The Academy In My Head

It's a Ring Thing...

"Where did you say it was?" Owen asked, shoving a hand through his hair as he surveyed the jungle that was Sean's home office. It was full of paper birds and flowers and all the other things he knew his best friend created when stressed. It was really a wonderful room and he couldn't help but marvel at how talented Sean was.

"Top left, no right, desk drawer." Sean called out.

Owen sighed and went for the top left drawer anyway after he'd stepped through the room.

"Left, sorry... your other right." Sean corrected.

Owen smirked as he pulled the drawer out and looked into it. "Just the tape, right?" he asked.

"Yes. Just the tape for now."

He picked up the tape and stared at the little black box with a prominent jeweler's name splashed across the receipt it was resting on. He frowned slightly ad reached for it, opening the box and viewing the stunning 2 caret diamond solitaire. His mouth dropped open as he stared at it and closed his eyes as if willing it to disappear but when he opened his eyes again it was still there. He leaned in close to it to read the inscription he could see on the inside of the ring band.

Destiny babies forever

Owen closed the drawer, a look of disbelief on his face as he took the tape and the box with him downstairs.

"Did you find it?" Sean looked up with a smile from where he was holding down paper pieces in the middle of his folding.

"Yes." Owen said, setting the tape down. "Why do you have an engagement ring?" He asked, snapping open the box and setting it down also.

Sean's eyes took on a dreamy look, worthy of being on the face of Mr. Taylor Senior. "Why wouldn't I have an engagement ring? Do you not have a ring for Pookie already? I mean, she's my co-destiny baby and the future Mrs. Dr. Green so ..." He shrugged slightly. "Gotta have a ring ready for my girl..."

"You realize we've known her for a month?" Owen asked dryly.

Sean grinned and nodded enthusiastically. "Sure, yup... had the ring for 3 weeks." He said before shifting slightly to grab the tape he needed.

Owen pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose for a moment, displacing his glasses. "You bought a bird we barely knew an engagement ring when we'd only known her for a week."

"Is there a version of an echo in here?" Sean caught his tongue between his teeth for a moment, the tip of it sticking out of his mouth as he finished up with the flower he was making. "Owen, my man... when you find the one, you find the one and there's no reason to not move forward and get the girl of your dreams, the ring of her dreams. And that ring screams Pookie to me." He straightened up and pointed a finger at Owen. "And she's not just some bird. She's the SANG. The most perfectly wonderful girl in the entire world." He said, stepping forward and pushing his finger into Owen's chest, poking him. "And you have to get your priorities in order."

Owen arched an eyebrow at him. "I have my priorities in order." He said.

"Oh?" Sean leaned away from him, crossing his arms over his chest. "Let's hear them then. The perfectly perfect priorities of Owen Blackbourne."

"I don't need to tell you." Owen crossed his own arms.

"Of course not. I can guess." Sean said. "One, keep the crease perfectly in your pants all day. Two, shine the shoes in your closet nightly. Three, let Sang languish between knowing you like her and thinking you despise her... repeat daily..."

Owen scowled at him. "That's not true and you know it." He huffed at him. He hated that Sean knew how to push all his buttons at one time. Sean raised an eyebrow at him, waiting as patiently as Sean Green knew how to wait for anything other than an apple pie to finish baking. "Fine." He huffed again. "Survive the year at Ashley Waters without anyone dying. Including Miss Sorenson." He said with a quelling look in Sean's direction. "Survive introducing Miss Sorenson to anyone in the academy and figure out how to manage to keep her with us."

"Oh that is a good priority..." Sean mumbled.

"Exactly." Owen shook his head. "Get the boys all graduated and have more than one favor apiece. I could go on."

"No, I get the picture." Sean said. "But someday, you're going to admit that you love Sang just as much as I do." Owen shrugged a shoulder. "I could just make you eat a candy bar." Owen rolled his eyes. "C'mon...." Sean begged. "Admit it... tell me ... tellllll meeeeeeeee!"

Owen snorted out a laugh when Sean dropped to his knees with the last of his begging. "Dr. Green... get up... don't be ridiculous." He said, placing his glasses back on his nose. Sean eyed him as he got back up on his feet again. "It's too early for that."

Sean shrugged. "Fine... Be your typical prickly self." He said, surveying the paper all over his table. "But just don't forget, I was first. I have the ring... no one else does." He said with a smug grin.

"You're impossible..."

(Fade...)