Jack and Dakota on Valentine's Day

It's happened. It's real. Dakota and Jack. They're excited and happy and in a panic.

Both their parents have tried to understand. Dakota's family had a hard time with all this at first. Why would a twenty-year-old (when they first met) want to date a man who was older....and so "fat"? Was Jack taking advantage? Dakota finally had to be blunt with them. He'd pursued Jack.

Had that really been what happened, Jack had wondered. He'd done his share of little Dakota he was interested....

And Jack was wondering, why would he want to go out with the boy.

But surely, Dakota had shown him he was more than that. Not just a silly boy. And he was twenty-one.

At least that's what Jack's dad told him out in his shop one day, shocking the heck out of Jack.

Blushing the man had said, "I'm not gay, son. But he sure is pretty. And he has a head on his shoulders too."

Then came Valentine's Day. They made cookies and chocolate covered strawberries and fed the latter to each other, giggling and staring into each other's eyes.

It led them pretty quickly to the bedroom.

And after, heads resting on the bear pillows they brought together, Dakota asked a question. "Did you have any interest in putting a ring on it? Because I'm ready and I need to know if you want me to be your forever."

It surprised Jack. "Are you asking me to marry you?"

"I want to know if that's what you want. Do you want me forever?"

Jack coughed. Choked back tears. "Yes. I do. Do ... Do you mean you really want me to be your forever?"

"Of course, silly bear!" Winnie the Pooh had always been a favorite of Dakota's and the joke had started early on.

There was a long pause.

"Well? Are you gonna ask me to marry you or not."

And then, tears beginning, Jack got out of bed, naked, came round to Dakota's side of the bed, got down on one knee and said the words.

"Dakota, my beautiful cub, will you marry me?"

"Yes!" cried Dakota and threw his arms around Jack's huge shoulders and kissed him.

Now "all" they had to do was tell their families.

But in the meantime, they thought it would be a good time to make love again.

And start their forever right!