Those Who Forget the Words

The San Francisco air was a crisp 44°F, the sky covered in grey clouds and the streets filled with Christmas lights. It was a late night mid December, a huge Christmas tree, in Francisco Union Square, lit up the streets. While the street was normally illuminated by the yellowish colors of the street lamps and office buildings, tonight was lit by the warm colors of red, green, white, with hints of purple and blue. Around the tree was a small ice skating rink where couples, friends, and families would gather under the lights while joyful Christmas music played. While Mason may not celebrate Christmas, he still enjoys going out and looking at the lights. The very streets he’s wondered many times but always feels like a new area with the Christmas spirit. 

Mason, a tall and slim man, reaches 6’1 for only being 24. His body looms over almost everything but despite his height he is beyond frightening. His pale face covered in freckles is outlined by his dark brown curls. His coffee eyes almost blend in with the hair he has along his forehead. While his normal clothing is often relaxed, tonight he wears a long tan coat with black gloves and jeans, that is topped off with a red beanie on his head. Around his neck hangs a Star of David necklace his grandparents gifted him when he was just a boy. 

Next to him is a shorter man, named Tazer, a name he does not like to mention but has grown to like due to how Mason says it. He reaches 5’8 at 23, just recently turning 23 as well. His dirty blonde hair gives the sensation of clean and messy at the very same time. Having a wolfcut mullet type style that hangs down to his shoulders, which often gets him mistaken for a woman. The cold of the night causes his already pale skin to have an undertone of blue that mixes in with his eyebags that add the sensation of purple. Often a major insecurity of his for his ocean blue eyes only accentuate the circles under his eyes. Tonight he wears his common clothing, a white hoodie with a black baggy t-shirt overtop and black ripped jeans. He was never someone who enjoyed the idea of dressing nice. He also grew up in Colorado so he’s used to colder weather than this, which explains his lack of warmer layers. Around his neck he wears his boyfriend’s scarf. 

The two have been together for around three to four years. They can barely grasp the fact that their young love has lasted for so long and tonight was the night Mason made sure their love lasts forever. Mason had been planning to propose for many months now but he was always too nervous to. With his personality consumed around the idea of perfection, he has gone through multiple ideas and has finally set himself on one for tonight. Mason has spent almost all day dragging Tazer around town to make this day as special as possible. Though he didn't take into account that his boyfriend doesn't like walking, so this date has been a long list of his boyfriend’s complaining.

“Does Pinecrest Diner sound good for dinner?” Mason asks, his breath causes a small frost out of his mouth that makes it seem like he was smoking. 

“Mason, we’ve been going and going all day…” Tazer continues his complaining. “Why don't we just go home, turn on a movie and order take out somewhere. Or better yet, you can cook something. Maybe your Chicken Alfredo cause that's always really good.” 

“No…” Mason whines. “Don’t you want to go somewhere decently nice?”

“Fancy food is the size of my palm for it to cost 100 bucks and taste like cardboard. If we eat out we’re getting, like, Denny’s or something.”

Mason lets out a soft sigh of defeat before saying, “Fine… We’ll eat at home.” Tazer lets out a small sound of success before Mason continues, “But, we have one more place to go.”

“We’ve been everywhere, Mason.”

“Just one more place. I promise. Afterwards we’ll go home.”

Fort Funston. A beach that runs along the Pacific Ocean. With green grass and patches of sand along the water. The water is usually a magnificent blue, alas at night, it's almost pitch black with hits of lights from the stars reflecting off it. The moon illuminates the water in a white line that is rippled by the water surface. Mason’s parents would always tell him it was a path that led to gorgeous things and he always believed it. 

“Why are we at the beach in the middle of December?” Tazer asks as he shuts the car door behind him. 

“Exactly, the middle of December. No one will be here. Lets go sit on the sand together.” Mason staggers down the sand path down to the water, Tazer follows close behind trying not to slip under falling sand.

“You've been acting weird all day, what's up with you?”

Mason takes a deep breath. “Actually, I’ve been thinking recently, Tazer.” He turns around to face Tazer. Mason has a knack for acting cheesy due to thinking it’s cute, but he didn't truly plan out this little skit. “I’ve been thinking that… Maybe you don’t make a good boyfriend, b-”

Before Mason’s gets the chance to even finish his sentence, he’s immediately cut off by his boyfriend, “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Tazer’s voice is filled with both anger and fear. 

“Now you didn’t let me-”

“Not a good boyfriend? Are you dumping me? Is this like some kind of sick joke of taking me on one last date before you break it off with me?” Tazer’s voice starts to swell as he holds back tears. “I understand not all young romances don't last but I thought we were different. We’ve made it this far and you are just now going to decide to break it off?”

Tazer starts to spiral and his rambling becomes quicker, he's almost gasping for air after each sentence. Mason repeats his name but he does not stop going. After a while, he grabs Tazer by the shoulders and gives him a small shake, “Tazer! That’s not where this is going.”

“What else is ‘not a good boyfriend’ supposed to mean then!?” tears formed in the corners of his eyes.

“It was a line I saw someone use on instagram… I thought it was cute and wanted to use it but you cut me off before I could say it. The full line is, ‘I don't think you make a good boyfriend, but I think you’ll make a great husband.’”

Tazer stands there in confusion. “What?” Is the only word he can slip out.

“Tazer, you mean the world to me. You've been with me through thick and thin. You always know how to make me smile and brighten my day. You try your best to always make me happy when I'm down and you've always been by my side even when I'm having an anxiety attack. If you failed to know anything you would try your best to learn for my sake. I’ve never felt so emotionally and physically attached to someone before. As a kid I thought I was never gonna feel like this to someone but then I met you. You proved my doubts wrong, you proved that love can be found at any age. Hell, we’ve been dating for, like, eight years! Isn't that so impressive to you? I think it's incredible and I would love to spend the rest of my life with you. So… ” Mason takes both his hands off Tazer’s shoulders and puts one hand into his coat pocket and pulls out a small box. He slowly goes down on one knee and opens the box to show a silver ring, nothing too blingy but still nice enough to look decent. Tazer never had a thing for expensive things. “Tazer Parks, will you marry me?”

Tazer’s face is distraught with tears running down his cheeks. Still trying to process what just happened. His breathing slowly turns into a small laugh and a soft smile appears along his face, tears still streaming. “For being valedictorian, you are so stupid sometimes.” The trembling in his voice has died down.

Mason slowly stands up and embraces Tazer within his arms. Tazer digs his head into Mason’s shoulder and embraces him back. His tears swell up and drip onto Mason’s jacket. “Is that a yes?” Mason whispers. Tazer slowly nods into his shoulder and lets out another small laugh. Mason laughs as well as he pulls away and grabs Tazer’s left hand and slips the ring on his finger. “This did not go the way I planned but it worked out in the end, at least.”

“Yeah, who starts a proposal off with ‘I think you're a bad boyfriend.’” Tazer mocks Mason’s voice. He seems to still salty over that comment. 

Mason laughs, “Yeah, now that I see how it played out it wasn't the best idea.”

“It wasn’t, but I love you anyways.”

“I love you too.” Mason smiled as he puts both hands on Tazer’s cheek and the two shared a longing kiss.