~~~

Ana didn't know what she was expecting when Mason called it a nice dinner, but it certainly wasn't this.

She knew he had his moments (everyone did), but she'd never been somewhere so intimate and beautiful before; it was breathtaking.

Even more surprising though was that he'd invited a whole group of people to dine with them. She'd anticipated that Josh and Carly would be there - and had even been looking forward to seeing them again - but she hadn't thought he'd go so far to invite her siblings.

"It took so fucking long to find a way to contact those two," Mason said, nodding in the direction of Jeremy and Seth as he pulled out Ana's chair.

The princess was speechless as she stared up at him; it had been so long since she was able to meet her brother in person and to see him just there felt surreal. She wasn't sure if Mason was even aware of how grateful she was.

"Thank you," she whispered to him when he sat down beside her and he gave her a soft smile, so warm and full of emotion that it made her mouth feel dry.

The table was already full of food, she noticed with a cursory glance, but it seemed that everyone had been waiting for them to arrive before eating. "Do you think mom would be upset if I just had a little sip of wine?" Ana rolled her eyes at Lili's question, reaching forward to pick up her own glass of wine.

"I'm not entirely sure about her, but the king would kill you so-," Ana shrugged.

"Your damn funeral," Mason finished.

Ana giggled. She felt Mason's hand grip her thigh at the noise and glanced down to rest her hand on his. "You were drinking at my age," Lili grumbled.

The elder sister raised an eyebrow, "Without parental supervision?"

"I do have parental supervision," Lil argued and Ana's eyebrows furrowed. She pointed at Mason's mom sitting just across from her, "See? She's a parent, and she's supervising."

Said woman laughed, "Don't bring me into this. I never said I condoned an underage girl drinking."

The sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted any further complaints from the young princess, and Ana adjusted slightly to look at Josh. "I'm pretty sure we're here to celebrate a certain graduate's achievements." He grinned at Ana, lifting his drink slightly in her direction. "Congratulations Anastasia."

Despite how they'd known each other for the better part of what was almost four years, Josh and Carly refused to call Ana anything but Anastasia. She wasn't exactly sure why as they blatantly ignored her whenever she asked but she'd just accepted it at this point.

"Congratulations baby," she heard Mason say from beside her and turned to smile at him. She leaned over slightly to kiss his cheek then, instinctively squeezing his hand when he angled his head just right so her mouth would catch his.

"I can't believe you actually did it."

Ana pulled away from her boyfriend, her face feeling warmer than usual as she focused on Jeremy. "I said I would, didn't I?"

"Still," Seth suddenly said. "There were so many things going on, and so much that could've prevented you from graduating." While Ana had definitely gotten closer to her brother's boyfriend within these past years, she was a bit surprised by his addition to the conversation. "And yet here you are, here you both are." He paused, "It's very admirable."

Everyone at the table knew what had happened with Charleigh, maybe not to the full extent but they were all well aware of how difficult it was for Mason and Ana to be together afterwards. And how even more challenging it was for Ana to continue attending the university.

Ana's eyes burned as she reached up to grab ahold of the small violin charm on her necklace. It was something she found herself doing often; it had become somewhat of a security blanket.

"Thank you, Seth. That really-," she swallowed thickly, "That means a lot coming from you."

~~~

It was almost an hour later, after everyone had finished eating and were now just talking, when Mason abruptly stood from his seat.

Ana gave him a questioning look only to be pulled out of her own chair by his hand still clasped in hers. "We should go for a walk," he told her. And she wasn't sure why but the expression on his face was so intense that she couldn't even bring herself to ask for the reason.

"Okay," she nodded. "We'll be back soon," she said to the rest of the table.

"Don't have too much fun without us," Carly teased and everyone laughed as Ana rolled her eyes lightheartedly. "If you know what I mean," and she winked.

More laughter was heard from the group before Ana and Mason were walking away and out of the restaurant.

Ana sighed as they walked through the doors and into the open air. "It's so nice out tonight." She looked up, admiring the stars and giggling with realization. "This is exactly like our first date, you know."

She glanced over at Mason, biting her lip as she noticed him staring at the ground.

He appeared far too troubled for her liking.

"We went to that small diner, and that was where we had our first kiss," she continued. "You got jealous of my classmate because I was talking to him for so long," she found herself smiling at the memory. "And then we went for a walk outside and you kissed me again, saying that that kiss would be the one I tell everyone else about. Remember?"

Ana couldn't say whether or not he was able to recall what she was describing because he seemed to be ignoring her completely.

She pouted, nudging his shoulder with her own and making him flinch. "I thought I lost you for a second there," she stated when they finally made eye contact. "Where'd you go?"

Mason smiled then and she let herself relax because how could anything ever be wrong when she was with him? That was the thing; it couldn't. "I'm sorry baby," he stared down at their linked hands with an indecipherable grin. "I was just thinking."

"Well," she hedged, "What about?"

He shrugged, "Just . . . stuff."

"I hate you," she huffed.

"Baby!" Mason turned to her with an incredulous laugh. "You're so mean to me," he chuckled, "I didn't even do anything this time."

Ana glared at him, "Yes you did. You ignored me," his face fell, "and now you won't tell me why you're ignoring me. Not very boyfriend like if you ask me." She was mostly joking but her words made Mason stop walking.

"I wasn't trying to ignore you, my girl." He cupped her face with his free hand, brushing his thumb over her cheek and making her eyes flutter closed. "I just have a lot of shit on my mind."

She reopened her eyes to briefly press her lips against his. "What is that then? I'm sure I can help you stop stressing over it so much."

Her boyfriend shook his head with a snort, "You definitely could. It's just that- well-," he seemed to stall, "I want to show you something." Ana tilted her head curiously. "Now."

"Oh," her eyebrows furrowed. "Okay."

Mason exhaled lowly then and released her, stepping back and rubbing his hands on his thighs. "Fuck." He threw his head back, shaking his hands and bouncing slightly on his feet. "Okay, just give me a second."

"Mason," she was starting to get worried. He seemed nervous, really nervous and it was making her nervous as well. "What is it that you want to show me?" He turned around so that his back was facing her and she instinctively lifted her hand to place it on his shoulder. "Are you okay, my love?"

"Yeah, yeah fine." Except his voice sounded strained and she could see that he was moving his hands for something. "This is just a lot more fucking scary than I thought it would be."

She bit the inside of her cheek, resisting the urge to just walk around his body and find out what it was that he was trying to hide herself.

"Okay. I'm ready." And then Mason was facing her again and he was holding up his left hand deliberately.

"What is that?" She peered closer at his hand, "You wanted to show me a ring?"

Mason shook his head, "It's not just any damn ring baby."

"Then what ring is it?" It looked like a simple silver ring, sitting a bit snug on his middle finger but otherwise normal.

"Well if we do this," he slid it off to transfer it onto his ring finger; it fit perfectly now. "Then it's an engagement ring."

Ana blinked.

"What?"

"I always fuck shit up," he said as he bent down and got on one knee.

Ana's mouth fell open, her heart pounding as Mason pulled something out of his back jeans pocket.

A ring box.

It was a ring box with the most intricately designed and perfect diamond ring she'd even seen sitting inside.

Mason smiled gently at her and it felt like she was soaring, like she was leaving the earth and ascending into the skies above because nothing could have ever made her feel so high.

"I want to be the guy that gives you an entire fucking speech about how much I love you and how much I'd love to spend the rest of my life with you because you deserve that. But," he sighed, a grin gracing his features and making him look like an absolute dream. "I'm not that guy."

Ana knew that he wasn't; she didn't want him to be. But there was no way she'd be able to tell him that right now.

"Will you marry me?"

She didn't even realize she was crying until she was sobbing so hard that Mason stood from the ground and tugged her into his arms. He hugged her to him and she buried her face into his chest, gasping for breath as she tried to wrap her mind around what was happening.

"I love you so much baby. I want to be with you for the rest of fucking forever. Marry me? Please."

It sounded like he was begging.

Why did it sound like he was begging?

She leaned up, choking back her cries to whisper into his ear. "Yes; always yes."

~~~

They didn't end up going back to the restaurant that night.

Ana wasn't sure she could handle all the attention and the questions when she was already so emotionally vulnerable.

Mason briefly went back to the table while the chauffeur retrieved the car to tell everyone a pathetic excuse for their early leave, but he didn't even mention any complaints from the group when he got into the driver's seat and it made her wonder if everyone else already knew.

When they finally made it back to their apartment, Ana was still reeling from the proposal and stopped at the entryway to stare at the new jewelry adorning her hand.

It really was so beautiful.

She suddenly felt Mason's hands trail across her sides and glanced down at his finger just as the overhead light caught his ring.

She was overcome with emotion once more, and she kissed him with so much fervor that it made him stumble. He laughed, that familiar heat returning to her stomach from how breathy and warm the simple noise was.

"I want to feel you," she expressed desperately, longingly.

"Whatever you want, pretty girl." Despite how ready she was for him, her boyfriend- no, her fiance took his time in removing her clothes.

He slowly tugged down the zipper of her dress, dragging down the sleeves of the top only a bit and letting them sit on her shoulders as he pressed his lips onto her skin. And then he did it again; inch by inch, lower and lower, until her dress could no longer stay on and fell to to the floor.

And then he was pushing her onto the couch, lifting each leg individually and gently removing her heels before setting them on the floor.

Ana took off her bra herself, beginning to feel impatient with the pace he was moving.

But she gasped as she suddenly felt his tongue on her sex, so firm and wet and always knowing exactly how to move.

It'd been years since Mason had first done this for her, and he no doubt knew everything she liked. He knew everything about her; knew every press of his tongue and flick of his wrist that would make her twitch and squirm and explode with pleasure.

She was coming down from an orgasm in less than ten minutes, and Mason lifted her from the couch, shushing her softly when she whined at the sensation of his clothing on her sensitive sex as she straddled his hips.

"You're always so good for me, baby." Mason praised, gripping her thighs as he walked towards their room. "So pretty and perfect and mine. Right, baby?"

"I think that's what a fiance is," she muttered languidly and felt his hands tighten.

He set her down on the bed and she relaxed into the sheets, content to just watch him.

He started taking off his own clothes, lazily unbuckling his belt and pulling it out of his pant loops to drop it on the floor. His shirt was the next to come off, agile fingers unfastening the buttons and guiding the fabric off broad shoulders.

Ana reached up to massage her own breasts, her eyes drifting closed as she teased her nipples.

Her movements were halted by Mason kneeling between her legs and she sighed with pleasure when she felt his hands on her hips. "Want to put the condom on for me, pretty girl?"

Ever since Ana had put on the condom for him the first time they ever had sex (roughly about two years ago now) Mason had never done it himself. She'd been curious at the time, only wanting to know how it was supposed to go on, but now it was something she always did.

She opened her eyes, biting her lip as she sat up to take the foil wrapper from him. She tore it open, kissing him lightly on the lips before looking down to roll it smoothly over his erection.

Mason hissed at the sensation, his hips rocking minutely as she let a finger trail over his scrotum. "On your stomach baby," he instructed breathlessly.

She complied, laying back down on the bed and settling comfortably on her stomach as he adjusted behind her to line up his length with her sex. "Good, baby," he sighed as he entered her, his hands grasping her thighs and squeezing them firmly together.

She whimpered at the sensation, fingers curling to form fists as she got used to the stretch.

"Yes." She was panting as he rocked into her, creating a rhythm and making her moan into the pillows.

Mason's lips brushed over her shoulder and Ana cried out as she felt him move even deeper inside of her. "I love you," he breathed out. "Fuck. I love you so much. You always make me-," he groaned, "Make me feel so good."

They'd had sex before - multiple times and sometimes even more than once a day - but this felt different somehow; it felt more intimate, more meaningful despite the fact that it had already been so full of meaning before.

"I love you more." She bit her lip, whining when his movements picked up speed. "Just like that," she encouraged as she felt the pleasure build. "I'm gonna cum."

"Like that?" He was almost laying on top of her now, his weight pressing her deeper into the mattress and making her lightheaded. She nodded eagerly, her eyes rolling back as she felt her orgasm approach.

Then Mason suddenly wrapped an arm around her waist and he lifted her to sit on his thighs, his sex still fully encased in her warmth, as his other hand moved to rub her clitoris. "Look at that," he murmured and she looked down blearily. "You're so wet that it's getting all over my hand."

She blinked. He was right, she realized; her arousal was leaking past his length and covering his fingers as he teased her sex. It was also getting all over his- she unexpectedly orgasmed, her mouth falling open from the intense pleasure.

"It's all over your ring," she managed to get out.

"Oh baby." She felt him throbbing inside of her and knew that he had orgasmed as well.

They were both still for a few moments, the couple gasping for breath as they regained their bearings. Until Ana interrupted the silence, pushing away from her fiance with a sigh.

"I love you, but you're all sweaty and I need a shower."

~~~

"To think this all started with a whoopee cushion."

Mason looked up from his phone at that, his eyebrows furrowing as he stared at Ana. "With a what?"

"The whoopee cushion," she raised an eyebrow at him. At the blank expression he gave her, she sighed. "You know, it was about three weeks after I moved in and you somehow managed to get past me on the way to class and miraculously got there before me?"

Ana crossed her ankles that were currently on Mason's lap, prompting his hand to lightly rub her thigh as she rolled her eyes. "We ran into you as you were leaving; you were carrying a stack of papers?"

Mason's eyes widened with realization, "Oh. That day I met Ally?" Ana nodded. "Yeah, I literally have no idea what you're talking about with the whoopee cushion then."

"What?" Ana struggled to sit up, before giving up and leaning back against the couch's arm rest.

"Yeah, I never did anything with a whoopee cushion to you. And even if I wanted to, I didn't even know where you fucking sat at that point so-," he shrugged.

"But you were holding a whoopee cushion that same morning." Ana was truly baffled because if he didn't do it then who in the world did?

Mason huffed, "Yeah because Josh was being an asshole again and put it underneath the couch cushion I always sat on. I just went into that classroom because the professor knew me and wanted me to help him give some papers to another professor."

Ana couldn't believe it. "Wait wait wait," she shook her head rapidly. "You're telling me the only reason you were in there was to help the professor?" Her fiance nodded slowly. "And you only had a whoopee cushion because Josh tried to prank yo- oh my goodness."

The entire time she had assumed it was Mason - all these years, the real culprit got off scot-free.

She leaned over, grabbing Mason's phone so aggressively that it made him flinch. She gave him an apologetic look before going into his contacts and scrolling to the desired name.

He picked up on the third ring, "What's up?"

"Josh. Why am I only now learning you had a thing for whoopee cushions?"

~~~