I walked along, trying not to drag my feet, keeping my shoes as neat as possible. Though me and Princey had been going out for almost 3 years, I still managed to care about my appearance whenever we had a date.

It took me a minute to get to the middle of the maze, seeing as the previous weekend had been Roman's yearly rearranging of the hedges. When I reached the center, quite a sight was before me.

Rose petals were scattered about, the quantity becoming denser surrounding the old bench. Roman was nowhere in sight, a wax-sealed envelope where I expected him to be sitting. I rolled my eyes as I broke the seal, thinking about how extra he was. Finally able to read the letter, I peered at the fancy scrawl of the prince.

My Dearest, Virgil,
I have spent the last several hours setting up an elaborate scavenger hunt. The final solution? You'll know it when you see it. This could take a while, so I suggest you get started!
Lovingly,

Your Prince

I noticed an arrow, flipping over the paper to see.

P.S. Here's your first clue: an inconvenient entryway. 

I grinned, starting to make my way back down the path I just came from. No one had heard me complain about the sofa bring in front of the door more than Roman, and I was positive I would find the next clue there. 

5 minutes later I finally found my way back out, sighing as I looked back at the entry. "I should leave a trail of breadcrumbs next time or something," I joked to myself. 

From here, I could see another wax envelope right above the sliding glass doors, taped so I wouldn't see it while walking out. 

Standing directly beneath the entryway, I jumped to try and reach the letter. My fingertips barely reached the frame of the doors, however, leaving the letter out of my reach. 

I slumped, taking a few steps back. I could run inside and grab a ladder. Or... My eyes wandered to a tree with some branches hanging over the roof. I could already hear Patton worrying as I made my way over to the trunk of the american linden. Good thing he doesn't realize I know how to get on the roof. 

As I found my first handhold, I couldn't help but think about how lucky I was that Roman chose these trees when first creating the yard. They had some branches low enough for me to reach, but still stretched up enough to be useful in a situation like this. Hoisting myself up, I started climbing. 

It didn't take long for me to reach the branches overhanging the roof, and I just had to make it across without it snapping beneath me. I decided to go with more speed than anything, readying myself to go across. One wrong step and you fall. Yeah, but have I ever fallen while climbing?

Before I could doubt myself anymore, I sprinted across the branch as safely as I could manage. I landed on the roof with a squat, since I wasn't fancy enough to do a roll. That also meant my knees hurt like hell. 

I stood up with a groan, walking to the portion of the roof where the doors lay underneath. Now, I just had to trust my grip strength. 

Getting in position, I gripped the ledge tightly with both hands, my feet halfway off the roof. 

"One... two... three."

I kicked my feet off the rest of the way, no dangling by both arms from the roof. I let out a deep breath before focusing on the envelope. 

It was close enough now to grab, but doing so would require me to let go with one hand. Leaving one of my arms holding all my weight. Kinda have to though, don't I?

I released one hand, stretching to reach the paper. Just as my fingertips grasped the edge, I felt my other hand slip. 

I had no idea what happened in the next couple seconds, only opening my eyes when I din't feel an intense amount of pain suddenly overwhelm me. I was grasping the small ledge over the door, about an inch thick. My eyes widened, and I could already feel the strain on the pads of my fingers. Not wasting any time, I grabbed the envelope before dropping about 2 feet to the ground. 

Looking back up, I contemplated how badly that situation could have ended. 

"Think I'll just grab the ladder next time," I said, pulling open the envelope to get my next clue. 

~Time Skip~

It was about an hour later, and I was still working on the scavenger hunt. The clues had taken me all over the house, including Logan's room, which hadn't been fun. He and Patton were in the middle of watching a movie together, and he didn't exactly appreciate being interrupted. They had gotten together only a couple months after me and Princey, but they still treated every date like their first. 

I had just gotten a clue from the laundry room, this one taking me over to Roman's. I found the envelope taped to the back of the door, and removed the paper. A small pile of confetti came out of it, and I saw the paper was marked "Final Clue."

Chuckling at the level of extravagance he used throughout this while thing, I looked at the final clue. 

Congratulations, this treasure hunt has been no easy task. Yet, here you are approaching the final step. Your prize is hidden within the final location, and will only be found with work. So, here you go.

The first gift I ever gave you.

I stopped for a minute, trying to recall what it was. He had given me many things throughout the years, and figuring out which came first would make me actually have to think. Well, I keep everything in my room, might as well start there. 

I headed over, finding it fitting that he hid the last clue in my room. The moment I entered, however, it occurred to me exactly what the first gift was. Of course. The mural. 

I started examining it, thinking it would be easy. I knew every inch of that mural, so finding a change wouldn't be difficult. 

Ten minutes later, I was still searching. He must have actually painted the clue in, as no other textures were added. I was scrutinizing the background, looking for a small box or something that hadn't been there before. 

I sighed, resting my head on the wall. Where was that clue? Opening my eyes, a new color sat right in front of them. Taking a step back, I saw what it was. 

A golden strip had been painted on Roman's ring finger, the arm wrapped around me. I took a step back, my heel catching on something. Whirling around, I saw my boyfriend kneeling on the floor. He held put a ring box opened, shy smile as he looked up at me. 

"Hey," he said, a small chuckle in his voice. 

"No way," I gasped, my brain still trying to process what was going on. 

"Virgil, these past few years have been amazing. I didn't realize how important you were to me until I thought I had lost you for good. I promised myself that day not to waste any more time. So, here I am. I don't want to wait another minute without being able to call you my fiance. Because, let's face it. I got it right all those years ago. You make me better. So, my sweet emo nightmare, will you marry me?"

I felt my eyes sting, tears threatening to spill as I nodded my head. "Yes, of course you over dramatic prince, yes!"

He jumped up, pulling me into a hug before kissing me sweetly. We broke apart after several seconds, and he slid the ring onto my finger. Suddenly, I was being held bridal style and Roman was knocking nonstop on Logan's door.  

"What?" A disgruntled Logan opened the door, clearly frustrated with the second interruption. 

"Come on out, Patton will be mad if you don't hang with us."

"And why is that?"

"Cause we're engaged."

"WHAT!?" Patton's voice called from inside, and he was at the door in a second. I shyly held up my hand with the ring, causing Patton to squeal. Logan simply stood there, stuttering. 

"Can- can you two even get married?" he asked, astonished. 

"Hey, if two gems from another planet can get married, we can too," Roman said, finally setting me down. 

Patton immediately pulled us both into a hug, jumping up and down. "Guys! My kiddos are all grown up!"

"Patton, calm down. I am excited by the news as well, but let us hear it from them. I'm sure they are excited to say how it happened."

"What's up?" a voice called, and I turned to see Remy entering from the portrait hole. 

"Hey Remy," I said, waving. " I'm engaged now."

"No kidding." He lifted his glasses, looking at the ring on my finger as he came closer. He smirked, then turned to Roman. "Took ya long enough."

He laughed. "Yeah, I waited far too long, didn't I?" He looked down at me, and I smiled back up at him. "Come on, why don't we all go outside for a bit?It is sunset, what better way to end the day?"

Everyone nodded their agreement, but was stopped by Roman when we hit the living room. 

"Wait," he called, taking a second to examine the living room. After a second, he snapped, and the room in front of us changed. The furniture all shifted, leaving the space in front of the doors open. 

"Figured we should probably move that," Roman said, a small chuckle in his voice. I simply stared in awe at the now empty spot where the couch had sat for so many years. 

"The doorway is finally clear," I said, a smile slowly growing.

"Consider it an engagement present," Roman said as he pulled open the door for me to step through. 

"The couple normally doesn't- never mind," Logan chimed in, shaking his head as Roman laughed, closing the door behind us all. 

Heading to the patio, we all took our seats, Roman sitting in the same deck chair as me, so my head rested on his chest.  Logan was sitting next to Patton, looking at him adoringly as he went on about outrageous wedding ideas. Remy sat listening, chuckling at each insane addition. I felt a press on the top of my head, turning to see Roman had just kissed it. 

I smiled, looking out at the setting sun over the hedges of the maze, my mind quiet and worry less for once. 

I couldn't help but consider it was a perfect night.