~~~

Mason hated to admit it, but his girlfriend was right; he was late to everything. 

His graduation? Late.

Their meeting with the real estate agent? Late.

His really fucking important interview for a job that would allow him to work remotely whilst being on a marketing team? Also late (and it was online!) but he somehow still got hired. 

And now he was on his way to pick up his mom from her hotel room, twenty minutes late. 

"Shit," he sighed, leaning his head back as he hit yet another red light. He began tapping absentmindedly on the steering wheel, clenching his jaw when he heard a car honk from behind him; whether it was directed at him or not was unknown. 

Mason's phone went off then and he looked over at the screen of his automotive head unit to check the caller ID. He groaned when he realized it was a coworker, mentally preparing himself as he answered the call. "Hello."

The light finally turned green and Mason glanced at the time on his dashboard to see that two more minutes had passed. "Hey, you finished the slide presentation right?" 

"I sent it in this morning," he confirmed. 

He heard the sound of typing, "And you added the personalized photo they wanted us to put in last night right?" 

Mason's eyes widened. "Fuck- no." It had been so late last night when he got the email that he had just decided to do it the next morning. He'd clearly forgotten about it and just sent it as was. "I'll have it fixed in twenty minutes."

Luckily Mason brought a laptop with him everywhere, specifically for reasons like this. Even more fortunate though was that he'd put in a placeholder image a few days ago, so all he would have to do is replace it, redownload it, and email it to the team leader. 

He could definitely do that in twenty minutes.

"Okay, text me when it's done." 

"Sounds good," Mason nodded despite the fact that they couldn't see him before hanging up, sighing as he finally pulled into the hotel parking lot. 

He found a parking spot near the front doors, calling his mom as he grabbed his laptop from the glove compartment. She answered just as his laptop powered on, "You're finally here?" 

Mason chuckled at the impatience in her tone, "Yeah sorry. I'm right by the entrance."

"I'll be there in a second." 

"M'kay," he turned off his phone, and had just downloaded the image when his passenger door abruptly opened and he about jumped out of his seat. "Holy shit!" 

His mom sent Mason a glare and he smiled sheepishly. "Language Mason." 

"I'm twenty four mom," he rolled his eyes with a laugh. "I think it's okay if I cuss a bit. Besides, you scared the absolute fuck out of me." 

She crossed her arms over her chest, her eyebrows raising as she stared at him. "Well it isn't okay in front of me; you may be an adult but I'm still your mother."

Mason lifted his hands in surrender, "Alright, alright. I get it, no swearing when I'm with you."

"What is that for," his mom asked as he redirected his attention back to the laptop screen. She leaned a bit closer to look at what he was doing, "You're not working right now are you?" 

"It'll just take two minutes," he responded distractedly as he replaced the photo. 

"Mason, we were supposed to be there five minutes ago." 

He froze. "What?!" 

He looked at the clock, mentally cursing as he realized she was right despite the fact that he had left their apartment ten minutes earlier than he planned specifically so he wouldn't be. Traffic was a bitch that day. 

He handed her the device, hurriedly pulling out of the parking space once she had a good grip on it. "Can you download that file and send it to Grace for me?" 

"Sure," his mother shrugged. "What do you want me to title it?" He glanced at the laptop to see she'd already downloaded it and opened his email. 

"Presentation fix, and then just attach the file and send it."

"Okay, done."

Mason sighed with relief, "Can you also text Nova for me too? Just say that I finished it or something." 

He couldn't believe he was going to be late again, and for Ana's commencement ceremony of all things. 

~~~

They made it to UPenn in ten minutes, and Mason let himself relax as he realized that they hadn't even finished giving speeches yet. 

Ana would have also been giving a speech (as the dean had specifically asked her to) if not for the fact that she didn't want to. Mason didn't entirely understand why, but he wasn't going to complain because it meant he hadn't missed anything important.

"There she is," Mason gestured to her chair, which he could faintly see on the field. They were in the very front of the stands, since Ana had asked to reserve their seats (and no one was going to against royalty), but they were still quite a distance away from the graduates. 

"How can you even tell that's her?" 

Mason shrugged, "I just can." After almost four years of being together it was kind of difficult not to. He could recognize her hair, her skin, her smell, her voice, her movements; it was like he had become attuned to everything that was her.

"Princess Anastasia Paris Middleton of Mysteria." 

It was an hour later when Ana was finally announced to walk the stage, and Mason's throat hurt from how loud he yelled for her. "Good job baby!" 

He whistled, clapping and screaming, and looking like a complete fucking maniac as she walked up the steps. He saw her head tilt back, and could almost hear her laugh as she lifted her hands to cover her face. 

She hugged the dean, smiling in the direction of the photographer as she received the cover of her degree. 

Then it was over.

And Mason would have to wait another hour to actually congratulate her personally. 

~~~

They were only waiting for a few minutes in the courtyard before Mason saw Ana. She was standing roughly twenty feet away, hidden by the crowd as she spoke with another person. 

Mason practically ran towards her, briefly hearing his mom call for him as he crossed the distance.

She turned to look at him just as he grabbed her around the waist, and she squealed when he lifted her and spun. "Congratulations, my girl." 

"Thank you, my love." She looked so happy; like complete perfection. 

He set her back down, admiring her beautiful smiling face before his staring was cut short as she leaned up and kissed him. His arms instinctively tightened around her waist at the sensation. "Mmm," he hummed as she pulled away, lightly brushing his nose against hers. "Strawberry?" 

It had become a game of sorts; trying to guess what flavor of lip gloss she was wearing ever since Mason jokingly bought her a flavored lip gloss set a few weeks ago. 

He rarely ever lost. 

She giggled, "Nope. Try again." Except for maybe this once. 

He pressed his mouth against hers, flicking his tongue over her bottom lip and resisting a smile as she laughed again. "Okay," he rolled his eyes as he released her lips, "That has to be strawberry; there's no fucking way it isn't."

"You're right," she nodded, biting her lip as Mason's eyebrows raised. 

"Naughty girl." He adjusted slightly to tug her tighter against him and his breathing stuttered as she laid her head on his chest, just over where his heart was. "Why'd you say I was wrong then?" 

"Just wanted another kiss," she muttered into his shirt. 

Dammit. 

Mason's knees went weak. 

Three and a half years; they'd been together for three years and she still managed to render him entirely speechless. 

He let his head fall back, "Oh baby." Mason felt her softly kiss his neck and he thought that he might've dropped dead right then and there if not for her form anchoring him there. "You don't got to lie for that." 

He proved his point by using one hand to grasp her chin before bending slightly and meeting her lips with his own. 

The moment was interrupted by the sound of his mom's voice and he reluctantly stepped away from Ana. "I stayed away for as long as I could, but I want a hug too." 

"Hi mom," Mason's girlfriend pulled his mom into a hug and he felt himself soften at her choice of greeting. While Ana often called her that, he didn't think she'd ever referred to her as mom while actually in front of her before.

His mom's eyes watered as she returned the embrace and Mason laughed when she snorted, "You can't just randomly pull that. I'm too emotional." 

"She just did," and hopefully would for a long time, "So you're just going to have to accept it." 

Ana giggled again, "You came all the way here to see me graduate, the least I could do is call you mom. I mean, you practically are at this point anyways."

That was probably true since her own parents were too busy trying to prepare her to be crowned (predictably, Jeremy had chosen to abdicate the throne) so they hadn't really taken the time to actually be her parents. 

They weren't even able to visit today.

She'd said she wasn't upset, that they ruled an entire county and would obviously be preoccupied, but Mason could see her disappointment every time she looked at him. 

"Ready for dinner?" Mason placed one hand on Ana's lower back, changing the subject to distract both women from their emotions. 

Ana turned with obvious confusion, eyebrows furrowing as her gaze moved between mother and son. "Dinner? I thought we weren't doing anything to celebrate," she trailed off at seeing Mason's expression. 

"You really think you'd be graduating and not at least eat at a nice restaurant?" He shook his head exaggeratedly, "Can't believe you think so little of me baby," and tsked teasingly. 

"You told me we weren't going to be able to tonight." 

"So I lied a little bit," Mason shrugged. "You should've known by now that I had plans, pretty girl. I'm offended," he pouted, placing his free hand on his chest. 

Ana turned around, placing her own hands on his shoulders and staring up at him intently. 

"I love you," he stated because he couldn't help himself. 

She was just so wonderful, and Mason wanted her to know how much he absolutely adored her. 

Still, love was too simple of a term; Ana was his entire world, his universe, his everything. But even that seemed too . . . small. The feelings he had for her were otherworldly, and he didn't think the right words even existed on Earth. 

So love would have to do. 

She smiled up at him at his declaration, her face brightening in a way that told him she knew exactly what he meant. 

And then she said, "You're annoying." 

~~~