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Crash and Burn

Chapter Twenty-Three

Epilogue

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Logan leant up against the white wooden wall of the pavilion, strumming on his guitar idly. It was a cloudy day today with random bursts of sunlight, unlike the last time we'd been here when it had been pouring with rain. Just like last time, we both had a PB&J sandwich. We'd made quite a habit of coming out here these past months. It was nice to come out here once a month or so and just relax. The park was almost always deserted, so no one came to bother either of them.

I was lying on my belly on the picnic rug, pen in hand as I read through notes on the dissection I'd just done in university, making little notations every so often and highlighting when needed. I took absent bites of the PB&J sandwich every so often, savouring the taste. I refused to have them outside of this day nowadays. It was stupid and couple-ish but I didn't care.

The sound coming from Logan's guitar changed from idle strumming to the sounds of an actual song that was familiar. I stopped writing, frowning as I tried to place the tune.

He started humming, just softly, and I bit my lip as I tried to place the song.

Gently, he crooned, "And I'm free, free falling, falling."

I glanced up and saw him stared at me. As soon as I met his eyes, I blushed bright red right down to my toes.

"Shut up," I mumbled. "You're being so corny."

Logan smirked and changed up the strumming, starting on another song, leaving the John Mayer one behind. This one was slightly faster paced and I didn't have much time to try and place it because he began singing almost immediately.

"Her eyes, her eyes, make the stars look like they're not shining. Her hair, her hair, falls perfectly without her trying. And she's so beautiful, and I tell her every day."
"Oh, my god, stop," I hissed, throwing my pen at him. His beautiful voice, directed solely at me, was sending tendrils of warmth throughout my body, making my heart race and my stomach clench.

This was all supposed to die down after six months of dating.

He ducked to miss the pen and it jarred his strumming. He stood up and began strumming again, moving towards me slowly. Warily, I sat up onto my knees, so I was resting on my ankles. As he strolled towards me, his fingers began plucking out more complex sounds and I went completely still as I recognised the song.

Almost instantly, I was transported back to that day at school and god, had I ever been that young? I remembered sitting on the grass next to Mel and Zach, staring up at the stage that Logan and his band was performing on. The afternoon sun had been hot, I remembered the sweat dripping down the length of my back underneath my blouse and the grass poking through my jeans. And then I'd forgotten all of it as Logan had begun singing the same song as he was strumming now, and I'd realised what had been in front of my face the entire time – Logan was in love with me and had been for years.

It no longer mattered that him singing to me was corny or embarrassing. I smiled up at him, still reminiscing, as he sung, "Here I go, scream my lungs out and try to get to you, you are my only one. I let go, there's just no one that gets me like you do. You are my only, my only one."

He hummed the rest of the song, occasionally singing softly in parts as he knelt down in front of me. I was transfixed, utterly mesmerised by the look in his silver eyes and the smooth quality of his voice. I took me a moment to realise that he'd stopped singing and strumming, the last sounds fading off. He placed his guitar on the ground and reached into the pocket of his jacket, withdrawing a small black box.

My heart stopped.

My eyes were transfixed on that tiny box for a moment before they flew up to meet his eyes. Logan was staring right at me, completely serious, eyes intent on mine. I could feel him staring straight through me, like he knew every inch of me, inside and out. And he did.

I opened my mouth but no sounds came out. I wasn't sure if I was even breathing.

"Regan," he said softly, voice catching. "Will… will you marry me?"

I couldn't make myself move. He flicked open the box and there, nestled in the dark velvet, was the most perfect ring I'd ever seen. It wasn't too big or ostentatious – Logan had somehow managed to find the perfect size. It was simple, too – only one diamond set into a gold band. Simple, yet utterly beautiful to me and it held me spellbound.

"Ah… Regan? Is that a yes?" Logan asked, voice breaking. "You've kind of left me hanging here."

That jolted me into action.

"Of course it's a yes!" I cried, lunging forward and wrapping my arms around him so forcefully we fell backwards onto the rug. Logan landed with an oof and had no time to recover as I kissed him over and over, murmuring 'yes' again and again. I felt like I couldn't say it enough and that nothing I said could encapsulate the feeling of utter joy bubbling up within me. The entire world brightened and narrowed, until all I saw was Logan.

My fiancé.

After everything, all those years of feeling every emotion under the sun about this man in front of me, and we were here.

He was everything to me.

How could I say anything but yes?

The End

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A/N: Oh my god this is actually happening. After four years and huge stretches with no updates, I am finally finished. And all of this because my two amazing friends, castiel89 and Mr Ree wouldn't stop bugging me about updates for this story. If it weren't for them, I would've dropped this a long time ago. But I'm done! And it feels incredible! And saddening… but mainly incredible!

I thought really hard about this ending and I hope it wasn't too sudden or abrupt. Please tell me if it is, as I have a habit of just dropping a story when I'm close to finishing.

Thanks to all the lovely reviewers who supported me along the way! You were also a major part of me keeping on going with this story, even though I first started NSCH seven blemmin' years ago. Gawd, I was young.