“What ring?” Charlie yells.
Nicholas stalks into the living room, every set of eyes turning towards him.
“Andrew’s engagement ring,” Nicholas grits out. “I know you took it.”
“Why Nicholas, I’m offended you would accuse me.”
“Charlie,” Nicholas growls.
With an annoyingly calm smile, Charlie pulls the small pastel purple ring box out of his pocket. Box. Book. One of those. Nicki ordered the little box online, designed to look like a miniature book to honor his princess’s love of reading. On the front, their names are embossed in gold, inside Andrew’s ring is nestled safely in velvet.
“Hand it the fuck over?”
“Say please,” Charlie smirks.
“Charlie,” Nicholas growls. “I will fucking end you if you scratch that box.”
“Chill out,” Charlie says, holding the box out.
Nicholas snatches it, flipping it open. Instead of Andrew’s beautiful, one of a kind hand crafted white gold engagement ring, there’s a fucking duck. One of those goddamn little plastic ducks he’s found hiding around his house on more than one occasion.
“He’s wearing the ring,” Jason offers.
Sure enough, there on Charlie’s hand is Andrew’s ring. He doesn’t kill Charlie because that would make Andrew sad, but he sure as shit thinks about it.
“Maybe you shouldn’t make the big man so angry,” Theo suggests.
“Boring,” Charlie grumbles, removing the ring. “I just wanted to make sure it would fit him.”
“It’ll fit because it’s been custom made for him,” Nicholas replies in a seething tone. He snatches the ring back, throwing the little duck at Charlie then slipping the ring back in its little pocket. Then he tucks the box into his pocket, knowing better than to let it out of his sight a second time.
Honestly no wonder Andrew is always tired. Handling this group is a full time job, and one that Nicholas is not at all equipped for. He lost his patience about fifteen minutes after they arrived.
“We finished the flowers,” Emerson announces, startling him. It’s only in the last few months that he’s started actually talking directly to Nicholas. Before that, he was pretty sure Emerson hated him, but apparently he was scared of Nicholas, which made him feel kind of shitty. Jason assured Nicholas it was more of a not trusting jocks then Nicholas specifically, but earning his trust has been unexpectedly affecting. He’s learned to tone down his brusqueness, at least for Emerson. Everyone else still gets the standard asshole version of him.
“Thank you, Emerson.”
Emerson smiles, making Jason smile equally wide as if Emerson’s happiness is his own. Nicholas has never seen two people with a healthier, more unselfish relationship. It’s sweet, albeit a little nauseating at times.
“When is Andrew coming back again?” Jason questions, looking at his watch.
“Amanda said she’d bring him home at five thirty to make it for sunset.”
“Then we’ve got an hour. Come on crew, asses off the couch.” Jason claps, whistling when Charlie and Eden don’t immediately move. It’s interesting to watch Jason start commanding orders, probably the same way he does as a teacher and coach, all but shoving Charlie out the back door.
With all them working together and everyone mostly working, they make quick work of lining a pathway in white rose petals and candles from the house and across the grass down to the stairway that leads to the beach, where Nicholas has already set up an elaborate display with three hundred fifteen long stem white roses. One for every day Andrew has been in his life and made it infinitely better.
When he first started planning the proposal, he imagined whisking Andrew away, but he’d quickly rid himself of the idea. However nice it might sound in theory, it wasn’t what Andrew would like. Andrew loved the sea, and their home, and beginning their forever in the place it started was everything his princess would want. Now months after he first started planning, it’s all come together, and he’s never been so happy or nervous.
There’s no doubt that Andrew will say yes, yet his agitation won’t abate. He wants Andrew home. Wants this ring on his finger so he can finally call him his fiancé. He wants to take Andrew’s last name and give him forever.Now.
“You look nervous,” Jason observes.
“I’m not nervous,” Nicholas lies.
“Okay.” Jason claps him on the back. “In that case, we have something to give you.”
“Who iswe?” Nicholas asks, turning around to find Charlie, Eden, Alec, Theo, Emerson and Jason all staring at him. Alec is all but bouncing with a gift bag in his hand which he shoves at Nicholas.
