musical selection: Dee-Lite|Groove is in the Heart
Pressed for Time
Flash Fiction
On a cold winter morning, just as the sun began to break through the clouds, Cliff woke his lover with the intent of proposing romantically; instead, he sputtered out words incoherently. The morning sunlight crept through their curtains. The wind howled its presence. Cliff’s voice echoed in their hollow bedroom. He began the proposal in a whisper — a perfectly pitched whisper.
“Dale. Dale, my love. Wake up! I’ve got something on my mind. Well . . . I want to tell you something. Well, not tell you, but ask you. Dale, love, open your eyes.”
His wiry hair flopped across his forehead, he pressed it back with two fingers and began a heart-crushing display of confession.
“I see . . . You’re up. Good. Okay, okay. I can do this. I am usually not at a loss for words, but you do this to me. You skin me, break me down, and turn me into a puddle of emotion. I am always nervous around you, yet I am always safe. You make me happy. You give my life meaning. You understand my oddness and love me for this mess of a man I am . . .”
He pulled a ring from his pajama bottoms' pocket and presented it to Dale. His hands were shaking and his voice trailed off as tears formed in his eyes. He kissed Dale on his anticipating lips — lingering longer than necessary.
“I want nothing more than to embrace your beauty every single day of my life and live happily with you. I am not perfect. I know I’m one of the toughest people to love, but you’ve managed to do just that. See . . . Let’s see, what else should I say? Dale, marry me. Would you do me that honor? I mean . . . If you need time — "
Dale was awake. His eyes focused on the shrewd and aged man before him. He pursed his lips together to summon the words to his mouth, and he sighed a great sigh before speaking.
*SIGH*
“Cliff, honey. If you ever thought there’d be a No as an answer to this question, then you don’t know me at all. Yes, you silly man, you! Yes!”
A normal (by society’s standards) couple would have embraced at that moment. They would have kissed to properly seal the deal. However, Cliff and Dale are not that couple. Cliff immediately prompted Dale to get up and get out of bed so he could make it. He flailed about the room, ecstatic, yet relieved. He ran from one end of their loft to another and had to be calmed down and brought back to Earth by Dale.
“Cliff, honey. CLIFF! Come here.”
Cliff lowered his gaze to Dale. He stopped his romping around the room. He slowly approached his recently crowned fianceé and stood at attention. The slow buzz of their alarm clock threatened to shout the “get up" hour.
“Slow down. Today, we will enjoy this moment. You just proposed to me. I said Yes. Order and purpose will be placed on a temporary pause. We are going to enjoy this and we will do so in style, my love.”
Cliff floundered for the right words. He pulled at his hair and twisted his fingers. He was going to have a life with the man he loved — a full life — forever. The alarm buzzed at exactly 09:00 am — Cliff shot into action.
“Yes! We must celebrate! There’s so much to do. So many people to call. Where will we have the wedding? Oh God, the reception?! Who will we invite? What will be our theme?”
Dale shook his head and retreated back to bed. He had no worries regarding their upcoming nuptials. After all, he was going to marry the best wedding planner in the Tri-State area. He tapped the empty space beside him and called his sagacious lover to his side. With the alarm still blaring its incessant tune, he managed to utter his plea.
“Cliff, I have a different kind of celebration in mind, honey.”
Dale leaned over towards the alarm clock and hit snooze.
©2020 Tremaine L. Loadholt
This story is part of the Prism & Pen fiction challenge, hosted on Crossin(G)enres. This week’s theme is ‘Kiss Me, You Fool!’
