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Greid didn’t even smile, still looking worried. “What’s wrong, berry?”
“Nothing.” I shook my head quickly and took a fortifying breath. Then I smiled up at him, moving closer to wrap my arms around his hips. “I’m just really happy.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” I raised my chin and waited for him to duck down to kiss me. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” he mumbled, then kissed me again before straightening. “I, um, I have something for you.”
“What?” I blinked in surprise. “But we opened our gifts this morning.”
“I know, but…” He walked to the nightstand and grabbed something from its drawer, then made his way back over with the item hidden in his fist. “I stashed it in here earlier when you went to the bathroom,” he told me sheepishly.
When he reached me, he opened his hand to reveal the small black box resting in his palm. I recognised the GvR stamped on the lid instantly—his jewellery business’s logo.
My breath caught in my throat. Hesitantly, I reached out to take the box and carefully snap open its lid. Inside was a ring nestled on a black pillow, its delicate band silvery black, with an emerald held between tiny demiurgus claws.
“Greid…” I swallowed hard, a lump forming in my throat. “It’s beautiful.”
“I told you I’d make you a ring.” He was fidgeting anxiously, long fingers picking at the front of his ugly Christmas sweater. “The first day you moved in.”
I nodded, my gaze growing a little blurry. “I remember.”
“I had to measure your finger while you were asleep. After you moved into my room,” he added hurriedly. “I didn’t, like, creep into your bedroom in the middle of the night like a weirdo.”
I let out a wobbly laugh, gently plucking the ring from the box to inspect it closer. Insides knotting with something that made me breathless, I looked up at Greid. “Is—Is this… Are you…”
He stared back at me nonplussed for a second, before his eyes grew comically wide. “Oh fuck. Shit. I wasn’t—I’m not—It’s not an engagement ring. Unless you… I mean, I would mate you tomorrow if you wanted to. Or marry, whatever we’d call it… Fuck.”
I burst out laughing. “You’re such a dork.”
“Fuck, I’m sorry.” He dragged a hand over his face. “I didn’t even… I would totally marry you, berry. Seriously. Like, today. Right this second. But that wasn’t… Shit, I need to stop talking.”
“So, wait…” I couldn’t help but tease him just a little. “Are you proposing, or not?”
“I don’t even know anymore.” He gave me a helpless look. “Tell me what to do.”
Chuckling, I stepped closer.
“How about this…” I slipped the ring onto the third finger of my right hand, then grinned up at him as I snuck my hands under the back of his sweater to palm his warm skin. “When one of us proposes—whichever one of us gets there first—I’ll put it on the other hand.”
“Okay,” he said, cupping my ass and lifting me into his arms. “I’m sorry. This would’ve been a shitty proposal anyway. It still somehow smells like dirty socks in here.”
“Well, at least we would’ve had a young, sexy Parin var Gelligar watching over the moment.” I nodded at the old poster taped to the wall above the bed.
Greid’s ears fluttered. “Shut up,” he mumbled, then leaned in to kiss me. “We can always take the poster home if you want it to be there when one of us does propose.”
“Please,” I deadpanned. “It’s what I’ve always dreamed of.”
