"Please tell me you're almost done. I'm about ready to kick you in the teeth for this pain."

Teddy merely smiled, soft and serene as he concentrated. This was a momentous moment and he wasn't about ready to give it up. "Almost; just doing the finishing touches now." He slipped his fingers through James' for a quick moment as he refreshed the ink on his needle. "Pain is beauty, Jamie."

It truly was beautiful in the end. Teddy was sure he'd never been more in love with any tattoo he'd ever designed. But he supposed that all stemmed from bias. He cast a few charms to promote healing and to ensure the piece would never fade and…that was that.

Teddy's love was forever immortalized on James Potter's hipbone. It was glorious.

"What do you think?" he whispered, barely containing the urge to run his fingers over the freshly carved skin. "Is the end result worth hearing me beg to tattoo you for years?"

At first, James didn't speak. His body was arched at an awkward angle to see the work of art while still being careful not to irritate the tender skin. "Flowers?" he finally asked after a long look. "You've done flowers on me? Merlin, now I really look like a ponce…."

Since he was already eager and grinning, Teddy was able to brush off the initial reaction. "Not just any flowers. They're flowers that mean something."

"What do foxglove and…and poppies mean, then?"

"Not foxglove," Teddy corrected and helped his boyfriend out of the relaxed chair. He led him to a full mirror, thankful they had the shop to themselves since James' bits were only hardly covered. Holding the boy loosely around the chest, he met his eyes in their reflection. "Poppy and lupin."

"Lupin…," James mulled, the barest start of a smile edging the corner of his mouth. "So that part's easy to get, but how about the poppies? What're they for?"

Teddy couldn't hold back a grin. He'd been planning this meticulously and containing himself had been the hardest part. "Different cultures have varying traits they associate to their flowers. My favorite symbolization for the red poppies is a deep and passionate love, but they can also show remembrance in death. And lupins, in addition to their obvious meaning here, can be used to show a voracious desire for something. Together, entwined in stunning and vivid color, the two represent me wanting to love you until the day I die."

The smile took over James' face for real now; he was truly beaming. "A bit macabre but alright." He leaned up on his toes and turned his head just enough to press his lips to Teddy's chin. "Honestly, it's beautiful. I've said it before, but I'll do it once more – you're talented."

"I'm glad you think so," Teddy murmured, feeling the weight of his nerves sink in at that very moment. It was time. His bones feeling mechanical, he sunk down to the floor. As he did, he turned James to face him with his hands clasped within his own. "Because I do mean it, Jamie," he continued, letting go of James and reaching into his pocket.

"Teddy…," James whispered back and it almost felt like a warning.

Teddy dismissed the worry with a wave of his hand. "I know it seems soon." Far too soon, he was sure. "Victoire and I separated only six months ago…. But I've loved you for so much longer than the time we've had since caving into this. I've loved you since Ginny announced you were growing within her." From his pocket, Teddy produced a jewelry box. It was only too obvious what he was intending and James backed up a step when he saw this. Teddy persisted even in the face of possible heartache. "Nothing has to change if you say 'yes'. We can wait to move in together until you're ready. We can have as long of an engagement as you want. I just…I want to show you just how passionate I am about this relationship and about you."

When Teddy popped the lid of the box, James took another step back. He righted his trousers and looked towards the door. But Teddy kept going. "It's just a ring and nothing has to change. We can keep letting this relationship progress at a reasonable pace. But in the future, however far off that might be, I want to marry you. I want to wake up beside you every morning. I want to fall asleep in your arms every night. I want…I want to raise a family with you and I want to see you grow old. I just want you and I want the world to know it."

James was frowning and he refused to look anywhere but at the flowers on his hip. Recognizing this as thinking, he waited. He waited there with his knee digging into the tile and his arms growing weak from holding the ring out after having worked with them for hours. He would wait until he had an answer. He wasn't the type to give up. "People are going to say-"

"Fuck them," Teddy interrupted.

James sighed heavily and threw his hands in the air. "Yes, then. Just…. I don't want to talk about a wedding anytime soon. Okay?"

All Teddy cared about was the 'yes'. Tears burnt at the corners of his eyes as he stood and pulled James back into his arms. Kissing his face wherever he could while unable to hold back his relieved laughter. "You let me know when you're ready, okay?" While James nodded, Teddy slipped the ring onto his finger. It fit perfectly and matched the rosy gold of Teddy's bracelet. Instead of a wolf adorning the ring, however, the antlers of a stag branched off over the boy's finger. Harry had helped him pick it out, despite his reservations. He'd said there was nothing more perfectly fitting and Teddy couldn't in that moment disagree.