Okay, so I wanted to take my time with this chapter cause despite being someone who when originally deciding on this arc didn't think she would have something similar to this idea in real life, I actually kinda do lol My girlfriend and I have talked promise rings for a bit and what they're doing with it all inspired me a lot here so it's very personal to me.
So yeah lol This chapter is probably the most personal one I have ever written or will ever write. I really hope you guys enjoy it.
If I knew just how much stuff truly went into engagements, I would have started planning all of this a lot sooner.
I sighed heavily as I fiddled with the ring box in my hands as Claire placed a wrapped-up box before me. Supposedly holding the new box the ring will call its home for now.
Ring boxes and semi-detailed plans were two things I kind of expecting. The whole planning and finding a ring box though that won't give away what's inside or make Zoe curious was another thing. But the worst part is, she's my best friend. Zoe and I have told everything to one another since we were children. Every major thing I planned or wanted to do, she knew about.
This? Any of it? I never told her a single thing. We've talked about getting married one day and that it was something both of us wanted, sure, but not telling her that I actually got the ring and that I wanted it now? That's the hard part.
"You kinda seem out of there, bro." I shook my head a little I looked over toward Claire with an anxious smile.
"Just thinking, honestly."
"I can tell you're not bad anxious though, but I still kinda wanna pry there." I chuckled a little at her response before speaking myself.
"I was thinking about how I tell Zoe everything and for once, I'm not."
"Well, you don't wanna ruin the surprise and all, Doux. This isn't a bad thing to keep from her." I smiled wide as I looked down at the ring box again.
"I know, but it still makes me wanna show her some of it all. Like show her the ring box and get her opinion and things." I looked down toward the ring box as I saw Claire's knowing smile out of the corner of my eyes.
"You sappy punk bastard."
"Yeah yeah yeah. Anything else you wanna point out there, Captain Obvious?" Claire just laughed at this as she grabbed the wrapped-up box once more.
"You're fine, Doux. Just teasing ya. I know your soft little heart there is one of Zoe's favorite things about you." I smiled wide as I remembered one of Zoe's favorite things to point out to me whenever I got upset or something.
"You're just a sweet thing, love. A cinnamon roll in wolf's clothing. But you're my softy."
I smiled as Zoe's words rang within my head while my eyes looked over toward the wrapped-up box.
We used to joke that she made me soft. That I was all tough as nails before she came along, but honestly? She taught me how to be secure with my emotions. To not fear them or let them control me. She taught me to value each one and let them share their weight within me. She made me feel okay about feeling things instead of just trying to push a lot of them but a few down. She made me feel safe showing those sides of me. Made me feel warm and at home.
She made me feel loved.
I smiled at my last thoughts before placing the ring's smaller box onto the table before reaching over for the wrapped one.
"Jim made this, right? Exactly how he showed me in your sketch?" Claire nodded with pride as I pulled the ribbon off the top.
"Exactly how a sketched. Exactly how you wanted it. Took him a little bit burning in the finer details, but he did beautifully, honestly." I smiled wide as I opened the box slowly to be met with the small wood and metal box that would now be the ring box I'll propose with. Its base was similar to that of a small blue-painted treasure chest. It was carved very skillfully to have a scaled pattern on its sides as a metal welded dragon was laid flat on top. It was a beautiful little thing and was honestly perfect. I opened it to see that the cushions inside looked like old leather as I just simply took the ring from one box and placed it within its new resting place.
"This is beautiful. Absolutely beautiful." I moved the box around in my hands as I weighed it more in each of them.
"Well, you said you wanted something with dragons involved and all." I looked over toward Claire who had a shining smile while pointing at the bronze-colored dragon. "Jim took that to heart. I was wondering at first why until I remembered that 'Dragon Boy' was her nickname for Archie." I chuckled a little as the memory rang within my head.
"I BET YOU IF THIS BLACK FLUFFY BASTARD COULD FLY HE WOULD FOLLOW YOU EVERYWHERE! Fucking Dragon Boy."
"She did insist on him being something like a familiar to me so it was only fair she would start saying he was like a mythical creature." I smiled as Claire laughed in return.
"Can't blame her. You without Archie is like the Earth without oceans. It's impossible to even think of."
"I did have since I was like-." I stopped for a moment as I tried to remember just how long the cat and I have been together. "Well, I actually can't even remember." I chuckled a little at the realization as Claire just rolled her eyes.
"Of course the boy that was into mythical witchcraft has an eternity cat."
"And now I'm gonna add a pink-haired punk to that eternity too."
"Well, to your human eternity." I couldn't help but chuckled a little as I slipped the ring box into my pocket.
"Where is Jim anyway? I wanted to thank him personally." I frowned a little as I got up from my spot on Claire and Jim's couch.
"He's helping Uncle Blinky with something last I knew. What exactly? I have no clue." Claire got up from her spot with me as she grabbed a notebook that was sitting next to her as well. "But hey, means we can plan some stuff out a little more. What day exactly do you want to propose?"
"I've always wanted to propose on our anniversary." I smiled wide at the idea as I mentally counted how many months it was away. "We've got some time to think it over and all. But good to have a decent plan now on how to go about it."
"Exactly what I was thinking." Claire gave me a wide smile as she grabbed the smaller now empty box off the coffee table. The object in her hands making a question fall out of my mouth without even thinking twice about it.
"Do you think Jim will propose to you one day?" The question seemed to catch the fellow punk off guard for a moment, but not in a bad or harsh way. At least, if the soft blush on her cheeks had any say in it.
"Want me to be honest, bro?" I nodded my head slowly as she looked over the old ring box for a moment before looking up toward me.
"I don't see myself saying yes to anyone else but him."
I swallowed hard as I messed with a small metal box that I've been messing with.
After making Douxie's box, I couldn't help but make another. I had too many thoughts of my own for me to not consider what a ring box I would use for Claire would look like.
I opened the top of the silver-painted skull to see its two ring placement cushions before closing it once more. The multiple colors of its details making it look more like just a desk decoration than a ring box. It was designed like a Calavera design just like a lot of Claire's paintings and drawings that she loved to keep.
It was perfect. The perfect ring box for a certain Latina tattoo artist.
But something I shouldn't use any time soon. At least not before Douxie uses his.
"Might be a little too soon for the idea of getting engaged anyway." I shrugged a little as I spoke. My eyes slowly moving up toward my uncle Blinky who sat next to me in his garage. "But promise rings might but the thing to good use." The old man smiled at me as the corners of his mouth went up to both of his eyes. His eye patch over the left moving just a little before releasing a small chuckle.
"I think that's a wonderful idea. Or hell my boy, could take the cushions out for now and use it as a small desk storage thing until you decide to use it." I gave the older man a wide smile as quite enjoyed the idea.
"That's brilliant, Blinks! I might just do that. Or maybe just give it to her for now as a storage thing and just make another when I feel like it's appropriate. That way it doesn't surprise her seeing more of them around."
"Well, that's a good idea too. Make it so it's not too obvious of a plan there." I nodded along as my smile only widened at the thought. But suddenly my uncle's voice got softer as he spoke once more. "You really do see the rest of your life with this one, huh?" My smile softened as I looked down toward the ring box once more. Flipping over the top and imagining for a second what kind of ring I would have sitting inside it.
"I really do." I closed it once more as I let out a happy sigh. "She's everything, Blinky. She's funny and witty. She's creative and is never boring to be around. She gets me in ways that even Toby lacks. Claire is like my sunrise at this point. That I can't see my day's starting without her. Like, I don't think life would ever be the same if she wasn't with me." I felt a small blush as I realized how I rambled about my girlfriend for a good bit there, but I kept going. "I just have this feeling that we'll work out. That out of all the people I'll ever meet, that she'll always be the one that I'll want to come back to. That no matter any distance that happens or problems we'll face, that seeing her smile or be near me is worth it." I only stopped my ramble due to me hearing Blinky chuckled softly beside me.
"You know, when you were a boy, I dreamt of this moment." I shot my uncle a confused look as he just continued. "Seeing you so in love and letting yourself be. Seeing just how much of a man you've become. I'm very proud of you, my boy." I smiled softly toward the older man as he reached out and placed a hand on my left shoulder. "Very proud." I couldn't help but sniffle a little as a lot of emotions started swelling within my chest.
Ever since I was young, I looked toward Blinky like a father. He was like the dad my father never was and when my real dad left, he and Uncle Aaron helped mom and I pick up the broken pieces. He was the father I needed. The father I dreamed of having.
I felt the old man pull me out of my chair as he brought me into a tight hug. His arms wrapping around me as if he had many more to wrap me up in.
And hearing him say he's proud of me? Proud of who've I've become? That is priceless.
"I love you, my boy." I sniffled once more as I wrapped my arms around Blinky as well.
"I love you too, Uncle Blinky."
A little bit of a shorter update here, but hey! I got it done! lol That was my plan there lol
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this sappy ass update lol Much love, my friends!