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Alastor was getting suspicious. Earlier this week, Vincent called him and announced that they would go to a restaurant on Saturday, and he would not accept 'no' as an answer. Alastor did not mind; he had nothing planned for that day, so he could entertain the man for a few hours.
But now, when he was sitting in a fancy restaurant (too fancy for their usual outings) in a simple red blouse and black pants while Vincent was wearing a formal white suit and smirking, he knew that something was not right.
Alastor kept his calm facade until the waitress brought their main course and they were left alone in the booth separating them from the rest of the guests. "Alright, spill it. What do you want?"
"What?" Vincent asked in the middle of chewing before swallowing.
"Don't play dumb. You're planning something."
"I don't! Can't I just hang out with my friend?"
"Usually, your idea of hanging out involves inviting me to your apartment, ordering some cheap food and watching a movie."
"Well, I felt generous, so stop complaining and enjoy it."
"How am I supposed to enjoy myself if my mind is preoccupied with figuring out what you're scheming?"
"Ugh, fine!" Vincent used a napkin to wipe his mouth before continuing, "I wanted to do it later, but of course you had to fuck it up."
The man took out something from his suit jacket and knelt on the floor next to Alastor. It looked awfully similar to a scene that you could see in a romantic movie.
Alastor immediately stiffen. There was no way that Vincent still had feelings for him after all the arguments and discussions they had in the past. His fingers twitched, wanting to grab his own hair instinctively. He really did not want to reject the other and deal with unpleasant consequences again.
Thankfully, he managed to speak in this panicked state, "What are you—"
"Will you be my best friend?" Vincent interrupted him with a sweet voice and flashy smile while presenting a small open box with a ring inside.
Alastor could not help but burst into laughter. It was not malicious, but a real, amused laugh. The stress from just a few seconds ago was completely gone. He could not believe that it was real. Only Vincent Whittman could have come up with something so ridiculous, and that was exactly why Alastor liked him so much. It was impossible to be bored for too long around this man.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Alastor was barely able to utter the words out between the giggles. He was glad that nobody could see them; other people would have definitely thought that they were both crazy.
"I had this idea for a while, and Val liked it, so... here we are!" Vincent looked like a boy proudly showing off his bad drawing to his parents.
"You asked Val for an opinion, out of all people?" Alastor finally stopped his laughing fit but could not stop smiling. He wiped his eyes to get rid of the tears that formed there.
"I asked Vel too, said it's cute."
Alastor rolled his eyes. "Fine," he said and stretched his left hand out so it was in front of Vincent now, ready to accept the gift. "I guess I'll be your best friend."
"Give me your other hand."
Alastor raised an eyebrow. "I'm quite sure it's left."
"No, no, trust me. I did my research."
Alastor sighed but replaced his hands. It was not the time for arguing. He could always correct the other after the dinner.
Vincent took hold of his hand and carefully put the ring on his middle finger.
That's not— but before Alastor could finish the thought, suddenly he realised that the 'engagement ring' was not silver or golden; it was black. "Is this... an ace ring?" he asked with disbelief.
"Yeah, what else?"
Alastor did not know what to say. He was utterly shocked that Vincent knew that ace rings existed. Technically speaking, an addition of the white one worn by aromantic people would have fit the situation more, but Alastor did not want to confuse the man even further, considering that he barely understood asexuality. The gesture was incredibly sweet as it was. Besides, black jewelry suited his fashion sense much better.
Alastor smiled softly and expressed his gratitude by simply saying, "Thank you, Vincent."
The other smiled too, squeezing Alastor's hand gently for a few seconds before returning to his chair. "Now, eat your damn food. I'm not spending so much money on you ever again," he was back to their usual banter.
"Wow, you're sooo romantic," Alastor said with an obvious sarcasm in his voice. "Valentino is a lucky guy."
"Hell yeah, he is! He eats like this every week!" Vincent exclaimed arrogantly before taking a sip of wine from his glass.
Alastor shook his head and chuckled, finally focusing on the dish in front of him.
He and Vincent knew each other since elementary school, and they went through many ups and downs, especially when he came out as asexual. The path in front of them was still uneven, but it was steadily getting better as time moved on. And Alastor was glad that he could find some comfort and acceptance in his best friend.