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“I’m not sure this is the right one,” Bucky mused. He bent over the counter to examine the ring on top of it. His eyes flickered to the salesman, Peter, beside him.
Peter raised his eyebrows. “It’s one of our best. What are you not liking about it?”
Bucky bit his lip. “I don’t know. It seems so dainty.”
“It’s a size 11,” Peter remarked. “And it’s 10 grams of platinum.”
Bucky plucked the ring out of the box and turned to face Peter. “Here you put it on. I want to see what it looks like.”
“That’s way too big for me.” Peter shook his head. “Maybe you should come in with your boyfriend to choose it. It doesn’t have to be like in the movies and be a huge surprise. You can come in together and make the selection. Many couples find it romantic.”
“No. No way.”
Peter shrugged. “Are you sure it’s the ring that’s bothering you, Bucky? Or is it something else?” Being personable usually led to a sale, but Peter was more concerned with customer satisfaction. He wanted Bucky to feel heard.
Bucky sighed.
“Are you nervous he’ll say no?” Peter didn’t suggest that maybe it was that Bucky was scared his boyfriend would say yes.
“I just don’t know what I’m gonna say. How to do it.”
Peter chewed his lip. He usually didn’t like to do this because it seemed inappropriate, but something about Bucky made him feel sympathetic to his dilemma.
“Why don’t you practice on me?”
“Really?” Bucky’s eyes lit up. “You’d do that?”
“Of course.”
Bucky got to his knee immediately and took Peter’s hands. “Wait, is this okay? Can I touch you?”
Peter nodded.
“Peter, I know we haven’t known each other for very long,” Bucky began. “But I can’t help the way I feel.”
Peter tried to maintain his composure, but Bucky’s mock proposal was more personal than he’d been expecting. He thought that he’d be called by the boyfriend’s name. Bucky had taken the suggestion literally, and maybe he was just joking, but the look on his face was so serious. What the hell?
“You’re smart, caring, and helpful,” Bucky continued. “I couldn’t do this without you. Please, will you marry me?”
Peter was about to laugh and break the tension, but then the clapping started. He looked around in confusion and realized a few customers had been watching the exchange. They didn’t know it was fake.
“Say yes!”
“What are you waiting for? If you don’t scoop him, I will.”
Bucky’s face was just as concerned.
Peter panicked and pulled Bucky off the floor.
“Yes. I’ll marry you.” Peter hugged Bucky.
Eventually, the crowd dispersed, and Peter came back to himself.
“Sor—”
“I’m so—”
Peter and Bucky laughed nervously, both of them blushing.
“That went well,” Peter joked.
“Yeah.” Bucky wore a strange expression. “I gotta go.”
He left without the ring, and Peter had a pretty good indication of what the meant.