Austrian war criminal meets Pandora and loses a fight to a very short woman in a pantsuit

You wouldn’t think shopping for a ring: a shiny, tiny, overpriced circle, would require this much mental preparation; but here he is. Hunched in his truck outside the store, hood pulled low, muttering to himself like a man on the edge of a breakdown. Because he is.

Because this isn’t just a ring. It’s your ring. It’s forever.

König’s not even sure what forever looks like with someone like him. A man who disappears for weeks. A man with too many scars and not enough answers. A man who still flinches when you say “home” like it’s something that could include him...but, he wants to try. With you. That means buying a ring without spiraling into an existential crisis in the middle of a jewelry store.

He steps inside.

Big mistake.

The lighting is blinding. The saleswoman is terrifying. Everything sparkles in ways that make him feel… sticky? There are so many choices: oval or princess, solitaire or halo, white gold or yellow or… was that rose?

She’s asking questions. König’s nodding. He has no idea what he just agreed to. Why is he sweating? Why does it smell like anxiety in here? Is that him?

He blurts out your name like it’ll save him. Like you’ll appear and fix it. Like you always do.

The saleswoman softens. “Tell me about them.”

So he does...like a breath of fresh air saving him from a panic attack. Quietly, earnestly, like the world disappears. Like you’re the only thing in it.

König doesn’t remember leaving. Just the box in his pocket, heavy with hope. His palms won’t stop sweating. He hasn’t even planned how he’s going to ask. He wants it to be perfect. But he’s not perfect. He’s a soldier, not a poet. Not a romantic. Not good enough.

Still… he picked a ring. For you. He’ll figure the rest out.

Even if he trips over his own feet. Even if the words get stuck in his throat. Even if his voice cracks when he asks you to be his forever.

He will figure the rest out...because he knows he doesn't deserve you. He knows you're too good for him. Yet, you chose him... and he will spend every moment that this ring sits on your finger, trying to prove that you chose right.