The next morning, Felix woke him with kisses, sunlight streaming through the shoji screens, the sound of birds in the garden.
"Morning, fiancé," Felix said, grinning.
"Morning." Matteo pulled him down for a proper kiss. "Sleep well?"
"Best sleep of my life. I had the most amazing dream where you proposed to me, under the cherry blossoms." Felix held up his hand, wiggling his fingers so the ring caught the light. "Oh wait. That actually happened."
"You're ridiculous."
"You love it."
"I really do."
They lay there for a while, neither in any hurry to move.
Felix kept playing with the ring, sliding it up and down his finger, watching how it caught the morning light.
"It feels different," he said softly. "Wearing this one. The other ring was beautiful, but it always felt like... like borrowed jewelry. Something I was keeping safe for someone else. But this one..." He turned his hand, the diamond glinting. "This one is mine. Ours."
