Butterflies || Shawn Hunter

Chapter 17: For the Right Reasons

I truly felt touched as I witnessed Mr. Feeny's wedding in Cory's home, teasing Shawn as he kept trying to place his hand over mine during the ceremony. We were standing at the bottom landing of the stairs, our palms on the railing. Eventually I stopped resisting, and we ended up being alone eating cake in the kitchen later.

"This is the best cake I've ever had," Shawn admitted, smiling before taking another bite.

"You always loved your cake," I teased, him just giving me a look.

"Yes," he stated, taking a big bite before his blue eyes found mine.

"You're agreeing with me?" I sounded amused as his gaze became more serious.

"No, I mean 'yes.'"

"What made you change your mind?"

"I don't know. Seeing Mr. Feeny up there happy, and then you next to me while I tried to hold your hand," he playfully emphasized, causing me to bite back a smile. "It made me really think, which you know I'm horrible at, but all I know is it finally feels right, you know?"

"So, how are we going to celebrate our getting back together," I wondered.

"I could think of a way." 

I shook my head when I caught his smirk.  "Not that."

"Is that all you think about," he teased before standing to come over to me, offering his hand. "No, I had something else in mind."

I was confused as we went down familiar steps, my mouth gaping open at the scene before me. It looked like the old Chubbie's restaurant again in the building, tears welling into my eyes. "No way. He came back?"

"Yeah, I guess he couldn't stay away from us," Shawn joked, his hands in his pockets as we went up to order. As we sat at our usual booth, I couldn't help but be hit by nostalgia. "The burgers aren't as good as the new place," he commented after taking a big bite of his order.

"I would rather it be this way though."

"Me too," he sweetly smiled. "The fries are still great though."

I nodded as I dipped mine in an extra side of mayonnaise, slowly chewing as Shawn just gazed at me. "What?" I slightly laughed as I worried I was eating messy.

"I just can't believe we're finally together. Are you sure what's going on between Cory and Topanga won't mess us up?"

"Shawn, I know Topanga's parents are getting a divorce, and they're broken up about it, but I'm not worried about us. It's just, when I look at you, I'm not scared, of anything. I just know that we're meant for each other. I've searched too long to just say the best thing that ever happened to me is a gamble that will probably end in tragedy. I don't believe that, not for us."

"You do know that's pretty much what Topanga's parents said." He raised his eyebrows as I nodded, taking his hand over the table.

"Shawn, I am never going to give up on you or leave you. You're my best friend, and my love for you is so great that nothing can break it."

"Are you sure? I'm not exactly good at relationships."

"You are, Shawn. You've just never been with the right girl, and you've matured a lot in the past year. I wish it was under better circumstances, but you have changed."

He half smiled as I took a sip of my water, him purposely mirroring my action with his Coke. "I just don't get how Topanga can be so worried about her relationship with Cory. They've been together since they were at least 4, and she used to be so easy going."

"Things change when you get older. I'm not as optimistic as I used to be," I fake smiled.

"Yeah, but you're still trying with us. They called off their wedding and broke up," he frowned.

"I know they'll get back together though, because they're soulmates too."

Shawn nicely smiled as I blushed some from my deep words. "You think we're soulmates?"

"I always have," I confessed, my cheeks becoming more rosy.

"You want to make out in the back of Feeny's car?"

"What?" I almost laughed just because I thought I heard him wrong.

"Eric's been living there secretly, and he's invited me over a few Thursday nights for spaghetti. I don't think he'd mind if we used it for awhile."

"Won't Mr. Feeny need the car for his honeymoon?"

"No, Cory's parents are driving them to the airport."

"Okay," I agreed, my face on fire as we got the whole vehicle to ourselves. Eric had visited home for extra wedding cake, telling us we needed to be out in an hour.

I smiled against Shawn's lips as he kissed me, holding his face in my hands as we kept our make out session sweet. "I wish we could be together all the time," he breathed, catching me off guard.

"Are you serious?" My voice dropped to a whisper as he nodded.

"Yeah, I'm serious. I want to be with you, Kimberly. You're one of the only things in my life that makes sense anymore."

"What are you doing? Did you drop something," I faintly laughed, since he had gotten on the floor.

"Can I have your ring?"

I looked at him confused as I slipped the gum ball ring off my finger.

"You know how I said, this was just a, 'Hey, you're my friend and I really like you' ring or something like that?"

"Yeah...," I hesitantly trailed off, eyeing him warily.

"Well, I want to change that to, 'Hey, I'm so in love with you and I want to marry you' ring."

My mouth dropped as he looked up at me, his blue orbs hopeful as I freaked out.

"So, will you... marry me?" He shifted a bit as I tried processing my thoughts, swallowing hard.

"Shawn, why are you asking me this? This isn't like you."

"I just thought another wedding would be nice. I can't stand everyone breaking up lately. I know Mr. Feeny found someone, but it just seems like I lose everything and everyone in my life. You said you would never leave me. I guess I need clarity on that."

"You don't have to ask me to marry you for that."

"So, does that mean your answer's 'no?'"

"Shawn, my answer is yes, but only if you're doing this for the right reasons. Not just because you want to keep me with you, because I'm not going anywhere. That's why I still wear your ring."

"I'm doing this for the right reasons," he stated, his eyes staying lifted up towards me.

"Then of course I'll marry you." I leaned in to hug him around the neck after he got the ring back on my finger, having doubt gnawing at me that Shawn knew what he was doing by asking me this now.

A/N: Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please remember to comment, vote, and follow. Thank you so much! <3