loves me. Sometimes you have to take the leap. Knowing the other person will catch you, and I know Bryce will always catch me. No matter what.

“Hold that thought, I’ll add someone to the convo,“ she says and before I can say anything else I hear my mom’s voice through the phone.

“Luna is it true? Are you going to make an honest man out of Bryce?“ she sounds giddy and yells “Brian! Luna is on the phone and she’s trying to get ideas for how to propose to Bryce,“ and suddenly I can hear my dads rumbling voice coming to the phone

“Is that true Looney?“

I sigh.

“You act as if we lived in sin,“ I snort.

“Well you weren’t married,“ she says but I can hear the smile in her voice and she continues by saying.

“Never mind that. What’s the plan?“ sounding excited.

I grunt and exit at my stop and walk the short distance to the art gallery.

“That’s the problem I don’t know how to propose to him,“ I say getting frustrated within the minute.

They all laugh at me.

“I’m glad I can entertain you,“ I retort dryly.

“The when and where isn’t important. It’s you who counts,“ my mom says.

I think about that and that’s when it hits me.

It doesn’t need a fancy setting, or some fancy dinner to go with. All I need is myself and to ask him. He‘ll either say yes or no.

I’d be much happier with the first option of course.

I can’t wait until I’m done so I can finally see him and just ask him.

I talk a bit more to my family and then we hang up. I reach the art gallery doors and step inside.

My head full of sunshine. My heart dancing like it never did before. I can’t stop the smile spreading over my face. Doing a little dance in the hall not caring who sees me. Or how silly I might look in their eyes.

———————————————————

Hours later I’m finally done. As I leave the building I shoot B a text, asking him if he’s still at work. A couple of minutes later he says he’s finishing up. I decide to give him a call. He answers on the first ring.

“Stay put,“ I tell him instead of a greeting. I can hear clothes rustling and he laughs.

“Hello to you too. I’m doing good thank you for asking,“ he sounds sarcastic.

“Save your sarcasm for Keiki. Wait there so we can go home together.“

I walk towards the subway. Too lazy to walk the couple of blocks.

“What are you up to?“ he asks sounding suspicious, but also kind of excited, as if he can’t wait what I came up with.

“Me? I’m not up to anything, I just want us to go home together,“ I reply to his question.

He hums as if he knows I’m full of it, but he won’t call me out on my bullshit.

“I’ll be there in a few,“ I tell him all giddy and excited.

“I can’t wait Lunes,“ he says and we disconnect.

That’s when I hear a screeching sound. Before everything goes black all I can think of is that I didn’t tell Bryce that I love him. __________________________________

Bryce

I just tucked my phone into my jacket pocket, when I hear fast footsteps getting closer. When I look up I see Sienna who’s staring back at me with a panicked look on her face, her eyes wide. That’s when I know something is wrong.

“It’s Luna,“ is all she says and my heart nearly stops in my chest. My brain not connecting the dots fast enough.

“There’s been a subway accident and…“ she doesn’t get to finish her sentence as I’m already out the door and running with a heavy heart.

Praying I’m not too late. I’m getting to the entrance, just in time to see the EMTs are getting everyone rolled in.

I see Elijah and Jackie among the doctors and run towards them. Sienna comes to a halt next to me trying to catch her breath. I turn to her and my face must’ve said everything.

Jackie looks at us when we approach.

“I thought you went home with your girl,“ she says.

“Not now Jackie,“ I say curtly, while holding my eyes out for a glimpse of blond hair, but I can’t make her out anywhere. All I see are faces, but not the one I love seeing most of all.

“Did I miss something?“ she asks, while checking out the patients vitals to her right.

“Luna was on that subway Jackie,“ I say still looking around.

She whips her head towards me.

“Me and my big mouth. I’m sorry I didn’t know,“ she looks at me with a serious and concerned gaze in her dark brown eyes.

I rub my face. I’ve never felt like this. All I see are a blur of faces and doctors yelling things. This is usually the time I excel at but right now? I feel lost in a sea of faces.

I feel a warm but firm hand wrap around my arm and when I look up, it’s Ines. She gently pulls me aside from the working doctors.

“Luna wasn’t seriously hurt. She just had some minor cuts, no inner bleeding that we could attest. She refused to take any medication, but we put her in a room, because we want to make sure no injuries were left untreated,“ Ines smiles gently at me.

I hang my head and after a few seconds I pull Ines into a bone crushing hug and give her a kiss on her cheek. She blushes while our colleagues watch us with a curious look in their eyes. I know the rumor mill is going to be crazy later. But fuck I don’t care about any of that. All I needed to know is that Luna is safe and that she’s okay.

I start walking but realize I don’t know which room Lunes is in. I turn around and Ines says “Room 112,“ and turns around to get back to work.

I head into the direction of Room 112.

Before I can enter I stare at the door handle. My feet unsteady. I breathe out, trying to get a hold of myself, which is so damn hard.

Hesitating for a millisecond, before I push the door handle down. The metal feels cool to the touch. Something I’ve never paid attention to.

As I enter, I see Luna and I need to make sure she’s alright. Looking so damn small in that big hospital bed. Her blond hair spread out on the pillow. Making her look like a sleeping angel.

I close the door and pull a chair towards her bedside. Her chest rising slowly. Her breath coming out steady.

Taking a seat I stare at her, seeing the bandaged cuts. I hate that I wasn’t there. Feeling like I failed her.

I take her small hand into mine, placing a kiss on her soft skin. Breathing in the scent of vanilla and some paint. She probably didn’t get all the paint out when she was washing her hands.

Oh my god. What about her parents? Dreading the call I have to make.

What if they resent me? God I hate doing this over the phone. I’d rather be chewed out by them in person, but before I can make any calls I have to wipe away some tears that slipped out, and that’s how I fall asleep with my head on the bed. __________________________________

Luna

The next thing I see is bright sunlight seeping in through the blinds. My head thrums, like I ran into a wall, but thank god I’m in one piece.

I groan and try to move, realizing I’m lying in a hospital bed. Panicked I try to get out, until a beeping sound makes me aware of the heart monitor. Though the constant beeping sound doesn’t let up.

The door opens slowly and I see a familiar face. It’s Jackie and I relax in my bed, leaning back a bit. She smiles at me and I smile back at her, relieved to see someone I know.

“He hasn’t left your side, since last night,“ she says pointing to a figure next to my bed.

I realize for the first time that Bryce was here all night and must’ve fallen asleep on the bed. I gently stroke his soft hair. The sunlight hitting the recently added blond highlights. He slowly lifts his head, his brown eye sleepy. They get clearer as he realizes I’m awake.

He focuses his gaze on me and just stares at me as if he’s seeing me for the first time. He rests his head on the bed again. He breathes out a deep sigh like he can’t believe I’m here.

Jackie retreats back and whispers “I’ll come by later,“ I simply nod at her.

The soft click of the closing door, indicates we’re alone again.

“Hi there,“ I say sleepily to Bryce.

“Hi there?“ he echoes and I shrug.

“That’s the wittiest I can come up with right now,“ I smile, but wince at my splitting headache. Now that I’m awake I’m thinking that maybe I should’ve taken some pain meds when they were offered to me.

He gets a concerned look on his face.

”You have no idea how scared I was when Sienna said your name and that there’s been an accident…I though I’d lost you,“ his voice raw until it grows quiet.

I put my hand on his cheek

”I’m okay. Thank god it’s just a few bruises…“

“Are you okay?“ he asks his eyes taking on a worried look.

I try to nod but even that hurts me.

“Are you in pain?“ he checks me for anything and I catch his hand in mine and stop him from examining me further.

“It’s just a headache,“ I say and can’t contain the pain lacing my voice.

“I’ll get you some pain meds for your headache,“ he softly kisses my forehead. He lingers a few more seconds, before he gets up to get me some painkillers.

“There goes my plan of proposing,“ I mutter thinking that he already left, but I realized too late he’s still in the room with me.

“Your plan of doing what?“ he stops in his tracks, shock clearly written all over his face.

“Nothing,“ I reply trying to dial back, but he won’t let me have it.

“Nuh-uh repeat that please,“ he says.

I close my eyes.

“Well I came here with a plan of proposing to you, I wanted to do it after your shift, but then…“ I trail off.

He walks back to the bed the pills forgotten for the moment.

He’s completely speechless. He’s just looking at me as if he’s never seen me before.

I’m about to say something when we hear a commotion outside “Shh. Stop it I can’t hear what they’re saying,“ says a voice coming from the other side of the room.

”I would if you’d stop putting your elbow directly in my face,“ definitely a male voice.

”Well too bad,“ says someone else, female this time.

Bryce smiles and puts a finger on his lips and opens the door. That’s when Sienna, Jackie, Hayley, Rafael and Elijah tumble into the room.

Sienna smiles up at us.

“Congratulations,“ she says happily. While the others all talk at once, giving me an even bigger headache.

Which leaves only one option. I put my fingers between my teeth and whistle loudly. That gets everyones attention at once.

“That might’ve been louder then I anticipated,“ I say groaning.

“I’ll get you some pain killers,“ Jackie volunteers.

“I’ll help you,“ Elijah pipes in and together they walk out.

“So what we miss?“ asks Sienna in a conversational tone.

Rafael seems to hold in his laughter. Hayley is the first to break the silence.

“We listened at the door to get the information directly from the source,“ she says looking from Bryce to me.

I sink further into the bed.

“Before this whole subway accident happened I came here to propose to Bryce, but my plan kind of went to shit when I got stuck in this bed,“ I say sad about the fact that things didn’t go according to plan. Well I didn’t really have a plan. But oh well.

Nobody says anything.

“Have I shocked you into speechlessness? It’s not that weird of a thing to do. Women have proposed to guys before,“ I say getting angry, but it seems I misjudged their silence, because when I look up I see only smiling faces.

“What now? Why are you smiling at me like that?“ I ask around.

“I think it’s very cute, and for that reason we’re going to be outside,“ Sienna says and grabs Rafael and Hayley, but then Sienna turns back around and hands me a small thing. When I look down at my hand I see a plastic ring from one of those gumball machines.

Sienna winks at me and then the door closes. Leaving me and Bryce alone again.

“I even prepared a whole speech and everything,“ I say to Bryce who still isn’t saying anything.

Just looking at me as if he’s never seen me before.

“Please say something B,“ I implore him, while he sits down at the edge of the bed and tucks a strand of hair behind my left ear.

“You had a speech at the ready?“ he asks quietly.

I nod and am about to say something, when I see the look in his eyes.

“You don’t want to get married?“ I ask my voice wobbly.

“No it’s not that,“ he says and pushes his hair out of his face “I’m going about this all wrong,“ he says and shocks me with his next words “I was going to propose to you tonight you know,“ he admits blowing out a breath.

My eyebrows rise “Really?“

He laughs at my expression.

“Why is that such a surprise to you?“ he asks looking at me.

“I guess I never really thought about that last step. I never knew if I even wanted to get married,“ I mutter.

“That’s why I didn’t know how to propose to you,“ he says and goes on by saying “I thought despite us being together for this long, you decided you didn’t want us to take the next step after all, I…“ he’s running out of words to say.

I take his chin and turn it so he faces me directly.

“Loving you is like breathing. Do you honestly think I could love anyone else as much as I love you?“

He’s about to say something but I hold up my hand and he shuts his mouth again.

“I’m not always sure what I want, but when I know? There’s no holding me back, and I’m choosing you. Unless you don’t want me or what I have to offer,“ I say sounding uncertain again and hating myself for that.

“Oh Lunes. How could I choose someone else? My heart is set on you. No matter what you want. If you want to get married, I’m in. If not I’m in too. The same goes for kids. I don’t want to force you. If that’s what you want I’m with you all the way,“ he says and I’m realizing I’m crying, because his words moved me so much.

He tucks me into his side and I grab at pieces of his shirt and press my hand against his heart, which is beating wildly beneath my hand.

When I look up again I see him smiling.

“So that whole speech went out the window,“ he comments.

I smirk and reply “Speeches are overrated anyway,“ I say.

He looks at me and asks me

“So where’s my ring? I hope you went for the good stuff,“ he winks.

“I actually didn’t think that far ahead,“ I admit.

“I’m hurt Lunes. I really thought I meant something to you,“ he says trying to act all hurt and in pain.

I smack his shoulder playfully.

“Smarty pants. As for now here you go,“ I slip the ring Sienna gave me earlier on his finger.

He gets up and throws open the door and yells to anyone who’s close enough to hear him.

“I said yes people. That’s right. Luna is finally making an honest man out of me,“ he continues to say it over and over again doing a victory dance.

Scaring some of the patients walking by. Others are giving him dirty looks, but he doesn’t seem to care one bit.

I just lean back laughing, and think that I’m never going to hear the end of this, but you know what? I don’t care. I love him and everything else doesn’t really matter. As long as we’re together we’ll find a way.

I never knew he’s what I need in my life. Never was I more happy to have found him. To have met him that night at the beach in Maui.

He’s still outside in the hallway receiving congratulations. After some time he pops his head into the room and sees I’m still awake. Grinning from ear to ear.

“I’ve got your discharge papers. Wanna get home and celebrate the proper way. Now that we’re engaged? Keiki is not home. I told her to spend the night at a friends house and she was more than happy to,“ he says and I try to get out of bed but I’m still sore and wince in pain.

He’s instantly by my side and helps me get up.

“In sickness and health gets a whole new meaning,“ he mutters.

I laugh and with his help I get dressed in my a bit ruined clothes, but hey the shower is waiting for me, and I can’t wait to get home so we can as Bryce put it “celebrate properly“.

We leave the hospital hand in hand. Smiling all the way.

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#cfwc celebrations #open heart #Bryce x Luna #Engagement #Proposal #April Celebrations

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