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Something was up.
Will didn't know exactly what it was, but he knew that between Nursey being twitchy and the smile that Chowder'd had on his face since Will got back home, which was more significant than usual for even Chowder, something was up.
They'd been out of college for three years. While Nursey had gone into grad school, a virtual program so that it didn't matter where he was in the world, both Will and Chowder had gone into the NHL. And while Nursey told everyone that he chose his grad school based on the program, deep down inside, Will knew that at least part of the reason was that they weren't sure where Will was going to get signed. There'd been training camp offers from a few clubs, but in the end, it came down to Providence, Boston, and Denver. Signing on with the Providence Falconers had been a dream come true for Will, though part of him hated that he wasn't playing with Chowder. Chowder had signed with Vancouver, so they didn't have to face each other often. For that, Will was grateful.
Since it was both the off-season for Will and Chowder and Summer session for Nursey, Chowder had flown out from Vancouver for a couple of weeks. The first week would just be for the frogs, with Farmer showing up the second week. "Frog time!" Chowder had yelled as he walked into Will and Nursey's condo.
Will was sure he knew exactly where Chowder'd gotten a key, but he hadn't cared all that much.
That was a few days previous. The first couple of days of Chowder's visit, they'd managed to sit around and not get all that much done other than catch up, sleep, and eat. And since Jack and Bitty were still in their condo a few stories up for a few more days, they ate much better than usual. Bitty usually dropped by with food for Will and Nursey whenever, but there was no doubt the frequency and variety of food increased when Chowder showed up. Deep down, Will knew it was out of love. But at the same time, he knew that Jack and Bitty were going to need a lot of help moving to the big house in the suburbs they'd bought months before but didn't even attempt to move until the massive kitchen remodel was complete.
It was unusual for Will to be up last, but that morning, he'd woken up to a cool spot next to him in bed and quiet voices coming in from somewhere in another part of their condo. When he got up to investigate, he found Chowder grinning ear to ear and got a massive hug before he'd even seen a coffee mug.
Something was up.
"Here, Dexaroo," Nursey said as he put a steaming mug of coffee down in front of him. "It's that Guatemalan blend that you like."
Will took a sip. Indeed, it was the deep, dark French roasted blend that he enjoyed, though they didn't drink it too often. Mainly because it was so dark that Nursey usually ended up with more cream and sugar than coffee when he drank it and complained about the bitter taste. Will usually kept the beans in the freezer and broke them out when Nursey was out of town. He'd drink a pot all by himself and purposefully sleep in the middle of their ginormous bed. "This is good," he said. He pulled Nursey close and dropped a chaste kiss against his lips. "Thanks, sweetheart."
Nursey blushed, and Chowder kept glancing between the two of them.
"I was thinking," Nursey said, trying to sound casual but failing at it spectacularly. "I know we need to go up to Jack and Bitty's later on to help them pack, but that isn't until this afternoon. And since C is here, I thought we'd do something you like to do? Like, maybe, go for a quick hike? Or something?"
"Oh yeah, a hike. Cool!" Chowder added. "That would be swawesome. We haven't hiked in forever. Oh," he said, then ran into the living room and grabbed his bag. "It'll give me a chance to try out my new camera."
There it was. Something was definitely up. And Will had a pretty good idea of what it was, though he kept his face pretty neutral to not give it away.
"Ayuh," he nodded at Chowder. "Okay, but maybe not too strenuous?" Will said. "I mean since we have to go help Jack and Bitty."
"Yeah, something easy," Nursey said. His face lit up. "Oh, Dexey - how about showing Chowder the World War II Memorial Loop? That one's pretty easy."
Will nodded. "You just like it because of the poem station." It was true; there was a poem station along the trail, and they'd hiked it a few times. The thing was, they'd never gone hiking on Nursey's suggestion, even if he liked the trail. It was always something Will decided. He stood and took another sip of coffee. "Well, that settles it," he said as he put his coffee down. "How about I go get ready, then you can Nurse."
The smile Nursey gave him was almost as big as Chowder's. "Chill!"
***
Will had done the loop more times than he could remember since moving to Providence. It was something that he could do almost on autopilot. Nursey had been there for most of his trips, though sometimes, when he needed to be alone, he would come out here and just experience the trail and all it had to offer. As they rounded a corner, Will could see the memorial plaque adjacent to the path by a hundred yards or so. It was almost a sacred spot to Will since he'd heard stories about the uncle he'd gotten his middle name from - Jacob Cillian Poindexter - who died in battle during World War II. He got lost in the moment and only came out of it when he heard Nursey whisper to Chowder, "Just up ahead."
He looked around and realized that, yes, the memorial was close. But they were standing just adjacent to the poem station, and that meant something to Nursey.
"You know, this - being here - it means a lot to me," Will said. He smiled at Chowder, then pulled Nursey close and gave him a quick kiss, dropping his forehead against his boyfriend's. "Thank you."
"Aww, Boo," Nursey said and kissed him again.
Will took his phone out, and even though he may not get the best video of it, at least he'd get something, so he clicked record as he put his phone on the poem station. Then he reached back into his pocket and pulled out a simple gold ring with a gray/green band of labradorite gems inlayed that matched his boyfriend's eyes. He heard Chowder gasp as he took a knee.
"Derek Malik Nurse, would you do me the honor of being my husband?" Will held out the ring and waited for Nursey to respond.
There was a silent beat, then two. Finally, Nursey spoke, but it wasn't what Will had figured.
"You mother fucker!"
Derek's voice had been louder than he'd expected. But he smiled anyway. Besides, there was no heat to his tone - only frustration.
"That's not a no..."
Before Will knew what was happening, Nursey pulled him up from where he knelt. In proper Nursey form, he hadn't expected an unbalanced Will, and they both tumbled to the side of the trail, Will on top of Nursey. But Nursey didn't give him a chance to move. Instead, he had his arms wrapped around Will and pulled him close, even as Chowder had to jump out of the way.
"I'll just go look for that ring while you two make out," Chowder muttered.
Will never took his lips off of Nursey, even as he raised the engagement ring above his head.
***
After a thorough cussing out by Nursey and an eventual staged proposal at the World War II memorial, they made their way back to the condo and cleaned up before going upstairs. Just as they stepped out of the elevator onto Jack and Bitty's floor, Will walked a little slower, distracted by his phone. He pressed a few buttons, then took Nursey's hand into his own. He loved the feel of the gold band Nursey had gotten him and was mostly used to the weight.
"We're here, guys!" Chowder called as they walked into the propped-open door. Will could hear all their SMH friends inside, but as they walked in, everything got quiet. And as he and Nursey turned the final corner, he heard Nursey's voice coming from the tinny speaker of a cellphone.
"You mother fucker!"
Nursey stopped in his tracks and hung his head. Will smiled, kissed his cheek, and then dragged his fiancé into a room filled with friends and love.