Every Ice Blue Cloud Has a Silver Lining

EPILOGUE: Rings and Other Romantic Things

"Where are we going?" Tam asked, as Keefe dragged his arm into a dimly lit park. Keefe chuckled.

"You'll see, babe."

Keefe and Tam travelled to the Forbidden Cities often. No laws could keep two recluses from a romantic date. Keefe dragged Tam through the trees, a flickering streetlamp the only noise aside from their footsteps on the path.

Autumn air always made the park feel different. Less like a run of the mill park downtown and more like the place a romance story would take place. Tam stuck out his tongue and felt the frosty air on his tongue. He loved behaving like a child, after all his childhood lost.

Tam and Keefe both entered their twenties, growing into the type of people they wanted to be. Now, at twenty-nine, they couldn't say they didn't like one part of themselves.

Keefe perhaps became more perfect with the age. He grew into his features, his eyes fitting his face a bit better than his younger self. He developed a more prominent jawline, much to Tam's joy.

Tam hadn't lost the silver bangs. He kept this as a 'screw you' to his parents, who he hadn't talked to in years.

Keefe plonked on a park bench and Tam did the same. Keefe wrapped an arm around Tam's shoulder, and Tam leaned into his touch. Keefe brushed Tam's bangs upward and placed a kiss on his forehead. Keefe smirked.

"I can feel your face heating before." He laughed, and Tam could feel it rattle his whole body. "We've been together over a decade, come on, Tammy, still embarrassed?"

"Keefe," Tam chastised. "I might love and all, but you're only making me blush more!"

Keefe smiled. He reached in the pocket of his black coat that reminded Tam too much of the Neverseen. He pulled out a few bars.

"Chocolate?" Tam smiled. "Oh, you know me so well."

"Kinda hard to not know when you keep eating my stash."

Tam elbowed. "I prefer this to whatever the Lost Cities has."

"I have to disagree, babe." Keefe munched on a chocolate.

"Hypocrite."

"Can't disagree."

They munched in silence, just staring into each other's eyes. Tam was just mesmerised as he was when he was a teenager. Even in the sunset, his eyes seemed just as bright. They hadn't lost the hope that they thought they had.

"Now, Tammy, I didn't bring you all the way out here just to eat chocolate." Keefe's voice was low, and the wind picked up, blowing his hair to the side. "I wanted to ask you something."

Keefe stood up. He grabbed my heads and so did I. I had my mouth agape. Keefe seemed so nervous but so calm. I was the same.

"I've been doing my research on humans," he babbled. "Since they have love figured out more than use elves."

Keefe knelt down, and from his pocket, pulled out a small box, black as my hair. He opened it, a silver ring with a square Sapphire stone in the centre.

"Tam Song, there is absolutely no speech that could possibly do justice to how much you've changed my life. You have altered it, put it together and made it infinately better. But I'm going to ask you to do that once again."

He shed a tear.

"Will you marry me?"

I stood frozen for a moment. Then I picked him up and kissed him on the lips, the familiar feeling with much more joy. I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed him, began to tear up myself.

"Yes, please."

Keefe slipped the ring on my finger, the lampshade light reflecting light off its surface. I admired it.

"I've never heard of this marriage tradition," I let out a laugh. He put his hand on my cheek.

"It's a human thing. Very emotional and everything," Keefe chuckled. "I think I nailed it."

"I love you," I blurted, unashamed.

"I love you too, Tammy."