'Hanna Kloppefield, will you marry-'

'Yes!'

Apson's proposal had been short despite it's extensive planning. A hot air balloon took him, Hanna and the Albino Sports team over the scenic fields of The Netherlands. It was the perfect setting and the velvet box had sat in his pocket for the 1500ft ascent into the sky.

In the wicker basket, Apson lowered onto one knee while Hanna was consoling a terrified Fenne. The Meer hadn't let go of Joost's arm until he pried it from her grip to promote his new song, Luchtballon, on TikTok. Stuntje took over filming as there was no way Fenne was going to stand freely. While attached to the basket's side, Fenne's refused to look down and Hanna tried to point to where their house was in the distance.

Hanna coincidentally turned as the pilot cleared his throat. The older man had been prepared for the proposal and helped a poor Apson out who was waiting with the velvet box now in hand.

The diamond ring was beautiful and Hanna's eyes were filled with tears in an instant. Apson was able to capture the brunette in a hug and kiss, before he was assaulted by his surrounding friends.

Joost, Teun, Stuntje, Daan and Nathan had piled in for the trip and congratulated their engaged friend. In the only way they knew how, they congratulated Apson with painful claps on his back and overly intimiate kisses to the sides of his face. 

Despite the great height, Hanna didn't care that Apson was being yanked in all directions. All that she cared about was that her dream of being married to the love of her life was coming true.

'Look, Fenney,' Hanna spluttered through tears as she held her hand out to show her friend the ring. 'I'm engaged! I'm engaged to Appie!'

'That's great, Hanna,' she managed a wobbly smile. 'I'm really happy for you... can we go back down now?'

As for Fenne, she was surprised that Joost hadn't proposed the day after the playground. In fact, she found herself finalising Apson and Hanna's wedding well into the next year with no ring on her third finger.

This had put Fenne on edge at first. Every room that she walked into had the potential of being some extravagant proposal. Every time they walked the dogs, there was the gnawing assumption that there was a box in Joost's pocket. When Fenne came home to a dark house, she would take careful steps with her shoulders hiked up to her ears. But all she was met with were the odd looks from Hanna, Apson, Teun or Stuntje.

Joost's final show for the Europapa tour was in London. At a sold-out venue, Joost was preparing to give as lively of a performance as he had so many times before. The setlist was perfect and the city was significant. He had never performed in the UK before and to sell-out to an English-speaking crowd was unlike anything he had ever imagined.

He made sure that Fenne was with Teun when he checked the box in his pocket. Hugo had been the one to give it to him, which had been a surprise. When their mother passed, Nanda and Hugo had delegated everything that hadn't been listed in their parents' will. Joost had thought that his mother's precious posessions like her engagement ring were taken by Nanda and stored in a undisclosed safe. But after a painfully emotional convesation with his older brother, Joost was handed the dark brown box with Hugo saying,

'I was hanging on to this, but I think we both know I'll be waiting a while. Mum would want it to be used, so I think you should have it.'

The gesture had made Joost sob for the first time in years to his older brother. Now, with it sitting in his fingerless-gloved hand, Joost's tears were replaced with anxiety.

There was no use trying to plan a hot-air balloon ride like Apson, or prepare an elaborate date with fireworks and rose petals. It wasn't Joost's style and wouldn't feel genuine to him. There was only one proposal that he knew Fenne would love and hate at the same time; on stage in front of the hundreds of people who only spoke English.

'Joost?'

He snapped the box shut and went to hide it behind his back. He turned, relaxing at the sight of Teun, but looking behind him waringly.

'You good?' Teun asked.

'I'm fine. Where's Fenne?'

'She's talking to Stunts. Don't worry, she's not coming over.'

Joost sighed in relief and let his hand fall from behind his back. He glanced down at it, making Teun do the same.

'Do you want me to keep hold of it? You're going to be jumping around a lot,' Teun offered.

'Good call,' Joost handed it over almost breathlessly. He watched over his friend's shoulder as it was slipped into his pant pocket.

'I've got Video Games after Luchtballon. Come get it then, okay?'

'Yeah, yeah. Thanks...'

'Joost.'

Jittering and with shifting eyes, Joost switched between where Fenne talked with Stuntje, to his producer. He couldn't focus with his pounding heart and rushing thoughts. He was beginning to regret planning this at his last show of the tour. Not only was he getting pre-show nerves, but he was also getting pre-proposal dread.

'Calm down. You've got this,' Teun said carefully. 'Everything is ready. All you have to do is make sure she doesn't do something spontaneous.'

'I don't think she will...'

'No. She won't. So you can stop freaking out.'

The hand that went to his shoulder made Joost take a deep breath. Teun was right. He shouldn't be nervous. He had already made sure that Fenne would say yes. There was nothing for him to worry about. He was proposing to the love of his life. He should be excited and treasuring the moment.

But nothing could sway him from the blaring fact that he was about to propose to Fenne Meer; the girl that he used to watch in hallways and stare at from the back of the classroom. His younger self with Justin Bieber-style hair and hairless cheeks could barely get a word out when in Fenne's presence. Even after five years of dating, living together, even going to Eurovision together, Joost was proposing to the only girl he ever truly loved.

Teun could see that the performer was still fidgeting and looking to where Fenne stood. He would never be able to soothe his nerves, so he decided to change his method.

'I just want to say that this is really great for you, Joost,' Teun said sincerely. 'I'm happy for you. You found your person and you deserve to have someone like Fenne. She's amazing.'

Teun finally caught Joost's eye for more than a shifting second. The man's tense shoulder relaxed under his hand and his tight jaw loosened. Joost nodded along, his smile twitching in gratitude at his friend's words. He reached up to mirror Teun's stance, grasping his shoulder and shaking it in a friendly gesture.

'Thanks, Tantu. I hope Evi is your person. You deserve someone great.'

'I hope so, too. She's here tonight.'

'Bring her backstage after.'

Teun nodded before the two-minute warning was called. The two broke from each other and headed for the stage. Their own nerves hounded at their insides and Joost hoped that Fenne didn't notice as she joined them. He held out his hand and she gave hers without missing a beat. She held her camera in her other and smiled at him, blissfully unaware of what Joost was planning.

---

Luchtballon's piano melody faded and the crowd's hoots were left to fill the venue. Joost put his hands together in thanks and used the moment his eyes were shut to gather himself.

He was aware of Fenne's standing beside him with a metre or two between them. She had spent the whole performance following him around the stage while being confused at his English phrases. With her camera's feed playing on the big screen, Fenne did her job as usual and didn't suspect a thing.

'Thank you so much,' Joost said into his microphone. 'I'm going to talk to Tantu for a second, so my girlfriend is going to sing for you.'

Cries from the crowd sounded and Fenne looked up from her camera as Joost walked over. He gave her a cheeky grin and put the microphone into her free hand. In a panic, Fenne looked to the venue with wide eyes and abandoned her footage for a moment.

'Um... hello,' she said in English and watched Joost walk towards Teun at the DJ booth. 'Wait, what am I doing?'

A familiar harp and piano melody started playing and more cries came from the crowd. Fenne looked back with wide eyes, the microphone still to her lips but useless as she remained quiet.

Lana Del Rey's Video Games was Fenne's favourite song. In highschool, Fenne would have the song on repeat, knowing every word and every note. When the the artist's album was at peak popularity, Hanna used to make fun of Fenne for being 'basic', but Fenne never cared. It was so full of emotion, love and longing that Fenne liked to sit and listen to it like it was the first time. It never failed to swell Fenne's chest with an admiration for what she had only seen in film.

When Fenne meet Joost, she often hummed the tune to herself while staring at him. His blonde hair and blue eyes were angel-like and his touch gave her a buzz that dulled into a soft and soothing sensation. Joost was all Fenne ever wanted, because much like the lyrics, heaven was a place on earth with him.

But no matter how much she loved Video Games, Fenne wouldn't dare sing it to a crowd of people. She didn't want to do Lana the dishonour. But that didn't mean that Fenne didn't adore to hear the notes through the stage's speakers.

As Fenne stood with her camera by her side, the screams of the crowd grew. She took it as general noise of the venue until fingers started to point to the stage. With gaping mouths to scream, people leaned over the barricade as a means to get Fenne's attention. She was confused, looking from person to person with a creased brow. She couldn't hear their words over the violins, harp and piano notes.

Leaning over from the stage with a hand cupping her ear, Fenne finally heard,

'Look behind you!'

'Behind you!'

Finally, Fenne turned and froze.

With one knee bent and the other on the stage floor, Joost waited with a surpressed grin. Teun had been quick to hand the box that he now held when Fenne's back was turned. The distraction of Video Games had done wonders and as he looked up at the woman in front of him, Joost was endorsing himself for the song choice.

'I'm going to have to speak Dutch for this because she won't understand. Sorry,' Fenne was made aware of the extra microphone in Joost's hand as he addressed the crowd. 'Actually, Tantu, can you translate?'

The producer gave a thumbs-up and brought out yet another microphone. From where Joost spoke over his shoulder to the booth, Fenne hadn't moved from her place.

She should have seen it coming, but then again, Joost Klein was the definition of unpredictable.

'Fenne, I've known you for almost fourteen years. You didn't talk to me for a good portion of that, which sounds creepy, but it's significant,' Joost said into the mircophone while looking up her. 'You made my teenage heart full and it wouldn't function without you in it now. So it's either this, or I die. Your choice. No pressure, though.'

Through tears, Fenne choked out a laugh. She used the back of her arm to wipe at her leaking nose and wet cheeks. She could hear Joost's giggle into the microphone and hushed mumbles from the crowd. The few Dutch speakers that attended cooed and those who didn't understand followed after Teun's delayed translation.

'I love you so much and I wanted to ask if...'

Joost flicked the lid of the wooden box open with his thumb and held it out.

'... you would marry me?'

The months of warning did nothing because Fenne was still a spluttering mess. While preparing for Apson and Hanna's wedding, Fenne had begun to see the appeal of marriage. She had acted as Hanna's audience when she drafted her vows, and after expressing her love for her soon-to-be husband, Hanna had made Fenne realise how much she wanted the same.

Fenne wanted to call Joost her husband. She never saw herself with someone else, in another house or living a different life. Joost was everything to her and she wanted to be with him forever.

'Yes,' Fenne's English answer sounded through the speakers.

Joost's grin broke through his lips and he shoved his microphone into his pant pocket. He stood up as the crowd cheered and whistled. Towering over Fenne, who had put her camera down on the floor, Joost pulled the ring out of the box. He noticed how Fenne's fingers shook as he slid the diamond onto her forefinger and kept her hand in his hold.

Fenne could see the silver sparkle through her blurry vision. She was sure she looked ridiculous with her red face and soaked skin. If it wasn't for the finger and thumb that raised her chin, Fenne would have shrunk backstage to sob in a quiet corner. But as Joost's blue eyes met hers, she melted at seeing his pupils dilate.

'I love you, liefje,' he mumbled without the microphone.

'God, I love you, too, Joost...' Fenne managed before accepting the kiss he leaned down to give her.