Wade stares at the Christmas tree, running his fingers lazily through Heath's hair. He's lost in thought, mulling over dates and places. "You know we've been together longer than most of your friends," he says to Heath, who blinks sleepily.
"They're your friends too," he points out, laughing softly when Wade scoffs down at him. "What made ya think of that?"
"Holidays, I guess. Always brings out everyone's disgustingly sappy sides." He'd seen Ziggler's engagement ring, waiting for Zack's finger. The proud but nervous look on Dolph's face when he confided, needing to tell someone or ruin the entire thing. All Wade could do at the time was stare at the gleaming band and think about the future, how Heath might look wearing his ring.
Heath nods, a distant look on his face. "Yeah." He falls suspiciously quiet and Wade frowns down at him. Before he can ask, or do anything, Heath sits up and grips Wade's hands, brushing his fingers over his knuckles. He doesn't say anything for a few minutes, just swallows convulsively, and Wade wonders if he's going to be ill. "Brit-"
"Ginger?" he asks when all words seem to fail Heath. "What's wrong?"
Heath closes his eyes for a moment, exhales harshly. "It can be whatever ya want it to be," he says, eyes shifting left to right anxiously. "Maybe I misread stuff, and maybe you don't want this, maybe you'll never want this, but it's there, and it can be something less, something more, or just... what it is. Up to you." He reaches over and roots around in the top drawer of the bedside table on his side, holding a soft velvet box in hand once he sits up straight next to Wade. "I guess this was my disgustingly sappy side." He smiles weakly, eyes gleaming as he snaps the box open and Wade stares at the ring within, mouth going dry as he realizes the gravity of this moment.
"Heath," he says softly, running his finger carefully over the rose gold ring with a black strip up the center. "You... is this?" He stares up at Heath and swallows, remembering his words. Whatever I want it to be. He feels a sudden yearning- to experience the same bond-strengthening moments that Zack and Dolph have, have the same certainty that Ricardo and Alberto do. But what he and Heath have has always been stronger, healthier than the other two couples. They very rarely argue, things have always been surprisingly even between them, comfortable and ... perfect. He rests a hand over the box and lightly pushes Heath's hand down, searching the sudden pain of rejection that crosses Heath's face. "I suppose you should do it right if you're going to do it at all, ginger."
Heath looks confused, then realization dawns- both what Wade wants from him and that Wade wants him like this- and he trembles as he stands, sinking down to one knee next to the bed while Wade watches him closely. "We've been friends a long time, Brit," he says, licking his lips anxiously, his eyes only just resting on Wade's face."And I've had some of the best times'a my life with you. Especially now, that we're so much more than friends. Like, I can really see myself growin' old with you." He laughs softly. "So it just kinda felt right that I go full circle with surprisin' ya, right?" He thumbs the ring as he eases it out of the box and gently takes Wade's hand when he holds it out to him, still waiting. "I love ya and I know we don't really need the physical representation of it to be in this little ring here, but I kinda just wanted it, I guess. It's up to you what this ring means to you though, it can really be anything you want it to be."
Wade watches him with a small, lopsided smile before he exhales and nods. "You're my best friend, Heath. I don't throw terms like that around easily, so you know when I say it, I mean it." He breathes steadily. "When you came to me that night we formed the Corre, I didn't expect much from this. From you. But from the moment I met you in FCW, you seemed determined to make yourself part of my life." He laughs. "You probably never realized how envious I was of you, of how certain you were in yourself when the rest of us were uncomfortable and hesitant to do anything that might make us seem stupid or unworthy. You were, and always have been, unabashedly yourself from your hair to your accent to your attitude, and I've always loved that about you."
He holds his hand out, smiling when Heath carefully takes it, staring up at him hopefully. "It would be an honor to wear this ring," he says softly, watching Heath's face. "It would be even more of an honor to be your husband."
Heath's eyes well up, momentarily, before he blinks hard and ducks his head, placing the ring on Wade's finger. "I love you so much," he says softly, exhaling as Wade cups his face, drawing him up to the side of the bed. As they hover close to each other, Wade leans in and kisses him, the cool band of the ring pressing against Heath's face and holding him in place as Wade wipes away the tear tracks on his cheeks with a small smile.
"I love you even more," Wade shares, resting his forehead against Heath's and staring into his eyes with a small smile.
They lean against each other for a few moments before Heath speaks up again. "Does this mean you're gonna be Wade Slater?" He laughs happily when Wade swats at him, pushing down his own laughter with exasperation, before quieting him the best way he knows how and drawing him back in for another kiss.