The prompts I chose are: "Did I ever really matter to you?", and "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I'm so happy I can finally call you my fiancée".

Warnings: none

"So this is him?", your fiancé asked as you entered your apartment, Aethelred behind you.

You could see the pain in his face as he stood in the entrance hall, probably waiting for you to arrive.

"That's why you didn't answer", he added, nodding as he referred to the calls and texts you had received from him.

You nodded your head as your eyes fell to the floor, and you could already feel the tears that started to well in your eyes.

Aethelred was silent when he took your hand, his thumb caressing the back of it soothingly.

It was silent for a long time before your fiancé found the strength to speak, which neither you nor Aethelred were capable of.

"That's it, then", he whispered softly and when you looked up at him you saw realization in his his face as he smiled bitterly.

"I'm sorry", you whispered back, your voice thin and airy.

You let go of Aethelred's hand to fumble with fingers, pulling the engagement ring you grew so used to wearing off and making a few steps towards the man you had shared the last couple of years with.

"I know", he answered you as he stretched out his hand to take the engagement ring from you.

"I love him", you tried to give an explanation, but your fiancé cut you off by caressing your cheek while giving you a sad and tired smile.

"And I you. But that's okay... I'll get over it eventually", he said as he moved from you to Aethelred, stopping in front of him.

"I hope you can do better than me", he said, his voice void of any emotions as he raised the hand with the ring in it, handing it to Aethelred and nodding at him.

"You're the one she always wanted after all", he continued before leaving the room.

You moved to grab some things you needed to stay at Aethelred's hotel room, and when you finished you saw your fiancé watching you.

He wasn't crying, but he looked far too devastated to do so.

"Did I ever really matter to you?", he asked as you stepped out of the door into the night air.

"I... yes, of course", you answered as you turned around to face him, Aethelred moving further along the street to give you some privacy.

"Of course. I love you!", you said as you moved towards your fiancé to put a hand on his cheek.

"I love you, but I can't love you the way you'd want me to", you explained and he nodded, his eyes dropping to the ground so he wouldn't have to look at you.

"Thank you, for everything. For caring for me, helping me, loving me, and for letting me go", you said as you leaned in to press a kiss to his cheek, a tear falling down your own as you did so.

Years went by and it had been the last time you had ever spoken to your by now ex boyfriend.

It had been a clean cut, and though you had missed him sometimes your relationship with Aethelred brought new life to you.

You were so happy together, you were living at his loft in the city his business was located in, much to the dislike of your family and friends who stayed where you had lived all these years, and who were still in contact with your ex.

They preferred him over Aethelred, but you didn't mind it, you were happy with Aethelred.

You were living with him, studying while he was working, and the both of you were more than happy with the life you were leading.

After over two and a half years during which you didn't go back to the place you had grown up in once Aethelred asked you to go there for vacation.

You agreed quickly, because you missed your family.

Though they were happy to see you the atmosphere in the room grew uneasy when Aethelred entered.

You had tried to prepare both your family and Aethelred for the reunion, explaining to your family that it wasn't Aethelred who had left you but you who had stayed, and to Aethelred that your family was stubborn without reason.

He had only chuckled, probably not believing that they could be this angry at him.

The lunch you had scheduled with your family went well, except for a few angry comments your parents made, which you hoped Aethelred would ignore.

After you helped your mother clean the table and the dishes you left, your father suddenly seeming more accepting towards Aethelred, even shaking his hand as a goodbye.

It confused you, but Aethelred only smiled at you, putting a hand on the small of your back as he led you down the street.

When you arrived at your café Aethelred and you went in to order some coffee to go, but when Aethelred asked for a black coffee for you you shook your head softly.

You ordered the coffee you had always ordered when the two of you were still together, and the wide smile on Aethelred's face made you smile as well.

When Aethelred took your hand and led you to the stairs leading to the subway you frowned, looking up at him questioningly.

"What are we...?", you asked him but he interrupted you.

"Please just come with me, love", he asked you and when you nodded he squeezed your hand, setting a kiss on your forehead.

He led you to the place he had brought you before the two of you had gotten back together, and you immediately remembered the rush of emotions you had felt that day, and the desperate kiss you had shared.

"I love you", said Aethelred as he turned to face you after setting his cup of coffee on a bench beside you.

You chuckled, about to answer that you already knew that when he shushed you softly, setting a finger on your lips.

"I love you, and as you might know already leaving you here when I went to help Alfie was the biggest mistake I made in my life", he continued and a shiver ran down your spine when you realized what he was about to do.

"I realized I never want to live without, and I brought you here because this place is so special to me, this is the place where I got you back", he smiled and you nodded quickly, a smile settling on your face as well.

"I thank your ex every day for letting you go, and God for the fact that you loved me enough to return to me", he went on and you reached your free hand out to hold one of his.

You heard the voice of a woman announce that the next tube was arriving over speaker, but all your attention lay on Aethelred.

He looked up as the metro arrived, nodding towards it.

"That's the tube you wanted to take, the one you left to come back to me. It's the same day, at exactly the same hour, three years ago", he told you and you laughed slightly at the fact that he had remembered all of it.

"I'm just again hoping that you will choose me and go on and say it...", he began as he knelt down in front of you, holding onto the hand you had given him as he looked up at you.

"I loved you since the moment I met you and I need you in my life more than anything, more than air to breathe", he looked at you and you waited for him to continue.

"I love you, so much. Please marry me", he asked and the moment he said so you nodded.

"Yes, I love you. I'll marry you", you answered as you felt tears in your eyes, and Aethelred got up.

He smiled while doing so, and when he leaned down to kiss you you could hear the alarm that told you that the doors of the subway were closing.

You kissed at exactly the same time you had three years ago, and when you broke away he smiled at you, pulling you into a hug as your foreheads lay against each other.

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I'm so happy I can finally call you my fiancée", he whispered, to which you responded by kissing him again.