Kryptonite

<SFTC: Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down>

Chapter 35

One year.How has it gone by so quick, even with all these crazy things happening. A lovely, romantic, crazily fun year that honestly couldn't have gone any other way that I'd want to change. I mean yeah, there were things going on that I'd change in a heartbeat, but nothing pertaining to Tanner directly. We had fights but those made us closer in a way, I think. I don't know, it's a crazy experience.

Tanner had woken me up late in time for him to have a full lunch prepared with a promise of a movie day and a wonderful night. I am nervous for tonight, but not exactly in the way normal people are nervous. I'm worried paparazzi will find out where we're going or someone will interupt us. I don't resent fans coming up to me, I love it usually, just tonight is our night.

"You done?" He asks as he stuffs the last piece of his pasta into his mouth. He'd made some amazing pasta with breadsticks and some kind of sauce I think he got from the Italian place up the street. I nod and he grabs my plate.

His demeanor has seemed to change in the last few minutes and I have no idea why. He's more... antsy than he was during the meal. During it, he was into the conversation and being himself but at the same time he was kind've distant. Just the kind of distant that's more based on depth of thought. It's not unusual though, I do that all the time as does he but it isn't like him on such a big occasion.

I brush some crumbs off the table from in front of me and begin to walk toward the living room. "What movie are we watching?" I ask as I collapse onto the plush couch. The sun was just high enough to brighten up the wood floors that open up to the beaches of Los Angeles. It's a beautiful glowing type light and with the sheers, it makes it even more lovely.

Tanner walks to the rack of DVDs and scans through until he picks up one and turns to face me. "Love Actually?"

I push my lips to the side, "Sure, what the heck."

Tanner works on getting the box open, pulling and prying on it without success. You'd think he, of all people, could manage to open a movie box. I sigh, standing as soon as I smooth out my dotted shirt that is matched with shorts.

"You're such a wimp," I say as I take the box from his hands and pry it open. It opens sharply, making me draw back but hardly. Inside, on the center of the disk is a glimmering silver ring with small diamonds crusted into the sides. On the disk itself, Tanner had scribbled a few words so it read;

We're in Love Actually

My insides go weak and I'm pretty sure my knees are about to go out. I manage to gasp and look back to Tanner, who's now on his knee, nervously shaking unstabilized.

"I know you said that someone would have to date two years to get married but that's so long to go. Its all too much. I need you in my life, and I want to make sure you never leave because you're what means the most to me. I don't know how or why the things that happened happened, but it's only driven me to get to know you better. And you're such an amazing person, inside and out. And, I'm a lot worse at this than I thought," He pauses to dig out a crumpled paper from his pocket before looking back at me, crumpling up the paper more and tossing it behind him. "I'm so in love with you, Alison. You make me so unbelievably happy and I'm grateful for that. I talked to your dad, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So, will you please marry me already?"

I'm already bawling. My hand is in a weird position on my face trying to cover up my smile and tears at once.

"Get up here and kiss me you idiot," I say shakily and let myself fall into his arms. My face presses up against his shoulder as he takes me and spins me quickly off the ground. It feels like its in slow motion, as if the blurs of the surroundings are memories of the past year. As if all the moments of my life have led up to this defining moment. And then we're kissing, desperately, as if our lives depended on it. As if every heartbreaking moment has led up to this kiss of new hope, of a new life together. I pull out of it just enough to murmur, "Yes." Another peck on his lips, "Yes." I press into a lingering one, "A million times, yes."

"I think I'm going to like marriage," He smiles into the kiss before dipping into it more. If marriage includes kissing him more, I don't think it could be that bad. Not much could change, we already act like an old married couple as it is. We essentially live together... bicker with eachother.. we tease eachother. Like I said, it can't be that much of a difference. •The rest of the day seems to float by in a sensation of bliss.

"What is this place?" I say in awe, slowing to look at the huge ceiling that is decorated with white curtains hung up in air. Lights are strung down across them, giving the place a glowing appeal. You actually enter from inside the seperate dessert shop and go outside to the restaurant, which is much the same except impossibly more beautiful. A lake sits just beyond a large walk through garden with lanterns every few feet. It's breathtaking, and so was Tanner.

The dresscode was tight so Tanner was in a tuxedo. He looked good, to say the least. I'm in a form-fitting dark blue dress which only has straps on one side.

Tanner leans over closer, eyes darting between me and the back of the waiter who guides us to our seat. "Risco's. Extremely fancy."

"Ooh, not quite as fancy as the beach restaurant you claimed to also be fancy.." I laugh quietly and follow the waiter to a table next to the railing overlooking the garden. Tanner scrambles to pull my chair out before the waiter has a chance, and helps me in. You know a place is fancy when their silverware is not wrapped. Something I've learned as I traveled.

"What's the occasion?" The waiter asks politely. I glance to Tanner, then back to the man.

"One Year Anniversary," Tanner says with a big smile. The man turns and takes a bucket of ice and bottles from a woman behind him that had appeared from somewhere.

"Worthy of complimentary champagne, I suppose?"

"Of course," I smile. After pouring the champagne, he disappears around a corner, leaving us and the discreetly chatting rich adults surrounding us. We're out of place if you think about it. Though I'm sure at least someone's recognized me by now, what are a couple of twenty-somethin' year olds doing in a fancy restaurant. I mean, I know how to act in a place like this and typically, it's not how Tanner and I are accustomed to acting around eachother.

I put both hands on the table and lean closer to him over the white tablecloth. "This place is amazing."

Cop Car was over the speaker, which was a peculiar choice based on the surroundings. It's been my favorite song lately and I almost always make Tanner dance with me when it comes on. And then I see Tanner's smirk and realize exactly what he did. "How?"

"A little Ben Franklin, and we got the place under my thumb," he shrugs his shoulders innocently.

"But-" I'm interupted by a tall, lanky man placing a tray of melted cheese balls between us.

"Complimentary Pimento Balls from the family at table 4," The man gestures to a family of 3, a little girl waving fervently at me. I smile and wave back, making a note to thank her personally after the meal. "May I get your order, or another moment?"

"Uhm," Tanner gives a nod to me before continuing, "I'll take the chopped steak with mashed potatoes and corn. Anddd, sprite to drink."

"Mhm, and you ma'dam?" He barely lets his low set gaze move to me.

"Could I get a chef salad and a country fried steak, please?" I ask politely.

"What could I get you to drink?"

"Diet Coke's good, thanks." I smile again and fold the menu down, handing it to the waiter.

The meal is one of the best I've ever had, not even joking. You could cut the steak with a butter knife and it tasted so freaking good. Tanner's also was amazing. We kinda shared around our food, half country steak and half chopped steak. It works, I guess, I mean we both get to try two amazing foods at once.

"How was everything?" The waiter returns to say, as if he already knows the answer. I try to mumble an answer but it garbles under the remnants of salad in my mouth. Tanner laughs and picks it up.

"Amazing. Thank you." Tanner says.

"Little tip; go down past the gardens and down the little hill near the lake. There's music and a live DJ," The man says, giving the slightest wink before scurrying off with our check.

"What do you think? Go check it out after he comes back?" Tanner asks.

"I'm in," I shrug though I'm more invested into the leftover salad I'm stuffing into my mouth.