For all the times they’d spoken of being together forever, Himeko and Howan had never actually spoken of marriage. They’d been officially dating for almost five years now, and Himeko had been on the verge of proposing more times than she could count.. She always seemed to lose her nerve though.

She’d procured a wedding and engagement ring, a lovely, delicate set; a simple oval stone held by golden clasps to the band, paired with a simple engagement ring with seven small rocks that met in a point.

The rocks were special in the way that she had gotten them from Howan’s grandparents when the elderly couple read her as easily as a sheet of music. In his youth, Howan’s grandmother had been on some sort of adventure, and had found some rocks she thought were beautiful, and when she came home, she had found that they had diamonds in them. And once they realised just how far Himeko’s love stretched, they had given the rocks to her, telling her to make use of them. She had turned them into rings that she hoped Howan would love.

Now she just had to get the courage to actually propose.

She’d been on the verge of it several times, but every time she’d been interrupted by Ruhuyu or Delmin coming into the room. Once she was even brought to a halt by DokoFin being noisy outside in the corridor. After that incident she knew she couldn’t propose where they could get unexpected company.

The moment came unexpectedly. It wasn’t perfect, nor properly planned, but one morning when they were sitting at the table eating breakfast, the light hit Howan just so, making her hair glow like the woman had a halo. She was ethereal, pure beauty, and Himeko’s mouth gaped open at how stunning she looked, wrinkly pajamas, bed head and all. The spoon she’d had in her mouth fell to the table with a clatter, making Howan blink at her with wide, confused eyes.

Himeko felt her heart pound in her ears, knew that this was it. Slowly, she got up on her feet, quickly fetched the rings hidden in her bag before getting down on one knee in front of the other woman. She looked up at her lover with eyes filled with adoration, placing her hand on Howan’s. “Howan… will you marry me?”

Birds chirped outside the window, and Himeko looked into the countryside woman’s eyes. She felt no anxiety when she got no immediate answer, only love at the sight of wide eyes and a flustered face. “I… give me a moment, please!”

Confused, Himeko watched the other woman rush to the bedroom, and she heard a ruffling of fabric before feet padded back into the kitchen.

Back in front of her, Howan stood, before sinking down on one knee herself. With determination on her face, the white-haired woman raised her own hand. In it were rings. “Himeko-chan, will you marry me too?”

The flush on Himeko’s face exploded with full force, and she started stuttering before collecting herself. She was met by the happy giggle of her bandmate and girlfriend, and she smiled back at her. “I would love to.”

Arms wrapped around her neck, and she felt the warm embrace that always made her calm down. Himeko reciprocated the hug, before breaking down into laughter. “Did we really both plan on proposing? God, this is so ridiculous.”

Howan’s laugh made her stomach fill with butterflies as they held each other, the sound casting a spell on her that she was never able to describe.

They ended the hug, Howan holding out her hand, an unspoken question. Looking into Howan’s bright eyes, Himeko slid the engagement ring on her finger, holding her own hand out when Howan flipped her own over. The ring slipped onto her finger had a blue rock with specs of purple in the center, surrounded by smaller, white crystals. “It reminds me of the ocean, where you first entrusted me with yourself,” Howan whispered as they rested their foreheads against each other. “And how you’re my sunshine.”

The smile on Himeko’s face was gentle, and she pushed Howan’s hair behind her ear. “A gloomy girl like me?”

“I love all parts about you,” Howan said, threading her fingers with Himeko’s. “the gloomy parts too.”

Red heated up the cat’s face, and she leaned forward to press her lips gently against the others. “God, you’re so cute. I love you.”

“I love you too, Himeko-chan. So, so much.”

“You know what though?”

“Hm?”

Himeko lifted their hands up, turning them so her ring was visible to Howan. “I think this is the wedding ring, not the engagement ring though.”

Howan’s mouth shaped into an ‘oh’ as she held up what was indeed the engagement ring that was decidedly not on Himeko’s finger.

“Oh no, I don’t think Bacchan will like it if she’s not here when we actually trade wedding rings!”

Howan fell into giggles against her, arms back around her now fiancée. “I got too excited about showing it to you I didn’t even notice it.”

With the warmth of love filling every cell in her body, Himeko pressed another kiss to Howan’s lips. “You’re adorable.”

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