The sky over Nohr is painted in twilight, soft violet stretching over the castle gardens. Lanterns flicker along the stone path, their glow warm against the creeping winter chill. Leo walks beside you quietly. For once not lost in strategy, nor buried in tomes, but weighed down by something far more personal. His gloved hand flexes at his side, itching to reach for something more than courage.

He clears his throat. “There is… something I’ve been meaning to discuss with you.”

You’ve heard that before. Three times, in fact.

The first time was in the war room, of all places. He had stood stiffly before you, hand in his cloak, clearly reaching for something when Xander strode in unannounced and launched into a lengthy speech about military formations. Leo had stayed silent the entire time, expression murderous.

The second was worse. A quiet moment by the lake, no one in sight, the perfect opportunity. Until Odin spotted you both and materialised out of nowhere to recite a dramatic saga about the 'flames of eternal devotion.' Leo nearly threw him into the water.

The third time- gods, the third time- a lavish dinner in your honour, candlelit and private. Leo had just managed the words 'There is no one else I would choose to walk beside' when Elise burst into the room sobbing because her pegasus had stepped on one of her ribbons. The ring vanished back into his pocket like a guilty secret.

But now, tonight, there are no interruptions. His voice is calm, though a rare tremor threads through it. “I had a grand speech prepared,” he says, stopping beneath an arch of winter roses, “but every attempt to recite it has been… thwarted by fate.” He exhales, almost laughing. “And perhaps that’s for the best. You deserve truth. Not rehearsed poetry.”

He faces you fully now, eyes steady though his pulse all but thunders in the air between you. He draws in a breath and speaks with quiet conviction. “I love you,” he says simply. “Not as a passing comfort in a world of war, but as my constant. My equal. My heart’s chosen. And if fate insists on testing my resolve, then let it hear me clearly.”

He kneels, finally, and presents the ring he has guarded for weeks. “Be mine. Not just in battle, not just in peace, but always.”

No interruptions. No hesitation. Just Leo, at last.