"Are you sure about this?" Shiori asked, giving her boyfriend another skeptical look.

"Positive!" Shippou replied, rechecking the map. What had started as a fun spring break activity had turned into an elaborate hunt for buried treasure, dusty old map and all.

"It makes no sense, though, Shippou," she said, tugging on his shirt. "Why would pirate treasure be buried in the middle of Greece?"

He shrugged his shoulder. "To deter other people from finding it! Who else would look for it in the middle of a flower field instead of some dreary old cave?"

"I still think connecting 'where hopes grow' to a tree is a little much."

Shippou chuckled, then grabbed her hand, pulling her along as he checked the next tree. "Where's your sense of adventure?"

Shiori sighed, lacing their fingers together. "Can we at least go check out the beach after?"

"Anything for you. I'll even let you tell me 'I told you so' if we don't find anything."

She giggled, then kissed his cheek, grinning when his face turned pink. "It's a deal."

"It should be around here somewhere," he said, letting out a yell when he spotted a hole in the trunk. "Ah ha! Told you it was real!" Shiori blinked as Shippou reached into the hole and pulled out a small wooden box. "I wonder what's in it."

She plucked it out of his hands, ignoring his indignant yelp as she opened it. "It's probably some old, dried-up bone." Shiori trailed off at the dazzling ring inside, a cluster of pearls sitting upon mint silk. "Shippou, I think you actually found—"

Shippou grinned up at her from his knelt position, cheeks stained pink as he gave her a hopeful smile. "Will you marry me?"

She looked between him and the ring, her eyes misting over. "Was this what the whole buried treasure thing was about?"

He rubbed the back of his head. "I wanted to give you something to remember," he said sheepishly, taking the ring out of the box and slipping it onto her finger.

"I haven't said 'yes', yet," she said, letting out a watery laugh.

Shippou blanched. "Shoot, right. Wait! Are you saying no?"

"Of course not!" She tackled him to the ground, hugging him fiercely. "But you still have to take me to the beach."

He chuckled softly. "Anything for you."