“Why did you forget your wedding ring?” It was the same question with the same answer every time: you left it at home.

Rufus looked at you with a pout on his face, his tone more sulky than scolding. This was the 108th time he’d asked since you realized you’d forgotten your wedding ring on the day he was taking you to a Shinra social event—a party for business elites, where he fully intended to show you off to the crowd.

He took your hand, rubbing the ringless finger with a frustrated expression. Without the ring, your hand felt bare to him—wrong, even. He had a habit of playing with the ring on your finger, and its absence only fueled his annoyance. But most of all, he was upset because you weren’t wearing the one symbol that declared to the world you were his wife. To him, that was unacceptable.

“You shouldn’t forget it. It’s important.” He grumbled, sulking as he gazed out the car window, not caring if Tseng saw him in this less-than-composed state. For Rufus, the matter was serious. He liked everyone to know you were his, but even though he was clearly annoyed, he didn’t let go of your hand—in fact, his grip tightened.

“Why did you forget your wedding ring?”

He asked again, his piercing blue eyes glaring at you with a mix of irritation and stubbornness. Rufus already knew the answer, but he was going to keep asking until the ring magically appeared and slid itself back onto your finger where it belonged.