(Im)perfect Proposal
The ring was burning a hole in his pocket.
In theory, proposing marriage to someone was a relatively simple thing. All that was technically required was for one person to ask the question of another, the exchanging of a ring or some other token trinket optional but usually expected. Helios had the ring, and he had written a short heartfelt speech, practicing it in front of a mirror every night for the past week until he could recite every word from memory, yet the question remained unasked.
His original plan had been to propose on the Ferris wheel. To celebrate their anniversary, he and Serenity had spent almost the entire day at Dream Land, the new amusement park that had recently opened in Crystal Tokyo, after Helios revealed he had never been to one before. Though they had been joined on the outing by the Sailor Quartet, sent along as usual as the princess's bodyguards, the Ferris wheel would provide them a moment of privacy, as well as setting the right romantic mood – at least according to the magazine articles he had read beforehand while planning his perfect proposal. The only problem was, once they were in one of the colorful heart-shaped cars, Serenity had been so enthralled by all the gorgeous panoramic views, excitedly pointing out some of her favorite landmarks to him, that Helios never got the chance to pop the question before the too-short ride was over and they were back on solid ground again.
After that, he thought he might try again over dinner. Makoto had recommended the restaurant as one of the best in the city and had pulled a few strings to get them a private table on the balcony, with the Quartet seated at another table inside. Serenity's bodyguards were close enough to be able to spring into action at the first sign of trouble, yet far enough away that it was quite easy to forget that they were even there, especially when the heavy velvet curtains were drawn. Helios considered either slipping the ring inside Serenity's champagne flute when she wasn't looking or asking the chef to hide it inside the strawberry shortcake she had ordered for dessert, but in the end, the (not unreasonable) fear of her not noticing the ring in time and possibly choking on it prevented him from going through with either idea.
Now the day was almost over, and they had returned to Elysion, where Serenity and her parents were spending a couple of weeks on holiday at the restored Golden Palace. After pulling Ceres aside and explaining the situation to her – something he probably should have done in the first place, if only he hadn't worried one of them might spill the beans – the Quartet agreed to give them some true privacy as Helios and Serenity took a romantic moonlit stroll around the palace gardens under the guise of saying "good night".
His heart pounding, Helios slipped a hand inside his pocket as they walked past a stone water fountain, his fingers wrapping around the ring he had specially designed. He almost couldn't ask for a more perfect, romantic setting. The gardens of the Golden Palace were famed for their beauty, and the magical sky of Elysion was filled with a multitude of twinkling stars, the moon like a white pearl against the darkness. All he needed to do was pull out the ring, kneel down on one knee, and ask –
"Helios… Helios?" Serenity tugged on the sleeve of his tunic.
Startled, Helios abruptly yanked his hand out of his pocket and smiled as he turned his attention back to the woman he loved. "Yes, my maiden?"
She frowned. "It's our anniversary, yet you've seemed distracted all day. Did you not enjoy our outing?"
"Yes, of course I did," he assured her, while silently berating himself with language he rarely used for not hiding his preoccupation better. Helios reached for her hand, kissing the back of her palm. "It was an amazing day. Dream Land was even more fun than I imagined it would be, and dinner was delicious."
"Then is something wrong? Has something been bothering you?"
"No, it's nothing, really. I'm fine."
"Are you?" She moved to stand in front of Helios, blocking his way.
"Yes, I am. I'm just...a little tired, that's all."
"What? Are you not feeling well?" Concerned, Serenity placed one hand over his forehead while pressing the other against her own, comparing their temperatures. "You don't feel like you have a fever…"
"No, what I meant was…" Helios glanced around, spotting a nearby bench. "Here, let's take a break," he suggested, reaching for her hand and leading her toward the little garden nook.
The look of confusion remained on Serenity's face as she sat down on the stone-carved bench. "Helios, are you sure nothing's wrong? Do you need to see Mercury-sama?"
"I promise you, everything's fine. More than fine, actually." Still standing, Helios inhaled a deep breath. "You're right. I have been distracted today, but it's not because of anything bad," he admitted. "It's something good. Well, at least, I hope it's good. I've been waiting for the perfect moment to ask you, but it seems like every time I work up my courage to try, something has gotten in the way."
Her pink lips shaped into a small "o". "Well, there's no one and nothing to stand in your way now, is there?" Serenity asked, a teasing lilt to her voice as she looked up at him, a soft smile dancing on her lips. "What is it you wanted to ask me?"
"Right."
Helios sat down on the bench beside her and reached for Serenity's hand, briefly closing his eyes in an effort to calm himself. He was almost certain what her answer would be, but that didn't stop his heart from pounding, his mouth suddenly going dry from an abundance of nerves. Helios licked at his lips and turned his body so that he was more fully facing her, calling to mind the speech he spent so much time preparing.
"Maiden, there's so much I want to say to you, but I fear no amount of words would ever be enough to convey how much you mean to me," he began, bringing his free hand to caress her cheek. Her pale skin almost seemed to glow in the moonlight, the golden sigil upon her forehead sparkling like a jewel. "I have loved you for too many years to count, and I will never stop loving you for all the rest of my days. You are my best friend, my soulmate, my forever love, and nothing would make me happier than to spend the rest of my life with you, so –" he once again slipped his free hand into his pocket "– Princess Lady Serenity, will you do me the honor of…" His eyes widened. "Oh, no! No, this can't be happening..."
"What's wrong?" Serenity asked, alarmed.
Helios jumped to his feet and patted his hands over his tunic and pants, but there was no sign of it anywhere. "The ring. It's missing!" he said, checking his other pocket just to be certain he hadn't forgotten which one he had put it in.
It was empty, too.
Dropping down to the ground, he began searching for the ring in the grass surrounding the bench. Serenity joined him a few seconds later.
"Maiden?"
"The search will go faster if we both look for it," she pointed out. "When was the last time you know you had it?"
"It was in my pocket a few minutes ago. I know it was." Helios frowned. That meant it must have fallen out when Serenity had startled him earlier. "Keep looking around here, just in case," he said, standing back up. "I think I might have an idea where I lost it."
Helios retraced their steps, keeping an eye out for anything glimmering in the moonlight. How could he have been so careless? He knew he shouldn't have taken the ring out of the box, but he'd been afraid that the shape would too conspicuous in his pocket, spoiling the surprise.
"Praise Terraya!"
He sighed in relief a couple of minutes later when he caught sight of the ring laying in the middle of the dirt path near the fountain. As suspected, it was right around the spot where he had put his hand in his pocket earlier. Helios knelt down and picked up the ring, inspecting it. It was a little dirty, but otherwise appeared undamaged. Carefully, he rinsed it off in the fountain's cool waters, then dried the ring off as best he could with his handkerchief before heading back to the bench.
Serenity was still looking for the ring, crawling around on her hands and knees, her long pink pigtails dragging on the ground, when Helios headed back to the bench. "I found it!" he said when she glanced up at his approach.
"Oh, thank goodness!" She sat up on her knees. "I'm so glad."
"Here, allow me." Helios extended a hand, helping Serenity rise back to her feet. He was unable to hold back a chuckle, though, upon seeing the grass and dirt caked on her pretty polka-dot print sundress, a few twigs and leaves caught in her hair.
"What's so funny?" Serenity asked with a slight pout.
"Your dress… No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh." He covered his mouth with his hand, wrapping his other arm around his midsection in an effort to control his laughter.
"My dress?" She looked down at her outfit and began giggling as well. "Your clothes look even worse," she said as she tried her best to brush the debris out of her hair.
Indeed, his white chinos were filthy, covered in dirt and grass stains. Helios tried to pat them away, but that just made things even worse.
Serenity laughed even harder, the sound as beautiful as a ringing bell. "We really do look quite the mess!"
"Yet you have never looked more beautiful to me," Helios said honestly, her laughter fading away as he brought a hand to caress her cheek.
"Helios…" Serenity sucked in a shaky breath, her crimson red eyes staring up at him. "I believe you intended to ask me something?"
"Yes, of course." Bringing his hand back down, he motioned toward the bench. "Here, sit back down. I want to do this properly."
Serenity took a seat on the bench, Helios kneeling down on one knee in front of her. Without prompting, she extended her left hand. Helios took it in his, briefly brushing his lips across her knuckles, then held up the ring with his other hand. The pink solitaire diamond set in gold glimmered even in the faint moonlight falling upon them.
"Princess Lady Serenity, I love you more than anything," Helios said, deciding to forgo the rest of his planned speech. "Will you marry me?"
"Yes," she whispered, teary-eyed as he slipped the ring on her finger. "A thousand times, yes."
DISCLAIMER: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This story was written for Day 1 of Sailor Moon Rare Pair Week, Theme: Anniversary/Proposal/Competition. I hope you enjoyed it!