Ready Or Not

"Fuck Off" Will Be Our "Always"

**Lydia**

It's not that we never go to vamp-friendly restaurants and have actual, honest to god, sit down and talk to one another meals. It's just that we do it infrequently, and usually only because we have good reason. A human date. A business meeting. Big news to share.

So of course I eyed my siblings with suspicion as they chatted, Anna gesticulating as she talked to Daniel about some book he'd loaned her. Daniel grinned at our petite brunette friend as her dark eyes lit up over a character arc. But he hadn't stopped grinning since Anna and I had walked in and joined him and Theo at the table.

In fact, he'd been grinning before he'd even been aware of our presence.

My eyes narrowed at Theo, who just looked back at me with a shit-eating smile. His lip twitched a little. Usually that meant he was dying to tell me something. And usually he just spat it out. Hmm.

I knit my brows together and looked back and forth between my best friend and his boyfriend. Daniel didn't seem to notice my scrutiny, but I searched him for clues. Nothing unusual. Charcoal grey button down rolled up to his elbows. Black tie not quite as snug as he'd wear it at work. Thick brown hair sticking up here and there because we all know he can't keep his hands out of it.

His hands.

I hadn't seen them yet. One was holding Theo's under the table but the other...

My eyes snapped back to Theo's. He shook his head at me and disengaged from Daniel's grip, holding both his hands up and reaching for his glass. I looked him over too. All five facial piercings in place, just as they had been for nearly one hundred and twenty years. Blazer, tee-shirt...Plain tee-shirt. Wow. Maurice the space cat must be dirty. Or Daniel forbade him to wear a graphic tee or band merch. Blue hair bright- recently refreshed, obviously. Green eyes crinkled in amusement. Braided leather bracelet on his wrist.

I'd never seen that before. I reached across the table for it and Daniel stopped talking to Anna mid sentence and looked at me as I inspected the jewelry.

A smile crept over my face. "You sentimental dickweed."

A Claddagh shone brightly polished from the middle strand of the leather.

"Aww, Theo," Anna cooed happily. "That's so sweet!"

"That's my man," Daniel agreed, one hand finally appearing above the table to grab at Theo's. "Sweet and sentimental."

"Fuck all of you," Theo laughed.

I looked at where his hand met Daniel's. Oh my god.

"Danny, you just really into matching your boyfriend now, or what's uh... What's going on there?" I asked, gesturing to his matching bracelet.

I knew. Of course I knew. My smile was growing by the second. Matching jewelry? Daniel had managed the impossible. He had actually gotten Theo to promise himself to another person. Vampire. Whatever.

Anna gasped. "Are those like... are you guys doing the whole 'promise ring' thing? Except bracelets, I guess..."

Theo laughed, long and loud.

Daniel kissed his cheek and finally lifted his other hand so we could see it. "Better than that."

My heart beat. I swear to Christ it did. He was wearing a goddamn ring. A metal band, simple, with some kind of stone circlet embellishing it. I felt my eyes go wide.

"Theo! Did...Is that-" I couldn't even form a sentence.

Anna squeaked. "Did you propose, big brother?" She slapped my arm. Why my arm, I don't know.