FSE

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"... Wow..." I hear Tyler say as we pull up.

"... Wow..." I accidentally repeat only a few seconds later.

The casino stands before us as a monument, forged over months worth of work from hundreds of furs. And I must say they did an absolutely immaculate job.

In the grand entryway, which alone stands maybe 30 feet tall, strings of minuscule lights draw pictures on the ceiling and walls, illuminating the entirety of the tunnel with dazzling color. Cars pass through underneath for valet service from one of the many handsome ferrets waiting by the large, glass doors. Surrounding the gorgeous tunnel lay 3 floors filled with about a dozen different restaurants, ranging from the Away Game Sports Bar to the Season's Cut Steakhouse to the nameless Mongolian Grill, all very upscale but well worth the money. Behind the restaurants starts the casino itself, extending back for hundreds and hundreds of feet.

Towering above the rest of the casino is the hotel. 25 stories high and twelve rooms wide, the view from the penthouse rooms overlooks almost the entire city. From what I've heard, you can order room service from almost any restaurant within the casino and the pool, exercise/weight room, and spa all comes free with a night's stay.

In regular terms, the place looks pretty freaking sweet.

"You alright, babe?" Tyler looks at me worriedly from across the car.

It takes me a few seconds to register that I've been staring at the building for several minutes, just trying to take in its entirety.

"Yeah, I'm just... overwhelmed."

He laughs and nods back at me, keeping his gaze on me as he speaks, "You looked like you had seen a ghost or something, just wanted to make sure our place for the night wasn't haunted."

I giggle in response and smile at him before clicking my seatbelt free, looking at him maybe a second or two longer than would be normal. But I'm sure he doesn't mind.

We get out of the car and cross through the parking lot towards the entryway, dodging through the paths of hundreds of cars all ready to start their weekend. As he checks his phone to make sure our reservation is set, I let myself look at him a little more. Even after two years of being together, I still can't keep my eyes off of him.

A smile lies on his face, dimples showing right at its corners. His blue-green feline eyes stand out like jewels against his grey facial fur, and his whiskers splay back ever so slightly towards his cheekbones. His long arms are fairly thin, even for a feline, but their fur is incredibly soft, just like the rest of his body. He has a way of carrying himself with nearly perfect posture, but not perfect enough to seem stuffy. I notice too that he wore my favorite shirt of his: a deep purple button-up with thin, blue stripes vertically down the middle. He looks even more beautiful than usual.

"We've got our room! Floor 22, room 2210, the website says we may even have a jacuzzi bathtub!"

"Well it sounds like this night might not be a wash after all."

He pauses while sliding between two cars to roll his eyes and give me a sarcastic smile. Despite how much he says my puns drive him insane, sometimes I can't help myself.

Finally, we reach the grand entrance to the casino. As we stop and crane our heads back to gaze at the lights, I silently reach for his paw. When my fingers meet his, he intertwines them, and I blush slightly. I pull my gaze back down to find him already looking at me and smiling. He kisses me quickly on the lips, making my cheeks feel even hotter, then we walk through the tunnel, our attention back on the light patterns on the walls.

A few feet before the doors, I speed up slightly to open the door for him. He gives me a quiet "thank you" and squeezes my paw as we step through the threshold.

And freeze.

Colors, lights, sounds, everything looks like an arcade meant for a royal family. No, ten royal families. On either side of us sit the restaurants, each enclosed in brilliant marble, the name of the restaurant engraved in a gold plaque on the side. The combination of scents reminds me somewhat of a carnival, different aromas, each wonderful in its own way, overwhelming my nose from both sides. Slightly closer in on the left are hundreds of game tables with card games of every kind. Further back I see the flashing screens of the video poker games, my personal favorites. On the right sit the slot machines, aisle after aisle of furs pulling the lever in hopes for good luck.

But what truly takes my breath away is the beautiful staircase right in the center of the casino. Red carpet folds over the beautiful marble steps, laced with silver threads in diagonal stripes. A brilliant golden railing on either side frames the whole thing like a painting hanging in the Louvre. Extravagant furs pace its four stories worth of steps, encasing the entire centerpiece with elegance.

"... Wow..." I hear myself say it first this time.

Tyler laughs heartily beside me. "We've got such a vocabulary today!" I shoot him a snarky grimace, which makes him laugh even harder, and I break face and laugh along.

What a perfect evening.

He pulls me towards the stairs, and we take the first flight up to the second floor, where I see him glancing hungrily at the steakhouse.

"Season's Cut it is, then?" I ask him assuredly.

Without even answering he lets go of my paw and runs toward it, swinging his arms and hips side to side like a little girl. I run after him, trying and failing to prance in the same manner, giggling the whole way there.

He seems even happier than usual, which throws me off a little. But I'm sure he just really needs the vacation.

The waiter finds us a small table in the back against the windows overlooking the parking lot. He tells us about the restaurant's long-standing tradition of only serving imitation meat after the original bovine owner lost his father to a slaughterhouse. We sigh sadly in unison, then gave him our cheap drink order of two waters. After bringing us both our glasses of water, he takes our orders: a whopping 24oz T-bone for Tyler and a set of sliders for me, along with a chocolate milkshake to share.

After a few minutes of talking about how beautiful the casino is and what we both want to do before retiring to our hotel room, Tyler excuses himself to go to the bathroom, leaving me to stare out the window at the parking lot below. At this point, most of the furs walking up to the casino are already intoxicated and I watch as one poor tiger stumbles over his feet and lands right in a patch of mud next to his car. His buddies all drunkenly keel over in laughter as the tiger reaches into his car with a swagger and strips off his shirt, revealing a clean, white t-shirt underneath it. He reaches down to the mud and smears it over one of the other tigers' maws, running away as the rest of them fake their anger and run after him laughing.

"Dinner and a show, huh?" Tyler whispers right behind my ear, causing me to swing around and knock my water all over my pants. I stare agape at my jeans while I hear him trying his very best to hold in his laughter. He comes around the table to take his seat as the water drips down my legs to the floor. As he sits down, I see his eyes practically bulging from their sockets and the corners of his mouth twitching furiously to hold back his snickers.

I give him an upset chuckle as my embarrassment sets in with tight knots in my stomach. A cold shiver runs up and down my body, the water seeping down through my fur and skin. My gaze shifts nervously across the restaurant, assuring myself that only the one or two tables nearest us witnessed my mishap. They don't seem too disturbed. I casually unwrap the napkin from my silverware and place it over my lap, pressing it into my damp clothing. With every push, I feel the knots in my stomach loosen ever so slightly.

After mopping myself up sufficiently, I bring my eyes back up to see Tyler looking at me with a small smile, eyes soft, as if it had never happened. He always gives me trouble, something definitely seems off...

Several more minutes pass, and the waiter brings out our order, setting a mouthwatering steak in front of Tyler, a clean set of sliders in front of me, and a milkshake in the middle, along with a small silver dish covered by an extravagant lid. I look curiously at the lid, not expecting anything other than ketchup, but notice Tyler staring at me with the biggest of grins as I do so.

"Did you order something else without me knowing?" I ask him, starting to smile back.

"I guess you could say that..." He says behind his smile, still staring at me. I pause for a moment. As confused and concerned as I am, I trust him. Cautiously, I reach into the middle and remove the lid from the dish.

It's not ketchup.

Sitting in the middle of the dish is a beautiful, golden ring.

A gasp escapes my lips.

Before I can think any further, Tyler gingerly takes the ring from the dish and stands up beside his chair. He's still smiling madly, but I see a few drops of sweat start to show under his cheek fuzz. With a slightly shaky voice, he starts to speak, his eyes never leaving mine.

"Three years ago, I didn't know who I was. I was afraid of the world and everything it might hold. I kept myself hidden just to stay safe. And, even though I hated admitting it, I was lonely. Very, very lonely. But not anymore. Now I know exactly who I am, and exactly who I always want to be. Yours. And nothing else will ever matter." He moves to stand beside me and slowly lowers himself down to one knee. Somehow I'm already standing up, paws covering my mouth.

"You taught me not to be afraid of the world. You showed me how to have fun again. You always put me first and never made me have to question why. But most importantly, you made me feel safe. And I never want that feeling to go away." His eyes start to water, his voice cracking more and more with each word. "So everything I am, and everything I have, I'm offering to you right here to make sure it doesn't ever go away...

"Miles Anthony Prowler, will... will you marry me?"

My heart floats right out of my chest.

I look at his face, covered in tiny droplets of sweat, mouth slightly open in a half-smile. His eyes are like those of a child, pleading and wondrous. His right paw, outstretched, holds the ring gently, as if just waiting for me to slide my finger into it.

And I stand shakily with my stomach in my throat.

The rest of existence has faded away. All I can hear is my heart pounding against my eardrums. A hazy blur of tables and carpets surround Tyler as my eyes stay focused on him. Every part of my chest feels as if it could burst, lungs frozen without breath. I feel my legs, impossibly tense and sore, shaking with anxiety. My mind races with a million thoughts, all trying to calm down my panicking body. But I clear them all, the answer having been clear from the very beginning.

"... Yes..."

"Yes?"

I release the grip controlling my body and tackle Tyler to the floor, my arms wrapped tightly around his torso.

"Yes! Yes yes yes!"

I feel Tyler's chest give way to a huge sigh as he wraps his arms around me and I bury my face into his shoulder. Tension shatters all throughout the restaurant and our audience bursts into applause. Our waiter stands above us with his Blackfurry phone, having recorded the whole event. The furs nearest us offer their congratulations with boisterous, excited voices.

But none of that matters.

Because I have him.

Because, right now, he's here in my arms, and I am safe in his.

Because the constant worry of never feeling good enough for the one I love has finally been laid to rest.

Because there's nobody else I could ever imagine myself being with. And here I am, lucky enough to be with him for the rest of my life.

The restaurant quiets down as I release my grip on him, not wanting to let go but knowing I needed to. His gaze immediately meets mine, still with that child-like wonder in his eyes. Without thinking, I kiss him, his perfectly soft fuzz brushing up against my cheeks. My lips tingle as they rest against his, my heart pounding audibly on my chest. When we part, he smiles back at me, his eyes finally closed in contentment.

"... Wow..."

Wow is right.

After a few seconds, we pick ourselves up off the ground, both still a little lightheaded from the high. Again, I can't stop myself from looking at him. His nervousness is gone, and in its place, I see nothing but pure excitement. His shirt, while wrinkled, still looks as cute as ever. And his smile stays wide on his face, like it may never leave.

I feel my cheeks, realizing I've been smiling nonstop for almost as long as he has. I guess I don't have a reason to stop either.

I sit down at the table across from my fiancé and, one more time, I can't help but think it to myself.

Wow.