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Lucas swears he didn’t mean to find the box, but he can’t help it.
He’s always had trouble keeping Christmas presents a surprise despite his best efforts, often finding himself poking around in drawers he shouldn’t be and peeking into the back of closets and under the bed just to see before the day.
The first time he’d ever looked was one December when his parents left him home alone and he caught sight of a pile of unwrapped items hidden under his parent’s bed. He’d found a new video game he’d been dying to get and spent the rest of the month excitedly awaiting the chance to play it. It made the anticipation almost better and his parents were never the wiser.
Then, of course, when things got bad and Lucas eventually ended up living in the coloc, he didn’t have the same opportunity to snoop around for his presents. So when he and Eliott finally moved in together five years ago, he’d started the whole thing again. It was an accident the first time, finding a new pair of really nice headphones tucked in Eliott’s underwear drawer when he was putting away their laundry. And then it kept happening. But Lucas was good at acting surprised, and Eliott was never the wiser, so no harm no foul and all that.
Or so he thought.
But this year he’d found a small box, already gift wrapped, hidden away in the bedside table on Eliott’s side of the bed. It was something they’d talked a lot about in the past year and Lucas was at the point where he was about to do it himself if Eliott didn’t soon, so finding this box that was just the right size and hidden somewhere Lucas knew Eliott kept precious things, was just enough for the eager anticipation to take over.
“I think Eliott’s going to propose,” Lucas says excitedly to Yann one night a few weeks before Christmas. They’re sitting in Yann’s apartment playing video games and Lucas can’t keep it to himself anymore, desperately wanting to let someone in on his excitement.
“Of course he is,” Yann says, not looking away from the game.
Lucas rolls his eyes. “No, I think he’s going to propose soon , like on Christmas.”
Yann does look at him then. “What makes you say that?”
Lucas blushes. “I may have found...a box,” he replies sheepishly.
“Lucas,” Yann groans, “found or went looking for?”
Lucas just shrugs.
“You have to stop doing that!” Yann says. “You have to stop ruining stuff for yourself. I’m sure Eliott’s trying to surprise you!”
And yes, knowing Eliott and his penchant for grand romantic gestures, he probably has some elaborate proposal planned that was supposed to catch Lucas off guard even though they’ve talked about getting engaged before. But it’s not like Lucas has ruined the whole plan for himself, he just found the box! So, in reality, the only thing he’s ruined is when it’s going to happen.
“I can’t help it,” Lucas says. “I’m naturally curious!”
Yann rolls his eyes. “What makes you so sure it’s a ring anyway? Lots of things can fit in a box that size.”
“Like what?” Lucas shoots back, not wanting to dull his excitement. He knows it’s a ring. It has to be.
“I don’t know,” Yann says. “I just don’t want you to be disappointed if it’s not.”
“It will be,” Lucas says. He’s sure.
––
It’s Christmas Eve and Lucas is buzzing with excitement. He and Eliott got back from lunch at his mother’s a few hours ago and are going to Eliott’s parents tomorrow for Christmas dinner, but for now, he has Eliott all to himself.
They’re sitting on the couch, legs tangled, Lucas resting his head against Eliott’s chest, Eliott’s arm wrapped around him, his cheek resting on Lucas’ hair. It’s warm there in Eliott’s embrace, the lights from their Christmas tree reflecting in their window against the dark sky outside as a Christmas movie plays quietly on the television. Lucas sighs contentedly and shuffles closer to Eliott, pressing a soft kiss to Eliott’s jaw.
And it would be perfect, really, if only Lucas couldn’t see the small box sitting there atop a pile of other presents under their tree. But with the box in his line of vision, his heart starts pounding and really, he’s been patient, totally and dutifully patient for the past few weeks as he waited for Christmas to arrive. But now it’s the night before and he’s not so patient anymore.
“Hey baby?” he whispers, shifting in Eliott’s arms just enough to press a small kiss to the corner of Eliott’s mouth.
“Hmm?” Eliott asks, blinking a few times like Lucas is waking him up from a trance, sighing as Lucas presses another kiss to his cheek.
“I have an idea,” Lucas says, trying, and failing, to keep his voice quiet and devoid of any obvious excitement.
Eliott lifts his eyebrow. “Oh? What’s that?”
Lucas smiles and raises his hand to brush his fingers across Eliott’s cheekbone. “Well it’s Christmas Eve…”
“It is.”
“And I thought it might be nice to uh, open a present tonight.”
Eliott smirks at him. “Oh yeah?”
“Uh huh,” Lucas replies, brushing Eliott’s hair off his forehead. “Just one, you know, because we have to drive to your parents kind of early tomorrow and I just thought it’d be fun and…” He trails off. Eliott smiles.
“Okay,” Eliott replies. “If you want.”
“Okay!” Lucas says excitedly, grabbing Eliott’s face in his hands and kissing him quickly before scrambling off his lap and heading towards the tree. He pretends to search through the presents to choose one, as if he hadn’t been eyeing the small box all evening, before finally reaching for it. “Okay, I’ll open this one! Which one do you want?”
He turns around to find Eliott smiling at him fondly, his face shifting at the sight of Lucas holding the box. “Oh I don’t care. Pick one for me.”
Lucas turns back to the tree and selects one of the gifts he’d been most excited to give to Eliott, looking forward to seeing his reaction.
“This one,” he says, pulling it out from under the pile and nearly skipping back towards the couch, sitting down next to Eliott and facing him with one of his legs bent up on the couch. “You can open it first.”
Eliott laughs and reaches for the gift, taking it from Lucas’ hands. “Okay, love, give it here.”
Lucas leans back against the couch and tries to ignore the weight of the small box in his hands, instead focusing on Eliott methodically unwrapping the gift in front of him. It was one of the small things Lucas loves about him, that he’s the kind of person to treat wrapping paper delicately, running his finger between the paper to slice the tape, unfolding the paper with care instead of just tearing into it. He pulls the paper back to see the gift – a leather bound sketchbook with the words “minute par minute” embossed on the front cover, and a gentle smile spreads across his face.
“It’s beautiful, Lucas,” he whispers, smoothing his hand across the surface. He reaches for him, and kisses him soft and long, Lucas nearly melting in his embrace. “Thank you.”
“I’m glad you like it,” Lucas whispers back.
“Okay, now your turn,” Eliott says excitedly, leaning back as Lucas finds himself chasing his lips, having nearly forgotten about the box clutched in his hands.
Nearly but not quite.
“Yes, okay,” Lucas says, and then he’s ripping into the paper, nowhere near as delicate as Eliott has been. He doesn’t mind making a mess.
And then the box is in his hands, the velvety exterior soft in his palm, and his heart is beating so so fast as he removes the lid and looks inside–
His heart drops. It’s not a ring. Instead in the box he finds a small silver ornament shaped like a heart with “L+E” engraved neatly in the center. He pulls it out of the box and stares down at it, trying not to let the disappointment show on his face. It’s a beautiful ornament, it is. And Eliott went out and personalized it just for the two of them. And just because it’s not a ring doesn’t mean that they won’t ever get engaged, just maybe Lucas will have to do it, or it’ll happen later and it’s okay, really, because even this ornament shows just how much Eliott loves him, so it’s fine. It was just that he let himself build up his excitement. It’s okay.
He smiles and then looks up at Eliott to find him looking back at him, a crooked smile on his face, his mouth rearranging from some expression Lucas can’t quite place.
“Do you like it?” Eliott asks excitedly.
“It’s perfect,” Lucas replies. “It’ll look amazing on our tree.” He leans over and kisses Eliott, softly at first, and then reaching out and tilting Eliott’s head to kiss him more deeply, pulling back to rest their foreheads together.
“I love you,” he says.
“I love you too,” Eliott replies, giggling. “Wanna hang it on the tree?”
“Of course baby,” Lucas says. And he has to admit, it does look pretty perfect there, nestled among the branches of their tree, in their apartment. And it’s perfect, just like that.
And that night, with Eliott wrapped neatly around him, his nose nestled into the back of Lucas’ neck, placing soft kisses there as they fall asleep, Lucas can’t help but think that as excited as he was all December at the thought of Eliott proposing, this , Eliott there in their bed holding him, is all he really needs. He’s happy with Eliott and with them, just as they are.
––
Lucas wakes in the morning to soft golden light streaming through their curtains and an empty bed.
He rolls over, feeling for Eliott to pull him close, wrap himself in his arms for a little longer, and enjoy the bubble that morning usually provides. But as he reaches for him, he finds his side of the bed empty, his sheets cold.
He sits up, slightly groggy, and looks around as if Eliott might still be in their room, when he hears soft music playing from their living room. He smiles to himself and swings his feet to the floor, standing and pulling on one of Eliott’s shirts that he finds draped over the chair in the corner. The shirt is too big on him, falling to mid-thigh, but it smells like Eliott, which is all Lucas really cares out.
He makes his way out of their room and towards the music, which he now realizes is probably what woke him up. He recognizes it as Eliott’s Christmas playlist that he’s made Lucas listen to on repeat for the past month.
“Eliott?” he calls out softly, trying to figure out if he’s in the kitchen or the living room. When he doesn’t get a response he heads towards the living room, thinking Eliott is probably there drinking his coffee.
He’s not expecting it when he walks into the room. He’s not expecting the elaborate strings of Christmas lights covering the walls and draped along the couch. He’s not expecting the breakfast spread across the coffee table, or the candles placed strategically around the room. He can’t help the way he gasps, the way he smiles wide.
“Hey love,” he hears behind him and he whips around to find Eliott there. Except he’s not standing, he’s kneeling, like Lucas has been imagining for months, on one knee.
“Hi,” Lucas manages to squeak out, his voice caught in his throat as tears suddenly well up.
“You’re a very difficult man to surprise,” Eliott says, smirking up at him. “I knew you’d go looking, so I wanted to throw you off.”
Lucas gasps pretending to be affronted, but nothing can stop his smile, not now. “You knew about that?”
“You’re not as good of an actor as you think,” Eliott replies. “And normally I don’t care. But for this, I did. So, sorry baby.”
Lucas laughs. “It’s okay. I deserved it.”
“You did,” Eliott says, and he’s smiling up at him as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a box, extremely similar in shape and size to the one that had been under the tree for Lucas the night before. He opens it and holds it up, Lucas’ heartbeat picking up as he sees the silver ring sitting inside.
“Lucas, my love,” Eliott starts, his eyes growing suspiciously wet as he speaks. He pauses and swallows hard as Lucas looks down at him. “You know, I had a lot of things I planned to say but right now I cannot, for the life of me, remember what they were. So all I’m gonna say is you’re the best thing in my life and I’m so grateful every day that I get to love you. And that, somehow, I get to know what it’s like to have you love me back. And I would love nothing more than to have that for the rest of my life. So I have a question.”
Lucas nods, grinning now. “Okay,” he replies. “What’s your question?”
Eliott grins back. “Lucas, baby, will you marry me?”
The question is barely out of his mouth before Lucas is reaching down to pull Eliott up in a kiss, wrapping his arms around his neck and swaying them as Eliott wraps his arms around Lucas’ waist and picks him up, spinning around in a circle. He places Lucas gently back on the ground and they’re giggling and Lucas is pressing kisses all over Eliott’s face as he blushes, the ring box pressing into Lucas’ back.
“So, I’ll take that as a yes?” Eliott asks him quietly as Lucas presses a kiss to his temple.
“Yes, Eliott,” Lucas replies, moving his mouth to press the words into Eliott’s lips. “Yes.”
Eliott reaches down and slides the ring onto Lucas’ finger and then they’re kissing again desperate to be close in their happiness.
In a little while they’ll calm down enough to eat breakfast, hands holding beneath the table as they sit on their floor. And then they’ll call Lucas’ mom and they’ll tell Eliott’s parents by Lucas not-so-subtly flashing the ring as they walk through the door.
But for now, Lucas decides to tell one person, someone who’s had to deal with Lucas whining about it the entire month. He could explain, really, all the details, but he figures it’s unimportant that the first box wasn’t actually what he thought. Instead he just picks up his phone and sends a text to Yann: I was right .