A/N: To the guest that requested the crossover story in the reviews for this please pm me if you can. I would love to take on the challenge of your story but I have questions about it.
Generally Dante stayed away from the public. Sure he'd go to the liquor store on a regular basis and Fredi's diner, for years he would go out regularly to Love Planet to flirt with the dancers and bring them home, but otherwise stayed to himself in his office.
He opted on this occasion to leave his jacket behind hiding his holsters under his shirt which was just a simple black tee. He had plenty of jeans to wear and opted for just his cowboy style boots.
Walking into the store he knew he was completely out of his comfort zone. It smelled nice and was fairly quiet with the few other customers talking in hushed murmurs.
He had done his research and found that this was the best jewelry store in the city, of course that also meant expensive. He had been taking on more side jobs than usual stashing away his money when he could a few months after he and Kyrie had become mates.
It had already been well over a year since and with the idea that they may soon be parents it had strengthened his resolve, he was going to propose to her. After all, it was only fair.
She had mated with him to appease his wants and needs, not that it didn't mean anything to her he knew that it did. Still he knew it would mean even more to both of them if they went with a human marriage as well.
Dante approached the glass cases peering into them nonchalantly at the glittering diamonds, sapphires and rubies. He scoffed slightly shaking his head at some of the over the top cuts of gems.
Kyrie would never go for anything like that, she enjoyed elegant but simple, nothing gaudy to flaunt for the sake of it. It would have to be something just right for her.
He had debated asking Nero to go with him but decided against it, the kid was busy enough as it was with his new family and besides it was a decision that Dante wanted to make on his own.
"Can I help you?" The older woman behind the counter asked as she approached.
"Yeah I'm uh, looking for an engagement ring for my girl." He said. "You got anything not so ridiculously huge."
"We have our smaller cut diamonds here." She said bending down to unlock a drawer under the counter. She produced a box and unlocked that as well. "Same style and gold quality."
"Hmmm..." Dante thought out loud looking over the rings. "I don't know."
"If it's a price issue we do finance." The sales clerk offered.
"Nope, not about the money." He replied. "I got plenty of that. I just need to find the right one for her."
"Of course." The woman stated smiling. Dante glanced around seeing more cases lining the back wall.
"What about that one?" He asked pointing at one on display.
"That one?" The woman asked. "It's twenty four karat gold, the diamond in the middle is one point oh eight karats while the diamonds around it are twenty five pointers. The cut and clarity of the diamonds make it quite pricey."
"Okay, so what are we talking?" Dante questioned.
"Roughly, twenty five thousand dollars." She said with a small smirk as if saying, out of luck buddy.
"Let me get a look at it." He said much to the woman's surprise. She unlocked the case taking out the display it was on.
"Because of its value I can't let you handle it." She said keeping a hand on the small case.
"No that's fine." He said looking it over. The general appearance of it was that of a flower with how the diamonds are inlaid with the middle gem slightly protruding in the center. It was elegant, not to big...just right. "Okay I'll take it."
"You'll...take it..." The woman repeated slowly.
"Yup." Dante replied amused by her disbelief.
"Um, credit?" She asked in a stupor.
"Cash." He said reaching into his pockets producing two wads of five hundred dollar bills.
"Cash. Great. I'll just um, have to count it." She said her eyes widening slightly at the sight of the money.
"You do that. Oh and I'm going to get one of those little boxes to put it in right?" He asked as if it were an after thought.
"Absolutely." The woman replied taking the money in hand and unfurling it from the elastic bands it was wrapped in.
"Good." Dante said taking a steadying breath. He had told Kyrie to meet him at a restaurant by the harbor. He had heard good things about it from Trish which meant it had to be good.
It apparently overlooked the water from the boardwalk and had large marble tables with a fire pit in the center of them where your food was cooked on, sounded like the right place to pop the question.
He wanted it to be special, Kyrie deserved it and so much more. He was just glad to be in a spot where he could provide it for her.
The sales clerk boxed the ring and placed it in a small unmarked bag. She thanked him for shopping and encouraged his business again. Once outside Dante shoved the package in his jeans pocket before getting into his car.
He adjusted his rear view mirror and took another deep breath staring at the reflection of his eyes. "All right dude. Let's do this."
The restaurant was just as nice as Trish had said it was. Kyrie had arrived shortly after he did in a new summer dress with her shoulder length hair in spiral curls. He lost track of how many times he told her how beautiful she was, he couldn't seem to get over it.
"Come on." Dante said offering her his arm once the check was paid. "Let's go for a walk sweetie." Kyrie nodded enthusiastically wrapped her arms around his.
The water swooshed up the beach lazily as the tide ebbed out. Lights from the coast lit it up the water along the shoreline while the moon illuminated its depths creating an almost luminous effect.
"Have I ever told you what my life was like before you came into the picture?" Dante asked as they stopped to watch the waves.
"Bits and pieces, here and there." Kyrie replied.
"I only left the shop to go get booze, pizza or chicks." He said. "I slept most days at my desk and drank when I was conscious to dull my senses down so I didn't have to deal with anything or think about much."
"That doesn't sound like much of a life." She stated resting against her lover.
"It wasn't." He said. "Then one day I walk into the diner and I see you there looking miserable. I wasn't even going to go there that day but for whatever reason I did, I'm grateful."
"I was crying over Nero when you came up to me." Kyrie added. "I was miserable and exhausted from it. I hated what I was becoming, bitter and hateful...I almost stopped believing in the good in life. You saved me from myself."
"Funny, that's kind of how I feel about you." He said taking her hands in his and holding her out at arms length. "Kyrie, I love you more then anything. I've tried to chase you away and you wouldn't leave me. That means more to me than you'll ever know, that's how I knew that this is real, what we have."
Kyrie smiled at her lover listening to his slight drawl, she never seemed to tire of it. "We've been mates for a while and you have no idea what it's meant to me, what it does mean to me. I have to show you how much it means to me that you are mine. How much I do love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you, to start a family..."
Dante let go of her hand as he spoke reaching into his back pocket grabbing the velvet ring box. He let loose her hand and dropped down to one knee. "Kyrie will you marry me?"
Her hands instantly flew to her face covering her mouth as it dropped open. He opened the small box revealing the most beautiful ring she had ever seen.
Kyrie took a few deep breaths to steady herself as her heart pounded in her temples. She felt her adrenaline reach a record peak as she tried to answer only squeaking in response. "Can I take that as a yes?"
"Yes, yes Dante...a thousand times yes!" She exclaimed wrapping her arms around his shoulders tightly. He took his own shaky breath as if he had been holding it in. "Did you really think I'd say no?"
"You could have." He said. Kyrie released her grip on her lover and backed away some. Dante took her hand placing the ring on her finger. It fit her perfectly.