Chapter 72: Finally Ask Me To Marry Him

Chapter 72: Chapter 72: Finally Ask Me To Marry Him

The soft acoustic chords of Ed Sheeran’s "Perfect" began playing through the room’s built-in speakers.

Just then, there was a knock at the bedroom door.

Henry blinked and sat up. "I’ll get it."

Elisha nodded, a small, excited smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Okay."

Henry walked across the room and opened the bedroom door, expecting to find one of the maids.

Instead, he froze.

The first thing Henry saw was a large, beautiful bouquet held by one of the people standing outside. Two others stood beside them, each holding another elegant bouquet. Behind them, another person was recording the moment, while the fifth person stood with the enormous teddy bear Elisha had prepared for him.

Henry stared at them in confusion before his attention shifted to the large bouquet in front of him.

Something among the flowers caught his eye.

A framed photograph was nestled carefully in the center of the bouquet, with a small card attached beneath it. The handwritten words read:

Will you grow old with me and be mine forever, Henry?

Henry’s breath caught as he looked closer.

It was a picture of him and Elisha from seventeen years ago, back when they were just little boys. In the photograph, Elisha was down on one knee, holding out a small bouquet to Henry while Henry stood in front of him with a shy smile. It was a simple moment between two children, but that was the day they made their childish promise that they would marry each other when they grew up.

Victoria had taken the picture that day, capturing the two boys in a sweet childhood moment, completely unaware of what the future would bring.

Henry’s hands slowly rose to cover his mouth as tears rolled down his cheeks. He quickly walked back toward Elisha. By the time he reached him, Elisha was already down on one knee.

Henry stared at him, unable to believe what was happening. He was completely surprised and overwhelmed by the moment.

Elisha reached out and gently took Henry’s trembling hands.

"Henry," he began softly, "seventeen years ago, when we were just kids, we were only playing and pretending to be husband and wife. We made a childish promise that we would marry each other when we grew up. Back then, we were just children. We didn’t understand what the future would look like or whether that promise could ever come true. But even then, I already knew you were someone very special to me."

He looked into Henry’s tear-filled eyes. "And now, seventeen years later, I’m here on my knees to keep that promise."

Elisha smiled. "Pretty, I’ve always called you that since we were little because, to me, you’ve always been the most beautiful person I’ve ever known. And I don’t mean just because of how you look. It’s because of the person you are. You’ve been my best friend for most of my life, the person who knows me better than anyone else, and the person I want beside me for the rest of my life."

Henry looked into his eyes, his gaze filled with love.

His voice softened. "I want to wake up beside you, grow old with you, and spend every day making you as happy as you’ve made me. I want you to be my husband, my partner, and the person I come home to for the rest of my life."

He gently squeezed Henry’s hands.

"Henry Griffin, will you marry Elisha Edmund and be my partner forever?"

Henry could barely speak. Tears filled his eyes as he nodded repeatedly, overwhelmed by the moment. "Yes," he finally whispered.

His voice broke as he smiled through his tears.

"Yes. Yes, I will marry you!"

Henry dropped to his knees in front of Elisha, unable to hold back his tears any longer.

Elisha opened the velvet ring box and gently slipped the ring onto Henry’s finger. The moment it was in place, Henry threw his arms around Elisha’s neck, burying his face in his shoulder as he cried happily.

Elisha stood and pulled Henry into his arms, holding him tightly against his chest as Henry continued to cry into his shoulder.

"I thought you would never ask me," Henry said through his tears, a small laugh escaping him.

As "Perfect" played softly in the background, Elisha pressed a kiss to Henry’s hair.

"Why wouldn’t I ask you?" he whispered. "I told you I would make you happy for the rest of our lives. Thank you for saying yes, my love."

Henry pulled back slightly and wiped away his tears. He glanced toward the bedroom entrance, where the people holding the bouquets were still standing, and looked at the beautiful flowers in front of him.

"Did you plan all of this?"

Elisha smiled. "Yes, do you love it? It’s nothing too grand, but I wanted to do something special for you."

"I love it," Henry said immediately, his voice thick with emotion. "I was really surprised. I wasn’t expecting any of this."

Elisha smiled and stepped aside as Vanessa and the rest of her crew carried the large bouquets farther into the room.

Then Henry’s eyes finally landed on the enormous teddy bear.

His eyes widened as it was carried into the room, its size almost comical compared to the people carrying it.

His face lit up immediately. "You got me a bigger teddy bear?"

He quickly moved toward it, smiling as the crew carefully placed everything down.

Once Vanessa and her crew had finished setting everything up, Elisha walked over to them.

"Thank you, Vanessa. You guys did an amazing job. I’ll contact you later about the rest."

"Alright, Elisha. Congratulations," Vanessa replied with a warm smile.

"Thank you, Vanessa," Elisha said with a smile.

She gave a final nod and gestured for the others to follow her. They stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind them.

The moment the door shut, Henry ran back to Elisha and threw his arms around him, pulling him into a kiss.

"I love it so much. Thank you, heartbeat," Henry whispered when they parted.

"You don’t have to thank me, pretty," Elisha replied, gently cupping his face. "It’s something I wanted to do for you. No matter how quickly our wedding is being arranged, you deserve this."

Henry smiled and turned back toward the flowers. He walked over to the main arrangement and picked up the small card attached to it. His eyes moved over the handwritten words.

Will you marry me, my pretty angel?

Henry smiled as he read the words again. Then he noticed another card beside the photograph.

"Wait... there was another card before this one, wasn’t there?"

Elisha smiled. "I told Vanessa to put that one first and this one next."

A soft, happy laugh escaped Henry as he gently ran his fingers over the framed childhood photograph beside the card, touched by the sweet memory and everything Elisha had planned for him.

He turned back to Elisha, a playful, wicked glint flashing in his eyes. With a slow, deliberate movement, Henry untied the sash of the oversized loungewear robe he was wearing and let the fabric slide off his shoulders. It pooled softly on the floor as he stood completely bare in front of Elisha, striking a confident, teasing pose.

"My heartbeat ... do you like what you’re seeing?" Henry purred, biting his lower lip.

Elisha’s dark eyes swept slowly down Henry’s body. His breath hitched. He dragged his tongue across his lips, his voice dropping into a rough, hungry rasp.

"I love it."

A triumphant smirk curved Henry’s mouth. He turned on his heel, walked back to the king-sized bed, and climbed onto the mattress. Settling in the middle, he looked straight at Elisha with a come-hither gaze and patted the duvet beside him.

"Come get it, then."

That was all the invitation Elisha needed.

A low growl ripped from his chest. He didn’t just walk—he lunged, crawling across the mattress with the speed and intensity of a predator closing in on its prey. In a heartbeat he covered the distance, looming over Henry like a shadow.

Henry laughed breathily and leaned back against the pillows. He slowly raised his legs, hooked them over Elisha’s broad shoulders, and spread them wide, offering himself completely.

"Come on," Henry whispered, voice dripping with raw, filthy temptation as his hips arched up. "Make me cum in your mouth... suck me, daddy."

The words snapped the last of Elisha’s restraint. His eyes flashed with dark, primal heat. He surged forward with fierce urgency and crashed down between Henry’s legs to claim what was his.