Being home again was so surreal. 

Aside from minor adjustments, not much had changed since Marshall left: the red planks outside of the house still had thriving vines cascading down their lengths in spindly shapes; a lone outdoor swing was still situated a few feet away from a glowing porch light; the small bird's nest on the upper level was still sitting, snug, right below a tall window.

And the smell-

God, that delectable smell.

One of apples and cinnamon remained triumphant, of course. Beneath it, though, several other comforting scents from different sources marked themselves into a shared territory. 

The kitchen had a sweet fragrance clinging to the oven where a batch of custard cups had recently been made. The wooden table in the dining room smelled a bit like a savory, expensive type of beef; either Kobe or Wagyu. A salty scent of popcorn, mixed with the aroma of fresh Sangria, was picked up from the longer couch sectional. A change in detergent made throw blankets give off a strong smell of citrus. Although he wasn't close by at the moment, Brad's signature vanilla cologne was etched into a certain wolf statue near the television.

They all shed light on tiny individual snippets of life going on within a two-floored house.

Once Marshall and Paul entered, their specific scents of sweet copper, musk, and bergamot permeated into every surface around them.

The door was shut blindly, their attention kept on a heated kiss that began as soon as the metal knob was unlocked. Shoes were kicked off in a haphazard manner, accidentally knocking into a few others and overturning them. Keys were tossed onto a free portion of the nearest counter. Outerwear was thrown onto the couch, falling onto the carpet in an unorganized heap.

Marshall laughed as he was hoisted up into a bridal carry. He shivered in response to his partner's natural heat increasing ever so slightly. Beneath his careful touch, goosebumps began to frolic along beautiful tan skin. Light hairs stood on end like an army of soldiers rising to attention. They were soft to touch; and that same pleasant, malleable nature could also be felt when snaking a hand into a forest of short brunet hair. 

Paul let out a quiet gasp when slender fingers threaded themselves into his strands, gently taking root behind his head.

Marshall didn't initiate any type of rough play like pulling or further tightening his grasp. Instead, he simply took joy in the feel of having his partner in his hold again.

Each kiss pressed against his lips made him ravenous for more. He felt like a bee who had just found a wonderful flower filled to the brim with sweet nectar. Suckling to get his fill could only be described as addictive. No matter how much he took, it wasn't enough to satiate his appetite. He needed more, more, more—whatever Paul was capable of giving. Marshall wanted to take it all and feed the greed which had been dormant, brewing within him up until this very moment.

Having those strong hands grab and caress his flesh with reckless abandon after such a long time of being apart felt so right. More than ever.

Before his departure, Marshall had been overwhelmed by his newfound attachment with Paul. The Forever Bond was described as a more intense, more captivating connection than that of a normal imprint bond. Hearing about the ordeal and experiencing it for oneself were two completely different things. Because, in Marshall's case, he himself hadn't known what imprinting felt like when his relationship first began. He didn't know what life had in store for him—only that he'd found his soulmate in an unlikely companion. Together, they'd learned, grew, and loved with everything they had. But Marshall, still in search of who he truly was as a person, never thought he was being as honest as he could be.

Then, his breakdown happened. And he saw, for the first time, what his future with Paul would actually entail. He saw how much the world around them would change, while they would forever remain together.

It scared him.

Now, however...with Marshall having finally unraveled his tightest knots, he could openly admit how worthy he was of having this profound attachment. He could admit how he was the perfect match for Paul and vice versa. He could admit, with every future uncertainty to come, they would be able to come out on top as long as they could brave every violent storm together. No matter how ferocious, ugly, or unyielding things would seem.

To think he'd ran away from such a blessing out of fear of not being good enough.

Marshall had always been so. He was just too lost to truly see his value.

Upon falling into bed together, Marshall climbed onto Paul's lap and pulled him even closer. Their foreheads rested against one another. Two hearts, one silent and one singing, embraced each other as their chests touched.

"I've missed this, Tiger. I've missed you." Marshall released a shaky sigh. "I would say you have no idea how much, but I know I'd be wrong. If you were feeling as much as I was...you know how awful it was to stay away."

"I do know. All things considered, though, it was worth it. To see you smiling like this- oh, baby, it was worth it."

Paul took in a long inhale so he could stain his nasal passage with his husband's scent. He was tempted to lean forward and claim another kiss for the pleasure of having his breath, his very essence, swirling within the confines of the beautiful body perched atop his lap. To brand himself along every inch of Marshall's person, both inside and out, would certainly be a blessing.

His divine form, that ethereal voice, those immaculate, angelic laughs—Marshall could only be described as a living God with how breathtaking he was in his own skin.

"I've dreamt of this for so long, Marshmallow. Having you in my arms again. Feeling your body against me. Seeing that bright, gorgeous light in your eyes when you look at me like you've got the entire world in your palm. You've never looked so..."

Marshall raised a single eyebrow in a playful manner. "Different?"

"Whole."

"Well, to be fair, before, I wasn't," he admitted, brushing their noses together. "I had my shackles. My tethers. My bindings. I had a lot of really bad baggage that I couldn't get rid of no matter what I did. I was stuck in a constant loop of tearing myself apart for a cause with no real ending. And then, in the end, I realized my biggest wall keeping me from greatness was myself. It was my fears. My grief. My self hatred. It was years worth of poison conditioned into me that could only be expelled once I understood why it was actually there in the first place. 

"I realized, in order to move on, I had to face up to my biggest mistakes and regrets. I didn't have to kill off the part of myself which ached and bled and pleaded for a different life. I had to acknowledge it, hold it, and learn to coexist with it. I had to forgive myself for the things I couldn't change or achieve. And as soon as I started to do so, I felt like my lungs could actually expand for once. I felt like I could see clearer- like I could hear the world without cotton plugging into my ears.

"I realized, with everything that's gone on in my life, I'm exactly where I was always meant to be. And it got me thinking..."

Marshall pulled back so he could stare directly into a pair of shimmering brown eyes.

"There's one thing I need to do for me to really own the person I am now."

A hand reached down toward his back pocket. When putting up his palm, he presented a small black box. Velvet fabric was fuzzy against his skin, and the color contrasted greatly with his pale complexion, somehow further cementing the reality of their situation.

Paul glanced down at the closed box before bringing his attention up again.

Marshall used his free hand to cup his husband's cheek. "I fall for you every single time your eyes meet mine. Whenever I'm given an opportunity to caress your face, to feel the shape of your jaw as it rests in my palm, to experience your warmth as it travels with every blessed pump of that beautiful heart of yours...I know, in all those moments, I am holding the world in my hands. I'm holding a blissful eternity that offers an unwavering promise of pure, genuine, complete love.

"To be honest, I feel like 'I love you' doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of how deep my emotions run for you. But it's a place to start. It gives me a chance to show how- how strong and intense you make me feel. I'm becoming more of an action-over-words type of man, Tiger, and I'd be honored to prove just how devoted I am to you. Today, tomorrow, and for the rest of eternity."

The black box was opened. Inside, a white-golden band was waiting. In its center, a pair of golden outstretched wings were engraved into the metal, surrounding a champagne-colored, oval-shaped diamond.

Paul's lips parted in astonishment.

When he looked up to stare into his lover's eyes again, his own were full of unshed tears.

Marshall put forth the softest, most tender expression he could summon. 

"I've faced a lot of darkness. Yet, you've shown me how beautiful life can be. And you've proven, time and time again, that I'm more than worthy, more than capable, of experiencing such beauty. How I can be the cause, or even the creator, of things so amazing, they can make even the brightest stars seem bleak.

"You took my hand when I was at my worst. When I was unable to move forward. You found radiance within me when all I could ever see was something monstrous. Something to be hidden away. Now, as I'm finally on the right track of being the man I've always wanted to be, I want to ask if you'll take me again. If you'll hold me, cradling me within your heart, the way I swear to do so for you for the rest of forever.

"So, what I'm getting at is...will you marry me, Paul?"

For a moment, he didn't answer.

Paul was stunned into silence, aside from an occasional sniffle he couldn't stop. 

His hands shielded the bottom half of his face. He partially covered a cute redness blossoming from his cheeks all the way down to his chest. A series of fast blinks caused his tears to fall.

Marshall wiped them away with the soft pad of his thumb.

He smiled like he'd just found the greatest, most priceless treasure to ever be seen.

Paul melted when understanding he was the one being regarded as a precious memento capable of allowing his husband to shine brighter than a million stars.

Oh, how they adored each other. So fully. So completely.

"Marshmallow..." Paul answered, his voice trembling. "How did I ever get so lucky to be with you?"

"Simple- you exist. That's all you need to do," Marshall responded with absolute confidence. "So, what do you say, baby? You ready to start another new chapter in our lives?"

"Honey..." Paul's laugh came out as a light sob. "Yes. A thousand times, sweetheart, yes!"

Shared laughter was muffled after pressing excited kisses against their lips again. A salty taste lingered because of Paul's tears, his heartfelt reaction dripping into their physical declaration of unbridled affection. His heartbeat picked up, thumping erratically like the butterfly wings flapping freely in his stomach.

Marshall slipped the new piece of jewelry onto Paul's finger, directly above his original wedding band and promise ring. 

Something else tying them together.

"Baby, if we keep getting married like this, I'm going to run out of space."

"That's okay. If you understand how much I love you, it doesn't matter if the keepsakes are there to let other people know. If it were up to me, I'd marry you every day for the rest of our lives."

"And I'd say yes every time."