Dean blinked, momentarily taken aback. He gazed at the box for a heartbeat longer than necessary before gently accepting it from Logan’s hand. His fingers moved with an odd clumsiness as he lifted the lid—
And then he froze in awe.
Inside, nestled against luxurious black velvet, lay a ring.
A band of white gold, glowing softly under the subdued hospital lights. A delicate array of perfectly cut diamonds dazzled along the center, embraced by two sleek silver edges. It exuded elegance yet possessed a reassuring solidity. Quietly radiant, it was a ring crafted to endure the passage of time.
Dean turned it in his hand, and that’s when he saw it, the engraving on the inside of the band.
My lifesaver.
The words were delicate, etched in a script so fine it almost shimmered when the light caught it just right. A secret, meant only for one person.
Dean exhaled, a breath that lingered between them like steam in winter. Logan’s voice followed, threadbare.
“I really can’t lose him.” The words came from Logan’s throat like a prayer—cracked, hoarse, barely there. When Dean looked up, Logan hadburied his face in his hands, his shoulders trembling with the effort of holding everything in.
Not crying.
Not yet.
Just holding on.
Dean slipped the ring gently back into its box, closing it with a soft snap. He looked at Logan again, something gentler behind his eyes now.
“How long have you been carrying this around?” he asked, his voice quieter, steadier.
Logan dragged his hands down his face, resting them in his lap.
“Two months,” he murmured. “I’ve been looking for the perfect one for so long…” His voice cracked, just enough to betray the weight he’d been carrying alone. Then, softer, almost ashamed, “But I don’t know if I should ask. Not now.”
Dean’s eyebrows lifted. “Wait—what?” He let out a quiet, disbelieving laugh, shaking his head, incredulous, almost affectionate. “Are you seriously worried Adrian might say no?”
Logan didn’t answer. He just stared at the floor like the thought was a knot he couldn’t quite undo. Dean reached over, pressing the box back into his hand.
“Logan. Trust me. It’s a big fat yes.”
Logan let out a breath of a laugh, but it was hollow, his shoulders still braced like he couldn’t exhale all the way.
“I know it’s a yes,” he said quietly. “But what if it upsets him? What if it’s too much? What if he’s scared, or overwhelmed, or…”
Dean cut him off firmly. “No what-ifs.”
Logan looked up.
“Askhim,” Dean encouraged. “He’d be so damn happy. Trust me… Adrian is a bit cheesy and overly romantic when it comes to that stuff; he’ll be the happiest man alive when you ask.” Then, softer, with a knowing glance, “But not here. Not in this place. Wait until you’re home. It’ll be more meaningful.”
Logan let out a slow breath before nodding. “Then in three weeks, I’ll be engaged.”
And for the first time in so long, he smiled. A real, unguarded smile. The idea of it, the certainty of it, settled deep in his chest like light returning to a place that had been dark for far too long.
Dean, of course, couldn’t resist. “Yeah. Isn’t it, like, your second engagement?”
Logan shot him a glare and promptly elbowed him in the ribs.
Dean let out an exaggerated groan, rubbing his side dramatically. “Hey!” he protested.
“You’re a mean person,” Logan muttered, shaking his head. Then, softer, more genuine, “I can’t believe you’re the first person I told.”
