No Strings Attached

EPILOGUE

I squinted at the ring, holding it to the fading sunlight in all its golden glory. I sat down on the sage sofa we owned, kicking my legs onto the armrests and laying my head on a decorative pillow. It was a nice sofa, in a nice house that we bought two years ago, nestled right in front of a creek and close to Will's hospital.

The house was empty, and I hate it when it's empty. It's not that the house is cold per se, but it lacked the warmth that Will Solace carried with him, the one that radiated off him whenever he stepped into the room. To make up for it, we hung pictures of ourselves on the walls. Pictures of Will and I at our wedding, pictures of us at different places, Will usually bare legged, except for his iconic pair of cargo shorts.

I felt my throat clog up, and my lungs cry for air. They squeezed shut, unable to inhale the oxygen. I reached over from the cabinet and pulled out a pill organiser, with all the different medicines organised in their little boxes. Will and I had sun and rainbow stickers on the case, because we never resisted the chance to be extra.

We've had to take these pills since shortly after we became boyfriends. We probably had to take them sooner, but we were scared, dumb teens who never knew how to handle anything in life. So, we did our conditions from our parents, afraid of what they would say. But it was impossible when I had a wheezing fit in front of my father, who immediately rushed me to the ER. After much questioning, I finally spilled the truth. That this was the consequence of cutting the string. Doctors thought I was lying until Will Solace testified and confirmed it, and we were immediately put on meds to control the chronic illness. Will Solace, ever the optimist, insisted we bedazzle our pill cases, and bought a pack of stickers for the two of us.

We've had to make changes in our life for it, including much more regular doctor visits, dealing with flare ups but change has been the only thing that stayed the same in our life. Change in friends. Change in health. Change in fate. But we always had each other to lean on.

I inspected the ring again but slipped it in its velvet case immediately after. I dropped the box into my pocket. Velvet might be one of humankind's worst inventions. Its quite literally fluffy fabric gone wrong.

Just as I contemplated spending another hour of Instagram, I heard a click of the door unlocking. In teal scrubs strode in Will Solace. His normally fluffy hair was flat, and his smile was tired. I ran up to him and pulled him in a hug, my head fitting right under his chin. He kissed my hair.

"Hey, Neeks. Been waiting long?" He asked. He'd coined the nickname when he was studying for college exams and probably high on caffeine.

I shook my head. "Just three hours, Will."

He sighed. "I wish I was home today. I can't believe I'm working on our tenth anniversary. And three years of being married." He traced the ring on his finger, and I touched the matching one on mine.

"You're here now, and that's better than nothing." I said, stepping closer to him. I looked at my feet. "I have a surprise for you."

He raised a blond eyebrow. "Oh? Really now? And what would it be."

I took a deep breath and kneeled on the floor, pressing my weight onto the carpet. Will slapped his forehead and groaned. I cleared my throat and spoke. "Will di Angelo-Solace, love of my life, soulmate through thick and thin. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me, even if you stink when you come back from the hospital." I paused to laugh. "Will you do me the greatest honour and marry me?"

Will feigned tears of joy and allowed me to slip the ring on his pinkie finger. He stared at it with awe. "Woah. This isn't some sort of prank? These are real rings, Nico. The expensive kind!"

I laughed. "I know. I've had them for a while."

"I've had them since before you proposed." I blushed. He snorted.

"Still mad that I proposed to you and not the other way around?" He doubled over on the sofa, laughing.

"Excuse you, I'd already bought the ring and planned the entire event, and you went ahead and proposed to me a week before! What was I supposed to do, say no? I'm so in love with you, and it's driving me up the wall."

"Why ride the wall when you can ride me?"

I flung a pillow at him, failing to hide my red cheeks. Ten years with the idiot and he still managed to make me blush. What a dolt.

"How was work?" I asked. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. I caught a glimpse of the freckles on his forehead. Funny, how Will hated his freckles. When he first told me, I thought it was absurd, because they seemed like stardust that has singed his skin, making him seem even more heavenly than he already was, but he'd revealed it to me as his biggest source of insecurity.

"A pain, as usual. Asher is the most annoying person alive, and Becky is constantly gossiping about her girlfriend."

"Becky? Really? She's queer?" I spoke. This was the only part of what was going on at the hospital that made sense. "Would not have guessed."

"You have a terrible gaydar."

"Shut up." I groaned. It was true, though, and Will loved to tease me.

"Make me."

I smirked at him, and it was my turn to make him blush. I moved close to hit, staring at him with half-lidded eyes. I nearly pressed my lips on his but pulled away at the last second. "Bathe first."

Will rolled his eyes. "I hate you."

"Love you too."