He had originally planned to do it in a more romantic way. To make a huge public display of his affection, something that Ryuuken never did. Kanae would like that, he thought. If he were more open like that when proposing, wouldn't that be something a beautiful woman like herself would be impressed by? He had to impress her. But he knew her well enough to be perfectly aware that the size of the diamond wouldn't matter. In fact, all of her jewelry was very simple. She didn't like big pieces of jewelry. So he got her a ring with a small diamond, her taste memorized like the back of his hand. Her taste was cheap, but even if it weren't he would have matched up to it for her.
She was wearing a long sleeved yellow shirt that fell at her thighs almost like a dress, and white leggings. He loved seeing her out of her uniform; she looked so beautiful in everything. He should take her shopping someday, he thought. She would like that, and he could admire her freely. All of her clothes were secondhand because she was poor… He would treat her to a nice day at the mall soon, he decided. Her hair was so beautiful as well… It was perfectly straight; falling just past her shoulders, and was the color of a perfect midnight sky. He felt like when his fingers were intertwined in her beautiful soft locks, that he could touch the stars if only their lips joined. Everything about her reminded him of the milky way, he felt like he was soaring through the galaxy when they were holding hands, everything was in a different perspective, and the rest of the world could never compare to their love, to her soft skin, to her voice that chimed like a perfect melody in his ears, or to her scent of vanilla.
When he was touching her, he could only want more and more. But he would never ask for it. He was raised to be respectful to women, and this woman deserved respect more than any other. He wanted her to always be his, to be in his arms. She was his sun, just like how Masaki was the Kurosaki sun… Kanae was his. And he wanted to be stuck in her orbit forever.
One hand was holding lovingly onto hers, both in his pocket to keep warm during the Japanese winter, but still close to him. She was always so warm; it was like whenever he touched her, her body radiated the heat and passion of their love. They had a love that even fairy tales could not explain. He wanted to be with her, to need her, to love her, endlessly.
"Ryuu-kun?" She had started calling him that after he promptly told her not to refer to him as master unless his mother was near. Only then so that she didn't lose her job. So she gave him the pet name 'Ryuu-kun' because it was affectionate, and sounded so similar to Ryuuken. He didn't think he would ever like being given a pet name, he was always baffled when Masaki called him 'Ryuu-chan.' Coming from her, it was a closeness that he wished not to have. But the nickname that Kanae had given to him was perfect, and was so perfectly intimate that he always smiled in response.
"Yes?" He asked, squeezing her hand ever so gently.
"Can we sit a moment? My legs are becoming sore." She said, pointing her free hand over to an empty bench off of the sidewalk, where trees surrounded it from behind since it was sitting just upon the outskirts of the Karakura park.
"O-of course." He said, looking at his watch, wondering how long they were walking for her to get tired. They had started at 5:30, and it was… almost 9 O'clock! "Oh my g
osh, I'm so sorry, Kanae. I didn't realize how long we were walking." He said, walking over to the bench and sitting her down, only then taking his place beside her. "Are you tired? Should we go back?" He asked. To most it probably seemed a little bit too worried or empathetic. But Ryuuken wasn't empathetic at all; he leaned more toward a little bit of awkward sympathy. The only reason he was acting this way, was because of Kanae's frailness. She got tired quick, and sick just the same. So he was careful to her, as if she were a porcelain doll. She was beautiful like one… No… Even more.
She smiled dismissively and shook her head. "No, I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me as much as you do, I'm not that weak. My legs are just a little sore."
Ryuuken nodded, touching the small navy blue box that was in his other coat pocket. He wanted to wait for a perfect moment, where the whole town would stop and think "wow… Those two are really in love…" but he couldn't stop himself. He didn't get down on one knee; the words escaped his lips too impulsively for that.
"Marry me." It sounded like a command almost, a desperate, pleading command. He grabbed both her hands and held them tight up to his chest where she would feel the steady drumming of his lullaby heart. "Please, Kanae… Marry me…" He said again, softer than he had the first time. His face was paralyzed with the fear of rejection, stunned in place, surprised by his own split-second actions. But he didn't regret them. Now he felt like he would throw up if she didn't answer him right away. If she didn't answer him right away with what he hoped to hear.
Kanae didn't say any words at all, not even one. Her expression was equally as shocked, but not baffled, or rejecting. No, just surprised by the impulsive and perfect gesture of love that Ryuuken had just displayed before her. It hadn't gone the way he wanted, but to her, it was perfect. She nodded over and over, one would wonder if her head would run away nodding.
Ryuuken let out the held breath and engulfed her into the most loving hug he had ever before, and joined their lips so that they were sharing a very passionate kiss like how the sun touched the moon and made it shine as well. That's what they were to each other. He was the dark, lonely moon, and without the sun, would be useless. But with the sun, he shined bright during the night, because her glow gave him that opportunity. He slipped the ring on her finger, but never broke that perfectly passionate kiss.
