Theo fiddled nervously with the box in his hands, his fingers running anxiously over the velvet exterior as he took a deep breath. With his nerves, he may as well have been proposing- what with the small box, the dim lighting, the nerve-filled butterflies that continuously fluttered throughout his stomach and never quite went away, even when you and him were apart. His nails dug into his palms, which were ridiculously sweaty. He had never been so nervous, never in his entire eighteen years of existence.
The doorbell rang suddenly, and Theo hastily shoved the small red box into his back pocket, smoothing down his shirt with his hands and giving his reflection a quick check. He wanted to look his best for you, and always tried to appear more than comely when he knew for sure that he was going to see you.
His hair wasn't quite right, but he chose to pry himself away from the mirror, shaking his head at himself and opening the door, greeted by the ever lovely sight of you. It was a wonder how you managed to be so gorgeous, even wearing a simple outfit of skinny jeans and a fitting long sleeve shirt.
"I- um, wow, you-you look beautiful, Y/N, as always," he greeted you, stammering slightly. He went behind you, shutting the door after you walked in, and noticing with pride a blush dusting your cheeks a pale, rosy hue. He loved that he could still make you blush as if it were the first time he had met you, and how you still made him so God damn nervous, as if he hadn't been in love with you for exactly an entire year, your anniversary marked for today. "Happy anniversary, gorgeous," he spoke softly, the box feeling heavier in his pocket as he twirled a lock of your hair around his finger.
"Happy anniversary, babe," you murmured, eyes sparkling with pure joy and a breathtaking grin lighting up your face as you linked your hands behind his neck. His own hands snaked around your waist, coming to rest on your hips before you leaned forward, your smile fading into a slight smirk as you pressed your lips to his. He basically melted, kissing back with as much fervor as he possibly could, and when your lips parted, it took all of his will power to separate from you. A smile still on your face, you tilted your head in confusion. He shrugged.
"I- I have something for you, I don't want to get too caught up in anything before I can give it to you, okay? Not that I don't want to... God, do I want to," he muttered the last part more to himself, but you heard him anyway, laughing at your boyfriend's incessant hormones that always seemed to get the better of him. Except for this time, which was only one surprise of the night. "Come here, sit down, make yourself comfortable." He lead you into the living room, his hand warm, soft, and sweaty all at the same time. He was nervous, you noted curiously, listening to his erratic heartbeat.
"You told me not to get you anything," you frowned, feeling more than embarrassed when he sat down next to you, wiping his hands on his jeans. "If I had known-"
"But you didn't, because I didn't tell you and I don't want anything in return," he insisted, flashing you a brilliant smile before pressing a hand over your eyes. You stifled another overly excited smile. "Don't open your eyes until I tell you," he instructed, his heart just about jumping out of chest when he removed his hand and your eyes were shut. With shaking hands, he reached into his pocket and produced the red velvet box, his fingers trembling wildly as he opened the lid. "All right, you can open your eyes now."
And so you did, welcomed with the sight of an intricately designed, small yet stunning ring, the words promise engraved into the inside of the band itself.
Theo, sensing your astonishment, quickly took it out of the box, smiling nervously at your surprised expression. "I'm not proposing; not yet, anyway. This is a promise ring, and I want you to have it, until I can give you a real ring. Because I will, one day, marry you. But until then, you take this, and remember that I promise to always, always, always be there for you, and love you. I promise that you're going to get a real wedding ring one day, and it's going to be from me, and I don't care how long it will take it. I promise."
He held you so tightly that night, after a night of hastily delivered kisses and your bodies tangled together under comfortable bed sheets, the ring never leaving your finger. You didn't think it ever would. The next afternoon, during school hours where he couldn't be by your side at every waking moment like he so desperately wanted to be, he overheard you gushing to Lydia, a beam planted permanently on your lips. You chattered on and on about many things, but when the topic came to Theo, the softest look in your eyes was evident.
"I love him so much, Lydia, it's ridiculous sometimes. I never want to be with anyone else, and that probably sounds sort of stupid, but it's true. I know that there won't be anyone else. There can never be anyone else."
His feelings mirrored yours almost exactly, and he was filled again with that warm and fuzzy feeling of pure joy. He would keep his promise. He was going to marry you, and nothing was going to stop him from loving you forever.
Years and years later, he kept his promise.
