Spindle Wood (COMPLETED)

Chapter 82

Pat used Logan's hand to spin himself around, laughing. "God, being 16 feels so much older! I feel so much more grown up!" He glanced over his should at Logan. "Do I look grown up?"

Logan laughed under his breath. "You just look like Pat." Pat shrugged.

"Good enough, I guess. Anyway," he leaned back against a tree, "what's this special present you have for me?"

Logan clutched the ring tightly in his pocket. His heart shouldn't be beating this fast. "Well, um..." He pulled his hand out of his pocket but kept it in a tightly closed fist. "Um..." He laughed awkwardly, "promise you won't laugh?"

"Lo, when have I ever been unable to laugh?"

Logan shrugged. "Alright. Promise you won't laugh at me?"

"Definitely." Pat said confidently, grinning. Logan swallowed.

"Alright." He opened his hand and showed the silver ring to Pat.

"A ring? Lo, are you proposing?!" Pat joked, a hand over his heart. "If I'd known you were proposing, I would've worn my dress." He laughed but when Logan didn't laugh along, he stopped. "Lo, are you actually proposing?"

"No, God no!" Logan assured quickly. "I mean, not that I wouldn't- in the future. It's just, we're both so young - you've only just turned 16 - and there are rules and we haven't even kissed yet, again, not that I don't want to, and we haven't even courted properly - I haven't even met your father and I'd have to plan for things like that. Not that I haven't planned for this! I-" Logan cut himself off and sighed in embarrassment, hanging his head. "Sorry. I'm just nervous, that's all."

"Really? I never would've guessed." Pat said, trying not to giggle. Logan smiled wanly and took a breath.

"It's not an engagement ring." He said slowly. "In my kingdom, those are a lot more fancy. They're made out of gold, if you can afford it, and bronze if you can't. No, this is a promise ring. You give it to someone you want to make a promise of love to and it's meant to bind you two together for as long as they wear it." He shrugged his head to the side. "It's just superstition, really, but it's harmless and very sweet."

"A promise of love?" Pat repeated, grinning. Logan nodded.

"You can get them engraved, if you want." He explained. "I didn't. I didn't want to draw too much attention to it. But, I can make the promise." He glanced at Pat before looking back down at the ring. "I haven't made the promise yet."

"So, you promise and then I put it on?" Pat asked.

"That's how it's meant to work, yes." Logan glanced at Pat again. "It's customary to give them to your lover when they come of age. So, I thought... you know..." He trailed off. Pat gave him a small, enthusiastic nod.

"Go on, then." He said gently.

Logan took another breath. "Pat," he said slowly. He held up the ring, "I promise you that I would go to the end of the Earth for you. Say one word and I am by your side. Wish me ill and I would go. Whatever makes you happy brings me happiness too." Taking another shuddering breath, Logan kissed the ring and slipped it on Pat's right ring finger.

Pat smiled. He couldn't find the words to express himself, so he just smiled. "Do I make a promise too?" He asked. Logan shrugged.

"You can if you want, I suppose. It's not customary but," he shrugged again, "neither are we."

Pat's smile grew. "Okay. Lo, I promise you that - even if you went away for 50 years or more - I would wait for you. I am so glad I met you and I never want to be parted from you again." He pressed a kiss to the ring too. "I'm glad this binds us together." He took Logan's other hand and intertwined their fingers. "This has been the best birthday present I've ever gotten."

Logan breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you like it."

Now, this is where shit gets real.
Bye,
Blaize