Neon Wish

Chapter 32: The Proposal

The rooftop bar hummed with the low thrum of conversation and the clink of glasses, the city sprawling beneath them like a circuit board of gold and amber. Kyle leaned back in his chair, feet propped on the railing, and let the warm breeze tug at his pink hair.

"I'm just saying," Joaquin said, swirling his drink with a grin. "Your bedroom has been a glorified storage unit for a month now. When are you gonna move out?"

Kyle snorted, not bothering to lift his feet from the railing. "My bedroom has a bed, Joaquin. That's not storage. That's, like, a bedroom."

"It's been a month since you slept in it for more than, like, three hours."

"Your point?"

"My point is you're basically living at Roman's place but you won't say it." Joaquin leaned forward, tapping the table. "You're not moving in because you don't want to admit you're moving in. That's the most Kyle thing ever."

Nell set down her drink, a slow smile curling at the corner of her mouth. "He's not wrong. You've been noncommittal about everything your whole life. Men, jobs, what to eat for dinner. And now you're just, what, perpetually crashing at your boyfriend's place while pretending you still have a home base?"

"It's not pretending. I pay rent."

"Barely," Joaquin said. "And you never use the utilities."

Kyle opened his mouth, closed it. He reached into his pocket and pulled something out, slapping it on the metal table with a satisfying clink.

"How's this for noncommittal?"

The ring was brass. It was a heavy gold band, wide and a little rough around the edges. It caught the rooftop lights and threw them back in warm, flickering shards.

Nell stared at it for a full second. Then she shrieked so loud that the couple at the next table turned to look.

"Oh my God," she yelled, grabbing Kyle's wrist. "Oh my God, Kyle. Is that what I think it is?"

"That depends on what you think it is."

"Is that an engagement ring?"

"Maybe."

Joaquin picked it up carefully, turning it over in his fingers. His eyebrows crept toward his hairline. "It's, uh. It's brass."

"Yeah," Kyle said. "It's special."

"It's not even gold-plated?"

"It doesn't need to be."

"Kyle, I love you, but you pick out a ring like you pick out a bathroom stall at a club. Quick and questionable."

Kyle snatched the ring back, cupping it in his palm like it was made of something precious instead of cheap metal. "It's not a bathroom stall. It's this. Right here."

"Okay, but why brass?" Joaquin asked. "You could've gotten silver. You could've gotten gold. You could've gone to literally any jewelry store and spent more than twenty bucks."

"It wasn't twenty bucks."

"How much was it?"

"Doesn't matter." Kyle ran his thumb over the edge of the band, feeling the slight roughness where the metal had been shaped by hand. "It's special. You wouldn't get it."

"I'm not asking to get it. I'm asking why, out of every ring in this city, you picked the one that looks like it came from a street vendor."

"Because it did come from a street vendor. And it's perfect." Kyle's voice softened, just a little. "Roman had... there was this thing the night we met. It reminded me of him."

Joaquin's mouth opened, then closed. He sat back, rolling his eyes in that dramatic way only he could pull off. "Okay, fine. That's actually kind of sweet. I'm happy for you, man. Really."

"Thanks."

"Still think you could've sprung for gold, though."

"Shut up, Joaquin."

Nell laughed, reaching across the table to grab Kyle's hand. "Show me again. Let me see it properly."

Kyle held it out, and she took it gently, turning it over in her fingers. The brass glowed warm in the rooftop lights.

"This is genuinely nice," she said. "And it's got the little rough edge here, like it was hammered by hand. That's thoughtful, Kyle."

"Told you. Special."

Nell slid the ring back into Kyle's palm, but her hand stayed there, fingers wrapped around his wrist. "Okay. Kyle. Look at me."

He looked at her. She was grinning like she'd just won the lottery, and her grip on his wrist was strong enough to leave fingerprints.

"Are you proposing tonight?" she asked, barely containing her excitement. "Is that why we're here? Did you pick this rooftop on purpose, with the skyline and everything?"

Kyle's mouth twitched. "Maybe."

Nell squeezed his wrist hard. "Oh my God. I knew it. I absolutely knew it."

Joaquin dropped his glass, catching it on reflex. "Wait, wait, wait. You're doing it tonight? Right now?"

"Depends on whether you two can keep your mouths shut for like ten minutes."

"I can do that," Joaquin said. "That's a challenge, but I can do that."

"You literally just talked for fifteen minutes about my bedroom being a storage unit."

"Different situation. That was important information."

Nell let go of Kyle's wrist, fanning herself with her hand. "I need a drink. I need several drinks. Joaquin, get me something strong."

"You're not supposed to be obvious about this," Kyle said, trying to keep his voice steady. "He's coming here in like five minutes, and you're acting like you just won the lottery."

"Because I did," Nell said, shimmying in her seat. "My best friend is about to propose to the love of his life, and I get front-row tickets to that show."

Joaquin flagged down a server, ordering three shots of tequila without checking with anyone. "Confidence builders," he explained, sliding one of them over to Kyle.

"I don't need a confidence builder."

"Take the shot, Kyle."

Kyle took the shot. It burned going down, warm in his chest, and he let it settle before he reached into his pocket to check the ring was still there. It was. The brass band was warm from his body heat, solid and real.

Nell leaned in, dropping her voice. "You have a speech? Like, a plan? Or are you just gonna wing it?"

"Wing it."

"Oh my God."

"You know me."

"That's why 'wing it' is terrifying."

Kyle shook his head, but he was smiling. "It'll be fine. It's Roman. He's not gonna be upset about the delivery method. Trust me."

Nell looked at him for a long moment. Then her face softened into something warmer, something that made Kyle's chest ache a little. "You're really happy, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Kyle said, and he meant it. "I really am."

The rooftop door swung open, and Roha stepped out, messenger bag slung over his shoulder, tie loosened around his collar. He looked tired in that good way, the kind of tired that came from a long day at work, but the second he spotted them, a smile spread across his face.

Kyle grabbed Nell's arm under the table, squeezing hard. "Be cool," he hissed. "Both of you. I'm serious."

Joaquin's grin stretched so wide it looked painful. Nell was doing that thing where she was trying to bite her lip but failing miserably. They looked like two kids who'd just found the birthday cake.

Roha crossed the rooftop, shrugging the messenger bag off his shoulder. "Sorry I'm late," he said, leaning down to kiss Kyle's cheek. "I needed to finish grading papers. One of my students always writes too much. Every single essay is twenty pages on a topic that could be five."

Joaquin shot up from his chair, arms spread wide. "Heeeey Ro-man, my bro-man! Don't sweat it. It's not like you missed anything significant. Nothing at all."

Kyle's eye twitched.

"I was just giving Kyle shit about how much time he spends at your place," Joaquin continued, clapping Roha on the shoulder. "He should really just move in with you, ya know? Wouldn't that be great? Living together." He waggled his eyebrows like he'd just said something profound.

Kyle glared at him. Nell kicked Joaquin hard under the table, and his face scrunched with a barely suppressed yelp.

Roha's eyes narrowed as he took in the grins still plastered on Joaquin's and Nell's faces. He set the messenger bag down by his chair, glanced between them, then at Kyle, who was doing a poor job of looking casual.

"Everything okay?" Roha asked, sliding into the seat next to Kyle. "You two look like you just found a winning lottery ticket."

"Just in a good mood," Nell said, too fast. "The weather's nice."

"It's ten at night."

"Nice night. Perfect. Great view." She gestured at the skyline like she was presenting it to him.

Roha turned to Kyle, raising one eyebrow. Kyle shrugged, pushing his drink toward him.

"Long day?" Kyle asked.

"Long day. But the view helps." Roha grabbed the drink and took a sip, his eyes still scanning the table like he was trying to read what he'd missed. His gaze landed on the empty shot glasses lined up like evidence.

"You three started without me, huh?"

"Kyle needed liquid courage," Joaquin said.

Roha's eyebrow climbed higher. "For what?"

"For nothing, Joaquin," Kyle said through gritted teeth.

Joaquin held his hands up, sliding back in his chair. "Hey, I can take a hint. Just ordering more drinks. You guys talk."

He disappeared toward the bar, leaving an awkward silence thick enough to cut. Nell was actively biting her lip now, the excitement practically vibrating off her. Roha watched her for a long moment, then turned to Kyle with a knowing look.

"Is there a reason you're all acting like you're about to rob a bank?"

Kyle laughed, a little too forced. "Nothing like that. It's been a good month. A good six months, actually. Thought it might be nice to celebrate."

Roha studied him, those grey eyes searching his face. "Celebrate what?"

"I don't know. Us. We made it. That's something, right?"

Roha's expression softened. His hand found Kyle's on the table, thumb brushing over his knuckles. "Yeah, we made it. I still pinch myself sometimes, honestly."

Kyle's heart was thumping so hard he was sure Roha could feel it through his palm. His fingers curled around Roha's, squeezing. "You remember the night we met?"

Roha let out a low laugh. "The club. The dancing. You kept trying to teach me how to move my hips."

"And you kept pretending you couldn't do it."

"I was bad at it."

"You were bad at it on purpose."

"Maybe a little." Roha's lips quirked. "Why are you bringing up old memories?"

Joaquin returned, a fresh round of drinks balanced in his hands. He slid them onto the table with a theatrical flourish, then dropped back into his seat, obviously trying not to look eager.

Kyle took a breath. Then he reached into his pocket and wrapped his fingers around the ring. It was warm, familiar, solid. He pulled it out and set it on the table in front of Roha.

Roha looked down. His hand stilled, hovering over his glass.

"What's this?"

"It's for you." Kyle pushed it across the metal surface. "Look at it."

Roha picked it up reluctantly, like it was radioactive. When he saw what it was, his throat worked for a moment. The brass caught the light, throwing warm flickers across his palm.

Roha held the ring like something precious, like it might shatter if he gripped too hard. The brass caught the rooftop lights and threw them back in warm, flickering shards across his palm. He didn't say anything for a long moment. Just stared at it, his thumb tracing the rough hammered edge, that gentle smile spreading slow across his face.

Kyle's heart was doing something stupid in his chest. He kept his hands flat on the table so they wouldn't shake. Nell had gone completely still beside him, and even Joaquin had dropped his usual manic energy, watching Roha like he was a live wire.

"It's brass," Roha finally said, voice low and rough.

Roha looked up at him, and Kyle's breath caught. Those grey eyes, flecked with gold, were bright in a way Kyle had only seen a handful of times.

"The lamp," Roha said softly, barely a whisper. "Kyle... thank you. I'll treasure it."

Kyle's throat went tight. He swallowed hard, still keeping his hands flat on the table. "It's not just a gift, Roman."

Roha's brow furrowed slightly, his fingers still curled around the band. "Then what is it?"

Kyle took a breath. The rooftop hummed around them, the distant clink of glasses and low laughter, but all he could hear was his own heartbeat. He slid out of his chair and dropped to one knee on the polished concrete.

Nell made a sound like a teakettle about to whistle. Joaquin grabbed her arm, and for once, he didn't say anything.

Roha stared down at him. The ring sat in his palm, glowing warm under the rooftop lights.

"Kyle," Roha said, his voice cracking on the syllable. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Kyle's hands were shaking now, so he pressed them flat against his thighs. "I'm proposing. To you. Right now, on this rooftop, in front of our two nosiest friends."

"You're proposing to me?"

"Yeah." Kyle laughed, a little wet. "I know it's brass. I know it's not fancy. But I saw it at a street vendor a few weeks ago and I thought, that's it. That's the one."

Roha's eyes were shining now. The gold flecks in his grey irises caught the light and held it.

"I wanted something that meant something," Kyle continued, the words spilling out faster now. "Not some shiny thing from a mall. Something real. Something that says I remember how we started, and I want to keep going for the rest of my life."

He reached up and gently took the ring from Roha's palm. The brass was warm from his skin.

"So... Roha. Will you marry me?"

Roha was quiet for a long moment. The only sound was Nell's barely contained whimpering and the distant hum of the city below.

Then Roha surged forward, pulling Kyle to his feet by the front of his shirt. He kissed him hard, one hand fisting in the fabric, the other cupping the back of Kyle's neck. It was messy and desperate and perfect; Kyle melted into it, his fingers clutching at Roha's shoulders.

"Yes," Roha said against his mouth. "Obviously yes."

Nell screamed. It was the kind of scream that came from somewhere deep, pure joy and relief and excitement all tangled together. She launched herself at them, wrapping her arms around both of them, and Joaquin followed a second later, crushing them all into a tight group hug that smelled like tequila and expensive cologne.

"I can't breathe," Kyle wheezed, laughing. "You're all gonna suffocate me right after I got engaged."

"Shut up," Nell said, squeezing tighter. "Let me have this."

The hug broke apart slowly, everyone untangling with reluctant grins. Nell was still bouncing on her heels, eyes wet, and Joaquin was grinning like he'd just won a bet he hadn't even known he'd placed.

Roha's hand found Kyle's, squeezing tight. The ring sat between their palms, warm and solid, waiting for its finger.

"Congratulations, boys!" Joaquin said, clapping a hand on each of their shoulders. His grin turned sly. "But Kyle, bro, you called him Roha. How do you fumble your new fiancé's name like that?"

Kyle laughed, bright and unapologetic. "Whoops."

"Whoops," Joaquin repeated, scandalized. "You proposed to the man and you called him by a name he doesn't even go by. In front of witnesses. I'm a witness, Kyle. I saw everything."

"He liked it."

Roha's mouth curved, slow and warm. "He's right. I did like it."

Nell was already shaking her head, arms crossed, but she was beaming. "You two are hopeless. Absolutely hopeless. I love it."

Roha slipped the ring onto his finger. It fit perfectly, the brass catching the rooftop lights like it had been waiting for this exact spot. He held his hand up, turning it this way and that, watching the light slide across the metal.

"It's perfect," he said softly.

Kyle's chest ached in the best way. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." Roha pulled him in for another kiss, lingering this time, and Kyle felt the whole world shrink down to just this. The brass ring. The rooftop. The man who'd turned into light and found his way back.

Nell made a gagging sound. "Okay, enough. You're gonna make me cry again and I already did my crying."

"You did not cry," Kyle said, pulling back.

"I teared up. That counts."

"Teared up is not crying."

"It is when I do it."

Joaquin raised his glass. "To Kyle and Roman. The most chaotic love story this city has ever seen, and I'm honored to have been here for all of it."

"To chaos," Nell echoed, lifting hers.

Roha's glass joined theirs, and Kyle's followed. They clinked over the center of the table, a single bright note against the hum of the city below. The brass ring glinted on Roha's hand, a small, perfect promise.

Kyle looked at him. At the gold flecks in his grey eyes, the quiet smile that had once been so rare and now appeared every single day. Six months ago, Kyle had watched him dissolve into light on a beach, thinking he'd lost everything.

Now here they were. Engaged. On a rooftop. With their two nosiest friends making terrible toasts.

Kyle grabbed Roha's hand under the table. "You know what this means, right?"

"What does it mean?"

Kyle grinned. "You're stuck with me now. Forever. There's no escaping clause in marriage."

Roha's laugh was low and warm. "Good."