“He’s lucky to have you. I know I’ve said that before, but for someone whose life is so defined by what they do, and everyone has an opinion about who they are, whether it’s true or not, you are a safe place for him.” She blinks a few times, her own eyes glassy. “I’m proud of you for being the man you are.”
“Eomma, please.” I wipe my face with my sleeve, grumbling even though I’m far from upset. I’ve never had a problem with crying, but I still don’t do it much. However, my mom has always been gifted at saying exactly the right thing to make the tears start falling. And everything about this conversation is reaffirming that I have the best parents anyone could ask for.
“Love you, Gyuli,” she says, making me laugh, just like she knew I would.
????
I can count the number of times I have dipped out of work early on one hand. I wouldn’t even need any of the digits, though, because the number is zero.
I had to assure Human Resources that everything is fine, I am fine, I just need a couple of hours this afternoon off work. Grace, of course, had also raised her eyebrows, curious to what I might be up to. I only needed to tell her that it was about Sun before she started blocking off my availability on my calendar so fast she had to double check if she’d gotten the date correct.
I knew Sun would be busy for another couple of hours, which gives me time to get everything ready.
I’ve got champagne.
I’ve got glittery balloons filled with confetti, because he said he thought they looked fun when we saw them in some drama we were watching.
I’ve got a bouquet of brightly colored flowers, most of which I can’t name, but they’re beautiful, just like the person I’m giving them to.
I’ll order takeout a little later, getting basically the whole left side of The Leafy Dragon’s menu because he asks for it on the regular now. He’s just as enamored with their food as Jase and I continue to be.
But, most importantly, I have the ring.
And it’s perfect.
I’d gotten Grace to find out his size by slipping one of his rings onto her own hand during one of Sun’s visits to the office. She had been thrilled to try on the expensive designer piece, and he was so delighted at herooh-ing andahh-ing that a gift box had shown up on her desk later in the day. She’d promptly burst into tears when she found a ring of her own and a note from Sun that she refused to share with me.
Though Sun’s slender fingers hadn’t required much adjustment in size from when my mom once wore this particular ring, the rest of the changes took a while. The wait made me anxious, but the final result was worth it.
The overall design has been altered to be a little more contemporary, a little less fragile, and now includes two small, blue diamonds. I considered many stones, but those were the ones that felt right—rare, dark like they hold secrets, and breathtaking when the light hits. I couldn’t think of anything that suits us better; there’s one for me and one for him.
Now, the ring is tucked into a slim box in my pocket, and I can’t stop patting at my hip, continually checking to make sure it’s still there. I’ve thought about what to say, how to try to tell him everything I need him to know, but I’m not sure I’vegot the words for that. Maybe they don’t even exist. I’m just hoping they’ll come when the time is right.
When Sun lets himself in, I’m hit with a sudden mix of emotions that’s nearly overpowering. All the love that I feel for him, every hope that I have for our future, and the slight anxiety I have over what I’m about to do, all crash through my veins in a chaotic rush.
But he smiles so brightly, so easily, when he sees me, skipping across the room to stand on his tiptoes and kiss me, that my pounding heart settles right down, happy to have him near again.
“You’re here! Why are you home already?” he asks, hands sliding down my arms to hold my hands. “Are you okay? You’re not sick, are you?”
Shaking my head no, I walk backward toward the couch, bringing him with me. “I feel great,” I say, as he climbs onto the cushions to situate himself on my lap. I love the way he does that, makes himself comfortable on me, always looking for more contact, more ways to touch. “Just wanted to spend more time with you.”
“I was thinking about you all day.” He leans in to kiss me—soft presses of his lips to both my cheeks, the tip of my nose, the corners of my mouth—before finally slipping his tongue to tease mine. “This is an excellent surprise.”
I had a plan. Kind of. A general idea of a plan. When I hid everything in my bedroom, I’d thought we would end up there eventually after dinner. I would give him the ring, fuck him slow, and we’d spend the night wrapped up together.
But I’m pretty sure I can’t wait until we eat, and he pretty much gave me the ideal segue. Maybe now is the right time.
Trailing my fingertips along his jawline and back into his hair, I grin as he leans into my touch. “Maybe there’s more to the surprise.”
Sun perks right up. “Oh? What’s that?”
“I want to give you something,” I tell him.
He smirks. “Is it your cock?”
“Like you don’t get that whenever you want it.” I laugh, because I should have expected that comment.
“Your heart?” His eyes go soft, so full of adoration, and it makes me feel gooey inside.
