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Dereece & Jevon first met online on 17.04.2018 after matching on a popular dating app. Jevon had just returned from travelling, and Dereece was home for summer break from his studies. Their first in-person date was just a few days later on 19.04.2018, the day after their birthday. Yes, they both share the same birthday: 18.04. (Though Dereece would like it noted that Jevon is older... even if he doesn’t always act like it!)​ Despite quickly becoming inseparable, they soon realised that while they shared a star sign Aries they were total opposites. Dereece is extroverted and outgoing, while Jevon is more relaxed and grounded.

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After just a month of dating, they made things official. Their bond grew quickly, and they spent nearly every day together. But as summer came to an end, the reality set in: they were about to live in different cities. Jevon couldn’t let that happen. So, he packed his things and moved to London to share a tiny single-bed student room with Dereece for his final year in Guildford.

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Fast forward a year, Dereece graduated, and the couple decided to rent a house in Birmingham close to both of their families in the Midlands. Not long after, the pandemic hit. Most new couples would’ve struggled, but these two had already survived sharing a single bed in a student flat with 10 other first-years. Unbreakable.

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As the pandemic eased, Jevon started job-hunting. One Thursday morning, he woke Dereece up with the news: he’d landed a job and it started on Monday. The only catch? It was in London.

So off Jevon went, moving in temporarily with his best friend while looking for a place for them both. Dereece stayed in Birmingham with their two dogs, unsure how he’d move his life to London or if he even could.

Then came another twist: Jevon arrived in London with COVID, plans fell through, and he ended up quarantining in a hotel. The plan was for Dereece to join him in three months but for now, they were apart.

Three long months later, Jevon had moved from his friend’s spare room to a flatshare. He wasn’t sure if Dereece would ever join him. Meanwhile, Dereece struggling to find someone to care for their fur babies and recovering from illness hadn’t secured a job in London.

Still, against the odds, Dereece packed his things into the car and made the one-way journey to London.

Two years later after many moves, the loss of a beloved pet, and a lot of change they found a new-build apartment together. It felt like fate: flat 18 on the fourth floor. 18.04. Their birthday. Full circle.

By then, their relationship was stronger than ever. They’d built a new life in London, surrounded by friends (old and new), and welcomed another little fur baby into their world.

After six shared birthdays and their 6-year anniversary, the couple went on a weekend trip. It was there that Jevon asked Dereece the biggest question of all.

And of course… that’s why we’re all here
 

He said YES!