Rings

Rin lay stomach down on the couch, peering up over the arm rest as he fingered the ring Ryuuji had given him. It was a band of silver tungsten carbide, inlaid with carbon fiber that looked like blue fire when the light hit it just right and Rin couldn't stop rolling it between his fingers, smiling like an idiot in to the arm rest.

The most amazing part was that Ryuuji had given it to him—him—that Ryuuji wanted to spend the rest of his life with Rin as much as he wanted to spend it with Ryuuji. The other amazing part was simply how perfect the ring was.

"Like your eyes, and well… you know…"

Ryuuji meant his flames of course, something that was an intricate part of who he was—both the good things and the bad—something that had taken him a long time to come to terms with and learn how to utilize. He wanted the ring he picked out for Ryuuji to be just as perfect, and he'd thought he had found it. There was only one problem.

Money.

It wasn't even that much considering how much they both made working fulltime as exorcists. It was simply more than he could afford to spend on short notice without talking to Ryuuji about it first, especially since they couldn't actually get legally married in Japan and were planning a very small religious ceremony on short notice. This meant he couldn't surprise him.

Ryuuji's proposal had been a surprise to Rin, not to mention the fact that he had a ring at all. Rin wasn't sure if he'd subconsciously picked up on a cue from Ryuuji or what, but his plan to propose had been on the spur of the moment. He hadn't thought he needed a ring. Now he did. Not just any ring either; The Ring.

Rin wasn't really sure what he'd been looking for when he went to the mall jewelry store, but he'd known it when he'd seen it—a ring of quilted gold surrounded by bands of black titanium. It was perfect, except for the $600 price tag.

Rin rolled over to stare up at the ceiling, groaning to himself as he rolled his ring between his fingers, admiring the way the light played off of it.

"Damn it, I definitely can't drop that kind of coin without talking to him first."

"Talk to me about what?"

Rin jumped and dropped the ring. His heart stopped as it skittered away across the floor and he scrambled after it, breathing a sigh of relief as he finally caught it. He slipped it back on and vowed never to take it off again before turning to face Ryuuji with an awkward laugh.

"I didn't hear you come in."

"I can tell," Ryuuji said, quirking an eyebrow, "Something bothering you?"

"Uh, no, just, um…" Rin fidgeted, his eyes darting about as he tried to figure out how to broach the topic without totally ruining any potential for surprise. "How much did you spend on my ring?" he finally asked.

"Oh… um," Ryuuji looked away from Rin, idly scratching his chin scruff. For a moment Rin thought Ryuuji was going to tell him he'd been saving for months to afford it, something that would be an impossibility for him right now, but then Ryuuji continued.

"Around $200."

"Woah, so cheap! Where'd you get it?"

"You're not upset?"

"Why would I be upset?"

"It's not very traditional. It's so cheap because it doesn't contain any precious metals or gems… I just thought…"

"Nah, it's perfect," Rin said, grinning down at the ring, his eyes sparkling as he looked at it. He then glanced back up at Ryuuji. "I just wanted to get something equally as perfect for you, but… I went to the mall today and all the prices are a bit much…"

"Going to the mall to look for jewelry was your first big mistake. Little mall stores are always gonna' rip you off," Ryuuji said, waving a dismissive hand. "Quality wise you gotta' go to a real jeweler and for the best deals you gotta' look online. It also helps if you're not in a hurry so you can wait for a sale."

"I don't really have that luxury, so I guess I'll look online," Rin said, "How long did you spend looking for my ring anyway?"

"Well, I bought it over a year ago and probably-"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Rin asked, cutting him off, "You've been sitting on this thing for a year?! When were you planning on proposing to me?"

Ryuuji looked like a deer caught in a pair of headlights before rapidly turning on his heel. "Don't wanna' talk about it," he said over his shoulder as he tried to retreat in to the bathroom.

"Oh no, no, no, you're not getting off the hook that easily!"