Closed A Home Found Together

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

Every new chapter of Kauri's life had opened new doors, changed things for the better, led to amazing opportunities, and today was going to be no different, he was sure of it. The agony of searching and applying was over, all of the papers were signed and it was finally official. Though he would always love the flat he and Flavio had shared, more space was something they were likely to need down the line, and moving away from the city would be relaxing - fresh air, plenty of space for Miro to play, even room to get a dog. It was time to say goodbye to the place their lives together had started, and move on to the place they would stay for good.

As he packed up the last of his boxes from the kitchen, Kauri could feel the keys to their new home weighing heavy in his pocket, but his other pocket felt all the heavier. He'd spent hours going to different shops and deliberating over the perfect fit before finally settling on the design that felt perfect to him, and now there was nothing to be done but the doing. It wasn't often that he found himself nervous, but glancing over at Flavio, Kauri felt his heart flutter all over again. He sealed his last box and sent it to sit with the others with a flick of his wand before turning to his boyfriend, hoping the nerves didn't show in his face. "You know, I've been thinking about other things we should bring to the new house." He said with what he hoped was a casual smile, trying not to move his hand to his pocket too soon.

 

[Flavio Morales-Tipene]

The last time Flavio moved, it was from a flat he shared with November and Miro into the home he was now leaving, and the overwhelming set of differences and similarities in equal measure between the memories of moving years ago, to that present moment weren't lost on Flavio as he packed pieces of his life in boxes. Once again, he had been sorting life into categories to ship it somewhere else, to another home that hopefully, optimistically (expectedly) was the one he intended to spend the rest of his life in. A home that held the promise of starting a family with Kauri, and of his relationship with Kauri blossoming further into the idea of true love and being with a soulmate that Flavio had always dreamed of and hoped he would find one day. The new home was the manifestation of exactly this, of the happily ever after Flavio had always imagined for himself, even if there had been a few unexpected yet welcomed changes to the timeline of it all.

Still, as promising as it was to purchase a home, the ordeal of doing so hadn't been particularly easy. Flavio had stressed over the process of putting in an offer for a home he and Kauri both loved and the ensuing wait, the dreaded seemingly endless waiting to whether their offer had been accepted. Though everything had since been signed off on and completed, inherently in the past for them as they moved onto the next step of actually moving, Flavio couldn't help but feel the stress linger, feel that he wouldn't entirely believe the home was his, that it was theirs until he and Kauri had packed up everything they owned and finally stepped foot into their forever home.

Flavio therefore was eager to get the ball rolling, and furthermore impatient now that they had finished packing their final few boxes. The last steps to starting the rest of their lives together and beginning the journey that was their future. He closed the last box of Miro's toys and smiled, moving to place it next to the stack of other boxes with Miro's belongings before stepping back, smiling to himself in triumph at the fact everything was done. He placed his hands on his hips and looked over to Kauri, considering Kauri's words for a moment before responding. "I thought we had everything we needed." He mused, brow furrowing slightly as he looked to the various stacks of boxes in the living room. In his meticulous planning and organization as part of the moving process, Flavio had thought they didn't need anything else, at least not until they were settled into their new home. He had to admit he was a little confused by Kauri's suggestion, in case they had forgotten something important.​

 

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

Kauri's heart was thudding against his ribcage as the moment came, a small shiver running through him. He was really going to do this. He knew how hurt Flavio had been when November rejected his proposal, knew that if they were going to take this step he would be the one reaching out. Even if there was no chance in the world of Kauri saying no, he still didn't want Flavio to have to put himself in that vulnerable position again. So he took a shaky breath as he moved closer, grin bright but nervous. "There's one more box, actually."

Kauri fumbled a little pulling the small box from his pocket, but as soon as it was out he sank to one knee, hands trembling slightly as he displayed the ring inside. "I want this to be forever." Kauri could hear the tremble in his voice as he started going through the words he had been planning for months. "I want our home and our family and our future. I know we're on the same page about all of that, and since we're starting this new chapter, it felt like the right time." He smiled fondly, heart racing. "I'm going to love you for the rest of my life, Flavio. So... will you marry me?"

 

[Flavio Morales-Tipene]

It all happened too quickly, yet oddly in slow motion. Flavio's emotions turned from slightly confused and perplexed into complete shock in the space of thirty seconds as he watched Kauri explain they had one more box, as Kauri got onto one knee. It had been a lingering thought in the back of Flavio's mind, a long time dream of his to get married and start a family. As he and Kauri grew closer and Flavio realised he was falling more in love with the other man than he had ever felt before, he had considered what it would be like to marry Kauri, and how happy he would be with rings on each of their fingers to symbolize their commitment for the rest of their lives. It just hadn't been a thought Flavio had considered to be possible, a dream he had been scared to turn into a reality, to propose to Kauri as much as he wanted to. It was an idea he hadn't intended to give too much heart or hope to from fear of being rejected again. He worried that if he asked Kauri only to be rejected, it would hurt tenfold compared to when November had rejected him, and he worried it would be an experience he couldn't recover from. So he had locked it away, tried to focus on the moment and being with Kauri, spending time with the man he loved without anything else getting in the way.

To have Kauri propose instead, or at all for that matter, hadn't been a concept Flavio had considered, and in the moment he was entirely surprised by it. He didn't know how to react, wasn't really processing that the sight in front of him was a reality to begin with. For once, there was hardly a thought, not even a wisp of a thought in his mind as he felt his jaw drop, staring from the ring in the box, to Kauri. He snapped back into himself after a few moments and remembered to breathe, remembered where he was and what was happening. He quickly felt his heart well with happiness and knew entirely what his answer would be as he began to tear up. "Are you sure?" He asked, not really waiting for an answer before he got down to his knees as well, moving one hand to the velvet box and the other to Kauri's cheek. "Of course I will." He responded wholeheartedly before he leant in to kiss Kauri softly. There was no answer for him other than yes, a thousand times yes, and he hoped his response would be enough for Kauri to know this.​

 

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

Although it only took seconds for Flavio to respond, it felt like years to Kauri, knelt with nerves burning in his chest. Of course Flavio would say yes. He would definitely say yes. Things between them were so clear and so certain, there was no way he wouldn't say yes. Still, knowing something and hearing it were two very different things. He choked out a laugh at Flavio's question, nodding quickly. And then he had an answer, and there were soft lips on his. He kissed back eagerly, kissed his fianceé, and his heart could have burst with happiness. He pulled back reluctantly after a moment, still beaming, and fumbled for Flavio's hand. "Here..." He said shakily as he took the ring from its box, hands trembling hard as he slid it onto Flavio's finger, where it belonged.

 

[Flavio Morales-Tipene]

Caught in a whirlwind of tears and happiness after recovering from his initial shock, Flavio was on cloud nine as he kissed Kauri, as he accepted the proposal and promised to marry him and grow old together. Their relationship was so simple and easy after Flavio had gotten over his initial fear of his feelings for Kauri, their interactions and time spent together filled with affection and a certainty that everything would be okay, that they wholeheartedly loved each other. Kauri's proposal, and the ring that went along with it was a real, physical representation of this and Flavio was overwhelmed in the best way, smiling widely and lifting his hand from the velvet ring box so Kauri could slide the ring onto his left ring finger. Flavio looked to his hand for a moment, holding it up into the light and still smiling with tears falling down his face at how happy he was, how wonderful he felt and how that now when he had a chance to think about it, he couldn't imagine Kauri's proposal playing out in any other way.

"I like the ring. It's simple, not too flashy." Flavio mused, pleased that Kauri knew him well enough to choose a ring that was modest. He couldn't imagine himself wearing diamonds, with a ring that sparkled too brightly even without catching the light as many engagement rings did. As much as someone else would have liked such a ring, it wouldn't be in Flavio's taste, and the one Kauri had chosen was so inherently cohesive with Flavio's style he felt even more overwhelmed and in love, if it were possible. His ring and everything about that moment felt perfect, so perfect he wanted to stay forever kneeling on the floor with Kauri, and he never wanted to leave it behind even if he new they had to snap back to reality sooner or later. Their house was packed into boxes but the task remained of actually moving them, of moving into their forever home and allowing all the other aspects of their lives to also fall perfectly into place. Looking back to Kauri, Flavio soon stood up, reaching out his arm and helping Kauri stand, only to bring him into a tight hug a moment later. He wrapped his arms around Kauri and squeezed him tightly. "Thank you." He said softly as he held Kauri, thanking him for being everything he was and more, for every moment they had spent together so far, and for every moment they would have together for the rest of their lives. ​

 

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

Kauri's smile brightened when Flavio approved the ring, his heart still thudding with adrenaline and happiness. This was real, they were engaged. He watched Flavio admiring the ring, opening his mouth to explain how he had gone about choosing the design when a memory hit him. "Oh... I Saw this!" He laughed breathlessly, eyes still locked on Flavio's hand. "I never put it together. Back at school, when I was doing my Seer training, I saw a few flashes of my own future. I remembered, when we first saw the cottage, that it was the one I'd seen, but I didn't realise... it was your hand." He laughed, not even trying to fight it as he teared up a little, taking Flavio's hand as he stood up and fell easily into the embrace. "I saw your hands, I think it was at our wedding. I saw the rings..." He moved back just enough to take Flavio's hand, holding it up to see. The same long tan fingers, the same engagement ring... he hadn't thought much about the half-visions he had had in his teens for a long time, but now... he was living the future he had looked forward to. "I saw Miro too, I think. It was fuzzy, but there was a child with dark hair, playing at the cottage..." He added, gaze a little distant as he thought back to those early visions. At the time he had been fascinated and hopeful, but adulthood had gotten in the way and he had stopped thinking about those visions a long time ago. And while he hadn't been paying attention, they had come true. "I can't believe I forgot. But here we are." He laughed blissfully, pressing a kiss to the ring on Flavio's finger. "Destiny."

 

[Flavio Morales-Tipene]

As much as Flavio knew the moment he was in would soon end, and as much as it needed to end so they could move their life to an entirely new home, what would be their forever home, Flavio still wanted to stay in it for as long as he could. He wanted to make the most of the pure happiness in his heart at Kauri's proposal, the happiness of the promise to marry the proposal meant, and what it would mean for their future. In such a state he didn't want to let Kauri go and wanted to hold Kauri for as long as he could, though he realised he would need to let go sooner or later, allowing Kauri to pull away from their embrace slightly and the warmth of the moment to fade, just enough for Kauri to comment on the ring and his long forgotten visions. Flavio looked to his own hand, to where Kauri's hands were on his own and smiled because he couldn't react any other way, didn't know if he could do anything other than smile at what Kauri was saying to him.

"I guess, it's meant to be." Flavio said definitively, confidently. Though Kauri admitted the visions were fuzzy and he only saw the image of Flavio's hand and the rings, of Miro playing, he almost wished he had known earlier so that he had more guidance, hadn't felt so lonely and lost before he had gotten closer with Kauri. Wished he had realised he was always where he was meant to be, and it was all part of his journey. At the same time he realised knowing the future wouldn't have been the same if he expected it, if he knew the destination his path was taking before walking along it. Not knowing and realizing later that everything felt like destiny was worth the wait, he decided, and as much as he wished he had guidance of knowing the future when things were difficult. Kauri and their future would be worth the wait and worth not knowing, and worth overcoming any obstacles that went along with it.

Keeping an arm around Kauri's shoulders, Flavio pressed a soft kiss to Kauri's forehead, before finally turning his attention to the room around them, almost entirely taken up by stacks of boxes. "Should we start moving, then?" He suggested, feeling evermore impatient to start the rest of their lives now that he knew they would be married. That they would be by each other's side through whatever the future held for them.​

 

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

Kauri didn't think it was possible to smile any wider, tears pricking lightly at his eyes. "I guess it is." He said fondly, unable to help leaning in to give Flavio another quick, slightly sloppy kiss. If he could, he'd just keep kissing his fianceé forever, and it was hard to remember the reasons he should stop. While he had seen this coming technically, he was glad not to have put two and two together until now. However fate actually worked, his journey with Flavio to here had been their own, and he was glad for every step. He laughed fondly when Flavio kissed his forehead, reluctantly looking around when Flavio did. As much as he wanted to stay in this happy bubble forever, there would be plenty of time for all that in their new home, where they could get started on the rest of their lives. "Let's go." He agreed, giving Flavio one more kiss before finally letting go.