"Well done, my love," Grace purred as she stared up into Harrison's handsome face.

He smiled as he tightened his grip on her waist. It was coming to the end of the night and the reunion had gone off without a hitch. Not only had nearly all of their graduating class living in Langley showed up, but even a few who had moved out of town and out of State surprised their fellow students with a visit. Families were also invited which created a joyous atmosphere, filled with laughter and reminiscing.

Grace had no qualms going into tonight. She had made her peace with everyone - well, everyone except for Jessica but she was hardly crying over that - and had enjoyed chatting and reacquainting herself with her fellow classmates.

Of course none of this would have been possible without the love and devotion of one Harrison O'Connor.

They were currently in the middle of the dance floor, swaying to Perfect by Ed Sheeran, eyes only for each other and stealing kisses in between.

The night truly was perfect. She didn't want it to end. She didn't want her time in Langley to end. A frown marred her features as she realized that Amelia and Liam's wedding was next week. She was planning on staying on for the extra two weeks in Langley instead of hightailing out like she had originally planned. But after that, then what?

"Hey," Harrison's voice jerked her out of her troubling thoughts. "Where did you go, baby?"

"Harrison, what's going to happen after my vacation leave ends?" she met his warm gaze, the worry she felt engraved on her. "I love you so much, and I want to be with you." she reaffirmed. "But my life, my work.. It's in San Francisco. How will this work? There's no jobs in my field in any of the towns near here and no openings for anything interesting in the larger cities but-"

"Gracie, Gracie," Harrison gently said. "I know how important your work is, baby. I'm so damn proud of you and I would never ask you to give up such an important position to move back here."

"Then how- ?"

"Remember Coach Holloway? I told you how he got poached by another school. Well, it was for a highschool out in San Diego. I know that's not near where you are, but he has contacts with other coaches in California and he's put the feelers out for a position for me."

Her mouth dropped. "What? Are you serious?"

"Yep, he said he knows a couple of schools looking for coaching staff and he's gonna let me know real soon."

"When?" she pouted.

"Soon," he laughed. "Hey, I've been without you for years. I can wait a couple of weeks or months until we can be living together."

"Living together, huh?" she teased. "Highly presumptuous of you."

"Baby, I'm betraying my hometown and moving to the West Coast for you. You bet your sweet ass I'm gonna have you in my bed every night to make up for it."

She giggled and placed a gentle kiss on his mouth.

"Meanwhile, I was thinking that after your vacation ends I can come out and spend the rest of summer break with you? Hopefully while I'm there Coach will have an answer for me but if not at least I can spend some naked alone time with my girl. You can show me all the sights, convince me why they say that the West Coast is the best Coast."

She squealed and hugged him. "Yes, yes! I would love you to come back with me. Oh, my God!"

He laughed as he spun her around the dance floor.

"And I may be living in California but I will always be an East Coast southern girl at heart. Nothing beats our home State." she said before sombering. "I don't want to waste anymore time. If something comes up anywhere in California I don't care where it is, you take it. I will commute or find a position close by. We will make this work, darling."

"God, I love you, woman." he groaned as he pulled her up again for another searing kiss.

"Baby, please don't cry," Harrison begged, even though his own eyes were welling with tears that were threatening to spill over.

Grace sobbed and buried her head deeper into Harrison's neck, clinging onto him, never wanting to let go.

He pulled back and framed her pained features in his hands.

"I don't want to be apart," she hiccuped.

"Sweetheart, it's only for a few weeks while I finish out my notice. We have the rest of our lives to be together." he reminded her.

She nodded, wiping the tears from her face and giving him a watery smile. "I know, baby."

The following week was filled with last minute wedding prep.

Grace had no idea how Amelia found time to play matchmaker on top of having a wedding to plan for but she was eternally grateful to her friend for strongly encouraging her to give Harrison a chance.

Worryingly, Amelia was so thrilled by their coupling that she had pushed the idea of a double wedding.

"C'mon! It'll be fun. All of our friends and family are invited to the wedding anyway. You'd be killing two birds."

When Liam set appalled eyes at them, Harrison quickly stepped in to diffuse the situation.

"As lovely as that sounds, I haven't even proposed to Gracie yet."

Grace glanced at Amelia, both of them widening their eyes slightly at each other and communicating silently the way only best friends could.

Yet, they both wordlessly said to each other.

"And when that happens," his lips lifted slightly at the strangled yelp the girls made in unison, "I want Grace to have the chance to be as crazy as you are with her wedding plans."

Grace and Amelia were too busy soundlessly smirking and side eyeing each other before they registered the backwards comment.

"Hey!" They both chorused in mock indignation.

"Fine, then just name your first born after me and we shall call it even." Her best friend bargained, eyes glittering excitedly that her grand plan had been so successful.

"Honestly," she confided, "I didn't know how deep your feelings for Harrison went. At the very minimum I knew that you were attracted to him so I hoped that you would at least get a good fuck outta it." She joked. "This went so much better than I thought!"

Amelia and Liam's wedding day went off without a hitch. The day was beautiful, filled with happy tears that the long term couple were finally getting their dream day; and laughter, especially at Harrison's best man speech where he hilariously recounted their roller coaster friendship.

The final two weeks of her time at Langley she had moved in with Harrison, determined to spend every second together. Their families were over the moon that they were a couple and they wasted no time gathering together for dinners. She loved Harrison's Dad and brother and her parents were quick to adopt them into the fold. Unfortunately the consequence of having an over involved family was now Harrison, his Dad and brother were added onto their family group chat.

Harrison at first was excited but after hearing his phone ping all night he took her advice and muted their chat.

"Just check in every now and then with a haha or a hey fam and you're good." She told him.

Sadly, their time in Langley had to come to an end but she was excited to show Harrison her home away from home in San Francisco.

He stayed in her apartment while she worked and in the evenings they cooked, watched TV or went out to dinner. They were like a normal domesticated couple and she loved it. Well, she thought wryly, a domesticated couple that fucked like rabbits. She probably wouldn't show her face to her neighbours for a good year given the amount of loud banging they did. But hey, sometimes you gotta christen all surfaces. At least three times.

On weekends she showed him around her adopted city. She rarely did touristy things anymore so it was nice to get out and see San Francisco and neighbouring cities through the eyes of her man.

The best part, though? Coach Holloway had called Harrison with a job interview for a coaching position at a highschool in Oakland. He nailed it and is starting after Summer break once he works out his notice at Langley High. She was then going to fly back out, have a farewell dinner with their families before leaving with Harrison and starting their lives together. He was still going to keep his house in Langley and would probably rent it out. But for now, he was happy to have Ryan and his dad take care of it until he decided for sure what to do.

"Hey, can you pass me my laptop bag behind you, please?"

She sniffed as she bent down to grab his black bag. "There's nothing in here," she frowned. She turned back to him and gasped, dropping his empty bag at her feet.

"That's why," he stated, amusement written on his face.

Grace lifted shaky hands to her mouth.

Harrison was currently on one knee in front of her, a small black velvet box in his hand.

"Harrison," she whispered, tears springing back into her blue eyes.

"Gracie Linwood, my biggest regret in life is not pulling my head out of my ass as a kid and going after what I wanted. When I think of all the time I've wasted, where we would be in life right now... I kick myself everyday. I know what it's like to be apart from you. From your warmth and your love and I don't want to leave here without securing my place by your side for good. You and me? We're soulmates, baby. Endgame. Forever."

She gave a watery laugh and nodded assuredly. He wasn't getting arguments from her. He was her person, her everything. Spending these last few weeks together, just the two of them, cemented what she already knew.

"So marry me, baby." he stated. "I'm not leaving here until my ring is on your finger and I know without a shadow of a doubt that our story will end with my last name attached to yours and a couple of kids down the line."

She laughed, her lovely face lighting with unreserved happiness.

"Yes, yes!" she shouted. She threw herself at him causing them to crash to the ground. She didn't care. She was too busy covering his face with kisses.

He laughed at her antics before gently pulling her up to sit beside him. He flipped open the box, took out the ring and slid it up her finger, kissing the ring and her finger reverently.

"When did you get this? It's so beautiful!" she exclaimed as she admired the pear shaped diamond halo ring.

"While you were at work." he smiled at her indulgently before checking his watch and grimacing. " I have to go baby," he cuddled her to his side, kissing her soundly as tears streamed down their faces. "I'll FaceTime you as soon as I get home. I wanna see that ring on your finger again, make sure you're truly mine."

"Baby," she kissed him hotly again, sweeping her tongue with his. "This ring is the only thing you're gonna see on me tonight." she promised him with a saucy wink.