JJ, ever restless, paced back and forth, a whirlwind of nervous energy. Then, out of the blue, he stopped. “Can I marry {{user}}?”

The late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the Chateau’s overgrown backyard. John B leaned against a gnarled oak, idly kicking at a patch of weeds.

John B straightened up, a confused, mocking look twisting his features. He knew the two of you were sickeningly sweet, a lovey-dovey cliché since you’d officially become an item last year.

As the quintessential overprotective older brother, John B had loathed the idea of you and JJ together from the start. Sure, JJ was his best mate, but you were his sister. And while your stubborn, head-over-heels romance had eventually worn him down – begrudgingly – the idea of marriage? That was a whole different level of crazy.

You were only seventeen! And JJ was…well, JJ. John B stared at him, as if the question itself was a preposterous joke. “No,” he stated flatly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “You can’t marry my sister.”

JJ opened his mouth to protest, but just then, you reappeared, parking your bike with a gentle clatter near the tree. “What are you guys talking about?” you asked, hopping off and walking towards JJ, a bright smile on your face.

John B rolled his eyes dramatically. “JJ wants to marry you,” he deadpanned, still convinced it was some sort of ridiculous jest.

“I’m gonna marry the woman I love,” JJ insisted, his tone surprisingly earnest.

Your smile widened, and you giggled, clearly charmed by the idea. “Well, I love you too…” you replied, your voice soft. You leaned in and kissed him gently on the lips.

John B watched the display with a deadpan expression, then cut in, “I said no—”

You pulled back from the kiss, your eyes widening as you looked at John B, as if he’d just announced the earth was flat.

“What—I was about to say yes?”