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Weeks of wondering, pondering, deliberating and denying; all leading up to this one text.



Otto bit nails, paced, sweated and hesitated. He contemplated taking the message back, or saying he changed his mind, or that he had a stomach ache and had to cancel. His stomach did hurt, though likely not because of a bug or virus. Such things rarely attacked Hunters anyway.

What had this hunter so nervous and uncertain was the decision he'd finally psyched himself up to make. And he wasn't sure if he was making the right one.

She was there suddenly, while he stewed in his worries. No backing out. He had to commit now. Commitment. A word that had meant a dead end, or the end of growth, even if he knew better nowadays. It still scared him, which was part of the reason why he was doing it at all.

"Uh..." What was up. Too much. He probably ought to tell her what they were doing, but he didn't have the balls to admit it out loud. It had been hard enough talking to Mimsy about it, and that had been over direct messages on twitter.

"Stuff..." He explained lamely, hurriedly turning away from Peyton and inputing the co-ordinates to the guard on duty. The portal was opened, and Otto gave Peyton a brief hand wave to follow before stepping through.

On the other side, it was a bustling city. New York, it looked like.

Otto turned to Peyton in the alley they'd walked out from, feeling a bit braver now that they were surrounded in noise.

"I'm gunna ask Chance to marry me." He blurted out, still looking like a frazzled mess. Saying it aloud helped, but that nervous energy still coursed wildly through his veins.

Peyton smiled. She seemed elated, if not taken aback with shock. It made Otto smile too. All his nerves he mistook for doubt turned out to be bolted down excitement, for he'd forgotten until now one thing; that the outcome could be happy. That he was allowed to be excited, and that others might just be happy for him too. That.. perhaps, Chance would also be happy to hear this.

"Yeah. Really." He said with a clipped and nervous bubble of laughter.

Otto, smiling and feeling bashful now, cast his gaze to his shoes as Peyton squealed happily for him. The only other person who knew of Otto's plans was Mimsy, and that had been over a Twitter DM. Being able to share in the excitement with someone like this felt much better.

"Well, I wanted help finding a ring." Otto murmured, fumbling through his pockets. "I swiped one of his normal ones so we'd get the right size." He pulled out a normal fashion ring, finally lifting his gaze to meet Peyton's, which really? Wasn't that far from the floor at all anyway.

"I just didn't wanna do it by myself. I thought I should at least have like.. family with me.. right?"