Paris felt like it had been pulled straight out of a fairytale. Every street felt magical, like there was a story underneath each and every brick, maybe a little fairy that would barter away magical jewels for French baguettes.

Crow had read two Harry Dresden books on the flight over, so his imagination may have been running on overdrive. It didn’t hurt that he was holding hands with the best muse anyone could ever have. The prince that rode in on his white horse to defeat the terrifying dragon and sweep Crow up off his feet. He couldn’t believe it. He was walking down Rue du Louvre, a narrow street filled with boutiques and businesses of all kinds, with the man of his dreams at his side. They walked past fancy glass displays, some with mannequins dressed to the nines, some with store names scrawled in a gold script above their entrances. Some of the storefronts were below balconies that lined the rows of apartments above. It was a sunny Sunday afternoon, so many of the residents were sitting (if they had the space) or standing outside on their balconies, watching the people go on with their lives below. Those that didn’t have balconies did have their windows open, letting the fresh air billow against their curtains. Crow let his eyes wander, admiring the old styled architecture and wondering how it must have felt to call this place home.

“Holy shit, it’s Crow!”

Crow turned at the mention of his name, a young fan jumping in place as he realized who had just walked past him. Crow was wearing dark jeans and a dark black shirt, with a blue LA Dodger’s cap pulled down over his eyes, but that still didn’t make him invisible. His parents stood behind the young fan, recognition dawning on their faces as well. They were all dressed pretty sharp in nice polos and shorts, the mom sporting a necklace of pearls, like a rich American family taking their first Euro trip.

Over the past year, Crow’s star had only climbed, and now it seemed like everyone was aware of who he was. Even if they weren’t a fan of his music, almost everyone had heard the story of Crow being abducted and subsequently rescued. It was the only thing the news channels could talk about. At least for an hour or so, before they moved on to dissecting ridiculous tweets for information. And when the news stopped talking about him, social media only kept the conversation going. It was definitely an odd time in his life, but the outpouring of love and support he had received from people all across the world helped him keep it together.

“Can I grab a picture with you?” the fan asked.

“Of course,” Crow said, extending an arm out so the boy could run over. He dropped his Nike backpack and ran over. Ever since Angela was revealed to be the stalker, all of the threatening notes stopped and Crow didn’t need to suspect random fans of being crazy psychos. It was such a relief. Crow hated living a life filled with fear and suspicion. Of course, there were crazy people everywhere, but Crow didn’t feel like he had to constantly be looking over his shoulder anymore.

“What’s your name?” Crow asked.

“Steven,” he said, staring up at Crow like he was looking straight into the sun.

“Great to meet you, Steven.” They turned to look at the camera his mom was holding up.

“Thank you!” the fan said once his mom had snapped the photo. “Seriously, thank you.”

Crow brought the kid in for a hug before he went back to his parents. Crow thought the interaction was over, but then the boy’s father stepped forward, his hand outstretched. Crow smiled and returned the handshake. That’s when he noticed a tear in the man’s brown eyes.

“I just wanted to personally thank you for what you do. Your music helped Steven when he was going through a really difficult patch. His mom and I felt so damn helpless, we didn’t know what to do. Doctors, medication, therapy. Then he heard your songs, and he felt like there was so much hope. After what happened to you last year, Jesus, and you still finished your tour. You’re an inspiration for all of us. Thank you.”

Crow swallowed back his emotions. He drew the man into a hug. “I’m glad things are good.”

The man smiled a genuine smile and returned to his family. No one else stopped Crow as he went back to Ethan’s side, fingers locking together like magnets.

“That was amazing,” Ethan said as they continued to walk down the street. “You have such an impact on people. It’s beautiful to watch.”

Crow couldn’t stop himself from leaning in and stealing a kiss from Ethan. He squeeze his hand tighter as the street opened up wider. Crow looked straight ahead and spotted the Louver in all of it’s glass majesty. The pyramid jutted up from the middle of the square, surrounded by a building that resembled a palace on all three sides. The shops and apartments disappeared as the street opened up into a garden that marked the beginning of the square.

“Speaking of beautiful,” Crow said, his jaw on the floor. He had seen pictures of the stunning museum, but pictures never compared to the real thing. The sunlight played off the sides of glass as people crowed about around the base. “I’m so happy I’m experiencing this with you.” Crow pulled Ethan in tighter. They walked in unison toward the museum, admiring the bright green waist-high hedges that bordered the garden. As they got closer, Crow could see a that the floor on either side of the museum was actually a shallow pool, the water reflecting the building and making it seem all the more magical.

“Wow,” Crow said. He let go of Ethan’s hand for a second as he walked toward the water, mesmerized. He had totally thought it was a floor moment ago. That’s how calm the surface was. When he turned around, he expected to see Ethan.

“Huh?” Crow looked around for a split second before his eyes were drawn downward. There, he saw Ethan, his beautiful blue eyes glittering up at him, more impressive than any glass building could ever be.

“Ethan,” Crow said, stepping back with a laugh. Ethan was on one knee, in the center of the square, the garden framing him from behind, the Louvre behind Crow. He held out a black box, its lid open, a ring set in the center of a white satin pillow.

“Crow,” Ethan said, not taking his eyes off a shocked Crow. “You have changed my life in so many different ways, all for the better. You brought me out of the dark and I’ve been seeing sunshine ever since. Even during our darkest moments, you gave me strength. Hope. You were there for me, and I want to be there for you.” His smiled widened. “Forever. Crow Kensworth, will you marry me?”

“Absolutely,” Crow said without missing a beat. He held back a giddy shriek, thinking it would be way too rom-com of him. He swore he had seen that exact scene in a Hillary Duff movie. So, instead of shrieking, he grabbed Ethan and pulled him up for a kiss that sealed the entire deal. Crow held Ethan’s head in his hands as their lips collided, their futures cementing. Crow was so into the moment, he didn’t even realize that there was a crowd surrounding them, all of them cheering and clapping.

* * *

Ethan had died and gone to heaven. He died way back when, with Angela, and this was just his version of heaven. It had to be. That’s how perfect it all felt. He was kissing his fiancé in the middle of Paris, the city known for love, surrounded by a cheering crowd, clapping as two men kissed and promised their lives to each other. It was beyond beautiful. Ethan had joked that Crow was the crier out of the two, but that moment brought tears to the both of them. They separated, wiping each other’s cheeks as their smiles stayed cemented on their faces.

“Wow,” Crow said, looking down at the ring on his finger. Ethan smiled on, looking proudly at his man. He pulled him back in for another kiss. The crowd was beginning to take photos by then, some realizing who it was that just got engaged.

“I should tell my brother before he finds out through TMZ,” Crow said, hearing the shutters of cameras. He kissed Ethan again and grabbed a hold of his hand. He said a huge thanks to the crowd for cheering them on and then broke through the circle, his head down and his eyes focused on his phone as he looked up his brother’s number. Some people followed them, but for the most part, everyone respected their privacy by then.

“Holy shit, holy shit.” Crow’s hands were shaking. He laughed and handed the phone to Ethan, who had a steadier hold. They dialed Shepherds number, asking to connect for a FaceTime call. In a second, Shepherd was on the screen, a wide smile on his face and eyes that immediately asked ‘did he do it yet?!’. Crow, being his twin and all, immediately picked up on the expression.

“Wait, you knew?!” he asked, his uncontrollable smile making Ethan’s heart almost flutter right out his chest.

“Of course! Ethan told me like a month ago. He asked pops, what, last week?”

“You asked our dad?” Crow turned to Ethan, his eyes wide.

“I wanted to,” Ethan said, smiling. “He told me that as long as I promised to be on his team for the next Pictionary Thanksgiving marathon, then it was all good.”

“Of course he would,” Crow said.

“Dad gave you away for an unbeatable Pictionary teammate,” Shepard said with a laugh.

“I am pretty good,” Ethan added.

“Congratulations you guys! This is exactly what I needed to hear today.” He looked like he was standing outside of a library. He was wearing his scrubs, so he must have been going into work soon.

“I’m genuinely surprised you were able to hold that secret for a month,” Crow said, laughing. “Check out the ring.” Crow lifted his hand, showing off the classy and sleek silver band, the thin sapphire blue line running through the center and setting it apart from every other ring.

“He’s seen it,” Ethan said with a smirk. He was so happy that he got along well with Crow’s entire family. It was a big thing for him, especially since his own father had abandoned him at an early age. The Kensworth’s opened their arms wide from the start. “He helped me get it fitted.”

“Damn,” Crow said, “you guys are sneaks.”

“Gotta do what you gotta do,” Ethan said, kissing Crow’s cheek.

“Alright, guys, I’ve got to go.” Shepard threw a nervous glance over his shoulder but quickly adopted the big, wide smile the Kensworth brothers rocked so well.

“Everything ok?” Crow asked, sensing it.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll fill you in when you get back.” Shepard was clearly holding something back, but Ethan knew he would open up to them later. For now, he said another heart-felt congrats and hung up the call. Crow turned to Ethan, his eyes glowing, crinkling at the corners.

“You’re incredible. How did I get so lucky?”

Ethan answered with another kiss. He couldn’t get enough of Crow, and he was excited with that fact that he was going to have him for the rest of his life. The love they shared was strong and proven to be unbeatable. It was the kind of love people wrote songs about. The kind of love happy endings were made from.

This was the kind of love that had him seeing oceans.