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***Mark's POV***

Two innocent boxes.

They are scary. I am afraid. I do not want to push my Seb away. Thinking back to my decision at the jeweler's, I am second guessing my choice. Maybe we are far past this. Hell, it feels as though we have lived a hundred lives in this one year. Yet, the time seems not long enough.

"This isn't an engagement ring. It probably should be. Fuck, it's supposed to be. I'm sorry. I just wanted to give you a tiny glimpse into one day. Shit." I fumble. The box tilts on it's side. I try to correct it before it thumps against the table. I'm too late.

"Baby. Calm down. Whatever it is, will be just right. Let's try again, love." Seb steadies my shaking hand. I close my eyes, trying to give myself a calming breath.

"I love you Sebastian Royals. I didn't expect you, but I am so fucking lucky to have you. This is a symbol of what I hope we one day share. A love beyond our rational thoughts is all I am asking for. A future that entails you, me and maybe a few kids." I open the box, revealing a white gold band that actually has a match. In the corner of my drawer, tucked away from sight, a very sparkling ring sits. It waits for the day that my love is healthy enough to walk down an aisle that leads to matrimony.

The row of tiny channel set diamonds on this ring is just the prelude to the diamond that concretes our future.

"You sure that isn't an engagement ring?" Sebastian stares at me with a smile. His blue eyes sparkle with building tears.

"I would be on one knee. You would not need to question." I take the band away from its pillow, sliding it on Seb's right ring finger. He squeezes my hand softly before pulling me towards him for a kiss.

"I love you Mark. It's gorgeous." Seb opens his present for me. I stare at the necklace that he has sitting in front of him. I sort of just stare. I have never seen one so up close. St. Christopher stares at me. I can feel an ache in my chest. I know my Sebastian. He is very religious. He knows that I am not. I feel suddenly condemned by the inoffensive charm.

"Don't. I'm not pressuring you. I would like our children raised in a home where God is our focus. This is just a representation of one of God's many helpers. In our travels, he protects us." I watch in awe as Sebastian presses against the medallion, revealing a break in the charm. He pulls the necklace from the box and stands. I accept his offering while he puts it around my neck. It is only then that I witness him remove his own chain. He slips the second half of the charm along his necklace. We are two parts of a whole.

"He is particularly helpful during travels." Seb sits back down, staring at me while he takes a large breath.

"Where would we be traveling?" I have to ask. I'm confused as to why my boyfriend is suddenly leery.

"I have a contract that has been offered. It's only for a week. You are welcomed to join. You can stay here if you like. I'm ready, baby. I'm so ready. This isn't anything huge. It's stateside. I promise, if you agree, I will only accept assignments that are short. I won't ever leave you for long." Seb rambles. I try desperately not to chuckle. He is way off the mark.

"Sweetheart, accept the job. I knew who you were when I signed up for this. I would never stand in your way. This is your dream. Please don't belittle my love for you. I would never ask you to give up who you are. Never." I pull him close while I seal my words with a kiss. I would follow this man to Australia. He has got to know that by now.

"That was easy." Seb huffs out his worry. I chuckle. He worries so much about things he should already know. You do not date a super model without the expectation that he will be a traveler. That's insane. I tend to veer more towards practicality. At least, I hope I do.

"Well, let's have dinner because I have something planned." Seb smiles as he urges me to make a decision on our meal.

After the server brings us our plates, we discuss the little things. We pass through the subject of Mak and Grey's anticipation regarding their son. We are both really excited to meet our God-son. That baby is going to be beyond spoiled.

With two weddings in the planning stages, we are definitely going to be busy. Now, Sebastian also has modeling back on his plate, that will tie up a little more time. But, in the end all of these things are so fucking important. I'm just glad to see that we are all moving in the best direction.

As we finish our meals, we pay the bill. If I'm being honest, I am extremely interested to see what my love has planned. The last time he led me on an adventure we ended up fucking under the stars. I wouldn't mind that again. At all.

I slip my hand into Seb's as we make our way out of the restaurant, towards the car. It's late. The cool Manhattan air settles on my skin causing a tiny shiver. I curl in closer to Seb for the short walk.

Seb takes the driver's seat after opening my door for me. I really enjoy the small things that he does. I always feel cherished, adored. I could only hope that my love realizes how much he means to me. I put in a lot of time to make sure he does. I just don't want to take for granted that he actually processes the feelings I have for him. A lot of times, relationships struggle when one partner feels either taken advantage of or neglected. I don't want Sebastian feeling either.

The back roads of Manhattan bustle with cars that seem to be in a hurry to get where they are going. Sebastian takes his time, like always. Precious cargo, that how he defends his geriatric driving. I don't care because I am in no hurry to finish our date night. As long as we are together, I am exactly where I want to be.

Sebastian pulls off of the road at Central Park. He really took the scenic route. I don't mention it. There is a method to his madness. There always is.

I step away from the car, slipping my hand into his. He leads me down the path at the backside of the park. The moon lights the path that we walk along. The darkness is backdrop to the twinkling stars. New York's beauty is often distracted from when the large population is making their way through their day. On these nights, where we step away from the fast pace of the busy city, Manhattan seems liken eighth wonder of the world.

"It's nothing special." Sebastian stops off at the fountain in the center of the park. We take a seat on the ledge while the water cascades down behind us. Seb procures two wine glasses. A bottle of wine sits between our feet. Okay, I'm positive this is planned. That's Seb for you.

"On the contrary" I smile over at Seb. He looks at me like he is dazzled. I love when his eyes sparkle. I'm happy to be the reason.

"I think I prayed for you." Seb's lips move slowly as a head whispers to me. His words catch my attention but, his tone is what captivated me.

"I mean, I prayed. But, it's like God already knew you were going to be my perfect pairing. I'm just in awe, you know. All those days, weeks and months before I knew you existed; I struggled to ask for exactly what I needed. Maybe because I didn't even know. I just wanted somebody who made me feel like my existence helped them to thrive. It was a selfish prayer. It was what I needed. I desired to be loved, wanted and to matter." Seb takes a breath. I don't interrupt. I want to. I want to take a moment to validate his desires. However, I know that I have eternity to prove to him that he is beyond a necessity in my life.

"When I saw you, for first time, it clicked. Something gave me a boldness I didn't otherwise contain. You were the first man that I approached. If Alex had been there, he may have died on sight. You probably don't know this, but I am not confident with partners. I usually wait to be approached. I couldn't take that chance. The idea of you not coming to me, it was unrealistic. I saw you. I had to have you. Even if I just got your attention for a moment, I had to know that I played my hand well." Seb's hand comes up to caress the side of my jaw. I push my cheek into his palm. His words are everything in this moment.

"It was your eyes, the small smiles that played upon your lips while you watched your friends. I could see how much you were truly invested in whatever was transpiring. I was interested to know what had this gorgeous man so entranced. So, I just jumped in. It was more than that though. I felt drawn to you. There was an invisible pull. A tug at the edges of my heart had my feet moving before my brain had time to talk sense in to them. God, I am so fucking glad that I took those steps." Seb takes my breath away as he leans in, swooping down to capture my lips. I immediately follow his direction to taste his kiss.

Seb gently massages my jaw while kissing me fully. He is everywhere. We are so close that I can feel his chest rise to meet my own. I move my arms to pull him closer. The warmth between our bodies sends goosebumps across my skin. We exchange breaths while my toes physically ache from curling in on themselves.

As Seb pulls away, I let my head fall to his shoulder. I sigh in relief from the way his hands smooth over my sides. He softly soothes my goosebumps as his hands trace my flanks.

"I love you Mark. It's overwhelming. This love seems to multiply daily. It becomes all encompassing. There are times when I feel like I will physically bust from the weight of knowing that you are mine." When Seb stops talking, I finally find my voice.

"Thank you." The words are small but not hollow. "Thank you for praying for us. Thank you for taking bold moves. Thank you for fighting all that you have to be here with me. Thank you for bringing me a feeling of completeness, for being you, for giving me us. Thank you Sebastian for holding on when I couldn't see the silver lining. I fell apart during those months without you. I lost hope. You had to be the one that prayed us into existence. Thank you, baby. I am eternally grateful to be in this with you." Our eyes search one another. My heart expands. The truth of everything is, if it was left to my faith, we wouldn't be here. Sebastian is the reason I have everything I never thought to ask for.

Silence becomes comfortable as we sip the white wine. Our bodies sit close to one another. Our hands envelope each other. We both stare at the other with what appears to be contentment.

In truth, I didn't realize that a man could bring me back to life. Yet, here we are, living and shit. My heart is fuller than I ever expected. Sebastian transforms old pain into new beginnings. His love fills spaces that loneliness once occupied. That God above, that he worships, He is alright by me. I don't mind teaching my kids a few things about a deity that would bring Sebastian into my life.