Stay

Okay.

Today was the day.

It was a day Ravi had been both dreading and looking forward to. A day in which he'd ask Luce a question. It had weighed on his mind for years now and Ravi had finally worked up the courage to ask it.

Sure, it took several failed attempts due to him chickening out like a pussy every time, but still!

In his hands was a small, plain white box. He didn't bother wrapping it up or putting it in a gift bag because it would only call more attention to the occasion, attention he definitely didn't need. However, it was what was inside the box that gave him the most anxiety.

Inside was a handmade gift, something he had made for Luce in only a span of a few days. Something like this was rather uncharacteristic of him, but he worried the most over whether Luce would even like it or not.

If he did, then everything was well and good. If he didn't, well...it would certainly make what Ravi planned on doing afterwards super awkward.

He heaved a sigh. There was no use in thinking about it. He just needed to get it over with! Steeling his resolve, he called out, "Luce, you wanna come in here?"

He could hear the sound of footsteps approaching from outside the room. His heart hammered in his chest as he waited. To say he was scared shitless of what would happen next was an understatement. This was a hell of a gamble for him to take. All the years he spent bluffing and charming his customers hadn't prepared him for anything like this.

Luce entered the room, a quizzical look on his face.. Ravi still couldn't get over the transformation he's had in the four years they'd known each other. Before, Luce was practically a dead man walking, with his bones threatening to split open his pale skin as his dull red eyes peered out from the shadows of his own making. Now everything about him seemed to scream that he was alive, from how he glowed in the sunlight to the way his smile looked positively gleaming with life. He was, to put it simply, absolutely and irrevocably beautiful.

"Is everything all right? You normally don't..." His voice trailed off as he noticed the box in Ravi's hands. "What's that?"

"It's...a present?" he replied rather comically, holding it out to Luce as he felt warmth rushing to his cheeks. "Just hurry up and take it already."

Luce gave it a curious glance before turning his gaze back to Ravi. "What's the occasion?"

"Just take the damn box, Luce."

Luce took the box from him with a bemused expression on his face. Ravi watched him pull off the lid and peel away the thin sheet of paper hiding within to look at what was inside. He saw his eyes widen in shock as he took out something that seemed to resemble a band of some sort. Here it was, the moment of truth.

Wrapped around Luce's hand was a homemade necklace. There was a simple black cord just big enough for him to put his head through since Ravi knew how much trouble he had with clasps. Next were a few small beads on either side of the cord that were deep shades of red, violet, and blue to help splash some color on the otherwise dark palette. Then there was the main ornament, a crow feather that had taken way too long to find.

Shifting his gaze towards Ravi, Luce asked in almost breathless wonder, "What is this for?"

"It's something I should've given you a long time ago," he replied, fixing his eyes to the ground in embarrassment. The way Luce was looking at him right now was almost too much for him to handle. "You've been with me and Amelia for a few years now and I figured I should welcome you into the family. Not that you hadn't been a part of it, this just makes it official!"