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Memories of the night play back through Homura's mind as sleep remains just out of reach. Of this Heaven Space made to look and feel like the perfect summer night - clear skies, a warm breeze, the light of the stars and full moon, and fireflies fluttering all around. In the middle of it all, a massive, plush bed with room enough for all sorts of pleasures.
Which they absolutely had indulged in. Another night spent exploring one another's bodies and their fantasies alike. If he shuts his eyes, the image of Uruu straddling his hips immediately comes to mind. Dressed in nothing more than butterfly lace and ribbons, his wings fully spread and his pheromones perfuming the air, the sweetest, dirtiest talk spoken in that rich voice. Fully confident in his own beauty and sensuality, completely captivating Homura with every last roll of his hips and each wet, wanton moan falling from his red painted lips.
Now though, they're cuddled up together in the last lingering remnants of afterglow. Neither wanted to go back to the Bar - not with the promise of private intimacy hanging so sweet in the air. Uruu lays with his head pillowed on half of the Ignis Fairy's broad chest, drifting in and out of a light sleep. Homura slowly strokes through his hair, occasionally giving little ear rubs that set those pointed ears twitching ever so slightly against his fingers.
After one, Uruu cracks his eyes open and glances up with a soft smile. And something about the moment leaves Homura breathless. Maybe it's being once again charmed by his lover's natural beauty - everything under the makeup that is simply Uruu. Or it could be the moonlight catching on his violet eyes, filling them with a bright shimmer. But he thinks it has to be the sheer amount of love and trust in that expression.
As a few beats follow, Uruu picks up on something being different. "Homura? Is there something on your mind?" He asks quietly.
Swallowing hard, he can feel the single-minded nature of his love rising up like a flame inside him. "It might be too much," Homura confesses, even as he feels the truth of it start to settle inside of him.
Shifting, Uruu reaches up to stroke through his free flowing hair as he assures, "Homura, you've accepted every part of me that I thought was 'too much' for anyone to handle. Of course, I will accept you in kind."
Before anything else can be said, there needs to be a kiss. One as light and sweet as the first real one they shared. Where they forgave each other for the past and promised to make a better future together. As he pulls back, Homura softly whispers what is burning in his heart against Uruu's lips, "I keep thinking about how much I love you… and how much I want to marry you."
The moment afterwards just lingers between them in drawn out silence. And then tears start to roll down Uruu's cheeks. "I… I always thought I would end up trapped in a loveless marriage like my parents," he confesses quietly, letting out all of his fears because he knows Homura won't run away from them. "With some noble Aqua Clan lady the Queen selected for me. Someone who I would have to hide everything from. Who would only care about me for my status as the heir."
Shaking his head, Uruu then continues, "But then I met you and even if I was terrible towards you at first, it was all because of the knots of jealousy and prejudice inside me. I can never thank you enough for accepting and forgiving me, for taking the time to love me like no one else ever has. To be loved passionately and sweetly alike... it's a gift I appreciate every day." Taking Homura's hand, he starts kissing it softly and anointing it with his tears. "Together we've fought against so much, saved each other time and again, all side by side. You are my gentle Flame, my confident Stud, my dear Homura… and I want you by my side, always."
As he has been talking, Homura's own tears have welled up and by the end they're overflowing. "Uruu, I… I would never leave you to a fate like that. I couldn't. I love you too much for that. And you're right - you're my sweet Sea, my beautiful Doll, my darling Uruu. And I don't want anyone but you beside me."
Everything devolves into kisses and wiping away tears and twining as close, close, close, as possible. As if they could melt into a single beating heart. But with time, they finally break apart but even then they just end up nuzzling against each other, ears twitching with the overflow of emotions.
Quietly, Homura notes, "It doesn't have to be right away. We can wait until we're ready."
"Yes, it would be prudent to wait until the time is right," Uruu agrees with a nod. "But there is something I'd like to do."
"Oh? What?" Comes the automatic question, Homura perking up automatically.
With a light kiss, the Aqua Fairy explains, "Tomorrow, before we go back to the Bar and tell the rest of the family. Then I'll show you."
"You know I won't be able to sleep if you don't tell me," Homura argues with a small pout.
Chuckling softly, Uruu then relents, "Something to show that we're promised to each other."
"Hmmm, okay, I guess I can sleep now," he teases as he draws Uruu back down into the covers with him. "So, good night. I love you so much, Uruu."
Nestling up closer, he rests his head over Homura's heart beat as he replies. "Good night. I love you just as much, Homura."
The next morning, they use a Door to slip back onto the mortal plane and into their human forms. When they arrive, Homura glances around and finds that they're in a quiet shopping area. "So, what are we looking for?"
Taking hold of his lover's hand without hesitation, Uruu leads him along as he answers, "A jewelry shop."
And that snaps the picture together in Homura's mind, and sets his cheeks aglow. "A-are we getting what I think we are?"
"Well, they'll be promise rings, but yes," Uruu confirms as they finally spot the shop. "But we may have to play this as buying them for fashion. It'll depend on the clerk."
Yet, the Aqua Fairy has no qualms about stepping right inside and glancing around the shop. A large display of rings sits in the center and he leads Homura over to investigate.
Soon enough, a young woman with a pixie haircut in a smartly tailored suit comes to assist, "Good morning, gentlemen. I'm Izumi - can I help you with anything?"
Uruu speaks up for the both of them, "We're looking for some very simple metal rings, Izumi-san - maybe in silver or black but with red and blue accents of some sort."
She looks them over for a moment, noticing both Homura's blush and how they remain holding hands. Smiling softly, Izumi then invites, "I may have some options for you. Come over to this display with me."
Leading them back deeper into the store, they come to a collection of simpler fashion rings in steel and tungsten. Pulling out several samples, Izumi inquires, "Do any of these work for you?"
As they look through the selection, it's Homura who points out a pair, "Look at these two - they're color swaps of each other."
Indeed, one ring has its silver face split down the middle with a line of bright red while the inner lining is a deep blue. The other has the colors flipped - a line of blue on the outside with an inner red core.
Picking them up, Uruu holds them both in the palm of his hand, observing and weighing them in the same moment. But then he leans in closer and smiles up at his lover as he declares, "They're perfect."
"Wonderful," Izumi chimes in as she reaches down for a collection of sizing rings. "Here, if I could just get your ring sizes, you can then tell me who will wear which ring."
Offering up his hand, Homura requests, "I'll want the one with the blue line."
And once he is sized, Uruu takes his own turn, "And I shall take the one with the red line."
Nodding along, Izumi then produces the correctly sized rings. "Shall I put them in a single box or separate boxes?"
"Single will be fine," Uruu informs.
"Alright, so let's get everything paid for," she then waves them over to the register and quickly works out the price. It's not excessive, but it still takes a solid chunk of their allowances. But neither complains as they pool their funds to cover everything.
"Thank you very much, Izumi-san," Uruu offers with a bow.
With a nod, Homura adds, "Yeah, thanks."
She has a slight smile as she leans in and informs, "We've got to support each other. I know if my girlfriend and I wanted to buy rings, I would want to be sure that the clerk respected us as well."
With a warm smile, the Aqua Fairy offers, "Well, good luck to you two as well and thank you for helping us."
With that, they depart the store with the rings in a small bag and Uruu takes a turn towards the subway station. "There's a little park a few stops away that will be perfect for what I have planned."
Thankfully, it's a relatively quiet Sunday morning so the car is fairly empty. Enough for the two of them to sit side by side, Uruu gently resting his head on Homura's shoulder. They pass the short ride in companionable silence, simply watching the scenery pass by.
Coming to their stop, Uruu leads them along to the small seaside park. It has a scenic view of the ocean and the paths wind along in lazy patterns. But just off the main one stands a deep red nomura maple tree, tall and proud. And it is under that tree that they finally come to a stop. "I did some en plein air painting here and I remembered how beautiful this tree was against the ocean."
Looking around, Homura has to agree, "Of course you would remember a spot like this. But why are we here?"
Taking out the ring box, he cracks it open while answering, "To make our vows."
Taking a deep breath first, Uruu takes his lover's hand and begins to speak, "Homura, my Flame with a heart that burns so very bright - sometimes gently, other times with passion - that I hold even a small portion of your heart is an honor. You offered me kindness and forgiveness when I needed it most and since then, I have only fallen more and more in love with you with each passing day. You are the brilliant sun that I waited so long to meet and now that I have you, I never wish to live without your light and warmth. When the time is right, I will take my place as your husband in the human world, the Fairy world, and whatever Heaven awaits us in the hereafter. With this ring, I make this promise to you and you alone."
With all that said, he slides Homura's ring onto his finger and seals his words with a kiss upon the blue band.
"Not fair," Homura softly accuses, tears rising to his eyes. "You're so eloquent and I'm not and now I have to follow that."
Wiping away the tears, Uruu promises, "Just speak from your heart - that is all I wish to hear."
Catching his breath, Homura takes hold of the ring and fiddles with it as he speaks, "Uruu, my Sea, I'm only here because even when we fought, you still rushed in to save me. And you're here because I wanted to save you too. Since then, we've saved each other from the lonely lives we were living by loving each other. And I never want to stop loving you - I want to keep learning more about you and more about myself with your help. You're the one who makes my flowers bloom and who I would burn out my life for without hesitation." Taking a deep breath, he repeats back, "When the time is right, I will take my place as your husband in the human world, the Fairy world, and whatever Heaven awaits us in the hereafter. With this ring, I make this promise to you and you alone."
With his vow made, Homura slides the ring onto his lover's finger and seals the words with his kiss upon the red band.
"See," Uruu begins softly as he wipes away his own tears, "You made a beautiful vow to me because it came straight from your heart."
But then Homura's eyes turn serious, as if channeling a bit of his true form. "Uruu, come what may, you have my heart," the Ignis Fairy promises as he wraps his arms around his lover.
And Uruu is taken back for a moment, but only from being so wonderfully overwhelmed. "Come what may, you have my heart as well, Homura," he pledges in turn, just as their lips meet. It settles into a sweet, drawn out kiss, neither of them wanting this moment to end. Even if their only witnesses are the vivid red maple tree and the rolling waves of the ocean, that is more than enough for the two Clan heirs. They know the truth in their hearts and that is all that matters.
It's mid morning by the time they make it back to the Bar. Stepping inside, they find Takara leading Ranmaru and Jyuka in helping to clean up with Bakkun assisting with the dusting. They all look up to the door and wish the pair a bright, "Welcome home!"
"You two missed breakfast!" Jyuka chides, even if there is no heat behind his words.
With a glance towards the kitchen, Ranmura points out, "We did save some curry for you if you want it."
But it is Takara who hones in with his questions, "So where were you two? On an outing of your own?"
Both blush and avoid his eyes for a moment. Uruu breaks the silence by stating, "Actually, we have an announcement to make."
And without missing a beat, Takara has another pointed question, "Did you two stop beating around the bush and elope?"
And now the pair is bright red and holding hands all the tighter. With a quiet cough, Homura answers this time, "W-we… we promised ourselves to each other."
"Wait, promised!?" The Arbor Fairy gasps, eyes now darting between them and Takara.
Clearing his throat and gathering his confidence, Uruu explains, "At some point in the future, we will marry. Until that point, we will wear these promise rings to show our commitment to each other." And they both hold up their hands to show off their new rings.
"That's wonderful," Ranmaru offers with a gentle smile. "I'm so happy for you both."
"Yeah! Good for you two!" Jyuka cheers as Bakkun joyfully bounds around the pair.
But then, the mood shifts as Takara poses his concerns, "What if the Queen doesn't approve? Especially given how relationships between your Clans have been forbidden in the past."
Holding fast to his lover's hand, Uruu affirms, "We shall deal with all of that in time. But I know that my heart will remain with Homura."
"And mine with Uruu," Homura proclaims just as strongly.
Clapping them on the shoulders, that seems to have properly assured the Metallum Fairy. "In that case, when you two are ready, you'll have our full support."
"Yeah, we want you two to be happy," comes Jyuka's promise, his eyes shining bright.
With a light touch to Uruu's sleeve, Ranmaru swears, "We're your family after all. We'll do all we can to make sure your dream comes true."
"Thanks everyone," Homura offers with a little blush still on his cheeks.
"We greatly appreciate your support," Uruu adds.
"More than just support - even if it's not right away, we get to help plan a wedding!" Jyuka all but bounces with joy at the thought. "I'll help with the flowers!"
"And you have to leave the outfits to me - I'll make sure you both look incredibly handsome," Takara offers with a grin.
"I guess Bakkun and I will help with the venue? Or the cake?" Ranmaru considers but Bakkun has already transformed into a stand mixer with a delighted squeal.
"I think all of you are more excited than we are," Uruu notes with a playful laugh.
Drawing his lover - his fiance - in closer, Homura agrees, "And that's why you're the best family we could ask for."