Charlie St. George stood in the middle of the high school gym, surrounded by the chaos of last-minute prom preparations. The place was a swirl of glitter, fairy lights, and half-inflated balloons. But none of that mattered to Charlie right now. His mind was completely focused on one thing—or, more accurately, one person: Alex Standall.
The lyrics of Taylor Swift's "Paper Rings" were playing on a loop in his head: "I like shiny things, but I'd marry you with paper rings." It was the perfect description of how Charlie felt about Alex. He didn't care about grand gestures or material things. With Alex, it was all about the small, silly moments they shared—the quiet, simple things that made their relationship special.
"Charlie, can you help me with this balloon arch? It's falling apart," Jessica called from across the gym, holding up a sagging line of mismatched balloons.
Charlie snapped out of his daydream, giving Jessica a sheepish smile. "Right, sorry! I'll be there in a sec."
He grabbed a handful of tape and rushed over to help. As he secured the balloons, his mind wandered back to Alex. Tonight was prom night, and Charlie had been planning something special for weeks. It wasn't anything over the top—just a little surprise to show Alex how much he meant to him. After everything they had been through, Charlie wanted Alex to know that he was all in.
As he finished taping the arch back together, Charlie heard the doors to the gym open, and he looked up to see Alex walking in. His heart skipped a beat at the sight of him—tall, blonde, and effortlessly cool, even when he was trying not to be. Alex was wearing a simple tuxedo, his hair slightly tousled, and there was a nervous smile on his face as he scanned the room.
Charlie smiled to himself. Alex always looked like he was on the verge of a laugh, like he couldn't quite believe he was part of all this high school drama. And yet, here he was, about to go to prom with Charlie, his boyfriend.
"Hey, you," Alex said as he approached, his smile growing wider when he saw Charlie.
"Hey," Charlie replied, feeling that familiar warmth in his chest whenever Alex was near.
Alex glanced around at the chaos of prom prep and raised an eyebrow. "Wow, looks like you're really pulling out all the stops."
Charlie chuckled. "Well, you know me. I can't resist a good balloon arch."
Alex smirked, shaking his head. "You're such a dork."
Charlie grinned, stepping closer. "Yeah, but I'm your dork."
Alex rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the smile that tugged at his lips. "Unfortunately for me, yeah."
They stood there for a moment, just looking at each other, the noise and chaos of the gym fading into the background. Charlie's heart swelled with affection. It was moments like this—simple, unspoken moments—that reminded him why he had fallen for Alex in the first place.
"I have a surprise for you later," Charlie said, his voice soft.
Alex raised an eyebrow. "A surprise? Should I be worried?"
Charlie laughed. "No, no. It's something good. I promise."
Alex narrowed his eyes playfully. "You know I hate surprises."
"Trust me," Charlie said, leaning in to give Alex a quick kiss. "You'll like this one."
That night, as the prom got into full swing, Charlie found himself on the dance floor with Alex. The gym had been transformed into a magical wonderland of twinkling lights and soft music, and for a moment, it felt like they were in their own little world.
As they swayed together to the slow rhythm of the music, Charlie couldn't help but feel a little nervous. He had been planning this moment for weeks, but now that it was here, his heart was racing. He glanced over at Alex, who was completely relaxed, his arms wrapped around Charlie's waist.
"This is nice," Alex said softly, resting his head on Charlie's shoulder.
Charlie smiled, feeling a rush of affection. "Yeah, it is."
They danced for a little while longer, the music and the soft hum of conversation surrounding them. Charlie kept waiting for the right moment, but his nerves kept getting in the way. Finally, as the song ended and a faster one began, Charlie took a deep breath.
"Hey," he said, pulling Alex to the side of the dance floor. "Come with me for a second."
Alex looked at him curiously. "Where are we going?"
"You'll see," Charlie replied, trying to keep the excitement out of his voice.
He led Alex out of the gym and down the hallway, stopping at one of the classrooms that had been set up as a quiet space for students to take a break from the noise. It was empty now, the lights dimmed, and the room felt cozy and intimate.
"Okay," Alex said, folding his arms and giving Charlie a skeptical look. "What's going on?"
Charlie grinned nervously, pulling a small box out of his jacket pocket. "I told you I had a surprise."
Alex's eyes widened slightly, and for a moment, Charlie thought he might have scared him. But then Alex smiled, his eyes softening as he looked at Charlie.
"Charlie, what are you up to?" Alex asked, his voice full of affection.
Charlie took a deep breath, his heart pounding. "I know this might seem kind of silly, but I wanted to do something special tonight. I've been thinking a lot about us—about everything we've been through. And I just... I wanted you to know how much you mean to me."
Alex's smile softened, and Charlie could see the emotion flickering in his eyes.
Charlie opened the box, revealing two simple rings made out of paper—carefully folded and twisted into delicate loops. He had spent hours making them, even though they were nothing fancy. But that was the point. It wasn't about the rings themselves—it was about the meaning behind them.
"I know they're just paper rings," Charlie said, his voice quiet but steady. "But I would marry you with these if I could. Because I don't care about anything else. All I care about is being with you. And I wanted you to have something to remind you of that."
Alex stared at the rings for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, he reached out and took one of the rings, turning it over in his hand.
"You made these?" Alex asked, his voice soft.
Charlie nodded, suddenly feeling a little shy. "Yeah. I know it's kind of cheesy, but—"
Alex cut him off with a kiss, his lips pressing gently against Charlie's. It was soft, sweet, and full of all the things that Charlie had been trying to say.
When they pulled apart, Alex was smiling, his eyes bright with emotion. "Charlie, this is... I don't even know what to say. I love it. And I love you."
Charlie's heart felt like it was going to burst. "You do?"
"Yeah," Alex replied, slipping the paper ring onto his finger. "And I don't care if it's made of paper or gold or whatever. What matters is that it's from you."
Charlie grinned, feeling a surge of relief and happiness. He slipped the other paper ring onto his own finger and held out his hand. "Looks like we're paper-ring married now."
Alex laughed, taking Charlie's hand and giving it a squeeze. "Guess we are."
They stood there for a moment, just holding hands, the weight of the world lifting off their shoulders. Charlie felt like he could breathe again, like all the worries and insecurities he had been carrying around were finally gone.
"I love you, Charlie," Alex said, his voice quiet but full of sincerity.
Charlie smiled, his heart swelling with love. "I love you too."
Later, as they made their way back to the dance floor, hand in hand, Charlie couldn't help but feel like the luckiest guy in the world. It didn't matter that they weren't wearing fancy rings or that they weren't in some grand, romantic setting. What mattered was that they had each other, and that was enough.
The lyrics of "Paper Rings" echoed in Charlie's mind once more: "I like shiny things, but I'd marry you with paper rings. Darling, you're the one I want."
And as he looked over at Alex, who was laughing and twirling him around the dance floor, Charlie knew that he had found something truly special. Because no matter what happened, no matter what challenges they faced, they would always have each other.
And that was more than enough.
